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St. Louis is the gateway to the West, and, as it turns out, the gateway to a colorful food scene. From barbecue to food trucks to modern American cuisine, St. Louis offers visitors and locals alike a bevvy options for every meal of the day.
Read MoreIf you haven’t opted for a ramen restaurant for brunch, Vista Ramen could be your chance. They serve matcha pancakes with elderberry compote and mint, as well as their own take on biscuits and gravy, made with sweet potato biscuits and dandan gravy. If it’s dinnertime, try the traditional Vista Ramen or the Pozole take with chicken, hominy, egg, and chili paste.
Kounter Kulture started as a farmers’ market stand, and then opened a brick and mortar operation on Watson Road. The menu draws on cooking traditions from China, Korea, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam. Order the Gyudon, made with soy-dashi braised Missouri beef, slow cooked egg, and seasoned rice; or try Kounter Kulture’s take on bibimbap (mixed rice) for a combination of Korean flavors.
Adriana’s is a small family-owned lunch cafe in St. Louis’ Italian section of town, called “The Hill.” The restaurant has been run by Adriana Fazio and her daughters since the 1990s. If you’re looking for affordable lunch specials, a hot bowl of pasta, or a hearty sandwich, Adriana’s is your spot. Try Nana’s Special, a sausage and hot roast beef sandwich topped with red sauce and provel cheese (a St. Louis specialty); or Ben’s Special, made with turkey breast, ham, roast beef, provel cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and their special dressing.
The menu at Retreat covers a lot of territory. At dinnertime, you can opt for comfort food options, like mac and cheese, fried chicken wings, or a pepper steak, or try something like the feta mousse crostini with fig marmalade. But plan your visit around the libations: The beer menu changes often to include new and interesting brews from as far as New York City and California; and the house cocktails infuse new flavors into the classics. Like the Dinosaur Theory cocktail, made with Chicago’s Letherbee Gin, genepy, pineapple, lemon, chamomile, and kale — yes, really — you won’t find this on a drink menu anywhere else in the city.
For something fast and casual, but no less delicious, track down Frankly Sausages food truck. All the sausages are made by hand, from scratch. You can opt for familiar flavors, like a local all-beef frank with coarse grain mustard, or get a little inventive. Try the chile verde with avocado and tomatillo relish, queso fresco, cilantro, and lime. Chef Bill Cawthon worked as chef de cuisine at several restaurants in L.A., including Pastaria and the Four Seasons Los Angeles.
With locations in the Soulard, Delmar Loop, and Central West End neighborhoods, Mission Taco Joint has your street-style taco cravings covered when you’re traveling about town. Order tacos a la carte, preferably at happy hour, when tacos are just $2 each. For something more filling, try the carne asada fries made with chile-crusted fries and flank steak.
Enjoy a taste of Paris in St. Louis at Brasserie.Chef Brian Moxy trained at the French Culinary Institute and cut his teeth in Manhattan at Tom Colicchio and Marco Conora’s restaurants Settle in among the checkered tablecloths and dark wood surroundings here for a cozy dining experience Order the classic onion soup, the goat cheese tart, or the simple bibb lettuce salad to start, but save room for the steak frites.
Choose from an array of smokehouse specialties at The Shaved Duck — a restaurant you may have seen on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives — but not before you try an appetizer. The buttermilk cornbread is a fifteen minute wait, but only because it’s literally fresh out of the oven and will come to your table in a cast iron skillet with side of honey butter. Follow that up with the melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork sandwich. It’s slowly smoked over wild cherry and hickory for a smoky, sweet flavor.
Chef Kevin Willman comes from an Illinois farming family, which explains his community-focused approach to food. His menu relies on locally grown produce and ingredients, and nearby vendors, which means that most of the regular menu items hail from the bi-state area. The cuisine is technically American, but Willman definitely takes creative liberties. The menu changes, but you might see something like a braised lamb steam bun made with kimchi, or pan-seared sea scallops served with creamy grits and barbecue.
The reinvented restaurant (it was once the acclaimed progressive restaurant Niche) from chef Gerard Craft riffs on Italian-meets-Californian cuisine. You'll find freshly made pastas and Italian staples on the menu (and sardines, given the name and the tins that line the restaurant walls), but also burratta with salsa verde, baby kale salads, and ravioli made with chestnut and blood oranges. A meal in the bright and sunny dining room will have you dreaming of the coast, whether the Atlantic or the Pacific call to you.
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If you haven’t opted for a ramen restaurant for brunch, Vista Ramen could be your chance. They serve matcha pancakes with elderberry compote and mint, as well as their own take on biscuits and gravy, made with sweet potato biscuits and dandan gravy. If it’s dinnertime, try the traditional Vista Ramen or the Pozole take with chicken, hominy, egg, and chili paste.
Kounter Kulture started as a farmers’ market stand, and then opened a brick and mortar operation on Watson Road. The menu draws on cooking traditions from China, Korea, Thailand, Japan, and Vietnam. Order the Gyudon, made with soy-dashi braised Missouri beef, slow cooked egg, and seasoned rice; or try Kounter Kulture’s take on bibimbap (mixed rice) for a combination of Korean flavors.
Adriana’s is a small family-owned lunch cafe in St. Louis’ Italian section of town, called “The Hill.” The restaurant has been run by Adriana Fazio and her daughters since the 1990s. If you’re looking for affordable lunch specials, a hot bowl of pasta, or a hearty sandwich, Adriana’s is your spot. Try Nana’s Special, a sausage and hot roast beef sandwich topped with red sauce and provel cheese (a St. Louis specialty); or Ben’s Special, made with turkey breast, ham, roast beef, provel cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle, onion, and their special dressing.
The menu at Retreat covers a lot of territory. At dinnertime, you can opt for comfort food options, like mac and cheese, fried chicken wings, or a pepper steak, or try something like the feta mousse crostini with fig marmalade. But plan your visit around the libations: The beer menu changes often to include new and interesting brews from as far as New York City and California; and the house cocktails infuse new flavors into the classics. Like the Dinosaur Theory cocktail, made with Chicago’s Letherbee Gin, genepy, pineapple, lemon, chamomile, and kale — yes, really — you won’t find this on a drink menu anywhere else in the city.
For something fast and casual, but no less delicious, track down Frankly Sausages food truck. All the sausages are made by hand, from scratch. You can opt for familiar flavors, like a local all-beef frank with coarse grain mustard, or get a little inventive. Try the chile verde with avocado and tomatillo relish, queso fresco, cilantro, and lime. Chef Bill Cawthon worked as chef de cuisine at several restaurants in L.A., including Pastaria and the Four Seasons Los Angeles.
With locations in the Soulard, Delmar Loop, and Central West End neighborhoods, Mission Taco Joint has your street-style taco cravings covered when you’re traveling about town. Order tacos a la carte, preferably at happy hour, when tacos are just $2 each. For something more filling, try the carne asada fries made with chile-crusted fries and flank steak.
Enjoy a taste of Paris in St. Louis at Brasserie.Chef Brian Moxy trained at the French Culinary Institute and cut his teeth in Manhattan at Tom Colicchio and Marco Conora’s restaurants Settle in among the checkered tablecloths and dark wood surroundings here for a cozy dining experience Order the classic onion soup, the goat cheese tart, or the simple bibb lettuce salad to start, but save room for the steak frites.
Choose from an array of smokehouse specialties at The Shaved Duck — a restaurant you may have seen on The Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives — but not before you try an appetizer. The buttermilk cornbread is a fifteen minute wait, but only because it’s literally fresh out of the oven and will come to your table in a cast iron skillet with side of honey butter. Follow that up with the melt-in-your-mouth pulled pork sandwich. It’s slowly smoked over wild cherry and hickory for a smoky, sweet flavor.
Chef Kevin Willman comes from an Illinois farming family, which explains his community-focused approach to food. His menu relies on locally grown produce and ingredients, and nearby vendors, which means that most of the regular menu items hail from the bi-state area. The cuisine is technically American, but Willman definitely takes creative liberties. The menu changes, but you might see something like a braised lamb steam bun made with kimchi, or pan-seared sea scallops served with creamy grits and barbecue.
The reinvented restaurant (it was once the acclaimed progressive restaurant Niche) from chef Gerard Craft riffs on Italian-meets-Californian cuisine. You'll find freshly made pastas and Italian staples on the menu (and sardines, given the name and the tins that line the restaurant walls), but also burratta with salsa verde, baby kale salads, and ravioli made with chestnut and blood oranges. A meal in the bright and sunny dining room will have you dreaming of the coast, whether the Atlantic or the Pacific call to you.
