First photo by Michael Thomas; add'l photos sponsored by restaurant
Parigi
Ramon Cuffie had been working in St. Louis restaurants for the better part of 30 years, winning praise at such establishments as Jaboni’s and La Dolce Via, when he decided to enroll at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. His impressive skills further honed, he returned to St. Louis and is now the executive chef at Parigi, the Italian restaurant that Ben Poremba (Elaia, Olio) opened last year. Cuffie’s cooking is both soulful and exact, and he invests familiar pasta, meat and seafood dishes with a subtle but revelatory new elegance.
Hours: Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Saturday (closed Sunday-Monday)
Last year's ranking: new
Opened: 2016
Must order: Casarecce (half-order, $16, full order $26)