But before that, I have to get to dinner, also a first. I like food, and can eat my weight in a few choice items, but the food tonight was intriguing and far exceeded any expectations I had for it. We headed to Mango Peruvian Cuisine in downtown St. Louis right off of Wash Ave. I've heard about this place, and always wanted to try it, and lucky for me, Betsy was up to the challenge.
The show was scheduled to start at 7, so we didn't have much time after work to get downtown for dinner before showtime. I quickly realized why I never go to Washington Avenue. Parking is a bitch. Street parking is nearly impossible, especially during the dinner rush, and lots are tiny and hard to come by. I think we went around the same 4 block area three times before we gave up on street parking and opted to pay for the lot parking. We managed to steal a spot from someone leaving, or else I think we would have had to have our meal delivered to us as we drove by.
Inside was dark and moody, and surprisingly vacant. I know it was only 5:30, but I figured we would have difficulties getting a table, which is why I made us a reservation. Oh well, at least we would be able to hear ourselves think. The hostess seated us, and the first order of business was the drink menu. Betsy started out with a citrusy mojito, and I opted for a South American daiquiri. Think citrus and coconut rum. Yum.
The menu.
South American Daiquiri
Mojito!
Our server started us off with a bowl of fried plantains and some salsa verde dipping sauce. The plantains were crunchy and light and the salsa verde citrusy and slightly spicy. Delicious. Mango offered a $20 3-course pre-theater meal option, and we decided to go for that. And thus began the next heavenly hour of my life.
See, told you it didn't look very appetizing.
Betsy's first course was the ensalada exotica - mixed greens, roasted red peppers, mango, almonds and cilantro with citrus dressing. Also, very good, but I was well sated with my soup choice.
The second course came, and again, my plate did not look at all appetizing. My dish was the aji de gallina - shredded chicken breast in creamy aji amarillo, Parmesan cheese & walnut sauce, served over baby Yukon potatoes with white rice. Holy double starch, batman! Aji is a kind of Peruvian pepper, and amarillo of course, means yellow. So, you have a yellow pepper, white cheese, white potatoes and white rice. Needless to say, the only color on the plate came from a small garnish of red peppers on the rice. Again, I told myself that looks can be deceiving, so I dug in with gusto.
I was not to be disappointed. The chicken melted in my mouth, and the creamy cheese and pepper sauce was rich and decadent. There was a kick at the end from the pepper, but the rice and potatoes were a nice buffer to tone it down a bit. I could not get enough of this dish. However, it's creamy decadence was incredibly rich, and I felt myself slowing down towards the end. I did finish it all though! The sweetness of my daiquiri wasn't really helping at this point either. What started out as a refreshing cocktail turned out to be a bit too much to handle.
Visual scale: 1.5, Yumminess scale: 9.5 (I still can't figure out what the single slice of hard-boiled egg was for though...)
Betsy's main course was lomo saltado - sirloin steak strips stir-fried with sweet onions, tomatoes, garlic and Peruvian peppers, served with white rice and garnished with steak fries. Double starch goodness! We still couldn't figure out why they decided to add french fries to the dish. It almost looked as if they fell onto the plate and they just decided to keep them on there. Betsy clearly didn't care, because she was just as happy with her dish as I was with mine.
We still had the third course to go, and I wasn't entirely sure I had room. But, it was the dessert course, and there's always room for dessert. Always. And I'm so glad I held out. Because I think the dessert was the best part. Which, considering the previous two courses, would be hard to top. I had pionono - a sponge cake rolled in rich dulce de leche, sprinkled with powdered sugar and strawberry sauce.
Our server started us off with a bowl of fried plantains and some salsa verde dipping sauce. The plantains were crunchy and light and the salsa verde citrusy and slightly spicy. Delicious. Mango offered a $20 3-course pre-theater meal option, and we decided to go for that. And thus began the next heavenly hour of my life.
Neon green dip=awesome deliciousness.
My first course was aguadito de pollo - a homemade soup made with grilled chicken, rice, vegetables and Peruvian spices in a citrus-herb broth. I have to admit, it did not look good when they brought it out. It was a pukey shade of green, with small bits floating just beneath the murky surface. They topped it with a lemon slice, but in the light of the restaurant, it looked like a lime gone bad. I was brave and tried it though, and I was immediately blown away by the flavor. It was a lovely mix of citrus and spices that wasn't overpowering in any way. I let Betsy try it, but I almost didn't want to give away any morsel of it. I was even a bit bummed by the fact that it would be highly inappropriate to lick the remaining bits out of the bottom of the bowl. I did think about it though.
My first course was aguadito de pollo - a homemade soup made with grilled chicken, rice, vegetables and Peruvian spices in a citrus-herb broth. I have to admit, it did not look good when they brought it out. It was a pukey shade of green, with small bits floating just beneath the murky surface. They topped it with a lemon slice, but in the light of the restaurant, it looked like a lime gone bad. I was brave and tried it though, and I was immediately blown away by the flavor. It was a lovely mix of citrus and spices that wasn't overpowering in any way. I let Betsy try it, but I almost didn't want to give away any morsel of it. I was even a bit bummed by the fact that it would be highly inappropriate to lick the remaining bits out of the bottom of the bowl. I did think about it though.
See, told you it didn't look very appetizing.
Betsy's first course was the ensalada exotica - mixed greens, roasted red peppers, mango, almonds and cilantro with citrus dressing. Also, very good, but I was well sated with my soup choice.
The second course came, and again, my plate did not look at all appetizing. My dish was the aji de gallina - shredded chicken breast in creamy aji amarillo, Parmesan cheese & walnut sauce, served over baby Yukon potatoes with white rice. Holy double starch, batman! Aji is a kind of Peruvian pepper, and amarillo of course, means yellow. So, you have a yellow pepper, white cheese, white potatoes and white rice. Needless to say, the only color on the plate came from a small garnish of red peppers on the rice. Again, I told myself that looks can be deceiving, so I dug in with gusto.
I was not to be disappointed. The chicken melted in my mouth, and the creamy cheese and pepper sauce was rich and decadent. There was a kick at the end from the pepper, but the rice and potatoes were a nice buffer to tone it down a bit. I could not get enough of this dish. However, it's creamy decadence was incredibly rich, and I felt myself slowing down towards the end. I did finish it all though! The sweetness of my daiquiri wasn't really helping at this point either. What started out as a refreshing cocktail turned out to be a bit too much to handle.
Visual scale: 1.5, Yumminess scale: 9.5 (I still can't figure out what the single slice of hard-boiled egg was for though...)
Betsy's main course was lomo saltado - sirloin steak strips stir-fried with sweet onions, tomatoes, garlic and Peruvian peppers, served with white rice and garnished with steak fries. Double starch goodness! We still couldn't figure out why they decided to add french fries to the dish. It almost looked as if they fell onto the plate and they just decided to keep them on there. Betsy clearly didn't care, because she was just as happy with her dish as I was with mine.
We still had the third course to go, and I wasn't entirely sure I had room. But, it was the dessert course, and there's always room for dessert. Always. And I'm so glad I held out. Because I think the dessert was the best part. Which, considering the previous two courses, would be hard to top. I had pionono - a sponge cake rolled in rich dulce de leche, sprinkled with powdered sugar and strawberry sauce.
Oh.
My.
God.
The sponge cake was delicately moist, the dulce de leche (caramel sauce) rich and sinful, the powdered sugar adding just enough sweetness. I think Betsy was starting to worry about me because I was starting to enjoy my dessert a little too much.
See? Don't you want to try this restaurant JUST because of this dessert?! Again, I nearly licked my plate clean.
Betsy's dessert was the mango sorbet. It was very light and refreshing, but in my opinion, paled in comparison to the cake.
At this point, I probably had this big idiotic grin on my face, because I was so sated and giddily happy over what I hadn't anticipated on being such a delicous meal. Sure, I figured the food was good because I had heard people talking, but I just didn't know if it would be my kind of food. Well, needless to say, I will be going back in the very near future.
After dinner, we realized we had less than a half an hour to get to the Peabody, park and get to our seats. Seeing as how the opera house was only a few blocks away, you would think this would be a piece of cake. What we had failed to realize when purchasing our tickets was that there was also a hockey game tonight. And the Peabody is literally right next to Scottrade. So, we had to deal with hockey fans, street closures and ridiculously steep parking fees. We eventually managed to finagle a spot in a lot close to Peabody, parking in a non-parking zone, and started running down the street. (We weren't the only ones in no-parking zones. The lot was littered with illegal parking.)
See? Don't you want to try this restaurant JUST because of this dessert?! Again, I nearly licked my plate clean.
Betsy's dessert was the mango sorbet. It was very light and refreshing, but in my opinion, paled in comparison to the cake.
At this point, I probably had this big idiotic grin on my face, because I was so sated and giddily happy over what I hadn't anticipated on being such a delicous meal. Sure, I figured the food was good because I had heard people talking, but I just didn't know if it would be my kind of food. Well, needless to say, I will be going back in the very near future.
After dinner, we realized we had less than a half an hour to get to the Peabody, park and get to our seats. Seeing as how the opera house was only a few blocks away, you would think this would be a piece of cake. What we had failed to realize when purchasing our tickets was that there was also a hockey game tonight. And the Peabody is literally right next to Scottrade. So, we had to deal with hockey fans, street closures and ridiculously steep parking fees. We eventually managed to finagle a spot in a lot close to Peabody, parking in a non-parking zone, and started running down the street. (We weren't the only ones in no-parking zones. The lot was littered with illegal parking.)
And I'm not kidding. We were literally running down the street. I'm not a big fan of people arriving late to shows and disturbing the performance while trying to find their seat. I refuse to be this person, but at this point, it didn't look like it could be helped. We only had a few blocks to go, so we fortunately made it with little difficulty, but I was a bit pooped when we got there. Up a few flights of stairs and we made it to our section. In all of the excitement, I failed to really look at the inside of the lobby, but I figured I had plenty of time after the show.
Luckily, we made it to our seats with time to spare, and didn't have to disrupt anyone's enjoyment of the show. Plus, I could let my heart rate return to its normal pace. I was able to get spectacular seats, in the mezzanine section, dead center. We were in the front of our row, with the aisle in front of us, so I didn't have to worry about kicking anyone's seat, or trying to look over some lady with a big hat or anything. We had a perfect view of the stage, and were close enough we could see the actor's facial expressions.
Luckily, we made it to our seats with time to spare, and didn't have to disrupt anyone's enjoyment of the show. Plus, I could let my heart rate return to its normal pace. I was able to get spectacular seats, in the mezzanine section, dead center. We were in the front of our row, with the aisle in front of us, so I didn't have to worry about kicking anyone's seat, or trying to look over some lady with a big hat or anything. We had a perfect view of the stage, and were close enough we could see the actor's facial expressions.
Yes, we are a bit far away, but we were able to see the whole show.
At least we had better seats than all those people.
All of the sets were created with the same Dr. Seuss-esque artistic stylings just like the books. Lots of black and white drawings with hints of color. (Sorry, couldn't take photos during the performance.)
The lights in the ceiling changed color. Pretty!
I had never been to the Peabody before they revamped it, but it was gorgeous inside.
The show started a few minutes later, and I realized I probably should have used the restroom before it started. Oh well, I figured I could hop out during intermission and do my business.
Rather than having a narrator for the story, this version used an "older" Max (the dog) to do the story-telling of that eventful Christmas night. Overall, the show was very cute and entertaining. The actor who played the Grinch was a big ham, and really played up the audience. Cindy Lou Who was adorable, and had a powerful voice that didn't seem like it was possible to come out of someone so tiny. They even involved the audience during the famous song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." The audience wasn't quite as sure of their voices as the cast though, so it wasn't really a rousing version of the song!
I quickly realized that there was no real intermission during this show since it was less than an hour and a half long. So, for an hour and a half I sat in my seat trying not to think about the fact that I had to pee. Which is incredibly difficult to do. Since we were in the middle of our row, there was no easy way for me to get out. I contemplated hopping down through the railing in front of me, but I didn't think that was really appropriate, so I just sat and tried not to think about it.
The show started a few minutes later, and I realized I probably should have used the restroom before it started. Oh well, I figured I could hop out during intermission and do my business.
Rather than having a narrator for the story, this version used an "older" Max (the dog) to do the story-telling of that eventful Christmas night. Overall, the show was very cute and entertaining. The actor who played the Grinch was a big ham, and really played up the audience. Cindy Lou Who was adorable, and had a powerful voice that didn't seem like it was possible to come out of someone so tiny. They even involved the audience during the famous song "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch." The audience wasn't quite as sure of their voices as the cast though, so it wasn't really a rousing version of the song!
I quickly realized that there was no real intermission during this show since it was less than an hour and a half long. So, for an hour and a half I sat in my seat trying not to think about the fact that I had to pee. Which is incredibly difficult to do. Since we were in the middle of our row, there was no easy way for me to get out. I contemplated hopping down through the railing in front of me, but I didn't think that was really appropriate, so I just sat and tried not to think about it.
The show continued with song after song, dance after dance, and I started to feel myself getting more and more into the Christmas spirit. I mean, I was practically already there, since my decorations had been up since before Thanksgiving. But, this was truly a spirit lifter, and I'm so glad we went.
After the show was over - and a quick potty break - we headed back out to look at the inside. The lobbies, chandeliers and staircases were all well renovated and impeccably decorated for the holidays. It makes me happy when old buildings are renovated into their former glory, rather than being torn down for some flashy new apartment building. The Peabody was such a big part of St. Louis culture that had been long since forgotten. The millions of dollars were well spent.
My flash didn't like the chandelier, so the lobby looks really dark.
The ceiling above the lobby.
I had to snap this after the show, since it was just a blur when we got there.
They had set up a makeshift skating rink across the street, and Grinch tickets got you in for a discounted price. I am a terrible ice skater, so this wasn't even an option for us. :)
Thanks to Betsy for accompanying me on our annual Christmas outing, and for trying out a fantastic new restaurant. As much as I liked the Grinch, I think this new thing belongs, hands down, to Mango. Can you tell I liked it? Maybe I should be their new spokesperson...
Merry Christmas to all, and I hope the spirit of the season stays with each of you throughout 2012.
