Tuesday Top Ten Best Places to Eat Addition

Today's Tuesday Top Ten is all about the best places I've eaten at in 2013. If you know me at all you know that I love eating out and I love trying new places. This list is a pretty wide variety. Some of the places are right around this area and some are miles away. Some are fancy and some are small town.

So here we go:

10. 1818 Chophouse This is a steak house in Edwardsville that originally was Craft Chophouse but recently changed its name. I went here for dinner back in January and it was the typical steak place. Really good and definitely worth going back to for a nice steakhouse dinner. But the real hidden gem about the place is their brunch! They have a great selection and it's not too expensive. I had a smoked salmon benedict the first time we were there and a seafood omelet the second time and both were delicious. I love that the Edwardsville area is becoming this fabulous foodie mecca for those of us on the IL side of the river and 1818 Chophouse's brunch should be at the top of your list of places to try.

9. Via Napoli My parent's took me to Disney World last year for my 30th Birthday. And of course I got to pick all of the places we were going to eat. Via Napoli was #1 on my list and it definitely lived up to my expectations. My absolute favorite food is pizza and if you have good wood fired pizza I'm in love with you forever. The pizza at Via Napoli was some of the best I've ever had. I got the Margherita Pizza which to me is the best way to test if a restaurant can make good pizza. It was super cheesy with the perfect amount of basil and fabulous homemade sauce. I love a good crust that is crispy and doughy all at the same time. It also absolutely has to taste fresh and yeasty. So if you're ever at Disney, make reservations here. I promise you won't be disappointed.

8. Peel Can I put two pizza places on this list and in a row??? Of course I can, this is my blog and I do what I want! Peel has been one of my favorite places since it opened. I've never had anything there that I didn't like. If I was going to eat there and eat exactly what I wanted and not get too full this is what I would have: Prosciutto Involtini (I have a secret love affair with proscuitto!), the house salad with their ranch dressing (I'm super picky about ranch and their's is some of the best), and a Margherita Pizza. It's hard for me to want to try anything but my standard there, but I will say I also love their Buffalo Chicken Pizza, Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese, and also their Formaggio Pizza. If you haven't been there before, stop what you're doing right now and go there!!!

7. Vin de Set I've only been here once and it was for brunch, but it was one of my favorite brunches I've ever had. First off they have a fabulous buffet. Not only is it full of your typical breakfast/brunch items, but it's also full of other fancier chef creations. The service is great and our waiter was very knowledgable. I was here celebrating with friends and we couldn't have picked a more beautiful day because the very best thing about Vin de Set is their rooftop patio! It was a gorgeous day and we had a beautiful view of the city. As the weather gets warmer next Spring I can't wait to hit up Vin de Set again on a gorgeous Sunday morning.

6. Sqwires I love a good Bloody Mary so when I saw a facebook post showing Sqwires Bloody Mary Bar I was sold before I even walked in the door. This was another Sunday Brunch destination recently and I can't wait to go back. Not only do they have a Bloody Mary and Mimosa bar full of every topping and addition to these drinks you would ever need, but they also had really delicious food. When the girls and I go to brunch we like to do the whole everyone orders something different and then we all take bites off each other's plates. The best thing we had there was the Peach Cobbler French Toast. Amazingly delicious! If you're a bloody mary or mimosa fan please check out Sqwires, you will love it!

5. Robust Robust is a great wine bar that has a couple different locations in the St Louis area, but recently opened one up in Edwardsville. Lindsay (the roommate/bestie) and I have become regulars there. The staff is very friendly and they have a great wine selection! Not to mention the fact that the food is amazing! The menu items I love there are: Spinach Artichoke Dip, Mushroom Flatbread, Crab Cakes, Shrimp and Grits and the Salted Caramel Pot de Creme. I love the atmosphere and it's never been that crowded so we don't feel rushed or like we can't sit there for hours. My favorite way to enjoy a meal is slow and steady. There is nothing better than a good night with the bestie talking, eating and drinking good wine. Robust provides all this!

4. Cleveland Heath Cleveland Heath in my opinion is one of the best restaurants in this area. Not only is everything on their menu creative and delicious, but it changes seasonly and they use as many local ingredients as they can. I love that they implement new ingredients and flavors that aren't well known. I've had Foie Gras, Beef Cheeks, and pork belly there which used to be out of my usual taste range. Not to mention that they make a killer cheeseburger. And to make a great thing even better the service there is fantastic. Everyone I've encountered knows the menu from top to bottom and is knowledgable about all the flavors and ingredients. If you have not tried out Cleveland Heath you MUST go there soon!

3. Copia Copia has been my go to fancy dinner restaurant for years. It's a little too pricey in my opinion but as soon as I have a bite of their Chicken Lasagna all dollar signs disappear and I'm in foodie heaven. It literally is the dish I would want for my last meal. And because the place is so pricey it feels like even more of a treat when we get to go there. They also have some really delicious appetizers: Arancini, Ahi Tuna Canape, and Stuffed Mushrooms are a few of my favorites. They have a fabulous patio with a retracting roof that's fun when you're out with friends. And the inside is dark, quiet and super romantic. Which means it would probably be a great place for a date! So if anyone wants to take me on a romantic date anytime soon... No really, try Copia for the next big event in your life!

2. Gamlin Whiskey House This is a new place in St Louis and it's pricey, but it's worth every penny you spend here! The friends and I went here for Lindsay's birthday about a month ago. It was delicious!!! I started my dinner with Steak TarTare and it had a perfectly cooked poached egg on top. (Who doesn't think everything with a poached egg on top is better?) Then for my entree I had the Squid Ink Salmon Pasta. Heaven in my mouth! It has this amazing bleu cheese cream sauce...sigh. I'm in in love with stinky cheese so the fact that they made a sauce out of it made my night. Everyone was super impressed with their dinners too. I had a bite of Lindsay's steak and it was cooked perfectly. I'm honestly looking for something to celebrate so we can go back and I can have the same meal all over again.

1. Siena Tavern The best meal I had in 2013 was at Siena Tavern by a landslide! The girls and I came here for brunch while in Chicago. Not only was Siena Tavern on my foodie bucket list (it's owned by my favorite Top Chef contestant Fabio) but then our food and service exceeded my expectations. We started with a Bloody Mary and it was hands down the best Bloody Mary we've ever had. If you are in Chicago you must go there! And you must have the following: the housemade Gnocchi pasta (amazingly delicious pillows of dough with the most fabulous sauce on top), the Cinque Formaggi pizza (the cheesiest and most delicious pizza you will ever put in your mouth) and to top it off you have to and I mean HAVE TO have the Coccoli (it's fried dough with prosciutto wrapped cheese and truffle honey on top)...literally the best thing I ever ate. Period. End of story. I could have ended my foodie bucket list after having the coccoli. Every time we go to Chicago I love to try new places, but it's going to be hard to skip Siena Tavern next time I'm up there. Coccoli will change your world. Try it. You can thank me later.

Where are the best places you've eaten in 2013??? I need to start my go to list for 2014!

Signed: The girl that loves to try new things!