About Us: Review From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Sunset 44
By Mary Little
Of the Post-Dispatch
01/12/2005

Carryout meals are everywhere. Look beyond fast food to supermarkets, delis, sit-down restaurants and other sources, and you'll find plenty of places to purchase dinner.

The Title: "Dinner," a one-act play.

The Setting: A recent cold winter's evening.

The Plot: Friends preparing for a theater outing to see "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" first have to solve another puzzle: What to do about dinner beforehand?

The Solution: Sunset 44 in Kirkwood.

While the players at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis were still warming up, we called in our order to the restaurant and were back at home with a big bag of goodies within half an hour. Sitting on top of the stack was a 6-inch round of warm white bread, along with a container of tangy cheese spread and our order of house-made cheesecake ($4.50). Next came the heart of the meal: sesame tilapia ($17.95) and steak salad ($14.50).

After that, we had to solve another little mystery: There was one carton left in the bag, and we knew we hadn't ordered anything else. We peeked and were happily surprised to find a generous serving of lavash - thin, crispy bread, topped with poppy seeds and sesame seeds, that's hard to stop eating.

The tilapia was the star of the show. The fish was encrusted in sesame seeds and sauteed, then finished with a teriyaki glaze. The little crunch of the seeds was a nice contrast to the extremely tender, mild-flavored fish. It was served with a vegetable mix (squash, carrots and green beans, not overcooked to the mushy point) and rice pilaf. The entire entree was placed in foil before it went into the Styrofoam container, which helped to keep the dish warm.

The generous serving of steak salad included fresh greens, spinach, tomatoes, shredded carrots, Parmesan cheese and croutons, topped with slices of grilled top sirloin. (Onion lovers can also get red onions.) It was dressed with Dijon balsamic vinaigrette, which made for a nice flavor combination. The vinaigrette was on the mild side, so we added some fresh cracked pepper for a little pop. One note of advice: We didn't specify how we wanted the sirloin cooked, and it was quite rare. Those who like their meat more well done should tell the server when ordering.

The denouement of our feast came down to the cheesecake, which also got a rave review: light and luscious, with a delicate flavor and a yummy buttery crust.

As for poor Edwin Drood, on the night in question he was dispatched by the deranged cleric, Septimus Crisparkle. May he rest in peace - at least until the curtain rises again.

Sunset 44 serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday; and dinner from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday.