Cuisine:

• Others
• European
• Italian
• French

Araka Restaurant Description:
The shopping plaza at the foot of Clayton's Ritz-Carlton offers many alluring façades, but Araka's outshines them all. Inside, contrasts abound---warm walnut with cool stone, edgy chandeliers above gently curving walls---lending intimacy to what could be just a large, generically lovely space. The influence of southern Europe is subtle; chef Mark Curran selectively scatters Italian, French and Spanish ingredients and techniques across dishes like Missouri lamb with goat cheese gnocchi; mushroom ravioli with Parmesan cream; and flatbread topped with house-made sausage and pepperoni. The results are well complemented by the extensive bottled wine list. By-the-glass selections go a step beyond the ordinary, although we feel more quartino choices would be nice. Diners tend to linger over multiple courses (at lunch as well as dinner); portions are sized to make that indulgence possible. The dessert menu, conveniently presented opposite a list of ports, sticks mostly to American classics. The seasonal fruit crisp is a definite winner, as are the bread pudding and chocolate-hazelnut bars.


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