Exceptional Dining in Cottleville, MO--Stone Soup Cottage

In an unassuming little restored 1850s farm house in the heart of Cottleville is a treasure.  This is a full-on, polished, sparkling jewel of a place that seats under 30 diners a night, only a few nights per week.  The exclusivity is, of course, part of the appeal.  You can't just walk in--you can't even make a reservation this week--or this month.  You generally need to plan three months out for your visit to Stone Soup Cottage.  We made our reservation in April for mid-June--and it was absolutely worth the wait.

The interior is cozy, intimate and candlelit.  Only seven tables were set the night we visited.   It's as if you're visiting a friend's home for a lovely dinner--only your friend happens to be a gifted gourmet chef with a vision.  Chef Carl McConnell's vision includes only the freshest, seasonal ingredients which he composes into a 6-course tasting menu each night.  The concept is genius.  One menu, one seating=no waste.  Every beautiful bite is savored and enjoyed as it should be.

We chose a wine-pairing to compliment our meal, which began with an Amuse Bouche and a flute of champagne--bonus!  The first (official) course was a chilled lemon-basil soup finished with blue crab.  It was the perfect light refreshing summer starter.  The blue crab was rich and delicate.  The soup was paired with a 2009 Stellenbosch Chenin Blanc from South Africa.

Next up: a warmed eggplant and smoked tomato tartlet, featuring locally-grown produce.  It was served with micro-greens and shaved gouda.  The portion size was perfect, just enough to fire up our appetites for the next round.

The third course was pan-seared Digby Bay scallops--oh heaven--served with a champagne sabayon.  Scallops are a weakness of mine and these were perfectly fresh and perfectly prepared.  They were paired with a 2009 Paul Mas Picpoul de Pinet from France.  Chef Carl came out to serve the course and received our rave reviews.  By this time we were absolutely enchanted with Stone Soup Cottage and by the end of the meal, I was planning our next visit.

Our fourth and fifth courses brought potatoes mousseline with shaved black truffles (pure indulgence) and tournedos of beef with bearnaise and summer vegetables, paired with equally wonderful Sonoma valley wines.

And I have to mention the perfectly tangy, light and sweet lemon curd with Chantilly creme, that was presented in a dark chocolate shell for dessert.

Nancy and Carl McConnell were the perfect hosts and clearly have a passion for food and take so much pride in what they do--as they should.  By 10 pm, we were fed, relaxed and happy and I was once again struck by the brilliance of this concept.  One seating allows the small staff to know exactly when the dinner service ends--there are no hangers-on, no parties waiting for a table--they've perfectly streamlined the operation.  We were perfectly impressed.

With that said, I suppose it won't surprise you that we have THREE more reservations on the books for Stone Soup Cottage--two in September and one, to celebrate our 15th anniversary, in November.  This is my highest recommendation for your next special occasion, celebration, or when you just want to treat yourself to one of the most exceptional meals in the St. Louis area.  Check out their website right now and pick a date--tables are filling up fast!

www.stonesoupcottage.com