Review: Jimmy's on the Park in Clayton

People my age (28) quickly become jaded to reception halls and open bars. Your friends begin the domino-tumble of marriages the summer after college graduation. You hit the winter weddings, spring weddings, summer weddings, fall weddings and is-she-showing? weddings. Inevitably, midway through a reception, you’ll have to turn around to see who is hooting and hollering so loudly. Sometimes it’s me, but many times it’s a table of well-dressed, middle-aged couples, glasses of white zin and tumblers of bourbon highballs in hand, ecstatic for a night out.

At first, you may be taken aback by such behavior. “What are they doing?” you think. “They’re too old to act like that,” you think. As the night - and their behavior - progresses, it hits the arrogant know-it-all 28-year-old. They’re laughing, not sniping. Smiling, not scowling at the dress colors. They’re having a damn good time. No one is having as much fun as that table. No one. Unadulterated jealousy follows, then confusion. What do these people do for fun when they’re not at weddings? I now know.

The look …
Nestled on a strip across from Concordia Seminary, Jimmy’s on the Park partially anchors a hidden jewel of a St. Louis neighborhood. In the stately DeMun nabe, you’ll slowly traverse tree-lined streets, testing your parallel parking skills.

Jimmy’s Café opened in 1994 to quickly establish itself as one of our town’s best restaurants. Known for flash-fried spinach, beef tenderloin and caricature-lined walls, Jimmy’s expanded earlier this year with a bistro and bar. Partners Jim Kristo and Rick Yackey joined with designer Joan Colgrove of CSI Design to present a very sharp bar space. Sidewalk tables of Jimmy’s and the adjacent and unrelated Sasha’s Wine Bar greet visitors before entering Jimmy’s. The small bistro/bar room presents a warm, masculine feel. On the right, a 20-foot polished granite bar top, backed by a large mirror, uses large steel springs as armrests and a train track as a foot rail. Sit in the overstuffed bar stools.

A two-sided dark velvet and leather couch with dinner tables on one side and round glass cocktail tables on another splits the lower level, with a similar couch against the wall of the upper level. Taken from a downtown warehouse, the 80-year-old maple wooden floor is accented with marble inlays from the old City Hospital. One fireplace-behind-glass is a conversation piece for the corner couch, while another open-air fireplace provides more atmosphere. Illumination, provided by hanging lamps and track lights, is a step above dim. The lone TV garners much attention.

The scene …
In a word, grown-up. The bartenders pour sidecars rather than Jäger shots. Couples – who dominate the scene – come to enjoy a fine meal and good conversation. The bar’s usually top-notch service, carried over from the café, will impress, making it ideal for a first date or 50th anniversary.

The crowd, almost exclusively white and over 45 years old (sometimes over 60), is polite and friendly, often dancing to the free live jazz on weekend nights. Like the table at the reception, they’re having fun. Lots of fun. The crowd size varies immensely, as many have a drink while waiting for their café table. As at any bar, weekends are much more crowded than weeknights.

As the night progresses, the age of the crowd goes down, but Jimmy’s sophistication does not. (Similarly, as the buzz of Jimmy’s bar gets out, the age of the patrons will likely go down.) It’s a cosmopolitan – the adjective and cocktail – social scene.

Live jazz entertains every Friday and Saturday night from 8:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Volume is perfect, still allowing conversation. Dress is upscale, but unless a special occasion merits, not formal. You’ll see slacks and loafers, skirts and heels.

The products …
The good reputation of the café’s cuisine carries over well into the bistro and bar. While the bistro has its own menu, you may order from the café menu as well. The $20-and-under-entrée café dinner menu offers the aforementioned Tenderloin Anthony, as well as top-notch poultry and seafood dishes. Choose from assorted lettuce or spinach salads. No arguing: Order the signature flash-fried spinach.

The bistro menu ($10 and under) is more low key, presenting excellent grilled pizzas, sandwiches and a few entrees. From 10:30 p.m. until midnight Fridays and Saturdays the menu shrinks to a one-page late-night bistro menu, offering a few appetizers, pizzas and desserts.

On each table are another Jimmy’s staple, complimentary pasta crunchers – imported fettuccine noodles, flash-fried and seasoned with about 20 ingredients.

The modest wine lists offer vintages from around the globe, concentrating on California labels. Only a couple top $50. The cocktail menu offers Jimmy’s take on the usual martinis –Cosmos, a chocolate martini, espresso martini, etc. - for $6.95. A Martini Monday special cuts prices to $3. Choose from single-malt Scotches, specialty whiskies, ports and sherries. The beer selection presents standards. Bottled AB products go for $2.95. Imported bottles are $3.75. Draft pints – Bass, Guinness, Schlafly and more – sell for $3.95.

The straight 411 …
For a sophisticated, adult evening, in a cozy well-decorated space, head to Jimmy’s. Invite that table from the wedding reception, too. They’ll love it.