St. Louis' Best New Restaurants of 2019
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Catherine Neville
Publisher
These can’t-miss spots are pushing boundaries and defining local flavor – but most importantly, they’re the restaurants we want to return to again and again. Here, we share our picks for this year’s best new restaurants that have opened in St. Louis from November 2018 to October 2019.
Bait
It turns out geography is not destiny. St. Louis is more than 800 miles from the closest ocean, but Bait succeeds in transporting diners to a luxurious seaside locale with chic tropical décor, stunning live florals and, most importantly, unbelievably fresh seafood and fish. Chef Ceaira Jackson creates her tantalizing dishes with ingredients sourced from fishermen who ship them to her the day after they’re caught – almost nothing is more than a day old when she gets her hands on it. Seafood-lovers won’t want to miss the Caribbean red snapper: Substantial enough for two, Jackson plates a whole fried snapper with Caribbean rice and pickled Napa cabbage slaw, alongside a trio of sauces: mango salsa, chimichurri and hot pepper. Start with Thai red curry mussels, carrots three ways or the lobster salad with perfectly poached lobster, marinated asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes, pea shoots, white Cheddar cheese and supremed orange wedges on a bed of arugula and spring greens tossed in a Champagne-citrus vinaigrette. No matter what you order, Bait proves that you can still experience exquisite seafood and fresh fish in the landlocked Midwest. (Photo by Gregg Goldman)
Bait, 4239 Lindell Blvd., Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.405.2797, baitstl.com
Balkan Treat Box
If there was a single dish to win the hearts of St. Louis diners this year, we’d argue for Balkan Treat Box’s pide. The boat-shaped Turkish flatbread is loaded with seasoned meat, the daily vegetable or cheese, plus creamy kajmak, tangy ajvar, herbs and cabbage; it's quickly become the calling card for the acclaimed restaurant. Having put down roots in Webster Groves, Missouri, earlier this year after making a name for itself as a food truck, the eatery still gets a line out the door most days. Owners Loryn and Edo Nalic specialize in traditional wood-fired Turkish and Bosnian fare: In addition to signature dishes from the truck, you’ll find an expanded menu including lahmacun (Turkish pizza), patlidzan (wood-fired eggplant) and balik ekmek (grilled whitefish) served with somun. And although the restaurant operates in a casual, quick-service setting, every dish comes from the heart. (Photo by Spencer Pernikoff)
Balkan Treat Box, 8103 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, Missouri, 314.733.5700, balkantreatbox.com
Bulrush
The long-anticipated Bulrush opened in Midtown this past April, offering diners a unique taste of what chef-owner Rob Connoley calls Ozark cuisine. Connoley spent a considerable amount of time researching the foodways of the people who settled in the Ozarks, the mountainous region that extends from Missouri to Arkansas, Oklahoma and even part of Kansas. Known for his focus on foraged ingredients, Connoley weaves fresh and preserved items – such as pawpaw, acorn flour and pickled elderberries that he and his sous chef, Justin Bell, pluck from fields and forests – into dishes that evoke flavors of traditional cooking, albeit with a fully modern approach. The seven-course menu evolves with the seasons. But if you want to experience Connoley’s cooking without the commitment of a multi-course dinner, grab a seat at the bar, where you can dig into entrées such as turkey thigh with grits and collard greens. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Bulrush, 3307 Washington Ave., Grand Center, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.449.1208, bulrushstl.com
Chao Baan
Three decades after the Prapaisilp family opened the venerable King & I on South Grand Boulevard – which introduced many St. Louis diners to Thai food – they are again pushing the envelope. Their new restaurant, Chao Baan, in The Grove neighborhood, focuses specifically on rustic dishes found in the northeastern Isaan and southern Pak Tai regions of Thailand, where chef and co-owner Shayn Prapaisilp’s mother and father grew up, respectively. “Chao Baan” roughly translates to “of the people,” which gives you some idea of the shareable, homestyle fare that you’ll find on the menu. But what’s truly extraordinary about the restaurant is its inherent ability to expand guests’ palates: Curry and pad Thai devotees will soon be singing the praises of miang kham (perilla leaves wrapped around dried shrimp, toasted coconut, ginger, chile, onion and lime) and khao tod nam sod (crispy rice with fermented pork, ginger and cilantro). Shayn doesn’t hold back when it comes to flavor – Chao Baan offers authentic dishes cooked the authentic way, which in many cases means a scorching level of heat. It’s these bold, unexpected flavors found in the two regional Thai cuisines presented at Chao Baan that differentiate it from the litany of Thai restaurants serving central Thai cuisine in the city. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Chao Baan, 4087 Chouteau Ave., The Grove, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.925.8250, chaobaanstl.com
Elmwood
Many new restaurants aim to strike a delicate balance, to be a place where guests can indulge in several courses and a nice bottle of wine for special occasions, but where they also feel comfortable bellying up to the bar for a burger and a beer. Few restaurants actually succeed at this – but Elmwood does in spades. And the Maplewood, Missouri, restaurant delivers yet another one-two punch: exceptional service under the direction of co-owner Chris Kelling, which only enhances the inventive menu from chef and co-owner Adam Altnether. The heart of the restaurant is the charcoal-fired Josper grill and oven combo – one of the only of its kind in the country – which adds flame-kissed flavor to vegetables, proteins and even desserts. Sweet potatoes are buried in embers and puréed into a special take on baba ghanoush, and raw oysters are coal-roasted and drizzled with funky naam jim chile sauce. In addition to a standout wine list, the bar program delivers an of-the-moment cocktail menu split into full-, low- and zero-proof sippers – ensuring there’s something for every occasion. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Elmwood, 2704 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, Missouri, 314.261.4708, elmwoodstl.com
Indo
Nick Bognar set the bar high for his first restaurant. After transforming his family’s 20-year-old restaurant Nippon Tei into one of the city’s best spots for sushi, he earned a James Beard semifinalist nomination for Rising Star Chef of the Year – and his star continues to rise. At Indo, which he opened in the Botanical Heights neighborhood in St. Louis this summer, he offers an experience unlike any other in town. The menu spotlights his expertly cured sashimi and nigiri alongside plates that highlight his Thai heritage, including lamb tartare inspired by the minced pork salad laab and what is perhaps his signature dish, Isaan hamachi, flavored with Thai kosho and coconut nam plam. Bognar’s omakase menu – a tasting menu featuring upwards of 20 dishes limited to just six diners a night – sells out quickly, and for good reason: It offers some of the most ambitious – and delicious – food in town. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Indo, 1641 Tower Grove Ave., Botanical Heights, St. Louis, Missouri, indo-stl.com
Malinche
Chimichangas aren’t often associated with elevated Mexican fare, but the Mestizo Norteño at Malinche is an exception to the rule. Far from traditional, it’s the only Mexican-American dish on the menu at the Ellisville, Missouri, restaurant, which instead focuses on authentic cuisine from Mexico City. Co-owner Angel Jiménez-Gutiérrez, who owned the now-shuttered Señor Pique in Ballwin for 13 years, named the restaurant for the Nahuatl woman who played a key role in the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire – and in tribute to his mother and head chef, Doña María Gutiérrez Molina. Fittingly, then, Malinche draws on more than 150 years’ worth of family recipes, offering small plates with big flavors, from the arrachera calavera tacos with bone marrow to yes, a chimichanga, which puts all other versions to shame. In the cozy shotgun-style space, diners will start to feel like part of the family – especially after the complimentary amuse bouche hits the table. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Malinche, 15939 Manchester Road, Ellisville, Missouri, 636.220.8514, malinchestl.com
Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant
In January of this year, The Grove neighborhood in St. Louis welcomed a new destination for Kurdish cuisine. Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant’s comprehensive menu invites groups of diners to share as many dishes as the table – and their stomachs – can hold, from creamy hummus and smoky baba ghanoush served with fresh naan to sheeshbarak (steamed dumplings stuffed with beef, onion and parsley) and tilapia seasoned with dill, chives, onion and lemon juice and cooked in a saffron curry sauce that is known to impel plate-licking. Through their family-run restaurant, owners Akram Saeed, Jenar Mohammed and their daughter, Media Saeed, share the dishes of Mohammed’s youth with the community. They explain that every dish at Sultan includes either rice, bread or meat, as per tradition, and they personally eat the same lentil soup they offer at the restaurant with breakfast, lunch and dinner – maybe you should, too. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant, 4200 Manchester Ave., The Grove, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.390.2020
The Bellwether
With second- and third-floor views that give diners a look at downtown St. Louis and a patio that encourages lingering, The Bellwether is a welcome addition to the city’s culinary scene. The menu, spearheaded by executive chef Thomas Futrell, features familiar, yet intriguing dishes such as scallop carpaccio, which pairs silky raw scallop with a smoky bacon-lemon vinaigrette, earthy chanterelles and sweet Asian pear. Lamb meatballs are plated with blue-corn grits, a sweet-spicy Calabrian pepper jam and lavash made with lamb fat. Crispy falafel with red quinoa, kale, marinated cucumbers and blistered tomatoes are drizzled with a vegan tzatziki that lends the dish its creamy zing. Flavors are in balance here, salt and spice playing off heat and bitterness. And don’t ignore the pastas: The English pea ravioli is deliciously rich, with rosé-braised chicken and crispy chicken skin complementing the peas’ fresh sweetness. Pick a cocktail from beverage director Travis Hebrank’s well-constructed list to cap your evening as you watch the sunset from this elevated perch. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
The Bellwether, 1419 Carroll St., Lafayette Square, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.380.3086, thebellwetherstl.com
Utah Station
Chris Bertke wants to make one thing clear: Utah Station is not a health-food restaurant. Sure, it focuses on vegan and vegetarian fare, but here, the chef and longtime vegan is simply making the food he wants to eat. Unlike many other like-minded eateries, Utah Station’s menu centers on vegan riffs on junk food, from the towering Big Mak burger to crispy, crunchy deep-fried Crack Tacos inspired by Jack in the Box. Instead of relying on tofu and commercial plant-based proteins such as the Impossible Burger, Bertke crafts his own meat substitutes in-house, which show up in everything from oversized toasted ravioli to the house gyro. Utah Station flips the table on the traditional restaurant menu, offering 10 percent meat items (including a BLT and grass-fed beef burger) alongside 90 percent vegan items. By satisfying the most indulgent of cravings, Bertke is pushing the boundaries of plant-based dining. (Photo by Rolf Ringwald)
Utah Station, 1956 Utah, Benton Park, St. Louis, Missouri, 314.588.8099, utahstation.weebly.com
Rachel Huffman
Rachel Huffman is the managing editor of Feast.
Catherine Neville
Publisher
Catherine Neville is the publisher of Feast Magazine and producer of Emmy-winning Feast TV.
Heather Riske
Heather Riske is the editor in chief at Feast.
