Please welcome to the latest in an occasional series of St. Louis restaurant reviews from my friend, the Foodie Patootie. It's an A+ recommendation for Brio's at Plaza Frontenac. Enjoy ... ... ... ... 8:20am update: Some times timing is everything! A quote from today's New York Times (after a week, viewing may require membership) about blogs covering restaurants, "Bloggers are now a very important part of the media landscape because a lot of diners get their information from them." Congratulations to all the NYC bloggers featured in the story. Now here's the latest St. Louis restaurant review ... Brio's. When Brio’s Tuscan Grille first opened, it was standing room only and three people deep at the bar with an hour-long wait to be seated. My Dear Husband and I tried to get reservations but the only times available were 4:30 pm or 9:45 pm. Since my ‘beauty bedtime’ is 9:30, we passed. Finally, after the restaurant’s first anniversary, we hoped that ...

While St. Louis hosts a growing collection of great restaurants, my own visits are rare enough that when eating out, I prefer to simply enjoy. So when a friend raved about a favorite restaurant last month, I asked if she might write an occasional restaurant review for A Veggie Venture. She agreed! Please welcome the first St. Louis restaurant review from the Foodie Patootie , an A+ recommendation for Sofia Bistro, a neighborhood spot in the UCity/Clayton area. Enjoy ... UPDATE: Sorry, Sofia Bistro is no longer open. Dear Husband and I ate at a terrific restaurant again in December: Sofia Bistro. It's at the corner of Jackson and Pershing in U. City, near Clayton. It was probably our 12th time eating there. We just love it there, and the food, and we want to see them succeed - they deserve it. Sofia's is a neighborhood restaurant - cozy, warm, and you can actually hear each other without straining. Parking isn't a problem; reservations are easy to get. We like it best ...