It’s not often that we start a review with the dessert. But we know enough to put first things first, and the first thing today is to hurry to Modesto and try Grace Dinsmoor’s exquisite bread pudding. A relatively new item on the menu, a square of bread pudding arrives with the toffee-like sauce bubbling merrily, the square of light, fluffy pudding slightly crisped on the outside from its visit to the oven for re-heating. The texture is dazzling, and so is the flavor. We freely admit that we are not fans of white chocolate, which we think lacks the requisite chocolate qualities. But there are places for it, and this is clearly one of them, where it adds another note. Dice of still-slightly-al-dente apple add additional taste and texture.
One of the things we like about Modesto is the tapas menu, filled with interesting nibbling opportunities, combined with a good wine list and today’s restaurant necessity, some expanded cocktail possibilities. A couple of late-evening visits offered many tasty bites. We found ourselves gravitating toward meat and seafood, but vegetarians will be more than happy; the menu offers them 13 options on the tapas menu, plus a couple of salads.
Cautious eaters need not fear the menu. For instance, riso nero, black rice, is a short-grain rice, the kind used in paella, in a sauce whose purplish color should not be intimidating. The flavor is lightly seafood-ish from its squid source, the rice studded with pieces of lobster. For those more interested in assertive flavors, there’s a dollop of garlicky mayonnaise and a wedge of lemon, and a suggestion from the server that Dinsmoor recommends squeezing the lemon over everything and then stirring in the mayo, also known as aioli, for a fuller experience.
Chunks of grilled sausages are served with a little sauteed onion, sweet red pepper and some pieces of (seeded) green olives. Two kinds of sausage, botifarra, authentically Spanish with its notes of cinnamon, and linguica, more garlic-and-herby, were a nice change from the usual sausages found in St. Louis. Does bunuelos de bacalao sound off-putting? Bothered by the idea of salt cod? Never fear, these crispy little patties with their creamy interior are mild. A dollop of mayo, this one more lemony, offers itself as a dip. Interestingly, they seem far tastier when they’ve cooled a bit, rather than when they arrive hot from the fryer. The lower temperature apparently allows more flavor to come out.
A nibble of Iberico ham, or Serrano ham, a menu staple, is also a possibility. We tried the Iberico, supposedly from acorn-fed black-footed Iberico hogs in Spain, and found it to be moist, dense, and somewhat salty. Its flavor seems more delicate than prosciutto, perfect for nibbling with a glass of good Spanish sherry, for instance. We like it a lot.
But our favorite was a cazuela,or grilled baby octopus, which arrived in one of the mini-casserole dishes the restaurant favors. Tender, slightly charred to add to the flavor, it wore a vinaigrette of bacon, onion and sherry vinegar. A few cubes of quickly fried potatoes were a charming presence. The dish was so divine that we used our bread to sop up the last of the tasty sauce.
And then came the bread pudding. Sigh….
The wine list, extremely Spanish, has a good collection of by-the-glass opportunities, even among the sparklers, also called Cava, where a rose offering from Navarra was an excellent balance to a white from Penedes. Both are crisp, though a little light on the bubbles. Rioja wines, mainly from tempranillo grapes, are Spain’s most popular reds, excellent and of moderate price. Speaking of alcoholic beverages, we’re also fond of Modesto’s margaritas, mojitos and caiprinas, and a coconut-studded version of the latter was a delight
On the soft drink side, Modesto recently introduced a Cuban-style soda called Havana, available by the glass in tamarind, cola and mojito flavors, the latter perked up nicely with a proper touch of lime for pleasing tartness. Cola is not like Coke or Pepsi, but of satisfactory flavor, also lightened with lime. Tamarind is a little foreign to American palates, but offers a refreshing, slightly spicy sweet-sour note. They are non-alcoholic, but a splash of rum in the cola makes a fine Cuba Libre, and tequila will take mojito flavor and make it Mojito flavor, but beware of the alcoholic kick. The sodas are made in Louisville, Ky., from Cuban recipes, and 12-ounce bottles also are available at imaginative local grocery stores like La Tropicana on Lindenwood Avenue and Global Market, on South Kirkwood Road in Kirkwood.
5257 Shaw Ave.
314-772-8272
Dinner Monday-Saturday
Credit cards: All major
Wheelchair access:
Good if you use the next door to the east
Smoking: Yes
Tapas: $6-$12, Entrees: $14-$19
Comments
One response
Have you stopped listing whether a restaurant you review is nonsmoking? You used to note it explicitly in the details at the end — last time you at least commented on a smoky bar. Please specify. When a restaurant is backward enough to permit smoking, and especially when the smell intrudes on my dinner or I have to walk through it, this drastically reduces my (and my family’s) inclination to try it.