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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is St. Charles County's
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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine Cover Story |
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Outdoor Dining
The list is by no means complete but includes a variety of nice patios for taking in the local color, a good meal and the summer breeze.
Those who have a personal favorite that is not listed here can e-mail information to midriversnewsmagazine.com for inclusion on our Web site.
West County Athena’s, 15662 Manchester Road, Ellisville, (636) 527-0771. There is outdoor seating for 70 to enjoy traditional Greek and American-style cuisine prepared by Head Chef Lekaj, who hails from Athens, Greece, plus live entertainment on Wednesday nights. Entrées range from $15 – $30. B. Donovan’s Steakhouse Grill, 17352 Manchester Road, Wildwood (636) 458-3200. The 70-seat, made-in-the-shade covered patio features plenty of ceiling fans to keep customers cool, even when dining on the “Dirty & Double-Dipped Wings.” Entrees include fresh, hand-cut ribeye and strip steaks and barbecued ribs. Prices range from about $7 – $22. Big Bear Grill, 16524 Manchester Road, Wildwood, (636) 405-1100. Giant tableside umbrellas block the sun but not patron’s view of fellow diners on a patio that seats about 50. The sandwiches, burgers and wraps are generous, too, and dinner entrees ($10.45 – $23.95) including steak, chicken, seafood or pork, are served with rolls and two sides. The Cheesecake Factory, 291 Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, (636) 536-9662. Upscale-casual tables and chairs, iron post lamps, potted shrubs, pretty flowers and cool market umbrellas put the patio a notch or two above the ordinary; it seats about 80. The menu reads like a book, with specialties priced from $9.50 for a charbroiled burger to $29.95 for filet mignon. Dozens of cheesecakes make dessert more than an after-thought. Chevy’s Fresh Mex, 1382 Clarkson-Clayton Center, Ellisville, (636) 256-8585. Made-from-scratch fresh Mexican food and cantina concoctions fill the bill for a satisfying, casual meal on a patio that seats 80 (non-smoking) or on another that seats 40 (smoking permitted). Dinner entrees are priced from $8.99 – $15.99. The Country Club Bar & Grill, 288 Lamp & Lantern Village, Chesterfield, (636) 256-7201. There is room for 40 on the patio, which is shaded by umbrellas as big as trees. Appetizers, salads, burgers and sandwiches are the lunch fare; dinner entrees ($12.95 – $18.95) include crab cakes, steaks, pork chops and scampi-style chicken. Cuisine d’Art, 701 N. Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, (314) 995-3003. The daytime-only café’s patio is quaint, cozy and seats 30, mostly at tables for two. Breakfast entrees, salads, wraps, sandwiches, desserts and pastries and a full weekend brunch are served, with all items priced at less than $10. d. Dooley’s 025 Steak Company, 106 S. Central, Eureka, (636) 938-9986. The patio fireplace is a big draw when the weather is cool, but summer nights are nice too, for dining on the 30-seat deck in the heart of Old Town Eureka. Wings, burgers, wraps, pizza, seafood, chicken and steaks are served, priced from $8 – $30. Kids always eat free with a paying adult. The Gardens at Malmaison, 3519 St. Albans Road, St. Albans, (636) 458-0131. Stunning gardens, a garden kitchen and a patio for 40 with a lovely fireplace and scenic lake views make for an unforgettable setting. Guests can stroll through the gardens before or after a meal. Dinner entrees are priced from $17 – $34. Joe Boccardi’s Ristorante, 128 Boccardi Lane, Eureka, (636) 938-6100. Authentic Italian fare (pasta, steaks, chicken and seafood) is mostly made from the recipes of Joe Boccardi’s wife, Marghertia, who is from Sicily. The spacious, shaded patio comfortably seats 50. Prices run from $7.95 for a small, one-topping pizza to $24.95 for a 12-oz. filet. Miller’s Crossing in Hog Hollow, 14156 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, (314) 439-0400. The partially covered patio seats 70 to 80 and is a popular gathering spot for the over-30 crowd and for families, too. The restaurant is known for its hickory-smoked brisket; all meats are smoked outside and there is a pig roast the last Saturday of every month through fall. Dinners are in the $15 – $20 range. Spiro’s West, 1054 North Woodsmill Road, Chesterfield, (314) 878-4449. Blooming hibiscus trees, palms and fluted columns give the 32-person, shaded patio and upscale casual feel that is perfect for savoring platters of Greek, American and seafood dishes from a very extensive menu. Dinner entrees are priced from $13.99 to $26.99. Tsunami Steak and Sushi Lounge, 280 Long Road, Chesterfield, (636) 532-0700. The bar area opens onto the patio, which is shielded from the street by well-placed shrubbery and features a cozy ambiance with space for about 30. Modern and traditional sushi, sashimi and a full Asian-fusion menu are featured, with dinner entrees priced from $14.95 – $31.95. Tucker’s Place, 14282 Manchester Road, Manchester, (636) 227-8062. Top-quality steaks, burgers and pizzas are the mainstays of the menu, and food is prepared over an open flame. The brick patio seats about 60 people. Dinner entrees are priced in the $10 – $15 range. Villa Farotto, 17417 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield, (636) 519-0048. A pair of patios gives patrons some options: The larger space seats 40 and is reserved for fine dining; the other seats 20 and caters more to the cocktails and café crowd. The cuisine is Northern Italian. Dinner entrees are in the $20 – $35 range, and café food is in the $8 – $12 range. Wapango, 2020 Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, (636) 536-1151. With blazing orange umbrellas and sleek metal chairs, the 68-seat patio is as colorful as the exotic Pan Latin cuisine. Small plates start at $8; dinner entrees run about $16 to $29. Wild Horse Grill, 101 Chesterfield Towne Centre, Chesterfield, (636) 532-8751. Set beneath a ceiling of billowing sails, the breezy patio garden is designed for comfort with fans, misters and ample seating for 60 guests. A fountain and piped in music add to the ambiance. Food is classic American with an Italian influence. Entrees are priced in the $10 – $30 range. Yia Yia’s Euro Bistro, 15601 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, (636) 537-9991. White tablecloths (even at lunch), market umbrellas, potted flowers and a stone enclosure bring the style and beauty of the restaurant’s indoors out, with seating for about 60. The dinner menu features European-inspired appetizers, salads, wood-fired pizza and pastas, plus 10 bistro specials priced from $16.95 – $29.95.
Clayton Araka, 131 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, (314) 725-6777. On the ground floor of The Crescent, the 100-seat patio is adjacent to the Ritz-Carlton and overlooks a beautiful fountain in the Carondelet Plaza circle drive. The menu is Southern European with French, Italian, Spanish and Greek influences. Main courses are priced from $19 – $34. Bistro Alexander, 7927 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, (314) 725-9999. The European sidewalk café-style patio seats about 20 and has just introduced a new menu featuring fresh, seasonal selections, with no entrée priced above $20. Wine specials are featured on the patio Wednesdays and Thursdays. Café Napoli, 7754 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, (314) 863-5731. A long-time favorite in downtown Clayton, the popular patio seats 100 and is closed off from the busy street. Bar Napoli is right next door. The menu is Southern Italian with dinner entrées priced in the $15 – $35 range; a late menu is served until midnight, and there is live music Thursday through Saturday. Cardwell’s, 8100 Maryland Ave., Clayton, (314) 726-5055. There is space for more than 100 on the pretty patio, conveniently located in the heart of Clayton. Cuisine is “American eclectic” and includes inventive pastas, steak, seafood and more. Dinner entrees run $6.95 – $25.95. Jimmy’s on the Park, 706 DeMun Ave., Clayton, (314) 725-8585. The patio seats about 25, but it is worth a trip indoors to see the 600-plus caricatures of local celebrities and regular clientele. Pasta crunchers (on every table) and flash-fried spinach are customer favorites; dinner entrees include inventive pastas, vegetarian fare, seafood and the gorgonzola/brie-topped Tenderloin Anthony – a Jimmy’s original. Entrees run about $15 – $30.
Central West End Bar Italia Ristorante-Caffe, 13 Maryland Plaza, St. Louis, (314) 361-7010. The award-winning European-style patio has grown from featuring a few tables to seating about 150. It includes a bar and bustles with activity in the summer months. Quality Italian entrees are priced from $6.95 – $24.95. Boathouse, 6101 Government Drive (in Forest Park), St. Louis, (314) 367-2224. For a casual lunch, brunch or dinner, the lakeside patio in the heart of Forest Park offers a one-of-a-kind St. Louis dining experience. The full-service patio seats 60, and the beer garden, which serves a limited menu, seats another 40 or 50. Dinner offerings include burgers, pizzas, salads, a salmon BLT and some Boathouse originals, like spicy chilled shrimp and dry-rubbed ribs, ranging from $7.49 – $18.99. There is live entertainment in the beer garden on Friday and Saturday nights.
Downtown Cielo, 999 North 2nd Street, St. Louis (314) 881-5800. On the eighth floor of the Four Seasons Hotel, Cielo’s sleek, contemporary patio seats 40 and offers a panoramic, poolside view of the St. Louis skyline. Continental Italian foods and fine Italian wines highlight the menu. Entrée prices range from $12 for small bowl of gnocchi to $42 for a 16-oz. ribeye. Harry’s Restaurant and Bar, 2144 Market Street, St. Louis, (314) 421-6969. Considered by many to offer the best view of the St. Louis skyline, especially at sunset, the two-level patio seats 250 upstairs and at least 100 more below; there is an outdoor bar. Dinner entrees range from $17 for the smoked salmon pasta to $34 for the beef tenderloin or New York strip. Norton’s Café, 808 Geyer Ave., St. Louis, (314) 436-0828. The largest outdoor dining area in the historic Soulard neighborhood is Norton’s New Orleans-style courtyard, which seats 200. Award-winning American and authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine are served, with prices ranging from $5.95 – $22.95. Revival, 3800 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, (314) 771-3939. Recently opened in the space previously occupied by King Louis’s, the “revival” includes a brand new 40-seat patio with a canvas roof to block sun and rain. Food is contemporary American and Southern with prices running from $5 (entrée-sized salad) to $22.
Frontenac Brio, 1601 S. Lindbergh, Frontenac, (314) 432-4410. Market umbrellas, strands of lights and piped-in music create the right al fresco ambiance for enjoying Tuscan specialties like wood-grilled salmon, gorgonzola-encrusted steak or any of the many original pastas. The patio seats about 64. Dinner entrees are in the $11 – $25 range. Schneithorst’s, 1600 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Frontenac, (314) 993-4100. The rooftop Biergarten is a favorite hangout on weekend nights when the weather is right. A full bar, TVs and good American food priced from $9 – $21 are featured.
Kirkwood Bar Louie, 110 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, (314) 238-2300. Bar-style food, oversized sandwiches and salads, fish and more are served on a patio that puts 100 patrons in the middle of the action at Station Plaza, where live entertainment is featured Thursday nights in the summertime. Entrees range from $8 – $13. Blue Water Grill, 343 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, (314) 821-5757. Old-style Chrstimas lights, ceiling fans, nautical décor, lush plants and rattan “walls” create a breezy, island feel on a patio that seats 32. The menu features healthful seafood options, and guests can call after 11 a.m. to learn the fresh seafood selection for the night. Prices range from $6.95 – $9.95 for small plates to $24.95 for a three-course meal. Massa’s Italian Restaurant, 131 W. Argonne, Kirkwood, (314) 965-8050. Tables topped with colorful umbrellas surround a bubbling fountain on a large, brick patio set in the shade of great big birch trees. There is seating for about 80 with plenty of space between tables. Dinner entrees range from $13.95 to $21.95, pastas start at $8.95, and the award-winning wine list is an added bonus. Two Nice Guys, 10935 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, (314) 821-1800. Two Nice Guys has two nice patios – a 40-seat upper deck outfitted with ferns, flowers, fans and a TV, and a 25-seat lower level perfect for eating TNG pizza. Chef Chris Kramer’s Italian dinner entrees are priced from $15 – $27.
Maplewood Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave. (at Manchester), Maplewood, (314) 241-2337. There is room for about 100 to feast in the beer garden. Whether ordering a bowl of soup, salad, sandwich, pizza, pasta or entrée, guests can expect a meal made from as many locally-sourced provisions as possible; they even have an on-site garden where they grow their own produce, and there is not a fryer in the building. Dinner entrees run about $12 – $24.
Rock Hill Hacienda, 9748 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, (314) 962-7100. The restaurant is 31 years old, but “La Terraza” – the big outdoor terrace and cabana bar – opened in 1993 and has since become a local landmark. The pergola-covered patio seats 150, but a table still is sometimes hard to snag without a wait. The solution? Reserve the new adjoining 50-seat patio, now available for private parties. Good Mexican fare with dinner entrees in the $12 – $15 range and award-winning margaritas are served.
Sunset Hills Growlers Pub, 3811 S. Lindbergh, Sunset Hills, (314) 984-9009. Its philosophy is that it is more fun to eat in a bar than to drink in a restaurant, but when the weather is fair, much of the eating and drinking is done in the gigantic Biergarten, which seats 325. European/American pub-style food ($7.95 – $17.95) and 133 different beers make up the menu, and the beer menu changes twice a year, based on blind taste tests by loyal customers.
Webster Groves Big Sky Café, 47 S. Old Orchard, Webster Groves, (314) 962-5757. There is a nice patio for 38 in front, but the real treasure is the secluded, New Orleans-style courtyard out back that seats 40-plus and is open on weekend nights. Food is “Revitalized American,” meaning that small plates, large plates, food flights and steaks are prepared with a health-conscious twist. Prices on entrée-sized items are in the $12.95 – $21.95 range. Cyrano’s, 603 E. Lockwood, Webster Groves, (314) 963-3232. The 25-seat patio provides a nice vantage point for taking in the charm of Webster’s Old Orchard district over a glass of wine or a coffee drink. Tapas and appetizers ($5.95 – $9.95) and sandwiches, salads and specialty plates ($4.95 – $13.50) are mere preludes to the decadent desserts that made St. Louis’ original Cyrano’s famous. Robust, 227 W. Lockwood, Webster Groves, (314) 963-0033. The 30-seat patio is the perfect spot for relaxing over a glass of wine – the specialty – and a cheese, charcuterie or tasting plate, soup or salad. Food is priced from $6 – $15, and all menu items include a robustness factor denoting suggested wine pairings.
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The arrival of warm weather prompted a look at some popular outdoor dining spots in and around the area – a process which proved that there are plenty of places for dining in the open air and that each has a personality all its own. 