5. Little Country Gentleman (8135 Maryland Avenue, Clayton; 314-725-0719)
8 courses, $84 per person Total Cost: $210
When Mike Randolph opened Little Country Gentleman late last year, he offered a wildly ambitious "grand" tasting menu that covered a dozen (or more) courses. (Read our Little Country Gentleman review.) He has since refined that to eight courses. The specifics change frequently, but you can count on adventurous, sometimes thrilling, dishes.
4. Niche (7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-773-7755)
10 courses, $85 per person Total Cost: $213
Since relocating from Benton Park to Clayton, Gerard Craft's acclaimed flagship restaurant has adopted a prix-fixe-only format, either four courses for $55 per person or ten courses for $85 per person. Relative to comparable restaurants, the ten-course meal is a steal -- and it allows you to be wowed by the creativity and skill of Craft and his top lieutenants Adam Altnether and Nate Herford. A vegetarian tasting menu is also available.
3. The Crossing (7823 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-721-7375)
7 courses, $85 per person Total Cost: $213
As at Acero, the "Grand Tasting Menu" at Jim Fiala's the Crossing begins at $85 per person, but could increase depending on the ingredients used. For your money, chef Matt Abeshouse presents a progression of seven seasonal dishes that often bear a French or Italian accent. Also, as at Acero, the a four-course tasting menu is available for $32 per person or, for the "premium" version, for $45 per person.
2. Tony's (410 Market Street, 314-231-7007)
5 courses, $90 per per person Total Cost: $225
Technically, this isn't a per-person meal. The menu lists it as the "Chef's Tasting Menu for Two," and it's like a greatest hits of old-school indulgences: an antipasto of smoked salmon, asparagus and mascarpone with Belgian endive; pasta with lobster and shrimp; beef tenderloin with foie gras; fruit and cheese; dessert. The high price also includes Tony's impeccable service. Impressively, wine pairings are available for only $30 more, total.
1. Elaia (1634 Tower Grove Avenue; 314-932-1088)
10-14 courses, $100 per person Total Cost: $250
The new kid on the block, three-month-old Elaia is already swinging for the fences. Chef Ben Poremba offers a dozen or so small and often painstakingly elegant courses for the steep -- but, if you can justify it (or, if not justify, tolerate eating Hamburger Helper for a week or two to compensate) utterly worthwhile -- price of $100 per person. Expect to be as impressed by rustic dishes like a bowl of green beans or charred octopus as by the fancy parfait of fois gras.
