Mira

Would you call it a Mira image?

Well, not quite. Several years ago, the space on North Meramec Avenue held Café Mira with Mike Johnson at the helm of its kitchen. Since then, two other restaurants have occupied the real estate. Now Johnson’s back, again overseeing the kitchen, as he does at several other busy establishments. The space has become cozier, the decor changed (with a partially successful attempt to tamp down the noise level) and, of course, the name shortened.

Yes, next door south is Mira’s little sister, Roxanne, created from the remaining space. It’s more casual, though they share some menu choices. But that’s another story, for another time. Mira is a white-tablecloth spot, although there were few ties on male customers. But it’s definitely upscale; we overheard conversations about the relative merits of local country clubs and about 5-star hotels around the world.

The menu is modern American, with cooking influences arriving from across the globe, everywhere from Asia to Albuquerque. Our meal was given a kick start with a delightful salad of mixed greens. The saltiness of the miso dressing was balanced by the sweetness of dried cherries, crunch from a handful of wonton strips, and spice from some glazed peanuts. The result was complex and delicious, the sort of thing that keeps the mouth asking for just another bite. Soda straw thin asparagus is at the center of a charming spring roll, padded by goat cheese, held together by one layer of a tissue-thin wrapper and flash-fried. The drizzle seems to hold notes of sesame, wasabi and balsamic vinegar, a bouncy contrast to the coolness of the roll’s contents.

Short ribs were two large boneless pieces, a total, said the server, of eight ounces. One was spiced in a Southwestern style, the other in an Asian manner (an Asia-minor manner?). Perhaps it was a mistake by the kitchen, but the sauces looked the same and tasted almost the same, separated only by one having a touch more pepper and cumin. The meat was tender and carefully trimmed, but the saucing was a blur, and the whole thing wasn’t helped by the roasted potatoes, which seemed to be steamed new potatoes cut in half and grilled briefly, or the cilantro rice, which was mildly seasoned but far overcooked. On the other hand, a duck creation turned out to be a winner, the juicy breast perhaps cooked a little beyond the requested medium rare but very flavorful with its partners, cabbage drizzled with the duck juice, some leeks and a couple of truffle ravioli, their pasta dough thin and delicate and not overworked. The whole thing was a winner.

Speaking of winners, the by-the-glass list is a major one. There’s a large choice (nearly two dozen) at moderate-to-high prices, and the variety is excellent, with a range of both reds and whites to satisfy every preference, every food pairing and every pocketbook. There are excellent examples of South American offerings, always a good buy in moderate price ranges, and when two diners are eating contrasting dishes, choosing by the glass is a good way to go about it.

The gifted Carolyn Downs, one of the best dessert chefs working hereabouts, oversees the happy endings for diners, and she prepares the same desserts for Roxanne. Yes, same prices, too. Downs’ brioche bread pudding from her home base, Cyrano’s , makes an appearance, and the old Cyrano’s standbys like the eclair and the Cleopatra are available. But we encourage diners to look for something different. For example, we tried the semifreddo, which is a half-frozen Italian mousse-ice cream. While this was frozen very solidly indeed, its chocolate mocha flavor was fabulous, even at its coldest, and of course, as the dessert warmed up, the flavors intensified. Unlike much of the mocha we’ve tasted in the last few years, this had a definite coffee note to balance out the chocolate. It was topped by a scoop of equally intense blackberry sorbet, a fine combination. Scattered on the plate was a garnish that was a first for us. It resembled large beads of caviar, dark and shiny, but was chocolate coating drops of darkly caramelized sugar. Great finishing touch.

Service is pleasant and the servers obviously have been deeply briefed on the food, always a large plus. All in all, a lot more hits than misses, and worth a return visit.

Comments

[Pat]

Do you have, or have access to, the recipe for Cyrano's Caramel Bread Pudding?
Pat

[lemons]

Nope - but have you asked them?