each of these 10 up -and-comers should be on your must-tr y list.

ï BEST S ï NEW RESTAURANT Buzz’s Hawaiian Gri

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN

At Buzz’s Hawaiian Grill, when co-owner Thomas “Buzz” Moore says aloha, he means it from the heart. To Moore, the word is much more than just a greeting: It’s a way of life that represents love and unity, and this philosophy underscores everything he does at the restaurant.

Moore previously lived on the north shore of Oahu, and it was during his work commute to Honolulu that he developed a lasting fondness for Hawaiian lunch joints. A er moving to St. Louis in 1986, he mastered many of his island-inspired favorites at home and regularly creates comforting meals for his family and friends with care.

In 2016, he and his wife Leta, who co-owns Buzz’s, decided to share their passion for Hawaiian culture and cuisine with the rest of St. Louis by starting a food truck. The concept is a family aff air through and through. Buzz has fi ve daughters, and three of them help out with the food truck; the other two, along with six grandchildren, still live in Hawaii.

When Moore isn’t planning annual trips to spend time with his family, he’s busy sharing the spirit of aloha with St. Louisans. Buzz’s found a permanent home in the Tower Grove East neighborhood in May 2022, which has allowed Moore to cook up even more recipes from his repertoire on a regular basis.

The menu features many dishes that represent the melting pot of Hawaiian cuisine. Signatures include poke, kalua pig, teriyaki steak, chicken yakitori and garlic shrimp, as well as savory and sweet staples such as Spam musubi (a snack of Spam, fried egg, rice, nori and soy sauce), lilikoi bars (think lemon bars with passion fruit) and banana bread. Specials rotate regularly and include everything from beef tomato (a Chinese-inspired stir-fry) and huli huli chicken (sweet and smoky grilled and basted chicken) to Hawaiian-style breakfast.

Since opening, Buzz’s Hawaiian Grill has hosted several community events featuring Hawaiian music and dance in hopes of spreading awareness about Pacifi c Islander traditions. Going forward, Moore intends to continue off ering a taste of the islands all over St. Louis. In the meantime, his restaurant off ers landlocked food lovers a relaxing slice of paradise in the middle of St. Louis’ South City.

Buzz’s Hawaiian Grill, 3457 Magnolia Ave., Tower Grove East, St. Louis, Missouri, 314-875-0076, buzzshawaiiangrill.com MUST-TRY MENU ITEM: Poke Poke means “to cut” in Hawaiian. Buzz’s poke features cubed fi sh dressed in a shoyu-based sauce that is then chilled and mixed with seaweed, onions and spices. Enjoy it as a plate with rice and mac salad, add a scoop to any meal or try it in a poke bomb stuff ed in inari (sweet bean curd) pouches.

ï BEST S ï NEW RESTAURANT Clara B’s Kitchen Table

WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE RENNER | PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN

Clara B’s Kitchen Table has had one heck of a growth spurt. The concept fi rst began as a food truck in 2020 and then opened a brick-and-mortar in February 2022. Less than a year later, it’s time for the Southern brunch spot to expand again due to its wild popularity. “We’re ge ing a li le too big for our britches,” chef-owner Jodie Ferguson says.

Clara B’s Kitchen Table serves up brunch fare inspired by Ferguson’s grandma, Clara Bloodworth – the restaurant’s namesake. The menu refl ects Bloodworth’s life; she was born in Louisiana and lived in Pennsylvania and Texas, so expect Southern dishes, barbecue and Tex-Mex. Almost immediately a er opening the brick-and-mortar location, Clara B’s made a name for itself as the go-to Sunday brunch spot “on the Illinois side of the river” – through no marketing of its own. “Our popularity has not come from any marketing other than word of mouth, for the most part,” Ferguson says.

Ferguson’s new spot will likely also be in Illinois, but will off er increased seating (the restaurant currently seats 30) and an expanded kitchen, which Ferguson plans to use to make more Southern-style baked goods like scones, pies and laminated doughs.

Another factor contributing to the need for more space is the rigorous cooking standards Ferguson employs. From the soups to the sauces, everything is meticulously made from scratch. The ranchero sauce, for example, is prepared by roasting vegetables and then slow-cooking them in a stock made with house-smoked chicken bones. Every taste and every fl avor is handpicked and curated for each dish. “Almost to a detriment, the focus is on quality of food,” Ferguson says. “When I say to a detriment, I mean there’s not a lot of things I’m willing to compromise as far as the ingredients or how things are prepared. If it takes a while, it takes a while.”

Find biscuits and gravy (also made with that smoked chicken bone stock) on Clara B’s menu each weekend; other popular dishes on the regular seasonal menu include spicy honey fried chicken biscuits and the loaded breakfast burrito.

Even though the food quality is inarguably high, Ferguson aims for the ambience to be friendly and unfussy. “I want [customers] to feel like they’re eating at their grandma’s house; I want the food to be good but not pretentious,” she says.

In a similar vein, Ferguson says she isn’t a “tyrant” of a chef. Instead, she welcomes outside opinions on her food from employees and customers alike. “It’s constant innovation and education,” she says. “The majority of [my employees] are really interested in trying to develop new things that they think people will like, and I’m very open to input from my staff , as well as criticism. That’s what kind of sets us apart from other local brunch places.”

These innovative ideas come to life through specials, which Ferguson likes to run as o en as possible. You can fi nd updates on Clara B’s social media.

Clara B’s Kitchen Table, 106 E. Main St., Belleville, Illinois, 618-416-1812, clarabs.com MUST-TRY MENU ITEM: Loaded Breakfast Burrito The loaded breakfast burrito comes with eggs, Chihuahua cheese, potatoes, chorizo, bacon, avocado and ranchero sauce. “Everybody likes burritos. Ours is a little bit different because we put sauce in it and a lot of places don't. It's a nice surprise for most people,” Ferguson says.

ï BEST S ï NEW RESTAURANT Ivy Cafe - Coff , Tartines & Things WRITTEN BY CHARLOTTE RENNER | PHOTOS BY MABEL SUEN

Julie Keane and Ashley Morrison share three things: a love for healthy eating, a decades-long friendship and, most recently, a restaurant. Keane’s passion for San Francisco-style sourdough bread and Morrison’s accounting expertise created the building blocks they needed to open Ivy Cafe - Coffee, Tartines & Things together in Clayton, Missouri, in July 2022.

Although tartines – open-faced sandwiches – might seem simple, the duo’s café has elevated them to an art form. The quality of ingredients and the level of care and detail put into each sourdough tartine set them apart, and every element is sourced from local farmers to prioritize seasonality. Nothing comes pre-prepared, and everything on the menu is made in-house and cooked to order.

“On a deeper level, it’s nice to be able to support so many local farmers,” Keane says. “It means so much to them; it’s incredible. And then to be able to support so many local artists that sell their items in our shop is a great source of pride.”

Upon entering the café, you’ll immediately notice an artistic aesthetic: local watercolors of flowers line the hall to the bathroom, an abstract nude sculpture hangs from the wall and tiny, intricate ceramics are displayed on a dark wooden bookshelf. Houseplants and flowers abound in the warm space. Even the café’s plates were made by Keane herself, a budding ceramicist. “There was intention behind everything, and we’re proud of that,” Morrison says. Dedication and attention to detail are the café’s guiding principles. “We want [the guest] experience to be perfect,” Keane says.

This hard work has paid off. Although Ivy Cafe has only been open a matter of months, it’s already gained regulars who visit the café every day. Keane says that one especially dedicated regular saw someone getting coffee at a chain down the street, and let them know that they should patronize Ivy Cafe instead – which they did later that week.

“It’s an all-encompassing place where we’re really trying to build up and support a community and to have a place that’s really comfortable for guests,” Keane says. “But also at a price point where people can come in and have something that’s of a high quality that they can actually aff ord to regularly come to.”

There are plenty of future plans in the works for Ivy Cafe. Morrison and Keane have already seen a need for a more diverse lineup of menu items, so they’ve added more breakfast options and are always brainstorming new dishes. The duo also wants to launch private dinners at some point and maybe expand the café’s hours. In the long term, they see Ivy Cafe expanding across the St. Louis area. “We want to go out west,” Morrison says. “Our goal is to open three [locations] in the St. Louis area, and then to franchise.”

Ivy Cafe - Coffee, Tartines & Things, 14 N. Meramec Ave., Clayton, Missouri, 314-776-9377, ivytartines.com MUST-TRY MENU ITEM: The York Tartine Keane recommends the York tartine, a sourdough slice topped with local blue oyster mushrooms, microgreens, goat cheese and pine nuts over a spread of housemade hummus. “We don't take any shortcuts on it. We soak the garbanzo beans every night,” she says.