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The Costanza: Pepperoni, Eggplant, Roasted Garlic, Basil, Mozzarella, Ricotta, Garlic Honey Oil, Red Sauce. $9 at Sauce on the Side with locations in Clayton and downtown St. Louis.
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The Spicy Shrimp & Eggplant at Brio: Pan seared shrimp in a black pepper cream sauce over Romano crusted eggplant
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The patio at the DeMun Oyster Bar in Clayton: well-tended
Hot Spots
In the Cal-zone
To the unfortunates who never made it to the flagship location of Sauce on the Side: a sister store is now up, running, and going bonkers at 7810 Forsyth (a former Quizno’s) in downtown Clayton. It’s an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” dupe of the two-year-old downtown location, which means 14 varieties of calzones (all depicted here), two dessert varieties, six salads, and a more than adequate selection of bottled beer, the brands cleverly displayed along one wall.
Insider Tips
Superlative Shrimp
You wanna know the best shrimp dishes in town? Our favorites include the Spicy Shrimp & Eggplant app at Brio, the smoked jumbo shrimp at several restaurants (Cardwell’s at the Plaza, Cardwell’s in Clayton, as well as Annie Gunn’s), the Pan Roasted Freshwater Prawns at Oceano Bistro, the Vampire Slayer pizza at Basso (with shrimp sausage, fresno chilies, salmoriglio, and garlic chips), the New Orleans Shrimp at Pairings Wine & Dessert Bar, and the shrimp cocktail at 801 Chophouse. The latter will remind you how a simple dish achieved classic status--there are no better cold shrimp in town. For the DIY’er, begin with product from Bob’s Seafood in Olivette, just like the better restaurants do.
MicroRant
Neglected Patios
In three seasons out of four, nothing draws attention to a restaurant more than attractive outside seating accented with well-manicured flowers and plants--which in turn leads to people occupying those seats, a further lure to the passerby. Restaurant patios and sidewalk areas with scraggly planter boxes/pots, unattended cigarette ashtrays/urns, disorganized or dilapidated tables/chairs, and greasy, grimy sidewalks are a major disincentive to a potential customer, and I find it amazing that some restaurant operators lack this nugget of common sense.
