St. Lous restaurant recommendations from the servers themselves

By Sara Graham // February 1, 2015

Ever wonder what servers order for themselves? Here’s the insider intel on what to eat at St. Louis restaurants right now. – Compiled by Sara Graham

“Our American-style rigatoni with house-made noodles, seasonal veggies, blackened cremini mushrooms and Cajun cream is my go-to. And it can’t be matched with anything but Hudson Manhattan rye.” – Jeremy Thomas, Small Batch

“The signature chocolate Piccione cream cannoli. It’s truly what my dreams are made of.” – Darryl Merriweather, Piccione Pastry

ny strip steak from three sixty // photo by amber lanwermeyer

“The NY strip with the wilted arugula, bacon and asparagus salad is literally everything. If I were Taylor Swift, I’d write a song about it.” – Amber Lanwermeyer, Three Sixty

“Braised beef and lamb pappardelle. The beef and lamb are braised in orange, bay and carrots and served over pappardelle noodles, then topped with pistachio gremolada. It makes the pasta super bright and nutty.”– Kristin Mefford, Ernesto’s Wine Bar

rib-eye steak from eleven eleven mississippi // photo by russell messer

“Our 12-ounce, char-crust, dry-rubbed rib-eye with Tillamook cheddar potato gratin topped with Gorgonzola butter. It is the best steak I’ve ever had.” – Russell Messer, Eleven Eleven Mississippi

“Chicken served on a bed of couscous in a warm broth. It’s one of my favorites because of the variety of vegetables, the complex flavor and the good-sized chunks of meat.” – Lara Mooney, Baida Moroccan Restaurant

frida burger from frida's // photo by charlie unger

“I’m obsessed with our Frida Burger topped with a farm-fresh egg. It’s insanely juicy and delicious.” – Charlie Unger, Frida’s

“The Bianca, our house white pie. It’s the sleeper hit on the menu.” – Kevin Berg, Pizzeoli

the new york philly sandwich from gioia's deli // photo by kylie applewhite

“The New York Philly with our spicy giardiniera relish. Philadelphia cream cheese pairs with our homemade roast beef and sauteed peppers and onions so well, it makes my mouth water just thinking about it.” – Kylie Applewhite, Gioia’s Deli

“Lobster BLT. The lobster claw meat is abundant and juicy, the fontina cheese adds a mushroom-y, smoky taste, the bacon is cooked to perfection, and the cherry tomato halves are ripe, lightly dressed with arugula and drizzled with creme fraiche.” – Karl Schmitz, Bocci Wine Bar

apple-wood bacon flatbread from balaban's // photo by jasmine bernard

“The apple-wood bacon flatbread never lets me down. The fresh blue cheese, mascarpone, apple-wood bacon and pears meld perfectly. I’ve seen it turn non-blue cheese lovers into believers.” – Jasmine Bernard, Balaban’s

“I love the mussels sauvignon. I work six days a week here, and on my day off I come back and order the mussels. That’s how good they are.” – Will Salomon, Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House