Sponsored
Hubertus Biere in St. Charles is your one-stop destination for all things beer-related
Hubertus Biere is your one-stop destination for all things beer-related. Specializing in crafting custom beer towers, their expert team ensures your taps pour perfection. They offer comprehensive services, from meticulously cleaning beer lines to expertly repairing and maintaining draft systems. With a dedication to excellence, they also design and build breweries tailored to your vision.…
This week on the Sauce podcast: Grace Meat + Three, Neon Greens, Sauce Magazine events and more
This week on the Sauce podcast, Michelle and Meera discuss some of their favorites at Grace Meat & Three, including their specials, their Kitchen Sink Salad and catfish nuggets. They also talk about a recent visit to Coffeestamp Roasters in South City and their lineup of empanadas stuffed with elotes or egg and prosciutto and even a…
Burger 809 is taking over the Citygarden Terrace View space in downtown St. Louis this spring
Burger 809 gained popularity in the St. Louis food scene with two previous Cherokee Street locations – a standalone storefront at 2619½ Cherokee St. and later within Bluewood Brewing at 1821 Cherokee St. Now, the restaurant has been announced as the new operator at the Terrace View space at the Gateway Foundation’s three-acre Citygarden at 801…
9 places where you can view the solar eclipse in and around St. Louis
A solar eclipse will grace our skies on Monday, April 8, at about 2 p.m., depending on your location. St. Louis will experience near-totality, but a short drive south will allow you to see the celestial event in totality. Having made the trek to see totality during the last solar eclipse in summer 2017, I’d…
Bluewood Brewing in Benton Park is taking over its own kitchen as B. McArthur’s Neighborhood Taco Shack departs
Bluewood Brewing at 1821 Cherokee St. in Benton Park has announced it will soon take over operations in its own kitchen as B. McArthur’s Neighborhood Taco Shack’s last day at the brewery will be Saturday, March 30. Chef Ben McArthur has been running his eponymous food detail at the brewery for the past year, and…
Popular St. Louis food truck Farmtruk joins Busch Stadium as newest food partner
One of St. Louis’ favorite food trucks, Farmtruk, has been announced as the latest food partner to join Busch Stadium just ahead of the Cardinals’ home opener next Thursday, April 4. The St. Louis-based and woman-owned truck has made a mark on the local food scene, including as a regular vendor at Sauce Food Truck…
BLK MKT Eats is now open in its new home in Maplewood
Earlier this week, news broke that BLK MKT Eats had closed its location at 9 S. Vandeventer Ave. On Tuesday, March 26, we stopped by the new location at 7356 Manchester Road in Maplewood, the former home of Las Palmas, and confirmed it has already opened its new storefront. The new space is 1,400 square…
Gerard Craft’s Porano is hosting a series of pop-ups ahead of its relaunch in Des Peres this summer
If you’ve been anxiously awaiting the revival of Niche Food Group’s Porano, tentatively slated to open at 13323 Manchester Road in Des Peres this summer, you can get a taste of what’s in store for the fast-casual Italian restaurant at three upcoming pop-up events. First, they’ll have a selection of Porano salads at Hello Juice…
Union Loafers team is opening a bagel and provisions market in Shaw in early April
The team behind Union Loafers Cafe and Bread Bakery and Bagel Union will open a “little provisions store” selling bagels, cream cheese, a variety of salads and other products at 2232 Thurman Ave. in Shaw in early April. The as-yet unnamed market will initially open on Saturdays and Sundays, with the weekend of April 6…
La Finca Coffee has moved to a new location in old town Eureka and launched an expanded menu
Earlier this month, La Finca Coffee’s Eureka location moved from 137 S. Central Ave. to its new home at 104 S. Central Ave., in old town Eureka. The coffee shop had been in its previous location since opening in 2018 and John Hagedorn, who owns the business with his wife Alejandra, told Sauce that they’d…
Sauce Food Truck Friday returns to Tower Grove Park April 26 and continues all summer
One of our favorite events of the year, Sauce Food Truck Friday, returns to Tower Grove Park for six dates this year, beginning on April 26, a bit earlier than years past. Other dates include May 17, June 14, July 12, Aug. 16 and Sept. 20. “Food Truck Friday is back and better than ever…
First Look: Pink Willow Cafe at Oak Street Inn & Lounge in Cottleville
A new breakfast, brunch and lunch eatery called Pink Willow Cafe opened earlier this month at 5523 Oak St. in Cottleville, next to Oak Street Inn & Lounge. The eatery is co-owned by spouses Terry and Allison Tonsing, who saw an opportunity they couldn’t pass up in the Oak Street Inn & Lounge project that encompasses the newly opened…
10 St. Louis restaurants taking the work off your plate this Easter
Like most holidays, thinking about what food to make at your gathering can be quite stressful. With Easter Sunday less than a week away, here are some local businesses that can help you avoid the hassle of cooking (and cleaning) for your guests on Easter. DINE-IN OPTIONS Cardinals Nation Restaurant & Bar Cardinals Nation is…
Sponsored
St. Louis Wing Week returns to over a dozen restaurants April 8 to 14
If you love wings and bargains (and winning prizes!), you’ll want to check out St. Louis Wing Week from April 8 to 14. More than a dozen area restaurants are offering specials on wings for just $7, which is a steal deal, particularly in these days of increasingly noticeable inflation. Participants include: Alpha Brewing Co.,…
Ethiopian restaurant Eat Today now open in former home of Lulu’s Local Eatery on South Grand
There’s cardamom in the coffee. There’s berbere in the lamb. But these don’t taste like American spices. Maybe because they’re packaged by loved-ones and sent all the way from the Ethiopian farmlands to here — a little corner of Grand Boulevard and Wyoming Street in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of St. Louis. Eat Today,…
Triple THC cannabis seltzer brand founded in St. Louis hits the market
A new cannabis seltzer recently debuted, and the brand was founded in St. Louis by two former students of the Washington University School of Business. Triple THC-infused seltzers come in three flavors – lime, cherry-lemon and grapefruit – and contain 3 milligrams of THC per can. It uses hemp-derived delta-9 THC, meaning it’s legal under…
3 new St. Louis-area restaurants you need to try
Every month, we make it our mission to try all the new restaurants and bars that open in the area so we can make meaningful recommendations on where you should go. Here’s where made the cut in March: Amaizing Arepa Bar in downtown St. Louis Venezuelan cuisine is still in short supply in St. Louis,…
Rosie Cheeks Cotton Candy launches new concept to elevate any special event in St. Louis
Heather Roth is excited to introduce her addition to the St. Louis event scene with Rosie Cheeks Cotton Candy, which officially launched on March 6. Live, hand-spun cotton candy is a new craze among event planners, and Rosie Cheeks is St. Louis’ newest all-natural gourmet cotton candy spinner. For Roth, this idea began with a…
This week on the Sauce podcast: Side Project Brewing’s new food menu, the rise of Filipino restaurants in St. Louis and more
This week on the Sauce podcast, Michelle and Meera discuss the rise and diversity of Filipino restaurants emerging in St. Louis, including Manileño, which recently opened in the South Grand business district. They also discuss the debut of a food menu at Side Project Brewing in Maplewood where Adam Altnether has launched an approachable bar menu with fine…
Saucy Soiree returns to St. Louis Union Station Sunday, June 23
Editor’s note: VIP tickets for this event have sold out, but a limited number of GA tickets remain. Purchase yours online ASAP before they sell out. If you missed Saucy Soiree last summer as much as we did, you’ll be pleased to know it’s coming back better than ever on Sunday, June 23, at St.…
Confluence Kombucha has moved from the Grove to a new location in Fox Park in south St. Louis
Confluence Kombucha has moved from its 4507 Manchester Ave. location in the Grove to 2501 S. Jefferson Ave., Suite 102, in south St. Louis. Although there was a soft opening in December, owner William Pauley took his time with the move and the business officially opened in late February. “We’ve been keeping it kind of…
Cugino’s has opened a second location at The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis
Florissant eatery Cugino’s has expanded to St. Charles County. The restaurant has opened a second location at 10 Meadows Circle Drive, at popular shopping center The Meadows at Lake Saint Louis. After a series of soft openings during the winter, Cugino’s Lake St. Louis recently held its grand opening event. After operating for nearly 20 years…
5 new and forthcoming breweries in the St. Louis region
Rock & Horse Brewing Co. at Dressel’s It’s been a long time coming, but the news is good – Ben Dressel hopes Rock & Horse Brewing Co. will be fermenting beer by mid-March. His long-held plan for a brewery was stalled when the pandemic shuttered his Central West End pub, but with Dressel’s back in business, he’s taken…
First Look: Esca in the Delmar Maker District in St. Louis
Esca, the new “coastal Mediterranean bar and grill” from Ben Poremba’s Bengelina Hospitality Group, will open on Thursday, March 21, at 5095 Delmar Blvd. in the Delmar Maker District. The restaurant’s menu features meat, seafood and vegetables grilled over charcoal, fresh salads and cold appetizers, classic cocktails, a large amaro selection and a range of…
Ben Poremba opens AO&Co. at Contemporary Art Museum in Grand Center
Ben Poremba’s Bengelina Hospitality Group opened a second location of AO&Co. at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) at 3750 Washington Blvd. in Grand Center in early March. The new AO&Co. serves coffees from Quarrelsome Coffee, loose leaf teas from Firepot Tea, and a menu of salads and sandwiches featuring items from Poremba’s other restaurants, including Olio…
Chilanguita Mexican Kitchen serves great food and drinks in Lindenwood Park
Why reach for a top-shelf margarita when the “house” at Chilanguita Mexican Kitchen at 6997 Chippewa St. smacks? Granted, some of the fancy ones come — fetchingly — with little flags in their limes; others, rosy in fish bowls, have copper-colored salt around their rims. But one sip of the plain old house (its punch, its high-test, gasoliney fume)…
Intertwine Wine Bar is now open in Dutchtown
Dutchtown is home to a sophisticated new wine bar, thanks to the husband-and-wife team of Earl and Tasha Smith, who also own the nearby Cross Grand. Intertwine Wine Bar opened Thursday, March 14, 4710 Virginia Ave. in Dutchtown with plans to cater to a 25-and-older crowd. It’s the latest venture for the Smiths, who have deep ties…
Rouge Bistro has opened in Midtown St. Louis with a meatball-centric menu
Rouge Bistro — the heavily meatball-themed restaurant inspired by The Meatball Shop in New York City — bounced into Midtown last month, claiming a space formerly occupied by Olive Bar at 3037 Olive St. Owner Julian Davis has set a dazzling stage. Splashed in bright red paint, industrial-ceilinged and lit like a New York catwalk,…
First Look: Side Project Brewing’s new food concept in Maplewood
Over the years, Side Project (The Brewery, The Cellar and The Patio) owner Cory King has wanted to bring food to Side Project Brewing, so he recently partnered with Adam Altnether (formerly of Pizza Champ) to launch a menu at the brewery at 7458 Manchester Road. “[King] wants to keep expanding his clientele, and his…
6 St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in St. Louis where you can avoid the Dogtown crowd
This St. Patrick’s Day, Dogtown doesn’t get to have all the fun. Other places in and around the city are kicking up their heels as well. And it’ll be another whole year before green eggs and beer are on the menu again. Get them while they’re hot, and (with any luck) cold. Irish Fest at…
Drink these hazy IPAs at Millpond Brewing in Millstadt, Illinois
The expression of hops in hazy IPAs are what give this category of beer its juicy quality. At Millpond Brewing in Millstadt, Illinois, you can taste the range that hazies have to offer. On the lighter end of the spectrum is the Marginal Visual, a double dry-hopped beer with both Chinook and Citra hops. The…
First Look: Milque Toast’s new location in the former California Do-Nut Co. space in St. Louis
Milque Toast Bar at 2212 S. Jefferson Ave. has moved into a new spot just six blocks from its old location at 2924 S. Jefferson Ave., formerly the home of California Do-Nut Co., and has dropped the “Bar” in its name, now going simply by Milque Toast. Owner Colleen Clawson said they quickly outgrew their…
Vegan restaurant CC’s 2 Seriously Good has closed permanently in Hazelwood
After just a few months of operating in Hazelwood, CC’s 2 Seriously Good at 211 Village Square has closed. The restaurant had previously been known as CC’s Vegan Spot and CC’s Vegan Spot SoulVeganlicious in other locations, including the Princeton Heights neighborhood of St. Louis and Alton, Illinois. The closure was announced on social media…
Garden Variety Deli is slated to open in Tower Grove South this spring
A new eatery called Garden Variety Deli is on its way to Tower Grove South at 3131 Morgan Ford Road, in the former home of retail establishment Art of Aquaria. Travis Howard, who helped bring Retreat Gastropub, Yellowbelly and Lazy Tiger to life, along with former general manager of Retreat Gastropub Jack McGinn, are bringing…
This week on the Sauce podcast: new St. Louis bars we love
This week on the Sauce podcast, Meera and Michelle discuss recent visits to new bars they’ve been loving. Michelle’s mission to try the entire menu at Stews Food & Liquor in Soulard continues and her love of the baby beer shots (and their evolution) at Kenny’s Upstairs on South Grand is holding strong. Meera talks about a…
First Look: Neon Greens in the former Rise Coffee space in the Grove
Neon Greens owner Josh Smith wants to serve you the best salad you’ve ever had using the freshest greens possible. To do so, he’s opening Neon Greens in the former Rise Coffee space at 4176 Manchester Ave. in the Grove on Tuesday, March 19. Neon Greens is not just a restaurant – it’s also a…
10 food and drink specials to check out on 314 Day in St. Louis
March 14 is known as Pi Day around the world, but here in St. Louis we call it 314 Day as an homage to the city’s long-held area code. Naturally, it’s a great day for local businesses to offer specials and deals – several at the very low price of $3.14 – as a way…
First Look: Steve’s Meltdown at City Foundry STL in Midtown
The team behind Steve’s Hot Dogs launched its latest restaurant, Steve’s Meltdown, on Monday, March 11, as the 19th stall in the food hall at City Foundry STL at 3730 Foundry Way in Midtown St. Louis. Steve’s Meltdown began in January 2023 as a ghost kitchen at Steve’s Hot Dogs on South Grand offering a…
St. Louis breweries are catering to a more inclusive range of tastes than ever
When visiting a brewery, it’s natural to focus on the beer selection, but a growing number of St. Louis breweries are acknowledging that not everyone is coming for the fermented malt and hops. Perhaps your standard order at your local brewpub is still a stout, saison or IPA, but your bartender will just as likely…
First Look: Manileño in the South Grand business district in St. Louis
There’s something about Manileño that has us really hoping it does well. It might be the smiley faces of the family who runs it; it might be the grit and determination behind the realization of a dream, and it could much more simply be the food. This Filipino restaurant opened in mid-February at 3611 Juanita…
4 great food concepts inside St. Louis breweries
We love a restaurant inside a brewpub. These are four of St. Louis’ best. Central State Sandwiches Central State Sandwiches is a fitting food partner for 2nd Shift Brewing, with a menu as fun and surprising as their brews. Seasonal specials come and go: Their take on a Thanksgiving sandwich with roasted turkey, bright…
Eat these pretzel croissants at The Preston inside the Chase Park Plaza in the Central West End
A soft pretzel with bronzed exterior and chewy texture is a delight. A perfect croissant is a work of art, with hypnotic, tissue-thin layers of laminated dough. Put these two together and voila, you’ve got the wunderkind pretzel croissant at The Preston inside the Chase Park Plaza. These beauties are made daily by the restaurant’s…
Temperance Kitchen pop-up series in St. Louis raises awareness of addiction in the restaurant industry
Launched by Mainlander sous chef Max Bredenkoetter, Temperance Kitchen is a new pop-up event series that aims to raise awareness of addiction issues in the hospitality industry. The pop-up’s first two dinners will take place on April 15 and May 20, with proceeds to be donated to Ben’s Friends, a network that provides support and…
Hidden Gem is the disco dive bar of your dreams in Midtown St. Louis
This Midtown “disco dive bar” from local lifestyle brand Golden Gems brings their ethos vividly to life for fun nights out with a cocktail in hand. Spread across two floors, the space is a riot of baby pink furnishings, seemingly endless disco balls, and marquee-style signs displaying slogans that might raise a smile or offer…
Salt + Smoke is opening a location in St. Louis’ South County
Popular St. Louis barbecue joint Salt + Smoke is slated to open its sixth St. Louis-area location in South County later this year, as reported by St. Louis Magazine. The new eatery will be located at 4130 Rusty Road, in a heavily frequented area near I-55 and Lindbergh Boulevard. Salt + Smoke South County will find…
Drink this multifaceted mezcal cocktail at Yellowbelly in the Central West End of St. Louis
The Polar Bear at Yellowbelly drinks smooth and sophisticated, with each ingredient getting its moment to make an impression. The star is the Derrumbes, a mezcal verde distilled in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, that anchors the drink with a vegetal flavor – think charred poblano rather than sweet smoke. The supporting ingredients play off the…
None of the Above offers immaculate cocktails and speakeasy vibes at City Foundry STL
A red light above an unmarked door marks the entrance to this luxe speakeasy by Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group. After you traverse a long tunnel, another door gives way to a sophisticated bar with navy furniture, dark wood accents and dim lighting. Bar manager Fionna Gemzon’s cocktail program is filled with inventive surprises –…
Rockwell Beer Co. head brewer Jonathan Moxey shares 12 of his favorite St. Louis spots
From his time brewing at Perennial Artisan Ales to his current role as head brewer at Rockwell Beer Co., Jonathan Moxey is known for creating well-balanced beers that make you want to order a second round. Whether he’s brewing modern classics like Rockwell’s Passing Clouds, a peppery Belgian witbier that never disappoints, or creative beers…
Soulard Gyro is opening a location in Maryland Heights in March
Soulard Gyro will open its fourth location in the St. Louis metro area at 12205 Dorsett Road in Maryland Heights in March. The 1,400-square-foot restaurant will open for lunch and dinner, with space to seat 20 to 25 customers. Soulard Gyro owner Vedad Becirovic said he expects the new restaurant, which will be operated under…
This week on the Sauce podcast: Bacaro, Fattened Caf and Fourth City Barbecue at Fortune Teller Bar
This week on the Sauce podcast, Meera and Michelle discuss a visit to Fourth City Barbecue, which is located inside Fortune Teller Bar on Cherokee Street. The brisket is wonderful, likely due to the 24-hour process it takes to execute, but it’s not all serious business; specials like their take on a McRib offers a break in…
Washington University graduate launches protein-centric food brand PSquared Foods
Recent Washington University graduate Olivia Stevermer and her business partner Morgan Rucker, a University of Arizona graduate, are fed up with the food industry. Unlike a lot of us, however, they’re actually doing something about it with the upcoming launch of protein pudding through their new brand PSquared Foods. After struggling with obesity and turning…
St. Louis-based Foeder Crafters of America is featured in over 500 international breweries, wineries and other businesses
When discussing his business, Dan Saettele often starts with a story about its previous ownership: In 2013, woodworker and homebrewer Matt Walters was hired to build a bar for Dogtown’s newest brewery, Heavy Riff Brewing Co. The brewers were so impressed with Walters’ craftsmanship that they asked him if he could also build them a…
First Look: Bacaro at Noto Italian Restaurant in St. Peters
Bacaro, the new cicchetti and aperitivo bar from the team behind the ever-popular Noto Italian Restaurant, a Sauce Best New Restaurant of 2020, is set to officially open on Wednesday, March 6, after a soft opening last weekend. Bacaro is in the same building as Noto at 5105 Westwood Drive in St. Peters, just downstairs…
Jinzen Fusion Cuisine showcases several Asian countries in Clayton
Clayton newcomer Jinzen Fusion Cuisine puts you at ease even before you’re seated, with an attractive, calming interior. The design reflects the restaurant’s Japanese, Korean and Chinese influences, with wooden furnishings, earth tones, sudare blinds and assorted plants (artificial, but we’re not complaining), and the menu celebrates that trio of cuisines with similar style. Naengmyeon…
Your guide to St. Louis coffee shops
Coffee shops offer more than beverages: They’re a place to study for that crucial final, meet friends (human and non-human), or work on your novel. Or you might just want a really great cup of coffee or a superlative snack. Whatever you need, St. Louis has a coffee shop for that. Latin American coffee spots…
Up Late has opened its second location in the Delmar Loop in former home of Chicken Out
Late-night Loop-dwellers and hungry night owls of all shape and size have much to celebrate this week, as beloved purveyor of after-hours breakfast sandwiches Up Late has finally opened its Delmar location. The new eatery opened for business last week at 6197 Delmar Blvd. in the space that housed Chicken Out’s Loop location before its closure…
3 fat-washed cocktails from St. Louis bars to try right now
Fat-washed cocktails are making cameos on drink menus across St. Louis this season. This clever technique’s popularity first trickled down from New York City in the late 2000s, when bartenders took inspiration from the enfleurage method developed by 18th century perfume makers to extract fragrance. That first wave of fat-washed cocktails soon saw trendy spots…
Vegan Deli and Butcher in South City offers plant-based sandwiches, desserts and more
Whether you’re vegan or not, this latest incarnation of Chris Bertke’s Vegan Deli and Butcher aims to make sandwiches you’ll crave. The cevapi shows off Bertke’s plant-based adaptation of a southeastern European grilled sausage sandwich, served with sliced onion, pepperoncini, ajvar (Balkan roasted red pepper sauce) and vegan kajmak (a creamy condiment similar to clotted…
6 fixations getting us through isolation
The coronavirus has changed my kitchen. Though I’ve missed planning for dinner parties, having friends pop by for drinks, and hosting my neighbor for TV and pizza marathons, I’ve found a new kind of joy in repurposing my pantry and refrigerator for the long haul. Between stocking up on old favorites and new treasures, it’s…
Make this sparkling coffee with lemon
Quarantine is supposedly a time of invention. I still haven’t written my pandemic novel, but my husband did come up with a quality, stay-at-home replacement for our beloved springtime espresso tonics. Requiring no recipe, no unusual ingredients and no effort, it’s the perfect pick-me-up for warm afternoons when you can’t leave home. Take about half…
5 things we’re using in our kitchens right now
From kitchen tools to banana bread preferences, here’s what’s getting art director Meera Nagarajan through her quarantine days. Kyocera ceramic ginger graterI love a single use tool, and this one is particularly useful. It gets all the ginger pulp and juice from the root, but none of the course fibers. It works super fast too,…
The Canteen at 9 Mile Garden names Brooke Burris beverage director
Brooke Burris has been named beverage director at The Canteen, the bar at 9 Mile Garden, a food truck park tentatively slated to open in July in Affton. “I’ve been a lover of the local beer scene and have watched it grow over the years,” said Burris, who is cicerone-certified and gained experience in the industry working for Craft…
Gamlin Whiskey House and Sub Zero Vodka Bar in the Central West End to close permanently
Sub Zero Vodka Bar and Gamlin Whiskey House both announced on social media that they are closing for good today, Friday, May 22. Gamlin Whiskey House will be open 3 to 6 p.m. for its final curbside pickup service, and customers are welcome to use any Sub Zero or Gamlin gift cards on to-go cocktails.…
Al Fresco at the MX will bring a new kind of dining option to downtown St. Louis
From the MX Movies theater and the National Blues Museum to restaurants like the Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Gringo, the MX district has sought to provide downtown residents and visitors with a number of entertainment options. But as restaurants and public spaces begin their recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, they’re being forced to reconsider how they…
8 St. Louis takeout options for a Memorial Day barbecue at home
Although there won’t be any big events this Monday, there’s no reason you can’t enjoy Memorial Day at home this year. These local restaurants are serving up classic Memorial Day dishes to help you celebrate the holiday, social-distancing-style. If you’re looking for a classic Memorial Day barbecue, Adam’s Smokehouse has you covered. Feeding eight to…
First Look: Schlafly Bankside in St. Charles
For years, Schlafly Beer has offered fresh craft beer, tasty food and unique events to the St. Louis area in the form of its Bottleworks location in Maplewood and the Tap Room downtown. Today, Friday, May 22, the brewery will open a third location in St. Charles at 920 S. Main St., the former location…
The choice to open during a pandemic is a catch-22 for restaurant owners
St. Louis restaurants are permitted to open their dining rooms with limited capacity starting this week, confronting business owners with many fraught decisions only they can make. Restaurateurs have to consider how and how much to pivot their business models for an environment that is constantly changing, and which is hopefully temporary. They fear losing…
Sponsored
Gabbit offers free phone service to St. Louis restaurants and bars amid COVID concerns
When the coronavirus pandemic reached the U.S., Gabbit, the top-rated phone service provider for small and mid-sized business, knew it had to help out some way. “We had received a lot of calls from customers asking if they could defer payments, reduce their services or suspend their service entirely due to the COVID-19,” said Harry…
Go get the burnt ends from Grace Backyard BBQ immediately
When Grace Meat + Three pivoted to a new barbecue concept with a carryout window, I was excited to see what chef-owner Rick Lewis would come up with. I was not disappointed. My first bite of the Grace Backyard BBQ burnt ends belongs in the Terrence Malick montage of meaningful moments in my life. When…
Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria now offering national delivery
When the coronavirus forced the closure of dining rooms in St. Louis in March, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria began delivering frozen pizzas and pastas locally. The venture proved so successful – over 40,000 pizzas in seven weeks – that it has been expanded on a national level. “We just continually improved the product and…
Ask Chefs Anything fundraiser coming to St. Louis
Editor’s note: Ask Chefs Anything was postponed from its original date. The auction begins at 10 a.m. Thursday, June 11, and ends at 8 p.m. on Sunday, June 14. Over the past few weeks, Ask Chefs Anything has emerged as one of the highest-profile national fundraisers dedicated to helping the restaurant industry. Focusing specifically on raising awareness and aid…
4 things we’re obsessed with right now
As the quarantine weeks turn to months, here are a few culinary delights keeping editor Lauren Healey’s batteries charged through long days in her home office. 4 Hands + Lucia’s PizzaFor busy days when I can’t be bothered to get out a skillet, frozen pizzas come in clutch. With perfectly doughy yet light and crisp…
Pineapple-Mango Carrot-Mint Smoothie
2 servings
Ryder’s Tavern has closed permanently in Tower Grove South
Earlier this afternoon, Ryder’s Tavern announced via Facebook that it has permanently closed its doors at 4123 Chippewa St. after five years in business. On March 17, the bar said it was closing temporarily due to the coronavirus and would reevaluate later. “Thank you to those that have shared some of their most treasured memories…
Restaurants face off against Total Wine lobbyists and others in the fight to permanently legalize carryout cocktails
Editor’s Note: At the closing time for the Missouri legislature session on May 15 at 5 p.m., legislation that would allow restaurants to sell carryout cocktails after June 15 did not pass. According to Missouri law, restaurants can only sell beer, wine or liquor in its original packaging, but that changed with an emergency suspension…
Eat this fried fish sandwich from Elmwood
We are no longer upset that fish fry season ended early this year, now that Elmwood’s classic fried fish sandwich became a regular Friday carryout offering. Every detail is just right. A massive slab of fresh cod is panko-coated, fried to crunchy golden perfection and topped with a slice of American cheese that melts into…
Checking in with… Andy Lamb of Union Loafers
In our new column, Checking in with…, we’re catching up with local food industry employees to find out how they’ve been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. One of the joys of being a bread-obsessed person is the thrill of heading to your favorite local bakery on a whim, walking in the door, and finding out whether…
Chana Masala
6 to 8
A conversation with acclaimed food writer Ruth Reichl
We met up with Ruth Reichl for a virtual author event in partnership with St. Louis County Library and HEC Media to talk about Reichl’s new book, Save Me the Plums. Sauce managing editor Heather Hughes Huff and Reichl discussed the closing of Gourmet Magazine, the need for advocacy for sustainable local farmers, the place…
4 fixations getting us through quarantine right now
From frozen cocktails to cool beans, here is what’s getting managing editor Heather Hughes Huff through the coronavirus pandemic. Camellia Beans I’ve never been more interested in beans. Time is now meaningless, so I’m soaking and simmering several times a week. New Orleans-based Camellia is my current (and first) favorite bean brand. They’re fresh, creamy…
Niche Food Group named as City Foundry STL’s culinary director
City Foundry STL, the major complex that was originally slated to open in midtown this year, has named Gerard Craft’s Niche Food Group as its culinary director going forward. The group will oversee the 30,000-square-foot food hall; the larger space will also include a movie theater, arcade, bowling alley, beer hall, shops and events. …
Nick Bognar talks Food & Wine and GQ honors, next steps for Indo
It’s been a big couple of weeks for Nick Bognar and his Indo staff: This morning, Bognar was named one of Food & Wine’s best new chefs for 2020, and last week, Indo was declared one of America’s best new restaurants in GQ. Sauce Magazine also named Indo as St. Louis’ Best New Restaurant of 2019.…
Fresh meat purchase limits and price increases affect St. Louis shoppers
As the nation grapples with meat shortages and supply chain disconnects, local businesses are adjusting to a new normal – at least for now. Major chains like Costco have put purchase limits in place, and local stores are following suit. In early May, Dierbergs Markets set two-item-per-commodity limits on fresh chicken, pork and beef. “We watch the…
Tavolo V, Cork Wine Bar and The Ready Room have permanently closed
The once-temporary shutdowns of many restaurants and bars in St. Louis amid the coronavirus crisis has led to permanent closures. Italian restaurant Tavolo V at 6118 Delmar Blvd. in The Loop has closed its doors. “With Washington University being gone and The Pageant and Delmar Hall not booking concerts, we didn’t think that the…
Jerk Soul will open new location on Cherokee Street
Popular north side modern Caribbean comfort food restaurant Jerk Soul will open its new location at 3108 Cherokee St. on Monday, May 18, complete with a dining room, although its use will be on pause until COVID regulations are further relaxed in St. Louis. The new 400-square-foot restaurant is notably larger than the former space on Salisbury…
St. Louis city and county share new rules for reopening restaurants, bars and more May 18
This morning, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page began to shed light on what reopening the county will look like, with changes set to take place Monday, May 18. In the afternoon, mayor Lyda Krewson detailed the city’s immediate future on St. Louis Public Radio. Though the county’s order said steps had been taken…
Eat this carryout pizza from The U.R.B.
One of the first carryout meals we had during quarantine was from The U.R.B., Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s more experimental little sister. The margherita pizza was light and luxurious, while still having the satisfying, durable crust you look for in this kind of ‘za – an impressive feat, since this take-and-bake option requires you to…
Switchgrass Spirits teams up with 8 St. Louis breweries to create Common Bond whiskey as COVID-19 fundraiser
Switchgrass Spirits has joined forces with eight local breweries to create Common Bond Single Malt whiskey, which will be finished next summer, in hopes of raising nearly $100,000 for the local hospitality industry amid the coronavirus crisis. “I think the name speaks for itself,” said Sarah Miller, a founding member of Switchgrass Spirits. “If we…
Checking in with… Jordyn Crawford of Rockwell Beer Co.
In our new column, Checking in with…, we’re catching up with local food industry employees to find out how they’ve been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. What could a prolonged future of social distancing mean for a business that thrives on togetherness? Jordyn Crawford, the tasting room manager for Rockwell Beer Co., is not sure, but…
15 St. Louis takeout options to celebrate Mother’s Day at home
Although brunch reservations are still on pause in St. Louis, there are plenty of ways to let the good times roll this Mother’s Day. Here’s a list of a few local restaurants that will help you honor the moms in your life, complete with to-go meals and mimosas. Basso has a Mother’s Day meal full of…
5 St. Louis restaurants to get carryout from for Cinco de Mayo
Few occasions bring more community festivities and culinary delights than Cinco de Mayo, a holiday that has, traditionally, moved people from all corners of St. Louis to visit their favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurants. But with the Cherokee Cinco de Mayo festival canceled and dining rooms closed, what are we to do? Thankfully, these spots…
Vicia chef and co-owner Michael Gallina named finalist in James Beard Awards
Vicia chef and co-owner Michael Gallina is a Best Chef: Midwest James Beard Awards finalist for the second year running. The James Beard Foundation announced its nominees for the prestigious food industry awards today, May 4, after being delayed due to the coronavirus. As Sauce reported in February, nine St. Louis-area chefs and establishments were semifinalists…
Sponsored
Old Bakery Beer Co. teams up with Vivent Health for Blueberry Cream Ale release
Despite being a small business adapting to COVID-19 themselves, Alton’s Old Bakery Beer Co. is keeping the giving spirit alive as they partner with Vivent Health for the second year in a row on the release of their seasonal Blueberry Cream Ale. From now through the end of June, which is National Pride Month, Vivent Health, an…
Chef Day Alexander Treats Diners to a Worldly Palette Month by Month
Apositive attitude is the key ingredient behind Destination Dining’s executive chef Day Alexander. “A willingness to always give something a chance,” he said. “I saw an ad in the paper from the owners, Jim and Cathy Hoyle. They had this interesting idea for a new concept that’s never, to my knowledge, been tried in St.…
Country vs. City: Family ham-curing businesses keep traditional methods alive
Spring is in the air, conjuring desires for crisp, fresh, cool food after a winter of slow-cooked sauces, mushy casseroles and oven-roasted meats. For most of us, that is. Producers of traditional dry-cured hams are thinking about stocking our holiday tables with their meats, because the techniques they use take between four and 15 months.…
Is Dinnertime Your Witching Hour? It doesn’t have to be if you prepare bulk meals ahead of time
Does this sound familiar? You straggle in the door after a full day of work or a full day of playing parental taxi driver. It’s 5 p.m. and everyone’s ready for dinner. You frantically rummage through the refrigerator for inspiration and find … a luscious, nutritious meal made by your own two hands all ready…
School’s in Session: Constant training keeps restaurant staff on its toes
Service at any restaurant is just as important to capturing return customers as is the atmosphere, food quality, presentation and selection. And with more and more restaurants opening in St. Louis, each trying to find their niche in the market, service has become a make-or-break asset, especially for higher-end restaurants. Places like Tony’s and Kemoll’s…
When Diabetes Comes Home: Overwhelming lifestyle changes can affect the whole family
There are over 18 million people in the United States with diabetes, and many people with the disease are as yet undiagnosed. Chances are, you or someone you know has the disease or is at risk for developing it. There are two main types of diabetes: People with type 1 lack the ability to produce…
Review: Finale in Clayton
On my way out, I wished I saw a live craps table with a crusty stickman yelling, “Yo 11,” a shiny steel ball cruelly landing on double zero and swarming cocktail waitresses in heavy makeup and brown tights taking orders. The last 90 minutes seemed a little like Vegas – old-school Vegas. Before Vegas became…
Review: Uglesich’s in St. Louis
New Orleans may lead the nation in small, personal seafood restaurants, where the shrimp and crabs are fresh off the boats and the food comes out of the kitchen piping hot, redolent of garlic and red pepper. Décor doesn’t count, and while service is brisk and competent, servers take no prizes for costume design. Uglesich’s,…
Spring is the Season for Great-Tasting Milk
You might think the Seasonal Shopper flipped out in the midst of a spring harvest of leafy-dark spinach, baby beets and piquant fresh herbs to write a column about milk and dairy products. While milk is available year-round, milk from cows grazing grassy pastures is at its peak of flavor and richness in spring and…
Cyrano’s Brunch Options are Tasty, but Limited
It’s not your mother’s Cyrano’s, of course. There’s way more than desserts, and it most definitely isn’t in a basement. While the reborn Cyrano’s has made itself a destination before and after shows at The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and the Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, it only recently began serving brunch. When the…
It Takes a Village to Make a Good Vintage: For a small Missouri winery, the support of neighbors is
“We love to give this driving tour,” said Dan Burkhardt on a cold, wet Saturday afternoon in late March. And even in the worst of weather conditions, it’s easy to see why. Bethlehem Valley, the 220-acre farm Burkhardt owns with his wife, Connie, is breathtaking. Situated about an hour and a half west of St.…
Blending Allows Vintners to Create More Interesting Wines
In the world of time, 1972 is only a milli-second ago. With California wine, this is nearly ancient history. If we consider 1966, the year that Robert Mondavi opened his winery in the Napa Valley, as the Genesis of the modern California wine industry, then Joseph Phelps opening his Napa winery in 1972 is at…
He Said/She Said: Emily and Dennis sample St. Louis’ gooey “square beyond compare”
When it comes to St. Louis’ most famous sugary slip-up, legend has it that the wrong amount of cake ingredients were mixed together at a local German bakery resulting in the gooey, buttery delight that St. Louisans have been sinking their sweet teeth into since the 1930s. Nowadays, the dessert can be found in bakeries…
Vermicomposting: An Earth Day resolution you won’t want to wriggle out of
Each year since 1970, Earth Day rolls around on April 22, and we all make plans to be more ecologically minded. But the problem is that Earth Day plans are a lot like New Year’s Eve resolutions: We intend to do something great, but other things get in the way. Perhaps part of the problem…
Fresh from the Field: Community Supported Agriculture brings together local farmers and consumers
For the past five or six years, from May through September, Elizabeth Edwards has made weekly trips to the Edwardsville, Ill., farm operated by Keith Biver and Brett Palmier. She’s never sure what she’ll come home with. Edwards is one of approximately 100 subscribers of Biver Farms’ Community Supported Agriculture program. Members of a CSA…
A Clean Sweep: Compared to the old days, today’s spring cleaning is tidy
Before Raymond Tucker’s work to clear the air in the late 1940s, which contributed to his being elected mayor in 1953, spring cleaning in St. Louis meant removing a winters’ worth of gritty coal dust from windows, walls, furniture, floors and carpets. Just how bad was it? Ask historian John Dalzell, executive director of the…
Review: Erato Wine Bar in Edwardsville
Atop and in my fridge, I have six bottles of wine. Five are Trader Joe’s infamous Three-Buck Chuck – Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay Beaujolais – the other is red Marqués de Cáceres. Honestly, I know little about wine, but, as you can tell, I’m trying to learn. Sure, mostly on the…
Review: The Grateful Inn in Maplewood
Gregg Perez, a peripatetic presence on the St. Louis restaurant scene for more years than the Guru can count, is in action again, and again paying homage to the Grateful Dead. This time he’s operating the Grateful Inn, in the midst of the booming Manchester Strip in Maplewood as the street, between the Schlafly Bottleworks…
Take in the City Scene at Top of the Riverfront
Now that the spring brunching season is in full swing, with its piles of visitors for the holidays, graduations and weddings, thoughts turn to festive entertaining, especially for out-of-towners. One of the St. Louis perennials is the Top of the Riverfront in the Millennium Hotel. Yes, yes, of course, the clichés about the better the…
Your Kitchen’s Come a Long Way, Baby: Home Cooking Then and Now
My husband’s Aunt Judy was telling us recently about her formative days in the kitchen. In addition to her regular cooking duties, she spent hours and hours carefully measuring evaporated milk, water and corn syrup, filling baby bottles and boiling them to sterilize the “milk.” Fast-forward 40 years. Aunt Judy marvels at the healthier instant…
New Hybrid Grapes are Poised to Overcome Missouri’s Cantankerous Climate
Missouri is too hot in the summer, too cold in the winter and too humid all of the time. This past winter was a great example of why it is so difficult to grow the vinifera varieties that are well-known to wine drinkers, i.e. Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, etc. The major element that these grapes…
Stalking the Local Asparagus
Here’s a promise of spring: locally grown asparagus will be available mid-April. According to Allen Scharf of Scharf Farm near Millstadt, Ill., “It’s the first crop to come up. When the daffodils bloom, the asparagus starts up.” This member of the lily family, cousin to both onions and garlic, grew wild on the banks of…
Good Label Manners: What ‘organic,’ ‘free range’ and ‘hormone free’ really mean
Organic food has hit the big time. The Natural Marketing Institute reported that consumers spent $58 billion dollars on health food in 2003 – almost 9 percent more than in 2002. Whole Foods Market, the largest natural foods grocery chain in the United States, now boasts more than 150 stores. Consumer spending seems to reflect…
Baby Bites: Start your kids out young to keep them interested in vegetables
A show of hands, please. How many of us swore, when pregnant, that our babies would grow up eating nothing but organic vegetables and whole grains … but now find ourselves heating up plate after plate of frozen chicken fingers more often than we’d care to admit? Surely I can’t be the only one raising…
A Taste for Art: I’ll take a sandwich and that painting on the wall
They’re museums minus the stuffy, galleries sans the snooty. Restaurants, the showcases of culinary masterpieces, are now putting works of art on the menu. The painting you eye over dinner may not only be for show, it may be for sale ? part of a trend that’s delivering restaurants décor without the doldrums, artists exposure…
Plant Locally, Grow Globally: Local chefs offer tips for multicultural horticulture
For many home chefs, the love of preparing good food often goes hand in hand with a joy of cultivating favorite ingredients in one’s own garden. Nothing compares to freshly harvested herbs and vegetables transformed into a delicious meal. And beyond their functional value, these plants add great beauty to the landscape. It’s fairly easy…
A Future Built on the Past: For renovators constructing restaurants in vacant buildings, it’s not a
Makeovers are all the rage on reality television these days, with eager participants trading spaces, transforming into swans and taking fashion tips from the Fab Five. And now, it appears that this trend has begun to spill over into urban areas across the country, where existing architecture is being “made over” instead of torn down,…
Capri Defies the Hotel Restaurant Stereotype
Tucked away in a Downtown hotel, one of the best breakfasts I’ve found in a long time waits to be discovered. The Capri restaurant in the Renaissance Grand Hotel lies below ground level under the immense atrium dome that dominates the lobby. It’s large, so well-lit that it almost feels like daylight and, like all…
Newsletter Offers a Shortcut to Figuring Out Wines’ Quality-Price Ratio
What makes something a value? We see this term applied to wine all the time. Store displays will be marked with signs that read “Great Value!” or “Fantastic Bargain Wine!” Usually these wines are priced below $10 and are displayed in multitudes of stacked cases. I’ve never seen a single bottle of wine locked in…
Flower Power: Plant edible blooms in time for a scrumptious spring
When March roars in, take time to seed shop. Not only is the selection at its best, some flowers need a head start indoors to be ready to eat this spring and summer. That’s right. We’re talking edible flowers to brighten cakes and salads or to surprise in tea sandwiches and frothy drinks. Just in…
Review: Villa Farotto in Chesterfield
I’ve been driving through Chesterfield Valley for decades. Before soccer moms were called soccer moms, my parents used to schlep me from South County to Chesterfield Valley for my soccer games. That’s when it was nothing but crops, a restaurant, a soccer field, a jail with cool razor wire and an airport. In ’93 when…
Review: Mosaic in St. Louis
Mosaic is the only St. Louis restaurant – in the Guru’s frame of reference, at least – where a diner can enjoy the tangy, easily identified flavor of lemon grass as both the first course (soup) and the last (ice cream). That is, of course, after one fights the railing-less steps at the front entrance,…
Review: Iron Barley in St. Louis
The dining room at Iron Barley has a lineup of horseshoes mounted on top of the molding along one rough wood wall – about a dozen of them, not nearly large enough for the Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales. But they’re displayed with the points up, so that the good luck that accrues to them doesn’t run out…
Review: Momos in University City
It’s difficult to tell how deeply into his cheek owner Mike Johnson was digging his tongue when he named his University City restaurant, but it’s the perfect restaurant name for those of us whose job it is to comment upon the foibles and follies of the human race. In other words, a critic. Momos was…
Smaller is Better
Sometimes, smaller really is better. A long time ago, Anheuser-Busch made one of its rare unwise business decisions. It decided to go into the wine business and, overburdened with advice from many wine experts, some real and some self-proclaimed, it went to work. A great deal of money was spent. The experiment failed. Less than…
Health, Hooks and Hype: Deciding which fish to serve (or to order) is no simple task
You won’t find Chilean sea bass on the menu at Lutece or The French Laundry. Their chefs have joined a long list of colleagues from restaurants on both coasts and Chicago who have signed pledges not to serve Chilean sea bass. Yet the issue is rarely discussed in St. Louis, and many restaurants still tout…
A Meeting of the Moms: How to host playgroup without throwing a tantrum
Entertaining is a challenge, no matter what the occasion. There is always one macrobiotic vegan in the crowd and one processed-food junkie who praises you for your “interesting” spread and then asks where you keep the ketchup. But when your guest list includes picky toddlers, toothless infants and new moms – some of whom are…
Mighty Aphrodisiac: Treat your Valentine to delicacies that satisfy the hunger for food and stimulat
On Valentine’s Day, our attentions turn to love. And since our need for food and love has been entwined since recorded history, Feb. 14 is also a good time for food lovers to reexamine the age-old subject of aphrodisiacs. Aphrodisiac history may well begin with the origin of the name, which comes from Aphrodite, the…
Escape Your Dim Sum Funk at Won Ton King
It’s always nice when something happens just as you’re about to become cynical. I’ve been in a dim sum funk lately. Oh, sure, I beam when presented with a “char siu bao,” and never pass up a chance to nibble on jellyfish or a shrimp ball. But I was beginning to feel like I was…
And the Winner Is… St. Louis film fans dish up a night of food and fun in honor of the big “O”
There are so many people I admire in this world, especially those who use their free time to cook fabulous meals for their families and who scrapbook elaborate photo albums commemorating each month of their children’s lives. I often wish I knew how to make homemade birthday cards for my friends or that I was…
Sap-Happy: Maple Syrup is Missouri’s Sweetest Secret
February is sugaring season in Missouri and Illinois, the perfect time for warm, sweet comfort foods. Maple syrup is uniquely American, dependent on woodlands and climate for production. Sugar maples, or Acer saccharum, are plentiful in Canada as well as the northern and eastern states. Middle states like Missouri have less acreage in maples and…
A New Gameplan is Critical for the Wine Industry’s Top ‘Chien’
It’s now or never for French wine. The decline of the greatest wine-producing country in the world has been well documented, from the recent news that Bordeaux exports plummeted a whopping 25 percent in the first three quarters of 2004 to a demoralizing 5-percent drop in domestic wine consumption in 2003 alone. Indeed, the average…
Review: Everest Café in St. Louis
The Guru first experienced Nepalese cuisine a couple of years ago in St. Paul, Minnesota. Like cuisines everywhere, it has dumpling dishes – they’re called mo-mos and are offered filled with ground pork or vegetables – and like many Asian cuisines, it uses its own style of curry (flavorful, but not fiery hot) in many…
Review: Modai Sushi Lounge in St. Louis
Awell-traveled, non-STL-native friend swears McGurk’s is the country’s best bar. Not the best bar in Soulard. Not the best bar in St. Louis. The best. Ever. Sure, McGurk’s has a cool beer garden and weekend hordes, but, in reality, it’s a formulaic Irish pub – Guinness pints and live Irish folk. Best ever? Huh? I…
Review: Red Moon in St. Louis
With a small, discreet sign on an alley-like Downtown street, Red Moon could be where the Continental Op or Guy Noir hangs out, and the restaurant shows traces of a movie version of a Prohibition-era speakeasy. Navigating the rather narrow revolving door brings a burst of noise, and the red-on-red decor, showing off a long…
Break Away From the Bottle: Wine adds depth and interest to your favorite foods
If you’re like many people, your kitchen is bursting with bottles of wine, especially after the holiday season. Why not start a New Year’s resolution this year by trying something new – using that wine to make spectacular dishes you and your friends will love? The places wine can go Wine has always been a…
He Said / She Said: Dennis and Emily Get Fried
D & E – Whether you prefer curly, skinny, waffle or steak – topped with ketchup, Ranch, cheese or chili – St. Louisans are passionate about their preferred venue for french fries. With this in mind, we’re sure we have missed some of your favorites, but rest assured that we’re committed to this sort of…
Howlin’ for More: Pets appreciate home-baked goodies just like humans do
It seems unfair, doesn’t it? You, being the human, get to enjoy every culinary concoction under the sun. Craving Cornish hen? Just get out your roasting pan and your recipe book. Feel like a little crème brûlée for dessert? Fetch the mini-blowtorch and it’s a done deal. Meanwhile, Fido, being the dog, can only watch…
The Kitchen Gets the Most Out of Its Minimalist Menu at La Dolce Via
Clichés become clichés because they’re frequently true. And when it comes to the one that goes, “Sometimes less is more,” I offer as proof La Dolce Via. Tucked into a storefront in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, on a block that proudly bears evidence of the area’s residential blossoming, the storefront café is delectably humble.…
These Days, Vodka is Dressed Up, Globalized, Fetishized and Over-Marketed
When it’s really cold and the wind is howling through the naked branches of the trees, and ice has encrusted my car’s windshield wiper blades, I like to ask myself, “What would the Russians do to keep warm? What would the people do in Oymyakon, Siberia, which has reached minus 96.16 degrees Fahrenheit and is…
Even Elvis Needs to Eat: The dish on where local celebrities head for their favorite comfort foods
Tim Ezell Fox 2 morning reporter Something to gnaw on Tim Ezell is a ribs man – the barbecue kind. “That’s all I eat,” said Ezell, Fox 2’s fun morning reporter and frequent Elvis impersonator. “Me and my dad are both big ribs guys; it’s kind of [our] family food!” In fact, it was the…
This Ste. Genevieve Farm Operates On a Higher Level of Consciousness
Here’s something St. Louis-area cooks can count on this winter: fresh, homegrown, certified organic vegetables delivered weekly from the Maharishi World Peace Vedic Organic Farm in Ste. Genevieve, Mo. With over 100,000 square feet of greenhouse space, MWPV Organics has plenty of living quarters for the vegetables that marketing manager Gary Greenfield said he expects…
Review: El Burrito Loco in St. Louis
In this post-holiday period, when bills seem to fill all corners of the room, and more arrive every time the winter wind caresses the mailbox, the Guru, still carrying his overflowing envelope of kindness and good cheer for everyone, will attempt to guide you through winter by leading a search for moderately priced St. Louis…
Review: South Broadway Athletic Club in St. Louis
The exact moment you read this sentence, some relatively weird public event is going down in the STL. With the metro area being nearly 3 million people and 70 square miles, St. Louis is big enough that some people, rube to socialite, are paying to eat sushi off a naked lady or attend back-to-back Sammy…
Here’s to a Happy, Healthy 2005
Walter Huston wrote and sang about the days of December, the days that “dwindled down to a precious few,” when people celebrated, or mourned, the year that was passing, and looked forward to the year that was about to arrive. Toasting the holidays, or the New Year, always has been a part of life, and…
Biodynamic Viticulture Benefits The Land, The Farmer and The Wine Lover
Horns full of dung. “Teas” made of nettles and manure. Moonlight rituals at the equinox. No, I’m not describing activities that a few centuries ago would have gotten you pilloried in Salem, Mass. They are, however, activities that, if sloppily managed, could result in a scarlet mark on your shirt. Naturally, I’m talking about wine…
Colored Kernels and Decadent Toppings Add Extra Fun to Fresh Popcorn
What’s a seasonal favorite, locally grown, readily available and sure to please in cold December? Think popcorn when snow skitters and winds bluster. Stovetop or microwave, nothing beats the steady ping and homey aroma of corn popping. And since Americans consume an average of 54 quarts per person per year of the fluffy stuff, popcorn…
Nadoz Café is a Worthwhile (Sweet) Spot in Grand Center
If you’re itching for a place to fall off the Atkins wagon, or if you have a sweet tooth, have we found a place for you. A stroll away from Sunday afternoon shows or concerts in Grand Center, Nadoz Café’s brunch hits its full stride with its desserts. One could eat the very reasonable brunch…
In the Holiday Mood: Indulge in a custom-designed meal accompanied by seasonal songs by St. Louis ar
For the last few weeks we’ve been surrounded by the familiar sights and sounds of the holidays: registers and “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer,” gift wrap and “Jingle Bells,” candy canes and “White Christmas.” And in a few weeks we’ll partake of the same holiday meal we’ve had year after year – turkey or ham,…
Review: Banh Mi So 1 in St. Louis
While new and expensive restaurants open all around us, and signs herald the arrival of national chains – the only operators able to afford the rent in giant suburban shopping malls – let us not forget the little places that continue to bring St. Louisans a fine variety of excellent fare, at modest prices. A…
Review: Lucas Park Grille in St. Louis
Stand and face east around the 1700 block of Washington Avenue, atop the huge stone zipper teeth that split this portion of the avenue. Take in the canyon – the dense eight blocks of four- to eight-story warehouse-now-lofts and, at the end, the taller convention center hotels. At night, decorative street lamps light the zipper…
Review: An American Place in St. Louis
When Larry Forgione came to St. Louis to open An American Place in the elegant space that had served as the lobby of the Statler Hotel in Downtown St. Louis, it was a first for River City – the first time a chef with a national reputation had moved here to open a restaurant. The…
The Guru Visits New York
A journey to New York is an opportunity – and a challenge – for one who writes about restaurants. It’s sometimes difficult to grasp just how many restaurants crowd the streets, and just how many people crowd the restaurants. Strolling in Manhattan is like walking through the world’s largest buffet, an experience made more excruciatingly…
One of the Sweetest Parts of Your Thanksgiving Might Also Be the Healthiest
Of the offerings on the typical Thanksgiving table, sweet potatoes are the healthiest – unless, of course, Aunt Maple buried them under sugar and marshmallows so the potatoes were an afterthought. Abundant this time of year, the gnarly, brightly colored roots lend an earthy air to any autumn menu. Note the term “root.” Sweet potatoes…
The Breakfast-y Side of Provinces’ Buffet is Your Reason to Stop at The Hilton
Most St. Louisans have driven by the Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, tucked between Highway 40 and Plaza Frontenac, a thousand times. Maybe they’ve even gone to meetings there. But who knew that a surprisingly good brunch awaits, especially for those who lean to the breakfast side of the meal? There must be some people who…
Syrah Slides Right Past Pinot Noir as the New Darling of California
Syrah is the new darling of California. That position was recently held by Pinot Noir, but the luster seems to have worn off the pride of Burgundy and now shifted to the great grape of the Rhône. When you offer to pour people a great new Pinot from the Alexander Valley or Santa Maria, they…
Fifteen Hours of Feasting: Leave behind the usual pressure of hosting the perfect banquet. Go buffet
As candy buckets are traded for Christmas lists and Thanksgiving approaches, the pressure builds. In the decades that Sarah Hale lobbied to create this national holiday, she couldn’t possibly have imagined a national day of thanks would create such pressure to perform. Sometimes the weight of this responsibility can be too much. The first year…
Rams Tailgating is a Sprawling Outdoor Party
With no pickup trucks to speak of, Ivy League eggheads of yesterday started the tailgating tradition. In the 1860s, when college football was in its infancy, the Ivy Leaguers, uptight and ostentatious, made football an upscale, ceremonial, society event, rather than just a game. Not just halfback sweeps for the Ivy Leaguers. Halfback sweeps AFTER…
Review: Café Bellagio in Creve Coeur
For much of the 20th century, The Hill defined Italian cuisine for St. Louis diners, whether for natives or visitors. In many respects, it still does, but like the rest of the city, it isn’t the same as it was. The arrival of Café Bellagio in Creve Coeur, with the Gabriele family moving into a…
Spain Continues to Reveal New and Remarkable Wine Regions
The rain in Spain may fall mainly on the plain, but the wine in Spain grows just about everywhere. However, not many people know this. Most can name a bunch of wines from France and at least a few from Italy. But from Spain? Rarely can people think of one beyond Rioja, even though Spain…
Pumpkins (Whether Carved, Baked or Chucked) Make Fall Fun
The sight of pumpkins on steps and lawns in October signals fall’s fruition. While they beg to be carved into ghoulish cutouts, pumpkins invite even the most squeamish of squash eaters to try some sweetened pulp in pies, breads, cakes and such. David Thies, co-owner with brother Darrell of Thies Farms and Greenhouse in Bel…
Pancakes Play a Starring Roll at Gingham’s But the Supporting Cast Struggles
The first time I walked into the foyer of Gingham’s, I saw quotes from Oliver Wendell Holmes on the wallpaper and I smiled. Don’t ask me why; it just somehow pleased me, as though it were an omen of things to come. Then I saw the midmorning weekday crowd and forgot all about quotes from…
Eat With Your Eyes – Art, design and lighting all contribute to the dining experience
You know how going to a favorite restaurant just feels right, like the planets are in alignment when you eat there? Chances are it’s the result of more than great food. Be it kitschy or classic, the right art can help create those elusive qualities of individuality and ambiance that make a great dining experience.…
Drinking Dierbergs
About 135 years ago, when Missouri was the No. 2 grape grower and winemaker in the U.S., our enologists and plant scientists helped save both the French and the California wine industries. The first great phylloxera epidemic, or at least the first that was recorded, was destroying grapes in both places. But Missouri grapes were…
Review: Hangook Kwan in Creve Coeur
Over the years, when people have asked the Guru if he cooked, the standard – and 95 percent correct – response has been. “I’m a specialist. I don’t cook. I eat.” That concept came under attack recently at Hangook Kwan, a friendly, interesting, Korean restaurant whose menu has many excellent dishes. It’s tucked away in…
Review: Sub Zero Vodka Bar in St. Louis
The shoe-fashion-devoted, girls-night-out posse drinks theirs up with triple sec, cranberry juice and sweetened lime juice – to better dish the pre/post-divorce gossip. The drunken frat-boy mooks who roam parts of Soulard drink theirs on the rocks, with Red Bull – to better hit on the girls with fake IDs. (Full disclosure: I was a…
Review: The Restaurants at the Chase
Through thick and thin, fat and lean, in good times and in bad, the venerable slogan, “the Chase is the place,” has held true for St. Louisans. The lights may have dimmed, or flickered, even went out for a while, but they came back, and more of our friends have experienced more joy there than…
Beyond the Apple: From grapes to beets, local produce at peak ripeness harmonizes beautifully in bak
If you ask most people what they enjoy about the fall season, chances are many answers would be food related, specifically the pies, tarts and breads that make the most of fresh apples, berries and squash. But people might not be aware of all the fruits and vegetables our region has to offer. This idea…
The Lodge at Pere Marquette Serves as the Perfect Excuse for a Sunday Drive
St. Louis’ love affair with the Great River Road is long overdue. When I first discovered it years ago, it was never discussed in local newspapers or magazines as a recreational spot except for an occasional vague referral to “Alton Lake” – which, as a Missourian, I assumed was an actual lake, not a part…
It’s Time to Pick Apples – But You May Have to Travel Further to the Orchard
When eating a Missouri pick-your-own apple this fall, appreciate what is becoming a rare commodity in regions close to St. Louis. Centennial Farms and Orchard in Augusta, Mo., is the only pick-your-own apple orchard left in St. Charles County. As of this year, no pick-your-own orchards are left in St. Louis County. A handful of…
Drink the Pink Before You Bid Farewell to Summer
With the beginning of the school year, the kickoff of football season and the end of vacations, September is marked in our minds as a part of autumn. But, lest we forget, for its first 21 days, September is an official month of summer. And in these brow-mopping afternoons, we can often expect summer’s sunny…
Review: The Bubble Room in Kirkwood
For years, if you wanted to hit a dark, house/techo-blaring, pretty-people, nicely decorated lounge, you had to go Downtown – specifically, Washington Avenue. Sure, the names of these hotspots changed, but the vibe did not. Saying, “I’m going out Downtown” meant I’m dressing up, I’m on the make and I’m going to be out very…
Review: Sasha’s in Clayton
In all the St. Louis area, the Guru knows only one block that has a truly European feeling. Certainly there are times when the Central West End or South Grand Boulevard offer a worldly aura, but one Clayton block speaks European loudly. It’s DeMun Avenue from Rosebury to Northwood avenues. A coffee house (Kaldi’s), a…
Review: Anthony’s Bar in St. Louis
Did you ever think a plate would come out of Tony’s kitchen with a handful of pickled ginger in one corner? Or that the flavors of sesame oil or lemongrass would be deliciously evident? Or that potato latkes would be not only on the plate but also on the menu? Well, it really isn’t Tony’s,…
A St. Louis Place: Larry Forgione Becomes Part of Our Downtown Renaissance
Like actors, writers and other ambition-driven people, chefs migrate to New York where they attempt to mimic Frank Sinatra’s line, “If I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.” And those chef-restaurateurs who do make it there will later head out of town to establish outposts of a hoped-for dynasty in a second tier…
In Search of Barbecue
Barbecue is many things to many people, from spelling it to eating it, and, like pizza, it causes a huge disparity of discussion. People are passionate about barbecue, ready to come to blows over the relative merits of tomato-based sauce and vinegar based sauce, not to mention those who don’t sauce at all, using just…
I’d Buy That: Starting small – and doing your research – can pay off for new food products
“You could make a fortune if you bottled this spaghetti sauce.” Sound familiar? Many of our favorite products come from home kitchens and family recipes, and your to-die-for sauce could be the next big thing on grocery store shelves. Vivian Gibson developed her Vib’s Caribbean Heat hot sauce to provide an extra kick to her…
It’s Getting Hot in Here, so Drink a Cold Glass of Moscato d’Asti
Word on the street is that Nelly is a wine connoisseur. Well, at least of one wine. Evidently what he likes to serve at his parties is Moscato d’Asti. While not sure if this gives him street cred or not, I know it would make him a hero in northern Italy, where this wine comes…
Nibble on the Nation’s Top Crop
As the saying goes, corn is supposed to be knee high by the Fourth of July, but in truth, this is an antiquated adage originating from a time before modern agriculture. Today, most years the corn rises to meet an adult’s brow by the nation’s birthday, and in Missouri, the sweet corn season lasts from…
After a Change of Hands, Eau’s Brunch Still Holds Many Delights
Now that the reborn Chase Park Plaza is pretty much a part of life in the Central West End, it seems to be time for another visit to brunch at Eau. The restaurant looks the same, its handsome, solid-feeling décor calling for Gin Martinis and a hat check room full of fedoras. Across the hall,…
Anything But Chardonnay?
The ABC Club, a non-existent but descriptive group of wine-drinkers whose motto is, “Anything But Chardonnay,” has a solid membership, and the membership roster grows during the summer season. This is understandable, given the tendency by some California winemakers to use far too much new or extremely volatile oak in the barrels where they make…
Review: Yoshi’s in St. Louis
Yoshio Aoki doesn’t represent himself as “Mr. Sushi” these days, nor does he sing the way he did while he carved fish into intricate slices and designs at his former operation, the tiny I Love Mr. Sushi, where everyone was forced to become friends. He and his associate, Anny LeSeure, have moved west, to what…
Review: Rail Cruise America in St. Louis
Born in 1917, my grandmother fondly recalls the days when travel in and out of St. Louis was done on rails. She rode the streetcars to and from work, to and from shopping and to and from anywhere too far to walk. As a kid, she and her family would flee North Grand on summer…
Review: Ozzie’s in St. Louis
While “fan” is short for “fanatic,” the latter more aptly describes my sports addiction. At the 1982 National League Championship Series (age 7), I understood the drunken man burning an Atlanta Braves pennant outside Busch Stadium. In 1983, I wore bumblebee soccer socks, Sambas and satin Umbro shorts – just like St. Louis Steamer Steve…
Review: Sidney Street Café in St. Louis
Restaurant fans don’t come much more loyal than those who consider the Sidney Street Café their favorite St. Louis dining spot. Now almost 20 years old and working on a second generation of customers, the quiet, modest, self-effacing Benton Park restaurant won top honors in the Sauce Magazine Readers’ Choice Poll as the best overall…
Review: Tandoori Hut in St. Louis
Almost all of us have had a similar experience: We go to a restaurant for the first time, and we enjoy it. Things aren’t perfect, but the meals are tasty and freshly prepared. We go away happy. But when we return, a short time later, it’s as if a group of Stepford siblings has taken…
Review: 609 in St. Louis
Naming restaurants for their addresses may have begun with a New York speakeasy, at 21 West 52nd Street, just off Fifth Avenue, later maybe the most famous restaurant in the country. It’s one of those memory crutches for a bar or restaurant, because if you can remember either the name or the address, you’re home…
Best Brunch: Duff’s Wins Diners’ Love With Creativity and Consistency
For the second year in a row, Duff’s has taken the best brunch title. While there are some other worthy candidates out there – and goodness knows new contenders are always welcome – it’s a win that’s easily understood. St. Louis’ love affair with Duff’s, now settled into a long and amiable marriage, began almost…
Best Wine List: One of the Best Reads Around, From Start to Finish
If your evening plans include dining with a wine enthusiast at a new restaurant, you may consider bringing along some reading material, because if the place has any vinous aspirations whatsoever, you could lose your companion for an hour or so after the wine list has been dropped off. Many of us just take the…
Your Mom Was Right! Fruits and Vegetables Have Powerful Effects on Your Health
You’ve heard it all your life – eat your broccoli, it’s good for you. Turn’s out, Mom (or Grandma, whoever admonished you) was right. Broccoli, member of the mighty cruciferous vegetable family, is now known to hold disease-fighting compounds capable of combating such killers as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and more. Brussels sprouts,…
Best Use of Local Ingredients: Quality, Politics Play a Role at Riddle’s
With explanations like shiitake mushrooms “organically grown on Bald Eagle Farm at the confluence of two of Missouri’s most pristine streams, the Jacks Fork and Current rivers in Shannon County,” and “salad greens from Bob Lober’s St. Isadore Farm in Moscow Mills,” on the menu, it’s no surprise that Riddle’s Penultimate Café and Wine Bar…
Missouri Wineries Do Themselves Proud
Missouri wineries did themselves proud at the recent International Eastern Wine Competition, which drew thousands of entrants from across the natiion to Corning, N.Y. Stone Hill won a pair of double golds for wines that were unanimous choices for a gold medal in the final round of judging, and three other state wineries – Blumenhof,…
At Kopperman’s, the Fabulous View is Topped Only By the Fabulous Food
No one will ever convince me that there is a better reason for eating out than food, of course. But it’s conceivable that there are people for whom the show is the whole point. In the Central West End, the show is the passersby, a sort of perpetual Easter parade, thankfully minus the Irving Berlin…
A Strawberry for Plucking – Missouri vs. California
Right now you can pluck strawberries at Lakeview Farms’ strawberry fields for the duration of the Missouri strawberry season, which lasts from about May 17 to June 20, weather permitting. All of the berries produced there are pick-your-own, so visiting the farm is truly a delicious adventure. Carl Lask, the farmer there for the past…
Review: Fairmount Park in Collinsville
The honorable understand that real gambling involves dice, cards, fast athletes and faster animals. Slots are for simps. The honorable also understand that the Illinois side’s more quality cities are east of Illinois Route 3. Sauget is for ballet. One such quality city, Collinsville, hosts real gambling – wagering $2 on faster-than-you thoroughbreds. Collinsville, Ill.:…
A Family Lunch With One of The Country’s Largest Wine Importers
A family that eats together stays together. That’s something you can count on, and a good sign for the wine industry that I was happy to see in action on a recent trip through the Midwest, when I braved Chicago traffic to have lunch at the offices of Paterno Wines International, one of the leading…
Norton: Missouri’s State Grape Harbors Juicy Little Secrets
Poor Ste. Genevieve. This historic little town on the Mississippi River south of St. Louis just doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Sure, people want to see the stately buildings that pre-date the Revolutionary War, browse the quaint little shops in the center of town or even spend a night at one of several bed…
White Wine and Spring Go Together Like BBQ and the Fourth of July
It’s disturbing, but there are indeed people in the world who don’t drink white wine. I’ve known some myself and, when the subject comes up, I find myself overwhelmed by a sense of incurable emptiness and loss. I let these people know that one of my pet peeves is people who only drink red wine.…
Review: Moxy in St. Louis
When a St. Louis chef returns from a visit to New Orleans, and he discusses it in terms like these – “I enjoyed the trip, and I ate very well, but you know? There weren’t any vegetables.” – St. Louis cuisine has definitely taken a large step into the 21st century. And that’s what Moxy’s…
Review: The Beale in St. Louis
Editor’s Note: Beale on Broadway has closed You live in St. Louis. You should know blues, soul and R&B history – local and otherwise. Take a hint from the first word of this bar’s name and buy an album from sax legend King Curtis. Then, follow/play along: Today’s special is [St. Louis] Soul Stew.We sell so much…
Review: Royal Chinese B.B.Q. in St. Louis
For many years, the Royal Chinese B.B.Q. was, in the Guru’s judgment, the St. Louis Chinese restaurant that looked and tasted most like the Chinatown restaurants of San Francisco. Slow-roasting ducks, chickens and pork hung in all their fat-dripping, red-gold, crisping glory behind a kitchen window that was visible from outside, and also one of…
Graze St. Louis: Farmers’ Markets Bring Together Fresh Food & Community Spirit
D – I have never met a farmers’ market that I didn’t like. Wandering through, eyeballing produce, nibbling on food and chatting with the vendors is an ideal way to spend the morning. Maybe a unique-looking pepper will catch my eye and inspire me to make a pizza with some interesting toppings for my wife.…
Quince, the “Golden Apple”
Not long ago, some friends and I went to dinner at Kirk’s American Bistro in the Central West End. Roasted Garlic Plate was featured as an appetizer, and my friend and I decided to share it as a first course. It was a large platter filled with wonderful roasted garlic, several different cheeses, a lot…
The Fair’s Fare
The early 1900s were grand years for food. Campbell’s Pork and Beans was introduced by the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Co. The Campbell Kids cartoon characters were an immediate marketing hit. The R.T. French Co. debuted French’s Cream Salad Mustard. Pepsi-Cola was trademarked. A German exporter invented decaffeinated coffee and called it Sanka. Tuna was…
Wine, Like Baseball, Used to Be a Finesse Sport
With baseball season just getting rolling, I’ve been pondering the question: What do the national pastime and wine have in common? The answer is, of course, artificially pumped-up players, whose use of unnatural tactics to swell in size have forced us to look long and hard at what we value in the things we love.…
When it Comes to Tasting, is Justice Really Blind?
The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. Both are emotions felt in the Wide World of Wine’s version of blood sport: blind tasting. Blind tasting is a game played for high stakes on the professional level (one has to pass rigorous exams to get a Master Sommelier or Master of Wine accreditation), but you…
Review: 1111 Mississippi in St. Louis
Opening a restaurant in the midst of a glare of publicity is as tricky as trying to juggle all the restaurant’s china. It’s a high-stakes game with a lot of risk, and the road to glory is littered with despondent chefs, rusting saute pans, empty tables and enough bills to cover Lambert Field. The ambition…
Review: Mirasol in St. Louis
Spring in St. Louis usually means the arrival of dandelions and crab grass, but this year, that pair of horticultural pests are matched by the arrival of multi-cultural pleasures. The Guru doesn’t recall many springs that have been announced by the arrival – both real and impending – of so many restaurants offering so many…
Review: Rearn Thai in Clayton
There’s a warm feeling at Rearn Thai, where a friendly family creates and serves some splendid Thai cuisine. They’re quick to discuss degrees of fire in the cooking, willing to be adaptable and to adjust spicing to a customer’s taste. Mrs. Guru and I like the zing of hot peppers and ginger, the sweet-hot aura…
Review: Harpo’s in Chesterfield
At 20, some friends and I sloppily forged some IDs. A little dark-yellow chalk, the fine lead point of a mechanical pencil, a tiny push of hairspray and suddenly you were born in 1973, not 1975. After many attempts, my wide-eyed epiphany: “Keep your ID behind your wallet’s clear-plastic window. Give him the whole wallet.”…
Mangoes Transport You to the Caribbean
Picture yourself lying in a hammock on a secluded beach in the Caribbean in the shade of a mango tree. A cool breeze gently rocks you back and forth. Keeping you company is a bowl of ripe, peeled mangoes straight from the tree. The fruity aroma alone is enough to keep you happy, but you…
Tasting Blind
Blind tastings can be fun, frustrating, rewarding and distressing, all at the same time. They also teach a valuable lesson. All palates are different. All mouths react differently to the flavor of wine. Fancy descriptors like “road tar” don’t mean much unless you munch on a lot of road tar and are completely familiar with…
Birth of a Microbrew
One of the great things about going to a brewpub or perusing the microbrews at your favorite liquor store is the jaw-dropping variety of beers that are available. However, although many local microbreweries boast mighty impressive arrays of beers, brewers don’t just come up with a new beer on a lark. Marc Gottfried, brewmaster at…
Tasting the Sun: Winespeak is necessary, not snobbish
“The taste is of ripe blackberries, sun and smoke.” What is it? Maybe the firefighters’ run-off water after the recent fires that burned some blackberry vines. Naah! It’s another of S. Irene Virbila’s ridiculous descriptions of a bottle of wine (“Wine of the Week: 2002 Coto de Hayas Garnacha Centenaria,” Dec. 17). What does the…
Review: Pin-Up Bowl in St. Louis
This is bowling. There are rules. The crotch-chopping Pete Weber-wannabes at Tropicana Lanes know this. The distracted 6-year-olds attending a birthday party at Show-Me Lanes know this. Visitors to Downtown’s International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame most definitely know this. Heck, even the ancient Egyptians knew this. For 5,000 years, according to our fine…
Review: Arthur Clay’s in Maplewood
Like many young married couples, Stephen and Kerri Scherrer are able to divide responsibilities. He cooks. She bakes. They have put these talents to work at Arthur Clay’s, their rising star of a restaurant in the rapidly growing restaurant oasis of downtown Maplewood. For those who consider excellent dining as the best sign of an…
Review: Tejas in Clayton
There are those who think that Clayton is the new downtown for Greater St. Louis, and many who have visited both sites over the last few months subscribe to that theory. That leads some who play the Geography Game to suggest that maybe Maplewood will be the new Central West End, and Kirkwood the new…
Eat For Luck
Magical and often make-believe, food styling transforms food and non-food products into the stunning masterpieces that we see in magazines, in advertisements and on television – and then struggle to reproduce in the kitchen. While we may eat with our eyes first, not all the “food” in those photos is actually food; and even when…
Wasabi: That Green Blob Next to the Soy Sauce and the Ginger
A number of years ago a friend might have said to me, “Let’s go to a sushi restaurant.” My reply would have been, “Where? In St. Louis?” Today however the same conversation might go something like this: “Hey, let’s go to a sushi restaurant tonight.” My response would be, “Which one?” The explosion of sushi…
Review: Cyrano’s in Webster Groves
Lunch at Cyrano’s changed my life. It was more than 30 years ago, and the ice cream parlor/restaurant was in a basement at the corner of Clayton road and DeMun Avenue, where a bank now stands. Joan Dames, then the features editor of the Post-Dispatch and a friend since the days — the late 1950s,…
Review: Bellaluna in Kirkwood
Peppe Profeta and his mother have been cooking and serving excellent meals to the Guru for many years. I remember the old Gian-Peppe’s on the Hill with great fondness when Peppe, much younger but not much smaller than he is today, was scurrying around the dining room, bringing huge plates from kitchen to table, recommending…
Review: Eleven Eleven Mississippi in St. Louis
Shoes haunt our town. “First in booze, first in shoes, last in the American League,” the saying went. For decades, St. Louis has played cobbler for much of the country, from the mop-top of Buster Brown in the early 20th century to Nelly’s “Air Force Ones” in the early 21st century. In 2004, the tradition…
Thyme is Rich in History and Flavor
Late autumn is the time of year when I really start to crave homemade soups, rich stews and meats that are slow-cooked oven. When making these hearty dishes, there are a few herbs I have to have in my kitchen such as rosemary, sage and thyme. Thyme is one of the best-known and most widely…
A Culinary Visit to New York
When it comes to dining out in the United States – or perhaps even the entire planet – there just is no place like New York. The Guru has extensive dining experience, and he says this without the slightest hesitation. A recent visit confirmed this, and added more. For example, no city offers as much…
Warm Drinks Rescue a Cold Winter
When I was a kid, as winter drew into night, I used to have a recurring dream about being rescued by a Saint Bernard. Lost in a blizzard, I collapsed in the snow on the side of one of the Swiss Alps, felled by an avalanche or something. My were legs frozen, my consciousness blended…
Ready for Your Closeup? Food Styling Transforms Everyday Foods
Magical and often make-believe, food styling transforms food and non-food products into the stunning masterpieces that we see in magazines, in advertisements and on television – and then struggle to reproduce in the kitchen. While we may eat with our eyes first, not all the “food” in those photos is actually food; and even when…
Review: India Palace West in Hazelwood
For at least two decades, St. Louis has boasted a most unusual trifecta – a fine Indian restaurant atop an out-of-the way Howard Johnson motel without fried clams or 28 flavors of ice cream, but with a splendid view of the comings and goings of airplanes at Lambert Field. One hates to say it’s the…
Review: Fox and Hounds in St. Louis
The people of the STL love to claim that an advantage of living here is experiencing four full seasons. But those four full seasons come with a range of 120 degrees. Only 25 are pleasant degrees, and we receive few of the benefits that result from weather extremes. We don’t have beaches; we have Party…
Little-Known Holidays Jazz Up January
Occasionally, my New Year’s Day hangover can last all month. Not necessarily a failure of my sure-fire hangover remedy (pho, the Vietnamese noodle soup), this is rather a slump in spirit. We all get this. After that mistletoe-spangled, Champagne-doused rush to the finish line, the long, barren month of January (a month with only one…
Lemongrass: Versatile and Subtle
With the trend moving towards healthier cooking, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants seem to be gaining popularity across the United States. We are becoming more acquainted with Asian ingredients on menus and one of the most notable and primary ingredients in Thai and Vietnamese cooking is lemongrass. With its subtle lemony undertone, lemongrass is so versatile…
The Science and Art of Healthy Food
When Mildred Mattfeldt-Beman, chairman of the department of nutrition and dietetics at St. Louis University, was asked to help a local hotel restaurant improve the health of its recipes, the hotel’s chef just about flipped out. “He thought we were ruining his recipes, nothing was going to taste good, we were going to lose all…
What Wine Goes with Turkey?
What wine goes with turkey? Nouveau Beaujolais, or the new wines of the Beaujolais region, is an inexpensive quaffing wine, a light, fruity drink that has overtones of sugar with an abundance of fruit and an aroma that always gives me the aura of candied apples. Actually, the wine does go well with turkey, and…
Lavender Adds Unexpected Flavor
Most often when we think of lavender, the first thing that comes to our minds is the lovely fragrance found in sachets, soap, perfumes and potpourri. More recently, however, lavender has been popping up on the menus of trendy, upscale restaurants. Using this wonderful herb in desserts and savory dishes is becoming more and more…
Thanksgiving is a Time to Serve Aperitifs and Digestifs
I can already hear the familiar cries: “Zinfandel. The all-American wine with the all-American dinner.” “Gewürztraminer, the natural match for turkey.” “Why not try Beaujolais Nouveau? ‘Tis the season, and it goes with everything!” The “What Wine to Pair with the Thanksgiving Meal” newspaper column is about as dried-up as your grandmother’s turkey. I’m not…
The Road to Revitalization
Can a restaurant save a neighborhood, spark an urban renaissance, anchor an area? In St. Louis, the answer seems to be “yes.” Restaurants bring commerce and money into a district. But, more importantly, they bring people. Even if people feel nervous about living in an area, they are likely to venture into the unknown to…
Review: Bastante in St. Louis
Menu listings of “small plates” and “large plates,” instead of using more traditional titles for dinner courses, came to St. Louis nearly 15 years ago when Tim Mallett re-did the menu at the tiny Blue Water Grill, a spot so small that diners at different tables could become really good friends between courses. The idea…
Review: The Cat’s Meow in St. Louis
Mid-June. I’m cruising down 12th, admiring Soulard’s stunning century-old architecture –row after row of red brick Victorian townhouses and elegant corner mansions. I hit my block and turn down my alley, carefully avoiding the torched couch, alley cats and bald tires beside the dumpster. Immediately, I see the four neighborhood tweener punks hanging out by…
Review: Kitchen K in St. Louis
While many so-called civic leaders and real-estate executives are at risk of carpal tunnel injury and laryngitis from patting themselves on the back and bragging loudly about all they’ve done for downtown, the Guru thinks most of them go home to St. Louis County in mid-afternoon, leaving Washington Avenue and its environs to flounder in…
Review: Pomme in Clayton
A is for Apple, in a tart or a pieA is a grade that’s deservedly high. . . . The doggerel may be barely of C-minus quality, but Pomme, a small, cozy French bistro in the heart of Clayton, is worthy of high marks as Bryan Carr, after a number of stops around St. Louis,…
Sweet as Honey, Honey
I have a great recipe for bran muffins, but to be honest I hardly ever make them for the actual muffins. I make them for what I put on top of the muffins when I eat them, honey. The combination of a warm muffin, butter and honey is like heaven to me. Winnie the Pooh,…
California Chardonnay: The move toward a two-party system
There are some things in life that simply divide people, tastes that are so decisive and mutually exclusive that everybody pretty much likes one or the other, but rarely both. For instance: democrats or republicans, the Marx Brothers or the Three Stooges, milk chocolate or dark chocolate. These are the issues upon which, for better…
Dining with Spooky Specters: Connect with the spirits of St. Louis’ past this Halloween
On the creepiest night of the year, All Hallows Eve, St. Louisans journey to the Lemp Mansion for the ambience, not the food, although the chili is to die for (pun intended)! On this night, crowds gather to hear the tragic story of the Lemp family, the 19th- and 20th-century beer barons plagued with a…
Review: Jimmy’s on the Park in Clayton
People my age (28) quickly become jaded to reception halls and open bars. Your friends begin the domino-tumble of marriages the summer after college graduation. You hit the winter weddings, spring weddings, summer weddings, fall weddings and is-she-showing? weddings. Inevitably, midway through a reception, you’ll have to turn around to see who is hooting and…
Review: Monarch in Maplewood
Being the hot new restaurant in town can be a mixed blessing. Yes, business is good and crowds are large. The reservation book is so well-used its pages are getting dog-eared. But it’s also a time of high tension. At high prices, small mistakes loom large, and diners can be alienated by a variety of…
Sugar Has a Sweet History
History tells us that sugar has been around for over 1,000 years. Alexander the Great recorded sugar cultivation as early as 327 BC, but it was not until the eighteenth century that sugar cane cultivation began in the United States. The very first refinery was built in New York City around 1690. By 1830 the…
Too Much Choice Leaves Kids “Misnourished”
It used to be that the biggest choice students had at school cafeterias was whether to choke down that glob of canned spinach or just dump it out. No longer. By the time children reach middle and high school, they are often allowed to select what goes on their plates. Naturally, many ignore the healthiest…
Wine Drinkers Can Toast Industry Trends
Wine has historically been a trendy commodity. That is, subject, like fashion, to the zeitgeist of its consumers. Today is no different, though it’s a safe bet to say that more wine is being produced on this planet than ever in its history. Because of this surfeit and because of globalization, the market is more…
Mr. & Mrs. Guru Visit the San Francisco Area
No American city has a monopoly on “best restaurants,” though New York, San Francisco and Chicago have the largest number, in my opinion. But any claim at being “best,” has an ephemeral quality. Chefs have more of the gypsy quality than chorus girls (and boys), and many let some of their dedication to quality slide…
Review: The Billy Goat in St. Louis
Rumor has it that residents near the I-64/Highway 40 intersection with Kingshighway may soon be able to purchase a nuclear-winter-lasting supply of Beef-a-Rino (“Rusty!”) at a Sam’s Club. If the plan comes to fruition, multiple city blocks will implode. With much of the streetscapes derelict, a big box could actually be a welcome addition to…
Review: Liluma in St. Louis
Cary McDowell grew up in Tennessee. You can hear it in his soft vowels, just enough to show his southern heritage. And you can see it on his menu and taste it in his cooking at Liluma, not yet a year old but a very pleasant addition to the Central West End. There’s also a…
All-American Missouri Apples
One of my favorite pictures of my children shows them on a wagon at Eckert’s Orchard. It was a chilly day outside, so they were both bundled up in hats and coats and my son is biting into an apple almost as big as his head. It was a great day at the apple orchard.…
Barbecue Defines Summer
Here we are almost through another summer and I can think of nothing that I will miss more after it’s gone than barbecue. There’s just something about walking outside on a hot summer evening and smelling meat on a grill. I imagine everyone sitting around and chatting while the cook is turning delicious cuts of…
Coconut Puts a Grin on Your Face
Native to Malaysia, Polynesia and southern Asia, coconuts are the fruit of the coconut palm. The word coconut is believed to come from the Spanish and Portuguese word coco, which means “monkey face” or “grinning face” because of the three round, indented markings or “eyes” found at the base of the coconut. There is a…
Campfire Cuisine
Maybe it’s the fresh air sharpening your appetite. Or maybe it harkens back to our primeval cave-dwelling days when “going out” really meant something. But whether it’s a simple picnic on a blanket, a backpacking dinner made of lightweight foods or a four-course meal cooked out of an RV, eating outdoors is one of life’s…
Review: Bar Italia in St. Louis
I heard the whistle first. Even among the drunken shrills of bachelorettes pouring out of the bus and stumbling into M.P. O’Reilly’s across the street, the whistle stood out. This was a “Darn it, look!” alarm, blown with some East-side rhythm. Of course, I looked. Next I saw the baton with blinking green lights, flipping…
Review: Vietnam Star in St. Louis
With both South Grand Boulevard and Olive Boulevard providing entertaining and delicious destinations, St. Louis has watched an explosion of Asian cuisine in the last decade or so. And while quality may vary from one restaurant to another, the overall effect is good; St. Louisans have responded happily. Like many small dining establishments, it’s a…
Spice It Up with Paprika
Most American’s probably think of paprika as that red spice sprinkled on top of deviled eggs, but it is much more important than that, especially in Hungary. Does Hungarian goulash ring a bell? Hungary produces the best paprika in the world. In fact, the Hungarians are very, very picky about their paprika. They have a…
Blueberries: Among the Healthiest Fruits
Whenever I think of muffins, I automatically think of blueberry muffins. The best ones are made with fresh blueberries. The big, juicy berries ooze from the warm muffin. It’s the perfect accompaniment to my morning coffee. Native to North America, the blueberry was picked and consumed by natives who also dried the berry and saved…
Review: King Louie’s in St. Louis
A relative newcomer on the St. Louis dining scene, King Louie’s became a major player about four years ago, when Matt McGuire hired Kirk Warner as the chef and, in a related action, moved the bar to separate, smaller quarters. That enlarged the kitchen and promoted the dining room into the spotlight; adding white tablecloths…
Review: St. Louis Sports Zone in Shrewsbury and Remy’s Kitchen and Wine Bar in Clayton
Best Boys’ Night Out: St. Louis Sports Zone113 Kenrick Plaza, Shrewsbury / 314.961.3366Mon. and Tue. 4 p.m. to 1 a.m., Wed. to Sat. 11 to 1:30 a.m., Sun. 11 a.m. to midnight. TV has the cliché down: All that guys want are sports, beer and beautiful women. Gather the boys for a night out, and…
Review: Sekisui in St. Louis
Man does not live by sushi alone. Neither does woman, nor does the Guru. And a restaurant like Sekisui, whose Japanese cuisine almost completes the Asian food circuit on South Grand Boulevard, goes far beyond sushi for a huge variety of delicacies, some of which may be strange to St. Louis eyes or palates, but…
Cool Off with Sorbet
If your local custard shop or ice cream stand has become a regular hangout, or if the cashier there knows your regular order of an Oreo and peanut butter concrete, then maybe it’s time to get on a sorbet kick. It’s much healthier; sorbet is essentially a water ice with high fruit content. It is…
The Wines of Jerry Lohr
Jerry Lohr has been making wine – excellent wine, too – in San Jose for many years. In concert with winemakers Jeff Meier and Daniel Shaw, he produces fine reds and whites, but like almost all winemakers, he always is trying to improve the product, to bring out the best, and then some, from his…
Real World 101: Setting Up House for the First Time
Before my husband and I got married, his kitchen supplies were, shall we say, slightly less than adequate. In fact, he did not own a single sharp knife. Well, he had a few butter knives scrounged from his mother, the kind with the 1970’s tiki-esque wooden handles, but other than that, eating anything with more…
Berry Berry Strawberry
They are grown and enjoyed all over the world. In Japan they are called Ichigo, and in France they are called Fraise. In Spain they are known as Fresa, and in Germany as Erdbeere. Every state in the United States and every province in Canada grow them. We call them strawberries, and now is prime…
Review: The Science Hip-Hop Spin at Blueberry Hill in St. Louis
It’s hard to imagine a more frivolous column than the St. Louis Scene. I write about St. Louis bars and what makes them interesting so you – lushes and socialites – know where you want to spend Friday night. No politics, only beer. In many of my reviews, I speak of a “diverse” clientele. Oftentimes,…
Vidalia Onions – Sweet, Spicy and Mellow
One of the things I love about this time of year is walking outside and smelling the wonderful aroma of barbecue. There’s always someone in our neighborhood firing up the grill and a juicy hamburger on the grill can’t be beat. The only thing that makes it better is a big, sweet slice of Vidalia…
What’s Cooking Around Town: A Look at St. Louis’ Cooking Classes
My first real step into the world of cooking took place in the winter of 1969, when newly engaged, I enrolled in a gourmet cooking class at Nottingham School in South St. Louis, through the St. Louis Public Schools Continuing Education Program. About two months into the class, with wedding preparations that seemed like a…
Review: Atlas in St. Louis
When Zeus punished Atlas for fomenting a revolt, he levied a far more dire punishment on unknown thousands of sculptors. Atlas, one of the Titans, was forced to spend eternity standing in northwest Africa, among what are now the Atlas Mountains, holding the sky upon his shoulders. That was difficult enough, but sculptors wishing to…
Review: Balaban’s in Chesterfield
Classics dishes are good, and remain good. That’s why they’re called classics. And while many restaurants change menus with speed that sometimes appears to make it happen between courses, there’s something good about permanence, as exemplified in a recent trip to Balaban’s for a look at 30 years of St. Louis dining history, evenings of…
Review: Bar Napoli in Clayton
At many St. Louis watering holes, patrons are lucky to get much more than a hard time when forking over $5 for a Bud Light bottle. A friendly smile? Only after a large tip (>$5). “Thank you?” Only dripping in sarcasm after a small tip (<$5). Good hospitality can put one (or a lounge) over…
Lovage – The Oldest Known “Salad Herb”
I know there is a popular belief here in the Midwest that one shouldn’t plant a garden until Mother’s Day. I know this and yet every year as soon as the first string of hot, sunny days arrives, I’m itching to get out and plant something. This year, I’m planting an herb garden and I…
Shuck ’em, Suck ’em and Chuck ’em
“Shuck ’em, suck ’em and chuck ’em” is the rallying cry for the fourth annual Oyster & and Stout Festival, getting underway March 7 and 8 at Schlafly’s Tap Room, 2100 Locust at 21st Street. The restaurant will be swimming in literally thousands of the succulent shellfish, with live music, raw oyster bars and selected…
Review: Grbic in St. Louis
Grbic, at the South St. Louis intersection where Keokuk runs into Meramec, east of Gravois and south of Chippewa, provides eastern European fare that many of us miss and hardly any of us have seen on a restaurant menu in a long time. Equally as important, the Grbic family has taken the old Bailey Farms…
Review: Vito’s in St. Louis
Statues and sculptures and huge signs that soar over streets like giant clotheslines clutter St. Louis University and its environs these days. Their presence seems to define territory, to convert the center of the city into what looks more and more like a self-contained principality. With St. Louis U. advancing from the east, and Washington…
Review: Frederick’s Music Lounge in St. Louis
I had a band in high school. Smegma. Two screaming MCs, a Hendrix-obsessed rhythm guitarist, a GNR-obsessed lead guitarist (myself), a super raw bass and harmonica player and a great drummer borrowed from the high school’s Pearl Jam and Metallica cover band. For 18 months of my teenage life, I had naïve dreams of musical…
Risotto – A Great Alternative to Pasta
Peruse the menu in most Italian restaurants and there is likely to be at least one risotto dish offered if not several. In fact, risotto has become so popular that many St. Louis restaurants are known for their exceptional risotto dishes. Although the success of risotto is somewhat new to those of us in America,…
Odds and Ends From the Wine Trail
This is a good time of the year for the avid diner, or winer — and that’s winer, not whiner. In a generally slack period for Northern Hemisphere vineyards, it’s a time for winemakers, owners, chefs, and others in the business to get out and around, to press the flesh and visit their customers, to…
A Wee Nip for St. Pat’s
Blarney! Is it March already? It seems as though I was just carving turkeys and popping Champagne. No matter, March is the month of my two favorite holidays: St. Patrick’s Day and the Ides of March. The latter, not generally considered worthy of celebration, is fun to observe for precisely that reason. “Beware the Ides…
Review: Cafe Brasil in St. Louis
Either the world is closing in on St. Louis, or St. Louis is expanding to meet the world. Whichever the case, it’s a mighty plus for St. Louis diners. Cafe Brasil, a two dozen-seat storefront, gives us a second Brazilian restaurant, and another charming one. Jorge Carvalho is the owner-chef of the establishment, located at…
Mysterious Leeks
Until just recently, my knowledge of leeks consisted of knowing that they were something similar to an onion, and that they always seemed to be in season because I always noticed them at the grocery store. Although they were readily available, I could never imagine what I would do with what I considered a very…
Tisanes: Herbal Infusions
We all know that herbs have long been used for their medicinal properties throughout history. It’s no wonder then that in addition to eating herbs, or using them as a topical agent, we also drink herbs for their medicinal properties. Many herbs are known for their stimulating or relaxing effect much the same as tea…
Great Capers!
Many times throughout my restaurant career I was asked, “What is a caper?” I always gave the same answer, “The caper is the bud of a flowering plant.” However, if pressed for more information, I was stumped. So after some serious research, here is what I found out. A caper is basically the immature flower…
Pullin In To Port
A little-known fact about St. Valentine is that he did not love the color pink. “Why does pink have to be the color of love?” he once complained to the New York Times in 1978. “It’s only watered down red. You want passion? Give me crimson, give me vermillion.” With regard to wine, St. Valentine…
A Sweet Tradition
“I went on my first date here,” one customer confided to a friend. “I have to get a hot fudge sundae. I get one every time I come,” another patron announced while standing in the crowded line next to me, waiting for a table. “Ooohhh! The candy! Look at all the candy,” a little girl…
Review: Modesto in St. Louis
To a professional eater, there are few things as disappointing as an unsatisfactory meal. After all, one is dining for fun as well as profit, to expand the stomach (only a little) and the store of culinary knowledge (as much as possible). But the memory of a meal that fails to please is totally wiped…
Review: Luciano’s in St. Louis
With the economy still not what all of us would like it to be, St. Louisans who dine out a lot are looking with favor these days at trattorias and bistros. They’re Italian and French, respectively, but both result in a smaller tab for the diner and a style of cooking that is more home-…
Review: The Schlafly Tap Room in St. Louis
The warning bell rang loud and clear, somewhere between my shoulder blades, as the server brought utensils to the table, placed them carefully around the plate. A steak knife, serrated edges gleaming wickedly in the overhead lights, sat in its correct position. A steak knife? Why? The guru had ordered meat loaf, which came with…
Great Dates in The StL
Lonely and bitter souls decry February 14 a Hallmark holiday. Gold diggers vie for the material goods, while players see roses and chocolates as metaphorical. Admit it. You want a Valentine– – if for nothing else than to shut your friends up. You’re sick of their attempted set-ups. Stop whining and grab the digits of…
Add the Flavor Without the Crunch: Celery Seed
Celery seeds are the dried fruit of the wild celery plant called “smallage” that is native to the Mediterranean region. The Greeks called it “selinon” and regarded it as a holy plant, and it is mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey dating from 850 BC. Its use was mostly ceremonial and its leaves were worn by the…
Collinsville is The Horseradish Capital of the World
Each May, Collinsville, Illinois, just a short hop across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, plays host to the International Horseradish Festival. There are several games and events including a horseradish root toss, a horseradish-eating contest, and of course, a horseradish recipes contest. I will admit that although I remember hearing about the festival and…
Tasting Red Wines
Many people had their first taste of dry red wine from a bottle labeled “Gallo Hearty Burgundy.” The wine certainly did not come from the French province of the same name, nor from the pinot noir grapes that grow there, but it was a right wine at a right price at a right time, and…
Weighty Issues: The Low-Fat Food Craze
Reduced fat. Low fat. Fat free. These terms are used every day – and seen on products in virtually every aisle in grocery stores. There was a time when terms and claims could be tossed around with abandon, but no more. The government put a stop to that in 1990 with the Nutrition Labeling and…
The Ratings Game
Often when I enter a wine shop, I imagine that I have just passed through Scooby Doo’s magic curtain and been transformed back into the unknowing customer. I usually go to the first salesperson I see and ask where they keep their highly rated white Zins. This is akin to asking to see video footage…
The Sin of White Zin
Note to those reading this column: I have a few years’ experience in the wine field and need to share something very close to my heart. Sit down for this, because if you are a beginning wine drinker this may be a little hard to swallow (pun intended). Are you ready? Okay. Here goes. I…
Review: Lu Lu Seafood Restaurant in University City
With the Chinese New Year a little more than two weeks away — Feb. 1 is the exact date — the Guru continues to be extremely pleased over the number of new, and excellent, Asian restaurants to take up residence in the last decade or so. And it’s more than just restaurants. Food stores also…
Review: BARcelona in St. Louis
The Spanish cocktail hour custom of tapas is an example of civilization at a higher level – especially if dinner is not served until 11 p.m., or even midnight. Tapas, as demonstrated with flavor and excellence at BARcelona, are small plates topped with delicious morsels, like a cocktail party where the hors d’oeuvres are truly…
No Holiday is Complete Without Eggnog
Chances are that sometime during the holiday season you will be offered a cup of eggnog. I think eggnog is something you either look forward to or dread. If you love it, great. You’ll get as much as you can drink. If not, it doesn’t really matter. You will still have to try the recipe…
Pecans Bring Richness to Holiday Fare
Christmas and New Year’s Eve are fast approaching and I’ve always thought that all the preparation we do for one week of the year is rather magical. Everything becomes a bit more dazzling and a warm joyous attitude envelops all of us. I love the baking, the decorating of the house, the tree trimming, and…
Control Yourself!
I was driving as I often do, hardly paying attention to the road, stuck behind a huge, white truck. While slowly moving along, passing time in my mind, I became lost in thought. The sun was beating down and it was summer in steamy hot St. Louie. Still puttering along stuck behind that truck, lost…
Challenging Assumptions: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain
I was all prepared not to like Anthony Bourdain. I assumed that his big best seller, last year’s “Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly,” was something like Bernard Goldberg’s autobiographical rant about his career in TV news called Bias; A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distorts the News which has been roundly dismissed…
Review: Gian-Tony’s in St. Louis
The west side of the Hill, where Berra Park provides a pleasant haven for picnickers, softball players and soccer enthusiasts, is less crowded and commercial than the blocks to the east. The aura is relaxed and conservative, and new construction has not been seen in many years. It’s also the home of a true dining…
Consumer Mistakes Case by Case
I spent some time this past month bouncing from bar to bar performing my usual “drink” research routine at some of the posh places around town. With my trusty silver pen in check, two sticks of juicy fruit, a corkscrew (as I always have one on me) and my seldom-used reporter’s notebook, I set out…
Butter. Is it good for us? Is it bad for us?
Butter. Is it good for us? Is it bad for us? Should we avoid it or not worry about it? I have a simple solution to most food-health dilemmas and that is, if it tastes good I eat it. I know people who think that by eating butter they will be one step closer to…
Review: I Fratellini in Clayton
Wall-length banquettes and high conversational volume bring an East Side of Manhattan aura to I Fratellini, the Clayton-based little brother to Zoe Robinson’s eponymous Central West End establishment. And the familial similarity extends farther because “I Fratellini” means “little brothers,” and Robinson named her new restaurant to honor her two small sons. In addition, Laotian…
Review: Absolutli Goosed in St. Louis
“I had never tasted anything so cool and clean. They made me feel civilized.” – “A Farewell to Arms” protagonist Frederic Henry’s description of his just-consumed three martinis In the alcohol treatise “Martini, Straight Up: The Classic American Cocktail,” author Lowell Edmund attempts to define what this sublime cocktail communicates, somewhat successfully arguing that the…
Review: The Bistro at Grand Center in St. Louis
Editor’s note: The Bistro at Grand Center has closed. The Guru has trailed Eddie Neill to a number of St. Louis locations for many years. We began in a corner of the basement of the Galleria, then watched and admired the flowering of his skills as a restaurateur and entrepreneur in Clayton, the Central West…
Savory Lends Flavor to Most “Savory” Dishes
When most of us hear or see the word savory, it is often used as an adjective to describe the wonderful, mouth-watering flavor of a particular food or dish. It makes us think of good things, things bursting with flavor. However, many fail to realize that savory is also a very aromatic herb with a…
Open Sesame
Sesame seeds are used all over the world. They have a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and aroma. They are believed to be one of the first condiments and one of the first plants to be used for edible oil. Its origin is somewhat disputed — some experts contend that it originated in Africa and others…
Increase Your Wine Knowledge One Book at a Time
Choosing wine can be as much a part of your life as your palate. Regardless of whether you are a frequent traveler through wine country or ready to venture out for the first time both research and tasting, in varying degrees, will be required. There has always been an unfortunate snob appeal associated with wines…
Review: Milo’s Bocce Garden in St. Louis
The family in “The Italian Immigrants” sculpture outside St. Ambrose Roman Catholic Church on the Hill seems to curiously peer across Marconi into authentic, bonafied St. Louis: Milo’s Bocce Garden. Perhaps “Immigrants” sculptor Rudolph Torrini wanted his representation of new St. Louis Italians grounded in the holy, yet looking toward the worldly. Then again, maybe…
Review: Blue Water Grill in Kirkwood
Ever since its modest beginnings as a crowded former ice cream stand on Hampton Avenue, the Blue Water Grill, first jewel in restaurateur Tim Mallett’s shining group, has provided some unusual, flavorful, imaginative seafood dishes coming from a series of talented chefs. Lisa Slay is in charge right now, having started at the Blue Water…
Review: O’Connell’s Pub in St. Louis
The Guru considers it a compliment when people ask about his “favorite restaurant,” but the difficulty is to answer directly. I have many favorites, depending on season, or budget, or what I ate the night before. Therefore, I try to hedge, asking about price range, or allergies, specific likes or, more frequently, dislikes. But when…
California Winemakers Visit St. Louis
This is a good time to talk to winemakers, and several have visited St. Louis in the last couple of weeks. There’s an opportunity now and for the next few weeks, before harvest begins, and winemakers and chefs use the time to go on the road, visiting and talking – and selling, too. The first…
Carried Away by Caraway
Caraway has been used as a spice for thousands of years. The seeds have been found in Mesopotamian remains at least 5,000 years old. Evidence to caraway’s use comes from seeds found in debris in lakes in Switzerland. Thought to be one of the oldest used spices in Europe, caraway seed was used in breads,…
Wine 101
Long ago, on a Friday night in a galaxy far away, I – in hope of becoming the most sophisticated of my beer-chugging, college-age, mortal friends – ventured past the Cheetos and Ramen noodles, into the dark alleys of the wine section of the grocery store. Over-exposure to cheese pizza, Big Macs and mass quantities…
Chutneys and Relishes Add Flavor That Pops
To me, some of the most interesting combinations of ingredients are often found in chutneys and relishes. I love trying to figure out exactly what’s in that chunky mixture and savoring each flavor that pops out and stands up for itself. Chutney originated in India where its Hindu name chatni means, “strongly spiced”. Brought home…
Review: Trattoria Marcella in St. Louis
Going into the restaurant business may be a better bet than dropping a chip on a casino roulette wheel, but not much. Nationally, more than half the new ones fail within a year, and sad tales of failure are legendary and numerous. Trattoria Marcella is one of the great St. Louis success stories of the…
Review: King Louie’s in St. Louis
They are not as obvious as flashing turn signals, but young restaurants offer positive signs about the directions they are about to take. Where King Louie’s was concerned, the signal was loud and clear the day television sets came out of the bar. The operation was smaller in those days, but it was obvious that…
Review: The Great Grizzly Bear in St. Louis
Soulard is full of original corner tavern bars that lend a comfortable and natural neighborhood feel. Too few neighborhoods understand how a bar is integrated into its fabric. But the new owner of The Great Grizzly Bear, George Albers, understands how a neighborhood bar needs to set itself apart to gain the respect of the…
Peppered with Peppercorns
Known as the King of Spices or the Master Spice, pepper was cultivated as long ago as 1000 BC, and was the single most important factor in the European search for sea routes to the East. Pepper was considered so valuable that it was used as currency and was literally worth its weight in gold.…
Heirloom Tomato Cooking Contest Recipes
Clayton Farmer’s Market’s first Heirloom Tomato Festival was a huge success. Chefs Richard Perry (Lindell Terrace Cafe and Bar), Steve Gontrum (Harvest), Lisa Slay (Remy’s) and Bryan Young (Catering Plus) made wonderful salads with market tomatoes. At 11:00am the amateur cooking contest began, featuring ten entrees. They were luscious. Judges Dorothy Weiner (Ladue News), Ann…
An Afternoon with Rick Sayre
Rick Sayre has been the winemaker at Rodney Strong Vineyards more than 20 years, and like most winemakers, he’s a man with a considerable breadth of knowledge. I’ve known many winemakers over the last few decades; most are interesting people with a lot to impart, and most are happy to share their knowledge. Sayre, like…
Review: Nachomama’s in Rock Hill
A short, stocky Mexican emigre named Pete Dominguez, who drove a huge Cadillac in the University of Texas colors of burnt orange and white, complete with plastic longhorns on the fenders and a horn that played “The Eyes of Texas,” introduced me to Tex-Mex cooking a long, long time ago. His Dallas restaurant, Casa Dominguez,…
Review: Yia Yia’s in Chesterfield
Many St. Louis restaurants have an attitude. Not good. Yia Yia’s Euro Café has an aura. Good. Whenever Mme. Guru and I brave the wilds of west county, we have a good time at Yia Yia. Our dinners have been excellent, and getting better. But almost as important, we have a good time because everyone…
Tumeric is Exotic and Healthful
Turmeric comes from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, which is a leafy perennial in the ginger family. The spice comes from the fingers that extend from the root. They are boiled or steamed, then ground and dried. Most of us are familiar with turmeric for the bright yellow color it adds to food.…
Mustard is a “Must” in the Kitchen
Mustard has always been one of the world’s most important spices and although the origin of the plant is not known it is believed that birds and wind spread the plant across the Northern Hemisphere. It was found in Stone Age settlements and ancient people from India to Rome munched on the seeds as a…
Review: Lorenzo’s Trattoria in St. Louis
Most of the restaurants on the Hill, the neat, bright, always freshly painted neighborhood in South St. Louis that has been an Italian enclave for more than a century, have a common style in decor, and sometimes in food preparation, too. The view is of starched white linen and heavy silver, lots of brightly sparkling…
Review: India Palace in Bridgeton
Editor’s note: India Palace has relocated to 12322 Dorsett Road in Maryland Heights, Missouri. St. Louis restaurants have many great attributes, beginning with the quality of the meals, which really is where it all begins. But the dining spots here in River City and its environs don’t offer much in terms of exciting views. Oh, the people-watching…
Never Run Out of Olive Oil
Everyone has staples in their kitchen, things that are a must have for everyday use such as flour, sugar, milk and salt. Most people also have certain items that may not be found in every kitchen on the block but always in theirs. That one thing they just cannot fathom being out of. For me…
Capture True South Asian Flavor with Fish Sauce
If you’ve ever dabbled in Vietnamese or Thai cooking, chances are you know the terms nuoc mam and nam pla. For the rest of us, I’ll translate. Nuoc mam and nam pla are translated literally as “fish water” or fish sauce. Fish sauce is a staple in Vietnamese and Thai cooking much like salt is…
Review: Maya Cafe in Maplewood
Once upon a time, before the Central West End became as popular as it is today, El Maya was a little Latino restaurant just off the corner of Laclede and Euclid Avenues. Most of the menu was Mexican fare like enchiladas and tacos, but there also were items like paella – and clam dip. Amparo…
Review: Riddle’s in St. Louis
The University City Loop may be the last bastion of hippie-dom in St. Louis and environs. Slackers, poets and those who prefer their flesh either pierced or colored wander the neighborhood, noting the sidewalk stars dedicated to those who left their mark on River City, making mental notes of what their own stars will say…
Review: Broadway Oyster Bar in St. Louis
As summer quickly approaches many St. Louisans move their social gatherings from indoors to outdoors. For the next three months we are able to enjoy the freedom that being outdoors has to offer. This seasonal liberty draws many to sit upon their stoop, sipping on a tall can of Pestalozzi-Street-brewed-beer as they nod heads to…
Add a Little Happiness to Your Life – Cook with Marjoram
With marjoram knots, sweetbrier and ribbon grass, And lavender, the choice of every lass, And sprigs of lad’s-love, all familiar names Which every garden through the village claims. John Clare, The Shepherd’s Calendar, 1827 According to mythology marjoram was created by Aphrodite as a symbol of happiness and was used by the Greeks and Romans…
Borage? What the heck is that?
Suppose we were having a conversation and I casually said, “I had some borage today for lunch and it was terrific.” Borage? What the heck is that? To tell you the truth, it makes me think of porridge or some thick stew from another country. But in reality borage is an herb with a large…
Review: Mangia Italiano in St. Louis
Mangia Italiano was one of the staples of South City beatnik culture prior to the days of the Way Out Club. The South Grand landmark business started out as a grocery store owned by Doc and Micci Parmely. Micci eventually turned the business into a restaurant and, with her unique style of decoration and engaging,…
Review: Mai Lee in Brentwood
When the Guru was very young, and indeed he was at one time, his early experience with Chinese cuisine brought wide-eyed excitement on several levels. First, there was the superb food with mysterious texture and flavor. Second was the fact that waiters never wrote down orders, yet had the uncanny ability to always bring the…
Review: Smith and Slay’s in Clayton
Editor’s note: Smith and Slay’s has closed. David Slay knows what St. Louisans like in a restaurant. He serves large portions of gently spiced food, from good raw materials, with an elegant presentation. Surprise is rare on a David Slay menu. Unfamiliar flavors and textures are banished; few items demand much explanation from a talented,…
Bowl Full of Salad Greens
Do you remember when the simple phrase, “I’ll have a salad” was just that and nothing more? When no one asked questions about the type of greens or ingredients or salad dressing? I can’t and I bet you can’t either. Let’s face it, the salad we knew as kids no longer exists. Ordering a salad…
Chives are Simple Herbs
Chives have been a favorite herb for a long, long time. The Chinese used them as a culinary and medicinal plant some 3000 years before the birth of Christ. One of the oldest recorded recipes, in 1330 BC, included chives. Thought to be a protective plant, chives were used to stop bleeding and as an…
Review: Nobu’s Japanese Restaurant in St. Louis
Nobu Kidera has been a sushi chef – slicing and dicing fish, vegetables and other things into a myriad of intricate shapes and sizes – for a long time. He began in Kobe, Japan, as a young man, moved to Hawaii in 1972, and came to St. Louis 11 years later to work at Tachibana.…
Review: Chez Leon in St. Louis
Editor’s note: Chez Leon has closed. There’s a lot to be said for phrases from our childhood. Sometimes, after we grew up, or came close it, we discovered their truth. The Guru has an old favorite, “Life is short. Eat dessert first.” Some people find this perfect for any occasion, any meal. Some of us prefer…
Review: 33 in St. Louis
Lafayette Square was founded as one of the first upscale suburbs of early Saint Louis. Historic, elegant townhouses surround the periphery of the historic walking park, separated by wide streets that were designed to be used as parade routes. While Lafayette Square has gone through many changes in its one-hundred-plus years of existence, the “high…
Edible Flowers Dress Up Your Table
Everybody loves a beautiful flower garden, and if you have one in your yard, this time of year is for you. Planting a flower garden isn’t just something you decide to do in a day and it’s over. There is a process that requires quite a bit of thought and planning to make it all…
Seder Wines
With Passover approaching, and the first Seder scheduled for Wednesday, March 27, it’s a pleasure to report, as we have for several years, that it is easy to drink a number of Kosher wines for the holiday even if the imbiber gets no special benefit in the hereafter from the action. In recent years, with…
New York Renewal
Spring is the season of renewal. Look around. The bright yellow buds on the forsythia, the slices of green on hyacinths and jonquils and tulips slicing through earth that has laid a brown shroud over everything through the winter. The same sort of renewal brings a good feeling to Manhattan these days. The disasters of…
Don’t Take Salt for Granted
If I had to pick one kitchen ingredient that we all took for granted, salt would be the one. Salt or sodium chloride is an essential element in the diet of humans, animals and even some plants. Since our human body cannot manufacture sodium and chloride itself, it must rely on the human consumption of…
Review: Joyce’s Corner in St. Louis
Early morning bars are not uncommon in St. Louis. Many bars in the industrial areas of town attract a healthy crowd after the third shift, and it is typical to see a watering hole open at 7am. But there’s at least one bar that goes right to the job site for some. Inside the central…
Soy Sauce Comes in Many Forms
Since I started writing these articles for Sauce, I have discovered new things, found countless new recipes, and definitely learned a lot about the history of products, spices and herbs that we use all the time. Sometimes while researching the history of something, I find very interesting tidbits of lore that hardly anyone knows. Other…
Spice Up Mardi Gras with Cayenne Pepper
It’s time for Mardi Gras, and for some this celebration means procuring as many strands of brightly colored beads as possible and consuming outrageous amounts of beer. For others though, Mardi Gras means eating and savoring great food such as hearty gumbo or spicy jambalaya. So, I thought it would be fun to research a…
Chervil is More Interesting Than Parsley
Parsley, parsley, parsley, it’s everywhere. A sprig of parsley sits next to your Shrimp Dijon at a restaurant. Many recipes call for parsley, either for a touch of color in an otherwise ordinary looking sauce or as a subtle flavor to perk up a mild dish. Next time you have the urge to grab the…
Red Wine Musings
The list below is a highly personal view of some red wines that I’ve tasted over the last few months, with approximate retail prices and in no particular order. And a few additional notes: “Estate bottled” means the grapes were grown and the wine made on the same property. California wines are usually labeled by…
Review: Wonton King in University City
When my good friend, the Old China Hand, takes his wallet out of his pocket to pay for his share of dinner at a Chinese restaurant, white flakes flutter everywhere. It looks as if a snowstorm has hit the restaurant. Well, the OCH usually carries fortune cookie slips from meals consumed in the last month…
Review: Babe’s Tavern in St. Louis
There are some bars and pubs that don’t need to jump with excitement. They cruise along, pretty much unchanging, with a comforting kind of hum, developed over the years. That’s what Babe’s Tavern is like. It is now (and always has been) cool, without the need to flaunt it. Babe’s is an unassuming drinking establishment,…
Review: La Piazza in University City
La Piazza is a restaurant with what seems to be urban charm and a neighborhood feeling, all at the same time. Most diners seem to walk from their homes in the attractive area, just north of the University City-Clayton line. On busy nights, I’ve also seen potential customers discuss the menu with a staffer, come…
Review: SqWires in Lafayette Square
When it comes to decor, SqWires reminds me of “Sweeney Todd,” minus the Stephen Sondheim music. The high-ceilinged building on South 16th Street, just off Lafayette Square, is a former wire factory, and giant wooden spools from the old days, along with some super-sized fans, hang from the high ceiling. The original stage set showed…
Mmmmm … Chocolate
I don’t know a single person who doesn’t like chocolate and I only know a few people who say they would rather have something else sweet. I don’t trust them. I mean, who can pass up a moist, triple chocolate cake with fudge icing? I know I can’t. I’m a sucker for chocolate, I always…
Floral Waters Sweeten Valentine’s Day
These days it is not uncommon to see a recipe that calls for rose water or orange-blossom water. Although floral waters have just recently come into use in the United States, they have actually been around a very long time. It is said that over 2000 years ago, Persia was exporting rose water as far…
Review: Mandarin Bay in St. Louis
Editor’s note: Mandarin Bay has closed. After nearly 30 years as a writer about restaurants, the Guru has developed a certain routine, or operating procedure, when it comes to visiting them. In the days when I wrote for the Post-Dispatch, I always made reservations under someone else’s name – anyone else’s name. These days, writing…
Review: Zinnia in Webster Groves
It seems as though this purple palace always has been part of the scene at the northern edge of Webster Groves, perfect for fine dining on the way to enjoying the Rep or Opera Theatre, but only a dozen or so years ago, this was a gas station that served superior Italian-style sandwiches, the sort…
Review: Gene Lynn’s Keeps the Spirit of Gaslight Square Alive
This bar reviewer is automatically suspicious of any tavern that is located in a strip mall. I am admittedly biased against the antiseptic nature of such places, considering that they are a direct contradiction to the organic and personal tavern. But where there’s a rule, there’s an exception. Gene Lynn’s is located in a mall…
Holiday Sparklers
This is the time of year for things that sparkle – lights on the house, sequins on the dress, bubbles in the bottle. Sparkling wine, usually called Champagne — sometimes correctly and sometimes not — is the prime toast of the season, and as we come roaring into the final days before the holiday, the…
Review: The Venice Cafe in St. Louis
The Venice Cafe has always held a special place in this reviewer’s heart. It was the first bar I ever went to on my own, back in the late ’80s. I still see poets and patrons on the St. Louis scene who were around during my first night of independent bar trolling. The Venice, then…
Review: Morton’s in Clayton
When it’s time for dinner, American diners have one huge advantage over their European neighbors. Beef. As in steak. Good beef. As in steak from Morton’s. The fancy Clayton establishment, with prices that are extravagant and quality that obeys Pollack’s First Law, “a restaurant is judged by the prices it charges,” has few flaws and…
More Words on the St. Louis Bar Scene
Openings and Closings * The swank rat pack themed bar/restaurant the Summit downtown has been bought out and will soon close. Booo! Sources say that the place had a bit of a fire after it was shuttered. * Colorado, the former midtown restaurant and bar by the SLU fortress has reopened their new space aptly…
Review: Chez Leon in St. Louis and Jimmy’s on the Park in Clayton
The approach of winter, as evidenced by the crisp chill in the morning air denying the first impression of warmth offered by a bright sun, or the cascade of red, orange and yellow leaves herded by a sharp gust of November wind, also signals the perfect season for a hearty breakfast or, if you like…
Review: Las Palmas in St. Louis
I like big wines and big steaks, but I also like little, tiny fish. Maybe it’s a throwback to my childhood, when perhaps I was overly impressed by a novelty song about the three itty fishies in the itty-bitty pool. “‘Swim,’ said the Momma Fishie, ‘swim if you can,’ and they swam and they swam…
Review: Alibi’s in St. Louis
Saint Louis has always had an odd mixture of bars. We have the glamorous Manhattan style supper clubs on Washington Avenue, blue collar working stiff bars in the neighborhoods, cutting edge music venues, and everything in between. But sometimes you find a bar that you could not even imagine existed. Alibi’s is located in an…
Review: Cafe Provençal in Kirkwood
A number of people tried, in many locations over many years, to bring French bistro fare to a St. Louis restaurant, but Eddie Neill was the first to succeed. His first Café Provençal, now 8 1/2 years old, was a leader as Clayton became “the place” to dine in St. Louis. For many years, the…
Review: The Hi-Pointe in St. Louis
The Hi-Pointe has long been one of the favorite meeting points of all the Saint Louis bars. The bar is centrally located at the Southwest corner of Forest Park at the intersection of Clayton, McCausland and Skinker next to what is commonly referred to as the “world’s largest Amoco sign”. The bar is adjoined in…
Review: Anthony’s Bar in St. Louis and Fast Eddie’s Bon Air in Alton
Those of us who live right here in River City are fortunate in having a wide range range of restaurants, but nowhere along this spectrum is there are pair of lunch stops quite as disparate as Anthony’s Bar in downtown St. Louis, and Fast Eddie’s Bon-Air in downtown Alton. I’m extremely fond of both of…
Review: Fredrick’s Music Lounge in St. Louis
Fredrick’s Music Lounge is what you could think of as a real find. The bar is hidden and has a mysterious aura, with traits similar to that of a speakeasy. The bar is an actual lower level addition in an unassuming residential home on Chippewa just east of Kingshighway in South Saint Louis. The entrance…
Review: Troy’s in St. Louis
There are cosmopolitan bars in Saint Louis and some of the best ones are not necessarily the obvious choices. Troy’s Bar takes the bar scene in Saint Louis in an interesting new direction and is a great addition to the city. The bar has a too rare mix of people of many different backgrounds. The…
Review: Schlafly Brewery and Tap Room in St. Louis
A decade ago Tom Schlafly opened a microbrewery in a city that has been long known for its history of breweries. This was not an easy feat in a city dominated by the world’s largest brewer of beer, Anheuser-Busch. Many legal challenges to opening a new small brewery were thrown in the way of the…
The Battle Lines Have Been Drawn
I’ve learned more about pediatric nutrition in the last three weeks than I ever cared to know. I’ve learned about vegetables. And fruits. And proteins, and carbohydrates, and how combining them properly can affect energy levels of small children. I’ve learned which nutrients are absolutely essential to developing a strong body and strong bones, and…
Words on the St. Louis Bar Scene
The most notorious and popular dive bar in Saint Louis, the Cat’s Meow, has undergone a major renovation. The bar is owned by 9th Ward Alderman Ken Ortmann (Tower Grove East/Soulard/Benton Park) and part owned/managed by a pair of sisters. Apparently the sisters had a falling out and one bought out the other. The bar…
You Want Monkey Brains? They Got Monkey Brains!
Well almost. You may not find ingredients that extreme, but if your recipe requires anything approaching the exotic, then one of the many international food specialty shops in St. Louis could procure it for you. For most, the utterance of Southeast Asian delicacy and Midwest in the same sentence seems as likely as Elvis reappearing…
Review: Dressel’s in St. Louis
There are some bars that are a real gem of Saint Louis. They have qualities that exceed the expectations of the professional bar goer. The atmosphere is ultimately laid down by the characters on both sides of the bar, but the physical aspects of the bar are what initially create the comfortable feel to the…
Review: Jazz at The Bistro in St. Louis
Bars can be very different. Some can be true to their purpose neighborhood hangouts at the corner tavern. Other bars are a place for people to come from all over the city. There is always a compelling reason why people go to a particular bar. The Jazz at the Bistro offers the finest in Jazz…
Review: The Shenandoah Bar and Grill in St. Louis
While neighborhood bars subtlety change over the years, the taverns still have many qualities that stay the same. The Shenandoah Bar and Grill reopened in 1996 in the old Tip Top Tavern that closed in 1986, located on the northeast corner of Compton and Shenandoah. The bar is situated in a large two story structure…
Review: Club Elite in St. Louis
I went out the other evening looking for Terry’s Polynesian Lounge on North Kingshighway. I was drawn to the idea of an enigmatic Polynesian Lounge on the north side. I remembered the great late night TV spots featuring Terry and his Lounge that rivaled the commercials of local loony commercial pitchman Steve Mizerany. I always…
Review: The Rocket Bar in St. Louis
People go to bars where they feel comfortable. There are many different kinds of places because there are many different types of people. Some seek the simple places that have beer and no frills. Some look for a place that shows the big game. Other people feel comfortable in a dance club. Still others feel…
Review: The Black Thorn in St. Louis
The Black Thorn is a true neighborhood tavern at the corner of Wyoming and Spring in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of the South Side. The bar is directly next to single family houses and a full block off popular South Grand. Saint Louis is known for neighborhood taverns that dot the city streets, but…
Home Cookin’: Ann Lemons Reviews a New Batch of Outstanding Cookbooks
Madhur Jaffrey’s World Vegetarian. Clarkson Potter/Publishers. $40. 758 pp. I’m a sucker for vegetarian cookbooks. I grew up in a world of Meat, By God – even fish were somehow suspect – and canned vegetables or fresh ones cooked into sodden submission. But like a lot of St. Louisans of my generation, there was the…
Review: The Tenderloin Room in St. Louis
The Chase Park Plaza has always had a certain aura. It has always had the stature as the living quarters for the high class. The complex sits across from historic Forest Park, in what has traditionally been for the past one hundred years the highest-class area of Saint Louis. Stepping up to the Chase reminds…
Sweet Harvest
Rest assured, the final installment of the St. Louis Chef’s Collaborative 2000 Dinner Series was one for the record books. The evening was the culmination of six months of pure synergy between farmers, chefs and food purveyors to create a heightened awareness of healthy and fabulous food grown and prepared locally. The air was thick…
Review: Sweet P’s in St. Louis
Saint Louis was built on immigrant communities. The cornerstone of these immigrant communities was just as often the neighborhood tavern as it was the family. The Irish and Germans who flooded Saint Louis during the last half of the 19th century made the tavern a neighborhood staple like butcher shops and corner stores. Breweries and…
Harvesting a New Way to Look a Vegetables
The fifth Missouri Chef’s Collaborative Dinner at Harvest restaurant was one for the record books. Every dish from the hors d’oeuvres all the way through the four courses up until and including the dessert was vegan. That is, not one iota of meat or cream or butter or eggs was used in the preparation of…
Hob-Nobbing With the Literati: Dinner with Harold Pinter
Since many would describe their first “discovery” of a writer as a moment in a college or high school literature class, my first exposure to British playwright Harold Pinter stands a bit outside the norm. One Saturday morning, when I was still young enough to rise early for cartoons, I noticed an advertisement, run rather…
Review: Kyle’s Korner in St. Louis
Sometimes you notice that one bar is significantly different than most others. Kyle’s Corner is a tavern situated in deep south Saint Louis, in the Patch neighborhood of Carondelet at the corner of Courtois and Virginia. Carondelet is an old city that was annexed by St. Louis prior to 1900 with a rich and culturally…
The French Laundry Visits The Crossing
Thomas Keller is known as one of the United States’ best chefs, and deservedly so. He is a creative, conscientious chef who understands and loves food, in all of its forms. Keller recently passed through St. Louis on a tour promoting his new book, The French Laundry, named after his infamous restaurant in Napa Valley,…
Firing It Up for Organics at Annie Gunn’s
The fourth Missouri Chef’s Collaborative dinner started off with a bang. (Time out. Keep reading. That was my first and only pun – excluding the title. I promise to restrain myself). Lou Rook, head chef at Annie Gunn’s, whetted the palates of the 125 diners with an impressive selection of fresh organic cheeses, smokehouse sausages…
Magic Mushrooms Unite Some Incurable Epicurians
According to Middle Eastern hieroglyphics carved some 4600 years ago, the Egyptians believed that mushrooms were the plant of immortality. As a result, the pharaohs declared them food for royalty so that none of the working class could ever touch them, let alone revel in their unique, earthy taste. Not so in the year 2000…
Review: The Famous Bar
The Famous Bar is not what you might expect. It does not have the typical traits of a southside bar. Your first impression will be the most obvious difference: the friendly and professional tie-wearing doorman who greets regulars and gives a positive impression to new patrons. The doorman, Mike Ingram, sets the atmosphere for the…
Review: Cloverleaf
The Cloverleaf is quite possibly the finest bar in Saint Louis. No, it does not have the beautiful people like the high class Ritz or the ultra trendy Washington Avenue. It does have the atmosphere that these bars try oh-so-hard to create. Good atmosphere comes naturally. Atmosphere cannot be created with a dress code, expensive…
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Part II : Be a Guest at Your Own Dinner Party
You – again. This time we’re going to throw a vegetarian dinner party. Since you’re probably glowing from having created last weeks fool proof carnivore dinner, you are ready to meet the needs of a changing world. This menu is also trés simple, but with the added bonus of being politically correct and unabashedly healthy.…
Coming Home to an Organic Dinner
Chef Maggie Kelly from the downtown restaurant Hot Locust encapsulated two distinct yet undeniable impressions at the second installment of the Missouri Chef’s Collaborative dinners. The first was when she remarked that cooking with the organic produce and farm fresh eggs took her back to her childhood home – a multi-acre organic farm in Catalwassa,…
Review: The Melrose Club in St. Louis
The Melrose is a calm neighborhood bar at the intersection of Macklind and Southwest. The tavern is across the corner from Hanneke’s, the neighborhood hardware store, and down the street from the famous restaurant Cunetto’s. The State Mental Hospital dome can be seen glowing ominously in the distance from the pub’s front door. Melrose has…
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner Part I: Be a Guest at Your Own Dinner Party
You. That’s right, you’re coming to your next dinner party. No more hiding out in the kitchen sweating and cursing between courses, falling all over yourself to make things perfect. The only person who even approaches perfection is Martha Stewart and we all know about the army of secret little helpers she employs. The truth…
Take Two Kiwi and Call Me in the Morning
Hippocrates said, “Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” Not a bad idea considering most of what we need to survive is (so far) found on our very own planet. We’ve-um-amended that notion in the last few centuries with the advent of technology, chemistry and genetically modified food, but it looks like…
Crossing to Safety
SURGEON GENERAL’S WARNING: Eating the chemically or metabolically enhanced food in this establishment may result in indigestion, disease and most importantly: a bad culinary experience. Unfortunately, restaurants are not required to post such warning messages. Diners are never sure of the quality of the food they eat unless the chef prints the sources on the…
Review: Bob and Patti’s No Wake Zone in St. Louis
Most people have a favorite dive bar, ranging from the classic and popular Cats Meow in Soulard to the more hidden Haven on Morganford. They may not go there often, but they do love to go. They will always speak of the bar fondly and will defend the bar like it is their sibling. Folks…
Review: John’s Town Hall in Clayton
This unique tavern is located at the bottom of one of the fancy high rise residential towers that line the western edge of Forest Park on Skinker just inside the city limits. The Dorchester high rise has condos and apartments with a striking view of the Park. Professional baseball players such as veteran Cardinal utility…
Go Ahead, Maki My Day
There was a time when just the utterance of the word Sushi would cause men, women and children to flee in terror, their eyes bulging out of their sockets, the words, “I will not eat raw fish” escaping repeatedly from their lips. It was not a pretty sight. Thankfully, times have changed and sushi has…
Review: On Broadway Bistro in St. Louis
On Broadway Bistro is located on North Broadway in a heavily, but not exclusively, industrial area. It is just northwest of Grand and the bar can be seen off of Highway 70. This is quite possibly one of the largest bars in the city by indoor and outdoor square footage. They have an enormous outdoor…
You Know What I Know About Wine…Nothing!
It’s not a problem – not knowing about wine – because there are plenty of people out there who want to educate and enlighten you about the welcoming world of fermented grape juice. On April 4th, I had the extraordinary experience of dining with a room full of people who are the exact opposite of…
Review: Scorpio Lounge in St. Louis
Scorpio Lounge is located on Taylor just north of Olive on the west end of the old Gaslight Square which is the north/northeast edge of what is now called the Central West End. Quick history of the area- Gaslight Square was a compact thriving entertainment district that was far more notorious than Bourbon Street at…
Art Finds its Whey Back to the Masses
According to Steve Jones from The Wine Merchant, Ltd. in St. Louis (20 S Hanley, Clayton, MO 314.863.6282), “Cheese is peasant food. It was initially created to deal with the excess milk produced on farms, to ensure nothing would go to waste.” Over the last century, fine cheese has slowly crept into the upper echelon…
Review: City Coffee House and Crêperie in Clayton
Aptly named, City Coffee House and Crêperie is a consistently busy, consistently excellent place for breakfast. Its large windows expose the daily Clayton bustle, while its small, closely situated tables only add to the French theme. And while the long lines move quickly, the gastronomists do not; finding a seat here on a weekend morning…
Review: Rue Lafayette in Lafayette Square
Editor’s note: Rue Lafayette has closed. On a recent visit to Rue Lafayette, one of my fellow diners thought she overheard someone say the croissants were from France. After 10 minutes of trying to wrap our heads around that possibility, we came to the conclusion that we had heard incorrectly, and that they had to…
Review: The Vine Cafe in South Grand
The Vine began as a small grocery specializing in Lebanese, Palestinian and Iraqi foods, but since the South Grand spot expanded to the space next door, you can find anything from exotic spices to kosher marshmallows to Arabic coffee and, now, a café menu overflowing with interesting dishes. This kind of food uses a lot…
Review: Papa Fabarre’s in Downtown
Editor’s note: Papa Fabarre’s has closed. Papa Fabarre’s isn’t healthy. And it isn’t especially excellent, either. But the draw here isn’t the food: It’s the kitsch.Tucked away amid the men’s Polo shirts and Tommy jeans on the second floor of the downtown Macy’s, Papa Fabarre’s is a step back in time. Among the vintage photographs…
Review: Fozzie’s Sandwich Emporium in Richmond Heights
Sitting atop a small hill on a stretch of Big Bend is a small brown building with a green awning that looks like nothing more than a takeout joint with minimal parking and an extensive patio. But inside is host to an emporium: Fozzie’s Sandwich Emporium. With 20 sandwiches, not including the burgers or the…
Review: The 34 Club in St. Louis
This is not your typical West End Bar. What immediately comes to mind when drinking in the West End is fancy martinis, imported beer, and expensive wine. The people tend to be beautiful and like to think of themselves as cosmopolitan and hip. “West Endie Trendies” is the title the owner of much missed Fortune…
There’s a Fungus Among Us
It all started with a taste test. Julie Ridlon, a private professional chef in St. Louis was working as the Co-Program Chair of the St. Louis Culinary Society. She was teaching an educational class at the Forest Park Community College on the difference between mushrooms cultivated directly from a farm versus mushrooms purchased at the…
Review: Pop’s Blue Moon in St. Louis
There is a really hip bar in the Hill called Pop’s Blue Moon. It may not be the part of the Hill that you automatically think of when you visualize “The Hill”. This bar is on Pattison, the street on the North side of 44. The highway stabbed its way through the Hill decades ago…
Xenofoodophobia
Xenophobia is defined as an unreasonable fear or hatred of foreigners or strangers or that which is foreign or strange (Webster’s). I would like to propose a new word for inclusion into the gastronomic lexicon: xenofoodophobia, or unreasonable fear or hatred of foreign or strange food. I suppose most of us are born xenofoodophobics; that…
Just Eat and Get it Over With
On a trip to London, with my boyfriend at the time, I was faced with a frightening dilemma. Where were we going to eat? There we were within the midst of one of the most enormous melting pots of cuisines, and we were floating without a soup spoon. Should we have Indian (some of the…
