The original Balaban's opened in the Central West End in 1972, and for the next 35 years offered fine bistro food and one of the best wine cellars in town, winning the prestigious Wine Spectator Award for 15 consecutive years. Now, it's in Chesterfield. And the new Balaban's has kept up the award tradition, having just received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 2011. The chef statue, which stood out front in the Central West End, welcomed visitors from near and far until a fateful day in late 2008 when Cafe Balaban shuttered its doors. Co-owner Steve McIntyre kept the Balaban's name …

“Americans want to know where their food comes from, how it was raised and if it is good for their health long-term," according to Bob Stallman, chairman of U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. So the Chesterfield-based alliance will host The Food Dialogues, a town hall-style discussion online to address questions about how our food is grown and raised and the long-term impact of the food we are eating—on our own health and the health of the planet. "We realize farmers and ranchers haven't always done the best job answering Americans' …

Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse is primed to open their first location outside of California right here in Chesterfield Valley at 17258 Chesterfield Airport Road in the space formerly occupied by Hometown Buffet (between O'Charley's and Mimi's Cafe.) Featuring a friendly lodge atmosphere, the interior of a Tahoe Joe's location has pine log beams stretched throughout spacious ceilings and hand painted teepee lamps, and if that's not lodge-like enough, a stone fireplace with a roaring fire completes the look. The first location opened in 1996 in Fresno, CA, and now has grown to 10 locations. …

Driving through Chesterfield, I developed a nagging tooth problem. While the tooth was in desperate need of immediate attention, an emergency visit to the dentist would not suffice. It wasn't a molar or bicuspid that was causing the pain. It was my sweet tooth, and it required a trip to the local bakery. Sarah's Cake Shop and Catering—located at 10 Clarkson Wilson Center—was all the remedy I needed. There were plenty of delicious choices to save the day. There is a pick 'em out and take 'em home lineup of gourmet cupcakes, petit fours and truffles.  There are always a few cakes that you can …

Lester's is an enigma. The cavernous space is tastefully decorated as opposed to beer signs covering every inch of available space. Rather than a strictly young, rowdy clientele, patrons range from young to old. And expecting merely passable bar food, I was instead served a pastrami sandwich that can compete with any pastrami sandwich anywhere. Located at 14810 Clayton Road in Chesterfield, there's a lot to like about Lester's. There's plenty of televisions—20 in the bar area alone—all part of a half-million dollar audio/visual system, and they somehow manage to be unobtrusive while being …

Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine is known for fine food and excellent wine. Now they'll be known for craft beers as well as they add carefully selected artisan beers to their ever-changing menu. Wine lovers needn't worry; the boutique restaurant will still offer great vino, but will now also offer a selection of seasonal beers plus two regularly rotating taps. To introduce the new menu, a special five course dinner pairing five artisan beers selected from the restaurant's offerings will be held on Sun., Aug. 14 at 5:30pm. Chef Mathis Stitt said both the beer and the food will focus on local …

Maid-Rite Diner—founded in 1926 and one of the nation's oldest franchise restaurants—has targeted Chesterfield as the perfect location to sell their ground beef sandwiches. Also called loose meat, Tavern or a loose hamburger sandwich, think of it as a Sloppy Joe without all the slop. You may recall Roseanne Barr sold them at her diner on her television show, Roseanne. “They're similar to Sloppy Joe's, but they aren't drenched in sauce,” said Tania Burt, Executive Vice President of Maid-Rite. “Instead, flavorful seasonings are used. Our sandwiches are one of a kind.” The legend of how Maid-…

It's not unusual to have a national day to celebrate a particular food or drink. These days give us an opportunity to put aside our better judgment and indulge in something we love. This week alone we've had days to celebrate tequila, hot fudge sundaes, coffee milkshakes, creme brulee, scotch, milk chocolate and the bizarre "Cheese Sacrifice Purchase Day." As far as I can tell, that might have been instituted around the turn of the century when rodents had the run of cities and people were encouraged to give up a little of their precious cheese to set mouse traps.  But Saturday's special day …

On a hot summer day, nothing appeals quite like a soothing ice cream treat. But ice cream can be heavy, leave a coating on your tongue, and consume us with guilt. Italians—not ones to be guilty about food—developed a creamy dessert treat with 80 percent less fat than ice cream: gelato.Benito's Gelato, located at 1760 Clarkson Rd. in Dierbergs Market Center, has a reputation for serving up some of the finest gelato in St. Louis. No wonder. The artisan gelato is based on a family recipe fine-tuned by co-owner Judy Bellos. They use 100 percent natural ingredients, such as fruits, nuts, spices, …

Only a crazy chili-head would think of eating Mexican food when the thermometer is topping 100°F, as it was early this week. Guilty as charged, but in my defense, I was hotter than a Mexican jumping bean and spicy Mexican cuisine sounded just right. Besides, my brain was addled by the unrelenting heat. Salina's Mexican Restaurant—located at 20 Clarkson Wilson Center, off Clarkson Road—looked inviting. The welcoming entrance is flanked by a wraparound porch with hanging plants and flowers, and I imagine it would be very pleasant if the weather were kinder. The interior—with its gray chairs and…

As Longstreet Grill took off from the metaphorical runway of life into the blue skies of oblivion on June 29, another bar and grill landed in its place the next morning. The transition was smoother than a flight's takeoff and landing. Located at 127 Chesterfield Towne Center, the Hangar Grill borrows its name and theme from the nearby Spirit of St. Louis Airport. It's sticking with the old Longstreet Grill menu for now, but does plan on adding some new, slightly upscale menu choices, co-owner Steve Spellman said. It's already featuring specials; on Wednesday, it offered a steak dinner with …

With Fourth of July upon us, no food is associated with celebrating our nation's independence more than the all-American hot dog. Sure, the Germans invented the frankfurter, but we put it on a bun with bright yellow mustard and created the traditional hot dog. These days, the lowbrow red hot is being lifted into the realm of culinary art, and nobody is doing more to offer a fascinating array of flavors and toppings—without being ridiculous—than Surf Dogs Grill and Key Lime Pie Company in Chesterfield. With a choice of 14 specialty dogs, it's difficult to make up your mind. Fortunately, Surf …

St. Louis is not a barbecue town, at least not like the barbecue powerhouses of Memphis, Kansas City and the Carolinas. We have barbecue joints of course, and some of them are quite good, but none have elicited a public fervor for the sweet science of the pit. PM BBQ in Chesterfield just may change that. Opened in late 2010 and located at 103 Chesterfield Towne Center, PM BBQ's first impression happens before you even open the door: the rich aroma of hickory smoke permeates the senses in the parking lot. It's an unpretentious place, tucked into a small storefront between Wild Horse Grill and …

When Thai Sawadee opened in Hilltown Village Center in 2008, it garnered positive reviews and began building a loyal following. The owner decided to sell just last year, giving longtime employees Susan and Chinnapong (Chin) Saicholpitak an idea. The Saicholpitaks had never owned a restaurant before or even thought about owning one, but the idea niggled at them. Hadn't they worked as both cooks and managers at Thai Sawadee since it opened, plus years of restaurant work before that? Three months later, in January, they made their decision. “We both knew everything about how it worked—what the …

Being a vegan means never eating anything that comes from animals, but it can also include eating organic foods whenever possible, using whole grains, and a myriad of other requirements. It all depends on how an individual defines their personal veganism. But can vegan food taste good? Gina Gerber thinks so. As the new owner of Vegadeli, she believes that vegan living means eating great tasting, enjoyable meals. When the restaurant, located at 177 Hilltown Village Center on Olive Boulevard, became available in May, she saw it as an opportunity. “It was a good opportunity to let people know …

Tucked into a strip mall like falafel into a pita, The Mediterranean Grill is a gem of a restaurant designed to tantalize the palate with exotic flavors and spices. Located at 703 Long Road Crossing Dr., in a strip mall off Chesterfield Airport Road, the restaurant features dishes from a variety of Mediterranean cuisines such as hummus, kubbeh, shish kabab and souvlaki. The restaurant is the creation of Israeli-born Elie Harir. The son of Yemenite Jews is making his first foray into restaurant ownership, though he's been in the restaurant business for 20 years and operated a catering company…

The problem with happy hours is that they start and end too early. Four to six in the afternoon isn't convenient for most people, and if you have to work late, you'll miss it. Or worse, there will be just enough time for one discount beer, and latecomers get stuck paying full price for the rest of the evening. Fortunately, International Tap House (iTap) has confronted this dilemma with a happy hour that starts at 8pm and goes to close on Monday through Wednesday, and Thursday too if you have an iTap passport, part of a club membership that offers incentives for tasting different beers. The …

Picasso's Bistro now occupies the space of the defunct Trattoria Branica, but the sign outside the restaurant has yet to be changed. Inside, though, a major transformation has taken place. And a new sign patiently waits for St. Louis County to grant its approval to hang it, which should happen next week. Then all will be well in restaurant land. I've already written about Picasso's Bistro. Around the time the restaurant opened, I found out two things diners should know. Owner and creator of the cuisine—Melda Dolan—is a teaching cardiologist and she is concerned about your health. The second …

Cities all across the country have them. Downtown St. Louis has one. So does Clayton. But Chesterfield does not. At least, not until next week. That's when the first annual West County Restaurant Week will kick off. The week is a celebration of fine dining establishments sure to satiate the most demanding gourmands. West County Restaurant Week gets under way on Monday and continues through May 22. Most of the 11 restaurants featured are located in Chesterfield. Each one is offering three courses for $25, plus tax and tip, of course. Remember that reservations are highly—emphasis on highly—…

We have celebrated Mother's Day in America since Woodrow Wilson signed it into national observance in 1914, but the tradition of honoring mothers—at least the deities who represented them—dates back to ancient civilizations. For us, it's simply a day to thank and pamper our moms. On Sunday, we'll serve moms breakfast in bed and bring them their first cup of coffee of the morning. Moms will receive flowers and plants, cards and jewelry, and we'll treat them to a meal in a nice restaurant. Chesterfield Patch has prepared a list of great places to take Mom to brunch or dinner. It's not a …