Angelo's Taverna

After opening four Italian restaurants with only mildly divergent themes, the Lombardo family has taken a deliberate turn—upfield—by combining polished family recipes with the look and feel of old-time sports. Before you mutter “not another sports bar,” realize that Angelo’s Taverna is merely a pleasant throwback, a place that scores without showboating. Vertical surfaces have been antique-veneered, and the lighting is a soft amber, just like that sepia-tone photo of Tom Lombardo (Uncle Tom, quarterback for the Army’s football team in 1944) on the wall. Quite frankly, we appreciate seeing that golf clubs and bats were once made of wood and prefer such memorabilia to walls littered with neon, team jerseys, and HDTVs. And while we don’t normally tout tidbits from the deep fryer, here we must: Artichoke hearts and calamari strips are bested only by the toasted ravioli, made the same crunchewy way for 75 years. If you want visitors to see how St. Louis was—and is—you might begin your tour at Angelo’s. (The Arch is right outside the door.)