Cuisine:

• American
• Others

J. Buck's Description:
There's a legacy at play here: the place is named for late St. Louis sports-casting legend Jack Buck, as well as his offspring Julie, a local radio personality, and Joe, who has a fine national reputation of his own in his dad's field. The younger two are now part-owners in this and the downtown location. J. Buck's has maintained much of its popularity with the Clayton crowd, with young and semi-young professionals filling the spot with after-work conviviality. Also in attendance are athletes, both local and visiting, and a mixed-age crowd of diners in smart-casual to just plain casual attire. A fairly short menu, surprisingly light on appetizers, concentrates on salads, sandwiches, pizza and protein of the steak-fish persuasion. Look for this twist: toasted ravioli as a pizza topping. The don't-miss dish is Buck's cheesecake, sandwiching the cheesecake between layers of dark chocolate cake. Portions, even for a St. Louis restaurant, are immense, with plates filled with food instead of froufrou. The wine list is decent, and service is pleasant.