I agree...Andy White is doing good things at the Tap Room from what I hear...and I've always liked their fish n chips...and stick y toffee pudding....

now I'm hungry.

I think I meant Grafton...Not Alton...but Alton is nice too...

Best bet is heading up to Alton IL...they have some interesting, casual spots with river/outdoor seating. Nothing comes to mind in the city.

I prefer the Tap Room but I am a downtown dweller. It's more of a 'bar' atmosphere. The Bottleworks is interesting...you can get a mini tour of the operations....and if you go on Weds they have a wonderful farmer's market....

I like their vinaigrette..it's heavy on the vinegar...they put provel on the cheese garlic bread (i like that) and they have a nice t-rav platter with a flavorful marinara (compared to most)......and it is just a great neighborhood joint. the owners are wonderful and they love St. Louis and are proud of their neighborhood. Mark and Michelle have been dedicated to Ricardo's and they have done a great job.

Saleems is gone but just across the street is the BEST falafel in town....Al Tarboush Market. Great tabouli as well.

Italian is bad in STL...but i like Ricardo's...they don't pretend to be something they are not...you get a nice plate of pasta, salad and the wine list is good...and reasonable. It's the typical red sauce...but thiers actually has flavor. It really is "St. Louis Style" italian!

One more...9th Street deli...BEST Cheesesteak in St. Louis and really good soup..located in Soulard. Just down the street on 9th and Victor is Tip Top..it's a bar but has good Serbian food...but warning...it's SMOKEY!

i concur with the BLT recommendation and also would like to add their egg salad to the list. not to gloppy...good amount of egg and seasoned well.

The Lemp Mansion does a great family style fried chicken dinner on Sundays. We would frequent it when living back home. They even do a dinner theater (kid appropriate) if you are interested...and as a side note...they would let me take the kids upstairs on a tour of the house.....the supposedly haunted house! The kids loved going there...plus the fried chicken was good...fried in lard...came with the usual sides.

Let's see...there is this place...take hwy 70 to Lambert Airport..get off...park in the long term parking garage...pop in the terminal...get the first ticket to Austin you can find...get out at Austin-Bergstrom Int'l...hop a cab to Chuy's or Shady Grove over on Barton Springs Rd.

These are the only places I can think of that have Tex Mex worth eating...close to St. Louis.

sorry.

I'm a bit confused as to why a restaurant would serve a fresh tomato and mozz dish in the middle of winter. I wouldn't expect it to be good.

I would also suggest a trip to the Wine Merchant in Clayton as well. Amazing cheeses, great wine selection...friendly staff. Fun classess and they do tastings every Sat for free.

yep...the downtown Drury across the street from the old court house.

I have to include Pomme in the Clayton mix. Both locations....I have had great meals at both spots. One is more upscale and the other is a nice cafe with a decent wine list...and good breakfast. I still think they have the best croissants in town.

Clayton is nice. The Ritz Carlton is there...it's about a 15 minute drive to downtown..but you can catch the Metro. I always prefer downtown...and if work is paying...stay at the Four Seasons. LOL!

OH WAIT! Hwy 40 is closed from Clayton to Kingshighway I believe. I would suggest staying downtown. Then you could go to Niche, Anthony's Bar, Rooster and Wasabi (best sushi downtown).

Smokin' Al's closed down from what I heard.

It's only a short visit but we can't go another 6 months without Gerard & Mathew's fare....

Lemmon's is not the same Lemmon's you may remember. They were bought by the guys who own The Black Thorn...it's more a bar now than a restaurant. Great chicken wings and pizza...but SMOKEY! Pool tables in the basement and shuffle board in the bar. They do lots of trivia night and have bands.

I've been catching up on your blog. Great reading....and I'm pleased as pie that you took a drive over to eat at my favorite spot in my hometown. I have been lucky enough to have been eating there since they opened thier doors across the street from my house....now, we are in AZ and I can't begin to tell you how much we miss it. Coming home next week and looking forward to our first meal there in 6 months!

I agree with the Anthony's suggestion. I've never been for lunch but if drinks/light dinner is any indication...lunch will be fabulous.

10th Street Italian Deli. Delicious....around the corner from Kitchen K...on 10th and Wash.

nope...it has just moved from it's original storefront on S. Grand to the bldg. next door. They jacked up their prices with the move...but it's still relatively inexpensive. I prefer Mai Lee for Vietnamese food in U. City....but Pho is good....still draws a crowd.