Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Element
With kitchen views that rival the St. Louis skyline outside its windows, Element is a can’t-miss spot for potent cocktails and soulful riffs on New American cuisine. elementstl.com. —Andrew Mark Veety
Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge
From its brown-bag beginnings, Frazer’s continues to comfort and amaze with inventive food and house-made desserts. What’s new? Craft cocktails. That’s comforting, indeed. frazergoodeats.com. —Pat Eby
Milagro Modern Mexican
Adam and Jason Tilford’s take on south-of-the-border fare at Milagro continues its reign as the most up-scale Mexican restaurant in town. milagromodernmexican.com. —Bill Burge
Ya Ya’s Euro Bistro
However you spell it, Ya Ya’s is among the largest single-restaurant purchasers of local meat and produce in the area—and it has great chops in the kitchen. yayasstl.com. —Joe Bonwich
Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine
Fine dining + sushi chef making dinner on the other side of the counter = the beauty of Veritas. veritasgateway.com. —Dave Lowry
Mad Tomato
Visit Mad Tomato once, and table-hopping owner Vito Racanelli Jr. becomes your friend. Try his brother Sam’s chewy wood-fired pizza and the inventive toasted ravioli du jour. madtomatostl.com. —Byron Kerman
Three Flags Tavern
Not many places successfully combine an everyman menu, reasonable prices, and unselfish quality. Those that do, like Three Flags Tavern, should be go-to spots. threeflagstavern.com. —George Mahe
Stellina
It endures as one of the best places in town for pasta, thanks to chef-owner Jamie Tochtrop and his staff. A recent lunch of pesto tagliatelle still has me daydreaming about my next visit. stellinapasta.com. —Jenny Agnew
