BEST PLACE TO BE CHARMED
Vicini Pastaria
When chef and owner Dawn Wilson went to Tuscany to study Italian cooking, she fell in love not only with the food but also with the country’s slow-paced, communal approach to eating. Her tiny Lafayette Square charmer is the embodiment of that ethos.
BEST NEW LISTENING SPOT
The Saturn Lounge
Named after the Saturn-like rings that run around a vinyl record, The Saturn Lounge is stocked with cold drinks and vinyl records. With more than three decades of DJ experience at KDHX, Doug Morgan (aka Doug Love) programs the evening’s soundtrack, drawing from the more than 20,000 records that make up his personal collection.
BEST PIZZA PAIRING
1929 Pizza & Wine
Sure, pizza and wine are a quintessential pair, but the real match at 1929 Pizza & Wine is husband-and-wife team Matt and Amy Herren, who have married their respective baking and chef backgrounds to create a lovely Neapolitan pizzeria in downtown Wood River, Illinois.
BEST FOOD & MOOD
Rock Star Tacos
With its neon-lit, rock-star-themed interior, Rock Star Tacos at The Gaslight has created the perfect atmosphere to enjoy its eccentrically tasty fare. Created and cooked by ex-rocker Wil Pelly, the tacos further declare the vibe of the joint with such monikers as the Amy Swinehouse and the Shrimp Bizkit.
BEST BOTTLE SHOP & MORE
Grand Spirits Bottle Co.
Passersby might see Grand Spirits as a lovely boutique wine shop at first blush—and it is. But walk through its doors, and you see that Grand Spirits is so much more. Mezcal tastings, delectable sandwich counter Grand Sammies & Sides, and experimental cocktail bar New Society pack so much firepower under one roof, you wonder how it’s even possible.
BEST SUCCESSOR
Salve Osteria
Natasha Bahrami could have simply carried on her family’s legacy at the erstwhile Café Natasha’s, but instead—with husband Michael Fricker and chef Matt Wynn by her side—she forged her own with this excellent Italian-inflected restaurant.
NEW MEXICAN/LATIN RESTAURANTS
Once upon a time, St. Louis’ Mexican dining landscape consisted of little more than the chimichangas and pre-mixed margaritas popularized by Tex-Mex spots. While there’s a time and place for such an experience, what’s been thrilling to watch in recent years has been the rise of regional Mexican culinary offerings, which offer a more comprehensive view of the country’s varied food traditions. Restaurants such as Sabroso Cocina Mexicana, with its outrageously delicious cochinita pibil, celebrate the Yucatan in vibrant fashion. Taqueria Morita is a love song to a chef’s family road trips down the Baja coast and all of the tiny roadside taco stands that they frequented along the way. At La Oaxaqueña, a Oaxacan-born chef connects with her late mother through her family’s recipes, including some of the best mole you can get in the bistate area, and Ladue Taco is a venue for a longtime employee of Companion to finally show off the street tacos that are so popular in his hometown of Michoacán. Even the places that lean Tex-Mex have bucked the standard playbook to reveal their own unique touches, whether that’s pineapple-stuffed fajitas at Los Arcos or traditional Mexican grilled meats at Sal y Limón. The broader Central American region is represented by places such as Sueño Latino, which serves not only as a culinary refuge for the city’s Honduran diaspora but also as a way to introduce St. Louis diners to the Central American country’s rich traditions, including its excellent tamales. Together, these restaurants create a stunning tapestry that captures the culinary vibrancy of Mexico and beyond.
BEST PRE-MATCH MEAL
Kain Tayo
The offerings inside CITYPARK may be impressive, but they can’t outshine the outstanding food just down the road at Kain Tayo, where co-owner Sally Arcega’s fiercely traditional dishes, such as sisig, chicken adobo, and lumpia, offer a transportive, delicious window into Filipino cuisine.
BEST NEW STREET FOOD
Salsa Rosada
Groove to the Latin flavors at Salsa Rosada, Mandy Estrella and Bradley Payne’s lunch-only, Venezuelan-Colombian, Midtown follow-up to Mayo Ketchup. Check out tequeños, cheese-filled pastries often paired with sweet guava paste. Try Venezuelan arepas or pastelitos, second cousins to empanadas, packed with meats and cheeses. And for a sweet ending, little doughnuts with sweet fillings called bombas from Pan Pa’ Ti Artisan Bakery really are da bomb.
BEST SPINOFF
Maryland House
Kevin Brennan wanted to build Maryland House as an extension of the current Brennan’s. What he ended up creating is a stunning restaurant, lounge, and majestic terrace that feels like it captures the Central West End in all of its stylish, cosmopolitan glory.
BEST TARTINES
Ivy
For those who prefer more than peanut butter on their toast, there’s no better menu than Ivy Café’s in Clayton. The European ambiance has earned it a following. The tartines (French for “toast”) are topped with everything from jam to jumbo shrimp, and they have new faithful fans returning time and again.
SPINOFF CONCEPTS
Some of St. Louis’ best bites come from new concepts in existing spaces—or mini spinoffs in new neighborhoods. Steve’s Hot Dogs ventured into grilled-cheese territory from the comfort of its own kitchen with Steve’s Meltdown, a gourmet grilled-cheese ghost kitchen sandwich shop. At pop-up What the Cluck?, Cassy Vires presents a limited menu of “fried chicken reimagined,” available weekends only at Baileys’ Range’s downtown location. A Little Hi and Eat Crow stand alone, with menus reflective of their esteemed parentage. The former offers access to Hi Pointe Drive-In’s greatest hits in Ballwin, while the latter serves up drinks from The Crow’s Nest menu in Soulard. And Kingside Express, the limited-seating restaurant in the Delmar Loop from the creators of Kingside Diner, focuses on carryout and delivery for its signature hash browns, slingers, and croissant breakfast sandwich.
RETRO-INSPIRED BAR
Tim’s Chrome Bar
Vintage neon lights the way to a vividly reimagined cocktail lounge in Bevo Mill. It’s a throwback to whatever era you’re nostalgic for, from The Brady Bunch to Wham! Eat updated classics such as deviled eggs and pizza rolls from Corelle plates that seem straight out of your aunt’s cupboard while drinking punch and playing bingo or jamming to live bands.
GOLDEN TOUCH
Kabul Express STL
The relocated restaurant serves up Afghan food with flair in a convivial atmosphere with shareable dishes, such as classic mantu, sambosas, and naan with roasted eggplant or yogurt. The menu offers wraps filled with grilled meats, vegetarian and vegan offerings, as well as plates. Order kabobs, chop, or lamb shank plain—or crusted with edible gold leaf.
BEST SPECIALTY PIZZA
Jalisco Pizza
Leo Ortiz adds slow-cooked birria beef to a traditional cheese pizza garnished with fresh cilantro and onion, and serves it with a flavorful consommé. The signature pizza tastes like Mom’s pot roast with fresh Mexican flavors, layered on a thin, buttery crust. The best-selling combo draws customers from all corners of the metro area to a strip mall in St. Charles’ New Town.
BEST LATE-NIGHT EATS
Up Late STL
The shift away from late-night happy hours has made way for the moonlight to shine on Up Late’s small-by-design menu (two breakfast sandwiches, a taco, and doughnuts), available inside World’s Fair Donuts. Perhaps we needed a quirky nocturnal restaurant to make it sound appealing to add jam to a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich.
BEST BRUNCH
Casa Don Alfonso + Hatch’d
At Casa Don Alfonso, the buffet brunch offerings go on and on like it’s Easter Sunday, except the culinary works of art are displayed every Saturday and Sunday morning. Hatch’d, with its kitschy neighborhood vibe, brings its plated A game, luring diners to try one of the signature omelets or build one of their own.
BAGEL BONANZA
When the renowned Bagel Factory closed late last year and left a huge hole in the local bagel market, three New York–style bagel shops opened to fill St. Louisans’ cravings. In Webster Groves, Bagel Union (an offshoot of Union Loafers, one of the most celebrated bread bakeries in town) turns out superior iterations with bagel sandwiches to match. When Lefty’s Bagels opened in Creve Coeur, it took the owners weeks to meet the unexpectedly high demand. And at C&B Boiled Bagels in Wood River, Illinois, owners Matt and Amy Herren’s pedigree includes a handful of prior successes: 1929 Pizza and Wine, 222 Artisan Bakery, Goshen Coffee, and the erstwhile Fond in Edwardsville.
Westchester
Whether barhopping or bingo-playing, sometimes things run late. Chesterfield’s Westchester beckons. It serves up dinner until 11 p.m., so you can drop in for a bowl of French onion soup with a Chardonnay or a burger and a glass of Cab Sav. Isn’t later-night dining lovely?
FRIED CHICKEN CORDON BLEU
Bistro La Floraison
It’s a savory Tootsie Pop–like creation. The outside’s an exquisitely fried chicken breast. Cut into its succulent center, and out spills a glossy flow of melted Gruyère studded with smoked bacon. The whole thing sits in a pool of aromatic moutarde d’Orleans. On a menu full of excellent bistro dishes, this one stands out.
BEST CHINESE SOUL FOOD
Kitchen 95
Hakka cuisine’s a regional joy of Chinese cooking—simple dishes with minimal preparation. Here, the Hakka Stir Fry (made with dried squid, pork, dry tofu, and celery) sounds basic, but the transportive tastes and textures are the essence of “home-style” eating.
The Dream Team
CHEF
Mike Risk
At some point in the past 30 years, Mike Risk has likely made you a memorable meal, the type you immediately recall the next day and continue to bring up in conversations throughout the week. It may have been early in Risk’s career—maybe the prime rib, lapping in jus, at Sam’s Steakhouse in the ’90s. Or you may have enjoyed one of his meals during the decade that he was rolling pasta and enriching lobster risotto at Trattoria Marcella. Or you might have had that meal at Olive + Oak, where Risk first worked with his future wife, chef Jesse Mendica, and was making food that “was just magic,” as he puts it. Or maybe it was at O+O Pizza, where he made the grilled octopus corzetti (imbued with bone marrow, red wine, thyme, and leeks) or agnolotti (with burrata, blistered snap peas, fennel, and a garlic pink peppercorn butter). Somehow, his dishes seem to welcome you with open arms, like spring itself.
OWNER
Brandi Artis
Brandi Artis had known success as a singer, a nanny, and a diamond seller before attending culinary school and starting a catering company, which ultimately led her to open two St. Louis restaurants. At 4Hens Creole Kitchen at City Foundry STL, the bestseller is shrimp and grits. Downtown, Simply Delicious celebrates amped-up versions of the comforting dishes of Artis’ youth, such as the croffle (croissant cooked in a waffle iron). On the drawing board are plans for a dual concept (La Chica Bonita Street Eats and The Owl Lounge); cooking classes and dinners held at soon-to-open Artis Wellness Center (owned by Artis and her wife-partner, Brittany Artis); and an appearance on this season’s The Great Food Truck Race (operating the 4 Hens food truck), which debuts on Food Network on June 18. “This girl is not nearly finished dreaming or achieving,” she says. “I’m just getting started.”
BARTENDER
Pat Gioia
At times, you wonder if Pat Gioia has a clone—or perhaps a twin or three. It’s the only explanation for how this bartending utility player is able to be in so many places—and be so many things to so many people—at once. As beverage director of STL Barkeep, Gioia is known not only for offering delicious mobile cocktails but also for having a keen understanding of what each particular crowd and venue entails. His bartending style is that of a chameleon, adapting his drinks to different environments, whether a summertime sipper for Shakespeare in the Park, a holiday-inspired libation at Garden Glow, or an easy-drinking cocktail at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market. Now, with STL Barkeep’s new permanent space, The Vandy, Gioia is able to showcase an even wider range, unbridled from the limitations of a mobile bar. That means more ingredients, space, and tools to unleash his considerable cocktail creativity.
CHEF/BARTENDER
Hya van der Pennen
The pandemic whopped many hospitality workers, but Planter’s House’s boxing bartender, Hya van der Pennen, punched back—with panache. She started Hya Made, a monthly food pickup to share home-cooked Korean foods. She’d already earned cred with drink introductions at Planter’s House that riffed on Korean flavors, such as Where the Hell’s the Whiskey? (“People in Korea often drink a sweet potato latte,” she says, which inspired a similar cocktail concoction.) To experience Hya Made food, follow her on Instagram, where she posts monthly menus. Place orders by noon on Sunday to pick up the food on Monday evenings at Planter’s House. You’ll even find a Hya-made surprise inside. “I picked up a $5 origami book at Aldi’s and taught myself to fold,” she says. “I put a piece of origami in with each order to give everyone a little something extra.”
SERVER
Daisy Hudspeth
Daisy Hudspeth, who worked at the erstwhile Café Natasha, is now at another top establishment, Wright’s Tavern. Poise, confidence, grace, ability to read the table—all are evident. “She’s able to be with the guest in that moment,” Wright’s Tavern owner Matt McGuire says. “She’s a star.” (Coincidentally, her brother, Haley Riley, is the chef/pitmaster/co-owner at Salt + Smoke.) Hudspeth is focused, listens to guests, and can pick up on what isn’t being said. Natasha Bahrami (the namesake of Café Natasha) says, “Daisy leans in, she listens, observes, and asks questions in order to optimize the guest experience.” McGuire puts it another way: “People with a tremendous amount of empathy make great servers. Daisy checks that box, too.” Bahrami adds, “Sometimes, I have to tell a server to take special care of such and such table. With Daisy, that happens automatically.”
BEST NEW SOCCER BAR
The Pitch Athletic Club & Tavern
Situated catty-corner from CITYPARK, The Pitch is perpetually packed on match days. When it opened, LHM’s Steve O’Loughlin described the scene as “Las Vegas sports bar vibe, with high design and high energy, while at the same time being comfortable and nostalgic.” With the memorable atmosphere and menu, it does just that.
BEST REINVENTION
Nobu’s
After moving the longtime Japanese restaurant from Olivette to the Delmar Loop, skilled sushi chef Noboru Kidera soldiers on in an 18-seat contemporary space. He’s assisted by his son, George, and wife, Taeko. No surprise that the omakase experience is one of the toughest reservations in town.
BEST REBOOT
Humphrey’s Restaurant & Tavern
Saint Louis University students past and present rejoiced when the Midtown staple reopened last November, five years after temporarily closing its doors. The renovated restaurant pays homage to its history, with a similar layout, some favorite dishes, and, yes, penny pitchers and birthday plunger shots on occasion. 3700 Laclede.
LIVE MUSIC-MEETS-MICROWINERY
City Winery
When City Winery founder Michael Dorf decided to expand City Winery to a midsize city, he returned to the place where he attended college and found an ideal space at burgeoning City Foundry STL. Dorf, who also founded the Knitting Factory in New York and has produced tribute concerts to a host of music legends, has created a space that somehow manages to house live music, a winery, and a restaurant under one roof. We’ll toast to that.
BEST ADDITION
Bonito Bar
Cradled between Frida’s and Diego’s Cantina, the small but stunning Bonito Bar was inspired by the pet parrot of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the restaurants’ namesakes. The focal point is a 14-foot vaulted ceiling finished in gold leaf, from which hang clear glass birds and one brightly colored one: Bonito.
NEW WINE BARS
While St. Louis will always be a beer town, the metro area’s suddenly overflowing with wine bars as well. Consider Winnie’s Wine Bar, the latest concept from Paul and Wendy Hamilton. Sharing a building with Hamilton’s Urban Steakhouse & Bourbon Bar in Lafayette Square, the concept’s all about flight, from the retro aviation theme to the drink menu’s wine flights. Farther south, on Cherokee Street, ’ssippi specializes in natural wines and offers a wine club, rotating by-the-glass options, and bottles. Likewise, in Webster Groves, Clover wine bar offers a selection of natural wines on Thursday through Saturday nights. In the Central West End, Black Mountain Wine House provides an ideal spot to grab a drink before shows at the Gaslight Theater. Farther west, at The Wine Café on historic Main Street in St. Charles, Tiara and Terrence Curry offer a curated list of wines, along with charcuterie boards, sandwiches, and more. And in the Metro East, at Grüv Bistro & Wine Bar in Belleville, drinks are poured once again in the space that previously housed The Wine Tap.
BEST FOLLOW-UP RESTAURANT
Sado
After multiple James Beard Award semifinalist nods for indo, chef Nick Bognar has brought avant-garde techniques (dry-aging fish and cooking over super-hot Japanese charcoal) to Sado on The Hill. The menu includes both expensive, hard-to-source items and more affordable basics (crab rangoon, shrimp tempura, California rolls), so everyone feels welcome.
BEST JAPANESE BENTO OUTLET
Katsuya
Rarely is a Japanese specialty captured so accurately—and deliciously—as at a cool little place where breaded cutlets and pickled vegetables are served bento-style, with rice and a daube of virulent mustard to spice things up.
BEST IDEA
Rosé by Peno’s Amuse Bouche
At Pepe Kehm’s latest restaurant every guest is welcomed with a mini-course: hot and cold soup, tapenade and crisps, avocado with hearts of palm, Roquefort pâté, goat cheese on puff pastry… It’s a nod to hospitality and a civilized way to spark the palate for outstanding coastal French and Italian cuisine.
BEST SPIN ON PIZZA
Press
After working at the prestigious Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Logan Ely came to St. Louis and quickly earned a reputation for his clever, creative dishes at Square 1 Project, Shift, and The Lucky Accomplice. So naturally, when he decided to put his own spin on pizza, he came up with something unexpected: 10-inch pressed pies that are somewhere between pizza and calzone, made with local ingredients. Enjoy a stuffed pizza with a craft cocktail in the 32-seat space in Fox Park.
HIDDEN GEMS
Find a seat at La Tiendita tortillaria at lunchtime, and you’ll soon see why it’s so popular with those who know Mexican fare. Fresh tortillas roll off a machine, and puffy gorditas are stuffed with meats or hominy-thick pozole served hot. Enjoy a taste of Little Kingston in St. Peters on Friday nights at Main Street Diner, which transforms into an outpost of Jamaican favorites, complete with aromatic jerk, oxtail stew, pigeon peas, and rice. At Maaji’s Street Kitchen, tucked inside a strip mall in St. Ann, to-go dishes—masalas, curries, and samosas—are served from a tiny counter. (Tip: Warm paranthas can “burrito-fy” meals that make for delightful picnics.) And “filling up” takes on a new, unexpected meaning at Olivette Station in Olivette. Along with gas, you can purchase freshly broasted chicken, along with waffles, or enjoy a meal of Punjabi classics: chickpea curry, chicken tikka, and samosas.
BEST CRAB CAKE
Wright’s Tavern
Getting your full Abe Froman on at this swank-tabulous place demands you commence dinner with the most extravagant crab cakes this side of Baltimore. These CD-size bad boys have just enough breading to keep the crab from crawling off. They have a golden crust, an aroma like the sea, and an intense crabbiness. Spectacular.
BASQUE CHEESECAKE
Bar Moro
From that glorious caramelized crust to that last creamy spoonful, this San Sebastian specialty redefines “cheesecake.” Imagine a firm custard hidden under a crackly skin of roasted sugar. At this new, beautiful exemplar of Iberian cuisine, the dish is a classic way to finish dinner in a Spanish mode.
BEST PLACE TO SPOIL YOURSELF
La Patisserie Chouquette
After just two bites of the delicacies that accompany afternoon tea, you’ll understand why this Botanical Heights shop recently earned a James Beard Award nomination for Outstanding Bakery. Reservations go fast, even at $50 per person. A second-best option: Pre-order a tea to go. You’ll miss the exceptional service but still savor the scones, cakes, tartlets, and more.
BEST USE OF PLANTAINS
Maize & Wheat’s Canoa de Maduro
Plantains are often served as a side on Latin American menus, either smashed and fried while still green (savory tostones) or ripened and caramelized (sweet maduros). These “canoes” are the best of both versions: ripe plantains cooked whole and stuffed with shredded beef, chicken, or Colombian bocadillo (seasoned ground meat), all topped with melted cheese.
BEST VEGAN TACOS
Terror Tacos
The taco names—Double Diablo, Carnage Asada, Cowboy from Hell, Deathwish—sum up the horror-metal vibe at this South Grand vegan Mexican eatery and bar. But what keeps people lining up is the execution (pun intended) of the proteins, including house-made seasoned seitan and tofu grilled with cilantro and lime. (Pro tip: Terrorize any taco by wrapping it in a corn shell with extra-spicy sauce.)
