Apple Pie Gone Bananas: Three unusual takes on the fall favorite
Only on saucemagazine.com Granny Smith, Cortland or Jonathan? Crisco, butter or lard? Because every American seems to hold a different secret to a praiseworthy apple pie, we thought we’d do some behind-the-scenes sniffing of a few unconventional approaches around town. Once you see this showcase of folded, fried and deep-dish pies, we guarantee that you’ll…
Friend of men (and friend of Martha)
Maybe your son thinks that Bugles filled with Easy Cheese make for a fine after-school snack. Maybe your husband thinks that your absence during the dinner hour mandates a frozen pizza and half a six-pack. Banish the processed and the lazy, says Lucinda Scala Quinn, and teach the men in your life to eat real…
Cold beer, cool mullets
Break out the wife-beater and wallet chain, and bag that tired ol’ trick-or-treat scene this Halloween. The International Tap House in Chesterfield is hosting a Hoosier Halloween Bash on Friday at 7 p.m. Dress down for the costume contest (a mullet and a flannel will get you an iTap koozie), rock out to hillbilly karaoke,…
’Cue congrats
Mike Mills, owner of seven well-regarded barbecue restaurants, including 17th Street Bar & Grill in O’Fallon and Murphysboro, Ill., has just been honored with yet another award. Mills – a four-time world champion and three-time grand world champion at Memphis in May – received the judge’s choice award at the Jack Daniel’s World Championship Invitational…
Drunk with the taste of blood, perhaps
You might recall the plot of the ’90s film comedy The Freshman, in which Matthew Broderick stumbles upon a plot to import a Komodo dragon so an underground exotic-species eating club can barbecue the 6-foot lizard. Eclipse chefs Wes Johnson and Brendan Noonan and bartender Patrick Thomas wouldn’t dream of such a thing. Right? Guys,…
Help to get your community garden on
Community gardeners will soon have access to more education. At a summit last weekend, Gateway Greening proposed to create strategically located hub gardens that will offer resources such as events, workshops, tool-lending and seedlings to neighboring community gardens. According to Gwenne Hayes-Stewart, executive director of the St. Louis-based nonprofit, over the next three years, Gateway…
The Scoop: Mathew Rice leaves Niche
Mathew Rice has left his post as executive pastry chef at Niche Restaurant and Taste by Niche. “It was a hard decision to leave the best restaurant in town. I’m so proud of what I was able to accomplish there, but I’ve got other exciting things up my sleeve,” he said, declining to provide specifics…
The Scoop: New Balaban’s, old chef
Just got word that Kevin Sthair has been hired to helm the kitchen at Balaban’s Wine Cellar and Tapas Bar, which is slated for a mid-November opening at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield. Sthair cheffed at the original Balaban’s for five years until it shuttered in 2006. Since then, he’s had stints at Chaumette Winery…
C is for Caramel Apple Cupcakes, y’all
Stefani Pollack, the sugar mama behind cupcakeproject.com, has joined forces with Paula Deen for a series of cupcake recipes now appearing at pauladeen.com. The first feature is an adorable caramel apple cupcake: an apple-cinnamon cupcake topped with vanilla buttercream frosting, seasonal sprinkles and the cutest little mini caramel apple. It’s almost – but not quite …
How do you say ‘free wine’ in Italian?
We can’t imagine you’d want to miss out on free wine at your favorite hangout. (You did vote 33 Wine Shop and Tasting Bar as your favorite wine bar in this year’s Readers’ Choice poll, after all.) So join proprietor Jeff Stettner (pictured) tonight in tasting the Italian specialties of Small Vineyards Imports, including Tre…
The Scoop: On the stick in Soulard
A peek in the window revealed that walls are painted and the floor is finished at 2022 S. 12th St., soon to be home of Soulard Gyro and Deli. The new shop, located two doors north of the Soulard Art Market, will feature gyros, doner kabobs and sub sandwiches. A sign lists the phone number…
North Africa via South Hanley
Been craving some spicy fare? Then we’ve got a new one for you. On Saturday, The Wine Merchant in Clayton is sponsoring a taste of Tunisia. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., lamb tajine, couscous dishes and other delicacies from this North African country will be prepared by Majid Mahjoub of Les Moulins Mahjoub, purveyors…
Good morning
Congratulations to Kaldi’s, whose coffee was named among the country’s best in the November issue of GQ. In a feature titled The Most Important Drink of Your Day, the men’s magazine calls Kaldi’s “a serious Midwestern player in a game dominated by the coasts” and praises its signature espresso blend, Espresso 700.
Underground adventures
The great thing about Forking Fantastic: Put the Party Back in Dinner Party is the way the new cookbook manages to capture the warm, semidrunken, occasionally raucous vibe of 20 people stuffed into a small residence in Queens, New York, eating and drinking until they’re gloriously satiated, and feeling that afterglow. Zora O’Neill and Tamara…
Short List: BLTs
Innumerable thoughtless efforts have taught me, quite precisely, what to expect from a great BLT. First, the supporting cast: crisp lettuce, well-toasted bread and a mayonnaise that is tangy enough to induce the little quiver at the back of the jaw, just under the ear. Next, the bacon. Volume counts here, and the bacon has…
The Scoop: Swirl, sniff, sip in Benton Park
Sommelier Brian Hobbs checked in today to report that Ernesto’s, the Benton Park wine bar we told you about last spring, is now open at 2730 McNair Ave. Hobbs, who spent the last five years running Brooklyn’s Stonehome Wine Bar, said that the new spot will feature a list of international wines and craft beers,…
The Scoop: New in North County
Cork Wine Bar is now open at 423 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson. The new spot carries about 100 wines, with 25 available by the glass. If you’re not all that into wine, Cork does have a list of signature martinis as well as some interesting beers. A “small plate” menu features wine-friendly food like…
The Scoop: Straub’s to close Ellisville store
Citing economic and competitive concerns, the Straub’s in Ellisville will close Oct. 31, reports the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The 40,000-square-foot grocery store, which opened in December, includes a café, event space and the Straub’s Culinary Center cooking school.
The Scoop: A new party place
Just in time for your holiday shindigs, Butler’s Pantry Catering has unveiled a new event venue: Palladium Saint Louis. Formerly part of the old City Hospital complex, the renovated space features a chic contemporary décor and cuisine from the St. Louis caterer and will accommodate events of varying sizes, up to 700 guests. Located at…
R.I.P., Ozzie’s
The passing of popular Westport Plaza sports bar and restaurant Ozzie’s is not simply a matter of economics. For those who grew up with the shortstop/sprite’s on-field back flips, going to Ozzie Smith’s restaurant was a rite connected to other simple rites that, together, constituted an era. You went to Ozzie’s and the first thing…
The Scoop: Sweet on the East Side
The Cupcakery’s flavor of the week – this week: Italian cream – is now available on both sides of the river. The bakery has opened a third location, at 1057 Century Drive in Edwardsville. Look for the same selection as The Cupcakery’s other shops in the Central West End and Knoxville, Tenn.
Welcome back, chocolate
Just in time for the annual sugar rush that is Halloween, the folks from Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate are relaunching the St. Louis-based chocolate brand Mavrakos. Beginning in 1913, Mavrakos Candy Co. satisfied St. Louis’ sweet tooth until is was sold in 1984 to Archibald Candy, which retired the brand. Luckily, the Mavrakos family recipes were…
Culinary arts
Three area chefs squared off at yesterday’s Art in the Park in Highland, Ill. The debut food-as-art competition featured Joshua Galliano of Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood, Pat Jacoby of Patty-Cakes in Highland and Claire Robberson of Eclipse Restaurant in the East Loop. Robberson stayed consistent with Eclipse’s outer space theme by creating a colorful rocket…
Take the pizza challenge
Honestly, if you win the Honest Challenge at Onesto Pizza & Trattoria, you’ll have to let us know. It’s National Pizza Month and all things pie are on the menu at this South City restaurant. That challenge? If you can down an entire 18-inch Gut Buster pizza in half an hour, you’ll win 100 bucks.…
Wee kiwis have landed
Oh, baby! These tiny kiwifruits may just be the cutest thing to hit the produce section in a while. They’re actually a cousin to the typical kiwi and are referred to as kiwi berry or hardy kiwi. Lacking kiwi’s fuzzy brown skin, the baby kiwifruits are entirely edible and about the size of a grape.…
The Scoop: Still as sweet at Sidney Street
The profiteroles and turtle brownies at Benton Park’s Sidney Street Cafe are now in the hands of Christie Saali, formerly of the St. Louis Club. Before taking over as pastry chef, Saali trained with her predecessor Christy Augustin (pictured), who has taken a teaching position at Le Cordon Bleu in St. Peters. Expect the same…
Food fun at Big Read
The Cake Mix Doctor and an eager St. Louis chowhound are among those filling the Viking Cooking School author tent at Saturday’s Big Read. The free lit festival features a troika of food authors, including C. Marina Marchese. Her book, Honeybee, is the story of a woman falling in love with honey and beekeeping. She’s…
Bayless here on Saturday
Just received word that Rick Bayless, award-winning chef, restaurateur and Top Chef master, will be signing his cookbooks from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Des Peres Schnucks, 12332 Manchester Road. Bayless, known for his authentic Mexican food, will also be teaching a cooking class at the store from noon to 1 p.m.…
Oven On? Garlic In: Don’t miss a chance to roast a head
I don’t hate summer, but gosh darn it if I don’t look forward to the cool, dark evenings of fall. One of my favorite things about the season is being able to crank up the oven and roast anything and everything. Roasted chicken is my go-to, no-fail dinner. Simple and homey, chicken rubbed with butter,…
Winter Squash Custard
6 to 8
The Delta force
Renowned spirits writer Gary Regan recently gave praise in the San Francisco Chronicle to The Delta, a cocktail by Nate Selsor of Monarch Restaurant in Maplewood. Based on Jim Beam Distillers Series bourbon, Selsor’s creation riffs on the vintage Cocktail à la Louisiane. “The man has done a fine job of balancing this baby,” writes…
Winter Squash Custard
This heartwarming bake is perfect for cold autumn nights. You can use cooked purée from any winter squash (click here to read my rundown in the October issue), but I prefer the silky softness of butternuts. Serve this as a dessert with whipped cream and cinnamon or as a surprising accompaniment to roast chicken. –…
Whiff of knowledge
You’re at a dinner party when some know-it-all sticks his nose into a wine glass and pronounces: “Oh, my! I detect blackberry, charcoal, coffee, pear, maple, upholstery and underripe cantaloupe. That’s quite a bouquet.” Yes, Chauncey, it certainly is. Serious oenophiles really can smell an impressive variety of notes in a wine, but it’s not…
Well, all right, Already
Congrats to O’Fallon Brewery for scoring a silver medal in the pro-am competition at last week’s Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The winning brew, Alright Already Amber, was a collaboration between the O’Fallon, Mo.-based brewery and St. Charles County homebrewer Jim Yeager. Look for the American-style amber, which went up against 71 other beers…
Small but Thoughtful
I often find that a shorter list of well-priced wines is a reflection of more care and attention than many larger lists full of triple digit offerings. This is certainly true at Terrene. Almost evenly split between white and red, this list of about 60 wines has something to please just about anyone. As always,…
Review: Terrene in St. Louis
As disappointed as I was to see it go, it only makes sense that foie gras is no longer on Terrene’s menu. That sentence implies the dish was a long-standing staple and eighty-sixed for whatever reason. In fact, it was on the menu for about a day and a half before it was nixed. Too…
Recipe: The Shaved Duck’s Baked Apple
You know what they say about an apple a day. But The Shaved Duck’s baked apple? We’ll take two, please. Chef Kat Kobylarek’s savory version of this autumn staple marries the apple’s sweetness with smoky pulled pork, and then ups the ante with bacon; pistachio butter adds crunch and depth of flavor. Apple season never…
Pickle Your Own Vegetables This Fall
Last fall, farmstand pickles gleamed like jewels at farmers’ markets and harvest fairs. Glass jars were filled with plump watermelon rind pickles or vibrantly green dilly beans. Slender whole pods of okra were displayed near Rubenesque pickled peach halves. Bread and butter cucumber slices colored nearly neon. Garlic dill spears stood like sober sentinels, livened…
Review: The Over/Under Bar & Grill in St. Louis
There’s a lot to be said for a bar that’s versatile enough to accommodate a casual night out with friends, a first date and even a bachelor party. Over the past month I’ve been out on all three of these occasions on the slick patio of Over/Under Bar & Grill, Washington Avenue’s newest drinkery. And…
Vegan Caramel Sauce
1 1/2 cups
Pickled Grapes
4 cups
The Shaved Duck’s Baked Apple
10 servings
Pillar of Sustainability: Small family farmer Ron Benne roughs it in suburbia
Thirty-five miles northwest of St. Louis, livestock farmer Ron Benne outwits foxes, coyotes, raccoons and skunks, though another predator is proving tough to keep at bay: suburbia. As St. Louis has sprawled (the city’s population famously atrophied 59 percent between 1950 and 2000), St. Charles County, seat of Benne’s 127-acre farm in Weldon Spring, has…
The Art of ‘Choking
I ordered the artichoke under the assumption that it would resemble what I got on top of my gourmet pizza or what my mom pulled from a jar when making dip or what sat marinating with pimentos in tubs in the bulk section at Schnucks. But instead, at this fancy Italian joint, I was presented…
My, oh my, the products for apple pie
Only on saucemagazine.com How can America have its signature pie without all the apple-y accessories? From bakeware to spice blends, the free market is rainin’ apples. Oxo pro swivel peeler A supersharp swivel blade and a slip-proof, rubberized grip means you’ll peel pie apples without gouging the flesh of the apple – or your own.…
Ever-Changing but Consistently Classic
In a world where fine-dining restaurants are struggling to attract customers, Carl McConnell has not only opened a restaurant focused on classic continental food, he is serving dinner by reservation only for one seating on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. That’s it. Diners can choose either a four- or six-course tasting menu, paired with wines or…
Fall in Love with Winter Squash: good looks, great taste – we’ve got just your type
It’s getting to be that pumpkin time of year. From hobby stores to front porches, you can’t escape the gleaming orange grins. Pumpkins are pleasant to look upon but, as anyone who’s tried to make purée from a Halloween decoration knows, woefully deficient in kitchen value. Instead, visit the winter squash pile in any farmstand…
Vietnamese With South-City Soul
Denoted by a small neon sign in the window, Truc Lam sits on the busy corner of Gravois and Spring avenues, but it’s got that hidden-in-a-New-York-alley sort of feel to it. The wood paneling, drop ceiling with stenciled fluorescent light covers and cafeteria-style padded chairs don’t make this the coziest international food joint in town,…
Boxed Wines Are Back
The weather is cool and crisp, the leaves are beginning to change colors – the perfect weather for picnicking, tailgating and camping. But while it’s easy enough to design a menu of portable food, lugging big, heavy, clanking bottles of wine to and from your outdoor celebration is another story. Fortunately, now there is a…
Pickled Pink Radishes
• Trim the tops and the roots off the radishes, then wash under cold water, removing any trace of leaf. Scrape away dark or bruised places on the skin and slice lenghtwise into quarters. • Place the radishes in a nonreactive mixing bowl, add 1 tablespoon of salt and mix. Cover with water and 10…
Pickled Carrots With Fennel and Garlic
• Cut the carrots into 3-inch lengths, then into uniform sticks about 1/2 -inch thick. • Fill a medium mixing bowl with cold water and 10 to 12 ice cubes. Set aside. • In a 3-quart stainless steel pot, bring lightly salted water to a boil. When the water reaches full boil, drop in the…
