Hit List: 3 new places to try in August

By Heather Hughes and Catherine Klene // August 1, 2017

From two new breweries to a seafood boil hotspot, don't miss these three new places you must try this August.

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crawfish from the mad crab // photo by michelle volansky

1. The Mad Crab 8080 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.801.8698

The Mad Crab brings a classic Gulf meal to the Midwest with built-to-order seafood boils. Settle in at a paper-lined table, then consult with your dining partners and strategize the best combination of market-priced seafood available. Will you try meaty mussels with fresh crawfish or go all out with whole lobster and snow crab legs? Don’t forget to throw in the requisite potatoes and corn on the cob, then turn your attention to the sauces or combine all three in The Whole Sha-Bang for a buttery, garlicky, spicy punch. Don your plastic bibs and grab your crab crackers (or use your bare hands) to devour the shellfish feast with messy abandon. Our only advice: Don't wear white.

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the interior of center ice brewery // photo by michelle volansky


2. Center Ice Brewery 3126 Olive St., St. Louis

You don’t have to love hockey to enjoy Center Ice Brewery. Themed touches – like the low rink wall surrounding the brewing equipment and a penalty box, main bar, tables and tap handles all made in part with material reclaimed from the old St. Louis Arena – lend personality without descending into kitsch. Pull up a stool and order a Hop Shelf IPA from the brewery’s house menu (supplemented by locals like Main & Mill and Charleville Brewing Co.), or opt for the light, summery Off Season Saison to beat the heat. You’ve got a new spot to watch the Blues, but there’s no need to wait for the season opener.

3. Third Wheel Brewing 4008 N. Service Road, St. Peters, 636.323.9810

It’s good to be a third wheel in St. Peters. Snag a seat at the massive horseshoe-shaped bar and watch brewer and co-owner Abbey Spencer at work through picture windows overlooking the city’s first brewery. Order one of the house brews like the Dyslexic API, an Imperial IPA dry-hopped with Columbus and Simcoe, or the lighter Ophelia’s Wit, a traditional witbier with coriander, orange peel and rosemary. For a German summer experience, sip Going Once… Going Twice… – a flight of four 4-ounce pours of Third Wheel’s Berliner Weiss mixed with a rotating selection of traditional syrups like mint, mulberry or woodruff.