June marks the first full month when mask mandates are no longer enforced by St. Louis and St. Louis County governments. That leaves restaurants — recently allowed to return to full capacity and regular hours — navigating new territory.
Most food and drink establishments are now allowing their vaccinated patrons to dine unmasked, per CDC guidance, but some still are hesitant. Sauce Magazine spoke to local restaurant owners late last month about how they came to their decisions regarding mask requirements.
This month’s print edition of Sauce Magazine continues its coverage on new food and drink spots joining the region. On Tuesday’s St. Louis on the Air, Sauce executive editor Meera Nagarajan joined host Sarah Fenske for our monthly Hit List segment.
Six new restaurants to explore this month are:
- Golden Hoosier, 3707 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63109
Sauce says: “They have a beautiful outdoor patio, and they have a really killer bar program. I mean, we tried their riff on a Pisco Sour South Side Cavy with Pisco, lemon juice, egg white and a little bit of Angostura bitters. But it's a place that I feel like that neighborhood wants: you really go, hang out, get a drink and just chill all night. It's such a fun space to spend an evening in.”
- Crab’s Landing, 701 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, Mo. 63101
Sauce says: “This is the kind of place you put a bib on, you put your gloves on, crack some crab claws — it's delicious, satisfying food. It's reasonably priced. And I think it's one of those places that people keep coming back to, which is why you see all these crab shacks kind of proliferating all over the place.”
- Casa Don Alfonso, 100 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, Mo. 63105
Sauce says: “It's an expensive experience. It's gorgeous inside, the furniture is comfortable, the service is on point, but the food is pretty approachable … you can go anywhere from cheese pizza and a simple salad, all the way up to a beautiful, freshly prepared raw fish dish too.”
- Oliver’s Coffee and Flower Bar, 1155 Saint Louis Galleria Parkway, Richmond Heights, Mo. 63117
Sauce says: “Perfect option when you're needing a break. Their sweet salad with greens and goat cheese, candied walnuts and a maple vinaigrette was awesome. And they have some kind of quirky hot drinks, like we tried their powder pink mocha with the espresso dark chocolate chips and steamed strawberry milk or just your traditional coffee espresso drinks.”
- Root Food and Wine, 5525 Walnut St., Augusta, Mo. 63332
Sauce says: [Chef Philip Day] is doing pretty fixed menus; so three courses, five courses, seven courses. It's really elegant and elevated and really trying to showcase the kind of beautiful produce and offerings that Missouri has to offer. And if you're going to Augusta to go try wine and you know maybe you're staying at an Airbnb, it's a great fine dining, relaxing option for dinner.”
- Ramblin’ Rooster, 9 Mile Garden, 9375 Gravois Road, Affton, Mo. 63123
Sauce says: “It's a chicken centric truck …They have a whole menu of fried chicken sandwiches and we loved their Soul Train sandwich ... and also love their chicken and waffles … So if you want something a little indulgent, they definitely have what you need.”
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is hosted by Sarah Fenske and produced by Alex Heuer, Emily Woodbury, Evie Hemphill and Lara Hamdan. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
