Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum is a chinese and dim sum restaurant in University City, St. Louis.
Lu Lu has run cart-rolled dim sum and Cantonese seafood on the Olive Boulevard Chinese strip for years. The weekend dim sum draws regulars to University City.
Must order: Cart-rolled dim sum at lunch and the salt-and-pepper shrimp.
Tip: Come for weekend dim sum before noon for the fullest carts. Salt-and-pepper dishes and steamed fish are the standouts off the menu.
Address: 8224 Olive Blvd, University City, MO 63132, St. Louis
The Bahrami family has plated Persian kabobs, fesenjan and herbed stews on South Grand for decades, anchoring the restaurant row of Tower Grove South.
Order: Fesenjan and kabobs over saffron rice with eggplant dishes.
Tip: The vegetarian stews and the eggplant dishes are as strong as the kabobs. South Grand is best explored on foot before or after.
Sameem plates Afghan kabuli palaw, aushak dumplings and grilled kabobs in The Grove, an affordable kitchen that has fed the city Afghan classics for years.
Order: Aushak leek dumplings, kabuli palaw and sambosas.
Tip: The aushak leek dumplings under yogurt and meat sauce are the order to lead with. Plenty of vegetarian dishes too.
STL Toasted took over the old Mama Toscano's space on The Hill and built a counter entirely around toasted ravioli, the breaded-and-fried dish born here.
Order: Toasted ravioli, the dish the shop is built around.
Tip: Hours are limited to the weekend, so plan a Friday-to-Sunday visit. Order the t-ravs by the dozen with marinara.
Mama Adriana Fazio opened this Shaw Avenue sandwich shop over 30 years ago, and her daughters still run it. The foot-long subs are a Hill lunch institution.
Order: The Sicilian sub and a cup of the day's soup.
Tip: It is lunch only and closes mid-afternoon; the line moves fast. Get the Sicilian sub and split it.
James Beard winner Gerard Craft's Clayton Italian runs on handmade pasta and wood-fired pizza in a busy room. The most reliable Italian table off The Hill.
Order: Handmade pasta of the day with a wood-oven pizza.
Tip: It books up at weekends; the bar and the patio take walk-ins. The next-door Pastaria Deli & Wine handles takeaway.
Acero plates handmade pasta and a deep, off-the-beaten-path Italian wine list in Maplewood. It is the quiet, grown-up Italian dinner locals favour.
Order: House-made pasta and a glass of an obscure Italian varietal.
Tip: The wine list rewards trusting the staff with a regional pick. Reserve on Resy; the room is small.
