St. Louis' 4 best spots to indulge on New American food

St. Louis' 4 best spots to indulge on New American foodBlood & Sand. | Photo: Megan P./Yelp
Hoodline
Published on February 24, 2020

Looking to satisfy your appetite for New American fare?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best high-end New American restaurants around St. Louis, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill.

1. Blood & Sand

Photo: megan p./Yelp

Topping the list is Blood & Sand. Located at 1500 St. Charles St. in Downtown West, the cocktail bar, wine bar and New American spot is the highest-rated high-end New American restaurant in St. Louis, boasting 4.5 stars out of 296 reviews on Yelp. 

The site can tell you a thing or two more about Blood & Sand.

"This concept was born out of the desire to serve people unique and interesting flavors to savor based on classic cocktails, classic dishes and great customer service," per the history section of the business's Yelp profile. "Named after the classic cocktail, Blood & Sand is rooted back to the 1920s."

Curious about who's behind the business?

"I wanted to give St. Louis the best place for cocktails and cuisine," the business owner states in the bio section of the business's Yelp profile. "I wanted to take our guests somewhere new while feeling at home. I wanted to give them everything they never knew they loved by providing a unique dining experience tailored toward their sensibilities and sense of adventure."

2. J Devoti Trattoria

Photo: doug m./Yelp

Next up is the Hill's J Devoti Trattoria, situated at 5100 Daggett Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 181 reviews on Yelp, the wine bar, New American and Italian spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking to indulge. 

We looked there for more about J Devoti Trattoria.

"Formerly Five Bistro from 2006-2018, Chef Devoti has evolved his farm-to-table bistro to include a focus on Italian cuisine," the business notes in the history section of its Yelp profile. 

Curious about who's behind the business?

"I really wanted to further my education and focus on farm-to-table cooking.​​ San Francisco became my new home where I began working under the late, James Beard Award-winning Chef Judy Rodgers at Zuni Cafe," the owner states in the bio section of the business's Yelp profile. "Finally, I decided to return to St. Louis to open my own bistro, dedicated to the region I knew and loved best."

Furthermore, we found this about the business's signature items: "We have concentrated on the flavors of our region by using quality ingredients from neighboring farms," it writes on Yelp in the section explaining specialties. "This has afforded us the opportunity to embrace whole animals with nose-to-tail cooking. Our mission is to bring our guests back to a time where you knew where your food came from as well as the farmers that worked so hard to raise sustainable and ethical products."

3. Hamilton's Urban Steakhouse and Bourbon Bar

Photo: Hamilton's Urban Steakhouse and Bourbon Bar/Yelp

Downtown West's Hamilton's Urban Steakhouse and Bourbon Bar, located at 2101 Chouteau Ave., is another top choice, with Yelpers giving the fancy steakhouse, cocktail bar and New American spot 4.5 stars out of 102 reviews. 

The site has lots more information about Hamilton's Urban Steakhouse and Bourbon Bar.

"Paul and Wendy Hamilton are owners of several other restaurants in the neighboring community and have owned and operated restaurants for over 25 years," per the bio section of its Yelp profile.

In terms of signature items, "Our steakhouse serves only 100% heritage breed Iowa premium Black Angus beef," it states on Yelp in the section highlighting specialties. "The cattle are raised with care on small midwestern family farms to exacting standards to ensure exceptional quality and consistency. We offer an incredible selection of seafood, chicken and lamb as well."

4. Olio

Photo: krystal a./Yelp

Olio, a wine bar and New American and Mediterranean spot in Botanical Heights (formerly McRee Town), is another pricey go-to, with four stars out of 329 Yelp reviews. Head over to 1634 Tower Grove Ave. to see for yourself.

The site has lots more information on Olio.

"Established in 2012, Olio is a space that was created from an abandoned 1930s-era Standard Oil Filling Station," per the history section of its Yelp profile. "The old filling station was restored with all efforts to maintain the integrity of its original appearance."

Curious about who's behind the business?

"A native of Israel, Ben Poremba moved to St. Louis to earn a BA in philosophy from the University of Missouri - St. Louis," the business writes on Yelp, this time in the bio section of its profile. "He learned the art of cooking [and eating] from his mother Rachel, who has been a chef and a culinary educator for nearly 40 years. An extensive world-traveler, Ben staged in kitchens in France and Italy, and attended the Universita degli Studi di Scienze Gastronomiche [University of Gastronomic Studies] in Parma, Italy where he studied Food Culture and Gastronomy."

Concerning signature items, the site lists "Mediterranean-style small plates, salumi, cheeses and a nightly rotisserie. For drinks, we have a carefully-selected wine list, wines by the glass and wine flights from our sommelier staff."


This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.