Crispy octopus with white beans and chorizo at Niche; pork-and-chihuahua-cheese empanadas at West End Grill & Pub; pan-roasted rainbow trout at Harvest; tacos with chicken cooked in Schlafly Summer Lager at Bridge; seared duck breast with dijon cream over wild-mushroom mac & cheese at SqWires; the jumbo egg raviolo at Acero; cassoulet at Franco; the Chopped Italian salad at Onesto; pancakes and coffee at City Diner; Papas Rellenas (fried potato balls stuffed with cheese and picadillo) at Sanctuaria; white-anchovy, spinach, and pine-nut flatbread at Modesto; the Twenty Dollar Burger with prosciutto, fried egg, and foie gras butter at Eclipse; and the Three Coins in the Fountain signature sundae at the Fountain on Locust.
So now are you ready to check out Dining Out for Life? These tantalizing dishes and thousands more await, at about 140 restaurants all over the St. Louis area that have agreed to donate a portion of the till on Thursday, April 28, to the very worthy St. Louis Effort for AIDS. You’ll want to head here to see a complete list of all participating restaurants. (You can even make reservations at the site.)
New this year: a number of restaurants in the St. Charles area have joined up. Old this year: Number One on the field and in our hearts, former St. Louis Cardinal shortstop Ozzie Smith is once again the event’s honorary chair.
Dining Out for Life happens in more than 50 cities around the U.S. simultaneously, but in its 18th year of participation, St. Louis has DOFL’ed more times than any other city save Philadelphia, where the idea was hatched.
Something else you might not know: “I think a lot of people don’t realize that Dining Out for Life started out in the homes of people dying of AIDS,” explained Jenna Schoenborn, Marketing and Events Manager for St. Louis Effort for AIDS. “People used to pass around the basket in private homes, and it used to be called ‘Dinner With Friends.’” Since that modest beginning, Dining Out for Life has expanded tremendously, and raised $2.7 million for critical services for those affected by HIV/AIDS in the St. Louis area.
Something else you might not know, Part 2: Dogs can get in on the action. Buy gourmet treats for Fido next Thursday at Four Muddy Paws in Lafayette Square and Airedale Antics in Maplewood, and those canine canteens will make donations, too.
