We totally dug—and dug into—the pissaladiere at this cozy little joint in Lafayette Square, which proudly flies Blackbeard’s flag at the bar, just to let you know you’re not dealing with any old restaurant. A Marseille-style pissaladiere specialty that’s the love child of a tian Provencal and a pizza (and which is just awfully fun to say) has a has a crust flakier than the Flat Earth Society, along with roasted vegetables and herbs, glistening with olive oil. But perhaps what’s most memorable about Rose is that mad scientist–style, 24-bottle wine cooler gizmo that dispenses roses and other wines from a wall-size nest of tubes and vials and will reputedly be put to use in DNA experiments to bring back the wooly mammoth.
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Before we visited this new, Spanish-inspired restaurant/museum, we had never considered life-size plastic penguins to be an important element of the dining experience. Now, however, whenever we visit a restaurant, we’re like, “Good meal, but, hey, where are the penguins?”
There are crab cakes, and then there are the hubcap-size behemoths at this fine Clayton boite, which packs ’em in every night because the food is remarkable and the atmosphere warm and lively. A lot of blue crabs gave their all for these cakes—there’s just enough breading to keep the meat moist and together. The remoulade puddle is just the right, rich touch. Technically, it’s a “starter,” but it’s definitely the definitive crustacean croquette in town.
By the time you read this, Sado will probably have been named “Best Restaurant in The Known Universe.” Accolades keep piling up. Nick Bognar, the chef and owner, is reportedly being considered for beatification by the Vatican. All of the attention’s deserved. The kitchen is endlessly inventive and wild, with delectable riffs on everything from fried rice to bulgogi-marinated daikon radish. It’s a taste and texture extravaganza. But you should really try a meal that consists of nothing more than the nigirizushi. This is where all the flash and sizzle doesn’t go, where sushi as magnificently simple art emerges. Fatty salmon belly, briny sharp mackerel, clean, and lean flounder are prepared with techniques rarely seen outside a high-quality sushi-ya in Japan. Sado does real sushi better than any other place in the Midwest.
We gave it a careful examination and even asked the staff, and it still keeps us awake at night. Casa de Tres Reyes is putting out some seriously good Mexican fare, and the interior’s casa cool. But a mural of a split Dia de Muertos–style skull bracketing a kind of Neptune guy with, on both sides, inward-facing Elvises is simultaneously intriguing and disturbing.
What can you say about a restaurant that has a framed portrait of Elvis (again with the Elvis) on black velvet? It’s a swanky trip back to the early ’60s, complete with everything tiki and… Is that Steve and Eydie sitting over there? Campy? Maybe. But that dish with gnocchi-like blobs of tapioca and potato, with a meaty snarl of garlic-tinged chicken-of-the-woods mushroom duxelles, is among the most incredible joys of dining this year.
One of the most popular words of 2023 seems to be “authentic.” While we admittedly use the word a lot when writing about food, we use it in an approbatory way, and we use it a lot while describing Katsuya in the Loop. Granted, it’s a bit misleading because the fried cutlet dishes, made with pork and chicken, are actually better than a lot of katsu shops in Japan. The combination of perfect, crusty cutlets and an array of sides, from kimchi to Korean potato salad, makes for some amazing bento-style dining. It’s absolutely one of the best things to recently happen on the St. Louis dining scene.
Deli Additions
If you’re thinking of moving to Maryland Heights or working nearby, then consider this: Jovick Bros. Deli (318 Westport Plaza) at Westport Plaza and the newest location of Gioia’s Deli (11855 Adie) are literally within walking distance of one another. You can actually put away a Reuben marbled rye loaded with pastrami, kraut, Swiss, and 1000 Island dressing at Jovick’s, and then take a calorie-decimating stroll before working up an appetite for Gioia’s hot roast beef on garlic bread. You’re thinking of calling your real estate agent right now, aren’t you? And in the city, there’s Deli Divine (5501 Delmar), where the potato salad gave us just one more reason to appreciate St. Louis’ ever-evolving dining scene.
