Louie is a beloved Italian restaurant in Clayton

Sauce 75: the essential St. Louis restaurants right now

The Sauce Best New Restaurant of 2018, Louie is a beloved Italian restaurant that we return to repeatedly. Go on the weekend when you can get the recurring off-menu special burrata on grilled sourdough: it’s the best burrata dish in town by our reckoning. The broccolini with Calabrian vinaigrette is another standout, as is the grilled beef tenderloin with roasted potatoes and salsa verde. The cocktails are exceptional, with the Rosie y Rosa and El Tigre top of our must-try list. For dessert, the rotating ice cream sandwich is delectable – a rich, creamy center is flanked by a soft-yet-sturdy cookie sandwich and served alongside a crunchy element like nutty granola or hazelnut crumble.

706 DeMun Ave., Clayton, 314.300.8188, louiedemun.com

---

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.