Tricked Out: Truffles Dresses Up Its New Patio For Halloween

Halloween is a big, big business these days, one in which restaurants, bars, and bakeries get in the spirit. (Have you been anywhere this month that wasn’t offering a pumpkin-spiced something or other?) While most establishments put out a commemorative pumpkin or two, others go to the other extreme, luring passersby with eye-popping fall displays.

In the case of Truffles, a dramatic spray of yellow mums, bright orange pumpkins, and holiday hay bales complement the debut of an attractive, new patio. General manager Aleks Jovanovic, who long wanted to add outdoor seating to the Ladue landmark, designed the patio’s layout and details.

The 32-seat patio is just the latest in a string of notable additions at Truffles in recent years.

In 2012, Jovanovic hired fellow Emeril Lagasse protégé Brandon Benack to run the kitchen. Benack's menu is a combination of classic dishes (French onion soup, Dover sole, beef tartare) and signature items, some reflecting his time spent in New Orleans (Cajun duck ragu, Chef B's Gumbo, wedge salad with crispy Louisiana crawfish).

Truffles' wine list is also loaded with winners. The list won multiple national awards in the past, but not until Jovanovic curated the list did it receive a World's Best Wine List award at the three-star level (the highest ranking possible) from The World of Fine Wine in 2014 and again in 2015. Out of 4,000 wine lists reviewed, only 92 from the U.S. received three stars. (Among the best times to sip: Thursdays from 5–6 p.m., when a wine distributor pours tastes of a handful of wines in the bar. Customers vote on their favorite; then, the following week, the winning wine appears on the menu at cost. Any of the wines can also be ordered at a discount for pickup the following week.)

Two years ago, the Truffles team also added a butcher shop that doubles as a gourmet food-and-wine shop. Located behind the new patio, the Butchery features items not found anywhere else in St. Louis. (Tip: Order a Godfather sandwich and enjoy it on the patio.)

While the weather's nice, the patio is open for lunch, dinner, and happy hour.