Photo by Laurie Skrivan (Post-Dispatch)
Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant
Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant isn’t the oldest restaurant along South Grand’s commercial heart, nor is it the one that (I suspect) most diners would immediately associate with the boulevard’s vibrant dining district. But if South Grand’s restaurants vanished tomorrow, I’d miss Meskerem the most. For more than a decade now, Meskerem has served delicious Ethiopian food with an unassumingly generous hospitality. It’s a restaurant on which diners with diverse tastes can agree, thanks to the menu’s appealing array of both meat (beef and chicken especially, though don’t miss the few lamb dishes) and vegetarian options, all of it served on spongy, tangy injera bread.
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2007
Must order: Tibs wat ($12)