Over the phone, Will had been a little cryptic about our dinner plans, only saying that the restaurant was close to my hotel and that I could dress casually. He and Helen picked me up in the early evening of a beautiful summer day in early June. The weather was very pleasant, moderate temps and low humidity. Nothing like a typical St. Louis scorcher. We drove several blocks north on Lindberg Drive to the community of Kirkwood and turned onto a wide, tree lined street of large Victorian homes. Citizen Kane proved to be in one of these homes.

We were seated in an upstairs dining room with windows overlooking the neighborhood. The room was well appointed and very tastefully decorated. White linen table cloths and shinny crystal and silverware. Clearly an upscale dining establishment. Our drink orders were taken and we were served hot homemade bread and real butter. So far, so good.

The menu offered an extensive variety of dishes, but it was clear that Kane’s prided itself on their steaks. We all ordered a salad and a steak. Everyone ordered a fillet, but I stuck to my usual rib eye. I began to suspect that we were in for a treat when the waiter followed up our request for medium rare with an unusual comment. He said that medium rare would have the usual warm red center, but if we had a preference he could have the steak prepared closer to rare, or closer to medium. This amazed me because I really like my steaks cooked a little closer to medium, but always order medium rare on the theory that you can get a steak cooked a little more, but you can’t undo over cooking. I was skeptical that any kitchen could be that precise, but told him to make mine closer to medium.

When the steaks arrived at our table, they were done to perfection. The quality of the steak was top notch and the presentation was perfect. We topped the evening off with shared desserts and dark rich coffee. I found Citizen Kane’s food, service and ambience to be exceptional and would recommend it to anyone dining in the greater St. Louis area. If you are interested in my ratings of steakhouses Click here.