It’s a Family Affair

The time had finally come to loosen the purse strings and visit Dominic’s, one of the most expensive places to eat on The Hill. We brought my brother and sister-in-law along to make it more of a special occasion. Because me paying a couple hundred bucks for dinner counts as quite special.

We stopped by the bar for an aperitif. I finally found a place that could make a proper spritz, an ideal summer cocktail.

I feel that dining at Dominic’s encompasses the service and atmosphere as much as the food. We enjoyed all aspects. We were tucked away in our own nook – maybe they knew we were coming.

Ok, here’s the best part. The food. Because I like to give accurate information, I looked up the exact dishes from the menu, which is mainly in Italian. When the menu popped up, the computer asked if I wanted it translated. Well, sure. Who wouldn’t? Here’s the breakdown:

• ·         Marty – Linguino con pesce or linguine with fish
• ·         Me – Eggplant alla parmigiana or eggplant alla parmigiana
• ·         Bob – Breast of chicken spiedino or chicken skewer
• ·         Belinda – Capellini primavera or spring caps

The computer must’ve had too many spritzes because my eggplant didn’t change and I have no idea what Belinda ate.

You know when your food comes out and the server says, “Careful, the plate is hot?” Dominic's really means it. Our two servers warmed our plates table-side. All our dinners were well received. Belinda gave me her leftovers and I had leftovers too. So the next night, Bob and I had eggplant alla parmigiana and spring caps for dinner.

History time. Dominic Galati immigrated to the United States from Sicily in 1964, bringing with him a passion for food and life. He settled in St. Louis and, after learning the business, opened Dominic's on the Hill with his wife, Jackie, in 1971.  On the corner of Hereford and Wilson, Dominic’s sits just a few blocks within The Hill boundaries.

Several years ago, the Galati family opened Dominic’sTrattoria in Clayton. Managed by Dominic’s and Jackie’s daughter, Maria Galati, the Trattoria runs more on the casual and affordable spectrum. Very unlikely we will visit anytime soon since it’s not located in The Hill. Well, probably never. We generally only eat out in the city.