Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Ask George: Which St. Louis restaurant serves the best French Onion soup? —Veronica T., St. Louis
A soup question…in the middle of summer? Have you been outside today? It’s soup weather in St. Louis, if only for a few days. Should you find yourself on a restaurant patio this evening, the thought might cross your mind.
French onion soup is a favorite in St. Louis, at least partly due to the (ongoing) popularity of the version served in McCoy Pottery one-handled crocks at Famous-Barr for so many years. The soup isn't difficult to make, but it takes time, as the onions must cook low and slow to caramelize properly. A few years ago, SLM discussed the soup with Brendon Benack, executive chef at Truffles in Ladue. He detailed what made his version so decadent (a four-day process, house-made veal stock…). Even though it’s no longer served with mini grilled Gruyère cheese sandwiches, it remains one of our favorites to this day.
In no particular order, here are several other worthy examples of the classic:
Panorama: Since chef Ivy Magruder's tenure at Vin de Set, his soups have been stellar: chowders, bisques, bouillabaisse, cioppino, and yes, onion soup. Be advised that Panorama is open for lunch only, Tuesday through Friday, as well as brunch on weekends.
La Bonne Bouchée: The cups are served in dainty French ramekins and the bowls in handled crocks, with Gruyere cheese spilling over the edges.
Herbie's: Exec chef John O' Brien (formerly of Three Flags Tavern) says Herbies' onion soup program has 40-year-old roots ("born in the Balaban's days"), but it's basically a simple combination of beef stock, deeply caramelized yellow onions, red wine, and a little thyme.
Brasserie: Devotees claim Brasserie serves the best version in town, thick and loaded with onions. Thankfully, the white crock is always full to the brim.
Café Provencal: As we noted earlier, for nearly 40 years, chef-owner John Schreiner has served the same classic onion soup recipe: caramelized yellow onions, rich beef stock, a slice of toasted baguette, and a generous capper of melted Gruyère. Prying the crusty bits of cheese from the side of the stoneware crock is a ritual that we call “dessert.”
Many restaurants in St. Louis serve French onion soup, with many (such as Alumni St. Louis and Circa STL) emulating Famous-Barr’s famous version. Note your favorites in the comments section below.
Follow George on Twitter @stlmag_dining or send him an email at gmahe@stlmag.com. For more from St. Louis Magazine, subscribe or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
