Nestled deep in wine country, Root Food + Wine (Sauce’s Best New Restaurant of 2021) is the rare farm-to-table restaurant that actually feels like a reflection of its surrounding environment. The food, for one thing, feels distinctly Missourian. For chef-owner Philip Day, it’s all about letting local ingredients drive the menu, which changes weekly. Depending on when you visit, you’ll find everything from jelly made from local ports and little gem lettuce from Lucky Dog Farm Wentzville to Buttonwood Farm chicken and Rockbridge trout. A meal at Root is a rustic journey that mirrors the drive to get there from St. Louis – beautiful and surprising, with plenty of scene changes. This is especially true if you’re doing one of the chef’s tastings. Day’s wine lists highlight a blend of local, New World and Old World bottles that pair well with his food, while the cocktail menu is full of fun and interesting drinks. One of Root’s classics is the Pepper PhD, a spicy, earthy Dr. Pepper Old-Fashioned, with the Dr. Pepper flavor derived from a mysterious blend of components that replicates the soft drink’s famous 23 proprietary flavors. And just to be explicit: It’s worth the drive.
5525 Walnut St., Augusta, 636.544.1009, rootfoodwine.com
The Sauce 75 is a photomosaic of the best in St. Louis dining. This list is a celebration of the diverse skills, techniques and culinary traditions that meet across our region. In sum, it tells a story about where St. Louis has been, where it is now and where it’s going next. Many great and good St. Louis restaurants have not made the cut. (Seventy-five is a lot fewer than you think!) Restaurants are constantly growing and evolving and go through ups and downs. Newly opened restaurants can take time to find their feet: There are a few exciting new places we’re cheering for, but which we feel haven’t yet fully hit their stride. Read the entire list here.
This article appears in December 2024.