Gerard’s brings memories of time past of fine dining with excellent food, entertainment, making it a ‘must’ for those seeking great restaurants
 in St. Louis

By Daniel Hines
Publisher
America’s Seniors at www.TodaysSeniorsNetwork.com

Once upon a time—and this is not a child’s story—there was a wonderful restaurant in St. Louis that set the standard for taste and style.  It was Al Baker’s, an almost legendary top restaurant known nation-wide. There were many things that made it great.  The food was superb.  The wine list was extensive.  There was entertainment.  And there was Al and Mary Baker and their wonderful staff. 

It was a sad day for many of us when Al finally retired.

But, that tradition of excellence in dining continues today with one of Al Baker’s key people—Gerard, who carries on the Baker tradition with his outstanding restaurant located at 12240 Manchester Rd in Des Peres, MO, easily accessible from Interstates 270 and 64/40.
 
We visited Gerard based both upon the recommendation of close friend Tony Viviano, a St. Louis entertainment legend, who is performing at the restaurant and our own, fond memories of the excellent service offered by the personable Gerard himself from years ago at Baker’s.  We anticipated that this would be an evening of quality service and food.

We weren’t disappointed.

Gerard himself greeted us and our fellow diners, friends Dave and Liz Clooney, and seated us.  Now it was time to start enjoying the fine food.

We started with the wine list.  And, true to the tradition of Baker’s, Gerard offers an extensive selection from moderately priced to the highest quality and more expensive, often hard-to-find wines. We chose a moderately priced Frog’s Leap, Old Vine Zinfandel.  It was wonderful, filled with the deep earthy flavors that can only come from century-old vines ($44.50).  But, Gerard’s has one of the most extensive wine lists in St. Louis, and you will have a choice from literally hundreds of wines up to four figures a bottle.

Next came the appetizers and salads. About the appetizers: I am very choosy about dishes such as Crab cakes, but was willing to give them a try, daring to put them up against those I had enjoyed in Maryland and Washington, DC.  It was an excellent choice.  They were simply delicious and flavored. They were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside just the way I wanted it to be. Salads were crisp and fresh. Even the bread was warm and went very well with either the olive oil and cheese or the flavored butter.

Gerard's Restaurant 12240 Manchester Rd St Louis, MO 63131 (314) 821-7977 (Reservations Recommended)

For my appetizer, I chose one of my favorites, Italian il carpaccio.  The thinly sliced beef was accompanied by an absolutely excellent olive oil-based dip that set the stage for the launch of a wonderful evening of dining.

As for the salads, excellence, my favorite was the hit of a tossed salad that featured a fried eggplant.  You may think you have eaten eggplant before, but this was entirely different, large, thick, almost with the appearance of a valued wild morel mushroom, and, most importantly, as tasty a garnish as I believe I have eaten.    

One of the great things about Gerard’s is that it has a huge menu, not of quickly prepared foods, but entrees that are individually prepared, arriving at the table still hot and fresh.

I ordered Veal Franchese.  It was the first time in ages that I have seen an actual Veal Franchese offered in a St. Louis restaurant, many of which while offering Veal dishes, rely upon a thin slice covered with a melted lemon-garlic butter but lacking any real taste in the entrée itself. 

This is not the case with Gerard’s.  The Veal itself is perfectly prepared and offers a variety of great taste sensations.

My wife, Brooks, also chose a Veal entrée—Veal Oscar, prepared in New Orleans style.  It too offered a memorable taste combination.

Guests Dave and Liz Clooney opted for different dishes.  Dave chose a huge—and perfectly prepared New York Strip Steak while his wife selected an equally beautiful Rack of Lamb.  And, therein lies one of the easily overlooked things that makes Gerard’s unique—it offers a wide variety of generous servings of entrees as noted above—but which are not overpriced, providing an evening of dining that likely would cost much, much more at some restaurants.

Another great thing about Gerard’s is that it is that rarest of places these days—offering fine dining and entertainment that this night
featured St. Louis legend Tony Viviano.

Tony has been on the St. Louis scene for years, but this night he was absolutely on as much as any of us could recall.  He had a wide variety of numbers, old and some newer ones, with each presented with a freshness that only such a great entertainer can provide.

He offers Gerard’s customers an opportunity to hear some really great small combo music that reflects an era of Sinatra, Darin, Bennett and Prima—a perfect complement to provide a way to finish an evening of great food and perfect music.

So, while Al Baker’s continues to fade away into the storied past of wonderful St. Louis restaurants that once were, there remains a link exemplified by the foods, wines and entertainment of Gerard’s, which continues to build its own deservedly outstanding reputation as a St. Louis Restaurant of Choice.