This week Meera and Michelle discuss a recent visit to High Low, a sunny coffee shop operated by Blueprint Coffee, where the cortados and biscuits are on point. Also in the conversation is Michelle's visit to Mississippi Bistro -- the temporary restaurant that's taken over since Cinder House closed in January -- there she tried several dishes from the menu including a fried chicken sandwich and a mesmerizing espresso panna cotta with almond macaron from assistant executive pastry chef Tiffany Gilmore. They also talk about beautiful spaces around town that are fun restaurants or bars to visit for a fancy-ish evening.

Blueprint Coffee at High Low

3301 Washington Blvd., St. Louis, 314-266-6808

Mississippi Bistro, Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

999 N. 2nd St., St. Louis, 314-881-5800

Meals that changed St. Louis pastry chef Tiffany Gilmore's life

Bonito Bar

622 North and South Rd., St. Louis, 314-727-6500

​Bonito Bar brings new life and great drinks to Frida's in University City

Bar Moro

7610 Wydown Blvd., Clayton

2022 Best New Restaurants // No. 4 Bar Moro

Tim's Chrome Bar

4736 Gravois Ave., St. Louis

First Look: Tim’s Chrome Bar in the Bevo Mill neighborhood of south St. Louis

None of the Above

3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, 314-656-6682

Idol Wolf

1528 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-325-0360

First Look: Idol Wolf at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis

St. Louis City SC names Olive + Oak, Olio and Sunday Best among seven new restaurants coming to CityPark for 2024 MLS season

Wright's Tavern

7624 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, 314-390-1466

Noto Italian Restaurant

5105 Westwood Dr., St. Peters, 636-317-1143

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a visit to Corner 17 and dishes that really stood out, like the hot and sour potatoes. Also in the conversation are a few spots on The Hill, Adriana's where the Sunny's vegetarian sandwich is a salad in sandwich form and also John Viviano & Sons Grocers where there is a wide selection of Italian staples to stock your pantry. Also in the talk is Stews Food & Liquor in Soulard, a new spot where the Asian-inspired dishes, like their pork belly skewer, are making a splash. They also discuss a few spots in St. Louis that are devoting a section of their drink list to several versions of a single classic cocktail, allowing each iteration to be a creative homage to the original.

Corner 17

6623 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314-727-2402

We're obsessed with the fresh pulled noodles at Corner 17

Adriana's on The Hill

5101 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-3833

Eat this veggie sandwich from Adriana’s on the Hill​

Stews Food & Liquor

1862 S. 10th St., Soulard

Stews Food & Liquor is opening Friday in Soulard

6 St. Louis bars where you can try classic cocktails multiple ways

Noto

5105 Westwood Dr., St. Peters, 636-317-1143

The Gin Room

3200 S. Grand Blvd., 314-771-3411

1220 Spirits

Salve

3200 S. Grand Blvd., 314-771-3411

Bistro La Floraison

7637 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, 314-725-8880

The Golden Hoosier

3707 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314-354-8044

This week Michelle and Meera discuss a multi-course dinner they experienced at The Preston, which is inside the Chase Park Plaza hotel in the Central West End. They also talk about recent a staff lunch to explore the new food menu that debuted at Rockwell Beer Co. near The Grove after Brasswell ceased operations. They also chat about the new Hot Pizza Cold Beer concept in the MX Building in downtown St. Louis that is set to open Feb. 2. Finally, they talk about each of the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists in and around St. Louis that were announced by the James Beard Foundation.

The Preston

212 Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314-633-7800

Rockwell Beer Co.

1320 S. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, 314-256-1657

Brasswell is leaving Rockwell Beer Co. in the Grove

Hot Pizza Cold Beer

610 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 416-823-6233

First Look: Hot Pizza Cold Beer

Taco Circus has closed

James Beard Foundation names St. Louis-area restaurateurs and chefs among 2024 semifinalists

Mainlander

8 S Euclid Ave, St. Louis

Sado

5201 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314-390-2883

Best New Restaurants 2023 // No. 3 Sado

Take Root Hospitality

La Patisserie Chouquette

1626 Tower Grove Ave, St. Louis, 314-932-7935

Scratch Brewing

264 Thompson Rd., Ava, Illinois, 618-426-1415

Balkan Treat Box

8103 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314-733-5700

Telva at The Ridge

60 N. Gore Ave., Webster Groves, 314-395-2760

Bulrush

3307 Washington Ave, St. Louis, 314-449-1208

2019 Best New Restaurants // No. 3 Bulrush

Root Food + Wine

5525 Walnut St., Augusta, 636-544-1009

Best New Restaurants // No. 1 Root Food + Wine

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a recent dinner at Indo in Botanical Heights, the first solo venture from chef and restaurateur Nick Bognar. They also talk about a take-out lunch experience from Vegan Deli and Butcher in Bevo, where chef Chris Bertke's menu is filled with deli classics like a Reuben, a French dip and the hot salami sandwich which came with a house made and aged vegan salami served on a toasted, buttered bun. From the website they discuss two new spots in St. Louis: Blue Jay Brewing Co. and The Headless Bat as well as a feature on winter soups to try that includes a gumbo from Who Dat Southern Food Bar & Grill and Doenjang Jjigae Joo Joo Restaurant & Karaoke in Creve Coeur.

Indo

1641 D Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, St. Louis, 314-899-9333

Vegan Deli and Butcher

5003 Gravois Ave., St. Louis

Europa Market

5005 Gravois Ave., St. Louis, 314-481-9880

Marconi Deli

1913 Marconi Ave., St. Louis, 314-773-8728

First Look: Blue Jay Brewing Co. in Midtown St. Louis

Blue Jay Brewing Co.

2710 Locust St, St. Louis

First Look: The Headless Bat in Tower Grove South

The Headless Bat

3128 Morgan Ford Rd., St. Louis

5 soups from around the world to try in St. Louis this winter

Gumbo at Who Dat Southern Food Bar & Grill

4247 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314.202.8068

Doenjang Jjigae at Joo Joo Restaurant & Karaoke

12937 Olive Arcade Plaza, Creve Coeur, 314.469.1999

This week Meera and Liz discuss burgers at Jovick Brothers Deli, planning the menu for a very dairy dinner party and all the reasons to love Platypus in The Grove.

Jovick Brothers Burgers

Barely-Banana Pudding recipe

Brian Lagerstrom's Detroit Style Pizza

Brian Lagerstrom's YouTube channel

2015 Ones to Watch

First Look: Platypus

Benevolent King

Meredith Barry and La Verita Distilleria

This week, Meera and Liz discuss lunch and wine shopping at Pastaria Deli and Wine, a giant huckleberry scone at Press, Macedonian wine at Truffles and dinner at Noto Italian Restaurant. They also revisit a recent story in the magazine by chef Rob Connoley ("Gateway To the African Continent," Feb 2023) about St. Louis’ wide-ranging African restaurant scene, which includes Waaberi, House of Jollof, Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant and more. 

⁠Pastaria Deli and Wine, 7734 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.773.7755, pastariadeliwine.com⁠

⁠Press, 2509 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.328.1094, press-stl.com⁠

⁠Truffles, 9202 Clayton Road, Clayton, 314.567.9100, todayattruffles.com⁠

⁠Noto Italian Restaurant, 5105 Westwood Drive, St. Peters, 636.317.1143, notopizza.com⁠

Waaberi, 3445 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.449.1124

Chez Ali, 3700 Forest Park Ave. (inside City Foundry STL), St. Louis, cityfoundrystl.com/directory/chez-ali

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant, 3210 S Grand Blvd, St. Louis,  314.772.4442, meskeremstl.com

House of Jollof, 503 Paul Ave., Florissant, 314.384.9153, myhouseofjollof.com

Fufu 'N' Sauce, Instagram: @fufunsauce

New Society, 3194 S. Grand Blvd. (inside Grand Spirits Bottle Shop), St. Louis, Instagram: New Society

This week Meera and Michelle talk about some of their favorite dishes from the “Eat This” column that appears in the issue each month and highlights a must-try dish in St. Louis. From a decadent breakfast sandwich in Maplewood to a luxe seafood tower in Benton Park, these plates were some of the standouts of 2023. 

The Crow’s Nest

7336 Manchester Rd., Maplewood, 314-781-0989

Yellowbelly

4659 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314-499-1509

Peacemaker Lobster & Crab

1831 Sidney St., St. Louis, 314-772-8858

Pastaria Deli & Wine

7734-2 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314-773-7755

Mi Tierra Bonita 

3203 Collinsville Rd., Fairmont City, Illinois, 618-271-7226

More on Mi Terra Bonita

Pizza Champ

2657 Lyle Ave., Maplewood 

The King’s Oak by Modern Brewery

5200 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314-788-0900

Paul Manno’s Restaurant

75 Forum Shopping Center, Chesterfield, 314-878-1274

This week Meera and Michelle discussed favorites from the Biscuit Joint, a new spot from chef and owner Elliot Brown. They also talked about an amazing lunch from the recently-opened Telva at the Ridge, the new restaurant from the team that runs Balkan Treat Box. From the January issue they discuss Ones to Watch, a feature that highlights rising stars in the restaurant industry.

The Biscuit Joint

2649 Washington Ave Unit A1, St. Louis, 314-769-9434

Telva at the Ridge

60 N Gore Ave A, Webster Groves, 314-395-2760

Balkan Treat Box

8103 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, 314-733-5700

Sump Coffee

3700 S Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 917-412-5670

Paper Crane

The Vandy

1301 S Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, 314-472-5321

None of the Above

3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis, 314-656-6682

Wright's Tavern

7624 Wydown Blvd, Clayton, 314-390-1466

This week Meera and Michelle discuss their favorite dishes at Tai Ke Shabu Shabu, a Taiwanese restaurant in Olivette, where they always order the stir-fried eggplants with basil. Michelle headed to Lindenwood Park to check out Bubba’s Deli. They also discuss a recent lunch at the newly-opened Jinzen, which is an Asian-fusion restaurant in Clayton. From the January issue, they discuss a feature detailing several bars — in St. Louis and in Southern Illinois — with a strong whiskey list. 

Tai Ke Shabu Shabu

9626 Olive Blvd, St. Louis, 314-801-8411

Bubba’s Deli

3249 Ivanhoe Ave, St. Louis, 314-853-3862

Jinzen

8113 Maryland Ave, Clayton, 314-354-8086

Blood & Sand

1500 St. Charles St., St. Louis, 314-241-7263

Stubborn German

119 S Main St, Waterloo, IL 62298

618-504-2444

The Midwestern Meat & Drink

900 Spruce St, St. Louis, 314-696-2573

Cabin at Judy Creek

3730 S. State Rte 157, Glen Carbon, Illinois, 618-205-8556

This week Michelle and Meera discuss Hidden Gem, the new disco-dive bar that opened up in Midtown St. Louis. They also discuss two vegan spots SweetArt in South City and the newly-opened Looking Meadow Cafe in Maplewood. They also discussed several spots they look forward to trying in the new year including Brasas in the Delmar Loop and Taqueria Morita in the Central West End and Telva at the Ridge in Webster Groves.

Hidden Gem

318 Locust St., St. Louis, 314-925-8931

First Look: Hidden Gem in Midtown St. Louis

SweetArt

2203 S. 39th St., St. Louis, 314-771-4278

Eat This: The Maine Event at SweetArt

Looking Meadow Cafe

2500 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood

First Look: Looking Meadow Cafe in Maplewood

Eat Crow

1931 S. 12th St., St. Louis, 314-934-1400

More on Eat Crow in Soulard

Andrew Cisneros will open Brasas in the Delmar Loop in spring 2024

Taqueria Morita will open permanent location in former Wasabi space in the Central West End in spring 2024

More on Neon Greens

Telva at The Ridge

60 N. Gore Ave., Webster Groves, 314-395-2760

Gerard Craft will open Expat BBQ at City Foundry STL