I Fratellini has always been a low-key place, flying relatively low beneath the radar while riding high in terms of popularity. And the trattoria-esque restaurant is little; it seats about 30, not counting the handful of seats at the bar. A cozy storefront equally pleasant on a snowy night or a summer evening, thanks to the large front windows, it’s the brainchild of Zoe Houk and her talented chef Ny Vongsaly, who worked together at Café Zoe in the Central West End. She recently sold that spot, to concentrate on Clayton, though there are reports she has an eye on another location on the Skinker side of Washington University.
Regulars flock here from the Hanley-Wydown neighborhood, but fans come from all around town. In truth, many have followed Zoe since her original Park Avenue location–everyone remembers the chicken salad–helped begin the rejuvenation of Lafayette Square.
The first courses include what is for us a remarkable dish: zucchini that we both like. Zukes are, to our palates, far too bland to cause any excitement. But here, medium-thick slices are grilled and placed, warm, into a lemony vinaigrette, then served with Parmigiano shaved on top. The results are nothing short of stunning, with flavors making one remember summer in the back yard. A soup du jour of mushrooms and onions showed off a deeply mushroomy broth, rich despite the absence of cream, and a crouton topped with what seemed to be some ricotta, a very satisfying dish.
Entrees come out of the tiny kitchen with alacrity. Half are pasta, several of them vegetarian; but we went in the other direction. Salmon crusted with polenta was perfectly cooked, a little pink in the
middle and slightly crispy from the ground corn. It sat on Swiss chard in a butter sauce, a handsome dish, kind of a cross between sweet spinach and slightly bitter beet leaves and well worth a try. Lamb chops were three from the loin, two bones thick, carefully trimmed and cooked to medium, warm pink inside and very juicy. We weren’t asked about doneness; we usually d on’t initiate a conversation, but wait to see what a kitchen does when left to its own devices. In this situation, things worked out well. However, our general advice to diners is to speak up if they have strong opinions, especially on a topic as important as this.
The wine list is on the slender side, but there are remarkable values and excellent selections by both glass and bottle.
I Fratellini makes its own ice cream–in fact, in the summer, there’s a sign outside describing what’s available that day. But we succumbed to a bread pudding made with panettone the Italian Christmas bread that’s studded with raisins and candied orange peel. It arrived crowned with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and lots of whole pecans to gild the lily. Pleasant texture, good flavor, but quite warm on one side, warm on the other, and chilled inside. Ah, the curse of the microwave…but still, we never would have thought of chocolate on panettone, which would have been our loss.
I Fratellini
7624 Wydown Blvd., Clayton
314-727-7901
Lunch: Mon.-Fri., Dinner Mon.-Sat
Credit cards: All major
Wheelchair access: No
Smoking: No
Entrees: $18-$24
