Planter's House

I had been saving Planter’s House for my birthday because even though they don’t have a lengthy menu, I kept hearing such rave reviews about the menu. Although, I did cheat and had a few items off of their appetizer list a few weeks before, because with their cocktails, you definitely want to make sure you have something to eat.

Since we are huge fans of poutine, that was the first starter I picked and instead of the traditional pomme frites, they used chunks of fried fingerling potatoes with red wine pork gravy, five year gouda, and onion smothered all over them. Pretty amazing and really could stand up to any cocktail there.

Another winner was the chicken wings. The wings were uniquely hay roasted and had a strong sage flavor to them. Just those two together were the perfect meal…

But my birthday dinner also meant that I finally got a real good look at their full cocktail menu, which is actually quite lengthier than the list of dishes! Planter’s House is definitely more of a place to enjoy sophisticated drinks than a fine dining establishment. I went on a Thursday night and by 7pm, the place was packed…so be sure to go early, because I don’t think the hype is going to die down anytime soon…

Not only are there your traditional “house favorites”, but the biggest and most interesting list is their own creations. Certainly you’ll have to try a couple and come back to check in on some more another time. Unless you’re a cocktail expert, I just recommend taste, taste, and more tasting. But don’t be afraid to ask your server for recommendations! They are there to help find the right drink for you.

I kept hearing so much about the duck burger, so my birthday meal was an easy choice. I was surprised to see that it was open face on a pumpernickel bun, which was quite crunchy. To make things easier, I moved the bun to the side and just focused on the rich duck since it was covered in a five year gouda and a fried duck egg. It even came with those delicious fried fingerling potatoes. It takes “burger” to a whole new level. The richness of the whole course really helped to balance out my boozy cocktail.

My favorite pescetarian ordered the mussel stew, which came in a mustard cream sauce and served with several large pieces of toast.

For any vegetarians, I also got to try the faro pilaf, which was much heartier of a meal than I expected. Farro is Italian grain and it was baked with grilled squash, peppers, wild mushrooms, sage, dried fruit, and walnuts. What a perfect winter dish!

And you can’t have a birthday without a special dessert…so we ordered both of them! The gooey butter cake certainly lived up to its name, but the in house “doughnuts” are hands down THE best item on the menu. Go ahead…I give you permission to order these first!

Two half dollar-sized doughnut “holes” are served together – one is filled with crème anglaise and the other is filled blackberry jam. Quite the heavenly experience I must say.

Resources:

Planter's House = http://plantershousestl.com/

STLCheesegirl Blog = http://www.stlcheesegirl.com/2014/02/planters-house.html

Photos by Patience Scanlon