This past week, the Supper Club took a trip down to Monarch for the St. Louis Originals Restaurant Week. Basically, any restaurant associated with St. Louis Originals offered a three course meal for only $25. I love these events because that means I can try out a new restaurant without breaking the bank.

The first course was a butternut squash soup. This was my first time for this soup and it was quite delicious. It had a buttery, yet surprisingly sweet flavor to it. I was a bit shocked at how sweet it was, it was like having dessert first. The chicken cracklin’ made a crispy, salty counterpoint to the sweetness, though.

For a second course, we all chose something different. I had the truffle poached chicken. The chicken was flavorful and I enjoyed the wilted greens that came along with it. The gnocchi had an interesting texture, it had the consistency of a dense cake. Bob had the pot roast of lamb with this amazing chevre-arugula ravioli. Both Kate and Kim had the monkfish and loved it.

The last course was dessert and we had both kinds: a chocolate mint crisp and pumpkin panna cotta. The mint chocolate ice cream tasted as if it was homemade, very refreshing and clean. The pumpkin panna cotta had a lot of dispirit elements but worked well together to make a delicious and pleasing dessert.

We were all very pleased with our experience at Monarch. The decor was simple yet colorful and the service was friendly and attentive. I did take a quick glimpse at the regular menu and it is a bit pricey. I would definitely have to come again if they do another three-course menu event.