Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

54th Street Grill Prices a Sit Down Lunch Competitively Against St. Louis ...

The visually diverse atmosphere makes it a popular place for families with small children. When I visited, the crowded dining room was packed with toddlers and babies. Relieved parents enjoyed a few minutes of grown-up conversation while the little ones enjoyed plenty of distracting visual stimuli. Lunch, on the other hand, is far more affordable. There’s an Olive Garden style all-you-can-eat-soup-and-salad bar for $6.99 (although the 54th Street Grill charges an extra $2 if you want to add on bread.)

You can also get a burger, grilled chicken sandwich, tacos or half-sized taco salad or chicken salad. I chose the soup-and-salad combo with a half-sized brisket sandwich and a bowl of the homemade vegetable soup, plus an extra house salad on the side. The house salad was a large bowl of nicely crisp mixed greens topped with a scant one-quarter wedge of hard-boiled egg and two thin slices each of cucumber and tomato, plus a handful of croutons. However, the well rinsed, earthy greens were crisp and fresh, something of a rarity at a chain. The dark cherry vinaigrette dressing was a nice variation on the usual raspberry vinaigrette. I liked the darker, earthier tone balancing out the sweetness. 54th Street Grill’s light vegetable soup was surprisingly good. The hearty vegetable broth tasted of oregano and thyme with a nice background kick of spicy heat. Fire-roasted red peppers, green chilis, corn and onions provided a backdrop to large slices of celery and zucchini.

It’s rare a soup designed to appeal to dieters is actually this good. Sadly, the heavy bottomed, flat, shallow bowl made it nearly impossible to eat without tipping the bowl on its side and risking major spillage. I was pleasantly surprised by the sight of my brisket. I grew up in Oklahoma, where we take our barbecue seriously. St. Louis hasn’t always lived up to my hopes, so I didn't expect a Missouril chain with regional ambitions to serve up lean slices brisket with a beautiful, thick pink smoke ring.

I pulled a slice out to sample on its own before biting into my sandwich. The tender brisket melted in my mouth, leaving me with the mingled flavors of a salty brine and a rich background of smoke. Considering where the chain is based, it was naturally served with a sweet Kansas City style barbecue sauce. While I was very pleased with the meat, I wasn’t a fan of the cibatta bun. It was dense and toothsome enough to hold up to a heavy dose of barbecue sauce without falling apart, but it was so heavy and solid a bite made it almost impossible to taste the brisket.

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette ...

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

In a large bowl, toss spinach, strawberries, and nuts. If I am serving this salad to a large crowd, I coat the  salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe below) and serve. If it is just my family, I serve the dressing on the side, because once the salad is coated with dressing, the uneaten spinach will wilt and then I can’t have the leftovers for lunch.

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