Nick Bognar literally rolls up to our interview on his motorcycle, shouting a quick “hey” as he zips past me on the sidewalk. Inside Sado, his acclaimed restaurant on the Hill, he hands me a Topo Chico, which I obviously accept. He exudes cool-guy vibes, as exhibited in our The Sauce podcast episode.
His culinary story began at Nippon Tei, the beloved sushi spot his mom opened in 2001, where he helped usher in a new era of modern Japanese dining. From there, he built momentum quickly, opening Indo in Botanical Heights in 2019, then Sado in 2023, followed in 2024 by Pavilion, a new omakase concept tucked behind Sado that’s already one of the toughest reservations in town. Along the way, Bognar has become one of the most recognized names in St. Louis dining. A six-time James Beard Award semifinalist across categories like Best Chef: Midwest and Best New Restaurant, he was also named a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 2020.
These days, he’s focused on refining what he has: strengthening his team, cultivating culture and pushing each restaurant to be better than the day before. When he’s not in the kitchen, he’s out dining. Here are 10 of his favorite restaurants around St. Louis.
Bar Moro
“We snack it up. We got one fish special – for me, I don’t eat fish out very often – and a tuna dish that was excellent. The chef Anthony [Hillis] is killing it, better than ever. I always get all the little appetizers, tapas-style stuff. The anchovies, extra fancy tinned ones, they’re just extra good, a delicacy in a sense. I’d never had one where you just eat it plain like that. There are only so many things that can pique your cravings like that. There’s always something cool and new on that menu. I try a new tinned fish every time I go.”
7610 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, bengelina.com/bar-moro
Cate Zone
“That place has the best sweet and sour pork you will get anywhere; it’s wafer-thin and crispy. My favorite dish is the sizzling tofu in brown sauce. It comes out on a fajita plate with this crazy umami, salty brown sauce under the tofu. It’s super hot and really good right when you get it: crispy yet soft. They do eggplant the same way. The spicy fried dried fish is super good. The cabbage salad with tofu is kind of like the Indo cabbage salad. The cold beef tendon in chile oil is really good too. It’s polarizing, almost like carpaccio, but I love it.”
8148 Olive Blvd., University City, catezonestl.com
El Milagro Azteca
“It’s in the old Taco Circus space. I recently met the chef [Carlos Hernandez] and he’s a super cool guy who worked for [Joe] Smugala and became a partner in this Mexican place. There’s some food that really surprised me. The rib dish is super crispy yet tender, spicy yet bold, with a spicy-sour sauce. They do everything you’d get in a more Americanized restaurant vibe but with really nice touches. They’ve got a great patio and great cocktails. The market is a little saturated for Americanized Mexican, but they’re doing classics and interesting stuff in a really good way.”
4940 Southwest Ave., St. Louis, elmilagroazteca.com
Le Ono
“Their Hawaiian food is very underrated. The kalbi short rib is exceptional. It’s kind of expensive, but worth it. The poke nachos – I went to Hawaii once and was obsessed with those – come with crispy wonton chips and spicy mayo. They’ve got a great cocktail program too. They’re kicking ass in all ways, especially for where they are.”
101 S. Cherry St., O’Fallon, Illinois, leonorestaurant.com
Little Fox
“They do a lot of seasonal dishes that are always great, but I love trying all the small plates. The wine list is incredible. I always get a bottle, then try a bunch of plates and share everything. It feels like you could go in whenever, but last time I sat on the patio on a beautiful day. Brunch is great there too. My first date with my fiancée was at Little Fox.”
2800 Shenandoah Ave., St. Louis, littlefoxstl.com
Menya Rui
“When Steven [Pursley] opened it up, there was almost no compromise. He does it super well — some of the best ramen in the Midwest. It’s simple, and he’s really sticking to the proper way of making his own noodles from scratch.”
3453 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, menyarui.com
Pizzeria da Gloria
“I feel really lucky to have two of my favorite pizza places as neighbors of my restaurants. Pizzeria da Gloria is more casual with Neapolitan-style pizza done really well. Getting a bottle of wine and hanging out there is something I love to do. You can go for lunch now too. They’ve expanded since they opened, and they’re pretty busy.”
2024 Marconi Ave., St. Louis, pizzeriadagloria.com
The Crossing
“I go a couple times a year. It’s more of a special-occasion restaurant for me, but I just had a really great meal there. The chef’s tasting menu is off the cuff, a mix of different dishes, and it’s always excellent. It’s a go-to for me, and they’re open on Mondays, which is really important for me. There’s always a great duck course. The octopus course was excellent. They serve things you don’t always get. People should go there more.”
7823 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, thecrossing-stl.com
Tiger 88 Banh Mi
“I go there once a week and usually get it to go, but it’s really great when you sit down too. It was one of the first banh mi shops around town that really got the bread right: crispy baguette on the outside, fluffy on the inside. The pork has crispy skin on it. It cheers me up every week. It’s kind of addicting.”
12055 Manchester Road, Des Peres, tiger88usa.com
Union Loafers Café and Bread Bakery
“People probably think I eat fancy food all the time, but I love pizza, and it’s one of the hardest things to do well. They take it to another level and do the standards exceptionally well; it leans more artisan but with a New York style. Their lunch is incredible – they don’t cut corners. They’ve also got an amazing natural wine list too.”
1629 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, unionloafers.com