Tiny Phil

This year, Anne and I celebrated Valentine’s Day, big time! I had made us table  reservations for dinner at Acero, a nice Italian restaurant in Maplewood. While not on the Hill (the Saint Louis Italian neighborhood), it was pretty close to it. Acero had a special menu for this holiday. It consisted of five courses, with three choices for most courses. The menu follows. We tried to cover as much of the menu as the two of us could. I’ve grayed out courses that we did not order. 

Cime di Rape Crocchette – Parmigiano, pecorino, pomodoro, butter

Ribeye Crudo – endive fonduta, chive oil, sprouts, shallot, Parmigiano reggiano
Gnocco Fritto – Prosciutto di Parma, olive oil, sea salt, black truffle
Shrimp & Lobster Bisque – shrimp, lobster, tarragon aioli

Egg Raviolo – nduja, black garlic, Parmigiano
Risotto – saffron, bone marrow & lardo butter, parsley
Tagliatelle – twelve vegetable Bolognese, Parmigiano reggiano

Caul Fat Wrapped Porchetta – potato puree, braised vegetables, herbed sugo
Black Bass – garlic confit potato, fennel, broccoli rapini, white wine
Beef Tenderloin – leek whipped potato, porcini mushroom, asparagus, sugo

Chocolate Torte – red velvet cake gelato, raspberry cream cheese crema
Tiramisu – espresso soaked lady fingers & glaze, mascarpone, cocoa powder
Strawberry Cannoli – fresh, roasted and strawberry balsamic reduction

When I originally made our reservation, I was unaware of their special menu. We had some trepidation about the amount of food to be ordered. No one likes to feel too full. The amount turned out to be a non-issue, because the above menu turned out to be a tasting menu, with portions sized accordingly. So, we enjoyed a romantic evening, with some pretty fine dining.