Photograph by Katherine Bish
During a period when restaurants seem to be teetering on the edge, when not failing is considered succeeding, Dr. Gurpreet Padda and Ami Grimes are rolling out restaurants like The Hill cranks out ravioli: Café Ventana, Chuy Arzola’s, and Sanctuaria, with DiSilvio’s, Hendricks BBQ, and Ventana Chocolatier & Roasting Co. soon to come. To borrow a line from Butch: “Who are those guys?” How ’bout the duo that wisely chose the Grove for Sanctuaria, a Midwestern “sanctuary” of eclectic Latino artwork: antique Christian dioramas, calaveras (colorful skull dolls), a mammoth Peruvian mirror, and a sculptured tree that’s either right on or right out of Poltergeist, depending on your ration of pisco sours and Bloody Saints. This is also the home of “wild tapas,” so feel free to go crazy over chef Chris Lee’s oak-roasted, goat cheese–stuffed red peppers or blue cheese–and–leek fondue “cigars.” ¡Santa Maria! Just when we thought the tapas craze had tipped over, Sanctuaria has us begging for forgiveness.
4198 Manchester
The Grove
Phone: 314-535-9700
Website: sanctuariastl.com
Hours: Dinner only, Tue–Sun
