Photo by Roberto Rodriguez
Cardwell's at the Plaza
No one wants to hear a restaurant critic complain about his job. Still, fatigue struck me as I researched this year’s STL 100, a weariness of restaurants somewhere on the spectrum between gastropub and upscale, contemporary-American dining. The problem crystallized when I made a long-overdue return to Cardwell’s at the Plaza and was reminded that the great Bill Cardwell has been doing this kind of higher-end but not haughty cooking longer than some area chefs have been alive — longer and better. His namesake restaurant can do classic (the unimpeachable French-onion soup) and fun (Bill’s Burger Meister, a St. Louis classic); a duck-breast entree I ate on a recent visit was a study in proper seasoning and flawless technique. I left Cardwell’s off last year’s list in the crush of deserving restaurants. Here’s something I’m sure you’ll love hearing a restaurant critic say: I was wrong.
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Opened: 1994
Must order: Bill's Burger Meister (lunch $15.75, dinner $18.75)