St. Louis Restaurants We Can't Wait to Try

By Riverfront Times Staff on Tue, Jan 15, 2019 at 9:05 pm

The St. Louis restaurant scene is on fire. New places are sprouting up all the time, pop-ups are taking over the city and it looks like the secret is out: even Food & Wine said that we’re the fifth best place to eat in the entire country. It’s a lot to keep up with but we’re up to the task. We can’t wait to check out all of these restaurants plus Diego's, Midwestern, Il Palato, Kimchi Guys, AO&CO, Prime 55 Restaurant & Lounge and the new Kemoll's location. It’s going to be a big year filled with lots to eat and we are very, very hungry.

It’s a lot to keep up with but we’re up to the task. We can’t wait to check out all of these restaurants plus Diego's, Midwestern, Il Palato, Kimchi Guys, AO&CO, Prime 55 Restaurant & Lounge and the new Kemoll's location. It’s going to be a big year filled with lots to eat and we are very, very hungry.

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Beast Butcher & Block

David Sandusky does nothing small, so it’s no surprise that his second outlet, Beast Butcher & Block, will be more than just a restaurant. Conceived as a temple to barbecue and butchery, the forthcoming Grove location will feature everything from a restaurant to a butcher shop to a demonstration kitchen.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Sandusky knows how to make premium barbecue.

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Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

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Bulrush

James Beard award nominee Rob Connoley’s much-anticipated restaurant has been plagued by delays, but 2019 looks to be the year we will finally get a taste of his Ozark-inspired restaurant. Expect a tasting menu concept in Grand Center featuring creative dishes made from foraged ingredients and a dining experience where every last detail -- from the flatware to the lighting -- has been extensively thought through.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Chef Connoley’s vegetable marrow with roasted carrots in sesame seasoning, carrot hummus and beet hummus was a hit at Squatter's Cafe.

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Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Balkan Treat Box

Loryn and Edo Nalic’s food truck by the same name has thrust Bosnian food into the spotlight, earning national recognition in the process. This year, their Balkan-inspired concept gets a brick-and-mortar location in Webster Groves, finally giving them the space they need to show the full extent of what they can do.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Balkan Treat Box's pide is stuffed with beef or cheese and served with ajvar, a spicy roasted red-pepper relish.

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Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Morning Glory

Ari Jo Ellis’ first restaurant, the Cut, showed what she could do with sausages and butchery from a tiny kitchen inside the Fortune Teller Bar. With Morning Glory, the sausage-making will be incorporated into her vision for a classic, greasy spoon style diner in the former home of Vista Ramen on Cherokee Street.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Everybody loved Chef Ellis’ sausages at The Cut.

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Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Ben Grupe's not-yet named place

Ben Grupe has been a culinary Olympian, a Bocuse d’Or finalist and executive chef at one of the city’s top restaurants, Elaia. Now he is ready to branch out on his own with a concept he is still in the process of developing through a dinner series called Work in Progress. Grupe is using the series as research and development in order to hone his concept, but one thing is sure: Whatever he does, it’s sure to be one of the year’s most thrilling openings.

Photo courtesy of R.J. Hartbeck

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Elaia has always been a St. Louis favorite, we can't wait to see what Chef Grupe does next.

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Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

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Good Bowl (inside Doghaus)

Soulard residents -- and pretty much anyone in the bi-state area with dreams of imbibing with Fido -- were overjoyed to hear that the neighborhood was getting its first dog bar, Doghaus, this year. Now, there is even more reason to rejoice: “Plantain Girl” Mandy Estrella will be providing food. Called Good Bowl, the food counter will serve dishes that keep with Estrella’s Latin American culinary style and are sure to please dog’s best friend.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Estrella's "La Tripleta" sandwich at Alphateria combines steak, pork and ham on toasted Cuban bread. Let's hope she has this as Good Bowl, too.

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Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Beef Bar, Homestead and Fried (all from Josh Akers and Derek Shulze)

Red Oak Biscuits founders Josh Akers and Derek Shulze have a busy year ahead of them, with three new concepts planned to roll out in quick succession. Beef Bar, a burger and cocktail-focused eatery, will open on Washington Avenue across from their forthcoming salads and smoothies spot, Homestead. As if those won’t be enough to keep the duo occupied, look for their Southern comfort food-inspired late-night spot, Fried, which will feature CBD-infused sauces.

Photo courtesy of Tom Hellauer

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Hydroponic systems such as this one at Red Oak Biscuits are used by Akers and Schulze to grow much of their own food. What they can not grow themselves, they get from local farmers, such as Schulze's father.

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Photo courtesy of Tom Hellauer

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