Italian. Chinese. Mexican. Greek. Bacon-n-eggs breakfast. Anything else good.
I’m looking for neighborhood places, which for me is near Olive & 270. Short of pulling off into every little strip mall and driving along the store fronts, all I can spot are chains, which I prefer to avoid. (Though that’s not written in stone.)
Thanks!
Hm. I know more about city places, but…
Ozzie Smith’s restaurant and bar are just up 270 in Westport Plaza. Pretty good menu. Good sports bar atmosphere.
Trattoria Branica is a bit farther away, in Frontenac. Take Olive east, then south on Lindbergh. It was good Italian food as of about a year ago, but I haven’t been there recently.
Classic Red Hots is a pretty good hotdog/hamburger place. I got a Chicago Dog there last year on the first day of baseball season. It’s a few miles west on Olive.
Unfortunately, it seems like the suburbs are the chain hotspots, while if you live in the city, local places abound.
The new Granite City Food and Brewery (Olive and Craig, in the Dierberg’s plaza) is pretty good. And, they have happy hour every day from 9 to close with half price ($2.15) micro-brews.
Bristol’s is a bit more upscale; I’ve always enjoyed their food.
Up my way (Page and Ashby) there’s a little Mexican place called Las Palmas that I’ve only been to once, but liked a lot. It’s on Page, about a half mile east of Ashby.
La Bonne Bouchee
12344 Olive Blvd
Haven’t been there since HS graduation (a good long while ago), but maybe worth a try. I mostly remember the pastries being fabulous.
At Olive & 141 in the strip center on the NW corner there is a very nice Lebanese place. IIRC the name has “cafe” in it, but it’s nicer than that implies. They are related to the famous “Saleem’s” in the Loop.
On 141 just south of Olive on the east side is “Spiros”. They had a fire awhile ago & may not be open yet. Very nice white table cloth dining with a Greek overtone.
For lunch I like the “St. Louis Rotisserie” in the strip center on the NW corner of Olive & Fee Fee. Good BBQ, smoked turkey, etc. Definitely a fast-food atmosphere, but good real food at a good price.
In that same center there is a Jewish deli in the opposite corner. I suddenly can’t remember the name. Not “Max’s”, but close. Great deli sandwiches & Jewish ethnic food with all the indifferent service you’d expect from NY transplants. The meals always look a little skimpy for the money, but somehow you’re stuffed when you leave.
There is a Japanese place in that center as well. I’m not a Japanese fan, so I can’t rate it. But it is well known.
The Chinese place in that center is, as one of my coworkers puts it: “Gross Chinese”. But for 7 bucks they do a big business in lunch buffet.
Finally, that same center has/had a little Russian place. I’ve never been, but it might be worth a try.
For great coffee beans & tea, try V.J.'s on the north side of Olive just E of 141. Vastly better than McBucks or the “gourmet” crap at the grocery store. They also have fresh brewed, but it’s much more a retail store than a coffee house. Also a good source for European snacks, chocolates, etc.
An the SW corner of Olive & 141 towards the west end of the strip center is a Chinese joint with Mongolian BBQ. The Chinese is OK, not great, but for some reason Mongol BBQ is hard to find in greater STL & this is one of the few places which have it at all.
On Olive between 270 & Fee Fee there’s nothing but chains. For a quick meatball sandwich there is a Bellisimo’s outlet in an out-pad in the center on the SW corner of Olive & Mason. Yes, they are a franchise, but pretty good for Italian lunch. There is also a nice cigar store in that center near the west end if you care about such things.
Going the other way from 270, 1/2 block S of Olive on Old Ballas Rd (not New Ballas Rd) on the right side is Growlers pub. They’re a small STL-based chain & have a very wide selection of beers, plus the usual pub burgers & such.
There’s also a neat gourmet grocery store called IIRC “Provisions” on the N side of Olive near New Ballas. I hear they make awesome sandwiches if you bring enough money.
A little farther afield, on Page about 1 mile E of 270 on the N side is a Chinese joint in a free standing chinese-style building. Very authentic by STL standards; you can get crabs still in the shell, etc. Unlike the typical Chinese strip-mall buffet selling deep-fried sugar balls to 300 lb white women, you’ll be one of the few round-eyes in the joint.
I’ll quit for now, but there are a lot more where these came from.
Ooh. And it’s walking distance!
Heh. I’ve been here six days, and I’ve already had two people tell me to go there with somebody else’s wallet. 
You fools. Annie Gunn’s on Chesterfield Airport Road. A little pricey…
Or Pueblo Nuevo at 7401 N. Lindbergh (just north of I-270). If you’re willing to go north a bit.
I don’t eat out much, but someone said La Salsa, 12536 Olive St. Blvd, is good.
Hangook Kwan Restaurant
1261 Castillons Arcade Plz
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
Small Korean place with good food. Not a lot of atmosphere, but the food is good.
Frank, are visiting or have you moved here?
Seconding Provisions for lunch. While you’re there, pick up a cigar and enjoy it at Growler’s after work.
Annie Gunn’s??? It sounded to me like Frank wanted everything within a couple miles of Olive/270. If we can open it up to all of Greater STL, we’ll be here for quite awhile The City alone could take a week.
Frank, Provisions isn’t THAT expensive. But not knowing whether you’re used to dining on fresh squab with truffle sauce or 7-11 hotdogs with Cheez Wiz®, it’s kinda hard to pitch the right places.
Somewhere in between. I don’t mind spending 20 or 35 bucks on an entree once or twice a week. Cheaper is fine too, but not “Gross Chinese”. I’m going to go to Olive and 141 tomorrow and try one of your suggestions at random. Or maybe Granite City.
And yes, I’m looking for places within spitting distance of home.
cards, I’ve moved here, for work.
Hope you enjoy your time in my fair hometown. (I also hope to be joining the ranks of returnees soon, but that’s a different story). Oh, and take heart, the sun will come back any day now. (Cursed rain put a stop to the Cards’ home opener…)
Lovely to have Pujols stress his elbow with a dinger that didn’t even count. [sub]Grumble…[/sub]
As long as y’all realize that I shall not become a St. Louis fan. Unless the Orioles move back. And my NL team is the Rockies. 
I might go tomorrow night. It’s probably too soon at work to call in sick and go Thursday.