Clara B's Kitchen Table has impressive Southern-inspired food in Belleville

Sauce 75: the essential St. Louis restaurants right now

Chef-owner Jodie Ferguson’s Southern-inspired concept was still operating as a food truck when it was a Sauce Best New Restaurants honoree in 2021, but Clara B’s has since laid down roots in Belleville. The breakfast and lunch restaurant quickly grew out of its initial brick-and-mortar space, moving into a shared space with LongStory Coffee in 2023.

Clara B’s is named for Ferguson’s grandmother, and the food here lovingly extends the tribute. You can try Ferguson’s perfectly prepared grits in her shrimp and grits – velvety, mildly spicy and balanced by green pepper and okra (when it’s in season) – but they also make an excellent side for the biscuit sandwich, another must-try item. Served with egg, apricot-red onion jam and your choice of protein, the biscuits shine. Menu items like smoked brisket and the breakfast tacos, meanwhile, are a nod to Ferguson’s Texan roots.

732 S. Illinois St., Belleville, Illinois, 618.416.1812, clarabs.com

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The Sauce 75 is a photomosaic of the best in St. Louis dining in 2024. This list is a celebration of the diverse skills, techniques and culinary traditions that meet across our region. In sum, it tells a story about where St. Louis has been, where it is now and where it’s going next. Many great and good St. Louis restaurants have not made the cut. (Seventy-five is a lot fewer than you think!) Restaurants are constantly growing and evolving and go through ups and downs. Newly opened restaurants can take time to find their feet: There are a few exciting new places we’re cheering for, but which we feel haven’t yet fully hit their stride. Read the entire list here.