Cardwell's at the Plaza

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1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd. Frontenac, MO 63131

314-997-8885

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Riverfront Times
Recommended
Best Place to Meet Married Women
Award Winner 2010

Cuisine(s): New American, Vegan, Vegetarian

Hours: Lunch: 11:15 a.m-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat., noon5 p.m. Sun. Dinner: 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 5 p.m.-11 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 5-9 p.m. Sun., Happy Hour: 4 p.m.6:30 p.m. Sun.-Thu.

Price: $$$, $$$$

Payment Types: MasterCard, Visa, American Express, cash, ATM/Debit
Attire: Business-casual attire

Features: Smoking, Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Takeout, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible, Kid Friendly

Serving: Dinner, Lunch

Alcohol: Full bar
Reservations: Accepted, Recommended on Weekends

Parking: Lot Available, Street

Description

A restaurant situated in a mall should, by most estimations, suck. So should a restaurant that's been around forever (which, in restaurant time, means more than ten years). Cardwell's at the Plaza defies both these pitfalls thanks to namesake chef/owner Bill Cardwell, who writes the menus and mans the stoves daily. Long-time favorites like flash-fried calamari with chili-lime mayo and the many pizzas from the wood-burning oven will remain until the end of time, while ever-changing daily specials of the best-sourced red meats and seafoods keep regulars coming back for more. Better still: Cardwell's at the Plaza is one of those restaurants that straddles the line between casual and fine dining with great aplomb. Show up in shorts or a suit, order a salad or a filet mignon, and you'll feel perfectly at ease.

2010 | Best Place to Meet Married Women

They want to let go, these married women of Frontenac and Ladue, of Town and Country and Huntleigh. All morning they have tottered on the heels of their Louboutins from Saks to Tiffany to Neiman Marcus. Now they want nothing more than to sit down and enjoy a good meal and a glass (or three) of good wine. They want, in other words, to have lunch at Cardwell's at the Plaza. The food is very good, the ambiance casual yet refined and no one will pass judgment when they order a glass (or three)... More »
2006 | Best Calamari

"Flash fried calamari, spicy chili-lime mayonnaise." Oh, modesty, thy name is Cardwell's menu. In a world where bastardized bar-food cuisine has dragged squid rings down to the pitiful ranks of potato skins and jalape�o poppers, Cardwell's offers a beacon of hope and taste. That's in keeping with the whole of Cardwell's less-is-more food philosophy; it's about finding great ingredients and then pretty much getting out of their way. A gentle nudge here and there--that suavely calibrated ch... More »
2005 | Best Seafood Restaurant

Finding a great seafood restaurant in St. Louis is like finding a good hamburger joint in India; because of its place in the world, it's a long shot. That said, air freight has transformed the game; it's now possible to get fresh seafood in landlocked Missouri (even if coastal skeptics scoff at the notion). Arthur Clay's, Blue Water Grill, Savor and King Louie's all feature exquisite selections, but this year we're giving the nod to Cardwell's at the Plaza. Chef Bill Cardwell runs one of the... More »
2001 | Best Chef

It often seems that the chief litmus tests in St. Louis for appraising a dish are how much melted cheese is slathered on top, how ponderous the portion size is and how well the leftovers hold up to microwaving. But it takes ingenuity to prepare dishes with mouth feel that comes from flavor, not from fat and sheer heft. That's just what David Owens does best. Whereas some chefs introduce new menus three or four times a year, Owens prints a fresh menu twice a day, creating about 15 specials... More »

The Gut Check Valentine's Day Reservation Guide: One Day Out

By Ian Froeb | Mon, February 13, 2012

Valentine's Day is TOMORROW, you guys! If you haven't made your dinner reservations yet, you must be screwed, right? (Or not screwed, as it were.) Fear not! Gut Check's perusal of OpenTable has foun... More »
The Gut Check Valentine's Day Reservation Guide: One Week Out Edition

By Ian Froeb | Mon, February 6, 2012

Valentine's Day is a week from tomorrow, you guys! Last week's edition of our Valentine's Day reservation guide found some decent tables available, via OpenTable, at some of St. Louis' favorite resta... More »
St. Louis to Sitka: Chef TJ Weston Publishes Alaskan Seafood Cookbook

By Ian Froeb | Wed, August 4, 2010

TJ Weston, a St. Louis native and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, has published his first cookbook, Eat, Fish & Be Happy: Salmon and Halibut Recipes to Celebr... More »
#69: Bill's "Burger Meister Burger" at Cardwell's at the Plaza

By Ian Froeb | Thu, July 1, 2010

Bill's "Burger Meister Burger" -- the quotes are the restaurant's own -- is an exaggerated name for what is essentially a bacon cheeseburger. The exaggeration is fitting, though, because this takes wh... More »
Shark Attack

By Rose Martelli | Wed, September 21, 2005

Restaurants can jump the shark too, you know. Just like great TV shows that sputter out artistically long before they're actually put out to pasture, restaurants that debuted to bellowing fanfare and standing-room-only crowds can all too easily sl... More »
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Main Menu

Main

Flash Fried Calamari Spicy Chili-lime Mayonnaise

“chopped Salad”
baby iceberg lettuce, applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, amish blue cheese~buttermilk dressing & herb croutons

Artisinal Cheese Plate
humboldt fog ashed aged goat, 12 month aged manchego, spain, carmody jersey cow’s milk, thyme crackers, sugared walnuts, port roasted grapes & quince marmalade

Warm Savory Goat Cheese Torte Mixed Field Greens
roasted seasonal vegetables, balsamic-orange vinaigrette

Parisian” Style Roasted Onion Soup Rich Vegetable Stock Crusted
with emmenthaler cheese

Grilled House Smoked Shrimp Three Mustard-balsamic Glaze
toasted multi-grain pilaf house made cheddar-pecan wafer

Mediterranean Sampler Roasted Garlic
feta cheese, stuffed grape leaves-yogurt sauce assorted olives, inspired salad, grilled olive bread

Chinese Bbq Chicken Salad
with crisp greens, broccoli, daikon sprouts, spicy peanuts fried noodles & spicy peanut dressing

Bill's "burger Meister Burger
topped with amish bleu & cheddar cheeses spiced tomato relish & apple wood smoked bacon

Slowly Smoked “natures Premium” Duroc Babyback Ribs
finished on the grille housemade amber bock bbq sauce, baked macaroni, white cheddar casserole & crispy vegetable slaw

Grilled Petite Filet Mignon (6 Oz) Red Wine Jus
crispy tobacco onions, roasted garlic mashed potatoes & market vegetables

Seafood Stew
with fresh fish, mussels, large gulf shrimp, calamari & scallops, truffled natral fish broth, mushrooms, local potatoes, leeks, peas and carrot

Warm “illinois” Fresh Peach Pie
almond streusel topping, housemade peach ice cream & berry sauce (cardwell’s offers regular seasonal pie selections!)

Looking for another city?

Cardwell's at the Plaza

1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd. Frontenac, MO 63131

314-997-8885

Description

2010 | Best Place to Meet Married Women

2006 | Best Calamari

2005 | Best Seafood Restaurant

2001 | Best Chef

By Ian Froeb | Mon, February 13, 2012

By Ian Froeb | Mon, February 6, 2012

By Ian Froeb | Wed, August 4, 2010

By Ian Froeb | Thu, July 1, 2010

By Rose Martelli | Wed, September 21, 2005