Love Me Tenderloin at Yia Yia's Euro Bistro

The Place: Yia Yia's Euro Bistro (15601 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield; 636-537-9991), the St. Louis location of the restaurant chain that, unusually for a multi-state operation, uses some local meat and produce.

The Lunch: The grilled beef tenderloin sandwich with fries for $11.95

The Verdict: After looking over the lunch menu at Yia Yia's, I had my heart set on the porchetta sandwich because slow-roasted pork, duh. Sadly, the kitchen didn't have any porchetta that day. Instead, I opted for a sandwich with strips of grilled beef tenderloin with roasted mushrooms and fried onions and topped with mozzarella cheese, tomato jam and a Dijon-horseradish sauce, all of it on ciabatta.

It turned out to be a fine second choice. The beef was very tender and flavorful, and the Dijon-horseradish sauce added a sharp bite. The fried onions weren't the gnarled, battered bits you might expect, but thin and crisp, with a hint of sweetness (amplified by the tomato jam) that provided a contrast to the Dijon-horseradish sauce.

The price is on the higher side of the Lunch Bucket scale, but in line with Yia Yia's costs in general, and at this level of execution and presentation, not unreasonable.