The 13 best new 最新杏吧原创 restaurants of 2017
From the Loryn Nalic's journey from food truck favorite to James Beard winner series
2017 was a pretty good year for new restaurants in 最新杏吧原创 鈥 so good that we said the heck with the traditional Top 10.
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
In any other year, the No. 2 restaurant in my ranking of 2017鈥檚 best debuts would have been the clear No. 1. In any other any other year, the No. 3 restaurant would have taken the crown. And the restaurant on this list I鈥檓 most likely to insist people try? It鈥檚 No. 4.
Yeah, 2017 was a pretty good year for new restaurants in 最新杏吧原创 鈥 so good that I said the heck with the traditional Top 10. Instead, I offer you a lucky baker鈥檚 dozen of stellar newcomers. (Is 13 not enough? .)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
鈥淓agerly anticipated鈥 barely begins to describe Vicia鈥檚 debut in March. Michael and Tara Gallina were the chef de cuisine and a captain, respectively, at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, the Pocantico Hills, N.Y., restaurant (and working farm) regarded as one of the country鈥檚 and even the world鈥檚 best restaurants. The Gallinas moved to Michael鈥檚 native 最新杏吧原创 in late 2015 to open their first restaurant. The long lead time, the attention from the national food media and a series of pop-up events only compounded the hype.
Vicia lived up to that hype 鈥 and then exceeded it.
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Nixta鈥檚 place on this list is both an honor and a time-capsule entry. Chef-restaurateur Ben Poremba opened Nixta in November 2016 with Tello Carreon as executive chef, and the menu brilliantly fused the traditional fare of Carreon鈥檚 native Guanajuato, Mexico, with the fine-dining touches you鈥檇 expect from Poremba鈥檚 flagship Elaia, where Carreon had been chef de cuisine. Here a modern interpretation of the Oaxacan tlayuda or a taco al pastor shared the table with the mole recipe from Carreon鈥檚 grandmother and cochinita pibil cooked overnight in a wood-burning oven, and nothing seemed out of place.
Carreon left Nixta in October, however, only two months after Given Poremba鈥檚 track record, Nixta should continue to thrive. (I haven鈥檛 returned since Carreon鈥檚 departure.) But this inaugural year will always stand as a brilliant, soulful concept expertly executed.
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Gerard Craft transformed his flagship restaurant Niche into the lighter, brighter but still excellent Sardella. In place of Niche鈥檚 tasting menus and admirably maniacal devotion to locally sourced ingredients, Sardella offers an oft-changing array of vibrant dishes that have traveled from Italy via a lengthy layover in California, with a healthy dose of the kitchen鈥檚 whimsy. aren鈥檛 currently on the menu, but pastas and roasted or braised meats are always a good bet. Sardella opened with Niche vet Nick Blue as executive chef; since April, Pastaria executive chef Ashley Shelton has held the same position at Sardella, further bolstering the work that has won her such accolades as a semifinalist nod for the James Beard Awards鈥 鈥淩ising Star Chef of the Year.鈥
Where Sardella, 7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton • More info 314-773-7755; • Menu Contemporary fare with Italian and Californian influences • Hours Dinner daily, breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Seoul Taco. Guerrilla Street Food. Frankly Sausages. The food truck that outshines the traditional brick-and-mortar competition is no longer a surprise. To this roster you can now add , which chef-owner Loryn Feliciano-Nalic first announced in 2015 but didn鈥檛 roll into regular service until this year. Feliciano-Nalic installed a wood-burning oven in her truck, and in this she bakes the Turkish flatbread called pide (topped with ground beef and piknik cheese) and the somun bread for plump Bosnian cevapi and a juicy chicken d枚ner kebab. That鈥檚 essentially the entire menu, but the wood-fired breads are sublime, and those dishes are more than enough to recommend Balkan Treat Box 鈥 and to suggest, like the trucks listed above, the concept is bound for even bigger things.
Where Balkan Treat Box • More info 314-667-9926; ; • Menu Turkish fare including pide and cevapi
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Grace Meat + Three is the best distillation yet of the talent and aesthetic that has won chef Rick Lewis acclaim from myself and others at Quincy Street Bistro and Southern. (Lewis left Southern this year to open Grace with his wife, Elisa.) The fare is familiar 鈥 fried chicken and catfish, pork ribs, bologna 鈥 and the format is a classic counter-service meat-and-three, but the distinctive details are Lewis鈥 own, like the shower of crisp leeks and the umami-jacked mushroom and bone-marrow gravy that accent the incredible herb-roasted beef, or the whipped sweet potatoes with bourbon, sorghum and toasted marshmallow that unfolds in layers of sweetness without ever becoming cloying.
(Note: My full review of Grace Meat + Three was delayed when my paternity leave began earlier than expected. Look for it in the coming weeks.)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
One of the most anticipated restaurants of 2015, 2016 and 2017, . The pains chefs and co-owners Qui Tran and Marie-Anne Velasco took during that long gestation are apparent. The ramen broths are exquisite: sticky, porky tonkotsu is the best version in 最新杏吧原创 of the traditional style, and the chicken-based Hebrew Hammer, laced with black garlic, is nearly as rich. The pho is as excellent as you鈥檇 expect from Tran, the son of Mai Lee founder Lee Tran. The whole is far greater than you鈥檇 suspect from its unassuming strip-mall, fast-casual storefront.
Where Nudo House, 11423 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur • More info 314-274-8046; • Menu Ramen and pho • Hours Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
With its prime location near Lafayette Square Park, Polite Society didn鈥檛 need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, owners Jonathan Schoen and Brian Schmitz and chef Thomas Futrell (previously of Scape) have created : chicken wings cooked confit-style before being fried to order; plump, head-on shrimp with grits; a steak with a classy, old-school foyot sauce on the side. Polite Society is an always welcome (and with the closure of spots like J McArthur鈥檚, Three Flags Tavern and Grapeseed, ever rarer) species: an of-the-moment restaurant for grown-ups.
Where Polite Society, 1923 Park Avenue • More info 314-325-2553; • Menu Contemporary and classic bistro fare • Hours Dinner daily, brunch Saturday-Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Chef Jessie Gilroy made her bones at Charlie Gitto鈥檚 on the Hill, the Tavern Kitchen & Bar and Sidney Street Cafe, and that experience is evident at her debut restaurant. The focused menu draws on international flavors 鈥 fried chicken spiked with Jamaican jerk seasoning; roasted potatoes tossed in a Thai red-curry paste 鈥 but more straightforward dishes like a classic French onion soup or beef cheeks braised in red wine and veal stock are equally impressive. The location inside St. Charles鈥 planned New Town community is off most readers鈥 beaten paths but .
Where Pangea, 3245 Rue Royale, St. Charles • More info 636-757-3579; • Menu Contemporary bistro fare with global accents • Hours Dinner daily, brunch Sunday (closed Tuesday)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Ermin, Erna and Senada Grbic, the adult children of Grbic Restaurant owners Ermina and Sulejman Grbic, gutted the grungy but beloved south-city tavern Lemmons and turned it into 鈥 and reasons to eat there now. Executive chef Senada draws on her Bosnian heritage and American upbringing for such standout dishes as the applewood-smoked, rakija-laced and chile-charged chicken wings and a flatbread topped with cevapi and mozzarella. Be sure to order the ustipci, airy fried-dough balls with feta butter, mushroom duxelles and the tangy relish called ajvar for dipping.
Where Lemmons by Grbic, 5800 Gravois Avenue • More info 314-899-9898; • Menu American fare with a Balkan accent • Hours Dinner Tuesday-Sunday, lunch Saturday-Sunday (closed Monday)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Regional Chinese restaurants in 最新杏吧原创 continue to grow in number and variety. Daniel Ma and Quincy Lin鈥檚 . First-time visitors should begin with the sweet-and-sour pork. Fried very crisp, pungent with ginger and only fleetingly sweet, it鈥檚 a revelation compared to the cavity-inducing Americanized version of the dish. Soups 鈥 steak, enoki mushrooms and bok choy in a light-bodied but rich beef broth; pork belly and tripe with glass noodles and cabbage in a puckeringly sour broth 鈥 are also a highlight.
Where Cate Zone Chinese Cafe, 8148 Olive Boulevard, University City 鈥 More info 314-738-9923 鈥 Menu Traditional Chinese fare, focused on the country鈥檚 northeast region 鈥 Hours Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
最新杏吧原创鈥 enthusiasm for barbecue showed no signs of dimming in 2017, and you鈥檒l find a few traditional barbecue restaurants among my honorable mentions. For my money, though, . Chef-owner Chris Delgado makes smoked meats the focal point of the Wood Shack鈥檚 sandwiches: pastrami; hickory- and mulberry-smoked prime rib with bone-marrow aioli, charred onion, arugula and blue-cheese cream (the Soulard Primer); hickory- and cherry-smoked ham with bacon and pulled pork (Three Cheesy Pigs). I suppose you could remove these meats from the sandwiches and enjoy them as 鈥渞egular鈥 barbecue, but it鈥檚 a credit to Delgado鈥檚 inspired creations that you won鈥檛 want to.
Where The Wood Shack, 1862 South 10th Street • More info 314-833-4770; • Menu Sandwiches featuring smoked meats • Hours 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Cherokee Street wasn鈥檛 exactly lacking for taquerias when the , but the Rico family had built a devoted fan base with the weekend-only taco stand at their Bridgeton grocery store, and their first restaurant is a welcome addition to an already vibrant neighborhood. Tacos are a highlight, of course, with pork (al pastor, carnitas and cochinita pibil) and beef (barbacoa, cabeza) the standouts, but don鈥檛 miss the chile-sauce-soaked torta ahogada with carnitas, and definitely save room for ice cream or a paleta. The variety of flavors is nearly matched by the variety of toppings.
Where The Taco & Ice Cream Joint, 2738 Cherokee Street • More info 314-224-5799; • Menu Tacos and other taqueria fare, ice cream and popsicles • Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Visit the Palm Trees for kabli hijazi (warmly spiced lamb in a sauce brightened with orange zest) or the hearty, smoky lamb dish mandi, and you鈥檒l wonder why 最新杏吧原创 doesn鈥檛 have a Saudi Arabian restaurant in every neighborhood. In fact, . Alongside the kabli hijazi, madi and other Saudi Arabian specialties, the menu also includes such familiar and broadly Middle Eastern fare as falafel, chicken shawarma and beef kebabs.
Where The Palm Trees, 2837 Cherokee Street • More info 314-226-9243; • Menu Saudi Arabian fare • Hours Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
In any other year, the No. 2 restaurant in my ranking of 2017鈥檚 best debuts would have been the clear No. 1. In any other any other year, the No. 3 restaurant would have taken the crown. And the restaurant on this list I鈥檓 most likely to insist people try? It鈥檚 No. 4.
Yeah, 2017 was a pretty good year for new restaurants in 最新杏吧原创 鈥 so good that I said the heck with the traditional Top 10. Instead, I offer you a lucky baker鈥檚 dozen of stellar newcomers. (Is 13 not enough? .)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
鈥淓agerly anticipated鈥 barely begins to describe Vicia鈥檚 debut in March. Michael and Tara Gallina were the chef de cuisine and a captain, respectively, at Blue Hill at Stone Barns, the Pocantico Hills, N.Y., restaurant (and working farm) regarded as one of the country鈥檚 and even the world鈥檚 best restaurants. The Gallinas moved to Michael鈥檚 native 最新杏吧原创 in late 2015 to open their first restaurant. The long lead time, the attention from the national food media and a series of pop-up events only compounded the hype.
Vicia lived up to that hype 鈥 and then exceeded it.
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Nixta鈥檚 place on this list is both an honor and a time-capsule entry. Chef-restaurateur Ben Poremba opened Nixta in November 2016 with Tello Carreon as executive chef, and the menu brilliantly fused the traditional fare of Carreon鈥檚 native Guanajuato, Mexico, with the fine-dining touches you鈥檇 expect from Poremba鈥檚 flagship Elaia, where Carreon had been chef de cuisine. Here a modern interpretation of the Oaxacan tlayuda or a taco al pastor shared the table with the mole recipe from Carreon鈥檚 grandmother and cochinita pibil cooked overnight in a wood-burning oven, and nothing seemed out of place.
Carreon left Nixta in October, however, only two months after Given Poremba鈥檚 track record, Nixta should continue to thrive. (I haven鈥檛 returned since Carreon鈥檚 departure.) But this inaugural year will always stand as a brilliant, soulful concept expertly executed.
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Gerard Craft transformed his flagship restaurant Niche into the lighter, brighter but still excellent Sardella. In place of Niche鈥檚 tasting menus and admirably maniacal devotion to locally sourced ingredients, Sardella offers an oft-changing array of vibrant dishes that have traveled from Italy via a lengthy layover in California, with a healthy dose of the kitchen鈥檚 whimsy. aren鈥檛 currently on the menu, but pastas and roasted or braised meats are always a good bet. Sardella opened with Niche vet Nick Blue as executive chef; since April, Pastaria executive chef Ashley Shelton has held the same position at Sardella, further bolstering the work that has won her such accolades as a semifinalist nod for the James Beard Awards鈥 鈥淩ising Star Chef of the Year.鈥
Where Sardella, 7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton • More info 314-773-7755; • Menu Contemporary fare with Italian and Californian influences • Hours Dinner daily, breakfast and lunch Monday-Friday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Seoul Taco. Guerrilla Street Food. Frankly Sausages. The food truck that outshines the traditional brick-and-mortar competition is no longer a surprise. To this roster you can now add , which chef-owner Loryn Feliciano-Nalic first announced in 2015 but didn鈥檛 roll into regular service until this year. Feliciano-Nalic installed a wood-burning oven in her truck, and in this she bakes the Turkish flatbread called pide (topped with ground beef and piknik cheese) and the somun bread for plump Bosnian cevapi and a juicy chicken d枚ner kebab. That鈥檚 essentially the entire menu, but the wood-fired breads are sublime, and those dishes are more than enough to recommend Balkan Treat Box 鈥 and to suggest, like the trucks listed above, the concept is bound for even bigger things.
Where Balkan Treat Box • More info 314-667-9926; ; • Menu Turkish fare including pide and cevapi
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Grace Meat + Three is the best distillation yet of the talent and aesthetic that has won chef Rick Lewis acclaim from myself and others at Quincy Street Bistro and Southern. (Lewis left Southern this year to open Grace with his wife, Elisa.) The fare is familiar 鈥 fried chicken and catfish, pork ribs, bologna 鈥 and the format is a classic counter-service meat-and-three, but the distinctive details are Lewis鈥 own, like the shower of crisp leeks and the umami-jacked mushroom and bone-marrow gravy that accent the incredible herb-roasted beef, or the whipped sweet potatoes with bourbon, sorghum and toasted marshmallow that unfolds in layers of sweetness without ever becoming cloying.
(Note: My full review of Grace Meat + Three was delayed when my paternity leave began earlier than expected. Look for it in the coming weeks.)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
One of the most anticipated restaurants of 2015, 2016 and 2017, . The pains chefs and co-owners Qui Tran and Marie-Anne Velasco took during that long gestation are apparent. The ramen broths are exquisite: sticky, porky tonkotsu is the best version in 最新杏吧原创 of the traditional style, and the chicken-based Hebrew Hammer, laced with black garlic, is nearly as rich. The pho is as excellent as you鈥檇 expect from Tran, the son of Mai Lee founder Lee Tran. The whole is far greater than you鈥檇 suspect from its unassuming strip-mall, fast-casual storefront.
Where Nudo House, 11423 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur • More info 314-274-8046; • Menu Ramen and pho • Hours Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
With its prime location near Lafayette Square Park, Polite Society didn鈥檛 need to reinvent the wheel. Instead, owners Jonathan Schoen and Brian Schmitz and chef Thomas Futrell (previously of Scape) have created : chicken wings cooked confit-style before being fried to order; plump, head-on shrimp with grits; a steak with a classy, old-school foyot sauce on the side. Polite Society is an always welcome (and with the closure of spots like J McArthur鈥檚, Three Flags Tavern and Grapeseed, ever rarer) species: an of-the-moment restaurant for grown-ups.
Where Polite Society, 1923 Park Avenue • More info 314-325-2553; • Menu Contemporary and classic bistro fare • Hours Dinner daily, brunch Saturday-Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Chef Jessie Gilroy made her bones at Charlie Gitto鈥檚 on the Hill, the Tavern Kitchen & Bar and Sidney Street Cafe, and that experience is evident at her debut restaurant. The focused menu draws on international flavors 鈥 fried chicken spiked with Jamaican jerk seasoning; roasted potatoes tossed in a Thai red-curry paste 鈥 but more straightforward dishes like a classic French onion soup or beef cheeks braised in red wine and veal stock are equally impressive. The location inside St. Charles鈥 planned New Town community is off most readers鈥 beaten paths but .
Where Pangea, 3245 Rue Royale, St. Charles • More info 636-757-3579; • Menu Contemporary bistro fare with global accents • Hours Dinner daily, brunch Sunday (closed Tuesday)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Ermin, Erna and Senada Grbic, the adult children of Grbic Restaurant owners Ermina and Sulejman Grbic, gutted the grungy but beloved south-city tavern Lemmons and turned it into 鈥 and reasons to eat there now. Executive chef Senada draws on her Bosnian heritage and American upbringing for such standout dishes as the applewood-smoked, rakija-laced and chile-charged chicken wings and a flatbread topped with cevapi and mozzarella. Be sure to order the ustipci, airy fried-dough balls with feta butter, mushroom duxelles and the tangy relish called ajvar for dipping.
Where Lemmons by Grbic, 5800 Gravois Avenue • More info 314-899-9898; • Menu American fare with a Balkan accent • Hours Dinner Tuesday-Sunday, lunch Saturday-Sunday (closed Monday)
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Regional Chinese restaurants in 最新杏吧原创 continue to grow in number and variety. Daniel Ma and Quincy Lin鈥檚 . First-time visitors should begin with the sweet-and-sour pork. Fried very crisp, pungent with ginger and only fleetingly sweet, it鈥檚 a revelation compared to the cavity-inducing Americanized version of the dish. Soups 鈥 steak, enoki mushrooms and bok choy in a light-bodied but rich beef broth; pork belly and tripe with glass noodles and cabbage in a puckeringly sour broth 鈥 are also a highlight.
Where Cate Zone Chinese Cafe, 8148 Olive Boulevard, University City 鈥 More info 314-738-9923 鈥 Menu Traditional Chinese fare, focused on the country鈥檚 northeast region 鈥 Hours Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
最新杏吧原创鈥 enthusiasm for barbecue showed no signs of dimming in 2017, and you鈥檒l find a few traditional barbecue restaurants among my honorable mentions. For my money, though, . Chef-owner Chris Delgado makes smoked meats the focal point of the Wood Shack鈥檚 sandwiches: pastrami; hickory- and mulberry-smoked prime rib with bone-marrow aioli, charred onion, arugula and blue-cheese cream (the Soulard Primer); hickory- and cherry-smoked ham with bacon and pulled pork (Three Cheesy Pigs). I suppose you could remove these meats from the sandwiches and enjoy them as 鈥渞egular鈥 barbecue, but it鈥檚 a credit to Delgado鈥檚 inspired creations that you won鈥檛 want to.
Where The Wood Shack, 1862 South 10th Street • More info 314-833-4770; • Menu Sandwiches featuring smoked meats • Hours 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Wednesday, 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Cherokee Street wasn鈥檛 exactly lacking for taquerias when the , but the Rico family had built a devoted fan base with the weekend-only taco stand at their Bridgeton grocery store, and their first restaurant is a welcome addition to an already vibrant neighborhood. Tacos are a highlight, of course, with pork (al pastor, carnitas and cochinita pibil) and beef (barbacoa, cabeza) the standouts, but don鈥檛 miss the chile-sauce-soaked torta ahogada with carnitas, and definitely save room for ice cream or a paleta. The variety of flavors is nearly matched by the variety of toppings.
Where The Taco & Ice Cream Joint, 2738 Cherokee Street • More info 314-224-5799; • Menu Tacos and other taqueria fare, ice cream and popsicles • Hours 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday
- Ian Froeb | Post-Dispatch
Visit the Palm Trees for kabli hijazi (warmly spiced lamb in a sauce brightened with orange zest) or the hearty, smoky lamb dish mandi, and you鈥檒l wonder why 最新杏吧原创 doesn鈥檛 have a Saudi Arabian restaurant in every neighborhood. In fact, . Alongside the kabli hijazi, madi and other Saudi Arabian specialties, the menu also includes such familiar and broadly Middle Eastern fare as falafel, chicken shawarma and beef kebabs.
Where The Palm Trees, 2837 Cherokee Street • More info 314-226-9243; • Menu Saudi Arabian fare • Hours Lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday
In this Series
As featured on
The first thing I noticed about Hugo鈥檚 Pizzeria was nothing at all. This 4-month-old midtown…
In 2017, Post-Dispatch restaurant critic Ian Froeb named Balkan Treat Box one of 最新杏吧原创鈥 …
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