Courtesy Robust
INSIDER TIP
A Robust New Menu
Robust Wine Bar, one of nine Webster Groves businesses to receive a Creativity in Crisis Award 2020 from the Webster Groves/Shrewsbury/Rock Hill Area Chamber of Commerce, continues to expand and innovate in 2021. Instead of a reintroducing a traditional lunch service, the 14-year-old former “SLM Restaurant of the Year” has introduced an “Afternooners” menu of tapas, shareables, soups, salads, lunch entrées, and $5 glasses of wine. The tongue-in-cheek #afternoondelight begins at noon Wednesday through Saturday and ends “whenever your skyrocket’s in flight,” to borrow a ’70’s pop lyric. Don’t-miss items include a mild, silky beet hummus and a simple but outstanding arugula salad with dill, caraway, pink peppercorns, marcona almonds, pecorino, and champagne vinaigrette. 227 W. Lockwood, 314-963-0033.
Courtesy Robust
HOT SPOT
Tempus’ Sidewalk Seating
Photo by George Mahe
A must-get: Carolina Gold rice with gulf shrimp, country ham, and vadouvan granola
When Tempus opened in The Grove in late October, guests would have to whisk Ben Grupe’s artistically arranged creations away to points unknown. No more. Guests can now place their orders on OpenTable or at Tempus’ takeout window (no reservations or inside seating as yet) and enjoy the bounty on new sidewalk tables in front of the restaurant. Tempus will continue to provide everything required for a proper to-go dining experience: starters, sandwiches, mains, desserts, cocktails, wine, and a kid’s menu. Grupe's talents cannot be overstated: Tempus offers some of the tastiest (and most picture-worthy) take-out food in the city. 4370 Manchester, 314-349-2878.
MICRORANT
Reckless Reservations, Part 2
webphotographeer/Getty Images
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We try not to repeat a rant—but, in this case, we must. A few months ago, we lamented that diners were not cancelling unfilled reservations and that the gaucherie should stop, especially since restaurants were operating at reduced capacity. Recently, restaurant owners are reporting that the practice continues, especially with large parties (“worse than before the pandemic,” several say). While restaurants welcome groups of six and eight, parties of that size that bail continue to be especially costly, as those tables will likely sit idle.
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