The name is a bit deceiving step inside The Tavern Kitchen and Bar and you'll find a menu that is far better than typical tavern food.
"Our sushi roll is fantastic," Brant Baldanza says.
He opened the place back in 2010, three years after he opened his first restaurant The Corner Pub and Grill just a few doors down, a couple of years before he opened The Shack. All places that now have more than one location.
"Two corner pubs, two taverns, we have three shacks right now and about to be 5 shacks by the end of 2018," he explains.
He and his team consistently knock dishes out of the park.
"Our first dish is a parmesan pull-apart. It's our homemade biscuits topped off with a little butter, a little parmesan cheese, little red pepper flakes and then served in a cask iron skillet made to order."
It's complimentary and even comes with the recipe if you want it. After that the decisions get more difficult because each appetizer is better than the next.
"It's Porchetta, that's pork belly that we cure in house and stuffed with kobe chorizo," explains Executive Chef Harold Sexauer.
It's topped with a mole sauce and chimichurri and served with street corn.
"Then we also have our Cast Iron Florentine. So we get a cast iron plate really hot and then have some fried potatoes, house cured bacon, house smoked bacon and spinach," he adds.
It then sizzles in a bacon butter.
"And we put the fish on that and then we cover it in hollandaise."
See what I mean, it's hard to choose which is why they have tasting boards.
"The Seafood Trio has salmon, mahi and ahi with all three preparations. You get to try the sesame crusted coconut curry, the florentine without the bacon butter sizzle and the blackened set which is a mexican black beans with mole."
They also have a large wine list with 40 or 50 bottles and 15 to 20 options by the glass. All of which is served in a cool setting.
"With the exposed kitchen that we have at both of our locations you sit in the main dining area you're able to feel that energy that comes out on a Friday or Saturday night," adds Baldanza
So check out The Tavern a place where you can get a little bit of everything.
The Tavern Kitchen and Bar
2961 Dougherty Ferry Rd.
636-825-0600
tavernstl.com
