Sometimes restaurants known for the caliber of their wine selection, with food and service to match, are chilly in disposition – too severe, too formal. But tucked away in downtown Clayton sits Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar, an escape from the stodgy, the pretentious and the bland, proving that those who take good wine and food seriously don’t have to be serious all the time.
Remy’s opened in 1995 and in the years since, it’s remained a buzzing yet low-key spot spilling over with loyal regulars. Owner Tim Mallet takes a whimsical and lighthearted approach, meshing the high (Wine Spectator awards hanging on one wall) with the not-so-lofty (a poster of Elvis plastered on another). Lisa Slay, the restaurant’s “culinary driving force,” offers an eclectic menu of Mediterranean-inspired dishes. With about 20 small plates, hot and chilled, and six large plates, there’s something for everyone. If falafel, harissa and feta are unfamiliar words to you, a bowl of tagliatelle, four-cheese flatbread, or a strip steak with arugula, blue cheese and tomatoes may be easier on the ears.
But the ethnic dishes are where Remy’s kitchen really shines. The tame (and underseasoned) artichoke, tomato and mozzarella salad and the field greens salad simply don’t stand up to the punch of the stuffed grapevine leaves, which are so very good. Slay’s grandmother taught her how to make these little powerhouses, stuffed with rice and ground lamb. The tomato-cumin sauce they are doused in is bright, tangy and spicy and helps make these a great way to wake up your palate at the start of a meal.
Other small plates really show off the kitchen’s deft hand with bold spice and texture. (Creating a meal from a combination of these dishes is a great way to go here.) The feta mousse, served with red peppers, capers and fried pita triangles, is also amazing. It’s possible the red peppers had been sitting around too long: They had a telltale fermented sting. But the mousse – buttery smooth, a little garlicky, a little salty – was so good by itself I could have skipped the peppers and pita altogether and eaten it with a spoon.
I also could have plowed through a mountain of the Middle Eastern beef kefta, or spiced meatballs. The accompanying tabbouleh, a cracked-wheat salad, was fine (although the cool cucumber sauce was a little chalky), but the succulent kefta were quite the meaty treat.
The Moroccan-seasoned crab cakes were tasty but lacking in texture; a lumpier ration of crab would do. The falafel was better than others I’ve tried around town and the hummus is top-notch: lemony and garlicky and with a little texture. An endive, radicchio and walnut salad with blue cheese, figs, balsamic and a hefty dose of truffle oil was symphonious. Crunchy, crisp, chewy, sweet, salty, sour, aromatic and colorful – this is a great salad.
Granted, not every small plate hit its mark. The carrot-ginger soup wasn’t sweet, light or clean as I’d hoped. Instead, it was too thick and really unbalanced. It was as if the carrots had been plucked from a pot roast or stew – cooked to oblivion and heavy-tasting – and I couldn’t taste the ginger. And the pan-seared scallops and spinach with tomato-balsamic vinaigrette and goat cheese were just OK. Scallops need some acid, yes, but this vinaigrette was just too overpowering.
The large plates we sampled were fine. The bronzed mahi mahi, a house specialty, was spicy with lentils and shrimp, the “bronze” being a dusting of more than a dozen spices, including paprika, cayenne, cumin, caramom and coriander. The fish was on the dry side, but the two shrimp on top were a treat, and the lentils were cooked through and tender but still held their shape. The grilled beef tenderloin could have used a saltier crust, but the decadent blue cheese butter made up for it, and the cut was cooked exactly as ordered.
And, of course, there are the beautiful wines. Arranged by varietals and regions, Remy’s wine list of about 90 bottles and 34 by-the-glass selections is refreshingly accessible. Wine flights, an affordable and fun way to sample new wines, spotlight half-glass pours of three wines of a feather. (The Around the Blanc flight, for example, features three Sauvignon Blancs.) Oenophiles will surely appreciate the variety and quality of the list, as well as its accompanying knowledgeable service. Servers earned bonus points for suggesting alternate selections when they were out of a vintage.
After nearly 15 years, Remy’s offers a unique synergy other restaurants should strive for.
BACK FOR SECONDS Don’t-miss dish: Stuffed grapevine leaves, feta mousse.
Vibe: Retro, kitschy and eclectic but sophisticated.
Average price: Small plates, $3.95 to $9.95. Large plates, $14.50 to $19.95.
Where: Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar, 222 S. Bemiston Ave., Clayton, 314.726.5757
When: Lunch: Mon. to Fri. – 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner: Mon. to Wed. – 5:30 to 10 p.m., Thu. – 5:30 to
11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 5:30 to 11:30 p.m.
This article appears in Nov 1-30, 2009.
