Every month, we try new restaurants and bars so we can make meaningful recommendations on where we think you should go. From a new location of a fine dining hotspot in the Central West End to a cafe from The Crack Fox team and an all-you-can-eat sushi spot in South County, here’s where made the cut this month.
ODDITEAS CAFE & ARTISTIC LOUNGE
Tucked next door to the beloved nightlife den of 17 years The Crack Fox, Odditeas Cafe & Artistic Lounge feels like stepping into a bohemian hideaway that doubles as a café, cocktail bar and creative hub. Opened by the Crack Fox owner Carrie Harris, the downtown spot blends a café menu with tea service, cocktails and THC elixirs, all inside a space that’s part lounge, part mini art market. The vibe lands somewhere between witchy and hippie in the best possible way. Think cozy nooks, colorful art lining the walls and little retail corners stocked with handmade jewelry, clothes and other curiosities that make browsing half the fun.
Come hungry, and start with the Witch Pockets, flaky pastries packed with savory goodness. The spinach version channels spanakopita energy, warm and verdant with a light, airy crust that shatters delicately with each bite. A chicken, tomato and mozzarella version is even more satisfying, proving these little hand pies punch well above their weight. If you’re heading to a show next door at the Crack Fox, they make the perfect snack when you want something quick but delicious.
Sandwiches lean fresh and playful. The Harvest Moon layers turkey and havarti with apples, greens and a house-made blueberry-Pinot jam that adds a subtle sweetness, all served with chips for the crunchy sidekick every sandwich deserves. We also sampled a pot roast sandwich and a piping hot French onion soup from an upcoming menu, both hearty enough to anchor a full meal.
Drinks run the gamut from tea and coffee to cocktails and THC elixirs. The Naked and Famous cocktail balances smoky mezcal with Yellow Chartreuse and Aperol so no single note overwhelms. For something more unconventional, the Blue Haze THC elixir tastes like blueberry lemonade and perfectly complements that Harvest Moon sandwich. Between the creative drinks, comforting bites and dreamy, art-filled atmosphere, Odditeas feels like a tiny portal to a more whimsical corner of downtown.
1116 Olive St., St. Louis, thecrackfox.com
MAINLANDER
Step inside Mainlander’s new spacious home in the Central West End and the atmosphere immediately sets the stage. The dining room is dark and moody, with eclectic kitchen art lining the walls and mismatched lamps casting warm pools of light across the space. Even the bathroom gets the full design treatment with a playful Elvis theme complete with artwork and the King himself on the soundtrack. It’s quirky, intimate and clearly curated, setting the tone for a dinner that’s anything but ordinary.
While the concept itself has been around for a few years, the restaurant’s current location opened just a few months ago, making it feel newly settled and right at home on our monthly Hit List. Chef Blake Askew and partner Gordon Chen first launched Mainlander as a series of pop-ups in 2022, exploring a mid-century Midwest supper club aesthetic paired with a modern, no-tipping model. The project evolved into a tiny 18-seat space in 2023 that quickly gained national attention, including a James Beard Award semifinalist nod for Best New Restaurant. Now in its larger home, the duo has room to fully realize the vision, including an adjoining bar and lounge called Jujube Inn.
The menu changes monthly, giving the kitchen room to constantly experiment within its “no-rules” approach. Askew’s background in French technique and time working under chefs like Wolfgang Puck and Dominique Crenn mingles with Chen’s Taiwanese roots to create dishes that feel both surprising and carefully considered. Highlights during our visit included Crystal Chive Dumplings, delicate tapioca dumplings filled with Taiwanese-style chives and noodles and paired with a basil-laced béarnaise. The Sweet Potato Spaetzle Mac, a comforting dish of Austrian-style dumplings folded into smoky cheddar fondue, was one of our favorite bites of the night, alongside the deeply flavorful Spicy Riesling Beef, a slow-braised beef cheek dish layered with chiles, aromatics and rich sauce.
A playful cocktail pairing option adds another layer to the experience, with drinks designed to complement the evolving menu. One cocktail arrived crowned with a flaming lime shell holding a brown sugar cube; once dropped into the glass and gently muddled, the sugar dissolved into the drink while leaving behind little bursts of caramelized sweetness that drifted up through the straw.
Service throughout the evening is warm, attentive and deeply knowledgeable about the dishes. And if you’re not ready for the night to end, keep an eye on the adjoining Jujube Inn bar and café. We’ll be stopping by there to try it for Hit List in the coming months as well.
392 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, mainlanderstl.com
MACHI SUSHI & HIBACHI
Set inside a glossy dining room dressed in black marble, mirrors, and flashes of gold, Machi Sushi & Hibachi feels a little more polished than you might expect from an all-you-can-eat spot. Oversized light fixtures glow overhead, faux greenery softens the sleek edges, and gold bird statues perch around the room like they’re quietly supervising the sushi rolls. Even at 3 p.m., the place hums with diners, which says something.
The real draw, of course, is the menu. Machi offers an impressively broad lineup that spans sushi, sashimi, chef’s specialty rolls, hibachi entrées, tempura, noodles, appetizers, and dessert, all included in one flat price. During the week, lunch runs about $20, while dinner and weekend service hover around $30. If you’re used to ordering a couple of specialty rolls and calling it a night at a pricier sushi bar, the value here feels borderline generous.
Because everything is part of the deal, it’s easy to bounce around the menu. Rolls like the Spicy Ichiban and the hulking Godzilla arrive well-built and satisfying, while sweeter options such as the Mango Delight keep things balanced. The hibachi steak ends up being a standout, delivering the kind of savory, sizzling flavor you’d expect from a dedicated hibachi house. Elsewhere, dishes like chicken udon or avocado salad skew simpler, but the intentionally small portions make it easy to keep sampling without hitting a wall too quickly. Cocktails are available at the bar, though the list leans toward the familiar rather than the flashy. Come hungry, bring a few friends, and treat it like a choose-your-own-adventure dinner. At this price, Machi makes it easy to explore a little bit of everything.
9527 Gravois Road, Affton, machisushimo.com
This article appears in April 2026.
