First photo by Lexi Browning (Post-Dispatch); add’l photos sponsored by restaurant
Veritas
A dish from Veritas chef Mathis Stitt is a high-wire act. Even now, knowing he will pull off the trick, I read his next menu and wonder how. Kingklip, a firm white fish, is perfectly pan-roasted — a given — and then set with beets, orange segments, pickled onion, radish slivers, grilled bacon and pistachio over both lemon hummus and chive oil. All of this should be too much, but the dish balances tart and earthy, sweet and smoky, spring and winter. Over the years I have been dining here, Stitt and his team have approached delicate fish and rustic pasta, Sunday brunch and burgers at the bar, with the same enthusiasm. Stitt's fine-dining menu may no longer be a secret, but it is always a thrill.
Hours: Dinner Wednesday-Saturday, brunch Saturday-Sunday (closed Monday-Tuesday)
Last year's ranking: No. 19
Opened: 2004