Westchester, the latest restaurant to join St. Louis’ fine dining scene, hits the mark with its rotating menu of seasonal fare. The Westchester onion soup is rich and flavorful with chives, sourdough croutons and a massive, melty mound of Gruyere. The beet salad is another excellent choice with tender, balsamic-dressed kale, Lucky Dog Farm roasted beets, chunks of Fuji apple, goat cheese and candied pecans. The tender Newman Farm pork rib chop is served atop sweet potato puree and long-cooked greens, which offer a perfect melding of flavors. The fruity, not-too-sweet Broken Spoke cocktail is a great accompaniment to your meal with two styles of rum, blood orange cordial, pineapple gum syrup, lime juice and tiki bitters.
Westchester, 127 Chesterfield Towne Center, Chesterfield, 636.778.0635, westchesterstl.com
From pop-up to pizza shop, the new Pizza Champ is now open for drive-thru or walk-up service in Maplewood. Place an order online and head to the drive-thru, where you can easily get your order. The grilled broccoli Caesar salad is a great starter, hefty with grilled broccoli and finished with a Caesar dressing that has a bright, lemony finish. The pizzas are huge and barely fit through the pick-up window. Classic extra cheese, triple pepperoni and the supreme with bacon and veggies are solid, classic options with a chewy, salty and tangy dough. But go for the unexpected, like the grilled kale and ricotta that had preserved lemon, chile flakes and tomato; the bold flavors work in harmony for a delicious result.
Pizza Champ, 2657 Lyle Ave., Maplewood, pizzachampstl.com
This article appears in March 2022.
