Like the staple it mainly deals in -- pasta -- Joe Boccardi's Ristorante has been a staple of the local food scene since 1971. Still, although pasta rules here, it's not a tyrant; there are also steak offerings and Sicilian cheeseburgers with either provel or pepper cheese. And, of course, that St. Louis favorite and specialty, toasted ravioli, graces the appetizers list.

You can either choose to eat inside, in the restaurant's cozy, accommodating atmosphere, or sit outside on the breezy, generous rear patio. The Eureka location is one of three Joe Boccardi's in the St. Louis metropolitan area.