Lafayette Fire Company No. 1

"Secret recipes of local firemen served in a casual atmosphere. Comfort food at its best."

Lafayette Fire Company No. 1 occupies the space previously known as Soda Fountain Square, and it's owned completely by Fire and EMS workers. Proceeds from the restaurant benefit Backstoppers and the Missouri Children's Burn Camp, according to their web site. That means that the more you eat, the more money will be donated to these great charities!

Lafayette Fire Company No. 1
1801 Park Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314)621-5001

Seki

Don't believe what you see online - Seki is in fact open on Monday nights, so we're going! With both delicious sushi and a menu of Japanese dishes, it's bound to be a fantastic meal.

Seki
6335 Delmar Blvd.
University City, MO 63130
(314)726-6477

Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que

With an assortment of meats (pulled and otherwise), sweet potato chips, and sides, can you really go wrong? The readers of Sauce Magazine didn't think so; they voted it a favorite this year. Join us as we investigate this joint's skill at the art of BBQ!

Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que
1901 Washington Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314)436-3876
http://www.smokingjoesbbq.com/

Royal Chinese BBQ

Let us dine like royalty as we eat not only their delicious Cantonese BBQ delights but also their fantastic vegetarian dishes and steamed fishes!

Royal Chinese BBQ
8406 Olive Blvd
Olivette, MO 63132-2816
(314)991-1888

Yummies Restaurant

If the URL doesn't give it away, Yummies is a soul food restaurant. That's mac 'n' cheese, ribs, greens, meatloaf, corn bread, sweet potatoes... need I go on?

Yummies Restaurant
3149 Shenandoah
St. Louis, MO 63104
(314)226-9800
http://www.yummiessoulfood.com/

Taqueria La Monarca

Taqueria La Monarca occupies the space that Schneider TV held for decades, but they've done some major redecorating! Let's go find out if the food is authentic and delicious.

Taqueria La Monarca
8516 Olive Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63132
(314)991-9949

The Shaved Duck

The Shaved Duck was originally an upscale restaurant but has since changed formats to become a casual establishment serving "rustic American cuisine, slow wood smoked meats, flatbreads, [chilis] and many tasty traditional sides." While their website doesn't indicate it, they are now open on Mondays - and we're going to check them out.

The Shaved Duck
2900 Virginia Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314)776-1407
http://www.shavedduck.com/

Joo Joo Korean

We haven't been to a Korean place in ages. Due to the holiday weekend, we're going to switch and go out on Tuesday this week. The bonus is that we will be eating at a place normally closed on Monday. Let's check this one out!

Joo Joo Korean
12937 Olive Boulevard
Creve Coeur, MO 63141
(314)469-1999

Mayuri Indian Restaurant

Mayuri is an Indian restaurant that took over the space formerly occupied by Ruchi (where we went almost a year ago!). It's gotten some good reviews and we haven't had Indian in ages!

Mayuri Indian Restaurant
12513 Olive Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63141
(314)576-7272

Red Kitchen and Bar

We always attend Downtown Restaurant Week (http://bit.ly/ul51p) as a group, and this year is no exception. Downtown Restaurant Week gives us the chance to support downtown businesses while enjoying three courses of delicious food for a fixed price of $25 PER PERSON. We've made a reservation for Red Kitchen and Bar (menu at http://bit.ly/ALf9l), which is a new restaurant located in the Hyatt right by the Arch. We're going on Monday, August 3, 7:30 pm, and we've got room for 15 people at our table. If you want to join, please email us; if you do not hear back, then assume that you're on the list! I'll send out a reminder email to those attending closer to the event.
Here are the restaurant details:

Red Kitchen and Bar
315 Chestnut Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
(314)259-3244
http://www.redstlouis.com/

Amigo Joe's

Though it doesn't seem like it, we haven't been to a Mexican place in
quite a while. House specialties include Texas Nachos (fajitas over
nachos) and Pollo San Jo (chicken, ranchero sauce, cheese, and shrimp). It
looks like they also have $2 margaritas.

Amigo Joe's
5901 Southwest Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63139
(314)645-1995
http://www.saucemagazine.com/restaurant/3995

Ranoush

Ranoush replaces Saleem's at its prominent corner in the Loop, and several reviews have indicated that it is far superior to its predecessor. The owners say, "Your Middle Eastern favorites are still served at the new restaurant,including falafel, hummus, tabbouleh, and kebabs - but with a Syrian twist." I'm curious about this Syrian twist; aren't you?

Ranoush
6501 Delmar Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63130
(314)726-6874
http://www.saucemagazine.com/restaurant/3978

Café Lazeez

Ran emailed (thanks, Ran!) and suggested that we try out this new restaurant as it "sounds perfect for dinner club." Join us at this new Pakistani establishment that serves burgers, pizza and, of course, Pakistani food. Reviews so far have been positive, but we'll see how they do with our large group!

Café Lazeez
14248 Manchester Rd, Suite H
Manchester, MO 63011
(636)527-5900
http://cafe-lazeez.com/

Mattingly Brewing Co.

Mattingly is a fairly new brewpub that opened up on S. Jefferson, and they have some great beers on tap as well as tasty small and large plates, pizzas, and sandwiches. Why don't you join us?

Mattingly Brewing Co.
3000 S. Jefferson
St. Louis, MO 63118
(314)881-1500
http://www.mattinglybrewing.com/

BBC Asian Cafe & Bar (Banh Mi Boba Tea and Creperie)

As Banh Mi Boba, this place had a huge following of enthusiastic eaters. They've renovated and made some changes recently and it's time for us to check this place out. The menu appears to have all manner of crepes, subs, salads, and even gyros.

BBC Asian Cafe & Bar (Banh Mi Boba Tea and Creperie)
243 N. Euclid Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63108
(314)361-7770
http://www.saucemagazine.com/restaurant/3669

Vito's

Monday night at Vito's is $5 pizza and wine night. I don't know what that means, but it sounds like a good deal, and we're going! The pizzas here always have looked good, and the arancini is fantastic. Join us!

Vito's
3515 Lindell Blvd
St Louis, MO 63103
(314)534-8486
http://www.vitosstl.com/

The Fountain on Locust

As we try to do every year, we will be participating in this year's Dining Out for Life, part of the St. Louis Effort for AIDS (EFA). Restaurants participating in this program donate a portion of their proceeds to EFA on the night chosen by the organization.

Founded in 1985 by a group of concerned volunteers, Saint Louis Effort for AIDS began with the purpose of making a difference in the lives of individuals dying from complications due to AIDS. Today, EFA is one of the leading AIDS Service Organizations in the metropolitan area, offering prevention education, care referral, case management, free testing by appointment, volunteer opportunities and a variety of support programs.

This restaurant is donating 25% of the evening's proceeds to EFA.

The Fountain on Locust
3037 Locust St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
http://www.fountainonlocust.com/

Chopstix Asian Kitchen

Chopstix serves traditional Chinese cuisine with modern updates. I'm not sure what that means, but I'm curious to find out.

Chopstix Asian Kitchen
Plaza on the Boulevard (in the old Northland Shopping Center)
8021 W. Florissant, Ste B
Jennings MO 63136
(314)383-6888
http://www.chopstixonline.com/

Sugo's Spaghetteria

My mom really likes Sugo's (in fact, she's raved about it many times), and  we've never been there. Now is the time!

Sugo's Spaghetteria
10419 Clayton Rd.
Frontenac, MO 63131
(314)569-0400
http://www.sugosspaghetteria.com/

Nipa Hut

Nipa Hut seems to be STL's only Filipino restaurant, and we're going there. If you've never had cuisine of the Philippines, it's a fusion of Malay, Latin American, and Spanish cuisines - see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipino_cuisine for more details.

Nipa Hut
1810 Woodson Rd.
Overland, MO 63114
(314)423-1850

Be advised that there's construction on Woodson, so you will probably want to access this restaurant from Page Ave.

Gokul Snacks & Sweets

Gokul's an all-vegetarian Indian buffet restaurant that just happens to do an all-vegan version the first Monday of every month. This restaurant was just written up by Sauce, who said, "We wish we could tell you Gokul's new vegan dinner buffet will make up for the way you've been eating lately, but it sounds pretty decadent." That sounds good to us!

Gokul Snacks & Sweets
10633/B Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63132
(314)428-8888
http://www.gokulrestaurant.com/

Thai Sawadee

This is a new Thai restaurant that took forever to open. They're finally here and we're going to have a great Thaim there. Hah!

Thai Sawadee
171 Hilltown Village Center
Chesterfield, MO, 63017
(636)728-0308

The Good Pie

This place has awesome, truly authentic pizzas and a very, very hot pizza oven. Yum!

The Good Pie
3137 Olive St.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314)289-9391
http://www.thegoodpie.com/

Deluxe

Deluxe serves up food in a diner-style atmosphere. They have great onion rings, chili mac, meatloaf, and other comfort foods. There's also a killer dessert called Lee's Butter Roll - don't miss out on this!

Deluxe
2733 Sutton Blvd
Maplewood, MO 63143
(314)646-0370
http://www.saucemagazine.com/restaurant/3864

Sahara Restaurant

Hopefully, you've had a chance to recover from the holidays and are recharged and ready to eat again. Sahara's a Mediterranean restaurant that offers traditional food - take a look at their online menu. The food's gotten good reviews, so make sure you bring your appetite!

Sahara Restaurant
12283 Natural Bridge Road
Bridgeton, MO 63044
(314)298-2795
http://saharastl.com/index.html