Yeah, yeah, so these days our food scene is getting raves from the national press. But we’ve long gotten raves from a megaphone that, if anything, is even bigger: The shows on the Food Network. Everyone from Guy Fieri to Andrew Zimmern loves what we’re cooking, and we’ve got the highlight reel to prove it. […]
Yeah, yeah, so these days our food scene is getting raves from the national press. But we’ve long gotten raves from a megaphone that, if anything, is even bigger: The shows on the Food Network.
Everyone from Guy Fieri to Andrew Zimmern loves what we’re cooking, and we’ve got the highlight reel to prove it. Use this list to follow in their footsteps as you eat your way around town — or just find a new restaurant or two. Some of these spots have closed their doors, so use the list to remember those spots fondly. We’ve added some clips of the shows to the list, so read and watch St. Louis shine.
Highway 61 Roadhouse
34 S Old Orchard Avenue; 314-968-0061
Featured on: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
Guy Fieri called Hwy 61 Roadhouse “a really cool place; it’s the kind of place he’d hang out in if he lived here in town. It just went really well,” owner Bill Kunz says. “I think he ended up showing me the love in our episode, because traditionally they do three restaurants on an episode…Our episode was only two restaurants, and I got about twenty minutes of airtime, which is priceless.”
-Liz Miller
Read more here.
Photo: Highway 61 Roadhouse Facebook Page
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Smoki O’s Bar-B-Que & Catering
1545 N Broadway; 314-621-8180
Featured on: Bizarre Foods America
On the north side, at the corner of Mullanphy Street and Broadway, trails of smoke can be seen billowing out behind Smoki O’s known as one of the best barbecue joints in the city. A family operation, Smoki O’s has been pulling pork and slicing brisket since 1997, receiving many accolades along the way (including from the Travel Channel’s Andrew Zimmern) and devoted fans along the way.
-Zach Garrison
Read more here.
Photo: Blake Eastwood
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Crafted.
3200 Shenandoah Avenue, 314-865-3345
Featured on: Bar Rescue
“Pressed” drinks are the centerpiece of the menu. They come in coffee presses, alongside a chilled glass. The idea is to “press” the ingredients at the bottom with the liquor several times to infuse the flavor into your drink and then pour it into your glass. We’ve drank at bars across St. Louis, yet it’s safe to say these are some of the best cocktails we’ve had.
-Matt and Angie Stockel
Read more here.
Photo: Crafted Staff
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Crown Candy Kitchen
1401 Saint Louis Avenue; 314-621-9650
Featured on: Best Sandwich in America and Man vs. Food
Crown Candy Kitchen is an institution in Old North. Its “Heart Stopping BLT” contains, by a conservative estimate, an entire pig’s worth of bacon. Possibly two pigs. There are a few tomato slices and some lettuce, but, really, this is a bacon lover’s dream, crisp slice after crisp slice tucked between plain white toast.
-Ian Froeb
Read more here.
Photo: Ian Froeb
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The Famous Bar
5213 Chippewa Street; 314-832-2211
Featured on: Drinking Made Easy
There’s no denying that the minute you grab a pool cue, a certain feeling of utter coolness comes over you. You are slick and smooth, your moves are calculated and your face serious, with a snarled lip and one keen, squinting eye to intimidate your opponents. Why not play on a table that matches? The Famous Bar offers just that — the dark, wooden arches and elegant bar give the room a Rat Pack feel, making you want to order a high ball and adopt an old-timey accent.
-RFT
Read more here.
Photo: Eric Frazier
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Anthonino’s Taverna
2225 Macklind Avenue; 314-773-4455
Featured on: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
“On the Hill we couldn’t be just Italian,” says Anthony Scarato of Anthonino’s Taverna, where he and brother Rosario combine their parents’ Greek and Italian family traditions to do something different. In creating the menu for Anthonino’s, which opened in 2003, the Scaratos drew from the heritages of both their mother, who was born in Greece, and their father, whose parents immigrated from Italy. Many of the recipes are for dishes they grew up eating.
-Katie Moulton
Read more here.
Photo: Katie Moulton
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Iron Barley
3367 High Ridge Blvd; High Ridge, MO; 636-671-9911
Featured on: Man vs. Food and Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
While the original south city location is the one featured on TV, it’s still worth a visit at its new home in High Ridge. The dishes here are jumbo, and everything is absolutely packed with the kind of flavor that only comes from slow cooking, low simmering and just the right amount of seasoning. From the tender roasted meats to the hearty schnitzel and spaetzle to the nightly specials and seasonal drinks — Iron Barley and its unpretentious dining room are the perfect solution for those Friday nights when you wish you could have worked in the kitchen all day rather than the office but, alas, you don’t get paid to do so.
-RFT
Read more here.
Photo: Nick Lucchesi
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Sweetie Pie’s
multiple locations including 3643 Delmar Boulevard; 314-932-5364
Featured on: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives
Fame, history and soul are all on the menu at Sweetie Pie’s. Owner Robbie Montgomery once sang as a backup singer with Ike & Tina Turner, and has also sung with Stevie Wonder, Barbara Streisand, Joe Cocker and the Rolling Stones. She also often cooked for her fellow bandmates on the road and, after moving to St. Louis, she opened comfort-food haven Sweetie Pie’s — a favorite of Oprah Winfrey’s and the subject of a “docuseries” on Oprah’s OWN network. Each day of the week brings different specials, with mainstay menu items available every day.
-Sara Graham
Read more here.
Photo: Sarah Rusnak
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