Photo credit Gregg Goldman
Available at Herbie's during Clayton Restaurant Week: Soy Caramel Salmon, with forbidden black rice, roasted cauliflower, soy caramel glaze, and citrus miso beurre blanc
Another Restaurant Week? Don’t you guys write about one of these, like, every month or so?
Fair enough. Clayton Restaurant Week is one of many similarly themed events throughout the year for well over a decade in St. Louis—and it occurs in Clayton twice a year. There’s not much to add to subsequent articles, because the parameters stay pretty much the same. A link will suffice.
What does change every year are the dates (January 21–27 this year) and the participating restaurants: 19 restaurants for 2019, compared to 17 in 2018. (Parigi closed in October.) Also worth noting is that the quality and price of the wine offerings have been raised this year: Newton Skyside Chardonnay, Terrazas Reserva Malbec, and Chandon Brut are all $10 by the glass. A signature Belvedere Mule is $8, and a Stella Artois is $5 (which includes a namesake chalice, while supplies last).
As for the dishes? The menus are noted on the event website. Here’s which restaurants are new (with an asterisk), which are returning, and standout aspects at each place.
801 Chophouse: The 6-ounce USDA Prime Filet Mignon De Burgo with garlic mash and fresh grilled asparagus is hard to beat. ("De Burgo" refers to the accompanying Italian herb and garlic butter; steak de burgo is a regional specialty that's especially popular in Des Moines, Iowa, home base for the 801 Restaurant Group.)
801 Fish: Here's your chance to try Blackened Swordfish—served with gumbo and grits.
Avenue: Chef/owner Bryan Carr had us at Saffron Risotto, served with marinara, burrata, and sautéed spinach.
BARcelona: It’s a toss-up between vegetable paella and a lamb stew with Malaga honey over minted couscous. Both come with two other courses for $25.
* The BAO: There are lots of surcharges here, but the basics are more than adequate: We’ll vouch for the Tom Ka soup, Truffle Shroom Bao, and Ice Cream Spring Roll.
C.J. Mugg's: Clayton Restaurant Week is the perfect opportunity to venture beyond Muggs’ burgers and salads into New Orleans-based specialties, such as Cajun pasta and shrimp and grits.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Café Napoli: Cioppino, Veal Saltimbocca, and Tartufo. Done. (The cioppino was part of SLM’s Best Soups & Sandwiches feature in the December issue.)
Cantina Laredo: There's no need to read any further than the riff on chile relleno—Relleno De Camarones—with shrimp, Monterey jack, vegetable and mushroom stuffed roasted green chili, avocado, roasted red pepper, and poblano sauce on charred street corn and cilantro lime rice.
The Capital Grille: The steakhouse gets twin awards for Best Value and Most Traditional Dinner: wedge salad, 8-ounce filet, and flourless chocolate espresso cake—all for $35.
* Copia: For Clayton Restaurant Week, chef Kyle Parks (most recently of Cork n’ Slice) presents a choice of seven entrées as part of the $25 three-courser. (The restaurant’s award-winning wine list is definitely worth perusing.)
Crushed Red: Here, two people can dine for $25. Choose from a sharable first course, two mini salads (seven are offered), and a shared pizza (10 are offered).
Dominic’s Trattoria: On a menu of Italian classics, we might defer to cannelloni (served with two sauces), saltimbocca-style veal, and Jackie’s Cake with rum custard and walnuts.
Herbie’s: Chef Jeramie Mitchell’s Soy Caramel Salmon (see lead image, above) might be the impetus to get us back on the salmon train (if only for one night).
Louie’s Wine Dive: Going light at Louie’s—opting for citrus salad, noodles and shrimp, and pot de crème, for example—leaves more room for wine, notably from the specials listed on the giant chalkboard.
Oceano Bistro: After a bowl of Oceano’s New England Seafood Chowder (with blue crab, smoked tomato butter, and scallions), we’re pretty easy to please.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Cacio e Pepe
Pastaria: Every time we order Cacio E Pepe (and we order it a lot), we draw an imaginary line down the center of the bowl, vowing to take half of it home. To this day, it's never happened.
* Peel Wood Fired Pizza: The pizzeria wins this year’s Options Abound award. Choose from any shared plate or any two salads or soups, any specialty pizza (23 options), and dessert. (The soups here are superb, and the portions are humongous.)
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse: If you only occasionally indulge in creamed spinach with your steak dinner, do so here.
Sardella: The aioli on the fritto misto alone is worth the $35. Chef Brian Moxey’s pumpkin tortelli with Calabrian chilies is the perfect wintertime dish. And anytime someone offers you an affogato, say, "Yes, please."
Last year’s event attracted more than 23,000 diners, with many restaurants reporting waiting lists and sellout nights. In other words, make reservations now. When doing so, be sure to mention that you’ll be participating in Clayton Restaurant Week, because chefs base daily prep amounts on that number of reservations.
And, notably, remember that there’s a charity tie-in. Patrons have the option to add a $5 “Extra Helping” donation. Funds benefit Operation Food Search, which feeds 200,000 individuals per month, a third of whom are children.
