A-List Awards 2014 | Food

New Burgers on the Block

The Dam, Stacked Burger Bar, and The Tattooed Dog 

The basics are always appreciated, but so is a wild burger that’s assembled by a fearless chef. Some of the most attention-getting burgers in town can be found at The Dam, where a recent special, The Wehrenburger, paid tribute to cinema snacks, with a topping of cheese sauce, jalapeños, popcorn, and tempura-fried Twizzlers on a pretzel bun. At Stacked Burger Bar, the Easter burger celebrated spring with a deviled-egg spread, glazed ham, and shaved Brussels sprouts atop ground chuck. And at The Tattooed Dog, the Perzola is crowned with poached pears, white American cheese, Gorgonzola cream, and spring greens. The Dam, 3173 Morgan Ford, 314-771-3173, thedamstl.com; Stacked Burger Bar, 7637 Ivory, 314-544-4900, stackedstl.com; The Tattooed Dog, 403 Luetkenhaus, Wentzville, 636-887-2178.

Appetizer

Cucina Pazzo

When Duff’s closed, you mourned. When the space was reborn as Cucina Pazzo, you reluctantly went, feeling like you were betraying an old love. Then you ordered the meatballs al forno: golf balls of meaty delectability with a fine, roasted crust, swaddled in polenta, then topped with melted fontina cheese and basil leaves. It wasn’t just an appetizer—it was a delicious cure for guilt. 392 N. Euclid, 314-696-8400, cucinapazzostl.com.

Fried Chicken

Juniper

Fried fowl is a matter of Serious Debate. Connoisseurs pontificate about the best, and St. Louis has its share of contenders. The current champ? Juniper. The chicken’s salty, greaseless, golden crust is ethereally light, holding moist, exquisitely flavorful meat. Hints of garlic, pepper, and other seasonings play backup on your palate. It’s chicken to haunt the Colonel’s dreams. 360 N. Boyle, 314-329-7696, junipereats.com.

Neighborhood Market

Shapiro’s Market

It’s not just an old-style neighborhood store. The sandwich counter in the back, where the real action is, will make whatever you want. Granny could be making these sandwiches, they’re so generous and made with such pride. Trimmings like lettuce and tomato are sparklingly fresh, and even a gyro with packaged meat is delicious. There’s also barbecue, as well as unlisted specials that are too varied to predict. 111 N. Newstead, 314-531-5704.

Ramen

Hiro Asian Kitchen

The ramen trend may be slow to gain a foothold here, but when it does, remember that downtown’s Hiro Asian Kitchen quietly—and deliciously—set the bar. Toothsome wheat noodles and egg noodles are a Hiro trademark, while broths and toppings skillfully weave together the flavors and textures of China, Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand. 1405 Washington, 314-241-4476, hiroasiankitchen.com.

Chicken Wings

Three Kings Public House

Wings are the LEGOs of snack foods: The creative can manipulate them almost endlessly to fabricate the unusual, spectacular, and memorable. At Three Kings, the wings have achieved legendary status. Smoked, breaded, and fried, they’re giant and meaty, with such dramatic flavor, you don’t even need the dipping sauces. A whole order feeds two. And those celery sticks make it a balanced meal. 6307 Delmar, 314-721-3355, three

kingspub.com.

Restaurant Relocation

Stone Soup Cottage

The logistics of packing and moving a restaurant are complicated enough to make it a rare event, but relocations can pay dividends when done well. One such move is Stone Soup Cottage’s migration from a small farmhouse to an intimate space overlooking the farm where many of its ingredients are sourced. What didn’t change? The dishes and hospitality that made Stone Soup Cottage our pick for Restaurant of the Year in 2010. 5809 Highway N, Cottleville, 636-244-2233, stonesoupcottage.com.

Destination Dinner

Bar Les Frères

For personal fests big or small, we head to the salon at Bar Les Frères. The chartreuse walls, low lighting, and thick-legged wooden tables are all calme et volupté. Are you there for an anniversary? An old-fashioned proposal? Or—dare we say—courtship? Oh, wait. No one does that anymore. Have a little more of the airy Gruyère soufflé and another champagne cocktail, my dear. 7637 Wydown, 314-725-8880, barlesfreres.com.

Restaurant With a CSA

The Libertine

Community-supported agriculture is an idea that’s gone mainstream, and we’re smitten with the savvy way that The Libertine has linked chef Josh Galliano’s expansive network of farmers and purveyors with customers. Members quickly bought out the inaugural spring and summer seasons. Buy in and you will receive nine weeks of veggies, meats, dairy, and bread, as well as an arsenal of pickles, relishes, and adornments from Galliano’s kitchen to enjoy in yours. 7927 Forsyth, 314-862-2999, libertinestl.com.

Taco Six-Pack

Mission Taco Joint

Eating out comes with the job, but ask us where we like to eat when we’re off the clock, and the answer is easy: Adam and Jason Tilford’s wildly successful Mission Taco Joint. Our order? Cold beer, fresh guacamole, and hand-pressed corn tortillas overflowing with slowly simmered and fire-grilled meats, crisp vegetables, and fiery sauces. Tacos are served family-style, in dandy little carriers. 6235 Delmar, 314-932-5430, missiontacostl.com.

Noodle Shop

Corner 17

Noodles are a staple world-round, but lovers of the dish reserve a special place in their hearts for lamian, hand-pulled noodles made in shops and food stalls in China for centuries. Grab a seat in view of Corner 17’s kitchen, where fresh dough is pounded, stretched, and twisted until long strands are formed. 6623 Delmar, 314-727-2402.

Unconventional ’Cue

Vernon’s BBQ & Catering

Bucking the trends that keep other barbecue joints smokin’, Vernon’s has carved its own niche. The house sauces include the Thai-B-Q and the sweet-and-fruity Peachy Keen. Off-menu specials include smoked Dutch cocoa-espresso bacon, a smoked bologna sandwich, and a barbecue slinger. For Sunday brunch, there are four-egg omelets bursting with smoked meats. Then there’s the name tag on every employee’s uniform, reading (naturally) “Vernon.” 6707 Vernon, 314-726-1227, http://vernonsbbq.com.

Frozen-Dessert Addition

Jilly’s Ice Cream Bar

When Jilly’s cupcakes become deluxe ice creams, the transformation loses nothing in the process. The Space Monkey flavor, for instance, is chocolate-banana ice cream with banana-toffee cake morsels, toffee bits, and caramel and cream-cheese icing swirled in. Now that Jilly’s Ice Cream Bar is open beside Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Café, we feel compelled to grab dessert at the former right after leaving the latter. 8509 Delmar, 314-993-5455.

Tri-Tip

Adam’s Smokehouse

Just as its sister restaurant Bogart’s Smokehouse introduced us to pastrami made from a cut called the culotte, Adam’s Smokehouse takes tri-tip (the triangular cut from the bottom of the sirloin) and slices it into thin ribbons. The result is juicy enough to eat on its own, but we usually favor whatever “experimental” sauce is on the bill that day. (Cranberry cayenne was up recently.) 2819 Watson, 314-875-9890, adamssmokehouse.com.

Donuts With Style

Strange Donuts 

On paper, they shouldn’t work: donuts flavored like pizza or even (gulp) Vietnamese pho. But if you visit Maplewood’s Strange Donuts on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday nights, you can try the Stranger, a new flavor each week. When a donut like the Finding Nori, made with seaweed and caramel glaze, actually tastes great, the sense of wonder is the best part of the reward. 2709 Sutton, 314-932-5851, strangedonuts.com.

Patio–St. Louis County

Billy G’s–Kirkwood

The outdoor area at Billy G’sis less a patio than it is a second restaurant lacking walls. It sports a full bar, a gazebo shaded line of booths, conversation pits with heaters, and a big-screen TV that is visible from almost anywhere on the deck. Is it any wonder that despite all of the space, there’s almost always a wait? 131 W. Argonne, 314-984-8000, billygskirkwood.com.

Patio–St. Louis City

Element

Each of Element’s patios offers guests a memorable experience, but one corner of the lower patio is where a spectacular view of the city’s skyline comes into focus at night. It’s close enough to see the fireworks at Busch Stadium, but far enough away for a picture-perfect panorama. 1419 Carroll, 314-241-1674, elementstl.com.

Service Trend

Electronic Ordering

Screens have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, so it comes as no surprise to find them at some of St. Louis’ favorite eateries. Whether a server is taking orders at Rock Hill’s Mi Linh or a customer’s perusing wines at Cafe Napoli, these intuitive applications link the front of the house to the back, (hopefully) making the whole dining process go a bit more smoothly.

New Menu Category

Katie’s Pizza & Pasta

What’s a simpler pleasure than fresh mozzarella? Why, burrata, whose rich, cream-filled center makes it the Twinkie of mozzarella. At Katie’s Pizza & Pasta, Katie Lee and her supporting cast devoted an entire menu heading to burrata, using the pure-white globes as a backdrop for halved figs and shaved prosciutto, roasted beets, and other plated still lifes. 9568 Manchester, 314-942-6555, katiespizzaandpasta.com.

Husband-and-Wife Chef Team

Wil and Lisa Fernandez-Cruz

With top-notch chefs Ben Poremba and Cary McDowell previously occupying the perch, the new chef at Winslow’s Home has some precedent to live up to. Luckily, Wil Fernandez-Cruz has not only the skills, but also an excellent pastry chef—who happens to be his wife, Lisa. 7213 Delmar, 314-725-7559, winslowshome.com.

Sandwich Special

Salume Beddu

Aficionados of foods piled between bread are apt to note that every day is sandwich day

at Salume Beddu. Speck paired with preserved lemons and Gruyère has become something of a St. Louis treasure. Every Saturday, weekly specials often top what seemed untoppable the week before. Among the recent specials: fiama sausage with braised rapini, hot cherry peppers, and provolone—and one with pork-belly confit, arugula, poached egg, and harissa. 3467 Hampton, 314-353-3100, salumebeddu.com.

Jury-Duty Lunch

The Docket

The Docket opened last year near City Hall on the first floor of Saint Louis University’s new School of Law. Each day at the Chef’s Table, for just $9.95, you can enjoy a quasi lunch buffet, where entrées like pork loin or fried chicken are served with salad and sides. 100 N. Tucker, 314-977-4615. 

Seasonal Brunch

Home Wine Kitchen

Though a number of local restaurants change their menus often, few chefs commit to it as ardently as Home Wine Kitchen chef Cassy Vires. Her philosophy extends to the brunch menu, too, where mildly kicked-up takes on brunch staples like pancakes and French toast are served beside Vires’ own creations, such as a weekly frittata of impeccably sourced local meats and produce. 7322 Manchester, 314-802-7676, homewinekitchen.com.

New Vegetarian Restaurant

Tree House

As meat substitutes continue to advance, vegetarian fare has become accessible—so much so that you can take card-carrying carnivores to most joints, and they won’t miss the meat. South Grand’s Tree House elevates vegetarian cuisine, with flavorful dishes that are less about substitution than originality, with a creative cocktail list to boot. The proof is in the hummus: The coral-colored, spicy appetizer will render hot wings a distant memory. 3177 S. Grand, 314-696-2100, treehousestl.com.

Comfort Food With Style

Jax Café

The juxtaposition of white tablecloths and PEZ dispensers displayed in wall cabinets (Looney Tunes next to Star Wars, Santa next to the Easter Bunny) may lead some to scratch their heads. But the seemingly odd combinations perfectly illustrate the Benton Park spot’s food: casual comfort meets style and substance, courtesy of chef Brian Hale. Just don’t order the Daffy Duck (a tasty duck, truffle oil, mushroom, and arugula panini) while facing the cabinets—the orange-billed PEZ dispenser will be watching. 2901 Salena, 314-449-1995, jax-cafe.com.

Local Restaurant Name

Three Flags Tavern

Only a well-crafted restaurant name encompasses both place and culinary theme. Three Flags Tavern does just that. On the same March weekend in 1804, the flags of Spain, France, and the U.S. were raised in St. Louis in a three-way land swap that later became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Appropriately, the restaurant’s cuisine has Spanish, French, and American influences. 4940 Southwest, 314-669-9222, threeflagstavern.com.

Special-Occasion Dining

Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

Dining alfresco on the terrace at Cielo is a treat, but for a really special occasion, the Four

Seasons has other options as well. Reserve a special table by the fireplace off the main lobby. Or enjoy a cocktail affair in the Gaja Wine Room. Or dineat the chef’s table in the kitchen, where chef Gian Nicola Colucci prepares delectable dishes mere feet away. And for the royal treatment, invite guests to dinner in the four-star hotel’s penthouse Presidential Suite, where room service literally reaches new heights. 999 N. Second, 314-881-2105, cielostlouis.com.

Spiedini

Vito’s in the Valley

At Vito’s in the Valley (that is, Chesterfield Valley), a half-breast of chicken is pounded thin, then liberally stuffed with spinach, mushrooms, pine nuts, shallots, pancetta, and a touch of mozzarella before being rolled up and sautéed. Chef Gianfranco Munna calls it simply “spiedini.” The menu refers to it as pollo alla fiorentina. You’ll just proclaim it wonderful. 138 Chesterfield Towne Centre, 636-536-3788, vitosinthevalley.com.

Summertime Meal

Tripel Brasserie

Mussels are prepared half a dozen ways at Tripel, though you’ve never considered any but one: the classic, à la marinière. Steamed, the shells clicking in the bowl are like music—music perfumed with white wine, shallots, and butter. The plump, nearly sweet meats are juicy and hot, tasting like a sea breeze. Meals don’t get much better. 1801 Park, 314-678-7787, tripelstl.com.

Editor's Note: After just over a year in business, Tripel closed its doors June 14.

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STL Snack Pack

Chocolate-Dipped Billy Goat Chips

Billy Goat’s spice-smacked Kicker chips are dipped in Kakao dark chocolate—a combo only available at Kakao. The Billy Goat Chip Company, 3136 Watson, 314-353-4628, billy

goatstl.com; Kakao Chocolate, multiple locations, 314-771-2310, kakaochocolate.com.

The Caramel House

St. Louis–made caramels are now available in 14 flavors—including “Beer & Pretzel”—and they don’t stick to your teeth. 9639 Olive, 314-707-5777, thecaramelhouse.com.

Grandma’s Nuts

The name makes you chuckle. Marcia Schechter’s mix of nuts, dried fruits, and semisweet chocolate bits makes you want more. 314-378-5301, grandmas-nuts.com.

POPtions

Of the 30-plus flavors at POPtions!, the only one we wouldn’t select would be “Natural!” (We make it at home.) The Village at Schneithorst’s, 1580 S. Lindbergh, 314-997-0448, poptionspopcorn.com.

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Dining Dream Team

The finest on the food scene. These five restaurant aficionados make dining out an especially special occasion.

Nathaniel Reid

The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis

Pastry Chef

St. Louis has several nationally acclaimed chefs, but only Reid has reached international status. After being named among Dessert Professional Magazine’s “Top 10 Pastry Chefs in America,” as well as U.S. Pastry Chef of the Year (at Paris Gourmet’s prestigious U.S. Pastry Competition), the Farmington native and executive pastry chef of the Ritz Carlton recently appeared with 37 other pastry chefs from around the world in a coffee table–size cookbook called The New Pâtissiers. Reid could’ve settled in Paris, Dubai, or pastry hotbed Tokyo, but the 34-year-old wunderkind chose St. Louis as the place to settle down. “That was the easy part,” he says. “It’s finding a house here that’s difficult.” 100 Carondelet Plaza, 314-863-6300, ritzcarlton.com/en/properties/stlouis.

Steve Gontram

Five Star Burgers 

Owner

Does it matter that prior to launching Five Star Burgers, Gontram was the executive chef and owner of Harvest, one of the most successful restaurants in the city? Or that he was omnipresent at the restaurant during the 15 years he owned it? We think so. Plus, any chef who can transition from fine dining to gourmet burgers must be lauded for his wisdom, timing, and rare lack of ego. Still, only the savvy ones succeed. In late 2013, Gontram opened St. Louis’ second Five Star in Kirkwood, and he’s currently in hot pursuit of location No. 3. Multiple locations, 314-720-4350, 5starburgersstl.com.

Denise Mueller

Robust Wine Bar 

Bar manager–Sommelier

In the old days, a bar manager was deemed a success if he could mix a respectable Manhattan and keep the bar stocked with the 80-proof essentials. Today, the bar game’s gender-neutral, and few stars shine as brightly as Mueller, who runs the entire beverage program at Robust’s three locations. She bartends and manages, and she’s a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine, co-founding the Mid-American School of Wine. Oh, and lest we forget, Mueller also makes a mean Manhattan. Multiple locations, 314-963-0033, robustwinebar.com.

Marc Del Pietro

The Block

Chef-Owner

As far as we’re concerned, Del Pietro occupies a high perch, as he’s one of few chefs capable of producing the diner’s dream of high-quality entrées priced in the teens. So when we’re asked to recommend a restaurant “that’s good…and cheap,” at the top of our short list is Del Pietro’s The Block, where the secrets are a scratch kitchen and all butchering done in-house by him and his chef/partner/brother-in-law, Brian Doherty. Apparently, the good news is spreading: FlipKey,

a travel website owned by TripAdvisor, recently named The Block to its “Top Restaurants Worth Traveling For” list—its only recommendation in the state of Missouri. Multiple locations, 314-918-7900, theblockrestaurant.com.

Mike Garza

Three Flags Tavern

Server

It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, you look at your dining companion and nod, as if to say, “Ah, finally, someone who’s polished.” Mike Garza’s a member of this select group. It’s impossible to evoke such a reaction without considerable, well-honed customer skills, but more important is a confidence not rooted in arrogance or feigned knowledge. While we love the food at Three Flags Tavern, we return to see how seamless table service can be. Diners become repeat customers because of guys like Garza (and no, it has nothing to do with his resemblance to actor Alan Cumming). 4940 Southwest, 314-669-9222, threeflagstavern.com.

Editor's Note: Garza has since gone on to become a certified specialist of wine (CSW).

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Eat Street

Euclid Avenue

In less than a year, six eating-and-drinking establishments have opened along a ¾-mile stretch in theCentral West End (with another, BBQ Saloon, in the works), making us wish we owned a parking lot nearby.

Gringo

Not long after the arrival of renowned chef Cary McDowell, Gringo went from a slow simmer to ghost-pepper hot. Innovations include the Chinga Linga (a veggie taco with a nonsensical name), Mexican-spiced fried chicken, and the 16-hour brisket taco. ¡Uno más! 398 N. Euclid, 314-449-1212, gringo-stl.com.

Cucina Pazzo

The demise of Duff’s was mourned, but oh, what a successor. Now that partner and chef Justin Haifley has added five tasting boards (combination plates of the sort that put sister restaurant The Tavern Kitchen & Bar on the map), we plan to be occupato for some time. 392 N. Euclid, 314-696-8400, cucinapazzostl.com.

Gamlin Whiskey House

Pair the city’s largest whiskey selection (325 varieties and counting) with one of the area’s major chefs (Ivy Magruder) on one of the most hoppin’ corners in the CWE. The results are a dizzying must-see. Potpies are big, and sides number a dozen. 236 N. Euclid, 314-875-9500, gamlinwhiskeyhouse.com.

Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House

We can’t help tipping our straw hat to Evangeline’s Sunday Swing Jazz Brunch and Dr. Bob’s “Be Nice or Leave” Bloody Mary Bar ($10 per, or go bottomless for $30). 512 N. Euclid, 314-367-3644, evangelinesstl.com.

International Tap House

We could say that iTAP’s biggest draw is its 500 beers, but it’s also the blackboard that announces new arrivals faster than the signs at Lambert–St. Louis International Airport.16 S. Euclid, 314-367-4827, internationaltaphouse.com/cwe.

Central Table Food Hall

This 10,000-square-foot food emporium has shown it’s all things to all people, with five separate cooking areas cranking out a kitchen-sink array of thoughtfully presented dishes. 23 S. Euclid, 314-932-5595, centraltablestl.com.