Pi (Kirkwood location)
Janele and I have a bit of a problem. We eat a lot. It's our second favorite thing to do together (we're not telling you what the first is). The cornerstone question of many a date is 'Where do you want to go to eat?' To which my response will be 'Do you know where we need to go?' and then I will fill in the blank with where we need to go. We like to think that we have pretty good taste in dining as well...our palates are pretty diverse but we do NOT like fancy schmancy. So, this is our attempt at a duel restaurant review...and hopefully we can help you answer that nagging couples question of 'Where do you want to go?' with 'Here's where you need to go.'
First stop, Pi in Kirkwood. This was our first order of business before the beginning of our mini 'stay-cation' this weekend. Afterward, we whisked ourselves off to beautiful O'Fallon, Missouri! We'll take it one thing at a time and tell you what we thought:
What did you think about the decor?
Wifey: Considering my state of being at the time...extreme hunger and eagerness to get out of 'the city,' I remember three things. Make that four.
1. Lots of dark wood accents, in a cozy family dining kind of way not a many-leather-bound-books library kind of way.
2. Our little two top table had a vintagey picture of some guy smiling at us while we ate. If I had a camera with me, I would've taken his picture.
3. There was a fun pattern on the walls downstairs where we sat. Greens and blues, more coziness.
4. Chalk board paint! They write drink and specials on the walls with chalkboard paint. This says family friendly fun to me.
Hubs: Correction...they write their specials on a large mirror with some sort of magic mirror marker, but I can see in her vulnerable state where she would have thought that was a chalk board. They DID however have a large chalkboard in one corner where they made milkshakes and other treats. Nice. I saw the same things she did...dark wood, smiling guy on our table, cool wallpaper. I did like how they went for a old Italian restaurant sort of thing, with black and white pictures of random people in suits and tuxedos...it's like the G-rated Godfather was on the walls. We talked about how it's good of Pi to fit themselves into the location their in, so in this case Kirkwood, the feel was family style but also a little but upscale...which is Kirkwood in a nutshell. I liked it. I like it a lot...and I liked that we were in a basement. Don't know why...just do.
So, the service...how'd they do?
Hubs: I commented on how eclectic the servers were...and that stemmed into a conversation about how everyone working there seems to have a confidence about themselves, like they're each comfortable in their skin and with who they are. It was an interesting observation...as Janele put it, no one looked 'awkward.' Our server was good, though maybe not quite around enough. He was also a little 'robotic,' recommending things like he was programmed to do so, but whatever, he was nice and that's all that matters. Back to the 'not around enough' thing though. A few different people did his job for him...one lady brought our food out, another refilled some drinks, while another dude took our plates. Our server was mainly there to take our orders and check in on us now and then. It's cool that they all help each other out...but the more I think about it, the more I'm thinking that he didn't do his job?? Overall...pretty good service though. Let's see what the wifey thinks...
Wifey: Preface, I worked in an Italian restaurant from age fifteen to eighteen, and currently have a part time gig in a food service type establishment-more coffee making than spaghetti making, though. Okay, so as an obviously, extremely, highly, intuitively legitimate judge of serving, this is what I thought: those servers are busy, those hostesses are busy, and the staff as a whole is juggling carry out orders, a line at the door and lots of families in a clearly popular after work spot. So, with these things in mind, I thought the service was very good. Everyone was smiley, in a real way, not a I'll get fired if I don't smile way. Since we were sitting for a few minutes without any drinks one of what I determined to be a more experienced server asked if we had been helped. Which we had. The point is, she noticed us and wanted to make sure we were happy. I like that.
Oh! And another thing I noticed that they deal with, but aren't annoyed by (at least not to the general publics knowledge...they keep that in the kitchen like you're supposed to), EVERY parent had to walk a child around the tight aisles at one point or another. I'm not a parent, and I'm not judging; I just know this makes the servers job harder, and they handle it like champs.
Alright, it's all about the food though. Lay it on me...
Hubs: I love Pi...and this location doesn't dissapoint. It maintains the same kick-butt consistency of the 'mother ship' on Delmar. We got the 'Bada Bing' salad...field greens, dried cherries, gorganzola, almonds, raspberry vinaigrette...as the ever annoying Rachael Ray likes to stupidly say 'Yum-O gang!' It was solid. Yeah yeah, salad, blah blah blah, it's called 'Pi' for a reason, yo! Yes it is, my up-front friend, yes it is. The pizza is freakin' amazing...deep dish Bucktown for us. I'll let the wifey explain the toppings if she wants, but for me it's all about the corn meal crust. Game over...you win corn meal...you always win.
Wifey: And how, Hubs! That Pi was kick butt, one day later and cold. They make it a point in their menus to highlight organic and local produce etc. I think that makes all the difference. Maybe it's psychological, but the tomatoes are more tomatoey, the chicken is more chickeny, the cheese, you got it!, is more cheeseyee.* Yum. Pi. There's still a slice left, right?
* The blueberries taste like blueberries, the bananas taste like bananas...the schnozberries taste like schnozberries! Sorry. Gene Wilder. - Hubs
Summary?
Wifey: Two locations down, one more to try! Central West End here we come! I'm guaranteed a great time and delectable pi with my favorite dinner date.
Hubs: If Janele and I never met and therefore never got married. And if it was legal in the state of Missouri to marry a restaurant...Pi's last name would be Oros.
