Photo by Ian Froeb, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Tavern Kitchen & Bar
Now in its fifth year, the Tavern Kitchen & Bar remains the gem of the OG Hospitality Group (Cucina Pazzo, the Shack and the Corner Pub & Grill) and of Valley Park dining. The menu’s turbocharged approach to comfort food isn’t exactly nuanced, but you won’t really care when the flavors are as big and the dishes as satisfying as the Loaded Tater Tot Casserole or, my current favorite, a mammoth grilled pork steak topped with pineapple-habanero salsa with a side dish of bacon-fried rice with a fried egg. Seafood fans can now pair their choice of fish or shellfish with one of six different preparations.