Louie - Review - St. Louis - The Infatuation

"Louie is one of the most consistent restaurants in St. Louis. Its menu of Italian comfort delights almost never changes, its seasonal specials are nearly identical year after year, and, if you can hear it, even the lo-fi playlist (think: Yo La Tengo) feels like it’s been on repeat since the restaurant opened in 2017. These are powerful strengths. Although a lesser restaurant doing the same thing over and over might feel stale, Louie is so thoroughly great that it resists boredom at a molecular level. Wood-fired Neapolitan-ish pies include a salsiccia with cherry peppers and an earthy broccolini and lemon, and for at least part of each year, there’s a pizza with pickled green tomatoes and bread crumbs that will make you rethink what a pizza can achieve.  But the rest of Louie’s menu is full of exciting moments, too. The prosciutto starter is so worthwhile, not only because it’s delicious, but because you can watch someone slice it live on an old-school prosciutto machine. And there’s a (very true) legend that Drake once ate there three nights in a row, which is funny because it means that he might have subsequently gone on stage to rap “Marvins Room” fueled by polenta with roasted mushrooms and cherry panna cotta. The ambiance is romantic, somehow balancing a fine dining vibe with that of an urban hunter’s lodge while still feeling sincerely cool. Like Drake himself, you’ll want to come back to Louie ASAP to try it again. And even if you wind up with the exact same order as last time, you’ll be having so much fun that it won’t matter. RESERVE A TABLE" - Adam Rothbarth