This year’s Top Dishes column is like no other. It is “unprecedented,” as we say about everything now. I’ve chosen my favorite pre-pandemic dishes from the restaurants I reviewed between December 2019 and March 2020. All of them make me long for the full reopening and survival of St. Louis’ dining scene.
Turmeric‘s Chargrilled Masala Halibut
Roasted in a banana leaf, the firm fish was finished on the grill and served on a bed of spinach poriyal with a creamy yogurt-fenugreek sauce so delicious I’d pour it on toast.
Chao Baan‘s Whole Pompano Fish
The deep-fried whole pompano served in a pungent chile-garlic-tamarind sauce and garnished with a colorful array of cilantro, lime and bird’s-eye chiles is the restaurant’s showpiece. Further excavation revealed the best part: sweet and tender cheek meat.
Il Palato‘s Capesante
This dish captured the fading winter season by intermingling meaty diver scallops and seared parsnips on a pillow of creamy parsnip puree, while a gentle douse of bright and tart salsa verde signaled a glimpse into the impending spring.
The Bellwether‘s Chicken Paprikash
Braised with sweet vermillion-hued paprika and served on a bed of aromatic, nutmeg-infused spaetzel dappled with dollops of lemon crema, executive chef Thomas Furtell’s transformative interpretation of the humble Hungarian dish proved lighter but no less comforting.
This article appears in December 2020.
