Editor’s note: Central Table Food Hall, Modesto, The Libertine and Chop Shop have closed.
Pulpo, poke, tako, octopus. Whatever you call it, this cool squid species is hot, hot, hot. This summer, it’s starring in dishes that span the globe, from a Spanish tapa to a Japanese salad to a spoonful of the Mediterranean Sea. This cephalopod may be elusive in the water – hiding by day, hunting by night – but right now, there are plenty of restaurants around town where octopus is in plain sight. So hurry up and catch this beast of the deep blue sea before it slips away. And if you’ve been scared away by those twisty tentacles before, now is the time to get aboard and cast the net again. With the eight-armed creature on display in this many ways, you’re bound to find one that captures your fancy.
Spanish Octopus | Central Table Food Hall
Octopus is terrifying to the squeamish and entertaining to the adventurous. If you’re in the latter camp (and you should be), don’t miss this play, starring a single tentacle braised for five long hours until tender and meaty, then seared to perfection. Other cast members: Fennel – caramelized, aerated and its raw fronds snipped for garnish – gets honors for best supporting actress, but it’s the giggly tomato-water gelée that gets a standing O for flavor boost and visual effect.
Central Table Food Hall, 23 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.932.5595
Octopus Salad | The Lobby Lounge at Ritz Carlton-St. Louis
Gently poaching baby octopus in a court bouillon for an hour-and-a-half turns its skin a beautiful reddish-maroon, its underlying flesh a milky white and everything über-tender. What elevates this bottom feeder to luxe level is the harmony of Asian flavors. In every bite, you’ll savor those sucker-studded spirals with sesame seeds, wakame, cucumber, sesame oil, rice vinegar and a karate kick of jalapeño, red onion and sweet chile.
The Lobby Lounge at Ritz Carlton-St. Louis, 100 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, 314.863.6300, ritzcarlton.com
Pulpo y Patatas | Modesto
When you’re talking pulpo in Spain, succulent octopus just wouldn’t be proper without sweet, smoky Spanish pimentón. This oily, tomato-y, potato-packed tapa stays true to tradition while delivering big on eye appeal – yes, those are whole sauteed baby octopuses. Wait, is that bacon we taste? Yes, even deep-sea creatures are better with a little smoky swine.
Modesto, 5257 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.8272
Crispy Octopus | The Libertine
What began as chef Josh Galliano’s excuse to use broccoli-stem kimchi resulted in an unexpected edible seascape: A purée of Japanese white sweet potato becomes an island surrounded by a sea of piquillo-pepper broth and charred lemon sauce. Noodly kimchi swim offshore, while a single octopus tentacle perched atop the purée looks like a log carried in by the tide. We knew octopus was versatile, we just never realized it could be turned into maritime art.
The Libertine, 7927 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.862.2999
Tako Truck | Chop Shop
Gas prices may not be budging, but when a food truck serves a delicacy like octopus, it’s worth the extra effort (and quarters) to track it down. Chop Shop’s cold Japanese salad is a medley of steamed octopus, daikon kimchi, seaweed, cucumber and kaiware sprouts tossed in an umami union of citrusy yuzu ponzu, red-hot gochujang and miso. We’re not looking for pretty here. We pulled over for the Pacific flavor punch and veggie crunch.
Chop Shop, twitter.com/chopshopstl, facebook.com/chopshop314
Octopus Salad with Chickpeas and Edamame | Olio
Octopus doesn’t need to be drowned in a dressing for it to taste delicious in a salad. Lightly seasoned with Mediterranean flavors – oil, garlic, preserved lemon, smoked paprika and parsley – this clean, bright salad is proof that fresh and simple are the keys to great cooking. Being that this dish shows such respect for ingredients, show it some respect and honor its plea to be paired with a glass of crisp white wine. Go for a bottle of the 2010 Schoffit Lieu-dit-Harth, a zippy dry riesling from Alsace, France.
Olio, 1634 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.932.1088, oliostl.com
This article appears in June 2013.