Levels Nigerian Cuisine offers a taste of West Africa in downtown St. Louis

Sauce 75: the essential St. Louis restaurants right now

In the cuisines that span West Africa, jollof rice is king. At Levels Nigerian Cuisine, which was Sauce’s No. 9 Best New Restaurant of 2023, owner Ono Ikanone based Levels’ version on the jollof he grew up eating in Nigeria. The rice blends tomato, bell pepper, habanero and onions for the base flavor. If you know little about West African cuisines, Levels is a good place to start, but it’s equally a destination for Nigerians and other people from West Africa missing a taste of home. Their pounded yam with efo riro (a spinach stew) is outstanding, as is the spiced-up pepper soup. However, your best introduction is the party jollof plate, which pairs the signature rice with tender beef, chicken or goat, a side of cooling starchy-sweet plantains, and your choice of coleslaw or efo riro.

1405 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.571.9990, levelsstl.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.