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Harvest
The Top List of Great Restaurants - St. Louis, MO
St. Louisans love good food.
by Elizabeth Slonim & Michael Renner
Missourians view St. Louis as an East Coast-influenced big city, priding itself in a wide variety of cuisine and ethnic influences. Restaurants can be as trendy as any other city, but St. Louisans love good food, despite our quirks of inventing toasted ravioli and super-thin pizza crust. St. Louis' heritage is mostly French and German, especially the early years, but it's Italian food that now dominates the gastronomical landscape. The Italian Hill itself contains over 20 restaurants (not to mention some good local grocers). Along the South Grand area of the city are the main Asian restaurants, though recent arrivals like Mexican, French and Mediterranean have moved in. Lots of good eateries exist in the myriad neighborhoods that make up St. Louis City as well as many excellent spots in the surrounding towns in St. Louis County. Most food here is substantial, well-prepared and presented, and reflect the four seasons of the Mid-west without lapsing into the banality of mere meat and potatoes.
FRANCO
1535 South Eighth
St. Louis, Missouri 63104
314-436-2500
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.
Cuisine type - French Bistro
One of the newer restaurants on the St. Louis scene, Franco is housed in the former "Baby Carriage Factory" adjacent to the Soulard area. The renovation project resulted in an open and artsy restaurant, complete with many modern details. Franco's menu focuses on French cuisine with a contemporary flair. Appetizer specialties with French influence include sweet bread, pate, frog legs, foie gras, and escargot. Soups, including French onion naturally, and salads provide are followed by hearty entrees. Diners can smell the aromatic seafood stew from the minute they enter. Other fish plates, meat and poultry all share the spotlight, each accompanied with a unique side such as bacon strewn Brussel sprouts and dill spatzel. For the less adventurous, the wood grilled bistro steak comes with pomme frites and a root beer float is among the desert offerings.
Price Per Person - $30
MONARCH RESTAURANT AND WINE BAR
7401 Manchester
St. Louis, MO 63139
(314) 644-3995
Hours: (Mon-Sat) 5-11:30, wine bar is open until 1:30 a.m.
International Cuisine
Located in gentrified Maplewood, Monarch Restaurant and Wine Bar. Named one of the “Top 5 Restaurants of the Year” for 2006 in St. Louis Magazine, Monach includes a traditional dining room and a bistro and wine bar. The dining room menu features cuisine prepared with French overtones while the wine bar offers lighter fare as well as suggestions for wine accompaniments included on the menu. A staff sommelier and mixologist are also available to assist with wine and cocktail choices. The two menus change seasonally, always incorporating international themes as the inspiration for chef Brian Hale, a Riverfront Times best chef nominee for 2006. The bistro atmosphere is dreamy while the dining room is upscale and elegant. From the bistro menu, the lobster macaroni and cheese and the short rib flat bread are comfort food treats with an upscale interpretation. The shrimp ravioli on the dining room menu is sure to be a pasta pleaser. Reservations are recommended for the dining room. A chef’s table, wine room, and banquet room are available for private dining.
Estimated cost per person = $19 - $33 in dining room and $5 - $15 in the bistro
Holiday Schedule
Closed Christmas Eve Christmas, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s Day, Open New Year’s Eve
AN AMERICAN PLACE
822 Washington Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63101
(314) 418-5800
Hours: (Tues-Thurs) 5-10, (Fri-Sat) 5-11
National Cuisine
The historic dining room of An American Place was restored as part of the $270 million renovation of the St. Louis Renaissance Grand Hotel and opened in 2003. Having a meal at An American Place makes you feel like you’re feasting in the dining room of a mansion. The marble floors and ornate décor lend itself to an intimate evening. An American Place boasts the only “celebrity chef” in St. Louis – Larry Forgione, a champion for local farmers from coast to coast promoting regional specialties. His concept menu includes wild Maine belon oysters warmed with wild leeks over Chardonel vine trimmings and rack of Missouri grass-fed lamb with slow roasted lamb jus and creamed roast parsnips. Even the desserts incorporate the American theme, even if it’s from an island, with the Hawaiian vintage chocolate praline cake. For those looking to visit a downtown hot spot for drinks, the restaurant’s sexy Indigo Lounge is the place.
Estimated cost per person - $29
Holidays Schedule
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day
THE CROSSING
7823 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 721-7375
Hours: (Tues-Fri) 11:30-1:30, Lunch. (Mon-Fri) 5:30-9:00, Dinner
What happens when two chefs from New York's famed Daniel Boulud restaurant move to St. Louis and start their own restaurant? A LOT of buzz. Since the opening in 1998, this upscale restaurant has consistently garnered rave reviews from critics and diners. Taking its name from the crossing of French and Italian cuisine, chef/owners Jeff Fiala and Cary McDowell call their fare contemporary American cuisine. The atmosphere is decidedly formal (ties are still suggested) and the food is prepared with a level of detail that is typically unheard of in modern restaurants. Most diners wax dreamily about the bleu cheese soufflé appetizer, but be warned…it's filling. Other notable first courses include a roasted beet and goat cheese salad, foie gras with pears or blueberries and mussels in a saffron broth. Fish is a specialty with four entrees, including a rarity: Walleye Pike with shiitake mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus. Beef, game hen, chicken breast and pork, some done in complex, rich sauces, round out the menu as do several off the menu specials. Desserts include baked Granny Smith apples with a circle of crispy pastry and homemade caramel and chocolate lining the plate and a lemon semifreddo that is like cross between a chilled soufflé and a fluffy custard. The wine list is extensive, numbering over 150 bottles, with about 16 halves and about a dozen magnums (the list received a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence). The Crossing has only 20 tables in its small, cream, blue and brick colored room, so reservations are a must.
Estimated cost per person for dinner = $35 -$45
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve and Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open, New Years Day-Closed
TONY'S
410 Market St. Louis, MO 63102
(314) 231-7007
Hours: (Mon-Sat) 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.
This formal and elegant dining room is a St. Louis institution, almost to where people take it for granted. It's a continuous award winner and many consider it the Holy Grail of food and service (not to mention expensive). Both are superb; the Bommarito family is meticulous about their meals and presentation. This is one of the old rooms featuring table captains and a crew to serve you, practically hovering over you. This is a place where your glass of water is never half-empty. Most diners go to Tony's for a special occasion. I guess that if you're forking out that much money for a dining experience it should be a special occasion. The food is mostly Italian, with Lobster albanello (chunks of shellfish in a creamy sauce with mushrooms) and veal chops the favorites and a variety of off menu specials. Desserts include zabaglione prepared tableside or dark chocolate cake with banana ice cream. The wine cellar is spectacular, both in its contents and formidable physical space (ask the wine steward for a viewing). Some say Tony's has slipped a notch in recent years, which puts it still far above most restaurants. Reservations recommended.
Estimated cost per person = $45 - $65
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve and Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open, New Years Day-Closed
TRATTORIA MARCELLA
3600 Watson Rd. St. Louis, MO 63109
(314) 352-7706
Hours: (Tues-Thu) 5-10 pm; (Fri-Sat) 5-11pm
When you can get into this small south city spot, consider it a gift from the restaurant gods. Weekends are impossible with a month in advance reservation, though weeknight-early-seems to work best. It's an unassuming restaurant and a bit cramped, even after their expansion a couple of years ago. But since their first entrée hit the tables five years ago, Marcella keeps packing them in. The simple reason is that the cuisine, Italian, is innovative, flavorful, rustic and value-priced. I usually have to force myself NOT to order their signature lobster risotto in order to try other pasta dishes such as fettucine in a pesto broth with shrimp, scallops and sun dried tomatoes or the chicken spiedini stuffed with prosciutto and lightly coated in bread crumbs then baked and broiled or the herbed chicken, asparagus and tomato risotto. Appetizers include handmade ravioli with roasted beets and ricotta cheese in a brown butter sage sauce and a mixed greens salad topped with red onion, tomato, pinenuts and mozzarella with a balsamic tomato vinaigrette. For something different, try the Marcella salad: mixed greens with grilled chicken, pancetta, gorgonzola cheese and ditali pasta with the same vinaigrette. For dessert, the chocolate creame brulee is rich and dense with concentrated chocolate flavor. Fortunately, the wine list was expanded to include several mid-priced good wines.
Estimated cost per person = $25 - $45
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve and Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Undetermined, New Years Day-Closed
BAR ITALIA
4656 Maryland St. Louis, MO 63108
(314) 361-7010
Hours: (Tue-Sun) lunch, 11:30 a.m.-5 p.m.; dinner: 5-10 p.m.
When Starbuck's continued its hegemonic march and took over the old Bar Italia, thank God it didn't run them out of town. This popular Central West End Italian eatery moved across the street and down the way, and it's for the best. Gone is the nearly claustrophobic feeling of the old and a new openness with the new, due in large part to mezzanine seating, high ceilings and bright paint. The relaxed European feeling is still there, where hours melt into each other. All of which means you should show up AFTER an event and not be on a strict time schedule. The food is simple but not mundane: a grilled swordfish sans overbearing sauces and flavorings. The accompanying sides are fresh and seasonal. Sometimes fresh fennel or sambuca are used with the fresh fish, but sparingly. Vegetarians can eat well here too. Eggplant fettuccine is a favorite in a light red sauce with onion, capers and ricotta and heavy on the kalamatas olives. Eggplant melanzane con ricotta has slices of smoky eggplant with puffy mounds of ricotta cheese, served atop a pool of intense, red tomato sauce. The caponata is a Sicilian-inspired calamari salad with garbanzo beans, diced potatoes and a lemon-and-oil dressing; a great antipasto. Desserts are custom made for the restaurant, with a wonderful tiramisu. Others include a lemon tart that snaps with flavor and a pear tart that charms. This is a great spot to sit and have a drink, engage in long conversations and watch the beautiful people.
Estimated cost per person = $25 - $35
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Open, Christmas Eve and Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open, New Years Day-Closed
HARVEST
1059 Big Bend Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63117
(314) 645-3522
Hours: (Tue-Thu) 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.; (Fri-Sat) 5:30 p.m.-10:00 p.m.; (Sun) 5:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
Owner/chef and St. Louis native Stephen Gontram (voted "best chef" in 1999 by readers of the alternative paper, Riverfront Times) calls Harvest "rustic American food." I think what that means is that he sticks to the basics and relies on what's available during the seasons. You won't find any "tall food" or zebra-striped plates here. Gontram wanted a casual, inviting restaurant where diners could experience a rich dining experience. The room is two-tiered, warm and inviting. He tries to keep all entrees under $20, but when he gets bored he splurges with something like a rack of lamb (in a caramelized mint reduction sauce). He also likes to use different fish, such as pompano, to help diners explore. Gontram is a diner's chef; the menu changes about eight times a year with about eight or nine entrees each time. He picks the proteins first then builds seasonal fruits and vegetables around them. As you might suspect, he's a main course guy. Hearty entrees currently include (but not for long) aromatic vegetable stuffed rabbit, grilled veal roast shoulder roast, pan fried lake perch and sugar snap pea risotto (with a truffled salad of Ozark ham, pea shoots, and baby turnips, with a citrus vinaigrette and aged jack cheese!). Coming up this fall will be a roast duck and squash salad. Side dishes are sold separately. To reflect the American theme, most wines are from Washington, Oregon, California and sometimes New York and Virginia. The zinfandel list is truly staggering. The stunning desserts are made on the premises. They, too, will soon change with the season.
Estimated cost per person = $30 - $50
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve-Open, Christmas Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open, New Years Day-Closed
FRAZER'S TRAVELING BROWN BAG
1811 Pestalozzi St. Louis, MO 63104
(314) 773-8646
Hours: (mon-thu) 4-11 (fri sat) 4-midnight, closed sunday and all major holidays
Once a small, cramped eatery across for the behemoth Anheuser-Busch brewery on the south side of downtown, owner/chef Frazer Cameron has expanded his space, dropped lunch and entered modern times by accepting reservations and credit cards. In process, his cozy setting has lost none of the original charm; condiments are still placed in folded down brown paper bags on the tables and expectant diners still crowd the small bar area (although a larger waiting area is now on the second floor). Think rakishly chic. Suburbanites still venture eastward to the City to partake in Frazer's solidly Mid-Western fare. He calls it "Granny food," a bit of a misnomer since most grannies didn't fly in fresh fish or combine pears and Gorgonzola cheese in their salads. But granny made a mean meatloaf, good steaks and chops and a fine roasted chicken (under $9!), just as Frazer does. And while granny may be too tired to make homemade ice cream and key lime pie, Frazer dishes them out on a regular basis. Diners check the daily specials on the chalkboard like investors check ticker tape, only here the results are far more pleasant. Regulars know Frazer spent the day figuring out what's best from his meat suppliers, fishmongers and the vegetable market. His kitchen staff is creative enough to experiment with flavors and textures (a New Orleans flair is evident), but comfortable enough to prepare dishes simply. A long-time staple is his pecan-encrusted salmon fillet. Even with the expansion, dinner is one of the best values in St. Louis.
Estimated cost per person = $15 - $30
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve and Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open, New Years Day-Closed
PHO GRAND
3195 S. Grand St. Louis 63116
(314) 664-7435
Hours: (Sun-Sat, closed Tue)11 a.m.-10 p.m.
This is one of the first true Vietnamese restaurants in St. Louis and continues to draw large crowds. Newly situated in a building next door to their original South Grand site, Pho Grand has a more contemporary atmosphere and expanded menu. Waiting diners still must amble around wherever they can; on nice days it's outside on the concrete deck and stairs. The Trihn family works tirelessly to keep their dream restaurant on top of the ethnic dining list. The spring and summer rolls are always fresh and full of crisp veggies while the lotus root salad is still popular with its shredded lotus root mixed with cucumber, carrots and basil and topped with shrimp, pork and lemon sauce. Any of the clear noodle soups are a perfect prelude to dinner. They now have three rice flour crepes to choose from, most with pork and one with pork and shrimp. Beef dishes range from including pineapple to hot chilies and lemongrass. The chicken with curry and coconut milk sauce is a favorite. The usual Vietnamese seafood dishes are available with a few surprises like squid with pineapple, tomatoes and onions or red snapper in a tomato sauce. There's also a large variety of vegetarian dishes. For two or four people, sharing a campfire pot is a fun experience. Wine is standard cheap stuff by the glass or carafe. Beer, including Vietnamese, is available. As a dessert, try the café sua da, the classic drink of French roast chicory coffee served dripping from its mini brewer into a glass of ice and sweet condensed milk. The prices are ridiculously cheap and the service is efficient.
Estimated cost per person = $10 - $20
Holiday Schedule: Thanksgiving-Closed, Christmas Eve and Day-Closed, New Years Eve-Open, New Years Day-Open.
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