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BY LISA KAMPETER

One of the best features of Alton, IL is the beautiful view from the Clark Bridge as you cross over the Mississippi River in the early evening. Look to your left and most days you’ll be treated with a billowing pink and orange cloud-covered sky as the sun softly descends on the horizon. These brilliant views rival some of the best ever. At Gentelin’s, this month’s Dining Divas destination, this view isn’t special. It’s part of the main course everyday at this new restaurant on Broadway in Alton.

This high caliber restaurant is just what Alton needed. Its chef and many of its staff moved from Copley’s West 9th (another Diva favorite) to Gentelin’s. Fortunately they did so as Copley’s recently closed its doors. The Divas who are Alton locals are excited to have another quality restaurant in their neighborhood.

If you go to Gentelin’s just for the bar, you may not even realize there’s such an incredible view from the dining area. A couple Divas who had decided to test the place out before the group didn’t realize what they were missing. Along with a warm cozy feeling overall, the front of the entire main dining area looks out to the river…a privilege many of us Divas only wish we had and one which the Grandma and the Greek Diva have everyday from their home on the bluffs.

We were glad to have the Deep Thoughts Diva return after a hiatus as she has been transitioning to a new job. In typical Diva fashion, we welcomed her back with constant yet friendly kidding, especially with regards to the hairpiece she was wearing. (At less than five foot, I guess I’d do anything too to make myself slightly taller and to feel like a princess).

We’d missed the Colorful Diva and her colorful commentary. We had tears in our eyes as she shared a wonderful story of her “Night at the Roxbury”-like evening where she tore up the dance floor and was thankful for the breast tape that gave her cleavage for once in her life. Fortunately, she sweated enough while dancing that the tape came off easily at the end of the evening. She claims at the next Divas she’s going to keep her mouth shut the whole time so she can hear the rest of the group’s stories. My vote is to veto.

We’re happy to report that our newest Diva returned and has another grandchild. The other Grandma Diva is excited in anticipation of her new addition in June.

We had a nice size group this night, but carrying on conversations with everyone was impossible. A large round table may have worked, but I don’t recall seeing any like that available.

To kick-start her night, the Newlywed Diva tried the Tricheron Merlot. She was pleasantly surprised by the delightful flavor. Going more traditional, the Greek Diva indulged in a Cosmo, but she wasn’t prepared for the battle she’d have with the martini shaker. Her “haunted” Cosmo (as she liked to call it) mysteriously combusted from the shaker onto the table. Seems to happen all the time, according to our waitress. We just think this is a sign the Greek Diva should quit drinking for good!

For dinner, the Greek Diva made a wiser choice with her food than with her drink. She started with the curried carrot soup and enjoyed black bean cakes as well. Grandma Diva loved Aunt Jayne’s chicken and would love to meet Aunt Jayne for a Sunday supper. The Italian Diva had a thick, juicy pork chop seasoned perfectly to her liking. As an added bonus, her dish came with steamed asparagus and mashed sweet potatoes, a welcomed deviation from the standard mashed potatoes. No debates this time regarding real or boxed. Adding garlic to the stuffed chicken may have spiced up the Safe Keeping Diva’s choice, but it wouldn’t have insured her loving it.

And for the picky ones amongst us, the waitress was very accommodating. The BBQ chicken breast “pyramid” was layered with wilted spinach and a potato cake. To the satisfaction of the Newlywed Diva, the waitress graciously replaced the spinach with good old fashioned green beans. The potato cake was the best part of her meal as the chicken was overcooked. If she went back, she’d order the Tricheron Merlot and a potato cake.

Our newest Diva stayed within her comfort zone of a small dinner salad and a burger with fries. She’d try something different the next time. The shrimp pasta was enjoyed by a few people, and the healthy portion of shrimp made it a favorite.

Our waitress offered coffee and dessert to us, and we gladly accepted. One Diva felt the pineapple dessert was the best slice of pineapple she’s ever tasted. Topped off with pistachio brittle, it was a tropical delight. As for the lava cake, there was no explosion of delight in this sweet treat. Like the Diva’s chicken, her dessert was overdone, and the only thing oozing out of the middle of her cake (which was supposed to be liquid chocolate) was a piece of hair. Not good.

For this picky Diva, there were many menu items I still want to try. The inviting atmosphere and satisfying food makes Gentelin’s a good alternative just over the bridge. Oh, and of course, there’s that brilliant view.
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