Several months ago, a friend of mine called me up late one evening for a dinner suggestion. Salt was at the top of my list of recommendations because it’s suitable for so many different occasions. Salt is the perfect restaurant for a date night, dinner when the family is visiting, or just for a nice evening with friends.

The Central West End offers a variety of dining and entertainment options, from Indian food to movies at the Chase Park Plaza. Only at the Majestic, however, can one pit one’s wits against others’ in fierce cerebral combat. Quick! What do the letters CMYK stand for? How comprehensive is your knowledge of ’80s pop music? Can you make a pun at a moment’s notice?

Despite being just blocks away from Schnucks, Fozzie’s Sandwich Emporium is a small, freestanding shop that can be easily overlooked. Though petite, it offers an extensive 20-sandwich menu, rightfully claiming the title “sandwich emporium.

Some culinary marriages were never meant to be. Imagine a pizza crust with a heavy layer of Pad Thai rather than tomato sauce and topped off with a layer of greasy mozzarella cheese. If this sounds appealing, your dreams may have come true; otherwise, you’re likely disgusted.

In a world in which a greasy box of orange chicken is often mistaken for traditional Asian cuisine, there is a small haven called Olive Boulevard. A 20-minute bus ride will take you to a particular section of Olive Blvd.

Three Kings Public House, a bar and grill across the street from the Tivoli Theatre, offers filling fare served with smiles in a handsome space. However, the pub lacks any attribute that makes it noteworthy.

Eleven Eleven Mississippi is located in a many-leveled brick and iron building that looks like a revitalized warehouse. And on a Saturday night, it was completely full of people. The menu includes striking combinations like pecorino flan, potato-encrusted halibut and butternut squash and pear cavatelli.

Gokul, the St. Louis Indian restaurant that just opened a location on the Delmar Loop, adds a new face to the abundant family of North Indian restaurants in St. Louis. Unlike most others, Gokul boasts an all-vegetarian menu, which goes all-vegan twice a month and is all kosher, all the time.

Albert Pujols may be professional baseball’s best hitter, but he strikes out swinging as a restaurateur. Strike one: Pujols 5, his establishment, can’t decide whether it’s a restaurant or a sports bar. Strike two: The food is bland, uninspired and above all, extremely overpriced.

Ever had the urge to press a Naughty Vicar to your lips? No? I bet it’ll take just one visit to the London Tea Room to change your mind on that note. Now, don’t get me wrong, there aren’t promiscuous members of the Catholic Church hanging around this delightful downtown cafe (as far as I can tell).