Located inside Rolling Ridge Nursery, this breakfast and lunch spot from the Balkan Treat Box team is a treat in its own right. Start with a wood-fired Bosnian coffee, an intensely flavored brew resulting from boiling coffee grounds in small copper pots. Rose perfumes a number of menu items here: a latte; kunefe, a divine cheese dessert pastry that is scattered with rose petals; and the similarly adorned parfait with yogurt and baklava. Telva’s cilbir, or Turkish eggs, is a silky, sumptuous breakfast. Warm garlic yogurt and gently cooked eggs make for a rich base, a tomato-chile brown butter sauce adds a little acid for balance, and a flurry of herbs provides a fresh finish. Telva is also loved for its Sloppy Mustafa toast, the avocado toast (with thin ribbons of cucumber, roasted tomato, kalamata olives, avocado, salty feta, tzatziki and a nutty sesame crunch garnish), and the super nice family that runs the place.
60 N. Gore Ave., Suite A, Webster Groves, 314.395.2760, telvastl.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.
This article appears in January/February 2025.