Mayo Ketchup offers a taste of the Caribbean in Lafayette Square

Sauce 75: the essential St. Louis restaurants right now

Bright as its interior is, this fast casual Lafayette Square restaurant can’t conjure the sun-bleached sands and turquoise seas of the Caribbean. However, Mayo Ketchup can be counted on for fine food from that part of the world, ordered at the counter and brought out briskly to the tables. The tastes of Puerto Rico, Cuba and the Dominican Republic are on display in dishes like a roasted pork sandwich, pollo guisado and tostones, and in the restaurant’s masterful way with twice-fried plantains. Mayo Ketchup is named for the tangy and ubiquitous Puerto Rican pink sauce which sits in squeezy bottles on each table and goes perfectly with almost everything. However, you won’t need it for the “Jengas” of queso frito; nothing goes better with these than the deliriously fruity guava sauce which comes alongside.

2001 Park Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.2699, plantaingirl.com

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The Sauce 75 is a photomosaic of the best in St. Louis dining right now. 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.