Hit List: January 2015

Earthbound Brewing Among the whiskey bars and taquerías on Cherokee Street sits the tiny but mighty Earthbound Brewing. It takes less than 30 seconds to walk the length of the 1,000-square-foot, shotgun-style space with tables, stools and a bar hewn from salvaged wood. Eight taps pour a selection of local favorites and Earthbound brews, like the mellow Winter Warmer Double IPA that’s sweetened with jaggery, or the Mahlab ESB, a slightly bitter brew with fruitcake aroma. Show up on Thursday nights to witness heated rounds of Dungeons & Dragons; you may even be recruited to join the quest over a pint. 2710 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.504.3532, earthboundbeer.com Zydeco Blues Cajun and Creole cuisines have come to Des Peres. Grab a seat at the 19th-century wood bar and sip on a Hurricane or a bottle of Abita Amber while you nibble on (OK, devour) complimentary savory beignets. Save room for dishes like shrimp and grits, po’boys, gumbo and fresh oysters. For dessert, don’t miss the bananas Foster creme brulee. Zydeco Blues, 1090 Old Des Peres Road, Des Peres, 314.858.1188, zydecobluesstl.com Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions Old-school butcher shop Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions joins a street of burgeoning specialty food stores in Maplewood. Former Sidney Street Cafe chef de cuisine Chris Bolyard is putting his butchery skills to work as he breaks down whole animals that were naturally raised on small farms in Missouri. Get your traditional cuts of pork, beef and chicken here, but don’t be shy about asking for underappreciated parts. Look for myriad house-prepared fresh and aged meat products: bacon, bratwurst, braunschweiger, bresaola, chorizo, hot dogs, kielbasa, mortadella, pastrami, porchetta di testa and more. Stock up on kitchen essentials like farm eggs, house-rendered lard and house-made Worcestershire. Don’t leave without a bag of fresh chicharrónes, a stick of beef jerky, a to-go cup of hot chicken broth – and smoked pig ears for Fido. 2810 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314.647.2567, bolyardsmeat.com Peel Wood Fired Pizza and Brewery The second location of this popular pizzeria is bigger, badder and boozier than its Edwardsville home base. The O’Fallon, Illinois location opened in a massive two-story space (former incarnations include a bank, a bowling alley and a roller rink) to welcome up to 230 people. Head upstairs to the brewpub to take in the seven-barrel brewery and order the Peel flight to sample the four house brews or choose from two dozen other craft labels on draft. Get your belly full and satisfied with the jalapeno sausage pizza that’s piled with house-smoked jalapeno sausage, smoked mozzarella and bread-and-butter pickled jalapenos. 104 S. Cherry St., O’Fallon, Illinois, 618.726.2244, peelpizza.com Strange Trap Kitchen “This is really our test kitchen,” they’ll tell you at Strange Trap Kitchen, Strange Donuts’ pint-sized satellite location in the Central West End. Tuesday through Friday from 7 to 11 a.m., Strange Trap co-opts Brennan’s bar space to bring you delicious, never-before-seen Strange dones (and to-go cups of Kaldi’s coffee). Select from four experimental doughnuts from $2 to $5. We’ve bitten into flavors like pineapple upside-down cake and tomato jam, goat cheese and prosciutto, then licked our fingers clean. 4659 Maryland Ave., St. Louis, strangedonuts.com Recess Brewing Edwardsville now has its first brewery with a sparse but stately tasting room in the heart of Main Street. A red brick archway, salvaged barn wood and large windows lend a cozy, tavern-like feel to the space. Ten taps hold brews to please everyone from hopheads (2211 IPA) to ale fans (Four Square nut brown ale). Our pick: Pedagogical, a winter porter to sip by Recess’ custom-built brick fireplace. It’s a BYO-dinner joint, but don’t be surprised if the movie theater across the street stops in with free fresh popcorn. Edwardsville is neighborly like that. 307 N. Main St., Edwardsville, 618.692.5101, recessbrewing.com Living Room Local micro-roaster Arthouse Coffees has opened a coffee shop and bakery. Take in the cafe’s casual laboratory aesthetic, from the faux soapstone chemist’s bar to the vintage pharmacy rack with bottles of Arthouse’s popular Bitt’s Cold Press and Chemex pour-over gear for purchase. Order a cup of a rotating house roast prepared one of five ways (espresso, pour over, siphon, Kyoto cold brew or cold press) and pair it with a freshly baked French roll served with house-made honey butter. 2808 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314.899.0173, arthousecoffees.com