Music, Dancing, and a Little Serenading

Make It a Memorable Dining Divas Night

                                     By Lisa Kampeter

If you’re looking for a fun date night, a couples outing, or a girls’ night out, spending an evening at Piazza Messina should be on your list of things to do. The Dining Divas checked it off their list last month.

Located on 14 acres in Cottleville, this popular event venue hosts weddings and company picnics but also offers family-friendly entertainment, brunch, and “Sips” events with live music. Just down from a few popular Dining Divas restaurants (Plank Road Pizza and Bemos), depending on the way you come, you’ll pass by Frankie Martin’s Garden, a new food truck garden that looks like another great Diva option, when it’s not miserably hot outside. Thanks to the heat, we stayed inside, and look forward to taking in a picturesque sunset, gorgeous landscape, and the beautiful lake another time.

We enjoyed watching all the dancers out on the dance floor and reasoned that most must have been a part of some sort of dance club. We were intrigued by young people who actually knew some of the traditional, older dances. And we were in awe of the brave souls who did not care if they had rhythm and just went ahead and shoot a tail feather. Best of all, it was “unforgettable” when the main singer serenaded the Outgoing Diva, leaving her tanned face a deep shade of red.

The music and the acoustics made it nearly impossible to have conversations with more than just the person next to you. And that’s one of the things we look forward to the most every month, catching up with each other. This was not the place for that, so not ideal for a Dining Divas outing. Which made us wonder, how is it for weddings?

The Charleston. “In the Mood”. Imperial Dancing. It’s not the kind of music you’ll find at Fast Eddie’s or Brewskeez on the weekend, but it was entertaining. And we did hear some Justin Timberlake and Van Morrison interspersed throughout the playlist. It was a wide variety of music that all age groups could enjoy. Even the baby at the table behind us enjoyed himself, and he was able fall asleep as well.

As the Clever Diva said, Piazza Messina figured out a way to survive even with labor shortages. To order food, you either ordered at the counter or from their app. You got a text when your food was ready which you had to go get. If you wanted another drink, back up to the counter you went. It was a solution for a shortage of workers but an adjustment when you’re expecting a sit-down meal with service. But it works for them. There wasn’t an empty table.

Owned by the Russo family, known for Russo’s Catering, the menu included sandwiches, salads, flatbreads, and shareables. The ultra-thin, crispy Piazza Supreme flatbread was delicious. The Shrimp Boil as well as the Southwest Chicken salad were excellent choices. When the Generous Diva shared her Candied Bacon Strips, the Inquisitive Diva was determined to make these at home, they were so good. And the Turkey Bacon club is a good option for a sandwich.

The Proud Diva shared pictures of her newest grandbaby. The Tourist Diva was excited for her trip to New York City. And the Class of 87 Divas couldn’t believe it had been 35 years since they graduated.

Changing up our Dining Divas gatherings is always welcome, but unfortunately, the loudness of this venue limited the socializing of the group, and that doesn’t work for us. But most of us would like to go back, just with a smaller group. And who knows, maybe with a few more drinks, we’ll join a dance club…or, even better, the band.

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