The 32 Essential St. Louis Restaurants

"You know you’re getting close to Little Fox when you see a fire hydrant painted with a cheeky, little orange fox. The restaurant comes from Craig and Mowgli Rivard, two of a growing number of chefs and restaurateurs leaving jobs at esteemed restaurants in cities like New York and LA to open their own places in smaller, mid-sized cities. Early on, Little Fox established itself as a neighborhood restaurant providing easy, gracious service and offering deceptively simple dishes. Delicata squash is gently wrapped in a pale golden batter, reminiscent of traditional South Korean crispy fried sweet potatoes. Tender short ribs, barely clinging to the bone, get a luxurious treatment with Calabrian chili, Italian fish sauce, and grilled leeks and celery root. Little Fox is also the only restaurant in St. Louis currently offering an exclusively natural wine list." - Holly Fann