[birthday bash]
In honor of its 10th anniversary, SIDNEY STREET CAFE is hosting a special dinner Jan. 20 prepared by 10 chefs. The St. Louis food experts who are helping to take over the kitchen from Kevin Nashan are Gerard Craft of Niche Restaurant Group, Josh Galliano of The Libertine and Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus. Other cooks are coming in from as far away as Rhode Island and California.

[mexican missionaries]
Brothers ADAM and JASON TILFORD hope to bring the gospel of good Mexican food to Soulard with a second location of MISSION TACO JOINT. They will set up shop at 908 Lafayette Ave. Projected to open in late spring, the restaurant will have a wood-burning oven.

[raise the flag]
Paying homage to St. Louis history, THREE FLAGS TAVERN is set to open soon at 4940 Southwest Ave. The name references a remarkable ceremony that occurred in March 1804, when the citizens of St. Louis marked the transfer of their city from Spanish to French to American control by raising and lowering the flags of each nation. Fittingly, chef JOHN O’BRIEN plans to serve French, Spanish and American food.

[pig out]
This pork-centric city will have another porcine place to eat early in the new year. MICHAEL DEL PIETRO is opening THE SALTED PIG, a Southern comfort food-themed restaurant, at 731 S. Lindbergh Blvd. in the former Frontenac Grill/Coco’s spot.

[buon appetito!]
KATIE’S PIZZA & PASTA OSTERIA opened in late November at 9568 Manchester Road. Open daily for lunch, happy hour and dinner, the new project of KATIE LEE promises artisan Italian food using local and seasonal ingredients. The restaurant has a wood-burning pizza oven and a projector screen that shows old Italian movies.

By Rebecca Koenig