Not a mis-steak

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Fifty years ago, after dating for six weeks, I asked the moron to marry me. My parents said it was a “mistake,” and made us wait a year to marry. To celebrate us proving them wrong, we decided to commemorate our 49th year anniversary with an elegant meal at St. Charles Place Steakhouse in St. Charles.

This is a standalone restaurant and the exterior seems to scream old school elegance. You drive up and stop under an overhang to drop off your sweetie pie. This vintage atmosphere also continues on the inside. It takes your breath away when you see the wood trestles on the ceiling with subdued lighting, the huge fireplace, and the “Hollywood” type art deco prints on the walls.

In our previous articles, we focused on daily specials and senior discounts to save up for this momentous occasion. We dressed to the nines, broke open our piggy bank, and decided to go all out this evening.

To set the romantic mood, Nancy decided on an appetizer drenched in garlic, aka, Shrimp DeJonghe ($18.95). This was three HUGE shrimp sauteed in sherry, then baked in a garlic butter with fine bread crumbs.

In retaliation to my garlic, Jim ordered the Escargot ($16.25). This was six snails baked in garlic butter with bread crumbs and bleu cheese. He nixed the bleu cheese.

With our entrees, you had a choice of soup or salad. Nancy went with the garden salad and had to one up me by ordering more garlic by having the creamy garlic dressing. I admitted defeat and had the cream of broccoli cheese soup.

We both had a taste for steak this evening and keeping with the romantic theme, we decided to split our entrees. Jim loves Steak

Diane (41.75) which is (2) filet medallions sauteed and then finished with a classic bordelaise sauce with mushrooms. He’s getting to be more like me after 49 years of marriage. Tonight, he wanted his meal his way. He traded out the Chef’s potato to a baked potato and exchanged the asparagus to French string beans.

Nancy can never get enough black pepper, so she ordered the Steak Au Poivre ($41.75). This was (2) filet medallions encrusted with black pepper and finished in a fine cognac sauce. She also did the same as I did and changed out her sides to match mine.

Here’s a brief recap of our selections. My Shrimp DeJonghe appetizer was out of this world, the best I have ever had. Jim’s escargot his way (without bleu cheese), hit the mark also. Jim’s soup was rich, thick, and tasty. Our steaks were cooked perfectly with a nice sear on the outside and it melted in your mouth. The flavors of the Au Poivre and Diane sauces made these steaks memorable, and our memories will still live on tomorrow with the doggie bags we took home.

What better way to complete an evening with my sweetie than with a sweet dessert. Our eyes focused on the “French Quartre Beignets” (9.00). These are deep fried pastries (5) coated in powdered sugar and served with a chocolate ganache. These were crunchy on the outside and not a hint of grease. They were a sweet ending to our anniversary.

A Dining Duo Tip: When ordering this dessert, tell them to keep off the chocolate ganache and load up on the powdered sugar. That’s the way they serve them in the “Big Easy.”

FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.

The cost for our anniversary dinner was $149.29. Forty-nine years with the moron, priceless…

Jim’s take: I actually like Steak Diane more than Steak Au Poivre. Nancy was in a romantic mood and she let me have the last beignet.

Nancy’s take: I like both of the steaks and can’t really decide which one I like more. Unfortunately, the Steak Diane has a lot of fungi (yuck)!!!

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at: thediningduo@gmail.com

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