Review: Terrene in St. Louis

I must confess, I’m a huge fan of the readers’ choice poll. Sure, it’s fun to read, but my reasons are much more selfish. You, the ridiculously informed readers with highly developed palates, do all the heavy lifting for this piece. When your votes are cast, all I have to do is to eat, drink and be merry at your favorite new restaurant. For this, I thank you.

For sending me to Terrene this year, I heap praise upon you. Through numerous visits and now two columns since its late-2005 opening, I have yet to walk out of its doors without a feeling of fundamental well-being. Sure, there are many possible reasons for this – ebullient service; a commitment to maintaining as small an environmental footprint as possible through recycling, composting and using organic and sustainable products wherever possible; or even the catchy specialty-cocktail list – but, let’s be real, it’s because partner and chef Dave Owens and team make seriously tasty food.

I am continually amazed by Owens’ rapport with the potato. In four different preparations that I was able to unearth on the menu and in specials, there was no imposition of will on the part of the cooks. They simply prepared and presented the potatoes in a manner that allowed them to realize their full potential.

By now, the terrifically seasoned, golden, crispy and fluffy frites are a given. Potatoes just firm enough not to turn to mush were paired with crunchy red and green onions in a creamy potato salad side to the ribs and offered a tangy initial taste with a somewhat citric afterthought. Halved roasted potatoes on the side of a Niman Ranch strip steak crisply resisted the bite a millisecond before giving up their fluffy, almost buttery treasure. And tiny browned potato cubes gave structure and balance to succulent smoked trout and two eggs with deep yellow-orange yolks in a breakfast hash.

Additionally, I am impressed with the way the ever-evolving menu (lunch and dinner menus change daily) and specials are able to keep each visit fresh. Sweet cornmeal-encrusted soft-shell crab on a house-made green onion roll danced across the taste buds but was never drowned out by Owens’ piquant version of Thousand Island dressing. Chilled cucumber-and-mango soup with dungeness crab was cool and sweet and subtly spicy with a whisper of habañero and the occasional crunch of a well-chopped red onion.

The aforementioned ribs were tender, but not so much that they lost their structure. An Osterweis (Schlafly root beer) barbecue sauce added a unique flavor to the ribs without taking away from the smoke in the meat. Excellent marbling and a primal beefy flavor characterized the strip steak. Pickled red onions added a sweetness that countered buttery asparagus and a briny, softly grassy salsa verde that evinced the grazing pastures where this dish started.

Not willing to sit on the sidelines and let others hog the glory, pastry chef Cheyenne Modglin offered up a phenomenal organic strawberry crostata that capped a meal nicely. The warm, sweet, flaky and tender freeform tart topped with fresh strawberries and strawberry-poppy seed ice cream provided a great juxtaposition of warm and cold strawberry flavors.

Of special note was a vegan biscuit and gravy for brunch. Up until this point, I had never sampled a meatless version of this dish with any character, but this recipe changed my thinking on the matter. While I, personally, would never eschew my beloved artery-clogging sausage gravy, this version had a depth of flavor that stunned me.

So, along with food, what are some other keys to the restaurant’s success? According to John McElwain, partner and general manager, it’s had incredible support from the local residents and businesses. Terrene has also turned into a destination for those heading to shows at The Fox Theatre and Powell Symphony Hall, and service has been tailored accordingly to accommodate guests on a timetable.

McElwain said he is pleased, but not surprised, by the number of guests: “I built this so they would come,” he joked, adding that another key factor in the restaurant’s success is the retention of more than 60 percent of its original staff in an industry known for very high turnover.

In my opinion though, nothing may prove to be as important as the kitchen’s most recent feat: Terrene is curing its own bacon!! I was told that this will mean an assured source of top-quality bacon and pancetta for dishes … and could it also be a sign that braised pork belly is gearing up for a return to the menu? Oh, sweet magical animal, let’s hope so!