From the outside, the Cheshire looks like an inn transported from an English village to a busy stretch of Clayton Road. Open the door to The Restaurant, though, and you’ll find far more than typical English fare.

As a professional musician, Don Bailey has played music in 18 countries across the world. As a chef, he found inspiration just down the Mississippi River in New Orleans. “You have gumbo for the first time, you have andouille sausage, it’s a whole other world,” says Bailey, owner of Evangeline’s Bistro & Music House and guitarist for The Bob Band.

How to describe the Caramel Room, the lusciously appointed event space atop Bissinger’s new headquarters?

The scent of chocolate is in the air, but Director of Events Amanda Bradham-Little answers the question by invoking another indulgence. “It’s whiskey chic,” she says. “It’s a take on modern and contemporary, yet warm and inviting.”

Gamlin Whiskey House combines the best of two worlds: It’s a bar offering about 300 whiskeys and a Southern-inspired steakhouse.  “We always had a dream of opening a whiskey restaurant, and we just went for it,” says Lucas Gamlin, who owns the restaurant in the Central West End with his brother Derek. They also own SubZero Vodka Bar in the Central West End, and Tahaá Twisted Tiki Bar in the Grove.

 “Whiskey is really my passion, and I think yours as well, Lucas?” Derek says. “Definitely,” Lucas answers.

Balaban’s is much more than beef Wellington and cucumber bisque, although those old favorites are very much a part of this Chesterfield restaurant with roots in the Central West End.

Diners frequently ask for dishes that were on the menu at Café Balaban, which closed in 2008, Executive Chef D. Scott Phillips says. “We get a lot of requests, and so far we’ve had remarkable luck with re-creating them.”

Conceived by Illinois wine enthusiasts Tim and Dana McEnery, Cooper’s Hawk marries the full-fledged winery – tastings and all – with a full-service restaurant. From the original location opened in 2005 in Orland Park, Ill., the concept has expanded to 15 winery/restaurants throughout the Midwest, including one in Town and Country, ideally situated equidistant from the Missouri wine country hubs of Hermann and Ste. Genevieve.