hit list 4 new places to try this month

Down an alley, through an unmarked door and up the elevator to the third floor of a Central West End building, you’ll find Maryland House by Brennan’s. The vibes here are urban clubhouse chic with stunning patio views of the neighborhood and eye-catching art and books dispersed throughout the large, open space. The interior design lends itself to any occasion and kind of eating. Low couches are perfect for drinks and nibbles like the melted raclette, which is delightfully gooey and served with warm, soft pretzels for dipping, while more robust dishes are best enjoyed at a table. The black garlic pizza gets a creamy boost from burrata, which melds beautifully with the mellow, nutty garlic. Creative, well-balanced cocktails match the fun décor; the Tiki Negroni made with aged rum, bananainfused sweet vermouth, coconut-fat washed Campari and orange and tiki bitters, and Fizzy Lifting Drink – a rich cherry bomb – are both whimsical-yetadult drinks.

Maryland Plaza, St. Louis, 314.497.4449, themarylandhouse.com

Cafe Ganadara, the latest concept from the owners of Chicken Seven, is a welcome addition to the southernmost stretch of Hampton Avenue. While Chicken Seven focuses primarily on Korean-style fried chicken, the menu at Cafe Ganadara offers a more expansive selection of entrees as well as a whole menu of croffles, a croissant-waffle hybrid that can be topped with your pick of sweet or savory toppings. The SDSD, a wooden skewer filled with alternating pieces of juicy sausage and chewy rice cake, is drizzled with a sweet sauce that soaks into the rice cake and provides a nice counterpoint to the salty sausage. The japchae bap features lovely, glassy noodles made from sweet potato starch tossed with stir-fried vegetables, spice-infused oil and, if you’d like, beef. The chocolate creme croffle, topped with chocolate chips, chocolate sauce and whipped cream, held its crisp admirably despite the moist toppings and made for a fanciful end to the meal.

6413 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, Facebook: Café Ganadara opposite page: maryland house's all carrot, no stick cocktail; this page, from top: amuse bougie at maryland house, the interior at maryland house, salmon rice crunch at maryland house from top: co-owners jada huffman, left, and brandace johnson; juices from b juiced

Dumplings And Tea

The northern Chinese-style dumplings are a stand-out of this adorable restaurant’s lengthy menu. Served in portions of six, each dumpling is wrapped in a wheat flour-based casing that’s thick enough to give you something to chew on before you hit the flavorful center. Fillings include pork with kale, shrimp with zucchini and egg, and tofu with cabbage and carrots; preparation choices include boiled, pan-fried or deep-fried. Dip them in soy sauce or order one of the specialty sauces like ponzu, garlic or sweet chile. Another essential order is the Chinese Hamburger (or roujiamo), a flatbread bun stuffed with stewed pork belly, diced green peppers and cilantro. This Shaanxi province specialty is one of several Chinese street foods at Dumplings & Tea that are in short supply in St. Louis. Also in that category are the tasty baozi, fluffy, steamed buns filled with pork or other fillings. Though typically eaten for breakfast in China, these are great any time of day.