It was a lucky guess on where to go for this month’s Dining Divas. Usually we go with recommendations from people, but as we struggled to agree on a place, I decided to let google come through for us. None of us had heard of the Rose Barrel in Ballwin, but we’re glad a Google search ended up with the suggestion. It was close to a 40 minute drive for those of us coming from North County.

As we were driving there, I was silently hoping I wouldn’t regret the choice as it was a longer hike than we typically have. Several of us arrived in the parking lot at the same time and talked about other restaurants and bars we remembered that used to be in the area. The Rose Barrel is where a Fortel’s Pizza was previously located.

   Walking in, we were immediately greeting by a friendly hostess who escorted us into a room separate from the bar area. At first, I was thinking that they were seating our group away from everyone, but that wasn’t the case at all. There were several other tables in this dining area. Fortunately, we were less embarrassing than we typically are so hopefully we didn’t annoy any other guests.

The staff here was very accommodating and nice. Andrew, our waiter, was super attentive and friendly. We were really impressed when one of the owners stopped by to thank us for coming in. The Former Restaurant Owner Diva talked to her about the business, and the owner told us how they’d only been open 32 weeks. I thought it was interesting that she said “32 weeks” instead of eight months. Perhaps as a new restaurant owner, you think in weeks versus months.

   One blessing for them for sure was that they didn’t open when originally was planned (2020). She said they’d never have survived. We were all very impressed that she spent so much time talking with us, and it reminded us of the one Diva’s family restaurant and how personable her mother was too. Good for

business!

   Throughout the year, the Dining Divas collected money through a “basket” raffle. Each month, one Dining Diva would bring something creative to raffle off. We’ve had a pasta dinner with homemade meatballs, many themed baskets (fall, Mexican, gardening, holidays), DIY craft projects, and more. Before the school year started, we did our best to purchase most of the items on a new teacher’s wish list for her classroom.

With guidance from our own Educator Diva, we knew the amount of their own money teachers spend just to get the classrooms ready was a lot, so we were happy to support this young educator starting out in her career. We all agreed it was a great cause, and we’d do it again next year.

   The Rose Barrel’s specialty is upscale comfort food. One thing a few of us noted when walking through the bar area was the Pot Roast that several people had ordered. It looked delicious. It’s one of their most popular dishes, made with a slow braised beef, and served with garlic mashed potatoes. Several Divas ordered it and said it tasted just like homemade. The Pot Roast sandwich literally melted in one Diva’s mouth. She ordered sweet potato fries to go along with her sandwich, and they were really good too.

The Mushroom Soup served with a side of rice was rich and creamy but slightly salty for the Structured Diva. When she ordered the Sea Scallops with a spicy hollandaise sauce, she was surprised that sauce wasn’t as spicy as she’d hoped.

   There are plenty of interesting burger options on the menu, like the Bang, Bang burger and the Smoked Gouda burger. Both are excellent choices. The Candied Club sandwich with blackened grilled chicken was less impressive than the other meals. Tom’s Skewers with teriyaki chicken were very tasty as was the garlic spinach side.

   Having already tried the Chicken Fried Chicken Ravioli as a starter and enjoying it, the Country/City Diva thought she’d continue her fried food theme with the City Fried Steak. Delicious!

Thanks to the Considerate Diva, we didn’t have to order dessert as she brought a yummy cake for the Birthday Diva. We happily shared a piece with our waiter. He deserved it. Not having a recommendation for a restaurant was a risk we usually don’t take, but it was definitely worth it. We’ve since recommended the Rose Barrel to others and several of us plan to return.