Dining Guide: Benton Park

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In recent years, culinary tastemakers across the nation have started to realize something we’ve known for a while: St. Louis has a truly extraordinary food scene. Citing a slate of fresh new spots and up-and-coming talent, the food bloggers, celebrity chefs, and restaurant reviewers have coalesced around a narrative: That St. Louis has arrived, transitioning from flyover city to bona fide food destination. It’s an exciting development and one that is well-deserved. These new industry voices, filled with creativity and innovation, make right now a landmark moment to dine in the metro area. For ongoing coverage of St. Louis’ ever-evolving dining scene, sign up for SLM’s Dining Out newsletter and check out our dining podcast, Arch Eats. Cheers!

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A Spoonful of Sugar

IN A NUTSHELL: This delightful small-batch ice cream shop showcases the nostalgia of classic candy treats in ice cream form.
DISH: The brownie batter ice cream, swirled with hunks of freshly-baked brownies, is a must-try for chocolate lovers.
DRINK: Try your ice cream in drinkable form. Any of the dairy offerings can be made into a delicious shake.
INSIDER TIP: Your furry friends can get in on the fun, too, with both dog-friendly pup cups and treats. 2800 McNair, 314-328-1048.

Arzola’s Fajitas & Margaritas

IN A NUTSHELL: Patriarch Eddie Arzola describes the Benton Park restaurant as his family’s “extended dining room table.” After all, three generations of Arzolas have served Tex-Mex for 30 years. The latest rendition offers a comfy patio and expanded tequila menu.
DISH: Signature fajitas are marinated for 72 hours, and two kinds of salsa (smoky-sweet red and spicy roasted verde) accompany chile-dusted tortilla chips.
DRINK: Margaritas, of course! Try one from the “Creations” column on the menu, such as the smoky-and-spicy El Azteca or the Tamarindo.
INSIDER TIP: Download the Arzola’s app and join the Queso Club for such rewards as exclusive events, discounts, birthday gifts, and more. 2730 McNair, 314-226-9672.

Benton Park Café

IN A NUTSHELL: The charming, historic space has an easy elegance that enchants: credit the exposed brick walls, dark wide-planked floors, and oversized windows that let in a gorgeous light. Two large rooms, one with a bar, flow comfortably into one another with seating for 60, which includes 12 seats at the bar.
DISH: BPC is known for its great breakfasts, which are served all day, including egg-centric pizzas, burritos, and sandwiches.
DRINK: The restaurant’s daytime cafe vibe infuses its drinks list in the form of several coffee cocktails. Try the signature BPC Moka Vodka Latte, made with espresso vodka, caramel, chocolate and vanilla.
INSIDER TIP: There’s $300 and change—17 cents to be exact—in copper pennies glued to the bar in a dazzling pattern, covered with a clear smooth coating. 2901 Salena, 314-661-2368.

Blues City Deli

IN A NUTSHELL: This blues-loving joint is a destination for exceptional sandwiches, live music, and a vibrant atmosphere in the heart of Benton Park.
DISH: Save yourself a trip to NOLA. Blues City Deli uses Vitale’s Bakery bread for its amazing muffaletta, with a thick, spongy, focaccia-like bun that’s studded with seeds. It holds everything together, including that fragrant, glossy olive salad. Ham, mortadella, Genoa salami, and Provolone make for a splendid two-napkin, two-person meal.
DRINK: An old-fashioned soda is the perfect way to wash down one of the deli’s excellent sandwiches.
INSIDER TIP: On a nice day, the outdoor patio, which often hosts live music, is the place to be. 2438 McNair, 314-773-8225.

Bluewood Brewing

IN A NUTSHELL: Located in the historic Lemp stables, Bluewood Brewing boasts a taproom as magnificent as its popular artisan ales.
DISH: Bluewood’s crispy wings, tossed in any number of sauces, are the perfect snack food to enjoy while sipping a pint.
DRINK: Try the Bananas and Blow, a deliciously complex hefeweizen with notes of bananas, bubblegum and clove.
INSIDER TIP: Stop by on the first Wednesday of every month for Free Beer Bingo. It’s a raucous good time. 1821 Cherokee, 314-261-4079.

Café Piazza

IN A NUTSHELL: Vito La Fata’s pizzeria boasts a locally inspired ceiling mural and a 2-ton gas-fired pizza oven nicknamed Big Mama.
DISH: Mama produces frittatas and pizzettes for brunch and panini and artisan pies on hand-tossed dough, along with La Fata’s famed arancini and T-ravs.
DRINK: Forget Moscow; aperol gives this classic cocktail a distinctively Italian spin.
INSIDER TIP: Enjoy retro video games, pool, darts, and ping-pong next door at Benton Parkade, where customers can order from Café Piazza’s menu via a pass-through window.1900 Arsenal, 314-343-0294.

Egg

IN A NUTSHELL: This temple of morning food has a menu with a unique North African and Latin American focus.The imaginative offerings include several Benedicts, hashes, breakfast tacos, and shakshuka. There’s a full bar, too, if more than fresh orange and grapefruit juice is required.
DISH: Breakfast tacos here are not the sort found at drive-thrus, nor even Mexican restaurants in Texas. They’re large and moist enough to demand a knife and fork. Six-inch corn tortillas are stuffed with scrambled eggs and your choice of ingredients: carnitas, chroizo and queso, carne asada, or veggie and queso fresco.. The carnitas are full of porcine pleasure and crowned with a spicy salsa.
DRINK: Egg puts a hot twist on an espresso martini; its version includes vodka, hazelnut and coffee liqueurs, espresso and steamed milk.
INSIDER TIP: Arrive early—the 2,000-square-foot space feels relatively small on weekends, especially when it’s busy. 2200 Gravois, 314-202-8244.

Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge

IN A NUTSHELL: Since 1992, this Benton Park gathering place has been a low-key hotspot with consistently delicious food and one of the best cocktail games in town.
DISH: Frazer’s cioppino, loaded with mussels, clams, shrimp, fresh fish, and squid in a rich, aromatic tomato broth with bay leaf and fresh thyme, will make you think you’re in San Francisco rather than Benton Park.
DRINK: Bar manager Terry Oliver has been recognized as one of the great cocktail minds in the area for years. A meal at Frazer’s is not complete with one of his brilliant concoctions.
INSIDER TIP: Don’t overlook its other seafood offerings like New Orleans barbecue shrimp, salmon, oysters, and fresh fish specials. 1811 Pestalozzi, 314-773-8646.

The Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Company

IN A NUTSHELL: Removed as we are from, well, any coast, walking into the Benton Park eatery feels like being transported. The oysters on ice, fishers’ portraits on the walls, and bright-red crustaceans making their way out of the kitchen offer inland dwellers a brief visit to the seaside.
DISH: Order a variety of fresh oysters from wherever they may hail that day and then follow with a lobster roll (Maine and Connecticut style) or dial it way up with a shrimp or lobster boil.
DRINK: The rotating seasonal slush ranges from the basic (Negroni) to the unexpected (Aviation).
INSIDER TIP: Check out the Kirkwood location of Peacemaker, a partnership with 4 Hands Brewing Co. that features a lovely outdoor dining space. 1831 Sidney, 314-772-8858.

Shameless Grounds

IN A NUTSHELL: More than simply a place to grab a bite to eat, this radically inclusive spot exists to offer folks a non-judgemental, sex-positive place to gather.
DISH: The Farmer’s Daughter, chock full of veggies and hummus, is one of the best vegan sandwiches in the area.
DRINK: For $5, the bottomless cup of coffee harkens back to the coffeehouses of the 1990s; the reading library is stocked with a wide variety of human sexuality books to cozy up with over a cup of joe.
INSIDER TIP: The cafe hosts game night every Monday. 1901 Whitnell, 314-449-1240.

Sidney Street Café

IN A NUTSHELL: Led by James Beard Award winner Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Café underwent a significant transition when he took it over in 2003. He kept some of the popular dishes from the restaurant’s previous incarnation, while infusing the menu with his classically trained touch. It continues to be a vital part of St. Louis fine dining.
DISH: Nashan and his kitchen team are masterful when it comes to seafood. The crudo appetizer and main course fish offerings are always exemplary.
DRINK: The bar serves two excellent barrel-aged offerings: a Manhattan made with Buffalo Trace and a mezcal riff on a Negroni.
INSIDER TIP: Sidney Street’s sprawling community garden is not simply tended to by the staff; each station in the kitchen is responsible for its own bed. 2000 Sidney, 314-771-5777.

‘Ssippi

IN A NUTSHELL: This wine bar is dedicated to the art of ‘sippin,’ featuring a menu of organic wines with minimal preservatives and distinctive flavors. Add some draft beers, cocktails, and a piano, and you’ve got the fixin’s for an entertaining evening.
DISH: ‘Ssippi is, first and foremost, a bar. Expect limited snack offerings like bread and olives.
DRINK: ‘Ssippi focuses on natural wines; its orange offerings are especially unique.
INSIDER TIP: ‘Ssippi often hosts special events: live music, DJs, tastings, tastings, yoga, and more. 2926 Cherokee.

Station No. 3

IN A NUTSHELL: From Natasha Kwan and Rick Roloff, the owners of Diego’s and Frida’s, the Benton Park restaurant is located in a former service station and serves up vegan and flexitarian comfort food.
DISH: Kwan jokes that she’s never had burnt ends, but you’d never know it once you taste her outstanding vegan version, smothered in caramelized barbecue sauce.
DRINK: The house-made lemonade is a wonderfully mouth-puckering palate cleanser; it’s even better when it’s spoked with D’usse cognac and blackberries for the Lemon Noir.
INSIDER TIP: When the weather is nice, the garage doors open to a gorgeous landscaped patio. It’s one of the most beautiful places in Benton Park to relax over a meal. 1956 Utah, 314-925-8883.

Yemanja Brasil

IN A NUTSHELL: After a nearly two decade run, this Brazilian mainstay shut down for a couple of months to retool itself into a more affordable neighborhood spot. The result is a packed house with a vibe that is low-key Carnival, especially on the lovely patio.
DISH: Traditional feijoada is gloriously indulgent. Slow down and unwind over the hearty, shareable stew of black beans, smoked sausage, and smoked pork ribs, with accompanying rice, greens, and farofa.
DRINK: A visit is not complete without enjoying Brazil’s national drink, the caipirinha. Yemanja Brasil offers a few different varieties.
INSIDER TIP: Can’t make it to a sit-down dinner in Benton Park? The restaurant’s food truck, Brazil Express, can be found around town with its delicious fare. 2900 Missouri, 314-771-7457.