Ian Froeb

The Noble Crown, a coolly elegant newcomer at the corner of North Euclid Avenue and Maryland Plaza, is a partnership between two Central West End players: Kevin Brennan, the owner of the bar Brennan’s and its offshoot Maryland House, and the St. Louis Chess Club. The Noble Crown is an American bistro in the modern sense. Anything goes, globally speaking. The kitchen sprinkles the umami-laden Japanese condiment furikake on its Jonah crab gratin, though this dish’s overwhelming richness could use some citrus or chile too. That exact combination, in the form of a chile-lime vinaigrette, sparks the can’t-miss appetizer (or family-style side) of deeply browned Brussels sprouts with whipped feta cheese.

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Restaurant critic ST. LOUIS — Jekyll & Hyde is a metaphor as blunt as a mallet to the head.

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Restaurant critic MARYLAND HEIGHTS — I hesitate to direct you to another basement after last week's review of Jekyll & Hyde in the Delmar

A rice-paper wrap with smoked brisket and a side of Village Bamboo Stew at Lona's Lil Eats in Kirkwood.

Post-Dispatch restaurant critic Ian Froeb takes viewers to the place of his favorite legend of the St. Louis area: The Piasa Bird of Alton.

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ST. LOUIS — When Alex and Amanda Donley consider opening a new location of Gioia's Deli, they like to test the appetite on social media, teasing a potential destination to see how fans of the 108-year-old sandwich shop respond.