Review: Peppe’s Apt. 2 in Kirkwood

Thirty-some years ago, when I was in graduate school, my favorite restaurant, bar none, was Gian-Peppe’s on The Hill. I’m sure my many visits to the cozy, classic Italian, white tablecloth, waiters-in-black-tie restaurant on Marconi Avenue ate up more student-loan money than textbooks did, but at the time it seemed worth it. Gian-Peppe’s had a good 20-year run for the Profeta family, including papa Profeta, who opened the restaurant; mama Profeta, who ran the kitchen; and young Peppe in the front of the house. While he may not be behind the stove all the time at his new restaurant, Peppe’s Apt. 2, Peppe Profeta continues what he did best when cooking at Trattoria Branica, Bellaluna and Roberto’s: serving uncomplicated, humble, regional Italian fare.

The restaurant is located on the first floor of a large Victorian house, and Profeta dances effortlessly from table to table, schmoozing, opening bottles of wine, making dinner recommendations and joking with regulars, many of whom seem to have been following the effervescent Profeta for years.

Pastas and most entrées come in half- and full-portion sizes. Ordering half portions allows you to follow the classic Italian-American rhythm of antipasti to salad (no soup offerings) to pasta to entrée without emptying the wallet (and you’ll still take home leftovers to boot). Fritto misto is a good start, tender calamari doused with lemon juice then lightly battered and flash fried, a few tempura-battered asparagus and sweet peppers served alongside. From the cold side of the antipasti menu, a martini glass of flaked smoked trout, capers and red onion held together with a gin aioli nearly worked – the lack of gin flavor and a taste more Miracle Whip than garlic mayonnaise kept it from success. An appetizer of ravioli Toscani was a better choice: three plump ravioli stuffed with ground veal and portabella mushrooms doused with a cream sauce incorporating peas and prosciutto. Salads come dressed appropriately, a rarity in a town that likes to ladle out the dressing like a soup kitchen.

Linguine con tonno, a rustic northern Italian staple, only works when high-quality Italian canned tuna packed in olive oil is employed. Peppe’s uses imported Genoa tuna for its fragrant sauce of tomatoes, garlic and basil; adding a few pinches of red pepper flakes piques the flavor profile. Pappardelle alla buongustaio lives up to its literal translation, “good taste,” with the combination of shrimp, mushrooms and a brandy cream sauce clinging to wide, chewy noodles. Back-to-basics chicken Parmesan, a classic, sturdy dish, is fine and satisfying. Veal saltimbocca, an open-faced “sandwich” layered with pounded veal, prosciutto, sage and mozzarella, came in a Pinot Grigio sauce, adding another subtle layer of flavor, even if the dish lacked a pronounced sage-y punch. Vincotto, or “cooked wine,” is a sweet dessert wine that worked well as the base for the demi-glace bathing a sautéed duck breast. The velvety sauce, spiked with peas and shallots, was more savory than cloying, a good match for medium-rare duck. The bone-in pork chop was dredged in truffled breadcrumbs and cooked to the requested medium-rare, as it should be. There is fish, including nightly specials like halibut, lightly dusted and sautéed, served in a buttery caper sauce brightened with Pinot Grigio and topped with ribbons of basil and chopped fresh tomatoes.

All entrées came with the same vegetable-starch combo, though the particulars vary depending on the night – one night it was carrots, green beans and roasted fingerling potatoes, another it was broccolini and potatoes; given the number of available entrées, 15 in all, a greater variety of sides would better showcase each dish.

The dessert list is surprisingly short, consisting of house-made mini cannoli, crème brûlée and, oddly enough, carrot cake (could someone in this town serve up some good panna cotta on a regular basis, please?). The crème brûlée was more airy than dense and runnier at the bottom due to the deep ramekin in which it was served.

Noisy restaurants seem to be the norm, but when this room is packed, as is more often the case, the decibel level can be downright jarring. On busy nights, service can be strained, but no serious lapses were noticed. There’s a beautiful outdoor garden where guests can wait for tables and, as soon as an outdoor liquor license is secured, dine.

Wine glasses engraved with the Apt. 2 logo are just one noticeable remnant of the previous occupant, a ladies’ lunch type of place known more for its charming interior than consistency. Profeta kept the interior, but with its huge chandeliers, white tile floor and all-white color scheme, it comes off more faux-luxe than subdued Italian elegance; monochromatic schemes work in sleeker, more contemporary settings, not on a corner in Kirkwood across from a community college. But then again, it is his first apartment.

NEW AND NOTABLE
Don’t-Miss Dish: Ravioli Toscani, linguinie con tonno, duck breast in vincotto
Vibe: Like eating nonna’s home cooking in Borgia’s villa.
Entrée Prices: Pastas and most entrées range from $9 to $24 for half portions, $14 to $34 for full portions.
Where: Peppe’s Apt. 2, 800 S. Geyer Road, Kirkwood, 314.909.1375
When: Lunch: Tue. to Fri. – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Dinner: Tue. to Sat. – 5 to 11 p.m.