Lorenzo's Olive Oil

Old Stand-by/New Adventure? Steal/Moderate? Loud/Intimate? Bar with Food/Restaurant with Bar? These are all factors one weighs when seeking out any restaurant anywhere. When parents roll in town, especially when they're not your own flesh and blood (READ: in-laws), the internal debate is taken to a whole new level. (I'm saying internal here as Tim is like ah, we'll figure it out). What happens if you suggest this place that had a great write-up in the St. Louis Magazine and come to find out the cheapest thing on the menu is 35 dollars? Or what if the daily special is something like liver? Despite our rapid approach upon our third decade of life, Tim's parents still like to pay for food (I wish my parents read this; they like to remind me that "we make less money than you")
Italian food and specifically, The Hill, provide the always-consist and parent-friendly option of Italian food. After an endorsement from my Sicilian coworker, we decided upon Lorenzo's Tratorria.
I looked up the meaning of Tratorria, and after seeing what Wikipedia said, I think the word Tratorria is slapped on the Italian eateries much in the manner "Bistro" has been tagged onto French-style restaurants. It just sounds fancier and more authentic.
Lorenzo's Tratorria is quite good-they have those long skinny breadsticks along with some sort of blue cheese spread for a gratis appetizer, into which some male members of our party had no problems double-dipping. We all ate pasta dishes: the housemade potato gnocchi was awesome and we were told the Bolognese was good as well. The House Salads, which are not included in the price of the entree, were large-I think two people really could have split one. Pistachios added a nice touch to these.

Since we have an unused Groupon thanks to the generocity of Tim's parents, we will return to Lorenzo's in the near future.

http://www.lorenzostrattoria.com/index.html