Best Bosnian Restaurant

St. Louis can boast the largest Bosnian population of any city in the nation, and the once German-dominated Bevo Mill area of south city, along stretches of Gravois Avenue and Morganford Road, boasts the largest number of Bosnian residents. Recently numerous Bosnian coffeehouses and delis have resurrected little, renovated store fronts where residents congregate to drink strong Turkish coffee, eat savory pastries like burdik and smoke a lot. But when it comes to full-menu restaurants, the new Taft Street Restaurant and Bar satisfies our urge for the doughy, smoky, meaty, rooty Bosnian cuisine that has a culinary connection to Turkey. Owner/chef Sadik Kukic also owns the popular Gulf Coast Café, but he uses Taft Street to show off his Bosnian background in dishes like teletina u kajmaku sa gljivama -- braised veal in a cream sauce, with mushrooms. Bosnian crêpes, called palacinke, are prepared sweet for dessert or savory and stuffed with meats for an entrée. The food is simple and the atmosphere is leisurely. And don't be confused: Taft Street is located on Gravois at Taft Avenue.