Food does so much more than feed our bodies. Whether with a crowd in a festive party room or with strangers at the neighborhood bar, when we dine, we build connections with each other. 

The restaurant that provides the meal is the yarn in our close-knit community. Weaving a space that is simultaneously public and personal, our favorite restaurants feel as cozy as our homes, but with better food and easier clean-up. So when the fibers of the community are stretched, it’s no surprise food folk are often the first to help. 

From annual events like Brass Rail Steakhouse‘s free Thanksgiving dinner, which feeds thousands in need, to daily commitments like Lola Jean’s Giveback Coffee‘s, which donated 100% of its profits to charities for a full year, the St. Louis food industry makes a difference. Gift cards for trivia nights, Dine Outs for a cause or, in the case of Bloom Café, when the restaurant is the cause, all feed the need.

Like Lola Jean’s, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta and Olive + Oak make charitable dining a part of their restaurant identity.

Every fourth Tuesday is Giveback Day at alternating Katie’s locations. Owners Katie and Ted Collier had launched their restaurant with contributions from a Kickstarter campaign and wanted to return the favor. All profits made on Giveback day go to a local organization whose vocation is dear to the Colliers.

“We try to choose the most needy, smaller charities. We like to focus on children and solving homelessness, and animal shelters. I get a kick out of the fact that our animal Givebacks are the busiest ones,” said Katie Collier. 

To date, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta has donated more than $225,000 to local charities, including Harris House, Friends of Wings and Stray Rescue.

Many of the servers at Olive + Oak choose to wear red felt hearts on their uniforms. It’s a quiet nod to the calling of co-owners Mark Hinkle and Greg Ortyl, who both tragically lost their sons to congenital heart defects. 

“The felt hearts open the conversation. They create awareness for the cause,” Hinkle said.

Through the Ollie Hinkle Heart Foundation and the Mighty Oakes Heart Foundation, their families have raised more than $1 million and probably considerably more for heart disease charities, according to Hinkle. 

“We do whatever we can to help with whatever resources we have whenever we see an opportunity,” Hinkle said. 

That could be donating time and snacks to Camp Rhythm, a summer camp for children with heart conditions, or delivering meals to hospitals or treating exhausted caregivers to a special evening at the restaurant “just to brighten up a family for a few hours,” Hinkle said.

It’s wonderful when a restaurant directs a donation. But what if the restaurant customers take altruistic matters into their own hands? That’s the premise behind GiftAMeal, a socially conscious dining app used by 28,000 philanthropic foodies who are stopping hunger with their phone cameras.

GiftAMeal, a 2018 Arch Grant recipient, is the brainchild of Washington University graduate Andrew Glantz. Glantz toyed with developing a restaurant recommendation app during the summer of his sophomore year. He planned to donate a portion of the future app’s revenue to fight hunger. 

A few months later, Glantz was inspired by Toms Shoes, Warby Parker and other organizations he saw responding to millennials’ desire for conscientious consumerism. Charitable giving became the driving force of the app, not just a benefit, and GiftAMeal was launched.

When users snap a photo in one of almost 150 local partner restaurants, GiftAMeal makes a donation to Operation Food Search. The donation is doubled if the user shares the photo on Facebook or Instagram. 

Each donation covers the cost of transporting a family’s meal from Operation Food Search to a local food pantry. On average, GiftAMeal users fund the delivery of 15,000 meals per month, with more than 330,000 meals total to date.

GiftAMeal partner restaurants range from independent coffee shops like Meshuggah Cafe to restaurants like Vicia. The app is free for users, and restaurants pay a small monthly fee. In return, “the app helps restaurants build long-term loyalty with their customers, support their community and they don’t have to train their staff on it,” Glantz said. 

He’s proud to have created a business model that is both financially successful and socially responsible. “We are doing well while we are doing good.” 

A case study by partner restaurant Rich & Charlie’s found GiftAMeal customers spent 24% more per check, returned 45% more frequently and tipped 14% more than standard guests.

•••

While GiftAMeal harnesses the power of social media every day, Bloom Café uses everyday social interactions to help people with disabilities achieve independence and meaningful careers.

The full-service breakfast, brunch and lunch spot doubles as a training facility for Paraquad, the St. Louis-based, nonprofit organization that empowers people with disabilities.

You may be too busy enjoying your Rueben to notice you are an active participant in a “social enterprise,” but that’s what Kevin Condon, Paraquad‘s senior director of development and marketing, calls the restaurant. At Bloom Café, people with and without disabilities dine and work side by side. 

“Bloom Café serves the community, and the community gets to see what a truly integrated society would look like,” Condon said. “You can see people who are working, who are successful and happy, and they happen to have a disability. Most charities don’t get to show what their vision of the world looks like, but we do.”

Many of the employees are participants in the Bloom Café job training program. For 12 weeks, students learn food safety and handling, as well as social and workplace skills. After training, they receive a paid internship at Bloom Café and other local restaurants. At the end of the internship, Paraquad places graduates in permanent jobs at local restaurants. 

“One of the most challenging things for young adults with disabilities – like young adults everywhere – is to get their first job. Through the training program at Bloom Café, the students get a job, get experience and build a career,” Condon said.

Bloom Café has varied hot and cold items, including vegan and gluten-free meals and a children’s menu. The restaurant was built with accessibility in mind, including a generous ramp, spacious unisex bathrooms, and plenty of space around the tables and chairs to accommodate assistive devices.

Read More // First Look: Destination Café in Tower Grove South

The League of St. Louis Chefs, a small consortium of farmers, food pantries and food industry friends are also asking the question, “What if?” The Gramophone owner Roo Yawitz explained the group as an impromptu idea, spurred by a James Beard Foundation Chefs Boot Camp for Policy and Change program. Chefs who attended were inspired to find a systemic solution to food insecurity. 

“We want to help local owners and operators give back to the foodshed in creative and interesting ways,” Yawitz said. “It’s about affecting change in the food system.”

A harsh frost was the catalyst for the League’s pilot project. Last winter, an unexpected cold snap meant Bohlen Family Farms in Perryville, Missouri, had to harvest its squash immediately and entirely. 

Gerard Craft, executive chef and owner of Niche Food Group, purchased the whole crop at full market price and asked his friends and family to help turn the squash into soup at a de facto soup pop-up in the Cinder House kitchen at the Four Seasons. 

Half the soup went to food pantries and the rest was sold, allowing Craft to recover his costs, and the remaining profits donated to the food pantries. 

“I was surprised by the number of people who jumped in to help cook and process the soup. Those are the things I love to see – people coming together,” Craft said.

Craft is excited about future projects. “We are looking for sustainable models that help farmers and help people in low-income and low-access food areas,” he said. “It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. The farmers get paid full price. The restaurants get publicity. People get food.” 

It’s an idea whose time has come – one that makes us all a little more connected to our community and to the food that brings us together.

Kellie Hynes is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine. 

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I avoid scampi and shawarma like a vampire, lest an acrid whiff of lightly cooked garlic seep from my mouth or pores. But roasted garlic is a root of an entirely different flavor. Low and slow cooking tames this tenacious tuber, mellowing its sharp taste into a rich, round flavor. These recipes will leave you reaching for more, rather than for mouthwash.

First, some math. Garlic cloves yield approximately ¼ to ½ teaspoon minced garlic each. There are about 10 to 12 cloves in a bulb, or head of garlic. That means the famous French dish, chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, could have been called “chicken with four heads.” But that wouldn’t have been as appetizing.

If you’ve never roasted a head of garlic before, start now. Use a sharp knife to slice off the very top of the bulb, then brush the cut side with a bit of olive oil, pushing the oil in between the cloves. Wrap the head in aluminum foil and roast for an hour. The dreamy, creamy garlic that emerges is simply perfect when smeared on a slice of crusty bread; add butter, lemon juice and/or herbs to push the taste over the top. 

If you make it a habit to throw a head of garlic in the oven every time you roast something (anything) else, you’ll always have a secret ingredient ready to enhance your salad dressings, condiments, dips, meats and more.

Not in the mood to turn on the oven? Garlic alchemy happens on the stovetop in the herbed garlic soup recipe. Just simmer the cloves from two heads of garlic for a half-hour, until they are super soft. Puree the garlic, then let the soup rest in the refrigerator overnight to deepen its delicate, grassy flavors. In spite of the heavy helping of garlic, it’s a light-tasting broth you can enjoy hot before a large winter meal or as a chilled starter in the warmer months.

If you’re reading this and thinking, “But I like garlic that tastes like garlic!” rest assured, I have a recipe for you too. Take a handful of peeled cloves and slice them into slivers. Heat some oil, and fry the slivers until they brown. Sprinkle with salt for an unexpected take on croutons that packs a punch. 

Make sure you reserve the garlic-infused cooking oil to make a tasty vinaigrette. You can even add a few fried slivers to the salad dressing for more brazen, garlicky goodness. When it comes to garlic, a little (or a lot) is rarely enough.

Recipes

Brisket with 40 Cloves of Garlic
For the love of garlic, use your immersion blender to whirl the sweet, slow-cooked cloves and pan juices into the easiest, tastiest gravy any brisket has ever known.
4 to 6 servings

1 3½-lb. beef brisket
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided
4 heads of garlic, peeled (about 40 cloves)
1 large white onion, cut into 1-inch rings
2 cups beef broth
1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Sprinkle both sides of the brisket with the salt, thyme and pepper. 

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add the brisket and sear without moving until golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and sear the other side 2 to 3 minutes. Move the brisket to a plate and set aside. Do not wipe out the Dutch oven.

• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic and onion and saute until the garlic browns and the onion softens, about 3 minutes. 

• Add the broth and tomatoes and deglaze the pan by scraping up any burned bits. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. 

• Place the brisket, fat side up, on top of the onions and garlic, and spoon the sauce and vegetables over the brisket. Cover the Dutch oven and transfer to the oven. Cook until tender, about 3 hours. Transfer the brisket to a plate and let it rest 10 minutes. 

• Skim any fat off the top of the braising liquid. Use an immersion blender to puree the onion, garlic and braising liquid into gravy, adding salt and pepper to taste. Slice the brisket across the grain and serve with the gravy.

Roasted Garlic Spread
This mild, creamy spread is delicious on crostini as an appetizer, dolloped on steak or a baked potato, or smeared on a hamburger or hoagie.
1/3 cup

4 heads of garlic
4 tsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. butter, room temperature
¼ tsp. fleur de sel
Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. lemon juice

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

• Peel the garlic, leaving just enough skin to hold the cloves together. Cut ¼ inch off the top of each head to expose the cloves. 

• Place the heads of garlic, cut side up, in a medium baking dish. Brush the olive oil onto the garlic, pushing the oil between the cloves. Cover the dish tightly with foil. Bake until the center cloves are soft and the outer cloves begin to caramelize, about 1 hour. 

• Remove the foil and let the garlic rest until cool enough to handle. Use a sharp knife to extract the cloves from the head then use your fingers to press the roasted garlic paste from each clove into a small bowl. Add the butter, fleur de sel, pepper and lemon juice. Use a fork to combine the ingredients. Adjust seasonings to taste. The paste will keep for a week in an airtight, refrigerated container.

Herbed Garlic Soup 
Pureed, simmered garlic gives this soup a mellow, dairy-free creaminess.
6 servings 

3 sprigs thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 fresh bay leaves
8 cups water
2 heads of garlic, peeled (approximately 20 cloves)
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 egg yolks
¼ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
6 French baguette slices
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 oz. shredded Gruyere, plus more for serving
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Special equipment: cheesecloth

• Add the thyme, rosemary and bay leaves to a 12-inch square piece of cheesecloth. Tie the ends together to make a bouquet garni. 

• Pour the water into a medium soup pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add the bouquet garni, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil over medium-high heat then cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 30 minutes.

• Turn off the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove the bouquet garni and any garlic skins that have floated to the top. Use an immersion blender to puree the garlic cloves until the broth is smooth and cloudy. Return the heat to low. 

• Place the egg yolks in a small mixing bowl or immersion blender cup. Pulse the yolks with the immersion blender until they are foamy. Continue to pulse while slowly adding the olive oil. The mixture should become the texture of mayonnaise. Continue pulsing while slowly adding ½ cup hot broth to the egg mixture. 

• Add the egg mixture and vinegar to the soup pot. Pulse with the immersion blender to combine then remove from heat. When the soup reaches room temperature, refrigerate overnight to deepen flavors.

• Before serving, bring the soup to a simmer over medium heat. Taste and adjust seasonings. 

• Preheat the broiler with the rack 6 inches from the heat source. Brush the slices of baguette with the melted butter and top with the Gruyere. Toast until the cheese is bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. 

• Divide the soup between the bowls. Top with the Gruyere toasts, garnish with the parsley and serve with extra Gruyere on the side.

Simple Salad with Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
2 servings 

3 Tbsp. reserved garlic oil (recipe follows)
1 Tbsp. Champagne or white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
¼ tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. plus 2 crispy garlic “croutons” (recipe follows), divided
1 head butter lettuce, chopped
1 Tbsp. chopped chives
1 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 Tbsp. roasted garlic vinaigrette
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Combine the garlic oil, vinegar, parsley, pepper flakes, salt, mustard and croutons in an 8-ounce jar with a tight-fitting lid. Shake until well blended. Refrigerate overnight to develop flavors before serving.

• Arrange the lettuce, chives, parsley and crispy garlic on a serving dish. Drizzle with the vinaigrette. Sprinkle with the pepper and serve immediately.

Crispy Garlic ‘Croutons’
Try fried garlic as an unexpected salad topper or on a cheese plate in place of nuts. Reserve the cooking oil to make an easy, flavorful vinaigrette.
2 heaping tablespoons 

1 head of garlic, peeled (approximately 10 cloves)
3 Tbsp. canola oil
1/8 tsp. kosher salt

• Slice the garlic cloves lengthwise into thin slivers. Set a strainer over a bowl in the sink. 

• In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil until it shimmers. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Watch the garlic carefully; once it begins to brown, it burns quickly. 

• Pour the oil and garlic over the strainer. Reserve the garlic oil to make vinaigrette. Spread the garlic slivers on paper towels and blot dry. Sprinkle with the salt.

Kellie Hynes is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine. 

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I work on my chimichurri the same way other people work on their biceps. Each repetition is an opportunity for improvement; each recipe tweak a chance to achieve parsley perfection. When I’m not making the verdant, garlicky sauce, I’m talking about it – leading to more breath mint offers than I should probably admit.

Much more than a sidekick for Argentine steak, chimichurri is a wallop of fresh, fierce flavor that transforms even the most pedestrian of meals (ahem, rotisserie chicken) into a colorful taste explosion. And all you need is the freshest parsley you can find, a glug of olive oil, a handful of garlic and enough aggression for productive knife skills.

If basil is the pillar of pesto, parsley is the heart of chimichurri. Choose flat-leaf parsley rather than curly, which runs a little bitter. Individually pinch off the thick stems below the leaves, or if that seems excruciating to you, just give the bunch a whack in the middle and move on to oh-so-finely chopping your ingredients.

Deciding how to cut up the chimichurri components is the only challenging part of the recipe. Traditionally, all ingredients are minced by hand. Running a knife through the parsley and aromatics doesn’t take much time and yields a colorful salsa that looks authentic and artisanal. On the other hand, you can whip up a smooth, beautifully blended chimichurri with a few pulses of a food processor. 

I let the end use determine my method. If the chimichurri plays the starring role of the meal, say, drizzled over Argentine steak, I’ll hand-chop the ingredients. But if it’s in the background as a marinade, salad dressing or pasta sauce, a quick whirl in the food processor gets the job done quickly and easily. 

Once you master the basic recipe, feel free to riff by playing with additional flavors. Cilantro adds brightness. Basil makes it a culinary crossover event. Diced tomato and red bell pepper yield chimichurri rojo, which is my favorite on fresh fish fillets. Use smoked paprika, sweet paprika, cumin, olives or capers for finesse. 

There is no wrong way to make chimichurri and an infinite number of ways to make it right. You may want to consider keeping a little notebook in your back pocket for all of the new chimichurri ideas that will pop into your head. Also, perhaps, a stick of gum.

Basic Green Chimichurri

If using a food processor, simply place all ingredients except for the olive oil in the bowl. Pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped, pausing occasionally to scrape down the sides, then slowly pour the oil in with the food processor running.

1 cup

2 bunches (about 5 oz.) flat-leaf parsley
3 sprigs oregano
3 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. fleur de sel
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
½ cup olive oil

• Cut the stems off the parsley and oregano just below the leaves and discard. Finely chop the herbs and the garlic. 

• Place the herbs and garlic in a medium glass bowl. Add the vinegar, lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes, and stir well with a fork. Add the olive oil and stir again. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate overnight before using. Chimichurri will keep refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Basic Red Chimichurri

Make your green chimichurri by hand, then add finely diced tomatoes and red bell pepper for chimichurri rojo. Substitute smoked paprika for sweet if you prefer.

1½ cups

1 cup basic green chimichurri
2 Roma tomatoes, seeds removed, finely diced
½ red bell pepper, finely diced
¼ tsp. sweet paprika

• Combine all ingredients in a medium glass bowl and stir well. Keep refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 week.

Easy Weeknight Chimichurri Pasta

4 to 6 servings

1 lb. whole-wheat penne pasta
½ cup basic green or red chimichurri
¼ cup shredded Parmesan, plus more for garnish
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 to 3 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 large tomato, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. fresh oregano (optional)

• Cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 2 tablespoons cooking water and drain. 

• In a large glass bowl, whisk together the pasta water, chimichurri, Parmesan and lemon juice. Add the pasta and chicken and toss well. Gently fold in the tomato, then add salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with additional Parmesan and fresh oregano, if desired. Serve hot or cold.

Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak 

Turn leftovers into an easy appetizer by serving the grilled steak on dollar rolls dolloped with either red or green chimichurri.

4 servings

1 1½- to 2-lb. outside skirt steak ½ cup basic green or red chimichurri, plus more for serving ½ cup olive oil 2 tsp. kosher salt, divided ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

• Cut the steak in half so it fits in a glass baking dish without folding.

• In a small bowl, combine the chimichurri, olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. 

• Pour the marinade over the meat in the baking dish, making sure it’s evenly covered. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

• Remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Prepare a grill for high, direct heat. 

• Blot the steak dry with paper towels and season with the pepper and remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Grill the steak 3 minutes per side. To serve, cut the steak against the grain and garnish with additional chimichurri.

Chimichurri Brekky Sammie

1 serving

1 Tbsp. basic green chimichurri
1 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 tsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 ciabatta roll, halved
1 large egg
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp. shredded mozzarella or Gruyere

• Combine the chimichurri and mayonnaise in a small bowl and set aside. 

• Spread 1 teaspoon butter on each cut side of the ciabatta roll. Toast butter side-down in a heavy skillet over medium heat, about 3 minutes. 

• Remove the roll, reduce the heat to low and melt the remaining 1 teaspoon butter in the hot skillet. Crack the egg into the skillet, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook until the egg white is opaque and the yolk reaches desired doneness, about 1 minute.

• While the egg is cooking, spread the chimichurri aioli on the toasted ciabatta. Sprinkle with the cheese, top with the fried egg and serve immediately.

Simple Baked Fish with Chimichurri Rojo

The cook time depends on the fillets’ thickness, so judge doneness by how the fish looks, rather than the clock.

4 servings

1 lb. boneless, skinless halibut, mahi mahi or tilapia fillets
1 Tbsp. olive oil or melted unsalted butter
Kosher salt, to taste
½ cup basic red chimichurri
1 lemon, quartered, for serving

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a glass baking dish with cooking spray. 

• Place the fish in the baking dish in a single layer. Brush the fillets with oil or butter and sprinkle with the salt, then the chimichurri. Bake until the fish is opaque and flaky, about 10 minutes. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Sweet Potato Wedges with Chimichurri Dip

Mix the chimichurri with 2 tablespoons mayonnaise for an extra indulgent dip.

2 to 4 servings

1½ to 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, skin on
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. smoked paprika
¼ cup basic green chimichurri, for dipping

• Place a baking sheet in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees.

• Slice the potatoes into ½-inch-thick wedges. Combine the potato wedges, olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and smoked paprika in a large mixing bowl and mix until well coated. 

• Place the wedges in a single layer on the hot baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes, then flip. Bake until the second side is brown and the wedges are soft, about 5 to 10 more minutes. Serve hot with the chimichurri on the side.

Kellie Hynes is a longtime contributor for Sauce Magazine. 

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