St. Louis Restaurants

  • Asian Kitchen

    Asian Kitchen won't be for everyone. Let's get that out of the way right now. The new Korean restaurant, in the Olive Boulevard space where In Soo held forth, has a rather short menu, lacking first courses and dessert, and featuring dishes that may sound strange to most folks. But the staff seems very welcoming

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  • Modesto

      We dropped by Modesto on impulse the other night after working up an appetite doing our civic duty. Hungry, and probably slightly crabby, we needed to be fed pronto. And were we ever fed! Several dishes were particularly remarkable. Yes, the cheeseless onion soup was tasty, the baby octopi (octopusses?) with potatoes were charming,

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  • Taquerias La Pasadita and La Monarca

      A very good thing about St. Louis in the 21st century is that it's becoming easier and easier to find Mexican food that is not the hamburger-based, big bucks-advertising-budget stuff from chains. And we've come across two small, modest neighborhood places that offer charming, fresh food. Both style themselves taquerias, which makes them the

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  • Ranoush

    Folks who consider people-watching to be a joyous part of the restaurant experience need to hie themselves to a window table at Ranoush in the University City Loop, especially on a weekend. The passing parade is almost like the one in New York’s East Village, full of the young and not-so-young in various combinations, walking

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  • Breakfast At The Majestic

      Anyone who’s been around the southern end of the Euclid strip over the past four or five decades knows the Majestic. It’s been feeding neighborhood residents and students for all that time, serving as St. Louis’ own version of the Greek diner. And while meatloaf and open-face turkey sandwiches are all very well and

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  • Trattoria Branica

     As we write this, you don't have to check a calendar to realize that autumn has arrived, bringing chilly, often damp weather. Recently, however, we found a warm summer-like evening when we visited Trattoria Branica in Kirkwood and enjoyed a meal outdoors. We like the cool modern interior a lot, but this was a night

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  • Activity On Laclede Avenue

     Chez Leon has shuttered – but it appears to be only a short-term thing. Leon Bierbaum, in a recorded message, says he will reopen “on Forsyth Avenue” before Thanksgiving. Dinner at first, but then lunch as well on weekdays. The phone number, 314-361-1589, is to remain the same. And as many of you may have

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  • Cielo

     It was an evening when a desire for elegance and excellence came upon us.”Upscale,” we thought. “Downtown,” we decided. “Expensive,” we agreed. “Cielo, in the Four Seasons Hotel,” we concluded. “Outstanding,” we hoped. “You can’t win them all,” we concluded. “No, you can’t,” we realized, and while Cielo performed slightly better than the Rams at

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  • Molly’s In Soulard

    Things ain't what they used to be at Molly's. At least not completely. The Soulard spot best known for its immense outdoor bar area has taken over the former Norton's next door and gone serious about food, without abandoning the patio and its frolic. How serious? Well, Eric Brenner, best known to most of us

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  • Dvin

    Sitting quietly in the Old Orchard neighborhood of Webster Groves, Dvin has been around for many years, running under most radar screens. The small interior is decorated within an inch of its life, filled with large plants, pictures, figurines, all adding up to a feeling of being in something truly Eastern European. The decor fits

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