Lots of events on the books now that the weather has (hopefully) come around:

The pseudo-Alpine facade of Schneithorst's has been a landmark at the corner of Lindbergh Boulevard and Clayton Road for almost 60 years. In recent times, the lot has been altered somewhat. Now the restaurant is part of The Village at Schneithorst’s, a development that includes several retail establishments that cluster outside the restaurant like a feudal village. While the building and the surroundings may have changed, the food at Schneithorst’s remains—in many ways—unchanged.

Farotto's Italian Restaurant has long provided a little bit of The Hill in the county. A recent trip back after a long absence was a reminder of just why we used to keep their number at the ready.

Now that spring is finally here, it's time to get out and nosh on what's new for the season. Here's a short list of seasonal dishes currently being offered by some of the area's best eateries, along with recommendations for the best wines to accompany them.

When we first heard about chef/owner Ben Poremba's innovative vision of turning an old South City house into a fine-dining restaurant (Elaia), and the retired service station next door to it into a wine bar (Olio), we were a bit unsure of just how it would work out. Since the dual concepts have been up and running for a while now, we finally stopped in for dinner at Elaia and are pleased to report the project is quite the success.

We have more national recognition for our local culinary scene to report:

Chef Gerard Craft is a constant fixture in the local—and now, national—food scene with his frequent culinary accolades; and maybe most notably with the recent opening of his latest eatery, Pastaria, in Clayton, and the relocation of his flagship restaurant Niche right next door, which we visited recently. To say it was an over-the-top culinary experience would be a gross understatement.

John Mineo's Italian Restaurant has been a fixture in Town & Country for 40-plus years, emphasizing traditional Italian dishes and upscale service. Tucked away in a small shopping area on Clayton Road, the eatery had escaped our attention for far too long, and we were happy to remedy that oversight recently.

Although Wally and the Beaver might have rather been playing baseball, Ward and June insisted that their rambunctious sons come inside at dinnertime to share a meal and talk about the events of the day.

You voted, we listened! Ladue News readers know what they like; and with this year's Platinum List, you've made your voices heard. This list compiles the best of St. Louis. 

No matter the reason for celebrating, springtime offers a variety of festive, on-trend entertaining options—all of which are completed by their scrumptious menus. We asked area professionals to discuss what dining ideas will make a party stand out this season.

Q: Dear Chef, I’d like to do something different for our next get-together. When we invite friends over, we have drinks and do the usual snacks like cheese boards and dried meats. I am tired of the same old thing. Is there something fun out there that will really pick up my next party?

Spring is coming, a perfect time for a party to celebrate a holiday, special occasion or simply the arrival of warmer weather! These local party planners share ideas and tips for the perfect spring soiree.

DATE AND LOCATION CHANGED, CATERER ADDED FOR INAUGURAL ST. LOUIS THEATER CIRCLE AWARDS

Kudos to chef STEPHEN GONTRAM and the crew at 5 Star Burgers. The Clayton burger joint recently made eater.com's list of The 25 Hottest Hamburgers in America Right Now.

Show the library some love…The stunning $70-million restoration of the ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY’s Central Library is getting some international recognition: It’s been named as one of five finalists for Architizer’s A+ Library Award. Architizer, a leading architecture news website, has opened the voting to the public to determine the winner in the Popular Choice category. Voting runs through March 8, with the announcement of the winner expected on March 19.

A house cannot stand without a firm foundation. Similarly, we cannot stand—at least not straight and tall—without a strong musculoskeletal system. Our bones are the infrastructure that supports our body, and it’s important to keep that infrastructure strong.

Across

Residents of the Creve Coeur area for almost 14 years, Jill and Sean Hunt originally moved to their neighborhood to gain access to the Ladue school district as they began having children. Now parents to 11-year-old Lauren, 9-year-old twins Shannon and Connor and McSorley, the family’s Cavalier King Charles spaniel, the couple enjoys the area and the closeness of the location to other family members. Sean is a director at Express Scripts while Jill works at her family’s property management company, RM of Missouri. We spoke with Jill to learn more about life in Creve Coeur.

A couple of years ago, we reviewed The Tavern Kitchen & Bar, which at the time had just opened in Valley Park, and came away suitably impressed. We'd heard talk of some menu revisions of late, so it was decided a return trip was in order.

The Tenderloin Room was the latest stop on our tour of local steakhouses. Ensconced in the elegance of The Chase Park Plaza, the restaurant has long been a destination for visiting celebrities like Frank Sinatra and George Clooney, as well as dignitaries of all types. Though it's been around a good long while, this classy eatery has lost none of its luster.

Get out this weekend and take advantage of the last few days of the 4th annual Clayton Restaurant Week, which wraps up Sunday, Jan. 27. The establishments participating this year include: Alexander’s Restaurant; Araka; Bar Napoli; Barcelona; Bocci Bar: Cardwell’s; Coastal Bistro & Bar; The Crossing; Crushed Red; J. Buck’s; Jimmy's On The Park; Mad Tomato; Oceano Bistro; Remy’s Kitchen & Wine Bar; Roxane; Ruth's Chris Steak House; and Tani Sushi Bistro. Participating restaurants are offering a special three-course dinner promotion for a fixed price of $25 per person, plus tax and tip. Guests also have the option of adding a $5 ‘Extra Helping’ donation to their dining bill to support Operation Food Search. More details are available at claytonrestaurantweek.net.

Gerard Craft's restaurants have been all over the local and national press of late, what with the opening of Pastaria in Clayton, the relocation of flagship Niche, the impending departure of Ted Kilgore from Taste, and multiple appearances on all manner of 'Best Of' lists. While all of this has been going on, Brasserie by Niche has been rolling along under the radar a bit, steadily putting out its signature quality, affordable rustic French fare with very little fanfare. We made a return trip to this CWE favorite recently to refresh our memory of this gem.