Overall Impressions: Visiting a historic St. Louis institution for the first time is always…read moreexciting, but our inaugural dinner at Charlie Gitto's on The Hill yielded a surprisingly mixed bag. While the drinks, bread, appetizers, and desserts shone, the main courses and service fell short of the restaurant's legendary reputation.
Ambiance & Setting
Stepping in from a mild, low-80s afternoon, the indoor dining room felt starkly dark--almost like a cave when walking straight in from the street. Thankfully, we opted to sit on the patio, which was a delightful choice and provided a very nice, relaxed environment for dinner.
While the restaurant recommends smart or business casual attire, the vibe on the ground was much more relaxed; there were plenty of people wearing shorts, and a diner nearby on the patio was sporting jeans and a t-shirt. For parking, the Hill location does have a lot attached, but it was full when we arrived. Fortunately, there is plenty of on-street parking nearby, plus another parking lot just one block down.
Drinks & Starters
* Drinks: Both the house Pinot Grigio and my husband's Super Tuscan were excellent. We chose a single glass rather than a full bottle.
* Bread: The bread was outstanding, served in generous portions.
* CG Signature Shrimp ($22): Extra-large, roasted in garlic butter and seasoned breadcrumbs. We received three nice-sized shrimp with plenty of flavorful garlic butter left over, which was fantastic for dipping the bread.
Entrees
* Fiore Borghese ($24): Small, flower-shaped hollow noodles tossed in a pink Cognac sauce with prosciutto, onions, and parsley. The portion was good and shareable, but the pasta was slightly short of al dente and could have used another minute in the pot. While the first few bites were nice, the dish quickly proved to be very one-note; it would make a great side option, but it felt heavy and repetitive as a main entree. Additionally, no extra Parmesan cheese was offered tableside--even though we noticed another diner nearby being offered it--and this dish could have really used it, or perhaps it just wasn't designed for it.
* Veal Parmigiano ($55): Bone-in, breaded, and baked with pomodoro sauce and CG cheeses. We had looked forward to this signature dish, and the size was very good and definitely shareable. The pomodoro sauce was the undisputed star of the dish--vibrant and delicious. Unfortunately, everything else missed the mark. The cheese was not melted through and was coolish at best. More importantly, the meat was very difficult to cut even with the heavy steak knives provided, snagging on silver skin, turning out quite chewy, and lacking proper seasoning. At $55, this was a major letdown.
Dessert & Coffee
* Tiramisu ($12): Ladyfingers, espresso, and mascarpone cheese--very nice.
* Chocolate Cake ($12): Triple-chocolate--excellent.
* Espresso: A great way to cap off the meal.
Service
Our server, Noah, provided a mixed-at-best experience alongside his helper. While they were initially attentive with clearing plates and refilling glasses, the pacing went completely off the rails toward the end of the meal. Noah wasn't very chatty (no real personal warmth,) and we had to prompt him to ask if there were any daily specials. Worse still, he cleared my husband's entree plate before I was even halfway finished with mine--making the table feel awkwardly unbalanced--and then dropped the bill right along with our desserts. He even came back to see if we were ready to pay while we were still eating dessert. With the patio only half-full (we arrived at 4:30 PM on a quiet Sunday) and us having been there just a little over an hour, rushing us out like that was completely unnecessary and frustrating.
The Verdict
With a total of $190 including tax, we expected a seamless, high-end meal. While the patio, wine, starters, and desserts were highlights of the night, the execution errors on the heavily hyped veal and the one-note pasta mean we likely won't rush back for dinner anytime soon.