Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
The Libertine
To understand the Libertine, consider the poutine with seared foie gras. You might think this basic description conveys the outrageous excess: an already too-much dish (french fries with cheese curds and gravy) topped with a slab of engorged liver. But the foie isn’t what puts this dish over the top. There isn’t much of it compared to the pile of fries on your plate; only a few forkfuls can hold every component. No, the trick to the Libertine’s poutine is the gravy, which chef Matt Bessler enriches with beef marrow. Its body and bottomlessly meaty flavor are more like a demi-glace than a traditional gravy. It’s the Libertine in a nutshell: outrageous, yes, but with the kitchen smarts to back it up.
Update: Samantha Mitchell, owner of the food truck FarmTruk, is now the executive chef of the Libertine.
Hours: Dinner Monday-Saturday, brunch Sunday
Opened: 2013
Must order: Poutine with seared foie gras ($15)