Nice dinner in St. Louis

[Marmalade]

I am looking for a nicer restaurant in St. Louis for my boss and guests near the Renaissance GrandHotel on Washington St. in mid-April. Nearby is ideal but taking a short cab ride would be fine too.

Open to anything so long as all my bases are covered-vegetarian/fish/meat options. If it helps we are from Boston.

Thanks.

[esseelig]

Why not eat at An American Place? It's directly within the hotel, and last I'd heard (and experienced) it was one of the very best restaurants that both Washington Ave. and St. Louis itself have to offer.

[FriendOfTheDevil]

May I ask what sort of business you are in? And the "guests", are they business clients? Or social, spouses etc?

An American Place has been a wonderful restaurant. However, their chef left to go to Monarch and the reports since then have not been very good. I was going to try to give you some links on STL Today about it but they obliterate everything older then 10 weeks or so and the last conversation is older than that. I looked myself and could not find it.

So I would be hesitant on AAP.

Let me know the answers and I will give you some suggestions.

Also, check out this recent similar request as yours-

I also noticed they talk about AAP in this thread with similar info as mine-

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/5861...

FOTD

[nosh]

I do not want to diss An American Place, which indeed is in the hotel and which is a lovely and impressive venue. But the restaurant has never really found its footing, and recently lost its executive chef to Monarch out further west in the county. An American Place has gone from very high end, experimenting with a haute tasting menu, to a more value-oriented price-fixe multi-course menu option, then an early meal deal... There are a number of places within walking distance on the renewed, rebuilt Washington Blvd., including Mosaic, the Lucas Park Grille, a sushi place, and other choices within a few blocks.

The restaurant considered the best in St. Louis, or at least the special-occasion dress-up place for decades and generations, is Tony's, currently located on the ground level of an office building caddy-corner to the new ballpark. Italian continental cuisine with some tableside prep, it is a wonderful dining experience, albeit expensive and hardly cutting edge. Another St. Louis classic, Kemoll's, just reopened on the top floor of a tall office building downtown and should have incredible views and high-level red-sauce fare, though I haven't been to the new location yet. Niche is a newer restaurant, not far from downtown to the south side in a neighborhood called Benton Park not far from Soulard, and has an award-winning chef and staff and may be serving the "best" of the more modern food in the area these days, with a strong neighbor in the nearby Sidney Street Cafe -- both very popular. If you need formal service, quiet, and a business-like or luxury setting, I'd recommend Tony's then Kemoll's; if you are looking for food first and a more casual setting will work, Niche and then Sidney Street.

[inbiz]

I have to admit Nosh, because of you, Anthony's Bar and Kemoll's are on my list the next time I drive across the state. Thank you, I was getting in a rut.

[FriendOfTheDevil]

I was also curious if you had any price ideas per person or restrictions. Often times with bosses, there may be some pre-conceived price level.

FOTD