Our Story!

Every year Jim Fiala and Nick Perniciaro embark on a pilgrimage to the country they love so much. As they weave their way through the Italian countryside, from Tuscany to Sicily, they get to sample some of the finest cuisine the country has to offer. Each enoteca they visit brings a new experience, with the chefs utilizing locally-sourced, seasonal ingredients to create exquisite traditional dishes.

Jim Fiala loves Italian people, culture and food so much that he wanted to take everything he knew and open a restaurant that would pay homage to the country he loves so much. From the desire to open such a place in St. Louis, in 2007 Acero was born. Located in the heart of Maplewood, fittingly, the word Acero in Italian means maple.

Coming to Acero for a night out is like taking a step out of St. Louis and into Italy. We have used our experiences in Italy to create an atmosphere of people serving people and not the "turn and burn" rushing of diners. We love to serve traditional dishes made from locally-sourced ingredients to create a "Midwestern Italian" menu that is sure to leave you wanting more.

Fresh, Unprocessed & Farm-to-Table Fare

Traditional dishes using locally sourced ingredients to create a truly midwestern Italian menu.

Robust, Rounded & Refined

A wide selection of unique Italian wines for all palettes and preferences.

Welcome to Acero

Mangia Bene, Vivi Felice, Eat Well, Live Happy!

Jim Fiala's Top 5 Favorite Italian Meats:

Prosciutto Di Parma

Throughout our travels to Italy, we have been lucky enough to sample many prosciutti from various regions, from Biellese to Cotto, and everywhere in between. But, our favorite has always been the king of Italian meat - Prosciutto di Parma. This meat is subject to the aromatic breezes of the Apennine Mountains during the airing process, which imparts a unique, sweet flavor into the ham.

Finocchiona

A favorite amongst the Tuscans, this coarsely ground salame is wonderfully aromatic and rich with flavor. The sweetness of the meat is achieved through the fennel seed and fennel pollen seasoning, giving a delicate finish to the palate.

Salame Con Porcini

The complex flavor of the Salame Con Porcini is achieved through mixing the cured, dry meat with Barbera wine and Porcini mushrooms. This gives the meat a nuanced taste, with the saltiness of the pork being offset by the herbaceous flavors of the Barbera wine.

Napolitana

This air dried, coarse ground salami is the spiciest meat on our list, thanks to the North African influences which can be found within the sausage. A blend of hot pepper and paprika gives the meat it's rich red color, which offers a tangy-hot flavor that is balanced by a touch of brown sugar.

Wild Boar Cacciatorini

Our final meat comes from central and southern Italy. Wild Boar Cacciatorini is a dry-cured salami, made from shoulder meat of feral hogs. The slightly sweet, yet robust flavors from the seasoned, somewhat gamey, meat can stand up to the boldest red wines.

Over the past decade we've been dedicated to providing Maplewood with a restaurant that pays homage to the country we love so much. That's why we've partnered with Salumeria Biellese to bring the finest Italian cured meats to St. Louis. Visit us and start your evening our salumi & formaggi, and you'll experience a true taste of Italy.