Name: Adrian Maldonado
Age: 27
Job title: Cook, Balkan Treat Box
Why he’s One To Watch: He’s a restaurant industry lifer

Adrian Maldonado is a lifer.

He’s known it since his mom let him bail on college after one year and go to culinary school instead. It’s the first thing that his boss, Balkan Treat Box owner Loryn Nalic, said about him when we talked to her for this story.

“It’s not for everyone,” Maldonado said. “You really do have to tough it out; you really do have to make sure you love it.”

Restaurateurs and managers are always looking for cooks who are in it for the long-term, who are passionate and proud of their work. Lifers are a good investment, and increasingly hard to find. As a cheerful work horse, Maldonado would be welcome in any professional kitchen. But Maldonado isn’t just worried about his own station – he’s constantly checking in on his coworkers. He knows when to have fun and when to get serious. He’s aware of customer experience from all the way back on the line. He’s so good that his bosses and mentors don’t fight to keep him in their kitchens; they encourage him to leave.

While at Companion, his first restaurant job during culinary school, his mentor, chef Josh Galliano, set him up with a stage position at Sidney Street Café, which led to his five-year stint at that fine-dining institution. Nalic jumped at the chance to hire him at Balkan Treat Box when he reached out to her in 2020, but she’s also hoping to help him open his own place someday.

“He’s really just a talent – he’s got a natural knack,” Nalic said. “You get the sense that he’s always thinking ahead – what’s the bigger picture, the end goal, the outcome we’re looking for. Not just with flavor profiles, but hospitality. He’s an asset from front to back.”

Maldonado said he grew up in his mom and grandma’s kitchen in Los Angeles, watching them cook Mexican favorites. Eventually he wants to share the things he learned there along with the classic French techniques he learned working in fine dining. That’s where Nalic sees him long term: in his own place, cooking from his roots.

Luckily, while we’re watching for what Maldonado does next, we can already get a taste of what’s to come in his specials at Balkan. “He’ll take dishes that are familiar to him from his culture and relate them to the techniques or flavor profiles of Balkan cuisine,” Nalic said, mentioning a “to die for” sigara borek-flauta mashup made with smoked lamb and a popular birria pide. “It’s fun to watch him do specials,” she said. We’re going to keep watching. 

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Schnucks is opening a new location of its Eatwell Market concept at 220 THF Blvd. in Chesterfield. Slated to open spring 2023, the 30,000-square-foot natural and organic-focused market will be the second Eatwell location in the state – the first opened in Columbia in 2020.  

“We are excited to introduce Eatwell Market by Schnucks to customers in our hometown area. Our company’s mission is to nourish people’s lives, and we will build on that by bringing customers a store where they can discover new, local items while staying focused on health and wellness,” said Ted Schnuck, the Schnucks executive vice president of supermarkets, in a press release.    

The store will offer organic and conventionally grown produce, meats and more. Special features include a bulk foods section including nuts, grains and dried fruits, a freshly ground nut butter station, and a made-to-order drink bar offering smoothies, coffee, tea, beer and wine to enjoy while shopping. The rotating beer selection will focus on local breweries, according to Schnucks spokesperson Paul Simon. “We’ll offer crowlers and growlers for folks to take home with them as well,” he said.

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Thanksgiving is not complete without pie. It’s the obligatory end to the evening and part of a well-rounded morning-after breakfast. Discover new classics and old favorites from some of our favorite local bakers that will have you trimming off just another sliver – to even out the edges!

1. Cyrano’s Apple Cavalier courtesy of Cyrano’s Carolyn Downs

2. Salted Maple Pie courtesy of Made by Lia‘s Lia Weber

3. Knead Classic Pecan Pie with Flaky Sourdough Crust courtesy of Knead Bakehouse + Provisions

“Make sure all your ingredients are cold to get the flakiest crust possible.” – Knead

4.  Fancy’s Pumpkin Pie courtesy of Pint Size Bakery‘s Christy Augustin

“We hate the soggy crust and starchy filling of nearly every other pumpkin pie, so ours is in a flaky, pre-baked, all butter crust with a custardy filling like nothing you’ve ever had before.” – Christy Augustin

5. Pumpkin Mousse Mini Pies courtesy of Russell’s Russell Ping

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With The Robin Project, chef Alec Schingel (Vicia, Winslow’s Table) offers four-course prix-fixe menus showcasing dishes like his first dinner’s toasted raviolo. Not your average toasted rav, the dish featured a Double Star Farms egg yolk cloaked in a ricotta mixture made with Rolling Lawns Farm dairy, Salume Beddu ‘nduja and a blanket of scratch-made pasta made with Janie’s Mill flour. There was nothing jokey or ironic about this fine dining t-rav: “The thing I’m really looking to explore is what it means to cook Midwestern cuisine and not just use Midwestern ingredients,” Schingel said.

While the Robin Project is a roving pop-up, Schingel currently has dinners scheduled every couple of weeks through December at Work & Leisure‘s 10-seat bar. Check Instagram for dates and ticket availability.

Instagram: @the_robinproject

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Adina’s Vegan Cuisine opened in a new location Saturday, Oct. 1. The vegan restaurant, owned by mother-and-daughter team Cheryl and Vicki McKinney, has joined other Black-owned establishments like Healthy Habits Nutrition in the Carter Commons food hall at 6746 Page Ave., on the corner of Ferguson Avenue. “But we’ll be the only vegan business in the food court,” said Vicki.

Vicki said that an employee of Beyond Housing, which owns Carter Commons, was a fan of Adina’s food from their time operating out of Golden Grocer and reached out to the mother-daughter team about moving into the new location. “We’re really, really excited to be opening our own space – this will be our first time ever having our own space,” she said. “Being able to bring vegan options to the area we’re in is really exciting for us.” 

Adina’s had a soft opening on Saturday in order to participate in Blacktoberfest 2022, which took place the same day. The restaurant’s regular hours will be noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and it will celebrate an official grand opening on Saturday, Oct. 29 from 1 to 6 p.m. 

The menu will change every day, usually offering a couple vegan entree options as well as sides, which will always feature the restaurant’s signature lemon-lime kale salad. Stay up to date on Adina’s menu by following the restaurant on social media, but you can count on finding vegan Mexican cuisine on Tuesdays, sandwiches or wraps on Wednesdays, homestyle meals like lasagna or spaghetti on Thursdays, and a faux fish fry every Friday. There will also be a grab-and-go section with prepared foods including salads, sandwiches and quick meals you can warm up at home, as well as cold-pressed juices from the local Pure Juice. Saturday’s menu will feature jerk jackfruit sliders, plant-based grilled “salmon” sliders, jackfruit nachos, vegan mac and cheese, the famous lemon-lime kale salad and more. 

“We’re really excited to bring some healthy, great tasting food to the community,”  said Cheryl.

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The Fattened Caf is bringing a more permanent food menu to Earthbound Beer at 2724 Cherokee St. The Filipino barbecue from husband-and-wife team Darren Young and Charlene Lopez-Young developed a following at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market and has recently been available at regular pop-ups at Earthbound. Lopez-Young said that they’re excited to make their offerings at Earthbound more permanent – the brewery is community-oriented, which makes it the perfect partner for The Fattened Caf. 

“We want people to be in community with each other; to try out family meals – try Filipino food the way they eat it at home,” she said. “When you go out in the Philippines, a lot of dishes are family-style.”

Kicking off Oct. 6, The Fattened Caf’s regular hours at Earthbound will be 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday, with additional plated dishes as well as a brunch service from 12:30 to 3 p.m. offered on Saturday.

Crowd favorites from The Fattened Caf’s pop-ups will be offered on what Lopez-Young called the pulutan menu, “which essentially just means foods that you eat while you’re drinking,” she said, “fatty, salty, light appetizer-type dishes good enough that you can just order a side of rice and have a complete meal.” 

The menu is designed to pair with Earthbound’s beer and features larger options for sharing and regular specials. Offerings will include chicken inasal (grilled wings flavored with lemongrass and ginger, served with a dipping sauce of vinegar, soy sauce and annatto oil), longganisa dogs (Filipino sausage topped with pickled papaya, banana ketchup and a fried egg), pumuputok na manok (“exploding” chopped Filipino barbecue chicken), sisig nachos and tacos (chopped pork topped with red and white onions, serranos and chicharrones), as well as vegetarian options including a grilled eggplant omelet topped with salted duck egg. Desserts will include ube pie and the very popular ube gooey butter cake, while brunch will feature pham sliders (house-made Filipino Spam), pork steak tocino (Filipino-style bacon), silog (fried garlic rice, eggs and a choice of meat), as well as plenty of egg dishes.

“We want people to get really excited that this is what Filipino food can look like,” Lopez-Young said. “It doesn’t have to look like how your grandparents made it.”

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Tostones con Aguacate (Twice-Fried Green Plantains with Avocado)
Courtesy of Mayo Ketchup‘s Mandy Estrella

24 servings

For the pickled red onion:
1 large or 2 small red onions, thinly sliced
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
¹?³ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. salt
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp. whole allspice

For the tostones:
2 green plantains
2 cups vegetable or canola oil
Sea salt, for sprinkling
3 ripe avocados
1 tsp. lime juice
½ tsp. salt
Cilantro, for garnish
Lime wedges, for garnish

For the pickled onions:
• Place the sliced onions in a glass jar or bowl.
• In a saucepan, combine the vinegar, water, sugar, salt, garlic and allspice over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally until the salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Pour the brine over the onions. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate overnight.

For the tostones:
• Trim the ends off each plantain, cut through the tough outer peels lengthwise top-to-bottom and remove. Slice into 1-inch rounds.
• Add the oil to a large, heavy-bottomed skillet (it should fill about ¹?³ the skillet), and place over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the plantains and fry until softened and golden brown, about 4 minutes per side.
• Place the fried plantains on a cutting board or plate and gently smash and flatten each piece with the bottom of a glass or plate.
• Increase the heat to medium-high and return the smashed plantains to the oil, frying until crispy, about 1 minute per side. Place on a paper towel-lined plate or cooling rack and sprinkle with sea salt.
• Prepare the avocados by cutting them in half, removing the pits, scoring the flesh into cubes and scooping into a small bowl. Add the lime juice and salt and slightly smash with a fork until the avocado mixture is chunky but combined.
• Plate the plantains, top each with 1 to 2 tablespoons avocado mixture and 2 to 3 slices of red onion. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.

Readers’ Choice Favorite Latin American

Mayo Ketchup, 2001 Park Ave., St. Louis, plantaingirl.com

The post Make these tostones con aguacate from Mayo Ketchup appeared first on Sauce Magazine: Intelligent Content For The Food Fascinated.

If you’d like a more substantial soup, Mai Lee owner Qui Tran said you can add tofu, shrimp or almost any other seafood to this recipe (added at the end, with the okra and bean sprouts). He also suggested serving this hotpot-style, starting with the broth and cooking ingredients as desired.

Canh Chua
Courtesy of Mai Lee’s Qui Tran

2 to 4 servings

4 cups water
1 cup cubed pineapple
2 Tbsp. minced lemongrass
3 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. tamarind powder
½ Tbsp. salt
1 cup peeled bac ha (elephant ear vegetable)
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup cubed tomato
1 cup bean sprouts
1 cup whole, trimmed okra (optional)
½ cup rough chopped rice paddy herb (or Thai basil)
½ cup rough chopped culantro (or cilantro)
1 Tbsp. fried garlic, for garnish

• In a medium pot, combine the water, pineapple and lemongrass. Place over high heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-high and simmer 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the sugar, tamarind powder and salt and stir until dissolved. Cook until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Add the bac ha, celery and tomato and continue to simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the okra, if using, and the bean sprouts. Simmer 5 more minutes. Stir in the rice paddy herb and culantro, top with the fried garlic and serve.

Readers’ Choice Favorite Vietnamese

Mai Lee, 8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood, maileestl.com

The post Make this canh chua from Mai Lee? in Brentwood appeared first on Sauce Magazine: Intelligent Content For The Food Fascinated.

You should absolutely use the Sauce Readers’ Choice awards as an excuse to plan extensive dining excursions. Start with the winners of the 2022 Favorite Latin American category and experience flavors from Puerto Rico, Brazil, Nicaragua, Ecuador and more. Here is where to go and what to eat on your next food tour of St. Louis.

Mayo Ketchup
First Place
The thing to order at your favorite Latin American restaurant is definitely the jibarito: a delightfully unwieldy sandwich made up of tostones (twice-fried green plantains) instead of bread, your choice of steak or pork, Swiss-American cheese, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayo. “This is the one thing that you literally cannot get anywhere else in St. Louis,” said Mayo Ketchup owner Mandy Estrella. A Puerto Rican dish, the jibarito was actually popularized in Chicago. Along with visitors from the Windy City, Estrella said the tostones sandwich is also a popular order for anyone with dietary restrictions since it’s naturally gluten free and comes in vegetarian and vegan options.
2001 Park Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.2699, plantaingirl.com

Yemanja Brasil
Second Place
If you want to order like a Brazilian at Yemanja Brasil, get the bifé acebolado (strip steak), aipim frito (yucca fries), and don’t forget a caipirinha – Brazil’s favorite cocktail, made with cachaca, muddled lime and sugar. Owner Lemya Sidki said the meal is a little taste of home – especially the bifé acebolado. The strip steak is charbroiled and topped with caramelized onions, served with Brazilian black beans and rice, and sautéed collard greens. “For a Brazilian,” said Sidki, “that’s really their go-to. When I grew up in Brazil, I grew up eating beef every day.”
2900 Missouri Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.7457, yemanjastl.com

Fritanga
Third Place
Fritanga owner Orlando Hidalgo knows they’re doing something right at St. Louis’ favorite Nicaraguan restaurant – “We’re still here!” he said, after 15 years in business. One of the things that keeps people coming back is the house chimichurri sauce: “I guess people in this city like chimichurri a lot,” he said. Made with loads of parsley, oregano, garlic and olive oil, the condiment serves as marinade, together with sweet and sour orange, for both Fritanga’s popular Churrasco Nica flank steak and the pollo al chimichurri. Hidalgo said customers love pairing these with the Nicaraguan red beans and rice, gallo pinto. But his personal favorite? Another Nicaraguan staple: the decadent tajadas verdes con queso, crispy green plantains topped with fried cheese.
2208 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.664.7777, fritangastl.com

Asador Del Sur
Honorable Mention
While the flavorful, Uruguayan-style entrana skirt steak is one of Asador Del Sur’s most popular dishes, co-owner Maria Giamportone is more of a seafood person. Her favorite thing to eat is the encocado de mariscos, which she described as “a new dish from Ecuador. “It is something very tropical,” Giamportone continued. The dish features squid, mussels, mahi mahi and shrimp in a shrimp and coconut milk-based sauce flavored with lemongrass, ginger and peanuts – ingredients that Giamportone explained are very common in the northern part of her home country, Ecuador. “It’s filling, the flavor is very different – I haven’t found something like it here,” she said.
7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.802.8587, asadordelsur.com

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