Restaurant of the Month: G

This month dinner club coincided with St. Louis Downtown Restaurant Week. This is a great event where patrons simply attend the participating restaurant of their choice and select from a special 3-course dinner menu for $25 per person. Luckily, there was a "G" restaurant participating so it made the choice pretty easy this month!

Gio's Ristorante and Bar is located in the heart of downtown on Market and 7th. Neither Kelly or I had actually ever heard of it so we were anxious to try it out. It's a relatively new restauarnt (it's been open for about a year and a half) and we were a little surpirsed at how empty it was on a Friday night. At one point we were the only table on the patio and there didn't appear to be too many more people in the dining room. Regardless we enjoyed the view of the Arch and the Old Courthouse from our table on the patio.

Happy Hour was from 4-8pm so we were able to enjoy some inexpensive drinks throughout dinner which was nice. The restaurant week menu consisted of 3 courses: Starter, Entree and Dessert. Kelly and I both chose the Insalata Caprese (sliced tomatoes, fresh Mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, balsamic syrup, topped with fried basil leaves) for our starter. The tomatoes were fresh and sliced thick and the dressing was not overwhelming. The fried basil leaves added a nice crunch.

Kelly had Pollo Con Melenzane for her entree. This chicken dish was lightly breaded, charbroiled, topped with grilled eggplant, tomato, and Mozzarella cheese. It also came topped with a birds nest of fried spaghetti. It looked cool but Kelly opted not to eat it. I chose the Braciole Napoletana - Thin slices of beef stuffed with prosciutto, pine nuts, raisins, Mozzarella and bread crumbs, braised in red wine and tomato sauce. Both came with a side of veggies and potatoes. Kelly's chicken dish was very good from the bite that I had. My beef dish was good and different from anything I'd had before. I liked the sauce and the raisins added a slight sweetness. I thought the beef was slightly overcooked for my taste, but I still cleaned my plate!

Next came dessert! We chose two and shared - Strawberry Bruschetta and Tiramisu. Both were delicious! The triamisu was light and creamy and gone within a few bites! The Strawberry Bruchetta was a completely different taste. A slice of grilled bruchetta was topped with straberries and ice cream. The grill flavor really came through and was so unexpected in a dessert.

We definitely got our money's worth this month! 3 courses for $25 is pretty much unbeatable as was the view from the patio. Gio's would also be a great place to go before or after a Cardinals game to grab a drink and an appetizer. They are within walking distance of the stadium and they validate parking. Again you can't beat that!