Under-the-radar NYE dining recs
It might be the biggest dine-out night of the year, so if you’re considering calling your favorite place (or that special place) for New Year’s Eve reservations, chances are you’re too late. Therefore, the best bets are the newest restaurants in town, the places that have eluded most diners to date. At press time, all of the following had availabilities: The Chocolate Pig, the big, bold, and wonderful new addition in the Cortex district; Grand Tavern by David Burke, which is offering a tempting four-course dinner with wine pairings for $150; and the brand-new Union 30, opened on December 20 downtown, where a four-course NYE menu (including wine and champagne), is only $75. The latter two choices are located within newly opened hotels—the Angad Arts Hotel and Hotel Saint Louis respectively—and both have rooms available that night. Staycation, anyone?
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HOT SPOT
Fond of fondue…or raclette?
The event calendar at Vin de Set never ceases to impress. Besides the decadent, four-course Reveillon Dinner and the weekly Tour de France dinners, also on the docket in January are fondue and raclette specials. Every Wednesday through March, traditional Swiss fondue is offered as an appetizer or shared entrée (cubed bread comes standard, charcuterie is optional). Double-down with chocolate fondue for dessert (cubed pound cake is standard, fresh fruit and a shot of liqueur is optional). On Fridays through March, Vin de Set servers arrive tableside to shave warm, bubbly Morbier cheese over plates of potatoes, vegetables, and meats, just like at raclette dinners in Switzerland. The cheese—and the experience—are not to be missed. Reservations are encouraged. 2017 Chouteau, 314-241-8989.
MICRORANT
Fast-food kiosks
There are times when we applaud customer service technology and there are times when it gets in the way. Regarding the self-order kiosks at fast-food and fast-casual restaurants, a case can be made for both. Besides increasing check average, kiosks remember prior orders, provide nutritional information, process payment, can be programmed with different languages, and are invaluable when there’s a line at the counter. But when ordering something easy—like a cheeseburger and a drink—it’s easier to do so verbally than to be forced to shuffle through myriad screens of promotions, upsells, and customer loyalty prompts.
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