There's no longer banh mi at BBC Asian Cafe & Bar, even though it used to be one of the place's signature offerings (one of the Bs in BBC supposedly stood for it!). There is instead gyoka, maki, chicken teriyaki and some unexpected choices, such as the unagi crepe, which is filled with mozzarella, crab, unagi and unagi sauce. But these days, BBC is less about the food and more about the nightlife; there's a stylish little bar here and plenty of room to smoke hookah. And while there are plenty of places on South Grand offering just that, to the best of our knowledge, this is the only restaurant in the Central West End with hookah as an option making BBC the only place in town to puff away while watching the Euclid Avenue street parade.
Located at 20th and Locust streets, in the former home of Nectar and the Rocket Bar before that, El Borracho combines the look and design of a lively cantina with the drinks and food of a resort and still maintains the familiar center bar with tables along the circumference. The menu offers the usual suspects in Mexican fare - quesadillas, burritos and tacos, but everything is served family style. Tacos can be ordered pancho or gringo style, depending on preference.
Pho Long isn't your typical 100-plus-selection Vietnamese restaurant. It specializes in pho, the traditional Vietnamese noodle soup. But you don't need much more than a bowl of good pho for a fast, satisfying meal. Pho Long's great: thin rice noodles, onions and scallions in beef broth, customized with your choice of meats - eye round steak or flank steak are the straightforward choices; oxtail or beef meatballs offer a heartier, earthier flavor; tripe and tendon give the full, authentic experience - fresh herbs, jalapeños and lime. Best of all, pho is good for breakfast, lunch or dinner, in hot weather or cold. Not in a pho mood? There are a few entrées, as well as appetizers and desserts
A satellite orbiting the immense Chesterfield Commons shopping complex, Caito's offers the cookie-cutter suburbs a distinctive take on pizza. Spinjuine is a soft, dense dough topped with a dynamite meat sauce, a touch of cheese and fresh basil. Caito's also makes excellent "Traditional Italian Style Pizza," with a soft, thin crust, excellent cheeses (mozzarella, provolone, Romano and sometimes even Fontina) and loads of fresh toppings. You can order St. Louis-style pizza but you're not in St. Louis. You're in Chesterfield. So consider skipping the Provel and taking the spinjuine.
A small, no-frills restaurant - one room, paper napkins, no liquor license - Simply Thai happens to turn out fantastic Thai dishes both familiar and exotic. Curries are fantastic, especially the rich, complexly spiced massaman curry and the fiery green curry. (Be warned: The kitchen might very well deliver the latter spiced as hot as you think you want it.) Tom yum and tom kha soups are great, too, as is the less-familiar gang jued tofu, a clear broth with tofu, ground meat, cilantro and scallions. Specials include numerous seafood dishes, and do not miss the fried sweet potato appetizer.