Long the bastion of barbecue and mass-market beer, St. Louis has undergone a culinary renaissance in recent years. Today, local chefs are garnering national attention, entrepreneurs are rejuvenating long-neglected neighborhoods, there’s a lively food-truck scene and, yes, even a few local microbreweries are taking a swing at the now-Belgian-owned Budweiser behemoth.
Leading the charge is Pastaria, a casual Italian spot from chef Gerard Craft that opened in September and already has the sort of hours-long wait New Yorkers are known to endure at Momofuku joints. The signature chitarra pasta might be simply prepared with olive oil, garlic and chili, but the ethereal dish somersaults past the sum of its parts. Salve your wait at the no-reservations spot in the Clayton area with a half-carafe of vino at the bar, which opens before the dining room, at 4 p.m. daily.
Part of a resurgent downtown are Baileys’ Range, Bridge and Rooster, a trio of restaurants from David Bailey, the Stephen Starr of St. Louis. Wildly different in concept, the burger joint, wine bar and breakfast spots, respectively, combine to offer round-the-clock farm-to-fork fare. And Bailey’s Chocolate Bar, on Lafayette Square, is the go-to place for hot chocolate.
Mediterranean restaurant Nico opened about a year ago in the heart of the funky University City neighborhood, across the street from the storied Blueberry Hill bar and restaurant, where Chuck Berry still makes an occasional appearance. Not content to coast on proximity to fame, Nico deftly hop-scotches through the flavors of France, Italy and Morocco — a bouillabaisse here, a lamb burger there. Patio seating and a strong cocktail program round out the offerings — and explain why Nico’s has already been named a reader favorite by the local alt-weekly.
Also in University City is the new brick-and-mortar location of Seoul Taco. Co-owner David Choi got his culinary start in a food truck — who doesn’t these days? — but he’s now slinging bulgogi from a storefront a block away from Nico.
Capitalist Pig is a cleverly named barbecue pop-up inside the Mad Art Gallery in the Soulard neighborhood, a stone’s throw from the Anheuser-Busch plant. Former cop and current gallerist Ronald Buechele has transformed this 1937 police station into a nerve center for the city’s creative community, but even starving artists need to eat, it seems. Hardwood smoked pork ribs, chicken and brisket are on the menu, and the blackberry-ancho sauce is as creative as the work on the walls.
Like Mad Art, the local microbrew scene exists in the shadow of Budweiser. Nevertheless, Schlafly has carved out a substantial niche, with a huge variety of brews on menus across St. Louis and at their flagship Tap Room. The Six Row Brewing Company, a veritable infant on the scene, opened its brewery and tap room in the Midtown neighborhood in 2009.
Where to get a stiff drink? Newcomer Livery Company, on the Cherokee Street corridor, might be the hippest bar in town, the spartan decor notwithstanding. With New Orleans-inspired cocktails, a single tap, plenty of Pabst Blue Ribbon and occasional open mic nights and other performances, it’s not for everyone — but then again, neither is white whiskey nor any of the other small-batch American spirits that owner Emily Ebeling keeps in stock.