St. Louis' Best Food and Drink in 2018, as Chosen by RFT Readers

Favorite Italian: Anthonino’s Taverna

2225 Macklind Avenue, 314-773-4455
You have to wonder what it was like growing up the in Scarato household. The sons of an Italian father and Greek mother, surely brothers Anthony and Rosario had to listen to significant discussion on whose storied cuisine is better. But though it must have made for interesting dinner conversations, that pedigree also makes for an excellent restaurant. For fifteen years, Anthonino’s Taverna has been serving St. Louis diners a taste of the brothers’ Greek and Italian heritage on the Hill, in a setting that is as warm and family-friendly as if you were in Mamma and Papa Scarato’s home. Dolmades and pizza, chicken Parmesan and gyros all beg you to play favorites, but at this delightful spot, it’s impossible — just like it was when Anthony and Rosario were kids.
Runner-Up: Charlie Gitto’s

Photo by Eric Frazier

Favorite Diner: Southwest Diner

6803 Southwest Avenue, 314-260-7244
If you think Southwest Diner is named after the street on which it resides, you haven’t had the “New Mexican Breakfast Burrito,” a green chile-infused fire-bomb of a breakfast that will make you think you’re at a roadside shack outside of Santa Fe rather than in a diner on the western edge of St. Louis. This beloved daytime spot has been a mainstay of the city’s dining scene for the past six years, serving up a variety of Southwestern-inflected specialties to bleary-eyed customers who are not afraid of heat. If you are spice-averse, stay as far as you can from “Jonathan’s Famous Fiery Scramble,” a cheesy egg concoction filled with so much chile heat it will make you break a sweat. But the kitchen can also take it down a notch on the spice scale with dishes such as cornmeal pancakes and a goat cheese, bacon and arugula omelet. Southwest Diner closes by 2 p.m., so if you want this food, you’ll have to get up early for it …. or just stay up so late that night becomes morning.
Runner-Up: Courtesy Diner

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Chinese: Wonton King

8116 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314-567-9997
You might be satisfied to think of Wonton King as a dim sum spot. After all, this University City restaurant’s traditional Chinese brunch is one of the best in town. However, there is so much more to Wonton King than what rolls by the table every Saturday and Sunday. The Hong Kong-style eatery boasts a menu of expertly prepared dishes like traditional congee made with everything from preserved egg to pork to kidney, fiery hot pots, Hong Kong-braised noodles and authentic noodle soups. However, the true mark of this restaurant’s greatness is the whole roasted duck, a feat of culinary prowess that combines crispy skin with incredibly juicy meat. The only thing better than this delectable dish is pairing it with an array of dim sum selections for a feast that is fit for a king.
Runner-Up: Joy Luck Chinese Buffet

Photo by Mabel Suen

Favorite Brunch: The Shack

Multiple locations, including 731 South Lindbergh Boulevard, Frontenac; 314-736-5900
If your idea of brunch is donning your Sunday best and heading to a swanky hotel buffet, the Shack will turn that notion on its head. It’s no wonder this daytime eatery has become popular enough to expand throughout the region: It makes daytime eating a fun, raucous event. Who wouldn’t want to eat breakfast dishes with names like “Junk in Da Trunk” or “Smoke ‘Em if You Got ‘Em” while scribbling on the walls like a rebellious teenager? But even through this lively, sometimes irreverent vibe, the Shack does not waver from its commitment to thoughtfully prepared, from-scratch breakfast and lunch items that would cause you to jump for joy regardless the setting. It’s a good thing that’s encouraged here. The killer list of cocktails won’t hurt either.
Runner-Up: Rooster

RFT File Photo

Favorite Breakfast: Uncle Bill’s ?Pancake House

3427 South Kingshighway, 314-832-1973
For a good time in the morning — or just to recover from the good time you had the night before — you can’t beat Uncle Bill’s. Open 24/7, even on holidays, it’s a near-perfect greasy spoon, with a vast (and inexpensive) menu of classic breakfast items: pancakes of all varieties, waffles, “skillets” and classic three-egg omelettes. The place has the kind of cozy environs that will make you feel nostalgic even when it’s your first visit, with dark wood accents, patterned carpet and table after table of your fellow St. Louisans, washing down that hangover with eggs and a pot of coffee.
Runner-Up: Chris’ Pancake and Dining

Photo by Micah Usher

Favorite Coffee: Kaldi’s

Multiple locations including 700 De Mun Avenue, Clayton; 314-727-9955
Though it’s hard to recall — or maybe those dark days are intentionally forgotten — there was a time when the St. Louis coffee scene was, to put it kindly, lacking in quality. Kaldi’s changed that, introducing the city’s coffee drinkers to high-quality, specialty coffee, then pouring it into the mugs of even casual sippers. Kaldi’s was the first to make sure after-dinner coffee in restaurants matched the sophistication of the food we were eating, helping us understand that there is much more to java than caffeine delivery. Since then, other exceptional roasters have entered the market, but each owes a debt of gratitude to the trailblazing Kaldi’s — and as consumers, we owe the home-grown company for making our coffee consumption not only more delicious, but also more conscious, one cup at a time.
Runner-Up: Sump Coffee

Photo by Sara Graham

Favorite Donuts: Vincent Van ?Doughnut

Two locations, including 40 North Central Avenue, Clayton; 314-899-9500
Vincent Brian Marsden’s concept began with a food truck and has quickly grown to two brick-and-mortar locations for one obvious reason: The donuts are simply sensational. The square beauties he’s serving up from storefronts in Clayton and the Grove don’t rely on trendy marketing or bizarre flavors; they’re simply terrific exemplars of the form, with the perfect proportions of butter and sugar, air and weight. These donuts aren’t cheap, but they’re absolutely worth every penny.
Runner-Up: Old Town Donuts

Photo by Kelly Glueck

Favorite Cajun/Creole: Broadway Oyster Bar

736 South Broadway, 314-621-8811
One of the city’s best party spots is also a great place to indulge in the Cajun and Creole classics perfected just down-river in Louisiana. Broadway Oyster Bar has all the classics you tried on that last trip to New Orleans, and then some: red beans and rice, gumbo, crawfish etouffee, even fried alligator. As at any good Cajun spot, your enjoyment of all those terrific dishes will be heightened by a lively atmosphere and some great live music. Pull up a seat on the patio or in the dining room, order as much as you think you can eat, and get ready to let the good times roll.
Runner-Up: Evangeline’s

Photo by Mabel Suen

Favorite Mexican: Mi Ranchito

887 Kingsland Avenue, University City; 314-863-1880
These are exciting times for fans of Mexican food in St. Louis. Not only have we gotten a wealth of authentic taquerias, an over-the-top South of the Border seafood spot and a Mexican dessert shop that is the culinary equivalent of Candy Land, but we’re also blessed with high-end concepts, brought about by chefs of Mexican heritage who are finally showing this Midwestern city all that is possible with this multi-faceted cuisine. Yet these welcome developments do not take away from the fact that sometimes, you just want the easy comfort of Americanized dishes and big-as-your-face margaritas. Mi Ranchito gives this comfort with dignity, serving flawlessly executed enchiladas, chimichangas and fajitas. These dishes stand out from the crowd because of their quality and taste. And yes, you can even get some pretty authentic street-style tacos here, too, though they taste so much sweeter going down with all-you-can-eat chips and salsa.
Runner-Up: La Vallesana

RFT File Photo

Favorite Greek/Mediterranean: Olympia Kebob House & Taverna

1543 McCausland Avenue, Richmond Heights; 314-781-1299
It’s difficult to stray from ordering anything but the gyro at Olympia Kebob House & Taverna. The Greek mainstay’s signature dish is, after all, one of the best versions of the sandwich you can get in town. Fluffy, warm pita cradles thick, juicy hunks of beef and lamb, onions, tomatoes and the most luxurious tzatziki sauce known to man. However, sticking with your regular order means you are missing out on an entire menu of excellent Greek comfort food that, hard as it may be to believe, is just as dazzling. Pastitsio, moussaka, stuffed peppers and dolmades are so authentic, you’d think Yia Yia herself was in the kitchen. Then there’s the spinach pita, a delicacy of layered phyllo dough that is so light and flaky you wonder how it’s able to hold the cheese and spinach filling. It’s so wonderful you might ?momentarily forget about the gyro. Nah. That’s not possible. You’ll just have to order that too.
Runner-Up: Apollonia

RFT File Photo

Favorite Indian: Haveli Indian ?Restaurant

9720 Page Avenue, Overland; 314-423-7300
Haveli Indian Restaurant looks like the least-likely place to be a bastion of authentic Indian food. The restaurant sits in a strip mall, surrounded by warehouses and wholesalers, next to a parking lot that so dwarfs the building, you wonder if it is actually open. The sign on the front window is your first clue there is life in the space, but when you walk into this oasis of Sub-Continental cuisine and smell the warm, fragrant spices that enliven every dish, you know it’s more than just open — it’s thriving. The name is fitting; in Hindi, the word haveli means an enclosed palace or private mansion, which is certainly where you’ll envision yourself as feast upon luxurious Indian specialties like cardamom-scented lamb rogan josh, fiery vindaloo and rich goat curry. No matter how bleak the environs outside, they are but a vague memory. That’s because Haveli’s food doesn’t just close you off from it; it transports you to another realm.
Runner-Up: House of India

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Fast-Casual: Sugarfire ?Smoke House

Multiple locations, including 9200 Olive Boulevard, Olivette; 314-997-2301
Sugarfire Smoke House isn’t just RFT readers’ choice for best barbecue; it also wins top honors in the increasingly crowded fast-casual category. And rightly so: What could be faster or more efficient than going through Sugarfire’s cafeteria-style line and choosing among the numerous cuts of smoked meat and creative sides? The only thing that might slow your journey toward over-eating is the way Mike Johnson’s growing chain comes up with new and intriguing options on every visit. Should you go with the brisket you’ve grown to love, or opt for the insanely decadent special on today’s list? Either way, you can’t go wrong, so do a favor for the hungry hordes behind you and just pick already.
Runner-Up: Shake Shack

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Middle Eastern: The Vine

3171 South Grand Boulevard, 314-776-0991
For expertly prepared Lebanese fare in a cheerful space, look no further than the Vine, South Grand’s favorite spot for falafel, tabouli and some truly excellent kabobs. You can’t go wrong with the shawarma, which is served with rice, fresh-baked pita and either soup or salad for a remarkably filling meal. But whatever you order, don’t forget to save room for the lebneh; the Vine’s creamy yogurt drizzled with olive oil and za’tar is exemplary, and likely just the palate cleanser you’ve been craving.
Runner-Up: Cafe Natasha’s

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Irish/English/Scottish: Scottish Arms

8 South Sarah Street, 314-535-0551
In the Scottish Arms, Alistair Nisbet has given St. Louis a taste of his native Aberdeen, with haggis, shepherds pie and what’s unquestionably the best fish and chips you’ve ever had in your life. But it’s not all about down-home British Isle classics; the kitchen has the skill to pull off items such as herb-roasted duck legs, limoncello gnocchi and Asian sea bass, combining Old Country standbys with a taste of what modern Europeans eat today. Served in a cozy spot heavy on the dark wood, these dishes have the power to make you homesick even if you’ve never visited Scotland.
Runner-Up: John D. McGurk’s

Photo by Micah Usher

Favorite New Restaurant: Vicia

4260 Forest Park Avenue, 314-553-9239
Tara and Michael’s Gallina’s restaurant in the Cortex district isn’t just the darling of critics; it’s also adored by readers, who voted it this year’s best new restaurant. “Vegetable-forward” cuisine may have sounded like a hard sell in meat-loving St. Louis, but the Gallinas have showed that if you just make those veggies delicious enough, even we will eat them — and we’ll like it. And while we’re not saying we were swayed into acquiescence by the gorgeous space, expert hospitality and wonderful cocktails, lord knows they don’t hurt.
Runner-Up: Grace Meat + Three

Photo by Mabel Suen

Favorite Outdoor/Patio Dining: Trueman's

1818 Sidney Street, 314-865-5900
St. Louis may be blessed with a plethora of great patios, but how many of them can boast sand volleyball among their highlights? This Benton Park mainstay offers an expansive area for playing games or watching them, with all the ingredients for a great summer party: a big menu, friendly yet efficient service and those all-important misters for when the humidity soaks through your Cardinals T-shirt. Pull up a chair under the covered portion or meet up with your friends under an umbrella. Let the athletes on the courts do the work; this is summer in south city, and the living really ought to be easy.
Runner-Up: John D. McGurk’s

Photo Courtesy of Trueman's

Favorite Overall Restaurant: Sugarfire Smoke House

Multiple locations, including 9200 Olive Boulevard, Olivette; 314-997-2301
Best barbecue, best fast-casual, best restaurant .... is there any accolade Sugarfire Smoke House can’t win? Mike Johnson’s thriving local chain of barbecue spots combines big portions with expert technique and creative recipes for food that St. Louis just can’t get enough of. It’s not impossible to imagine that some day, there will be Sugarfires from sea to shining sea, not just from downtown to O’Fallon. Not convinced? Just try to argue against Sugarfire’s domination after taking down an order of ribs. With a spicy dry rub and a sweet woodsmoke essence, the proof is in the protein.
Runner-Up: Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Japanese/Sushi: Tani Sushi Bistro

7726 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-296-8069
If a chic vibe and sleek, lounge-like setting were enough to make a great sushi restaurant, Tani Sushi Bistro would take top prize on atmospherics alone. However, a great sushi restaurant is all about the fish — its quality, its presentation and its taste — and again, Tani is tops. The Clayton hotspot is known for specialty rolls that dwarf other sushi restaurants in terms of both creativity and heft. Take the “Big ‘O’ Roll,” for instance, an impressively luxe presentation of spicy tuna, tempura lobster tail and seared tenderloin. It’s the surf and turf you’d find at a high-end steakhouse in sushi-roll form. But if you want the full steakhouse experience, order the Wagyu “Hot Rock,” in which thin strips of the premium beef are cooked tableside over a searing hot rock. It’s as much an experience as it is something to eat, much like Tani itself.
Runner-Up: Drunken Fish

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Romantic Dining: Bar Les Freres

7637 Wydown Boulevard, Clayton; 314-725-8880
Restaurateur Zoe Robinson is a master of ambience, and nowhere is that more clearly on display than at Bar Les Freres, her unbelievably stylish Clayton boîte. With sexy red walls, huge draped windows overlooking Wydown and a collection of antlers providing a suitably saucy note, this is the kind of restaurant that will make even the most boring date seem downright glamorous. You’d never know you were in a former shoe repair shop; Robinson is practically a sorceress when it comes to creating an atmosphere. The food, from executive chef Ny Vongsaly, is wonderful as well.
Runner-Up: Melting Pot

Photo by Jennifer Silverberg

Favorite Steakhouse: Tucker’s Place

Multiple locations, including 2117 South 12th Street, 314-772-5977
Whoever decided steakhouses had to be fancy? Tucker’s is the best kind of throwback, a place where you don’t have to be a millionaire to enjoy a hunk of beef and all the classic accoutrements. The restaurant provides St. Louis-sized cuts of Omaha Black Angus beef, and it won’t even ding you extra for the sides: Unlike those pricier places, you get a baked potato, rolls and a salad along with your steak. And that salad is a great excuse to try Tucker’s famous lemon-pepper dressing; even those who are initially skeptical have been known to buy a bottle on the way out.
Runner-Up : 801 Chophouse

Photo by Eric Frazier