Post-Dispatch file photo
The Crossing
Before the craze for crudo on every upscale menu, there was tuna tartare, and before tuna tartare was on every upscale menu, it was actually something I looked forward to eating. So when I last dined at Jim Fiala’s the Crossing, as part of my four-course tasting menu (still an amazing value, whether you choose the $35 Classic or $50 Premium option), I ordered the tuna tartare. I figured if anyone could redeem the dish, it would be Fiala and his executive chef Brad Watts. I figured right. A little orange highlighted the tuna’s clean sweetness, while celery and fennel added bite. I followed this with a simple, soulful dish of housemade tagliolini with chanterelles and Parmesan. Even with two courses to go, I’d already returned to the heart of the Crossing, a restaurant both contemporary and timeless, elegant and rustic, a place where you can indulge in seared foie gras and finish your meal with an apple crumble paired with a nostalgia-inducing oatmeal-cookie gelato.
Last year's ranking: 6
Opened: 1998
Must order: Tasting menu (four courses, $35 Classic or $50 Premium)