A glorious flavor vehicle not nearly as persnickety to cook as its reputation otherwise suggests, eggplant has been low-key livening up the menus at some of the area's restaurant hot spots over the past year. Here are a handful of ways to get your fix.
Patlidzan, Balkan Treat Box
You could stuff just about anything into Balkan Treat Box's (8103 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves; 314-733-5700) char-speckled, wood-fired bread and make it delicious, but Loryn Nalic and company go above and beyond with their beautiful fire-kissed eggplant sandwich, topped with luscious kajmak cheese, eggs, herbs, veggies and addictive apricot pomegranate molasses.
Berenjenas Quemadas, Bar Moro
Ben Poremba's mastery of "Middleterranean" cuisine is on full display at Bar Moro (7610 Wydown Boulevard, Clayton) in the form of the berenjenas quemadas, a haunting melange of pureed eggplant, honey and tahini that is placed atop charred strips of the purple vegetable and accented with sweet tomato pulp and sherry. There's warmth, smoke, tartness and a very subtle hint of mint that nods to the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa.
Eggplant Parmesan, O+O Pizza
The gold standard of all eggplant Parmesans — if not of American-inflected dining at large — O+O Pizza's (102 West Lockwood Avenue, Webster Groves; 314-721-5422) eggplant Parmesan is, hands-down, one of the best bites of food in the metro area. Chef Mike Risk has been mastering Italian cuisine for years, and it's beautiful to see him finally get the credit he deserves.
Hot Eggplant, Yen Ching
An icon of the St. Louis restaurant scene, Yen Ching (1012 South Brentwood Boulevard, Richmond Heights; 314-721-7507) has distinguished itself over the decades with stunning Chinese-American fare such as its hot eggplant, a sizzling display that perfectly marries sweetness, salt, heat and a little bit of sour.
Babaganoush, Al-Tarboush Deli
Al-Tarboush Deli (602 Westgate Avenue, University City; 314-725-1944) owner Sleiman "Sam" Bathani may have spent much of his life as a Lebanese pop star, but these days, the beautiful music he's making is his restaurant's babaganoush, a creamy concoction that is equal parts smoke and garlic.
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