5 dishes we love from Black-owned restaurants in St. Louis

Supporting Black-owned businesses is one practical, actionable way to stand in solidarity with the Black community in St. Louis during Black History Month and year-round.

Chicken sampler plate at Chez Ali at City Foundry STL
Chef Alioun “Ali” Thiam moved to the U.S. in 1999 and lived in New York City until 2013. After moving to St. Louis and cooking at Chez Mathy, Thiam has brought his superb Senegalese cuisine to Chez Ali at the City Foundry STL.

Turkey ribs at Gobble Stop Smokehouse
These delicious turkey ribs are machine-made cut, meaning white meat is attached to the shoulder blade. They’re marinated, seasoned with a special house rub and smoked to a perfect pink inside and a gorgeous golden-red outside and served with a sauce of your choice. 

The Maine Event cookie at Sweet Art 
This perfect little cookie, named for chef-owner Reine Keis's older brother, is flecked with sea salt and holds the rich flavors of high-quality butter and fine Belgian chocolate. But the main event is a piece of luscious Callebaut chocolate set in the middle of each cookie that keeps the texture gooey and chewy long after it’s pulled from the oven.

Honey-glazed chicken wings at Diner’s Delight
In business since 1969, Diner’s Delight has been around long enough to know a thing or two about chicken. Its tender, sticky Honey-glazed Chicken Wings are fried until crackling crisp, then lacquered in a spicy honey glaze for a finishing touch of sweet heat.

Vegetarian combination platter at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant
Among the seven dishes the platter samples, some of our favorites include the colorful tikil gomen, cabbage sautéed with carrots, garlic, ginger and curry; dark green gomen wat, chopped and braised collard greens, and the vibrant miser alecha, a mild yellow lentil stew.