Photo by Huy Mach, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Urban Chestnut Brewery & Bierhall
In the clamor of Urban Chestnut’s massive Grove brewery and beer hall, as you drink a Zwickel and snack on the terrific pork rinds and best-in-town pommes frites, you can lose sight of how remarkable this place is. The menu has liberated brewpub fare from its fish-and-chips straitjacket. Yes, there are pretzels, but there are also oysters and a kale salad; there are dumplings, toasts and other dishes that change as the season’s latest produce comes to market. The German fare is hearty without verging into cliché: schnitzel and pork-knuckle sandwiches and the open-faced Strammer Max (Google it) sandwich with ham, Gruyère and a fried egg. Everything is under $15, and portion sizes guarantee leftovers or a treat for Fido.
Opened: 2014
Must order: Pommes frites ($6 small, $8 large)