Reviews

There are certain places that aren’t Mexican nor are they particularly known for Margaritas, but a good bartender can make all the difference. The historic Tenderloin Room in St. Louis (located in the Chase Park Plaza) is known for many things, including being the favorite St. Louis hangout of the Rat Pack and many stars throughout the years, but are probably best known for their Pepperloin a la Tenderloin with Cognac sauce. They may not be known for Margaritas, but they do have an excellent bar and bartenders. That’s probably because The Tenderloin Room, owned by Dino and Jules Karagiannis, is a family-run business and their daughters also work the bar.

My wife and I were out on an impromptu late dinner with an out-of-town friend. Mary made my Margarita this night, and I believe she has made the last several ones I have had at The Tenderloin Room. Among my wife and her female friends, The Tenderloin Room is also known for excellent Cosmopolitans.  I usually order either a Margarita or an Amaretto Sour, as the Amaretto Sours are excellent here, made with Disaronno, one of my favorite liqueurs … but I digress.

Anyway, Mary makes a Margarita that is strong on tequila flavor. It has a mellow citrus zestiness (is “zestiness” a real word?), but I personally prefer more citrus, and a touch more sweetness to balance the tequila out a little more. I should probably let her know that, but I’m usually too busy enjoying my steak or carrot cake to take a walk down to the bar! Overall, I would say the Margaritas here are a 7, but if you are a fan of tequila flavor in your Margarita, then you may rate it higher.

If you are a steak fan, or just a fan of fine dining, you must make sure to visit The Tenderloin Room. Dress up a bit, arrive early, and sample some drinks from the bar before your meal. Oh, and let them know that Marcel (and Danelle) sent you!

As fate would have it, the day after this blog was conceived, I was invited to a friend’s birthday celebration at Tequila Mexican Restaurant in South St. Louis County. Another opportunity to sample a margarita! I had heard good things about this restaurant before, so I was excited to give their margarita a try.

Drinking from a round of pitchers, the margarita was very well balanced. It had good flavors overall with none being overpowering. I would say this was an excellent margarita. I would have preferred if it had just a little more natural citrus flavor. Overall, I give it an 8 out of 10.

A couple of side notes about Tequila Mexican Restaurant: the chips and salsa were very good. Unfortunately, the guacamole was overpowered by onion on this night. The food was good overall and the atmosphere was festive. If you are in the South County St. Louis area and have a hankering for Mexican food and/or margaritas, I would say it is worth your while to stop in.

It was on this night, December 28, 2012, that this blog was conceived during a conversation with my wife over dinner. So I got started right away and ordered a margarita!

We were at one of our favorite restaurants in the St. Louis area, The Crossing, located in Clayton, MO. Our favorite server Douglas – he’s Scottish so pronounce his name with a Scottish accent please – made the margarita for me. Douglas is a fantastic server so make sure you ask for him when you make reservations at The Crossing. He said the margarita he made was done with an añejo tequila, but I didn’t get the brand.

The margarita itself was fairly plain. It didn’t have much in the way of sweetness or citrus flavor. However, it did have a good tequila flavor. But I prefer more sweetness and definitely more citrus flavor in my margaritas. Therefore I give this margarita a 6 out of 10.

But let’s face it, The Crossing isn’t known for their margaritas. They are known for fabulous food, however! My wife and I always go for the Chef’s Tasting Menu. We love tasting menus because we get to sample so many yummy things!

On this night, I had several extremely tasty courses. If you haven’t already had Egg Raviolio, especially at one of Chef Jim Fiala’s restaurants (I’ve had this dish at both The Crossing and Acero), you’ve got to try it. I admit that a runny egg inside a ravioli doesn’t exactly sound appetizing at first, but do not knock it until you try it! I absolutely love the beet salad here, and the beef tenderloin was excellent. The last few times I’ve been to this restaurant I’ve had the Warm Chocolate Tort for desert. Why? Simply put the Warm Chocolate Tort is heaven on a plate.

So maybe the margarita only got a 6 out of 10, but the restaurant itself gets a 10!