This baker’s dozen of excellence includes both the debut restaurant from a 22-year-old wunderkind and the latest chapter in the remarkable career of a septuagenarian sushi chef. At the summit, behind an intentionally unassuming entrance, the best new restaurant of 2023 finds the novel in the old school.

1. Mainlander

Mainlander, the debut restaurant from the chef Blake Askew and his partner, Gordon Chen, calls itself a supper club. Its entrance is barely marked, speakeasy-style. It takes its name and vibe from a Polynesian restaurant in Clayton in the 1960s and ‘70s. The interior is midcentury modern with a dash of tiki, and a given month’s menu might feature such American classics as a slab of prime rib or King Ranch casserole.

Yet for all these throwback references, Mainlander is the most audaciously new restaurant to open in St. Louis this year. Askew has cooked for great chefs nationally (Wolfgang Puck, Dominique Crenn) and locally (Rob Connoley of Bulrush), and he dares to take Midwestern tradition seriously — to ask, bite by delicious and unexpected bite, what it is and what it could be.

That King Ranch casserole, for example, he reinvented with duck confit, smoked cheddar and blue-corn tortillas made in house. The prime rib he sourced from top-notch Missouri beef, and he turned Cahokia rice into congee with an array of brilliant garnishes: Taiwanese-style meatballs, “tater tots” made from turnips and purple hull peas prepared like barbecue baked beans.

Reservations are required to dine at Mainlander, but the restaurant’s club-like entrance notwithstanding, these reservations are open to the public. In fact, they are a modern touch among the old-school aesthetic: pre-paid and made online through Resy.

Read my full review of Mainlander.

Where Mainlander, 8 South Euclid Avenue • More info mainlanderstl.com

Sado, the second venture from the nationally acclaimed chef Nick Bognar, fuses the best-dinner-party-ever vibes of his debut, Indo, with the traditional approach of Nippon Tei, his family’s late West County restaurant. Bognar has transplated his forward-thinking sushi program — seasonal, with a focus on dry-aging — from Indo to Sado, and like a close-up magician, he dazzles you with king crab, uni and other luxe seafood while slipping your new favorite nigiri (say, buttery nodoguro touched with bird’s eye chile) into your rotation.

As at Indo, Bognar will nod to his Thai heritage with a composed dish like the signature Isaan hamachi. He will not only indulge your love of crab Rangoon and sushi rolls, but he will also serve you the best versions of each you have experienced. Sado’s menu is too expansive to summarize in one visit or this blurb, though even the menu’s size pales in comparison to Bognar’s boundless talent.

Read my full review of Sado.

Where Sado, 5201 Shaw Avenue • More info 314-390-2883; sado-stl.com

3. Nobu’s

Resist the temptation to call the new Nobu’s a career capstone for the beloved septuagenarian sushi chef Noboru Kidera. The Delmar Loop restaurant, relocated from its longtime University City home, is as vital as any in St. Louis. Its approach to sushi is closer to what you will find today in New York City or even Japan than anywhere else in town.

Assisted by his wife, son and daughter-in-law, Kidera invites you to sit at his gorgeous minimalist counter and let him lead you through an omakase, or chef-directed, dinner. This meal will culminate in the impeccable nigiri for which Kidera is known, but the courses that lead up to the finale are no mere appetizers, whether they be composed sashimi dishes, perfectly light and crunchy tempura vegetables or a single piece of cooked fish. But, yes, you will remember the nigiri above all else. With his effortless mastery, Kidera makes humble salmon seem as luxurious as the richest uni.

Read my full review of Nobu’s.

Where Nobu’s, 6253 Delmar Boulevard, University City • More info 314-323-9147; nobustl.com

4. El Molino del Sureste

When Alex Henry opened Sureste two years ago in the Food Hall at City Foundry, it immediately became the most exciting restaurant yet inside the then-new venue — and the most exciting Mexican restaurant in St. Louis. What more could Henry do with a full-fledged sit-down restaurant? El Molino del Sureste, in the city’s Southampton neighborhood, is the thrilling answer.

Here Henry and his brother, Jeff, continue their celebration of the cuisine of the Yucatán. Build your own, sharable tasting menu from dishes that range from the brain-rearranging style of tacos (legnua de res) and tostadas (blue crab) that define the original Sureste to flavors this critic had never encounter before and now cannot live without: crumbling, fiendishly spicy venison sausage over a black-bean puree and the gorgeous Hokkaido scallops in a white-chocolate mole with fennel.

My full review of El Molino del Sureste will be published Thursday (Dec. 14). Spoiler alert: I liked it. A lot.

Where El Molino del Sureste, 5007 South Kingshighway • More info 314-925-8431; exploretock.com/el-molino-del-sureste

5. Wright’s Tavern

The dream team of Louie owner Matt McGuire and veteran St. Louis chef Cary McDowell has perfected the modern steakhouse at Wright’s Tavern, the third and final transformation of Zöe Robinson’s former restaurant empire on Wydown Boulevard in Clayton. First and foremost, the steaks are exceptional, thanks in large part to the high-temperature broiler that imparts a properly deep-brown crust to the tender beef.

But you can build a memorable meal at Wright’s without a morsel of steak thanks to the classic appetizers and sides reinvigorated through the art of giving a damn: garlicky shrimp scampi, perfectly crunchy-tender onion rings, a colossal baked crab cake made of actual blue crab. The old-school service makes even dinner at the bar feel like an event; the cozy dining room makes reservations a desperately sought-after must.

Read my full review of Wright’s Tavern.

Where Wright’s Tavern, 7624 Wydown Boulevard, Clayton • More info 314-390-1466; wrightswydown.com

6. Levels Nigerian Cuisine

Levels Nigerian Cuisine is the sort of restaurant that should reinvigorate its entire block of Washington Avenue in downtown west — several blocks of the entertainment district, even. The married duo of Ono Ikanone and Justice Johnson have turned this address into a multilevel showcase of Nigerian cuisine and, on the second floor, both Nigerian art and African-inspired pieces by local artists.

Ikanone, a native of Lagos, Nigeria, and chef Ruqaiya Adeyemo, who is also originally from Nigeria, have devised a menu to charm newcomers to Nigerian cuisine as well as those who already love it. The Party Jollof, smoky rice in tomato sauce with the potent, fruity heat of Scotch bonnet chiles, is the must-order here, though I would argue just as strongly for the herbaceous pepper soup with goat.

Read my full review of Levels Nigerian Cuisine.

Where Levels Nigerian Cuisine, 1405 Washington Avenue • More info 314-571-9990; levelsstl.com

7. Black Salt

Black Salt is one of several new Indian restaurants of note to open in Chesterfield in recent years. More importantly, Black Salt is the new standard-bearer for elegant, chef-driven Indian dining throughout the region. Chef Madan Chhetri’s focused menu impresses with its range across India’s different regions and its precise seasoning, from the dusky chile heat of Kashmiri rogan josh to the delicate floral note in his chicken biryani. You could call any number of these dishes the chef’s signature, but the first among equals must be the Andhra sea bass in coconut-coriander sauce teased with heat, while vegetarian diners should look to the perfect lentils of the dal makhani or the verdant okra of the ajwaini bhindi.

Read my full review of Black Salt.

Where Black Salt, 1709 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield • More info 636-204-6441; blacksaltstl.smartorder.com

8. Rated Test Kitchen

Juwan Rice, though only 22 years old, needs no introduction. He has been cooking professionally since he was 14. He founded his own catering firm and appeared on the Food Network series “Guy’s Grocery Games” before he opened his debut restaurant, Rated Test Kitchen, late this summer downtown. Rated is as ambitious as you would expect from such a preternatural talent: a seven-course, reservations-only menu with global inspiration (lamb dumplings in garlic-chile oil, pho with duck) and playful touches (Pop Rocks as tableside garnish). Rice is still finding the voice to match his skills, and hiccups in execution will be more noticeable given the nearly $200-per-person cost, but Rated is a remarkable statement from an undeniable talent.

Read my full review of Rated Test Kitchen.

Where Rated Test Kitchen, 313 North 11th Street • More info 314-200-5866; rated-tk.com

9. 1929 Pizza & Wine

Individually, Amy and Matt Herren made their names in Edwardsville, she as the owner of the late restaurant Fond, he as the founder of 222 Artisan Bakery and Goshen Coffee Co. Together, after a decade of travel, they aim to make Wood River a culinary destination. Pizza hounds should flock to the wood-fired oven at 1929 Pizza & Wine. Here, the Herrens bake an airy, char-freckled crust that is neither Neapolitan nor New York, but the couple’s own, naturally leavened creation. Expect smart riffs on classic pepperoni and sausage-and-peppers pies, and don’t overlook the Greens pizza, a surprise showstopper with walnut pesto and wilted kale. 1929 is only one half of the Herrens’ Wood River sales pitch; see No. 10 below.

Read my full review of 1929 Pizza & Wine.

Where 1929 Pizza & Wine, 7 North Wood River Avenue, Wood River • More info 618-216-2258; 1929pizzandwine.com

10. The St. Louis Bagel Renaissance

Am I avoiding a difficult decision by grouping these three bagel shops together as a joint entry? I am. Does it matter when the metro area now enjoys an abundance of boiled-then-baked delights? It does not. The St. Louis Bagel Renaissance has lived up to the hype thanks to the trio of Bagel Union in Webster Groves (full review), C&B Boiled Bagels in Wood River (full review) and Lefty’s Bagels in Chesterfield (full review).

Bagel Union and C&B each boast serious culinary credentials: Bagel Union is a new venture from the Union Loafers squad, C&B from the married duo behind 1929 Pizza & Wine (see No. 9 above). Lefty’s, meanwhile, grew from an early-pandemic hobby to a must-visit storefront. Rank them however you prefer. (I am on record in print as saying C&B’s salt bagel is my favorite.) We are all winners here.

Where Bagel Union, 8705 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves • More info 314-320-7556; bagel-union.com

Where C&B Boiled Bagels, 62 East Ferguson Avenue, Wood River • More info 618-216-2269; cbboiledbagels.com

Where Lefty’s Bagels, 13359 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield • More info 314-275-0959; leftysbagels.com

11. O’B Que’s

O’B Que’s is a new chapter for the family behind O.B. Clark’s in Brentwood, a new frontrunner for St. Louis’ best gas-station eats and a new reason for excitement about smoked meat in these post peak-barbecue years. Brothers Jim and Joe O’Brien have partnered with Austin, Texas, native and Salt Lick BBQ alum John Maness to turn out exceptional burnt ends, turkey, pulled pork and pork ribs adjacent to a Chesterfield gas station’s convenience store. When the sliced brisket is at its best, it ranks among the region’s foremost examples of the cut — exactly as you would expect from a Central Texas pitmaster.

Read my full review of O’B Que’s.

Where O’B Que’s, 158 Long Road, Chesterfield • More info 636-778-9675; obques.com

12. West Bank Street Eats

West Bank Street Eats is the clear standout of the metro area’s recent shawarma boom, an O’Fallon, Illinois, storefront where owner Milad Hamed works magic with Palestinian cuisine and a fast-casual format. When you order your brawny, char-kissed beef shawarma or glistening, golden chicken shawarma as a sandwich, the staff begins by making your flatbread wrap to order from fresh dough. Choose your garnishes — I recommend pickled vegetables and, for the sauce, both the garlic-intensive toum and jalapeño-sharp salsa verde — and fill out your meal with falafel or a generous portion of hummus or baba ganoush.

Read my full review of West Bank Street Eats.

Where West Bank Street Eats, 1407 West Highway 50, O’Fallon, Illinois • More info 618-589-3003; instagram.com/westbankstreeteats

13. Fleur STL

Tim Eagan has reinvented the former Eat-Rite Diner building just south of downtown as his vision of a contemporary St. Louis diner, slinger included. The menu at Fleur STL is brief, which makes choosing even more difficult. That slinger, topped with fried onion “hay”? Biscuits and gravy? The seasonally changing eggs benedict? How about the tremendous cheeseburger, served with a knife staked through its heart? Fleur isn’t open 24-7, so you probably will not try its whole menu in a single day, but its cozy counter will welcome you back soon enough.

Read my full review of Fleur STL.

Where Fleur STL, 622 Chouteau Avenue • More info fleurstlfoodgroup.com  ​