Lots of good things to eat at the 38 Eats promotion of St. Louis restaurants during this Shakespeare marathon weekend, and I sampled three Wednesday afternoon. A particular salute to the porchetta Ben Grupe is offering at Elaia. It’s an example of just how a pork tenderloin can be roasted past pinkness and still keep its moisture, with lovely notes of lemon and fennel and coriander, among other things. A bonus is the crispy skin that ended up being nibbled with my fingers! But maybe more exciting is the vegetable base underneath, lentils seasoned with all kinds of wonderful things that make me think of North Africa – the dish is in tribute to Julius Caesar, and we all know how Caesar was wandering around in northern Africa, with a few stops for Cleopatra – and mixed greens. It’s a superb combination. This weekend only, but I hope it will return to the menu eventually.
Elaia
1634 Tower Grove Avenue
314-932-1088