Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Critic Evan Benn to Depart Post-Dispatch in April

Post-Dispatch restaurant critic Evan Benn has submitted his resignation to the paper. Benn will move to Miami, where his wife, Teri, a physician, has taken a new position. Benn will return to the Miami Herald, where he worked before moving to St. Louis in 2009. Benn's time at the Post-Dispatch has ... More >>

Eric Heath Destroys a Giant Vase and Bans Death Metal in His Kitchen: A Q&A with the Cleveland-Heath Chef

This is part two of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Eric Heath of Cleveland-Heath. Read part one, a profile of Heath, here. Part three, a recipe from Heath, will be available on Friday. For years Eric Heath and Jenny Cleveland planned to open a restaurant together. But when they found the pe ... More >>

Cleveland-Heath's Seared Beef Tongue: One of 100 St. Louis Dishes You Must Try Right Now

The Gut Check One Hundred is our accounting of the 100 dishes in St. Louis that you must eat right now. These are the best dishes at the newest restaurants and the newest dishes at the best restaurants. These are the 100 dishes that define St. Louis dining in 2013. Our list culminates this fall when ... More >>

Best in Shaw: Botanical Heights hits the jackpot with chef Ben Poremba's far-from-identical twins Elaia and Olio

Slideshow: Photos from Inside Elaia and Olio

Josh Galliano, Acclaimed Chicago Sommeliers to Open New Restaurant, the Libertine

Acclaimed chef Josh Galliano, already busy setting up the food program at the soon-to-open MX Movies downtown, has yet another project in the works: The former executive chef at the late An American Place and Monarch will head the kitchen at The Libertine, a new venture from Nick and Audra Luedde. ... More >>

Esprit de Course: Little Country Gentleman's grand tasting menu lays down the gauntlet

Slideshow: Photos from Little Country Gentleman

First Look: Elaia and Olio

The unassuming old (circa 1937) Standard Oil gas station at the corner of McRee and Tower Grove Avenues in the city's Botanical Heights neighborhood has received a new lease on life, thanks to chef Ben Poremba, one of the masterminds behind the acclaimed salumeria Salume Beddu. Poremba has renovate ... More >>

The Egg & I Coming Soon to St. Louis

The Egg & I, a breakfast-and-lunch restaurant chain founded in Fort Collins, Colorado, in 1987, will open its first St. Louis location this July at 11692 Manchester Road in Des Peres. The Egg & I currently has locations in thirteen states (not counting Missouri), including at 455-D Regency Park Driv ... More >>

Trattoria Marcella Announces Second Location

The acclaimed south city Italian restaurant Trattoria Marcella (3600 Watson Avenue; 314-352-7706) announced today that it will open a second location in west county. The new restaurant, to be located in the new Ballwin Grove development on Clayton Road north west of Route 141, is slated to open some ... More >>

A First Look at Hooked

Evan C. Jones​Since stopping by in August, Gut Check has been anticipating the opening of Hooked (8613 Olive Boulevard; 314-997-8886) in the old Pho Long space. There have been several bureaucratic hiccups causing delays (most recent issue: the restaurant was sent the wrong liquor license), bu ... More >>

Anthony Devoti on Five Bistro's New Tasting, Late Night Menus

Ian FroebThe famed Five Bistro burger (at its original home, Newstead Tower Public House)​Five Bistro (5100 Daggett Avenue; 314-773-5553) this week introduces two new menu options. On Friday and Saturday, in addition to the regular à la carte dinner menu, the restaurant is serving a five-course t ... More >>

Tucci & Fresta's Trattoria & Bar Now Open in Clayton

Ian Froeb​Tucci & Fresta's Trattoria & Bar opened this week at 15 North Central Avenue in Clayton, the address vacated by Portabella this May. Kim Tucci and Joe Fresta are the eponymous owners of the new venture. You know them as the co-founders of the Pasta House Co.Tucci & Fresta's i ... More >>

Want a Table? Sign This Contract First

The Washington, D.C., branch of Eater today looks at Rouge 24, a new restaurant that requires diners to sign a contract as part of their reservation. It's a pretty remarkable document.The contract stipulates that diners who cancel their reservations after 3 p.m. on the day of the meal or who show up ... More >>

Beef Spedini at Ricardo's Italian Cafe

Robin WheelerBeef spedini lunch special at Ricardo's Italian Cafe​ The Place: Ricardo's Italian Cafe (1931 Park Avenue; 314-421-4833) the 22-year-old Italian stalwart in Lafayette Square The Lunch: Beef spedini with bread, a house salad and side of pasta with red sauce from the restaurant's $ ... More >>

Mad Tomato Opens in Clayton Tomorrow, May 10

Ian FroebMad Tomato, a new restaurant in Clayton​Mad Tomato, the new Italian restaurant from chef Vito Racanelli Jr. (Onesto Pizza and Trattoria, the late Big V's Burger Joint), will open its doors at 8000 Carondelet Avenue in Clayton at 11 a.m. tomorrow, May 10.The lunch menu offers pizzas, panin ... More >>

Additional Thoughts on the Closing of An American Place

Larry Forgione​Tom Finkel already provided a thorough postmortem yesterday on the news that Larry Forgione's An American Place will soon close its doors. To his analysis I'd add only this:In the same Sauce Magazine roundtable that Tom cites for Forgione's comments about portion size, the chef also ... More >>

You know what they say about restaurants: Small plate, small wine list

FoodWire: New Tasting, Lunch Menus at Araka

Jennifer Silverberg​Clayton restaurant Araka (131 Carondelet Plaza; website) has announced a revised lunch menu and a new seven-course tasting menu. The lunch menu (link PDF) includes several new dishes, including spinach-ricotta raviolo, a beef short-rib sandwich and an adobo-rubbed skirt steak. ... More >>

The Novice Foodie: The Prix (Fixe) Is Right at Acero

Two common obstacles to people who want to explore cuisine are 1) money and 2) feelings of insecurity. St. Louisans as a whole seem obsessed with value in dining. They want a lot for their money -- ever seen the lines outside Cunetto's? -- and in this economic climate, they might not have much mone ... More >>

Power Steering: Long a fixture across the river, Andria's Steakhouse opts for westward expansion

Review Preview: Best of St. Louis 2008

How many strikes before you call a restaurant out?

Gut Check:
Acero in Bon Appétit; Sassafras goes green at MoBot

Opening Next Month: Cafe Ventana

Quack Addict: Let nothing come between Ian and his duck-fat frites

Do you miss good ol’ home cookin’? Revival wants to raise your spirits.

Review Preview: Revival

Dining Out for Life This Thursday

Days of Wine and Pizza

Weekend News: Sommelier Chris Hoel Splits for California

Sommelier Chris Hoel Splits for California

Dead Red?

Spring has sprung, and the restaurant scene's abuzz with change.

Dining Out for Life

Review Preview: Sage

The Wine Master

A St. Louis sommelier strives to be among the best in the world.

One Burger, One Guac and One Beer

Let's belly up to tLet's belly up to the William D. Alandale Brewing Co. in Kirkwood

Outta Sight

Juniper Grill triumphs even as a small, unassuming storefront bistro in Soulard

Best Wine List in a Restaurant

Riddle's Penultimate Café and Wine Bar

Rock the Boat

Yackey's on the River brings hope and hush puppies to the banks of the Mississippi

Paradise Found

The majestic new Monarch brings world-class cuisine to St. Louis

Bar None

Bar Italia has retained its stellar reputation because it's just that good

A Fine How-Do-You-Do

Restaurateur Jean Donnelly makes a tasteful homecoming

Slice of Paris

Le Petit Paris is a fine stand-in for the City of Light

By the Numbers

Though 12 North's name is unimaginative, its food is anything but

New Restaurant

Sqwires

Crossing to Safety

You're in no danger of getting a bad meal at The Crossing, one of the Midwest's finest restaurants

News of the Weir

Well-known St. Louis restaurateur Jack Weir brings us another offering

Little Things Mean a Lot

Celebrating the spring Harvest

Yukon Goldfinger

Bond -- Dennis Bond -- brings delicious innovation to the Chesterfield Valley

What Does It Mean When Restaurants Advertise "Fine Foods" or "Fine Dining"?