African and Middle Eastern Food and Cooking

Louisiana-fied Cajun and Creole Vegetarian Cuisine at The Kitchen Sink

The Veggielante has had it up to here with people bitching that St. Louis restaurants are vegetarian unfriendly. Sure, we'd like to see more restaurants offering more meatless dishes, but there are excellent choices out there if you take the trouble to look for them. We're not here to proselytize ab ... More >>

South Grand: An Updated Guide to Restaurants on South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis

St. Louis' neighborhoods are gems in their own right: full of history, great people and, as far as Gut Check is concerned, fantastic food. Each week we'll take you into a specific neighborhood and point you in the direction of the best places to grab some bites. One could easily argue that aside fr ... More >>

10 Most Offensive, Ridiculous "Sad Desk Lunch" Photos

The mission of Sad Desk Lunch is stated simply on its website: Sad Desk Lunch isn't about how great your lunch is. And it's not about how crappy your lunch is either. It's about the fact you eat your lunch at your desk during your lunch break where you could roam free ....Eating our sad tupperware ... More >>

The Veggielante Relishes Robust's New Downtown Wine Bar in the MX Building

The Veggielante has had it up to here with people bitching that St. Louis restaurants are vegetarian unfriendly. Sure, we'd like to see more restaurants offering more meatless dishes, but there are excellent choices out there if you take the trouble to look for them. We're not here to proselytize ab ... More >>

Ultimate Meatless Burgers: Meat? No. Listeria? Maybe.

So maybe you don't have to ponder the ethical dilemma of eating meat when you tear open a package of Veggie Patch's Ultimate Meatless Burger. You do have to ponder the risk of listeria. Veggie Patch has announced a voluntary recall of two products, its Ultimate Meatless Burger and its Falafel, bec ... More >>

Once More Muntoo the Breach: Sameem Afghan Restaurant is reborn in south St. Louis

Review Preview: Layla Lebanese Restaurant

This week I visit Layla Lebanese Restaurant (4317 Manchester Avenue; 314-535-5500) in Forest Park Southeast's Grove district. A sneak preview of my review after the jump.

South Grand Tidbits: JR Crickets, Restaurant California, Sultan Palace, More

Let us catch up on several months of developments on South Grand Boulevard: - Gut Check told you back in February that the Atlanta-based chain JR Crickets Wings & Things would open its first area location at 3737 South Grand Boulevard, previously the home of Mama Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. The rest ... More >>

St. Louis Earth Day Festival Food Preview

With more live entertainment slated for the St. Louis Earth Day Festival on Sunday, April 22, than ever before, this year's celebration is bound to knock St. Louis up to the second largest Earth Day festival in the country -- after all we are world champs, at things both big and small (but mostly bi ... More >>

Fish Fry Frenzy: STL's Best Deep-Frying Destinations

Friday, February 24, marked a special day for Gut Check: The beginning of fish fry season. We asked you to share your favorite fish fries with us, and combined the results with a list of our own to create a map of our favorite fried fish destinations. On each of the six spectacular Fridays leading u ... More >>

Food Truck Fever, Part 2: The road goes on forever and the menu never ends

The Veggielante Puts Three Kings Public House to the Test

​The Veggielante has had it up to here with people bitching that St. Louis restaurants are vegetarian unfriendly. Sure, we'd like to see more restaurants offering more meatless dishes, but there are excellent choices out there if you take the trouble to look for them. We're not here to prosely ... More >>

Tavern of Fine Arts Opens in DeBaliviere Place

​Matt Daniels and Aaron Johnson both teach music at St. Louis University. As of August 1, both men are also restaurateurs, as The Tavern of Fine Arts is now open at 313 Belt Avenue in the DeBaliviere Place neighborhood. "We are essentially a wine bar," Daniels tells Gut Check. For now, the Tavern ... More >>

[UPDATED] Starbucks Introduces Bistro Boxes. USDA Says Not So Fast.

StarbucksA Starbucks bistro box, recalled.​Last week 5,400 Starbucks stores took another baby step into the food market, introducing Bistro Boxes: savory meals like chicken and hummus, chipotle chicken wraps and sesame noodles with fewer than 500 calories. Great news, right? Well, except for ... More >>

Cafe Pintxos: The Case of the Transient Tapas

Guess Where I'm Eating this Crispy Falafel and Win a $10 Gift Certificate to Gioia's! [Updated With Winner!]

Falafel this good and this crispy has been through torture. Impaled on a drumstick sized skewer before deep frying, each patty gets beautifully crisp and an increased surface area thus, more crunch to munch! Tell me where I chowed down on this gorgeous Mediterranean dish and win a $10 gift certific ... More >>

The Veggielante Puts Barrister's to the Test

​The Veggielante has had it up to here with people bitching that St. Louis restaurants are vegetarian unfriendly. Sure, we'd like to see more restaurants offering more meatless dishes, but there are excellent choices out there if you take the trouble to look for them. We're not here to prosely ... More >>

Falafelwich Wagon Prepares to Hit the St. Louis Streets

Inside HospitalityLook for this logo on a falafel wagon near you. ​ The St. Louis food truck fleet is set to expand in June when the Falafelwich Wagon hits the streets. Falafelwich is the first local food truck for St. Louis-based Inside Hospitality. The restaurant public relations and brand ... More >>

A Whole Lotta Falafel: Day 4

Kristen Klempert​Here at Gut Check, we are firm believers in a good Saturday morning sleep-in. There's nothing better than lounging about in bed, doing absolutely nothing productive until the tummy starts a-rumbling. Then, it's brunch time. This lazy mid-morning we made a frittata, first pan ... More >>

A Whole Lotta Falafel: Day 3

Kristen Klempert​Honestly, this morning we woke up and thought, "Damn, falafel again?" Feeling slightly uninspired, breakfast was a repeat of Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts, and falafel, but this time around the taste and texture of the yogurt was almost welcoming and really hit the spot.

Guess Where I'm Eating this Hummus and Win a $25 Gift Certificate to Tee's Golf Grill

Chrissy Wilmes​You can win a $25 Gift Certificate to Tee's Golf Grill, and all you have to do is tell me where I'm eating this plate of hummus and pita. Rules: To be eligible, you must leave a valid e-mail address in the comment-entry field. One guess per e-mail address. Employees of the re ... More >>

Gut Check's Week in Tweets

​Don't you know? Gut Check has a Twitter account. You can follow us @gutcheckstl. Here's some of what you missed on the Twitter feed this week: Back from two days of jury duty, during which I was reminded that The Terrace View has damn good fries. I wonder if Cafe Natasha ever has to cut so ... More >>

South Grand Gyro Express Reopens

Ian FroebColorful new graphics adorn the front window of the reopened South Grand Gyro Express.​South Grand Gyro Express (5622 South Grand Boulevard; 314-481-1033) has reopened after closing "until further notice" last June. Not only has the restaurant returned, so have the original owners, Kahled ... More >>

#9: Meat Shawarma at the Vine Mediterranean Café & Market

Jennifer SilverbergThe meat (right) and chicken shawarma on the spit at the Vine Mediterranean Cafe & Market​Inevitably your order of meat shawarma will contain a few pieces from the exterior of the spit -- crisp, even crunchy, and enjoyable in its own way, like the edges of pork carnitas. But ... More >>

St. Louis Happy Hours: South City

Frozen Vegetables Recalled for Broken Glass

Pictsweet has recalled frozen vegetables sold at Walmart and Kroger. Some products may contain broken glass. CNN has the list of product codes to avoid. Campbell's Soup is facing a boycott over halal soups in Canada. The Washington Post reports that blogger Pamela Geller, who was a vocal part of t ... More >>

Patience Is Rewarded at Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium

Day 11: My Oh My, Oh Momos!

Editor's note: Aspiring photojournalist and Gut Check contributor Kholood Eid is chronicling her Ramadan fast in diary form. Click for all Ramadan Diary entries to date. Kholood Eid​I love Greek food. Pair it with a shimmying belly dancer balancing a sword on her head and I'm in nirvana. My ... More >>

Day 5: Let's Hear It for Home Cookin'!

Editor's note: Aspiring photojournalist and Gut Check contributor Kholood Eid is chronicling her Ramadan fast in diary form. Click for all Ramadan Diary entries to date. Kholood Eid​For many, Sunday is a day of rest. For Mama, Sunday is a chance to shovel a ridiculous amount of food onto her ... More >>

World Cuppage: Brazil 3 - Ivory Coast 1; French Lessons at Tam Tam African Restaurant

photos by Keegan HamiltonTam Tam owner Kassim Kone (left) and some of the Ivory Coast contigent​Tam Tam African Restaurant is an inconspicuous storefront next to a liquor store in one of the countless strip malls that line North Lindbergh Blvd in Florissant. On a sweltering Sunday afternoon, the p ... More >>

The Morning Brew: 6.15

Almost ten years after "Fast Food Nation", author Eric Schlosser's fighting for food safety reform. He recently answered some questions from Food Safety News about the FDA, the USDA, and how the American food system favors commerce over safety. Yesterday we looked at the crazy amount of junk food ... More >>

Ian Froeb's 100 Favorite St. Louis Dishes, #77: Falafel at Kabob House

Ian FroebFalafel at Kabob House​I'm counting down -- in no particular order -- 100 of my favorite dishes in St. Louis. Some are well-known, others obscure. Some are expensive, others dirt cheap. All of them, I guarantee, are delicious.Please do not hesitate to share your own favorites via the com ... More >>

The Morning Brew: 4.30

As the oil from last week's rig explosion creeps closer to the Louisiana coast, New Orleans restaurants are becoming concerned about the fate of their local seafood, especially on the verge of oyster reproduction season. The Chicago Tribune interviewed people whose livelihoods rely on Gulf oysters t ... More >>

Review Slideshow: The Vine Mediterranean Café & Market

Jennifer Silverberg​In the mood for the best meat shawarma in town? Or some really good falafel?My review of The Vine Mediterranean Café & Market (3171 South Grand Boulevard; 314-776-0991) is now available online.In this week's Back of the House slideshow, Jennifer Silverberg takes you throug ... More >>

A Table for How Many? at Ranoush

Ranoush6501 Delmar Boulevard, University City314-726-6874Special for YouRanoush seated our large party at a special table toward the back of the restaurant. We had to walk through a colorful tent to get to it, which gave it a festive and authentic Middle Eastern feel. As we were seated, the owner ... More >>

Creative Fusion: No joke, at Café Lazeez you can get chicken tandoori and chicken tikka as pizza toppings

A Table for How Many? at Mattingly Brewing Company

Mattingly Brewing Company3000 South Jefferson Avenue314-881-1500We're Out of That, TooWhen you take a group to a restaurant, you put the menu to the test. Your group members will likely order a wide range of available items.In the case of Mattingly Brewing Company, we tried and failed.First, we lear ... More >>

Déjà Vu All Over Again: There's something a little too familiar about Mike Johnson's latest creation, Bici

Three for Three: 6.27-6.29

Hyderabad to the Bone

Ruchi will delight fans of northern and southern Indian cuisine alike.

Southtown Bound

Ian finds a trio of local gems that hit close to home.

My Ohm My

Solid eats, electric atmosphere

Restaurant Road Trip

Fast Eddie's

Georgia Satellite

Café Lavash goes to the Republic of Georgia so you don't have to

Best Vegetarian On the Cheap

Addis Restaurant

Greek Cuisine

Olympia Kebob House & Taverna

Sandwiches

St Louis Bread Co.

Zum Zum In

South Grand's newest restaurant promises delicious Subcontinental cuisine and exquisitely personal service

Greek Goods

An offering of thanks for the Greek Festival's heavenly food

Club Med