Around the Horn: 14 All-Star Restaurants

Contrary to popular belief, St. Louis doesn't really have its own style of barbecue. (St. Louis-style ribs refer to the cut, not a seasoning.) That said, the city now has a first-rate barbecue joint, thanks to Mike Emerson and his crew at Pappy's Smokehouse (3106 Olive Street; 314-535-4340). The pork ribs are out of this world, with a rosemary-spiked dry rub, but everything is fantastic. Lunch is the most popular meal — expect a line, often out the door — because Pappy's closes once it has run out of the day's allotment of meat.