Element in St. Louis Earns Top

Status for The ‘Dining Divas’

By Lisa Kampeter

It really couldn’t have been a better night. The weather was beautiful and we had an awesome view. The food was different and delicious. And the company was like it always is. Entertaining! Aside from perhaps George Clooney joining the Dining Divas for dinner, our outing at Element in St. Louis was one of the best we’ve had and couldn’t have been better.

The Traveling, Newly-Retired Diva made it back in town to join us again so it was wonderful to hear about her first few months free from schedules and students. The Birthday Diva had adventure in Europe, and while we enjoyed hearing about her escapades abroad, we mostly enjoyed showering her with cards and tickets . . .

It was good to see so many Absent Divas that had been unable to make it the past few months. Blame it on the Muny’s 100th anniversary season, birthdays, work, and vacations, the gang was especially glad to make it back this night. Thanks to the cooperative St. Louis summer evening, we were able to dine outdoors on what Element refers to as an “award-winning” terrace. With the incredible views of the city, I’d never seen so many Divas taking photos of the setting and capturing the moments of the evening.

Element is located east of Lafayette Square near Park Place and just off Lafayette Ave. The view south focuses on the renovated “old city hospital” which are now beautiful condos called The Georgian. Several times I heard comments about wanting to see what they looked like from the inside. Our view to the north included the Peabody Opera House, and the discussion turned into what concerts had been seen there, the new name of the building, and the high school graduation from there of the Alumnus Diva many years ago.

We started off the evening on the upper patio and enjoyed some cocktails there. The Celebrating Divas enjoyed the Fox, a featured cocktail that included strawberry vodka, lemon, and champagne. It was a

refreshing summer drink. When the entire group arrived, we moved to the main terrace. Inside, the atmosphere was modern but comfortable. With the open kitchen, diners could watch the chefs in action. As you head to the restroom, you can admire extremely fit athletes climbing a rock wall at an indoor facility next to the restaurant.

Element has a delicious selection of shared plates and larger plates, and the menu changes with the seasons. We ordered a few items to share like the Curry Fingerling Fries, the Spanish Tortilla, Flatbread, and the Smoked Meatballs. The freshness from the ingredients sourced from local farmers was evident in all of the appetizers. We could have kept on trying them all. They were so good.

The Zimmerman Salad was loaded with local, homegrown tomatoes, burrata, and sourdough, and even with the hefty price tag ($14), it was worth every penny. The Potato Gnocchi with mushroom ragu was popular for a few of the Divas. The biggest complaint was the small portion, but it was delicious. The Roast Chicken Breast from

the popular Buttonwood Farm got high marks from the Tupperware Diva. The Beef and Potatoes, otherwise known as steak and smashed potatoes, satisfied the Picky Diva. It was cooked perfectly and reasonably priced.

The Tomahawk Pork Chop was more than big enough to be shared. Top with a balsamic cherry sauce and serviced with green beans and goat cheese cornbread, the Opinionated Diva raved about it all. Plus, she said it may have been the best cornbread she’d ever had.

Even though we asked about the dessert menu, no one ordered from it. We couldn’t pass up the birthday cake we brought for the Septuagerian Diva.

Our extremely attentive waiter revealed the cake to the birthday girl, let us sing to her, and then brought the cake back to the kitchen to slice it. We all noted the beautiful presentation he made with her slice of cake and appreciated his service to the rest of us with delicious pieces. Of course, you can never go wrong with a cake from Helfer’s!

It really was an amazing night for us. Element will be one for the Divas “best of” record books. If only we had George Clooney. That would have been the icing on the cake!

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