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| Photograph by Katherine Bish | |
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Give me carte blanche and a million dollars and what kind of restaurant would I open in St. Louis? Easy: a seafood place. Sure, there’s respectable seafood all over town, but few places that—why, I can’t explain—specialize in it. That’s why we should welcome the arrival of the tall-ceilinged, dark, and handsome McCormick and Schmick’s; a chain, yes, but one with exacting standards—call it the seafood equivalent of The Capital Grille. Few chains will hire a local chef and encourage him to buy on a whim, from local growers. Fewer still encourage that chef to add regional touches—you won’t see Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake on any other M&S menu. And don’t you think St. Louis is ready for 30 kinds of fresh seafood? (Any local claiming even a dozen needs to check his stringer.) Considering our paucity of seafood places and this chain’s reputation, smart money says its seafood will be fresh and stay fresh. I’d bet my borrowed million on it.
17 West County Center
Des Peres
314-835-1300
mccormickandschmicks.com
Lunch and dinner daily
