My first night in St. Louis involved a veggie tasting menu and late night shenanigans with some cool locals. The next morning, I woke up to cold icy weather. The roads and sidewalks may have been coated with ice, but I still made it to Sardella for brunch.
The bright airy restaurant serves Italian-inspired dishes made with local ingredients. They offer a brunch menu from 10am to 2pm Saturdays and Sundays. The bar was full when I arrived, but they happily squeezed a seat in for me. Thanks!
I started off with a mimosa and looked over the brunch menu. I couple dishes caught my attention. You already know I had to try both! I ordered the ricotta pancakes and cacio e pepe eggs.
The cacio e pepe eggs were soft scrambled with pecorino and black pepper with fresh mixed greens and toast on the side. Good stuff!
The ricotta pancakes were topped with fruit preserves and candied pecans with maple syrup on the side. Did I need the pancakes? Nope. Did I enjoy them? Hell yea!
I give my brunch at Sardella two thumbs up! Afterwards, I went to the Saint Louis Art Museum. The three-story museum is located in Forest Park. It’s collection includes more than 34,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of history and cultures.
Dinner that evening was at Pastaria…which happens to be right next to Sardella. I’m back! The modern trattoria with high ceilings and an open kitchen serves soups, salads, fresh organic pastas, roasted meats, and wood-fired pizzas.
The restaurant was packed, but I managed to get a seat at the bar. I ordered a glass of red wine and had some bread with olive oil.
I really wanted to try a pasta and a pizza, so in true “you’re on vacation style”, I ordered both!
The pasta dish I went with was the pappardelle with smoked pork, mascarpone, and apple slices. It was smoky, a bit tart, and a little sweet. It was different, but good.
I also ordered the roasted mushroom pizza. I adore mushrooms! It had bechamel, taleggio, sage, rosemary, thyme, grana padano, and roasted garlic. It was wonderful.
I finished what I could and packed the rest. I could have easily skipped dessert, but I heard they had funfetti birthday cake. Yes, please!
Dinner at Pastaria was good. My dishes were tasty and I enjoyed the lively atmosphere. Even though it was busy, service was spot on.
I had a couple more days in St. Louis to try a few other restaurants, check out some breweries, and see a couple attractions before the hockey game on Tuesday!
Sardella
7734 Forsyth Blvd
Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 773-7755
Website
Saint Louis Art Museum
1 Fine Arts Drive
St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 721-0072
Website
Pastaria
7734 Forsyth Blvd
Clayton, MO 63105
(314) 862-6603
Website
