Favorite restaurants?
Please advise! I need suggestions on the best average priced Italian restaurants in ST. Louis. Also- suggestions on excellent restaurants in general (again, average prices, plz). Would like to take the Mom in Law out for a St. Louis treat, but have no idea where to go!
Submitted by
DonK
at 10/11/2002 2:39:39 PM- OOH Mae, you struck my fancy. Being a city dweller, and a lover of italian restaurants, you cannot go wrong with any of the establishments on 'the hill'. take kingshighway south to shaw (just after I-44) and go right.
rigazzis is one of my favorite, cheaper places. or try cunneto's. or mama campesi's. or for a more intimate environment, and my favorite, try charlie gitto's right on shaw. any of these will not dissapoint. they are all within a few blocks of each other.
Submitted by
asoon
at 10/11/2002 2:43:18 PM- 1. Cunetto House Of Pasta at the hill. It's very reasonably price and the servings are huge.
2. Mangia Italiano on South grand. A pretty funky place for an italian restaurant, they have bands playing there sometimes, especially after 9pm.
3. Nicoletti's (drew's pick) is pretty good too. I went there for the first time last week and loved it.
Submitted by
christy
at 10/11/2002 2:43:20 PM- You have just picked my very favorite topic, Mae! Restaurants. As a former single person who first dated as if my life depended upon it, I think I'm well-versed in St. Louis restaurants.
My only problem is what you consider "average-priced" but I'll just do my best. Basically, they are all more expensive than the Olive Garden or Appleby's, but less expensive say than Dominics or Kemoll's or Morton's.
Italian: Initially I listed several places and then decided just to list Trattoria Marcella because that's where I would go.
But I rarely go out for Italian--I eat so much of it at home.
My favorite other favorite places to eat in St. Louis:
Riddle's Penultimate--excellent wine list. Great veggies.
Big Sky Cafe--great eclectic, seasonal menu
Yia Yia's--little pricier, but soooo good
Sidney Street Cafe--pricier again and don't take your resident vegetarian--mostly meat dishes.
Lynch Street Bistro--I love their risotto
Lagniappes--kind of combination cajun/italian.
Frazer's Travelling Brown Bag--eclectic, ever-changing menu.
Soulard's Restaurant and Bar --great bourre blanc sauce
I can't wait to see what other people write.
Submitted by
sarah
at 10/11/2002 3:04:56 PM- also on the hill (i think) is giovanni's = very good italian food, for pretty average prices.
Submitted by
Leesa
at 10/11/2002 3:17:17 PM- Okay, being the resident Dago here, I feel obligated to reply and be snooty. :) I've got to say you really can go wrong on the Hill. A lot of it is very Americanized Italian. That being said, I have a fondness for Cunetto's, even if their pasta is overdone to mushiness. They are reasonably priced, have great veal, and there's a nice waitress there who speaks Italian with me when I go. Da Baldo, or Baldo's, on south Hampton, is an *excellent* choice. Reasonable, with fantastic, **authentic** northern Italian food--hard to find in the Lou. Lorenzo's Trattoria, on Edwards on the Hill, is probably the best you'll find there for your buck right now. I have a couple of friends who work there (ask for Becky or Brian, tell them Leesa sent ya--they'll take care of you!), and the food is really top-notch, very authentic. http://www.saucecafe.com/lorenzos/
http://www.saucecafe.com/gourmetguru/critiquepast/critique46.html
Trattoria Marcella is another good choice, but a bit pricer, especially for portion size. http://www.saucecafe.com/critique5.html It's still an excellent choice.
As you've probably noticed, http://www.saucecafe.com is one of my bibles, it's a great source for looking up restaurants by cuisine, and they have quite a few reviews there, too. :) Good luck! Mangia bene!
Submitted by
Mae
at 10/11/2002 3:29:18 PM- MMMM I am drooling! As a new City resident with The Hill in my backyard, I want to check out every restaurant in the neighborhood. I thought Giovanni's was the expensive place on The Hill, or am I thinking of another place? I wish we could do Tony's, but we have to pay taxes on the new vehicle and you know how it goes.. money money money, out the window. I think my opinion of average price hovers just above Olive Garden, but I'm a cheap ho. What do you guys think of Pueblo Solis for Mexican? They are always packed. Now the big thing is to decide WHERE TO GO?
Submitted by
Mae Again
at 10/11/2002 3:31:01 PM- Alright, here is a challenge for you. I want good atmosphere- dark and a bit romantic.(This is not for the Mom in Law visit, obviously) I don't want to sit on top of the diner's next to me, so having space between tables is necessary. And really good food at an average price, please. Ideas?
Submitted by
Leesa
at 10/11/2002 3:41:32 PM- Mae, some of my other faves: Babylon International on South Grand (middle eastern--4 of us ate for $40), Red Sea in the Loop (Ethiopian), Yemanja Brazil, Seki in the Loop or Nobu's on Olive for sushi, Giuseppe's on Grand and Meramac for good authentic Italian (reasonable as well), The King and I for Thai (REALLY reasonable), The Black Thorn Pub on Wyoming for good Chicago-style pizza, Zoe's Pan-Asian in the West End, India's Rasoi is excellent, on Laclede in the West End, Jake's Steaks on the Landing is surprisingly good, Broadway Oyster Bar has the best red beans and rice you'll get outside of N'Awlins, Chris' Pancake House on Southwest is the best pancakes you'll get here (even gives Uncle Bill's a run for their money), South City Diner--great atmosphere, good diner food, fantastic malts and friends of ours own it, Marty's Baking is one Ko would appreciate, for the cake, and they do brunch, too: http://www.saucecafe.com/martysbaking/. Of course, if Matt is going as well, you'll want to stop at the Chocolate Bar. Pure sinful indulgence. The smell alone when you walk in is intoxicating. http://www.saucecafe.com/thechocolatebar/index.html
Submitted by
Leesa
at 10/11/2002 3:44:46 PM- Mae, Lorenzo's or Trattoria Marcella fit the mood you're looking for. However, space in between tables is tough on the Hill. Lorenzo's has a bit more room in between tables than Marcella. Giuseppe's on Grand is definitely dark & romantic, with plenty of room in between tables. It's an old-world type of Italian place, coat check girl and all.
As far as Mexican goes, you really can't beat Chuey Arzola's in Dogtown. They really are the best around. The Bean Factory, on Lemay Ferry, is also really good.
Submitted by
xtr747
at 10/11/2002 5:22:40 PM- Being another resident Italian, I would suggest, in addition to the other wonderful restaurants listed here, a small, quaint place in St. Charles called Fratelli's....If Joe or Tom are working, tell 'em Jeff sent you....
Submitted by
ryan
at 10/12/2002 1:31:38 PM- the best Mexican closest to me is over in dogtown - Chuy Arzola's. i haven't had anything there other than the fajitas - but a couple can split one order.
this place was originally recommended to my by a Mr. Hofer, who has a sterling reputation of never pointing someone in the wrong direction when it comes to food.
Submitted by
sam
at 10/13/2002 12:32:50 PM- Is Chuy Arzola's good? Living in colorado and california, I got spoiled on having excellent mexican food everywhere. Upon moving here, I was told by many people that St. Louis has a great restraunt selection, except for mexican, which is generally lacking. That bummed me out, because there is little in the world I find more satisfying than a well made chili relleno. If chuy gets people's vote of approval, maybe I'll try it out. hopefully it will be an island of good mexican in what seems to be an area of slim pickings.
Submitted by
ryan
at 10/13/2002 1:50:11 PM- i've only had the fajitas, that's what was recommended to me, and that's what they're known for...
Submitted by
maemidwest
at 10/13/2002 9:51:41 PM- Please advise on the best chinese place in St. Louis. Thanks!
Submitted by
asoon
at 10/13/2002 9:57:19 PM- how authentic to you want the 'chinese' food to be? I can recommend the most authentic chinese food to chinese, and the best chinese food to americans.
Submitted by
maemidwest
at 10/13/2002 10:05:58 PM- Hmm hard to say. The best I have tasted was a Hunan place in Denver. The crab rangoon was filled with cheese and crab and was sweet and fluffy. The fried rice was never greasy and had tons of egg and flavor. The dishes were never greasy, always tasty. We tried a place near Forest Park and I almost yarfed. All you could taste was oil, oil, and more oil. Blehhhh!
Submitted by
asoon
at 10/13/2002 10:13:28 PM- IMHO, the most authentic buffet would have to be Great Chef on Manchester and 141, or Eat First on Page btwn 270 and 170. Jade Palace on Olive btwn 270 and 170 is pretty good too if you order by dishes.
That's my take. But then again, I rate chinese food differently than most people.
Submitted by
kofuzi
at 10/13/2002 11:46:00 PM- wong's wok.
but ask people around the loop, they will not know what you are talking about.
you have to refer to it as Cheap Chinese.
or just ask for where Roger works.
he works in the delmar marketplace.
next to mama's coal pot and raccinelli's.
Submitted by
kofuzi
at 10/13/2002 11:51:02 PM- cheap chinese is authentic because the only person who speaks english is roger. his mother and father who also work there don't. sometimes, when roger is on vacation, his daughter will fill in for him. she speaks english. but even when she is there, roger's mom and dad still don't speak english. roger's daughter is hot. but don't tell her i said so. because that would just make things akward.
Submitted by
jimhofer
at 10/14/2002 7:58:15 AM- For Chinese leaning toward Thai, I would recommend "The King and I".
3157 S Grand Blvd, St Louis, MO 63118
Phone: (314) 771-1777
PF Chang's is opening next to the Chesterfield Mall. It's kind of a high-end chain of Chinese restaurants. I've been to the one in Las Vegas and Irvine, CA. If you go, you need to get the lettuce wrap appetizer.
For Italian on the hill, I like Zia's, but I haven't been there in ages.
Mexican in Missouri leans more toward Tex-Mex rather than Cal-Mex. I have good luck with Chuy's and haven't had anyone I've sent there give me a bad report.
Submitted by
christy
at 10/14/2002 9:12:07 AM- Can't speak to the best chinese place in St. Louis--I'm really fond of Lucky Foods on S. Broadway, but you know, be careful when you order delivery...
Mexican food? Try Cherokee Street west of Jefferson (you know, away from antique row). The ambience is similar to east LA--it always seems to me to be the furthest away you can get from St. Louis and still be in the city. They have a bunch of taquerias lining the street--unfortunately, the last time I was down there it looked as if my favorite, Taqueria Azteca, was closed. You can even get Mexican Coca Cola at most of them.
Submitted by
cybrpunk
at 10/14/2002 12:43:34 PM- Here is my 2 cents.
DO NOT go to Pueblo Solis!!! They are very expensive for what you get (very little) and their wait staff is EXTREMELY snooty and pretentious. I have never been as insulted at a restaraunt as I had been there by a waiter.
Submitted by
Mae
at 10/14/2002 6:07:49 PM- We have written down everyone's suggestions and are going to try them one by one. Thanks everyone for your ideas!
Submitted by
drew
at 10/15/2002 9:28:03 AM- asoon: Great Chef rocks my socks off! My buddy bret and I consider it our "hang-out" (although we don't go as much as we like). I never knew it was considered authentic. Rock on!
Submitted by
Greg
at 10/2/2006 10:53:49 AM- I've read about all of the great Italian places on the Hill. So many to choose from. I am working here for the next few weeks and my fiancee is coming to be with me next weekend. I haven't seen her in a month. I want to totally impress her with the most romantic Italian dinner. She has traveled to Italy extensively and knows good italian food. I want great Italian food with a romantic atmosphere, like romantic Italian music playing in the background. So, where do i go?
Well, I'm not sure how much it costs but a lot of people like Nicoletti's. It's a very small Italian restaurant. I'm not a big fan (but then I'm not a fan of italian cuisine in general). It's on the corner of 141 and Big Bend Rd.
They might have italian bbq. Ko can explain that if needs be.