Photo by David Carson (Post-Dispatch)
Bar Les Frères
On my most recent visit to Bar Les Frères, the French restaurant from the duo of restaurateur Zoë Robinson and chef Ny Vongsaly, I took a chance to prove a point. As a general rule, I don’t order filet mignon. I find its flavor inferior to other cuts, especially relative to its cost. But I figured if any restaurant could do filet mignon right it would be Bar Les Frères, where Vongsaly’s team doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but draws maximum flavor from classic preparations. So it was with the steak au poivre, precisely accented by green peppercorns, cognac and the beef’s own juices to be as flavorful as a rib-eye or strip steak. It joins the lobster bisque and cassoulet on the list of unimpeachable Bar Les Frères dishes, otherwise known as its menu.
Hours: Dinner Tuesday-Saturday
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2012