Photo by David Carson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Urban Chestnut Bierhall
Urban Chestnut’s massive brewery and beer hall in the Grove is exactly the kind of place that inspired me to start the STL 100 project: a restaurant that I liked when it opened in 2004, and even wrote about approvingly in a blog post, but didn’t give the attention it was due. The menu smartly balances founder and brewmaster Florian Kuplent’s German heritage with a modern, seasonal approach. You can enjoy pork rinds, the crispy pork-knuckle sandwich and excellent fries. In spring you might find dumplings with peas, fava beans and ramps; in fall or winter, thick toast topped with squash.