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Lofty news indeed.
In a press release received this morning, it was announced that Balaban's Wine Cellar and Tapas Bar has earned its first Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence.
Since 1981, the Spectator has bestowed awards on restaurants around the world in three tiers: the Grand Award (75 establishments worldwide for 2012, none in St. Louis--or Missouri), the Best of Award of Excellence (878 worldwide, four in St. Louis), and the entry-level Award of Excellence (2842 worldwide, 13 in St. Louis). To see if your favorite restaurant (here or nationwide) measured up, click here. And to check out the complete list of 3795 award winners for 2012, pick up the August 31 issue of the Wine Spectator.
Balabans' owner Steve McIntyre is no stranger to such accolades, having won WS awards for 13 consecutive years at the former Cafe Balaban in the CWE. It is noteworthy, however, that Balaban's Wine Cellar and Tapas Bar earned an Award of Excellence last year (after just two years in operation in Chesterfield), then jumped to a Best of Award of Excellence this year.
Wine Spectator's criteria for a Best award is "a wine list of 400 or more selections, with significant vintage depth or superior breadth in one or more major wine regions." But as noted in the release, "Balaban’s surpassed the criteria with nearly 700 different labels and recognized strength in California and French wines."
The new Balaban's differentiates itself by being both restaurant and wine store, "St. Louis’ only restaurant doubling as a retail wine store where customers pay the same retail price for wine dining in or taking wines home," according to the release.
Another distinguishing characteristic is its list of "library wines"--curated bottles from Balaban's original cellar, some 25 years old—that are available at retail or online.
Balaban's joins the three other--and previous--St. Louis "Best" winners: Annie Gunn's, Gerard's, and Truffles. Cheers to all.
