A Wonderful Gem in

the SoHa Neighborhood

by Lisa Kampeter

It was once again a surprise to discover another great restaurant in another part of town that I didn’t even realize existed. I wasn’t the only Dining Diva to feel this way. Because we’ve been dining out together once a month for almost 20 years, you’d think we’d know of all the neighborhoods, but once again, we were proven wrong.

Like the last time we got together, the Dining Divas found ourselves not too far from Ted Drewes. Isn’t it awesome to have an iconic dessert spot as a geographical locator! Down the street from there, and located right in the middle of the Southampton neighborhood off Chippewa, Russell’s on Macklind fits right in with the charming neighborhood with which it resides.

At first, I was confused. I thought Russell’s was in Soulard as did another Diva. Perhaps I was thinking of Hammerstone’s @ 9th and Russell’s. Who knows? And then when I looked up the address, Russell’s on Macklind is actually on Murdoch. I was confused again. And I had to confirm with the Dining Expert Diva that Russell’s on Macklind really is on Murdoch and is nowhere near Soulard. Trust me. It was worth all the confusion.

Thanks to our rather mild summer, we were able to dine on the outdoor patio on such a lovely evening.   It was so enjoyable visiting with a couple recently Absent Divas and getting to know a couple Visiting Divas.

Almost immediately, a few orders of Cheese Puffs arrived at our table courtesy of the Frequent Diner Diva. She’s quite the fan of Russell’s. Aside from them tasting great, they were served with their own “house-made catsup”. Who would ever think to try ketchup with cheese bread! So good!

You wouldn’t leave hungry after eating the Cider-brined Pork Chop. The juicy, huge portion was served with sweet corn and green bean succotash and was such a great meal! The Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf was a popular dish amongst a few. With mashed potatoes and fried green tomatoes, it was definitely a good choice. Intrigued by our neighboring table’s dinner, we had to try the flatbread special of the night, and it was unique and delicious. A couple Divas shared the Pan-Roasted

Chicken with squash and roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and while one really enjoyed the meal, the other really didn’t like the price tag.

The Illinois Diva shared the recent news story she’d seen about a woman who left her stressful job to do something completely different. She opened an ice cream shop, the first “micro-creamery” in Missouri. Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery serves delicious, alcohol-infused ice cream. And her third location happens to be in the Southampton neighborhood, just down from Russell’s. And, of course, Ted Drewes is a little further away but well worth the extra mile or two.

But we had no choice. We had to try dessert at Russell’s. Honestly, if we could, we may have tried every dessert they had. One Diva ordered a few and took them home with her. The Salted Caramel Cake with buttercream icing and the Carrot Cake were both amazing. If you’re looking for something rich and decadent, the Dark Chocolate Port Wine Torte is the answer. The not-so-average Signature Chocolate Cake was hard to be shared by the Greedy Diva. Too good!

The only bad part about the desserts was the sugar coma the Lake Diva had after overindulging. So, to make sure she stayed awake for the drive to her happy place, the Talkative Diva kept her occupied with a phone call along the way. What possibly could they talk about for after having just visited at dinner? Plenty.

Nights like the night at Russell’s on Macklind reconfirm the reasons we’ve been getting together one night a month for all these years. Finding gems in neighborhoods throughout our city with a wonderful group of women is always something we look forward to. No matter how far the drive home.

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