2017 Chouteau Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63103
A couple of months ago my girlfriend, Janice, and I went to dinner at Vin de Set. I had heard a lot about Vin de Set, especially the outdoor space, and I was eager to try it out. Unfortunately, the night that we went it was pretty chilly outside so we skipped the Rooftop Bar and stayed inside.
We started the night by ordering a bottle of 2007 Steltzner Claret Bordeaux Blend. It was so fantastic that we had a second bottle. I believe it was aroun $25/bottle.
I had read some reviews about Vin de Set and everyone raved about the crepes. I also happened to be watching a show on Food Network at the time about food trucks. One of the trucks focused on selling crepes and they looked delicious so I was anxious to try one. We settled on the Crab & Shrimp with tomato-lobster cream sauce ($8.59). It was amazing. I was afraid that it might be a little too fishy but the tomato cream really cut through and it was creamy, delicious and luxurious. The portion size was perfect for sharing.
For an entree, I ordered Steak au Poivre grilled beef tenderloin medallions w/ brandy-pink peppercorn sauce, haricot verts & yukon gold mashed potatoes ($22.99) I substituted the haricot verts for grilled asparagus.
I thought this dish was good but it doesn't really stand out among all of the other meals that I have had. I ordered the steak medium and it came out a little past at almost medium well. The seasoning was good and the asparagus and potatoes were also fine.
Janice ordered Pan Seared Jumbo Scallops w/ atrichoke quinoa & champagne vanilla bean beurre blanc ($22.99)
I was excited to try her dish because, at the time, I had never had quinoa before and every cooking show I watch talks about it. It reminded me a lot of bulgur wheat; however, I think the vanilla bean made it to sweet. At first taste it was really good but after several bites the sweetness was overwhelming. The scallops were cooked perfectly but since they were in the same beurre blanc as the quinoa, they were a little too sweet for my taste.
We finished the evening with a cheese course. We ordered wo cheeses served w/ pickled brussel sprouts, stone ground mustard & jams ($11.99). I can't even remember the cheeses that we chose but what I do remember is how disgusting those pickled brussel sprouts were. Our waitress told us that people either loved them or hated them and we hated them. They were a definite palate cleanser. They were also very proud of the in-house stone ground mustard and we both thought that it was gritty and sour. The cheese plate was not a success.
The ambience of Vin de Set is quaint and cozy. It would be a perfect place for a date or, as in our case, with a friend to share a bottle of wine. While I would visit Vin de Set again, at least for the crepes and wine, there are definite other places that I would try out before I went back for a second time.
