Restaurants in Arnold

O'Aces Sports Bar & Grill beckons to the burger- and beer-bereft with a bounty of bar-friendly edibles, weekly drink specials, and 35 big-screen televisions. The menu abounds with grabbable grub such as fried cheese sticks ($6.99) and potato skins buried under bacon bits, cheddar cheese, and sour cream ($6.99). Greens-gourmands graze on caesar salads ($7.49) and baked potatoes ($1.99), and Hall of Fame burgers come served on a toasted kaiser roll succulently stuffed with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and a half-pound of Kobe beef, farm-raised by Kobe Bryant in the off-season ($7.99).

Some spots that feature expedient services, such as human egg timers and express zombie groomers, don't want patrons to stick around too long. At Bellacino's you'll get quick service without feeling rushed. Televisions and patio seating set the St. Louis outpost of this national chain apart from others, making it a place to gather with friends. The menu is full of speedy savories including oven-baked grinders, crisp salads, and pizzas. Indecisive diners can marry together two cultural eats with the taco pizza, a doughy round topped with taco meat, onions, a cheddar-mozzarella cheese blend, salsa, olives, fresh lettuce, and tomatoes ($6.99 for 8 inches, $13.59 for 12 inches, and $18.29 for 16 inches). Vegetarians can opt for the veggie grinder, a finger-friendly feast with green peppers, onions, mushrooms, cheese blend, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo ($5.49 for 9 inches, $10.29 for 18 inches). The light menu, packed with sandwich options clocking in at 9 grams of fat or less, has healthier versions of classics (turkey, chicken, roast beef). Beer and wine, also available at this location, make substantial companions to the quick cuisine.

Inside the Westin St. Louis, Clark Street Grill’s open kitchen bustles as chefs craft artful, upscale plates. The tightly written menu breathes elegance into classic American dishes that flaunt innovative flavor combinations and hints of international influence. Dinner entrees spotlight delicately prepared seafood and meats, such as beef tenderloin and boneless pork chops, and lighter lunch options include sandwiches, personal pizzas, and helium soup. Guests can linger with glasses of wine in the modern dining room, which is populated with crisp white tablecloths and columns.

In the late 1960s, a new music craze hit the scene. English lyrics and a unique fusion of rhythm and blues with Cuban stylings helped the boogaloo quickly capture the attention of audiences across the country. And though Boogaloo—the restaurant—isn’t known for its music, it’s not hard to see the logic behind its name. Just as the fusion of musical styles engaged listeners, Chef Dan Powers engrosses diners with his menu of Cuban specialties laced with Caribbean and creole elements.

Pressed Cuban sandwiches layered with pork, ham, and swiss cheese vie for attention with Jamaican jerk chicken—smoked in-house—and shrimp po’ boys buried in housemade rémoulade. Elegantly plated tapas, such as crispy crab empanadas and Jamaican beef patties, make for lighter, shareable meals.

Those who want to forgo food in favor of specialty cocktails can grab a mojito or glass of sangria and race to one of the bar’s popular swing seats, so named because of their refusal to vote predictably.

Prolific young gastromind Larry Fuse Jr. opened Lorenzo's in 1999 to offer an alternative approach to Italian cuisine in the area, one that adds a touch of contemporary flavor to North Italian fare using house-made gnocchi, succulently sauced meats, and pasta shaped like happy-face emoticons. The dinner menu is heavy on these finely crafted flavors. Starters of steamed mussels ($8.50), creamy polenta with mushrooms and Italian sausage ($8.50), and house-made goat-cheese ravioli ($8.50) prime raging appetites for a taste parade of pasta dishes, including fettuccine Alfredo ($13.95), seafood-centric linguine ($14.95), and risotto with veal and chantrelle mushrooms ($14.95). Heartier hungers can sate themselves with fish and meat entrees like the celebrated chicken Spedini stuffed with spinach and pancetta ($17.95) or the restaurant's signature dish: braised osso bucco with saffron risotto and orange gremolata ($23.95). Polish off a plate of traditional tiramisu ($6.95) or cinnamon-amaretto bread pudding ($7.50) for dessert, before bolstering spirits in true Italian fashion with a bracing shot of Ribolla Nonino Grappa.

The product of an artistically inclined married couple with a passion for all-natural foods, SweetArt boasts a menu of homemade, from-scratch cookies, cupcakes, cakes, sandwiches, and wraps, with an all-vegetarian lunch menu that features a bounty of vegan options. Co-founder Cbabi's colorful paintings cover the neighborhood bakeshop and art studio's sun-kissed, bright walls, making it a lovely locale to bust out your idea journal over a vegan sweet burger ($7.75) paired with a spicy cup of flad ($3.95), SweetArt's house-made, vegan, three-bean chili loaded with chunky sweet potatoes. The grilled Shaw sandwich($5.50) is served stuffed with sharp cheddar on wheat bread, while the Flora wrap ($6.85) swaddles house-made spinach and herb hummus, avocado, tomatoes, organic greens, and carrots in a secret sauce known as "love and magic".