Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Baiku
Cielo · Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis
Gian Nicola Colucci faces a challenge as Cielo’s executive chef: satisfying two distinct types of diners. For patrons who come to gamble at Lumière Place Casino, he prepares comfort food: steak and potatoes, “beautiful” burgers, classic short ribs. For special-occasion diners and guests at The Four Seasons, he focuses on international cuisine: octopus, carrot ravioli, a seafood medley. As a result, Cielo’s menu draws on Colucci’s experiences working in some of the world’s best hotel restaurants. 999 N. 2nd.
BaiKu · Hotel Ignacio
Executive chef Eliott Harris emphasizes seasonal ingredients and might offer as many as four types of tuna at the sushi bar. A self-described purist, he’s been in the industry for more than 20 years. Harris credits his team, including former Sekisui sushi chef Kenji Nemoto, with pleasing their patrons. Don’t miss BaiKu’s happy hour: 20 percent off the entire bill. 3411 Olive.
Boundary · The Cheshire / Three Sixty · Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark
As executive chef of Boundary and Three Sixty, Rex Hale thinks a lot about speedy service. At the latter, in particular, “dishes have to be executed quickly,” he says. (The resulting house-smoked salmon chips, grass-fed–beef burger, surf n’ turf, and Easy Money cocktail are musts.) With nearly 40 years in the industry, Hale enjoys working at hotel restaurants because he can enhance the experience with great food and service. 7036 Clayton; 1 S. Broadway.
Basso · The Cheshire
It was out with the old and in with the new when the Cheshire reopened this hip subterranean space. With a convivial vibe and deep menu of craft beer and wine by the glass, it’s become a new place to see and be seen. 6300 Clayton.
Robust Wine Bar · Embassy Suites by Hilton St. Louis Downtown
With their unpretentious approach, Stanley and Arlene Maminta Browne have created a dining destination on Washington Avenue. Rather than being categorized by varietals, the wine list is broken into helpful descriptors—Crisp, Luscious, Robust—that even a wine novice can appreciate. 610 N. Seventh.
Eclipse Restaurant · Moonrise Hotel
The bacon-mushroom soup is the color of autumn fog on a meadow. Crunchy bacon flakes are scattered over a cream-rich slurry of smoked Gouda and meaty slivers of wild mushrooms. It’s a warm, fragrant full moon in the bowl and one of the most addictive soups in town.6177 Delmar.
The Preston · The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis
An elegant multilayered starter, the charred octopus arrives in a puddle of sunchoke purée, accompanied by knobs of brown-butter gnocchi and topped with smoked-paprika vinaigrette. The succulent meatiness of the octopus is tamed perfectly by the flames. 212 N. Kingshighway.
