Zia's On The Hill is an italian restaurant in The Hill, St. Louis.
A family-run Hill room going since 1985, Zia's plates generous Italian-American spiedini and pasta. The everyday Hill table locals lean on over the big names.
Must order: Toasted ravioli and the chicken spiedini.
Tip: Reservations are taken for parties of eight or more only, so expect a wait at peak. The chicken spiedini is the house signature.
Address: 5256 Wilson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Open on The Hill since 1989, Gian-Tony's serves Southern Italian veal, chicken and seafood from a chef-owner who still runs the kitchen most nights.
Order: Veal and pasta plates from chef-owner Tony Catarinicchia.
Tip: Reserve for the small dining room and ask after the night's veal preparation. Closed early in the week, so plan a Wednesday-to-Sunday visit.
Open on The Hill since 1989, Gian-Tony's serves Southern Italian veal, chicken and seafood from a chef-owner who still runs the kitchen most nights.
Order: Veal and pasta plates from chef-owner Tony Catarinicchia.
Tip: Reserve for the small dining room and ask after the night's veal preparation. Closed early in the week, so plan a Wednesday-to-Sunday visit.
Loryn and Edo Nalic bake somun in a wood-fired oven and turn out cevapi and lahmacun, a James Beard-recognised take on Bosnian and Turkish street food.
Order: Wood-fired somun bread with cevapi and a lahmacun flatbread.
Tip: The bread comes straight from the oven, so the somun-based plates are the way in. Lines build at lunch; go early or late.
Pappy's smokes Memphis-style ribs over apple and cherry wood in Midtown and lands on national BBQ lists. The ribs are the order, and they sell out daily.
Order: Dry-rubbed ribs smoked over apple and cherry wood.
Tip: Arrive before noon at weekends; they smoke a fixed amount each day and close when it is gone. Cash and card both work.
Salt + Smoke smokes brisket over post oak for 16 hours in the Delmar Loop and pairs it with a deep bourbon list. The city's leading new-school BBQ name.
Order: Post-oak brisket with the fried pimento-cheese balls.
Tip: Brisket sells out, so save a spot on the waitlist or come early. The bourbon and beer list is as much the draw as the meat.
Hodak's has won Riverfront Times reader polls for best fried chicken since the 1990s. The family-run Gravois corner room is a no-frills temple to the bird.
Order: The fried chicken dinner with sides.
Tip: The fried chicken is the only thing most regulars order; pair it with the slaw and a cold draft. Expect a wait on Friday nights.
David Choi's 2011 food truck grew into a small Korean-Mexican chain built on bulgogi tacos and kimchi-fried-rice bowls. The Chouteau kitchen is the original.
Order: The Seoul taco and the gogi bowl with bulgogi.
Tip: The gogi bowl feeds two if you are light eaters; add the chips and queso. Counter service, fast turnaround.
