Marconi Mercato Is Your All-in-One Stop for Italian Cuisine on The Hill

A dynamic market with shelf after shelf of scrumptious surprises. An airy café with grab-and-go goodies for travelers. A lively restaurant with expertly crafted dishes and drinks. Marconi Mercato is your one-stop shop for Italian excellence on The Hill in St. Louis.

“The Hill has a handful of markets with great offerings, but Marconi Mercato hones in on imported Italian items,” restaurateur Joe Smugala, who co-owns Marconi Mercato with chef Carlos Hernandez, explains. “We want to provide area residents and visitors with products that they can’t find anywhere else.”

Ranging from artichoke-infused pasta to apple balsamic vinegar, grilled olives to black garlic and chestnut honey to grape jam, the products at Marconi Mercato – many of which are shelf-stable and small enough to pack in your luggage – will add new flavor to any homecooked meal. The Italian cheese selection – think creamy burrata, truffle goat cheese, Merlot BellaVitano and Parmigiano Reggiano – is on point, as well, and the hazelnut-white chocolate biscotti make for a sweet snack that we know you deserve.

Marconi Mercato also partners with local butchers, bakers and makers, including Kenrick’s Meats & Catering, Union Loafers and Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate, to create awareness around St. Louis brands, giving customers more delicious options to boot.

If you’re on the move, the on-site café sells breakfast sandwiches, deli sandwiches and fresh salads – plus, espresso and Danish – which you can savor at the counter or your next destination. For a more relaxed – perhaps multicourse – experience, however, reserve a table in the restaurant.

“This is the first place on The Hill that incorporates a market into another business,” Smugala says. “At our upbeat restaurant, you can enjoy lunch and dinner, and Carlos does an incredible job in the kitchen.

“It’s nice without being fancy,” he continues. “You can enjoy an elevated meal but still watch the game.”

Meals at Marconi Mercato center on cicchetti, or Italian small bites, which are best washed down with Italian draft beer. Begin with a spread of focaccia with whipped basil butter and herb olive oil, burrata di Puglia, crispy zucchini fries and fritto misto with pepperoncini rings for a touch of heat – or anything else that intrigues your taste buds.

For your entrée, Smugala recommends the wild boar pappardelle. “You’ll see the name on other menus throughout The Hill, but the ingredients that Carlos uses and the way he makes it are unique to our restaurant. I would order the wild boar pappardelle or the tagliatelle Bolognese with braised brisket and pork any day of the week.”

The Australian Wagyu rib eye with smoked truffle salt and salsa verde also impresses, whether you’re visiting for a date night or a business dinner.

“Locals already know this, but for visitors to St. Louis, I want to emphasize that The Hill is a must-see neighborhood,” Smugala enthuses. “I think I speak for all the establishments on The Hill when I say that we hope you’ll spend time here, getting to know what we’re all about.”

With deep roots in The Hill, Smugala opened his first pizza restaurant with his sisters in 1989. Today, in addition to Marconi Mercato, he co-owns Collina Eatery, El Milagro Azteca and GastroPit-STL with Hernandez, as well as Carnivore, a steak house that boasts Italian flair in a historic setting.

Proudly serving St. Louis-style barbecue, GastroPit-STL emphasizes its scratch-made sides, which accompany fall-off-the-bone ribs, slow-smoked pulled pork and saucy burnt ends. The fast-casual restaurant has a small dining room, but it focuses on catering events, from business meetings to local weddings.

Under the same roof, El Milagro Azteca offers a chef-driven menu with both classic and modern Mexican dishes. Eat your way from Baja California to Michoacán with specialties such as piña rellena stuffed with crab, scallops, shrimp, bell pepper, onion, melted Mexican cheese and Cajun aïoli; pollo al mole paired with Mexican rice, smashed black beans and warm tortillas; and bistec alambre featuring marinated steak cooked over an open flame alongside sautéed bell peppers and onions. Looking for something lighter? Order black bean hummus, shrimp ceviche and street tacos for the table.

In Italian, “collina” means “hill” – hence the name of the duo’s upscale eatery on Macklind Avenue. Adding Italian flair to American cuisine, Collina Eatery delights diners with brisket ravioli, veal dumplings and lobster arancini – and that’s only the start of the meal! The fried chicken, smoked pork chop and pan-seared snapper also get rave reviews from repeat customers.

Vegan? Fear not. Collina Eatery has thoughtfully created two pasta dishes that will satisfy your Italian cravings. Plant-based meatballs, housemade cashew cream, white button mushrooms and marinara sauce spice up linguine, while basil-poached tomatoes, plant-based mozzarella and toasted sunflower seeds level up potato-spinach gnocchi.

“The Hill is a vibrant neighborhood with some of the best restaurants, bakeries and markets not only in St. Louis, but in the U.S.,” Smugala says. “The businesses are Italian-centric, but over the last few years, other cuisines [such as barbecue, Mexican and Japanese] have become available. It’s a wonderful area to eat, shop and explore – if you have time, I also suggest playing a game or two of bocce ball!”