Restaurant Reviews

St. Louis' Andrey Ivanov Wins Midwest Regional Young Sommelier 2013

Russia isn't generally known for breeding wine connoisseurs, but Russian-born Andrey Ivanov is making sure St. Louis is. The 27-year-old general manager and beverage director of Elaia and Olio (1634 Tower Grove Avenue; 314-932-1088) is the Midwest Regional Winner in the national "2013 Best Young S ... More >>

The Restaurant at the Cheshire: A Tudor Coup?

Slideshow: Inside the Restaurant at the Cheshire

Siete Luminarias' Guanajuato-Style Carnitas: One of 100 St. Louis Dishes You Must Eat 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 >>

Tasting Menus in St. Louis Might Stretch Your Budget, But They Won't Beach a Whale

Our friends at Eater are celebrating "Whale Week," a tribute to high-spending diners -- or whales, as they're known in industry-speak. As part of the festivities, Eater ranked the fourteen most expensive tasting menus in America. The cheapest ("cheapest") tasting menu on the list is at Daniel in New ... More >>

Wine Wars

The Nine Best Wine Bars in St. Louis

Gut Check has been looking back on the Riverfront Times Best of St. Louis 2011, but we're also keeping an eye on the Best of St. Louis 2012 by nominating finalists for our awards this fall. To see hundreds more winners and finalists, suggest your own contenders and download the Riverfront Times Best ... More >>

First Look: Blackfinn American Grill

One of the first things Gut Check noticed upon walking into Blackfinn American Grille (1147 Saint Louis Galleria; 314-726-5300) is the sheer size of the restaurant. Occupying the former Mark Shale space at the Galleria, Blackfinn boasts almost 10,000 square feet of space and offers a variety of dini ... More >>

Salt, Four St. Louis Chefs Among James Beard Semifinalists

The James Beard Foundation today announced the semifinalists for its annual awards honoring restaurants and chefs (link PDF). St. Louis scored four chefs in the category "Best Chef: Midwest" and -- a first, to the best of my knowledge -- a restaurant in the "Best New Restaurant" category, which incl ... 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 >>

Amigos Cantina Opening New Location in Webster Groves, Not Delmar Loop

Stew Smith​A trusted operative notified Gut Check that there are signs at 35 North Gore Avenue in Webster Groves announcing La Cantina, a new restaurant from Amigos Cantina (120 West Jefferson Avenue, Kirkwood; 314-821-0877). Sound familiar?In September, Amigos owner Robert Trevino announced that ... More >>

Post of the Month: The Five Best New Restaurants in St. Louis

Gut Check is constantly working to bring the latest food news to our readers. As a result, we do a lot of blogging. In an effort to draw attention to great posts that may have otherwise been lost in the blogosphere (and to recognize our hard-working writers), we present Post of the Month.Selecting t ... More >>

Crostini Restaurant & Lounge Now Open

Ian Froeb​Crostini Restaurant & Lounge opened this week at 4501 Manchester Road in Forest Park Southeast. When Gut Check spoke with owner and chef Eric Winbigler in May, he described Crostini as an "old 'Mama'-style Italian restaurant, a family-style restaurant."Winbigler is still preparing th ... More >>

Dear Chuy Arzola's: Please Don't Change Lunch.

Welcome to Lunch Bucket List, a recurring feature in which Gut Check checks out the many lunch specials available at restaurants around town. Know a lunch special we should check out? Drop us a line.Robin WheelerThe Austin from Chuy Arzola's​The Place: Chuy Arzola's (3701 Lindell Boulevard; 31 ... More >>

Duck Yeah: Wes Johnson's new restaurant is fun -- and fantastic

Vino Nadoz Opening at the Boulevard in Richmond Heights This Week

Vino Nadoz was transformed from a Cold Stone Creamery to a sleek 43-seat restaurant by the architects at SPACE.​For the past nine years, Steven and Kathy Becker have been serving up fast-casual meals at Nadoz Euro Bakery & Café -- with the original location at the Coronado Ballroom in midtown ... More >>

(City)Garden Spot: Downtown's new cultural gem gets a restaurant to match

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fond

A long-delayed visit to an Edwardsville culinary gem.

Simple Melody: It's not the same song and dance at Seasons St. Louis

The Morning Brew: Thursday, 8.6

The New York Times announces that Sam Sifton, the paper's culture editor (and former dining editor), will be its new restaurant critic.New York coffeehouses are pulling the plug on laptops at peak hours. Is it the beginning of a trend? (Wall Street Journal)(See Zach Dyer's take on this issue from hi ... More >>

The Noble Writ: Corkage with Class

On the relatively few occasions when I dine at a nice restaurant, I'm usually seen carrying my "geek bag." (I have used the 820 model for almost ten years.) Inside will be three or four wines from my cellar that I am willing to pay to open pursuant to the restaurant's corkage policy.A restaurant tha ... 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 >>

Review Preview: Señor Pop's

This week I visit Señor Pop's, a new(ish) Puerto Rican restaurant in South City. Any restaurant critic worth his weight in rendered duck fat keeps two lists in his head. One identifies those with reason to wish him harm. I dine anonymously, yes, but let me tell you: If, while strolling through the ... More >>

Plant Power: Local Harvest Café embodies a welcome new concept in sustainable chowing-down

Review Preview: Bobo Noodle House

A sneak peek at the first review of 2009, Bobo Noodle House.

Now Open: Racanelli's Cucina and Racanelli's Express

New (sorta) in the Delmar Loop is Racanelli's Cucina. (The Web site is currently a placeholder.) The new restaurant, which has taken over almost all of the old Market in the Loop at 6655 Delmar Boulevard isn't merely another Racanelli's pizza joint but a full-fledged sit-down restaurant. The menu ... More >>

Poll: How Many Chances Do You Give a New Restaurant?

Prepare to get your grub on at Downtown Restaurant Week

Which Red with Bread

And does it come in a box?

Weekend News: Sommelier Chris Hoel Splits for California

Harvest Time

Just Ducky

Clayton's newest restaurant has style to burn — and the substance to back it up.

Eh ~scape

The Central West End's newest upscale eatery has Ian looking for the exit door.

Wine Spectator Restaurant Awards 2007

Little Wonder

Chef Kevin Willmann makes impressively more with less at Erato.

Balaban's Is Back

Same as it ever was? No — but that's not a bad thing.

RFT Readers Show Their Bunny Love

Apparently not everyone likes to eat rabbits.

Git Up, Baby!

Mike Shannon’s redone his namesake steak house -- and it’s a real humdinger

Cherry on Top

We're over the moon for this delectable new fusion spot

Best Italian Restaurant (Not Cheap)

Trattoria Marcella

Stoners

The Rose Garden offers up a tasty gimmick

Father Figures

The dishes and decor at Arthur Clay's in Maplewood are downright inspired

Something's Fishy

Welcome to Aqua Vin, the seafood restaurant for people who aren't all that thrilled about the stuff

Business Lunch

Cardwell's

Hall of Flame

Football Cardinal great Jackie Smith promises diners a hot time at his new West County restaurant

Side Dish

A toast to a new Lafayette Square wine bar

Letters to the Editor

Call of the Wild