St. Louis Chefs to Obsess Over [PHOTOS]

Navin’s BBQ owner and pit master Chris Armstrong may be a newcomer to the St. Louis barbecue scene, but his 'cue has quickly become a favorite within the community. With a brand named as a nod to one of Armstrong’s favorite films, The Jerk, and featuring sandwiches like "The Lou," which includes Red Hot Riplet crumbs, Provel cheese and a toasted ravioli garnish, Armstrong’s sense of creativity and humor is on full display at Navin’s. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Chef Ronda Walker was a nurse for 30 years before deciding to follow her dream and open Creole With a Splash of Soul, which features a delicious menu of Creole cuisine with a soul food twist. The interior of this Grove fan favorite is warm and welcoming, like the comfiest and most elegant home you’ve ever visited. Ronda’s ambition to chase her dreams, even in spite of obstacles like her own personal health issues, is inspiring, making this 2021 addition to the St. Louis restaurant community one not to miss. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Nick Bognar is a James Beard Award semi-finalist for his work at his restaurant, iNDO. Currently, he splits his time between the Botanical Heights hot spot and Ballwin's Nippon Tei, serving some of St. Louis’ finest Southeast Asian and Japanese Cuisine around. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Steve Ewing’s hot dogs are a south city staple, so popular within the St. Louis community that when he announced that Steve's Hot Dogs would be permanently closing its doors in 2019, the public simply would not let it happen. Ewing's menu includes everything from classic hot dogs and burgers to wild specials like a hot dog topped with a toasted ravioli. Ewing himself was a vegetarian for many years, so he has a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, making it easy for everyone to find something they like at Steve's Hot Dogs. Photo credit: Colby at Matchbox

Cathy Jenkins opened Cathy's Kitchen with inspiration from her travels around the country and the food she tried along the way. Her menu is divided not by type of dish, but by sections of the United States, filling each category with food from each place. Cathy’s delicious menu features Chicago-style Italian beef sandwiches, New Orleans jambalaya and Memphis-style barbecue, allowing visitors to experience a food tour of the entire country without leaving North County. Photo credit: Kelly Glueck

Alexa Camp is executive chef of The Drawing Board, Tower Grove South’s new hot spot for drinking, dining, and games. Co-owners Matt Wamser (pictured, left) and Paul Wamser gave her freedom to do whatever she liked. She is drawn to dishes that are more elevated than typical dive bar fare, such as smash burgers, smoked meats and falafel sliders, ensuring that this recent addition to Tower Grove South will be a St. Louis favorite. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Known in the St. Louis vegan scene simply as “Chef Chris,” Chris Bertke has developed a loyal following for his thrilling plant-based fare. His whimsical pop-ups at St. Charles’ Vegan Butcher and Deli, where he formerly worked, drew crowds and created a great amount of buzz for his creative take on vegan food. Since his departure from Vegan Butcher and Deli, he’s worked in ghost kitchens around the city and has plans for more vegan pop-ups, including a vegan pizza spot. Photo credit: Compliments of Chris Bertke

David Sandusky of BEAST Craft BBQ has been featured on Food Network’s BBQ Brawl and is known throughout the St. Louis community for his “all killer, no filler” approach to barbecue. Now with three restaurants and a butcher shop under his belt, he has established himself as one of the region's premier pit masters. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Chef Loryn Nalic co-owns Webster Groves’ Balkan Treat Box with her husband, Edo Nalic. A veteran hospitality professional, Nalic became passionate about Balkan cuisine after meeting Edo, who immigrated from Bosnia to St. Louis in the 1990’s. She traveled around the region, learning about and perfecting Balkan cuisine before opening Balkan Treat Box, first as a food truck and now as a brick and mortar and has received local and national recognition for her thrilling food. Photo credit: Sara Bannoura

Joe McMahon always knew he wanted to be a chef and went from helping his grandmother in the kitchen to Director of Culinary Operations and Development for the Mission Taco Joint brand. A longtime fan of Mission himself, he finds inspiration in not only the restaurant's food, but in the way his colleagues love what they do. Photo credit: Andy Paulissen

Yolklore's Mary Bogacki found herself ahead of the curve when restaurants needed to change the way they operated during the COVID-19 indoor dining closures in March 2020 and beyond. Know for its thoughtful daytime fare, Yolklore's drive-through window and eco-friendly paper dinnerware, Bogacki made it easy to continue serving its guests in a carry-out only manner, ensuring the restaurant would not only survive, but thrive during the pandemic. Photo credit: Ronald Wagner

Cooking in local kitchens from Trattoria Marcella to Olive + Oak set acclaimed chef Mike Risk up for his latest project. Originally conceived of as an evening concept inside the Clover and the Bee, O+O pizza, is not a standalone restaurant, serving Italian fare such as a hybrid of New Haven- and Roman-style pizza, which features a wood-fired pie with a thin and crispy crust. St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly is such a fan of Risk’s eggplant parmigiana that he had it shipped on dry ice back to his parents in Canada. Luckily, St. Louisans don’t need to rely on international shipping to get a taste of Risk’s meals. Photo credit: Andy Paulissen

James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Midwest, Michael Gallina, was forced to reimagine what it looks like to be a chef during the COVID-19 pandemic at his restaurant Vicia and Winslow's Table. What hasn't changed is Gallina’s fierce commitment to celebrating local ingredients through vegetable-forward menu filled with entrees like “chicken fried carrots” and “potato pizza,” earning him national acclaim. Photo credit: Jonathan Gayman

James Beard Award semifinalist Jesse Mendica honed her chops at the Chesterfield fine-dining mainstay Annie Gunn’s before leading the kitchen at the wildly popular Webster Groves restaurant, Olive+ Oak. There, alongside co-owner and General Manager Mark Hinkel, she has created one of the city's most loved and respected restaurants. Photo credit: Holly Ravazzolo

Vegan for over two decades, brothers Brad Roach and Brian Roash opened South Grand’s Terror Tacos as a response to the lack of vegan eateries that matched their particular vibe and aesthetic. With neon walls, horror movie inspired decor, and loud metal music playing inside the restaurant, Terror Tacos reflects the brothers’ decision to become vegan as a political statement during their time in the mid-90’s hardcore music scene. Their take on traditional meat and cheese based dishes like giant burritos and spicy birria tacos are some of the best Mexican-inspired fare in St. Louis. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Katie Lee Collier, of Katie's Pizza and Pasta fame, is a total badass. Collier opened her first restaurant, Katie’s Pizza, with her father thirteen years ago and quickly developed a loyal following for her inspired Italian fare. After meeting her husband and now business partner, Ted Collier, she expanded on what she'd created, first in Rock Hill and next in Town and Country. Most recently, the Colliers have achieved notable success during the ongoing pandemic with their frozen pizza line, showing her grit and determination in the face of challenging circumstances. Photo credit: Courtesy of Katie Collier

Melanie Meyer uses food to connect with her Korean heritage. Adopted from South Korea as a baby and raised in rural Missouri, she began exploring her roots and discovered a love for Korean cuisine. She translated this love into the restaurant Tiny Chef, a humble food counter inside the Silver Ballroom where Meyer prides herself in making all of her food from scratch, even ingredients that are readily available pre-made. Photo credit: Andy Paulissen

Chef Marie-Ann Velasco met her Nudo House co-owner, Qui Tran, as a regular customer at the original Delmar Boulevard location of Mai Lee, where the two became fast friends and often discussed dreams of opening a restaurant inspired by their shared love of ramen. Their dream became a reality with the opening of Creve Coeur's Nudo House, a ramen destination so popular a second location was opened in the Delmar Loop to keep up with the high volume of customers. Still leading the kitchen at the original Creve Coeur location, Velasco's ramen is a St. Louis favorite, with dishes like the "Hebrew Hammer" bringing in ramen fans from all over the city. Photo credit: Mabel Suen

One of the most celebrated chefs in the St. Louis food and beverage community, James Beard Award winner Gerard Craft is one of the key figures in building up the city's dining scene. From Benton Park, where he opened the original Niche in 2005, to the City Foundry, where he served as culinary director, and everywhere in between, Craft's impact on how St. Louis eats and drinks cannot be understated. Photo credit: Jennifer Silverberg