Grub Street

I wouldn't have minded pairing the rarebit sauce with another appetizer, beer-battered onion rings. As it was, the onion rings came with three house-made sauces: a traditional aioli, a curried mayonnaise and a pickled mayonnaise. All three were good, but I found the curried mayonnaise the best match for the onion rings.

The menu suggests both a beer and wine pairing for each menu item — a nice touch, even if the wine list is very brief. This is a pub, after all. Order a damn beer. The draft selection features familiar craft brewers: Schlafly, O'Fallon, Boulevard and New Belgium (makers of Fat Tire). Oh, and Bud Select. There are a few nice touches on the bottle list — Orval Trappist Ale and two Samuel Smith offerings — but there is also Heineken, Budweiser and Stag in a can. I would have welcomed a more creative beer list, but this is a problem throughout St. Louis.

Still, Newstead is off to a fine start. The ingredients are sourced well, the dishes are prepared with care, and attention is paid to small details, from taking the time to make three different mayonnaises to serve with a single appetizer to serving the Brie on a cheese plate above room temperature so that it's actually runny.

Really, it's kind of sad that we need the term "gastropub" in the first place. Done well, pub fare is simple, hearty and utterly delicious. Why should we accept substandard fare as the norm? If you're going to make a hamburger, make it right. It might not be "art," but it's a win for the good guys.

Have a suggestion for a restaurant the Riverfront Times should review? E-mail ian.froeb@riverfronttimes.com.