The Hill is famous for its Italian restaurants, but Five Bistro, which recently relocated to the neighborhood, is shaking things up. This eclectic, creative bistro offers a non-Italian menu – and almost a completely non-Italian wine list that pairs well with its fresh, locally driven cuisine.
On a recent visit, I went with $45 prix-fixe four course menu; a $60 prix-fixe with 2-ounce wine pairings is also offered, but with over 50 wines on the list, I did not want to be limited to the just 8 ounces wine selected by someone else.
Although I like to start every meal with something bubbly – and Five had several offerings – I broke with my tradition when I saw one of my old favorites, the Robert Sinskey Vin Gris of Pinot Noir from Carneros in the southern region of Napa Valley. Dry pink wines, one of the easiest of all wines to pair with lighter first courses, are really underutilized, and this dry pink beauty is one of the most consistent rosés from California. It was the perfect complement to our appetizers: beer-battered fried local cauliflower with smoked paprika aioli, and potato blinis with Camembert, grilled local portabellas, truffle honey and fried egg.
The wine list offers selections from a well-planned range of wine regions, including several from France, Australia, Argentina and South Africa. But it was the Italians that caught my attention, particularly since we were on The Hill. I think that one of the most interesting reds of Italy is Dolcetto, which is a soft-tannin, slightly fruity style of red from the northwestern region of Piedmont. This particular wine was the Sandrone Dolcetto d’Alba, from a small but superb producer of Piedmontese reds. One thing nearly always true about the wines of Italy, they are designed for complementing food, period, and this one didn’t disappoint (even if spelled on the list as “Docetto,” one of numerous spelling errors). The wine worked with all of our main courses and went particularly well with the house-made three-cheese ravioli.
For dessert, I opted for the cheese selection to go with my DeBortoli Black Noble, an Australian dessert wine tasting almost like a liquid reduction of peanut brittle and caramel. Thick, dark and lush, it elevated all of the cheeses.
As with many restaurants, Five’s selection of wines misses the opportunity to offer something from any of the 90 wineries in Missouri. And here the omission seems glaring: With its Web site listing the local producers used at the restaurant and a draft beer list that includes a nice selection of six regional craft beers, Five Bistro is obviously very proud of its commitment to supporting local farmers. Maybe the next time, a few local wines will also be on the list.
To read Michael Renner’s review of Five Bistro’s cuisine, visit Gourmet Guru in the reviews section.
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2009.
