Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009

The Terrace View: Citygarden sprouts a fresh upscale restaurant

Restaurateur Jim Fiala got a call in May to check out a downtown St. Louis site.

On the north side of the emerging Citygarden sculpture park, a restaurant would overlook a waterfall. The spot would seat 72 inside, 80 outside.

Not everything was complete. Gateway Foundation folks walked him through. The sculptures had arrived, but were wrapped up.

"I just saw their vision," said Jim. "I thought, 'This is amazing.' I wanted to be part of it."

The two-block greenspace mimics the metro region with scaled-down versions of meandering rivers and bluffs. Trees, shrubs and grasses are indigenous to the area.

Jim took the same approach with his menu at The Terrace View, 808 Chestnut St.

"We use local ingredients, local farmers, local ranchers," he said, standing on the sunny terrace as the lunch crowd began to arrive. "We cook in a nice, straightforward style."

Nearby, Judy Mundle, of St. Louis, and relatives from Columbus, Ohio, took in the views -- Citygarden walkers and sculptures, the Old Courthouse and Arch to the east, and tall office buildings all around.

"The setting is beautiful and the Missouri mushrooms are wonderful," she said of the baked dish.

The Mediterranean-inspired menu changes with the seasons.

"In the summer, we had beautiful peas," said Jim. "We served a pasta with peas. Now, the peas are gone, but we have butternut squash and pumpkins."

What has proved popular since the restaurant opened in mid-August? "Baked ravioli, the ham sandwich at lunch, crudo (fresh seafood prepared with citrus, chives and olive oil) and the 50-Mile Salad, its name based on the fact that ingredients come loosely from a 50-mile radius of the restaurant.

"It's changed about 15 times since we opened (in August)," said Jim, whose wife Melissa is his partner.

In early October, the 50-Mile Salad combined heirloom tomatoes and squash with cucumber, pea shoots and red onion, dressed with tarragon, rosemary and dill herb vinaigrette.

Dishes from Jim's other restaurants, The Crossing in Clayton, Liluma in the Central West End and Acero in Maplewood, dot the menu.

"They are not the biggest restaurants, not the busiest," he said, "but have a loyal following."

There's Liluma's chopped salad with bacon, tomatoes and greens and a blue cheese dressing ($5); Acero's Gnudi, a naked ravioli ($8); and The Crossing's roasted beet salad ($8).

Jim, 44, first cooked in his backyard.

"Dad would throw a steak on the grill, get to talking and forget. I was tired of eating well-done steaks. He was happy to pass the baton my way."

Jim learned more cooking on a cruise ship ("where I got that first rush of doing something simple and them being blown away with flavors"), graduated from California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, worked at restaurants that included Spiaggia in Chicago and Daniel in New York City ("That gave me French and Italian, some of the best stuff in the country."), and ran a small resort in Puerto Rico.

He opened The Crossing in 1998, creating a four-course tasting menu. Diners sample small portions of several dishes. He takes the same approach at The Terrace View.

"It's an excellent opportunity to slow people down," he said, "relax, enjoy the dining experience and try to get out of the fast-food mentality.

"Good ingredients, cooked simply in a relaxed atmosphere. That's what I do at all the restaurants."

Mary Lou Pawlow, of Belleville and co-workers from a nearby law firm, dined inside the many-windowed restaurant near a colorful Niki de Saint Phalle sculpture.

Eva Roeschlein, of Columbia, became a quick fan of the beet salad served with goat cheese, pine nuts and sherry vinegar.

"We're planning to go back again," said Mary Lou. "When you get here, that gal who is the hostess is just charming. The waiter was great at explaining the menu, and the food was outstanding.

"We talked about working our way through the menu."

They watched Citygarden unfold last spring.

"I was saying, 'What is that big wall they're putting up?' It turned out to be the restaurant."

If you go:

What: The Terrace View

Where: 808 Chestnut St., downtown St. Louis

Hours: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. lunch; 2-6 p.m. happy hour; 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays dinner. The restaurant is open till 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and closed on Sundays.

Phone: (314) 436-8855 or theterraceview@gmailcom