Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
17A West County Center, Des Peres
314-965-4600, jgilberts.com
Dinner only, daily
Thirty years ago, restaurant firm Gilbert/Robinson—creator of Houlihan’s and Bristol Seafood Grill—was known for having the finest methods and manuals in the industry. G/R represented the gold standard in training. After a hiatus and some corporate restructuring, the company selected St. Louis for the fifth outpost of its J. Gilbert’s Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood—the first since 1999—this one a sleek, beautifully designed, and masterfully lit space that says, “I could hang out here.” Steel animal sculptures entertain, heavy bar stools cradle, half-circular booths swaddle, small beams of light flatter, and servers execute as flawlessly as you’d suspect they might, repping what may be the new era of steakhouses—where two side dishes accompany entrées, where “a la carte” has become as passé as a banausic, tuxedoed waiter. Was the Prime Angus bone-in rib-eye better than the red mini Le Creuset casserole of poblano au gratin potatoes alongside? We still can’t decide—but we will return to find out. And hang out.
