Acero 7266 Manchester Ave., Maplewood, (314) 644-1790.
Seats: 100.Cuisine: regional Italian.Specialties: creamy polenta served tableside on a marble slab with braised Missouri goat ragoût; slow-roasted pork shoulder with garlic, pepperoncini and white wine; poached branzino in seafood stock with garlic, hot peppers, fresh tomatoes and olive oil.Main courses: $15-$35.Chef: Tim Zenner.Owner: Jim Fiala.
Five 4317 Manchester Ave., (314) 535-5553.
Seats: 60.Cuisine: new American.Specialties: grilled pepper-rubbed beef strip loin with Ozark forest mushrooms and white truffle oil; seared halibut with roasted baby carrots, fingerling potatoes, Brussels sprouts and coriander vinaigrette.Main courses: $16-$25.Chef-owner: Anthony Devoti.
Franco 1535 S. Eighth St. (314) 436-2500.
Seats: 120.Cuisine: French bistro.Specialties: pan-roasted sea scallops with artichokes and tomato on white bean ragoût; pan-roasted foie gras with orange-fennel compote, pecan sage tuile and wilted frisée; sweetbreads with mushroom fricassée, Madeira and white truffle oil reduction.Main courses: $15-$23.Chef: Justin Keimon.Owners: Tom and Ed Schmidt.
Lester’s Sports Bar & Grill 9906 Clayton Road, Ladue, (314) 994-0055.
Seats: 225.Cuisine: barbecue and deli.Specialties: pulled pork and half slab of ribs platter with cole slaw, baked beans, potato salad and Texas toast; corned beef and cabbage with potato pancakes and rye bread; toasted ravioli with marinara sauce and Parmesan cheese.Main courses: $6.95-$21.95.Chef: Brad Isaak.Owners: David Miller, Lester Miller and Don Tamillo.
Vin de Set 2017 Chouteau Ave. (314) 241-8989.
Seats: 150.Cuisine: French bistro.Specialties: artichoke and spinach beignets; half roasted chicken rubbed with herbes de Provence on stuffed tomato and mustard greens; grilled sea scallops with grapefruit vinaigrette, dried strawberries, roasted fingerling potatoes and spinach.Main courses: $15-$23.Chef: Ivy Magruder.Owners: Paul and Wendy Hamilton.
FOOD & BEVERAGE DIGESTS Olive Garden features new stuffed pasta dishes ORLANDO FLA. —Olive Garden is featuring two stuffed pasta items through July 1. Both dishes contain two types of stuffed pasta filled with a blend of cheeses that include ricotta, mozzarella and Romano. For the Stuffed Pasta Misto with Sausage, which sells for $9.95, ravioli and tortelloni are tossed with grilled Italian sausage in a basil marinara sauce. —Olive Garden is featuring two stuffed pasta items through July 1. The $12.50 Stuffed Pasta Misto with Shrimp features ravioli and tortelloni with herb-marinated sautéed shrimp and garlic seafood sauce. —Olive Garden is featuring two stuffed pasta items through July 1. Darden Restaurants, based here, owns and operates Olive Garden’s nearly 600 units. —Olive Garden is featuring two stuffed pasta items through July 1. Italian company to offer truffle study grant —Olive Garden is featuring two stuffed pasta items through July 1. PERUGIA ITALY Atlanta Bread Co. launches summer specials —A good truffle recipe will get one chef a weeklong trip to Italy, as part of a contest offered by Urbani Tartufi. The winning chef will receive a grant to spend a week at the Academia Tartufi here to learn all about truffle history, production and uses. To enter the competition, visit SMYRNA GA. —Atlanta Bread Co., a bakery-cafe chain based here, is offering a sandwich, a salad, a pizza and a soft drink as limited-time offerings through July 14 at its more than 145 restaurants. The Bistro Chicken Press sandwich features a seasoned chicken breast topped with roasted red pepper spread, bacon, red onion and provolone cheese on ciabatta. —Atlanta Bread Co., a bakery-cafe chain based here, is offering a sandwich, a salad, a pizza and a soft drink as limited-time offerings through July 14 at its more than 145 restaurants. The Steak Bleu Salad has steak seasoned with lemon and garlic served on mixed greens with red onion, tomato, croutons, blue cheese crumbles and balsamic vinaigrette. —Atlanta Bread Co., a bakery-cafe chain based here, is offering a sandwich, a salad, a pizza and a soft drink as limited-time offerings through July 14 at its more than 145 restaurants. The Margherita Pizza is topped with mozzarella, olive oil, oregano, Parmesan and basil. —Atlanta Bread Co., a bakery-cafe chain based here, is offering a sandwich, a salad, a pizza and a soft drink as limited-time offerings through July 14 at its more than 145 restaurants. The seasonal drink is peach-flavored tea. —Atlanta Bread Co., a bakery-cafe chain based here, is offering a sandwich, a salad, a pizza and a soft drink as limited-time offerings through July 14 at its more than 145 restaurants. Inn operators win breakfast contest with trout cakes —Atlanta Bread Co., a bakery-cafe chain based here, is offering a sandwich, a salad, a pizza and a soft drink as limited-time offerings through July 14 at its more than 145 restaurants. COEUR D’ALENE IDAHO —Michael Atkinson and Michelle Briggs of the Inn on Church Street in Hendersonville, N.C., won the recent Inn-Credible Breakfast Cook-Off, held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort & Spa here, with their smoked mountain trout cakes. The breakfast item is a variation on eggs Benedict. The contest was held by Select Registry, a trade association of more than 400 inns, bed-and-breakfasts, and other small hotels in North America. They were awarded a professional oven. —Michael Atkinson and Michelle Briggs of the Inn on Church Street in Hendersonville, N.C., won the recent Inn-Credible Breakfast Cook-Off, held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort & Spa here, with their smoked mountain trout cakes. The breakfast item is a variation on eggs Benedict. Chefs on the Move —Michael Atkinson and Michelle Briggs of the Inn on Church Street in Hendersonville, N.C., won the recent Inn-Credible Breakfast Cook-Off, held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort & Spa here, with their smoked mountain trout cakes. The breakfast item is a variation on eggs Benedict. Andrew Atwell is executive chef of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Most recently he was responsible for the food at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.… Luke Belsito has left his job as executive chef of Greenwood Village, Colo.-based Red Robin and is joining the team of Texas Roadhouse in Louisville, Ky.… Thomas Ciszak, the chef of Copeland in Morristown, N.J., has taken on the added position of chef of Flat Iron Tapas Bar and Lounge in Boston. Overseeing Flat Iron’s Kitchen on a day-to-day basis is chef de cuisine Peter Ilich… Tim Keating, formerly at the Biltmore hotel in Coral Gables, Fla., is chef of Flying Fish Café at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.… Jeff Orel is executive chef of Abbicci Contemporary Mediterranean Bistro in Yarmouth Port, Mass. Most recently he was executive chef of Viridian, in Washington, D.C.… Arturo Paz, who most recently was executive chef at Portofino Hotel & Yacht Club in Redondo Beach, Calif., is executive chef of Republic in Los Angeles. —Michael Atkinson and Michelle Briggs of the Inn on Church Street in Hendersonville, N.C., won the recent Inn-Credible Breakfast Cook-Off, held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort & Spa here, with their smoked mountain trout cakes. The breakfast item is a variation on eggs Benedict. Sign up for NRN-Online’s new Culinary Currents® e-newsletter at www.nrn.com/emailnewsletters —Michael Atkinson and Michelle Briggs of the Inn on Church Street in Hendersonville, N.C., won the recent Inn-Credible Breakfast Cook-Off, held at the Coeur d’Alene Resort & Spa here, with their smoked mountain trout cakes. The breakfast item is a variation on eggs Benedict.
