In this suffocating heat — where the thought of consuming anything other than a classic daiquiri can feel downright oppressive — a great salad is one of the few acceptable meal choices. These five gems offer the area's best culinary respite.
Little Gem at Union Loafers
Every last thing about the Union Loafers (1629 Tower Grove Avenue, 314-833-6111) Little Gem salad is perfect: the fresh, crisp lettuce; the thinly-sliced shallots; the fresh herbs that infuse every bite with verdant flavor; the way the breadcrumbs surround every buttermilk-coated bite. And then there are the succulent cubes of bacon that are allegedly optional, but let's be real ...
Garden Greens at Twisted Tree Steakhouse
The steaks and deep-fried lobster tail are what draw people into Twisted Tree (10701 Watson Road, Sunset Hills; 314-394-3366), but its Garden Greens salad might be its dark horse best offering. The restaurant serves the salad to each table in a communal metal bowl alongside side dishes of best-in-class croutons, feta cheese crumbles, the restaurant's signature creamy onion Pear Tree vinaigrette and Madam French dressings that, IYKYK, beg to be mixed.
Fried Artichoke Salad at Katie's Pizza and Pasta Osteria
Katie's Pizza and Pasta Osteria (multiple locations including 9658 Manchester Road, Rock Hill; 314-942-6555) offers an embarrassment of riches in the salad department (that watermelon salad, the burrata, the fried capers on the kale caesar), but the crown goes to its famous fried artichoke salad, which pairs the golden fried veggies with roasted asparagus, greens, pistachios and goat cheese. Is there anything this restaurant can't do flawlessly?
Caesar at Wright's Tavern
Wright's Tavern (7624 Wydown Boulevard, Clayton; 314-390-1466) Chef Cary McDowell set out to make the Platonic form of the Caesar salad — nothing more and certainly nothing less. What he's achieved with this masterpiece is everything you want when you order the dish: zesty dressing, crisp romaine, mouthwatering croutons and so much freshly shaved parmesan it looks like the salad got caught in a blizzard.
Tomato and Burrata at Westchester
'Tis the damn season for tomatoes — thickly sliced, juicy, fresh-from-the-farm beauties that make you wonder why we even bother with those monstrosities that fill the grocery stores in January. Westchester (127 Chesterfield Towne Center, Chesterfield; 636-778-0635) classically pairs them with silken burrata, then adds pickled onions, pistachios and fresh herbs for a dish that is summertime on a plate.
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