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BY LISA KAMPETER

It was a very spirited Dining Divas this December. Not only did Christmas cheer fill the air, but in the Divas’ minds, so did the spirits of the restaurant. Savor on Lindell near the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis has an essence of its own that the Dining Divas have never experienced before.

This beautifully transformed private residence and then funeral home had all the ingredients to be a Diva favorite for many years to come. They’ve taken classic cuisine and added their own personal touches, and it works. And they have the coolest bathroom!

Some may say it’s sad to mention the unmentionable part of the restaurant so soon in this column, but it’s that cool. So cool, our waiter mentioned that he has even served cocktails there. So cool that a colleague of mine said to make sure that I check it out when I was there, even if I didn’t need to. So cool that the Displaced Diva talked about it during dinner. So cool that we all got our picture taken there. Even the unmentionable is classy.

At the front entrance to the restaurant is an appealing fireplace that a few Divas warmed up near. A few others enjoyed the expansive bar that had quite a lot of activity going on this particular Thursday evening.

Our table sat just off the main entryway in a side section all to itself. Quite inviting. Most of us lounged around the table on a couch-like booth with stylish throw pillows that we all wanted to take home with us. As well as Steven, our waiter. He was such a delight and quite an expert at making the ladies smile.

On this night, as with every Dining Divas in December, we all brought an unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. As usual, the teachers in the group brought educational, yet fun, items. The Colorful Diva brought the game “Sorry” that withstands time and still remains a favorite game for under the tree. One gift got the attention of another very friendly server. It was a shopping/dress-up set that every little girl (and big girl) would love. This waiter was gathering ideas for her kids.

Unfortunately, we talked about Santa and sitting on his lap. I’m not quite sure how this happens every year, but it is a very delicate subject for the Neglected Diva. To her surprise, she was excited to learn that the Displaced Diva had never gotten to sit on Santa’s lap either, but then the Displaced Diva remembered a picture. Plopped on the big guy’s lap she sat. Oh well.

We started off with a couple appetizers, salads, and drinks. At $8, the Bellini (champagne and peach nectar) was somewhat of a disappointment. They could have used better champagne. But it did take the Newlywed Diva back to Venice, Italy.

The flammekueche (which we so pleasantly referred to as Hoochie Koochie) appetizer was a favorite of everyone’s. Made with bacon, peppers, onions, and flatbread, this dish was basically a fancy bacon pizza, and we loved it. The Gorgonzola Cheesecake appetizer, not a dessert, was made with a polenta crust, a red pepper sauce, and Gorgonzola cheese, all baked to perfection.

The Hangtown Fry with chopped bibb lettuce, cornbread croutons, and a feta-buttermilk dressing was topped with two crunchy oysters that was to die for. Go for the Hangtown Fry salad and skip the Caesar. It was just okay. The flash fried calamari came with a Bombay dipping sauce that had quite a kick to it. Some liked it and some thought it had probably too much chili powder.

For the main courses, everyone was thrilled. The duck ragout with mushrooms and pasta was delicious. The beef stroganoff, although typically thought of as a basic dish, was quite complex in taste. Made with pappardelle noodles, this dish was served with a plentiful portion of braised beef and button mushrooms in a creamy wine sauce. Even the Picky Diva couldn’t complain.

Once the Newlywed Diva got passed the broccoli on her dish, she loved the Singapore noodles with shrimp and sausage in a ginger-lemongrass broth. The Greek Diva enjoyed a Moroccan-style dish, the organic lamb tajine, made with couscous, olives, and artichoke hearts combined with a delicious, spicy paste. The shrimp and andouille sausage in a spicy tomato broth and served with penne pleased many at the table. Amazingly, everyone enjoyed their meals. Even more amazingly, typically a few of us struggle to find something to please our palettes at places like this, but this time, we had more than enough.

And even dessert. We are always on the lookout for good bread pudding. Not as good as Harvest or Cyrano’s, but Savor’s white chocolate blueberry bread pudding is a must for blueberry muffin lovers. And the chocoholic in the group thought the flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter ice cream and “smushed bananas” was the best thing she had to eat! That says a lot for such a good restaurant.

Savor is on the pricey side, but it’s worth it. Between the excellent service, the fabulous food, and of course, the awesome unmentionable, you’ve got to try this incredible restaurant. Or at the least, check out the bathroom.

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