Award-winning restaurateur Ben Poremba is the visionary behind some of St. Louis’ most distinctive dining spots, including Nixta, Florentin and Esca in the Delmar Maker District and Deli Divine just down the road, as well as AO&Co. Market in Botanical Heights and Bar Moro in Clayton. (Olio remains temporarily closed after a May tornado tore through the Delmar Maker District; a planned November reopening has been indefinitely postponed.)
Known for his inventive approach to Mediterranean and global cuisines, Poremba fuses fine-dining technique with a deep appreciation for comfort and cultural storytelling. Since relocating much of his culinary footprint from Botanical Heights to the emerging Delmar Maker District, he’s continued to evolve while staying true to his roots. Here, he shares 10 of his favorite restaurants around the city, plus a bonus spot outside of St. Louis that has some of the best pizza in the country.
Poremba was also our first guest on the relaunch of The Sauce podcast, which you can listen to on your preferred streaming service or watch on YouTube.
Adriana’s on the Hill
“I’m very loyal to Adriana’s for sandwiches; the meatball sandwich is the best in town.”
5101 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314.773.3833, adrianasonthehill.com
Balkan Treat Box
“I don’t go as often as I’d like, but I love Balkan Treat Box. I get the pide, or more and more I’ll get a salad with grilled chicken. My son loves the cevapi. It’s all good. Last time I was there, I tried the vegan lahmacun.”
8103 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.733.5700, balkantreatbox.com
Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill
“When we want to go somewhere nostalgic, we like Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill. It’s very consistent. Best toasted ravioli in town. My kids love the meatballs. I get the veal Milanese and chicken spiedini. Inside that room, you never know what time of day it is – it always feels the same because it’s so dark.”
5226 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.8898, charliegittos.com
Corner 17
“My son loves it. Great noodles, soups, dumplings. Their green beans – I think they call them dry-fried – are great. It’s a fun spot with a huge menu.”
6623 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.727.2402, corner17usa.com
Fordo’s Killer Pizza
“It’s the best pizza in town. I don’t always get pizzas – I just get pizza dough and bake it at my house. It’s very light and airy. For a street food thing, that’s my go-to. We do pizza nights with the kids and friends. They just have really great dough; it’s hard to beat.”
City Foundry STL food hall, 3730 Foundry Way, St. Louis; Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., 4465 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.222.0143, fordoskillerpizza.com
Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co.
“It’s great when we have a craving for seafood. We love the lobster rolls. It’s fun to take the kids – they get bib aprons and get to play with things. If you get some peel-and-eat shrimp and lobster, it’s occupational eating.”
1831 Sidney St., St. Louis, 314.772.8858, peacemakerlobstercrab.com
Robin Restaurant
“I haven’t been yet, but I really want to go to Robin Restaurant in my old place [The Benevolent King]. [Alec Schingel] is a very talented chef. It’s my kind of cuisine. I think I would really enjoy the pace of the meal. I like that it’s very focused and chef-oriented.”
7268 Manchester Road, Maplewood, robinrestaurant.com
Sado
“I think it’s the most ambitious restaurant in St. Louis from an operational standpoint. To have something like that in St. Louis is really special – it requires real skill and commitment. Buying and aging the fish is not something you can just read about and recreate, you really have to have skill to do it.”
5201 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314.925.8250, sado-stl.com
https://www.sado-stl.com/
Sameem Afghan Restaurant & Catering
“Sameem is an all-time favorite of mine – I would go to lunch by myself occasionally. I love the people. The rice might be the best in town. Their spicing is very exotic and something I wouldn’t cook at home even though it’s a cuisine I relate to.”
4341 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.534.9500, sameems.com
Songbird
“We don’t go often enough, but we like to take out-of-town visitors there for breakfast or lunch. I always get the frittata. I just like the space – it feels very urban, very big-city, but at the same time very neighborhood-oriented.”
4476 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, 314.781.4344, songbirdstl.com
Bonus bite worth the drive: Speck Pizza
“Can we take a road trip to Cape Girardeau? One of the best pizzas in the country is at Speck. My buddy, Gabriele Ruggieri, is the owner. I’m working hard to get him to St. Louis. I would put Speck up against anyone.”
430 Broadway St., Cape Girardeau, 573.419.4326, speckpizza.com
This article appears in August 2025.