Founded in 1847 as the Stone Hill Wine Co. by German immigrant Michael Poeschel, Stone Hill Winery in Hermann, Missouri, is the state’s first winery and was once the second-largest winery in the United States. An acclaimed international award-winner, it earned top honors at eight World’s Fairs between 1873 and 1915. Its stone cellars, completed in 1869, were the largest of their kind in the country and were built just a year before Missouri became the nation’s leading wine-producing state.

However, the arrival of Prohibition in the 1920s greatly altered the American alcohol industry. Wineries, breweries and distilleries quietly crumbled, and speakeasies emerged in basements, down alleys and behind unmarked doors. For decades, Stone Hill’s once-thriving vineyard was left destroyed, its cellars repurposed as a mushroom farming facility.

That all changed in 1965 when Jim and Betty Held took a bold step to revive the historic winery, laying the foundation for Missouri wine and winemakers again. At the time, California’s wine scene, widely regarded as the face of American wine, had just begun regrowing roots. Napa Valley hadn’t yet opened its first post-Prohibition winery. Nationally, there were fewer than 70 wineries, and Missouri had none.

The Held family rebuilt from the ground up. They planted new vines across the region’s lush hills, rediscovered and reintroduced the Norton grape (now Missouri’s official state grape), aged their wines in a naturally cool 50-degree cellar, and embraced innovative hybrid varieties, proving that high-quality wines can be uniquely made in the Midwest.

“Looking back on these 60 years, it’s clear that the re-establishment of Stone Hill Winery was about more than restoring a single winery, it was about proving that the Midwest could produce world-class wine,” said Stone Hill Winery President Jon Held. “We are honored to continue that legacy today.”

In the decades since, the original Old Stone Hill Wine Co. site was designated a National Historic District and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Longtime winemaker Dave Johnson spent 40 years at Stone Hill, becoming the most awarded winemaker in the U.S. outside California. In 2024, the winery ranked in the Top 15 American Wines at the Decanter World Wine Awards and won its 15th Missouri Governor’s Cup for Best Wine in the state.

Today, Stone Hill Winery farms 192 acres of grapes across seven vineyard sites in the Hermann area, making it Missouri’s largest grape grower. With a focus on sustainable farming, it produces around 80,000 cases of wine each year. Stone Hill remains the most awarded winery east of the Rockies and welcomes over 150,000 visitors annually. Pioneered by the Held family’s vision, Missouri is now home to 125 wineries contributing approximately $5.46 billion annually to the state’s economy, according to WineAmerica.org.

Stone Hill recently launched their Heritage Grape Project, continuing its long-standing commitment to cultivating historic American grapes like the Norton​ and whether these cultivars can offer a sustainable path forward in today’s evolving wine landscape.

“[At this stage], what excites me the most is pushing the boundaries of what can be produced with the rediscovered historical varieties and modern sustainable hybrids that each showcase our region beautifully and thoughtfully,” said Stone Hill’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing Nathan Held.

This fall, Stone Hill celebrated its 60th anniversary with a weekend-long celebration. Friday’s dinner highlighted signature dishes from the Held family through the years. On Saturday, guests enjoyed behind-the-scenes access to the press house and cellars, where they witnessed grape processing and stomping, sampled fermenting wines directly from the tanks, and live music.

Keep the celebration going with a visit to Stone Hill Winery. Take a tour of the vineyard, eat in Stone Hill’s original stable and carriage house, the Vintage 1847 restaurant for German dishes with an American twist, or take a self-guided tour at their museum of historical winery artifacts.

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John Pessoni is far more than the drummer for Pink Floyd tribute band El Monstero, though you’ll hear plenty about that on this week’s podcast episode. (It’s a good one, so don’t miss it or the band’s epic multi-night run taking over The Pageant this holiday season. ) He also plays with The Urge, Joe Dirt and several other bands. But when he’s not on stage, he’s out on the town, hitting some of St. Louis’ best restaurants. Keep reading for five of his local favorites.

El Agave Mexican Restaurant
“My family and I have been eating here for almost 20 years. They’ve recently moved down the road from Crestwood to Sunset Hills. Great vibe and very warm and friendly staff. Our go-to: any of the chicken dishes are my favorite.”
10893 Sunset Hills Plaza, Sunset Hills, elagavemxtogo.com

Gian-Tony’s Ristorante
“My favorite Italian for old-school, Sicilian-style. The chicken spiedini is lights-out.”
5356 Daggett Ave., #3028, St. Louis, giantonys.com

Kobe Steak House of Japan
“Japanese hibachi might be my favorite dining experience, and Kobe does it well.”
645 W. Port Plaza Drive, Maryland Heights, kobeofwestport.com

Pad Thai  
“A fantastic Thai place in Lamplighter Square. It’s honestly the best pad thai I’ve ever had.”
12676 Lamplighter Square Shopping Center, Concord, padthaistl.com

Trattoria Marcella
“My favorite ‘let’s have a night out’ Italian. Great vibe, great service. The lobster risotto is ridiculous.”
3600 Watson Road, St. Louis, trattoriamarcella.com

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It’s been a long time since the Boston Tea Party, and since then, coffee has taken hold of Americans’ hearts. But tea is making a comeback almost as big as Barbie’s after Greta Gerwig got a hold of her. We imported $508 million worth of tea in 2023, more than double what we bought 30 years ago. Tea shops are opening all over the country, and coffee shops are expanding their tea menus to satisfy customer demand.

While boba shops are fabulous, Asian teas are a worthwhile addition to your tea collection at home. These teas are available for sale at international markets in St. Louis. If you’ve never tried Asian teas at home, a good place to start are with these three: oolong, hojicha, and Korean honey citron tea. 

Oolong tea can be bitter, so splurge for the expensive brands and follow the brewing directions exactly to get the correct flavor. It has a slightly creamy taste, making it the perfect base for sweet tea lattes and milky boba drinks. This pictured version is from China, and it’s a loose tea that requires a tea strainer.

Hojicha is a Japanese tea that you can find served with your meal at many restaurants in Japan. It has a mild nutty flavor with a delicious toasty smell. It’s perfect as is without any sweetener or additions. 

Korean honey tea is usually citron-based and comes in a glass jar. It’s got a jam-like consistency, and you stir a spoonful of it into your mug of hot water. This ginger version comes in little packs of dried powder that dissolve instantly, and the ginger is helpful for tummy aches. 

These teas and more like them are for sale at international grocers in Greater St. Louis. 

Check out the tea selection at these shops:

Jay’s International Foods 3172 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Instagram: @jaysinternationalfoods 

Pan-Asia Supermarket 14246 Manchester Road, Manchester, Instagram: @panasiastlouis

Olive Supermarket 8041 Olive Blvd., St. Louis, Instagram: @supermarketolive 

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Andrew Cisneros’ resume includes working for some of the best and most well-known chefs in St. Louis, including names like Pierre Chambrin, Ben Poremba and Gerard Craft, to name a few. Now in 2025, along with owning and operating two restaurants, he has added working as the new food partner at Rockwell Beer Co. in the Grove to that list. 

When Cisneros began to look for his next restaurant space in 2023, he reached out to Rockwell co-owner Chris Hulse, who owned a vacant restaurant space in the Tower Grove area. While the two did not work together at that time, Cisneros mentioned in their conversation his other interest in running the food program at Rockwell. In 2024, Hulse reached back out to work together to reinvent the menu, which launched earlier this year.

“Breweries are supposed to be experimenting, supposed to be pushing the envelope. In our previous iteration, there were four or five items, never changed, there wasn’t much push for innovation. I think that’s changed with Andrew on board, where it’s much more interesting and we have way more options. I think it’s improved,” Hulse said.

With his family’s Peruvian heritage and his background in European restaurant training, Cisneros blends the two together at his restaurants, Jalea on historic Main Street in St. Charles and Brasas located in the Delmar Loop. The new Rockwell Beer Co. menu features what Cisneros calls Peruvian-American cuisine, and includes dishes like the Chancho Sando and his Peruvian twist on a traditional American burger. 

“We’re always staying creative and want to stay on our toes and try new things and keep it interesting for the brewery and for our guests. We do it at Brasas, we do it at Jalea, we always see a special, we see something new on the menu. When it comes to Brasas street food, I think we’ve established our identity to be Peruvian American. It’s going to be the best of both worlds,” Cisneros said. 

Rockwell Beer Co. opened up their first location in the Grove in November 2018 followed by their second location in Francis Park in October 2021. When Cisneros joined the team, he did not want to alter the menu too much in an effort to keep regulars satisfied. Instead, he was inspired by the original menu of burgers and fries and wanted to bring in his own twist on those classics.

“It’s amazing the amount of different options you have there in such a small space. With Andrew on board, he has simplified our lives so much in terms of the quality, the labor, keeping everything in line,” Hulse said.

Inspired by the festivities of the holiday season, Rockwell Beer Co. is hosting a Candy Cane Lane Run on Dec. 10, and Holiday Market on Dec. 14 with Lllamas. You can find more information on upcoming events on their Instagram page and website.

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We stop into Porano at 13323 Manchester Road in Des Peres pretty regularly, and the monthly pizza specials are always worth a try, but December’s collab is on another level. For this month’s feature, Porano teamed up with Big Mouth Sandwich Co., which you might remember from our recent Hit List, and the result is the Stuffed Italian Hoagie Pizza.

This thing is a monster. It starts with Big Mouth co-owner Matt Frentzel’s focaccia – fitting, since Frentzel once worked at Porano – used as the base for a deep, double-layered pie. The first layer gets loaded with Italian charcuterie, pepperoncini aioli and plenty of provolone before it’s sent through the oven. Then a pizza “lid” goes on top, followed by tomato sauce and mozzarella, plus a final hit of fresh lettuce and raw onion for that perfect hot-and-cold contrast.

The crust deserves its own shoutout: super deep, shatteringly crisp around the cheesy edge, and sturdy enough to hold the stack of meat inside. There’s a little heat, a lot of cheese, and that crunchy, caramelized edge adds a perfect finishing touch.

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The Spiced Pumpkin Painkiller is the holiday cocktail of our dreams, and you can get it at both the original Three Sixty in downtown St. Louis and the newer Three Sixty Westport in Maryland Heights. Created by Tim Wiggins of Bangers Only cocktail consulting company, this isn’t your typical overly sweet, over-spiced seasonal drink: It’s strong, balanced and surprisingly nuanced. Dark rum anchors the cocktail, while pumpkin spice, coconut cream, orange, ginger, lime and a little streusel come together in a mix that’s perfectly complex and delightfully delicious.

Both locations are running their Up on the Rooftop holiday pop-ups through the entire month, and you don’t need a reservation to get in on the fun. We tend to gravitate toward the Westport spot for the overall vibe, but the cocktail list is identical at both. And if you’re chasing views, the downtown rooftop is hard to beat with 360-degree panoramas that sweep over the Arch, Busch Stadium and Kiener Plaza. Both locations offer open seating, but reservations are available for groups of 10 or more.

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Downtown Kirkwood is getting into the holiday spirit. 4 Hands Brewing Co.’s first ever holiday pop-up, Cocktails and Claws, is now open in the 4 Hands + Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. space at 150 W. Argonne Drive in Kirkwood, where customers can pair local brews with lobster, poorboys and more. 

The two businesses have been planning their collaborative event since June, and the effort shows in their specialty menus created for the pop-up. The cocktail list from 4 Hands focuses on showing off their portfolio of spirits as well as guest experience. The Resting Grinch Face is one of owner Kevin Lemp’s favorites, made up of 1220 Spirits’ Encrypted Vodka, plus white cranberry, triple sec, simple syrup and lime juice. Upon ordering, a server comes to the table with the drink in one hand and green cotton candy in the other. Guests watch as the cotton candy dissolves in the cocktail, transforming it into something perfect for the Mean One himself. Withered Oak’s rye is a substantial component of the cocktail menu, making appearances in Max on the Rocks (a One Antler Old-Fashioned), the caramel apple-inspired Sugar & Spice and the Midnight Noel, which also features amaro, plus chocolate and toasted almond bitters.

“We like to stay in our lane and really just focus on beverage,” Lemp said. “We really just trust our partner.” That partner is the team at Kevin Nashan’s Peacemaker, which designed the appetizer menu for Cocktails and Claws. While the regular Peacemaker menu is also available, the unique appetizer choices offer elevated comfort. First on the list is an order of crab claws, delivered to the table on ice with lemon and house-made Dijonnaise. The deviled eggs come topped with caviar, and the pigs in a blanket are swaddled in a garlic-Parmesan buttered bao bun. Crab cakes and Swedish meatballs round out the menu, along with a turtle brownie sundae for dessert.

Of all the 4 Hands’ locations, Lemp felt Kirkwood was the perfect spot for their first holiday pop-up. “We’re really a part of the neighborhood of Kirkwood,” he said. “We just felt like the  community would get a kick out of a big pop-up, and so we decided to just roll the dice and try it this year and see how it went.” The encroaching wintertime gives the team a chance to show off what the inside of the property can deliver. While the location has plenty of outdoor seating, popular in the warmer months, Cocktails and Claws takes place purely inside. The dining area is decked out in red and white, and guests have a perfect view of a City Wide holiday tree. “As soon as the customers walk in, we just wanted it to be explosive for them.”

For the rest of the pop-up, which runs through Dec. 31, guests can expect eventual additions to the menu, including NA cocktails. Mr. and Mrs. Claus will join the fun on Dec. 7 for a free event full of photo opportunities, games and treats meant for the whole family. A portion of sales on Kirkwood Lager will go to Kirkwood Firefighters Community Outreach. “We just want people to come in here and be reminded of the giving season,” Lemp said. “At the end of the day, everything we do is about connection.” Cocktails and Claws is open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, no reservations or tickets required.

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After finding a gap in St. Louis’ options for the Latino dishes they grew up eating, Julieta Feliz and Rodolfo Martinez teamed up to bring something new to the city. On Nov. 15, they launched Fresh & Chill in the Tower Grove South neighborhood of South City. Located at 4621 Beck Ave., Fresh & Chill brings together American comfort food with classic Latino specialties.  

“Our vision was to open a place where people can experience the warmth and relief we feel at home. There are so many things going on right now, so much tension, so much stress. So, we wanted to provide a space for people to go and literally chill and unwind. We wanted to pair that with good food and unique flavors that can transport you to various Latin American countries,” Feliz said.

Though not related, Feliz and Martinez find commonality in the way their lives have been surrounded by family and food. Martinez is from Michoacan, Mexico, and brings years of restaurant experience, while Feliz draws inspiration from her California childhood, where her mother’s cooking was a constant source of community. In crafting their menu, the pair wanted to include items that were personal to how they were raised and a reflection of their multicultural team.

“My husband is from the Dominican Republic and there’s a traditional plate from there called los tres golpes “the three hits” you can’t really find that anywhere in St. Louis, so we have it at our restaurant,” Feliz said. We have classics from Central and South America and the Caribbean. We’re just trying to try to bring a little bit of home to St. Louis.”

Fresh & Chill is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and until 6 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. Holding a capacity of 284 guests, there are two levels in their space, with a private room in the upper level that can be rented out for parties of any celebration. The restaurant is open and bright allowing guests to relax and enjoy comfort food at any meal of the day. 

“It has a really good feng shui about it, coming from the kitchen, then you pass the lower level, and then go up into the upper level. Then we also have a patio stage in the back, and then our bar is right in the center and easily accessible between both places,” Feliz said 

Feliz credits success to their chef Jacobo Berman, who is not afraid to change up traditional American meals. An example of this is their twist on chicken and waffles, replacing chicken with lamb chops for added flavor. 

“I think a lot of that comes from our chef. He is very bold and fearless in trying new things when we discussed the concept of the menu. One of our customers described it as eclectic. He was not afraid to combine flavors and ingredients in a nontraditional way,” Feliz said 

It was important for owners Feliz and Martinez to keep the foundation of classic American meals with the twist of Latino flair added in. With their inviting atmosphere and fresh meals that make guests feel right at home, Fresh and Chill is changing the game in St. Louis. 

“Our restaurant came to life out of a love for sharing a meal with someone, with a group of people. We share our love through food, conversation and memories,” Feliz said.

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Tamara Keefe, founder and CEO of Clementine’s Ice Cream, has spent the last decade transforming a single Lafayette Square scoop shop into a microcreamery empire known far beyond St. Louis, which we discussed extensively on her recent podcast episode. But a woman cannot survive on ice cream alone. Here, she shares five of her favorite St. Louis restaurants that reflect the same creativity and neighborhood love that fuels her brand.

Akar
“To begin with, it’s the sexiest restaurant in St. Louis. Bernie Lee’s love for his native Malaysia shines through in every single authentic dish. His thoughtful nature and impeccable palate shines through on every single work of art that comes out of his kitchen. And I love that my vegan and gluten-free friends always have lots of options to choose from.”
7641 Wydown Blvd., Clayton, akarstl.com

Casa Don Alfonso
“When dining there, you feel like you are stepping into an incredible Italian restaurant in New York City, but we’re fortunate enough to have it right here in St. Louis! From scratch-made pasta that is to die for to house-made buffalo mozzarella. It’s my go-to for a fun girls’ night out. Don’t forget to start with their Filippo Bianco cocktail; it’s lovely and refreshing. And always ask for some focaccia to go, it’s the best in St. Louis.”
100 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, casadonalfonsostlouis.com

Lona’s Lil Eats
“Lona does a magnificent job of blending authentic Asian cuisine in a way that resonates with so many people, and at just the right price. I can’t get enough of her lime-peanut-ginger salad, and her dry-rubs protect the flavors in her proteins so well. Her smoked turkey is to die for, with her signature sauce on top. A weekly go-to in our house.”
2199 California Ave., St. Louis, lonaslileats.com

Paul Manno’s
“When my fiancé first told me he was going to take me to an Italian restaurant in a strip mall in Chesterfield, I said no way. He promised me I would like it, so I went. Flabbergasted and totally surprised, it was so good. It’s not fancy; it’s very warm and inviting. It’s like stepping back into Little Italy in the 1950s. Classic Italian with old-world charm and impeccable service. And the lamb chops are famous for good reason. I order them every time.”
75 Forum Shopping Center, Chesterfield, paulmannos.com

SweetArt Bakeshop + Café
“If you’re looking for the best cinnamon roll in St. Louis, look no further than SweetArt. Reine is so talented and I was lucky enough to collaborate with her on a special ice cream flavor this year called Reine’s Thick Mint. It’s vegan and out of this world!”
Multiple locations, sweetartstl.com

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Move aside, Smoothie King; there’s a new healthy beverage in town. Meet Abdallah and Omar Alaroudh, the brains behind Crazy Juice, a new juice bar tucked away in a quaint strip mall 15630 Manchester Road in Ellisville. 

The Alaroudh brothers began their Crazy Juice journey in Jordan, and after achieving success overseas, decided to bring their talents to America’s shores; in September, the two brothers opened a second location in Ellisville. 

The concept is simple: fresh juice and smoothies, made right in front of your eyes. No artificial flavors, sweeteners, preservatives or unnecessary chemicals are used, Abdallah Alaroudh explains. Place an order at the counter, and Alaroudh picks a fresh fruit from the buckets arranged at the front of the store. It is then taken behind the counter, where the fruit is diced and passed through a juice press. Within minutes, freshly squeezed juice is ready to go. 

The menu is expansive; choose from a wide selection of fruit juices, smoothies, slushies, milkshakes and desserts. During the winter months, grab a slushie from one of the six options offered: dragon fruit, watermelon, lemon, mango, strawberry and passion fruit. Once the weather warms up, there will be a wider selection of slushies offered, Alaroudh explains. 

The telltale sign of a fresh fruit slushie is the crunch of the fruit seeds, Alaroudh said, pointing to the striations of seeds clinging to the sides of the slushie machine. “It’s just fruit and ice, nothing else,” Alaroudh said.

“We are the only store [that has] healthy slushies for kids. My kids love slushies, but it’s kind of hard to find them a healthy slushie. So we made this for all [our] neighbors to try our healthy slushies,” Alaroudh said.

But the wildest delicacy Alaroudh offers is what he calls the Special Crazy Mix, and it is truly a sight, and taste, to behold. This elaborate concoction starts with a layer of chopped blueberries, blackberries, apple and mango, and is topped with a blended smoothie mixture of the same fruits. 

Sprinkled with chopped cashews and almonds, drizzled with pistachio paste and honey, the crowning glory is two pieces of bananas, a strawberry and a Pirouline rolled wafer that is balanced on top of the blended smoothie mixture. The Special Crazy Mix comes with a 26-ounce glass mug that can be taken home, Alaroudh said. 

They also offer fruit ice cream. Similar to Thailand’s stir-fried or rolled ice cream, the brothers Alaroudh mix cream, sugar and fresh fruits while stirring constantly to incorporate air into the dish. The result is a delicious and healthy way to beat the heat.

In addition to its namesake offerings, the cafe also features a selection of coffees and teas like Adeni chai, Karak chai and more.

Open all seven days of the week, hours are from noon to midnight on Mondays to Saturdays, and are open from noon to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

Follow Crazy Juice on Instagram and Facebook for more updates. 

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