JIMMY'S CAFE ON THE PARK
By Patricia
Corrigan
Post-Dispatch Restaurant Critic
Two of my favorite
restaurants, two places I have reviewed before, have different chefs
holding forth in the kitchens, so a return visit to each seemed in order.
Bryan Carr has left Grenache, and Justin Keimon is now in charge. Keimon
has worked at Grenache since it opened about a year ago, and before that,
he worked with Carr at Carr's place, now closed. Keimon also has cooked at
the University Club and a couple of other locations. Regina Murphey, now
the executive chef at Jimmy's Cafe on the Park, served as sous chef under
former chef Kathy "Crash" Schmidt. Murphey also has worked at
The Summit, Faust's, Kemoll's and the now-defunct Piccolo's.
Both chefs have introduced new dishes at their respective restaurants,
making their mark with regular and new customers alike. And both
restaurants have continued to live up to their respective reputations as
reliable destinations for interesting, well-prepared food. This review is
based on one visit to each place.
Jimmy's Cafe on the Park
The affable Jim Kristo, surrounded by almost 400 caricatures of the
well-known and the not-so-well known on the walls of his restaurant,
continues to offer contemporary American cuisine, though Murphey has added
an Asian touch to some of the dishes. She developed dancing shrimp,
marinated in coconut milk and tossed in toasted coconut, and she also is
responsible for the lobster dumplings and salmon marinated in Asian
spices. Grant Twidwell is the sous chef, aiding and abetting Murphey every
step of the way.
Those lobster dumplings ($8) were exquisite, won-ton skins stuffed with
the crustacean of choice, scallions, mushrooms, ginger and garlic and then
deep-fried into a crispy roll. A spicy sauce completed the appetizer. We
also enjoyed flash-fried spinach ($5.50), which is the cotton candy of the
vegetable world. Crisp leaves of spinach, tasting of lemon and a bit of
cheese, melted in the mouth. Pear salad Victoria ($5.75) was a delight,
mixed greens tossed with bits of fresh pear, roasted walnuts and
gorgonzola cheese, dressed with a piquant raspberry vinaigrette.
Salmon always appeals, and Murphey's Asian version ($16.50) was
outstanding. A zippy pineapple salsa enhanced the flavorful Asian glaze,
and the tender, flaky fish was served with wild rice and a cornucopia of
sauteed vegetables, including mushrooms, bell peppers, squash and onions.
A longtime favorite at Jimmy's is the Java tenderloin ($18.50), Schmidt's
legacy. It's holding up well, an oven-roasted tenderloin of beef rolled in
fresh-ground Amaretto coffee, served with a veal stock perked up by
chipotle peppers and a bit of maple, topped with gorgonzola cheese and
caramelized onion. Mashed potatoes and a serving of the aforementioned
sauteed vegetables accompanied this exquisite steak. For dessert, we
nibbled on a piece of chocolate-peanut butter pie ($5.75), which was
somewhat short on chocolate flavor.
Full bar service is available at Jimmy's Cafe. The wine list is modest,
featuring mostly wines from California. By the bottle, wines range from
$18 to $38, with a bottle of 1990 Perrier Jouet offered for $110. Wines by
the glass, listed on the chalkboard, change often, and range from $4.95 to
$7.25. The '97 pinot noir from Rodney Strong ($5.75) was a
more-than-pleasant accompaniment to the meal.
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