Gabriel's Food + Wine sounds the fine dining horn

Cape Girardeau is lucky to have a restaurant such as Gabriel's Food + Wine gracing its downtown. Personal and cozy, classy and chic, Gabriel's lends a much-needed boost to upscale dining in the River City.

Reservations are recommended, but Gabriel's definitely didn't give off that intimidating "reservation restaurant" feel. You know what I mean: "What do I do when I walk in the door? How do I dress? What if I pronounce something wrong?!" Our waiter was kind and attentive from the moment we walked in the door to the moment we walked out of it. He let us pick our own table, gave us plenty of time to look at the menu, recommended an amazing wine and did all of these things while making us feel welcomed. He did something even more impressive after our food was served however. He left us alone.

We have all had those servers who are too attentive, who bother us every five minutes in an effort to please us, but our waiter managed to keep an eye on us and keep us happy unobtrusively. We never wanted for anything, and he did all this without drawing attention to himself. That my friends, is a real gift.

The kitchen and the chefs are right in the middle of the restaurant, out in the open and Gabriel's truly has nothing to hide. They are proud of their food and their ingredients, and the smells that slowly fill the dining room make the anticipation all that more delightful.

Now, let's get down to the food. Gabriel's starts off by serving bread in a beautiful wooden bowl. The bread is chewy and airy, but robust and with a certain elasticity that lets you know that you are, indeed, eating homemade bread. It was yeasty and wonderful.

Freshly made pasta and homemade bread await diners at Gabriel's.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair

We also tried crab cakes, which the menu said was a signature family recipe from Palermo. The plate was a delight for the eyes, and the small tomatoes scattered about were the sweetest I've ever tasted. As I stacked a tomato, a piece of crab cake and a dollop of the sauce, I couldn't help but get excited about the rest of the night.

We also tried the Pork Belly appetizer, which is the most succulent, tender pork I have ever had. The fat was soft and more like good gravy accompanying the meat.

For dinner, I ordered Truffle Candy. Here is how Gabriel's explains it in the menu: "spinach infused house-made candy shaped pasta filled with porcini mushrooms + drizzled with truffle cream sauce." Doesn't that sound intriguing? Now, here is my one disclaimer: Obviously, if you don't like mushrooms, this is absolutely not the dish for you. But, if like me, you crave the little fungi, this is astounding. Rich, succulent mushroom filling is finely ground and surrounded by green pasta sheets, folded up like a piece of candy with the ends twisted to hold in the filling. Visually, the dish is amazing, but looking at it doesn't hold a candle to how it tastes. That truffle cream sauce could be put on anything and make it taste like a million dollars.

There is a Japanese word to explain a flavor that is neither sweet nor sour, salty nor bitter. "Umami" is used to explain a pleasant savory taste, something unique to meat and broth, delicious and satisfying in a meaty way. Though I was at an Italian restaurant and eating a dish with no meat in it, I indeed experienced the taste of umami, the rich meaty mushrooms melding with the truffle cream sauce to produce a taste every bit as satisfying as the most expensive steak.

And did the others dining with me enjoy their food as much as I did? Well, my father said Gabriel's special New York strip steak with asparagus and truffle potatoes was the best steak he had ever had; my mother said she would come again just to eat the scalloped sweet potatoes served with her Australian Lamb T-Bone; and my sister said the bean soffritto served with her Norwegian Salmon would make anyone fall in love with Lima beans. And this is part of what made Gabriel's magical. Their sides were every bit the small works of art as the main course. Carefully balanced flavors, well-chosen ingredients and impeccable cooking of every main and side made Gabriel's my new favorite place to go for a special night.

Australian Lamb T-Bone is dressed to impress at Gabriel's.Submitted by Rebecca LaClair