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The Dining Divas

by Lisa Kampeter

The word is spreading in the neighborhood. Florissant’s own de.lish Cheesecake Bakery and Café may be easily missed if you’re not looking for the restaurant, but you’ll definitely be missing out if you don’t give it a try.

Prior to this month’s Dining Diva outing, the Social Diva journeyed across the street of another Florissant favorite, Fritz’s, and immediately made her suggestion for the next Dining Diva’s outing. De.lish is located in the old train depot right next to the tennis courts at St. Catherine and New Florissant Road.

“Wasn’t this place a candy store?” “Don’t they just sell cheesecake?” “I don’t ever remember even seeing a bathroom there.” These were some questions and comments that came up when we first considered going, and we’re glad we didn’t let our concerns stop us.

Fortunately, our Dining Diva dinners begin at 6 p.m. so we’re usually able to beat a crowd if there is one. Although two-tops make up the dining area, we were able to gather enough tables to accommodate our group. And from the get go, we kept in mind that we wouldn’t linger as we normally would if we were keeping other people from dining there.

We were happy to see this restaurant succeeding. Once our tables were needed, we gladly got up for those waiting, but not, of course, before we partook in all the deliciousness. There were a few things that we all pondered once the Inquisitive Diva arrived. She noticed the boxes of games on her way to the restroom. “Is it intended for me to grab one on my way to the bathroom?” Perhaps it would be more appropriate to grab one on the way back to the table and share with the group. So if you’re bored with your dining companion, you could always play a game of checkers.

There was also a posting in the restroom indicating live music on Friday nights. Where? Would the band set up on the counter top? But then they’d have to move the delicious cookies? We discovered that they move around a couple tables, which gives this one-man band plenty of space. Good to know. The cookies are safe, and there’s something else to do in Florissant on a Friday night.

I have to admit, I’m always a little nervous about the Dining Divas outing being in our “backyard”. What if we don’t end up liking it? What would I say? There was one local restaurant that I never even mentioned the name because I felt too guilty to give them a bad review. Truth hurts, huh?

Well, the truth is that we loved de.lish. We must have. When all the meals are under $10, how did some of us end up with bills close to $50? And without liquor! Blame it on the de.lish-ious offerings!

Seems like we all enjoyed our food so much we wanted to take-home-a-sack of all the goodies we couldn’t try in one sitting or things we wanted to share with our husbands. Or at least that’s what we told ourselves. And then we couldn’t pass up the desserts.

The sandwiches are reasonably priced and plentiful. The Louie is the de.lish version of a French dip. The beef was phenomenal. The majority of us tried this sandwich and loved it. The Classy Diva ordered the Zank, which is referred to as a “hot mess”, something we’d never expect her to try. It is the Louie but includes caramelized onions and cheddar cheese. She enjoyed every bite but didn’t leave any room for dessert for her.

The McGregor sandwich includes chicken, Gouda, onions, bacon, and chipotle mayo. Even though the Considerate Diva spent most of her time concerned about giving up our tables to other customers or about helping the busy server deliver drinks to other customers, she found time to devour every bit of her McGregor.

A couple Divas split the Italian and spinach quiche and ended up bringing home a couple more slices for the next day. Their husbands were happy as it made an excellent breakfast. The Commuter Diva only wished she lived closer so she could get more. The Intelligent Divas made a conscious effort to only eat half of their meals so they could enjoy dessert.

The Dieting Diva hoped she wouldn’t be interested in any of the daily cheesecake flavors. Until they mentioned Chocolate Chip Cheesecake, she thought she’d be in the clear. No such luck. She didn’t care if this incredible dessert when straight to her hips, she loved it. The Classic Cheesecake also held up to its name. It was a classic.There are more than just cheesecakes on the menu.

For the Indecisive Divas, the Sweet and Salty cookies hit the spot. Made with kettle potato chips, pretzels, M&M’s, and chocolate pieces, what a surprise these treats were! Even the day old Chocolate Chip cookies were too tempting and tasty to pass up. Oh, and you’ll want to check out their Signature Cupcakes. We did. For that matter, it seemed like we tried every kind of dessert being offered that day.

Who would have thought so much greatness came out of such a small place! Because there isn’t room for a big freezer, de.lish makes their food fresh daily. With summertime weather taking over, they’re limiting their soups to cut down on waste. This night, they generously offered each of us samples of their Italian Wedding soup.

It was so good that the Committed Diva returned to the restaurant later that evening to get more, along with more cheesecake, more cookies, and more scones.It is unusual thinking of de.lish as a restaurant because of its size. The Cultured Diva thought of it as a food truck with tables. And look at the popularity of food trucks these days!

Half of the Dining Divas believed the owners could easily and successfully expand. The other half thought the size was perfect. (de.lish does more take-out than dining-in)  The quaintness was a part of its charm.  The unique setting of the old train depot, the small and ever-changing menu, and the heart and passion of the owners, a couple from Florissant, truly makes de.lish the “little restaurant that could”…and is.

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