a steal of a deal
There are not too many places where you can get a bagel with lox platter for $5 or a tuna melt for $4.25. But Circle Crown Cafe isn’t like too many other places in town. Located in the Crown Center seniors building at Delmar Boulevard and Delcrest Drive, the eatery strives to keep prices affordable for its fixed-income population, but it’s open to the public, too.
the best of the midwest
Niche has launched The Modern Midwest Dinner Series, a platform for acclaimed chefs from smaller Midwest cities to showcase their talents and collaborate with the team at Niche. First up earlier this month was chef Ryan Santos of Please in Cincinnati, Ohio, who shares chef Hereford’s dedication to using provisions native to his region. Also … check out Gerard Craft’s Porano Pasta + Gelato fast-casual spot, now open in the Mercantile Exchange downtown.
good eats at bpv
Budweiser Brew House at Ballpark Village is taking it up a notch with some mouthwatering new dishes: Kettle Cooked Country Ribs (drizzled with Budweiser BBQ sauce), California Crab Roll Stack and Hawaiian Grilled Pork Steak are just a few of the new menu items.
new to the scene
LoRusso’s on Grand has opened at 601 N. Grand Blvd., offering theater- and concert-goers a buffet dinner option, pre-shows. Located in the onetime Dooley’s, Duke’s and Wm. Shakespeare’s, the veteran restaurateur is banking that this concept will take. It will be open only a few hours prior to select performance dates at the Fox, Powell and Grand Center shows. The buffet is $24 and there is a prix fixe option as well.
Ben Poremba’s Parigi appears to be getting its final touches, as of press time. A peek into the big picture windows facing Brentwood Boulevard reveals a sleek, contemporary spot with a bird’s eye view of Clayton’s pretty Shaw Park. Btw, ‘Parigi’ is Italian for ‘Paris.’ The much-heralded Weber Grill in the Galleria is moving along, judging from construction, but not set to open until March. What has opened, though, is Helium, the downstairs comedy club. Look for the Sklar brothers, hometown boys, to appear in April.
As if the cozy, romantic atmosphere of Brasserie isn’t enough to draw you in, visit 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday through Friday for the happy hour special, Cinq à Sept. Each week features a different flavor brat for $7 (on our night it was a mixture of spicy coppa, pepper jack cheese and giardiniera with an amazing kick), or you can get one of their mouthwatering burgers ($5 single, $10 double), which was easily the best I’ve ever tasted … the dijonnaise does it. Both come with fries. I also tried out some new brews since draft beers are half off!
—Karyn Meyer, Associate Editor
