menu . wine list . chef bill cardwell . featured recipe . top

The Menu - A Serious Dedication to the Season’s Finest

At Cardwell’s at the Plaza, we believe in community, local farmers, a bar filled with regulars and plenty of sharing. Whether you enjoy the surprises of “Today’s Features” or the consistency of our “Signature Dishes,” Cardwell’s at the Plaza has something for everyone. Bill Cardwell, known nationally for his unparalleled approach to perfection, searches the continent near and far for the finest purveyors of the premium ingredients and freshest provisions. With this keen attention to detail and flavor, Chef Cardwell prepares sumptuous soups, salads, hearth-baked pizzas, naturally raised meats, poultry, the freshest sea foods and an impressive selection of vegetarian/vegan dishes that will even delight even the heartiest meat eater. We also offer a complete children’s menu for all food lovers of the smaller size. We welcome families and large groups.

A Sampling of Cardwell’s Finest Dishes…

  • Fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Meat Salad - Melon, grapes, avocado & local soft lettuce. Creamy lemon-chervil dressing
  • Handmade Fresh Masa Tamale filled with roasted corn, green chili, mushrooms, greens & goat cheese. Tomatillo sauce, savory black beans & jicama, cucumber, pineapple salad
  • Lobster & Cheese Ravioli with gulf shrimp, fresh crabmeat & scallops. Shellfish essence-creme fraiche sauce, grape tomato & zucchini. Dressed arugula & reggiano parmesan cheese
  • Flash-Fried Calamari, Spicy Chili – Lime mayonnaise
  • Grilled House Smoked Shrimp with Three Mustard Glaze, Toasted multi-Grain Pilaf and Cheddar-Pecan Wafer
  • Chinese BBQ Chicken Salad with Crisp Greens, Broccoli, Daikon Sprouts, Spicy Peanuts, Fried Noodles & Spicy Peanut Dressing
  • Grilled Wild Alaskan King Salmon, horseradish-herb butter, creamed sweet corn, local sugar snap peas & sweet red turnips
  • Grilled "living springs ranch" naturally raised half chicken, rich madeira jus & cipollini onions with spinach gnocchi, tomato & reggiano, garlicky spinach
  • Slowly smoked “Niman Ranch” Babyback Ribs Finished on the Grille Housemade Amber Bock BBQ Sauce
    Baked Macaroni – White Cheddar Casserole & Crispy Vegetable Slaw
  • Grilled Petite Filet Mignon (6 oz) Red Wine Jus, Crispy Tobacco Onions
    Garlic Laden Mashed Potatoes & Market Vegetables
    Add a Melting of Gorgonzola Cheese
  • Prince Edward Island Mussels, Steamed in a Tomato Saffron Herb Broth, Grilled French Bread
  • Warm Savory Goat Cheese Torte, Mixed Field Greens, Roasted Seasonal Vegetables, Balsamic-Orange Vinaigrette
  • Profiteroles Filled with "Serendipity" Coffee-Almond Ice Cream, Bittersweet Chocolate and Carmel Sauces
  • Warm strawberry-rhubarb pie with almond streusel topping, housemade strawberry ice cream & berry sauce
  • Creamy chocolate cheese cake, brownie crust & chocolate glaze. Whipped cream, berries & raspberry sauce.


menu . wine list . chef bill cardwell . featured recipe . top

The Spirits – Award-Winning Selection Devoted to All Levels of Connoisseurs

Our award-winning wine list represents only a fraction of our commitment to good friends and the finest spirits. Our wine selections have been recognized for the past 14 years by Wine Spectator with their Award of Excellence. Whether you’re a connoisseur of fine wine, or you simply “just know what you like” we have a selection of wines that will please all enthusiasts. Go ahead and order by the glass, by the half bottle or by the bottle. Chef Cardwell invites you and your guest to experiment, taste compare, discuss and reflect- adding a new dimension to the dining experience. We are pleased to recommend the perfect accompaniment to your menu selection. We are also proud to serve several ‘limited availability’ and special collections in the “Chef’s Selections” on the menu.

The Vintner’s Room

It will be a tough decision whether you share this secret with your friends. Why? The Vintner’s Room is a very special place you may just want to keep for yourself. It’s difficult to call this space a room, as it permeates a personality all its own. Just like the name itself, The Vintner's Room represents precisely what we believe dining should be all about. Fine dining is about the entire experience. It’s about taking it slowly and honoring the traditions and nuances that contribute to the moment.

Escape into a world all your own. Breathe in the fragrance of the moment. Consume the aroma of fine foods, good company, and nourishment for the soul. While in The Vintner’s Room you are embraced with luxury. The artwork, the furniture, the entire package will take you away to a location all your own. And, the service will sit you at the thrown of luxury.

This marvelous room accommodates 6-12 people and allows you to personally craft the perfect menu for friends, business associates, holiday or special occasion parties or an intimate dinner with the people you love most. There is no other place like this that can transport you to this high level of dining experience.

Please contact Toni Collins at (314) 997-8885 to inquire how Cardwell’s at the Plaza can help make your event truly a special one.


menu . wine list . chef bill cardwell . featured recipe . top

Chef Bill Cardwell

While he’s bold about expressing his passion for fine food and creative cuisine, Chef Bill Cardwell will be the last person to share his culinary expertise and tremendous influence on the craft. Not to worry, however, as there are thousands of culinary experts and satisfied diners eager to share their stories about the amazing impact Bill Cardwell has made within his profession and to the culinary world.

Known throughout the industry as a keen influencer of creative seasonal fare, Chef Cardwell is a man on the move dedicated to offering each guest the perfect dining experience. Simply enter Cardwell’s at the Plaza and you’ll see his hands-on style at work. Whether he’s training a member of his wait staff on wine selections for the evening, or he’s in the kitchen creating his next masterful feature of the day, Chef Cardwell loves his work and it shows in the satisfied souls of his guests.

Long before opening Cardwell’s at the Plaza in 1994, Chef Cardwell graduated from the Culinary Institute of America with the highest honors. He apprenticed under world renowned chef Albert Stockli of the Four Seasons, New York City, and then jetted off to Switzerland to learn more about his craft from a more international perspective. Over the past three decades, Cardwell’s professional experiences have run the gamut from small family-owned businesses to Culinary Director of a national Corporation.

Continually ranked one of the regions top restaurants, Cardwell’s at the Plaza has collected such accolades throughout the years as Best New Restaurant, Top New Restaurants Esquire Magazine; Top 10 Food & Wine; Best in America USA Today; Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, America’s Top Tables Gourmet Magazine; St. Louis Magazine’s Top Restaurants, plus numerous others.

As a former national board member of the Council of Independent Restaurants in America, Bill Cardwell was a founding member of the Saint Louis Originals – a local consortium of independent restaurateurs dedicated to celebrating the spirit, strength, and unique experiences offered exclusively by independently owned restaurants, where chefs and owners live, work, play and invest in their communities.

A tireless community contributor, Cardwell also devotes hundreds of hours of his personal time and dollars annually to local charitable organizations. He holds such roles a as Co-Chair of the annual March of Dimes Gala. He also takes a lead role in events such as The Super Bowl Taste of the NFL which supports the St. Louis Foodbank, Taste of the Nation S.O.S., Edgewood Children’s Center Annual Vineyard Tasting.


menu . wine list . chef bill cardwell . featured recipe . top

Fruit Buckle

Recipe By: Bill Cardwell~Cardwell's at the Plaza
Yield: 4 to 6 servings

4 cups berries or 8 cups seasonal fruits (apples, peaches, plums, etc...)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter or margarine

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Place fruit in even layer in an 8-by-8 inch pan. Combine and blend the flour, sugar, baking powder and egg into a crumbly mixture. Sprinkle evenly over fruit.
  • Pour melted butter over the crumbs. Bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream or chipped cream. Can be reheated just before serving.

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