Bang for your buck
Just spreading the word about a good deal so that you can save and savor. Three’s the magic number tonight at Local Harvest Cafe in South City. Every Friday, by-the-glass wines cost just $3. Pick from pours like a peppery Penascal Tempranillo and a crisp Ceviche Sauvignon Blanc. Local Harvest only stocks what’s sustainably produced,…
The Art of Tony’s
Left to right: Joan Mitchell, Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. Click on a photo to expand. Mention the name Tony’s, and St. Louisans automatically think of award-winning Italian cuisine. But this venerable eatery boasts a feast for the eyes, as well. Look up from your plate and you’ll be treated to an intimate view of…
The Scoop: La Dolce Via returns
Good news, brunchers: La Dolce Via will again be welcoming hungry guests to its popular weekend brunches beginning March 7, reports owner Marcia Sindel. (The Forest Park Southeast eatery temporarily shuttered at the beginning of the year for a bit of renovating, including a décor-freshening and a rethinking of the restaurant’s layout.) Sindel said that…
Winter tomatoes
Just exactly how is a person supposed to get a respectable tomato fix in the dead of winter? Until a few days ago, you would have received one of two answers from me depending on my caffeine intake: Either a simple “Can’t be done” or a long-winded diatribe that included cashing in tens of thousands…
From Fat Tuesday to vegan Monday
We wish we could tell you Gokul’s new vegan dinner buffet will make up for the way you’ve been eating lately, but it sounds pretty decadent. The Olivette Indian restaurant, which is usually 100 percent vegetarian, now leaves out the cream and ghee from 5 to 9 p.m. on the first Monday of the month.…
Big Red
If you like pork – and we know you do – you’ll want to dine at Maplewood’s Monarch Restaurant and Edwardsville’s Erato on Main soon. Chefs Joshua Galliano and Kevin Willmann have started working with their respective halves of a locally raised Red Wattle, a heritage breed pig making its area debut. The beef-like meat,…
Soup of the day
Looking for a light lunch? We spent some time on the ol’ horn this morning finding some hit-the-spot soups: • The Mardi Gras party has already started at Frazer’s Restaurant and Lounge. The Benton Park spot has a shrimp and chicken gumbo along with a green gumbo that packs ham and seven varieties of greens:…
Vote for more beer
Dogfish Head, Surly, Three Floyds. If we’re speaking your language, we’ve got an assignment for you. Mike Sweeney, beer blogger and Sauce contributor, has posted a poll asking what breweries you’d like to see on the shelves in The STL. Mike doesn’t claim to have a crystal ball, but he does count brewers, distributors and…
The Scoop: Eat globally in Glen Carbon
Blue Moon Café is almost ready to take on the world. Chef Jason Shafer’s global bistro and lounge will feature rotating items like Cajun jambalaya, Thai shrimp and Santa Fe salad. Also look for an internationally inspired selection of soups and sandwiches. (One to watch: The Navajo, warm fry bread stuffed with grilled chicken, avocado…
The Scoop: Wes Johnson lands at Eclipse
As construction crews put the finishing touches on Joe Edwards’ new Moonrise Hotel in The Loop, details are beginning to emerge about the property’s restaurant, Eclipse Restaurant at the Moonrise Hotel. Local foodies will be pleased to note that Wes Johnson, who gained a loyal following during his recent stint at The Shaved Duck’s stoves,…
Raise a glass
A Saucy congrats to one of our own today: The Missouri Wine and Grape Board has honored Glenn Bardgett, wine director at Annie Gunn’s and Sauce’s wine columnist, with its Pioneer Award in recognition of Bardgett’s longtime involvement with and promotion of the Missouri wine industry.
He Said/She Said: Say cheese and … macaroni
Emily: Ah, macaroni and cheese, it’s the staff of life. Dennis: You know, when you’re 7. I am, however, not even a multiple of seven. E: Stop that confusing math-speak and focus on the cheese. And the noodle-iciousness. And the important issues at hand: Would our research lead to fond childhood memories? D: Yes. E:…
Bringing smoky back
After a mouthwatering, gut-wrenching six-month wait, Benton’s smoked country bacon is back at The Wine & Cheese Place. “The smokiest bacon you will get!” said Wine & Cheese’s Paul Hayden. Smoked in eastern Tennessee using an old-fashioned wood stove, Benton’s is serious bacon. And it’s seriously hard to find, in part because of demand from…
3 St. Louis chefs nominated for 2009 James Beard Foundation Awards
At long last, this year’s long list of nominees for the highest honors in the food world, the James Beard Foundation Awards, is out. On it, a trio of terrific St. Louisans, who will vie for Best Chef in the Midwest: Gerard Craft of Niche Restaurant, Monarch Restaurant’s Joshua Galliano and Kevin Nashan of Sidney…
Baileys’ + O’Fallon = love
We’re in love already: Baileys’ Chocolate Bar has teamed up with the awesome O’Fallon Brewery to produce an amber wheat ale made with real chocolate. Chocolate beer usually means stouts and porters, but Chocolate Bar owner Dave Bailey wanted to come up with something more drinkable. “My wife only drinks lighter beers, but she is…
A (Mount) Pleasant surprise
The March issue of Food & Wine is out – and inside we stumbled across a shout-out to Mount Pleasant Winery’s 2001 Norton. F&W wine columnist Lettie Teague describes this big red as “quite appealing, with notes of cherry and spice and a lively acidity.” We’ll let the rest of the article, which quotes Mount…
Gerard Craft to open Niche Taste Bar in Veruca Bakeshop & Cafe space in the Central West End
Big news out of Benton Park today: Niche’s Gerard Craft tells The Scoop that Veruca Bakeshop & Cafe, housed in the space next door to the restaurant, will shutter after this Saturday. In its place will be Niche Taste Bar, a 20-seat lounge featuring cocktails and a menu of small plates that can be used…
The Scoop: Hagar comes to Harrah’s
Can’t get enough of Sammy Hagar? You’ll want to be sure to be at Harrah’s St. Louis this Friday, when the casino unveils its newest restaurant, Sammy’s Beach Bar & Grill. Fans can expect a décor full of the Hall of Famer’s memorabilia, streaming Red Rocker videos, and an island- and tequila-themed menu featuring Cabo…
The Scoop: More new eats at West County Center
Bravo Italian Cucina, the self-described “casual, white tablecloth restaurant offering classic Italian food amongst the shadows of Roman ruins” and the sister concept to Brio Tuscan Grille, will welcome guests for lunch and dinner when it opens in West County Center Mall next month. The restaurant, the chain’s first St. Louis location, will offer lunch…
Black Magic: The delicious power of freshly ground pepper
Sacks of mysterious ingredients, hissing clouds of steam and curious books of recipes – a modern kitchen could easily be mistaken for the lair of a medieval magician. Alchemy is, after all, similar to cookery. Both magicians and cooks seek to transform everyday elements into astonishing spectacles. We obscure the simplicity with murky fogs of…
Yo, DJ, pump this party!
After collaborating with Four Seasons executive chef Karen Hoffman to turn out an amazing four-course meal at Saturday night’s fundraiser for St. Louis Community College’s culinary arts program, held at the swanky downtown hotel, über-celeb chef Hubert Keller brought a bit of his Vegas side to the fete by serving as the post-dinner DJ. Fresh.
Go pro
St. Louis just got a oui bit more French. Classes are set to begin April 6 at the new Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts. The professional school will offer a culinary arts certificate program that students can complete in a minimum of 36 weeks. Le Cordon Bleu St. Louis is located in a…
The Scoop: Farm-fresh foods coming to Wildwood
Residents of West County will be pleased to hear that they won’t have to travel very far to find farm-fresh produce this summer. Come spring, The Farmers’ Market of Wildwood will set up shop on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Wildwood Town Center. Expect a variety of regional and local produce, dairy,…
Oh, my darling
You’re no serenader, and it’s OK. Fond in Edwardsville can hook you up with a love potion that’ll woo just as well. Brewing since November, a house-made batch of clemencello will be accompanying the restaurant’s five-course lineup for Valentine’s Day. “It tastes just like a fresh clementine. It doesn’t have an alcohol bite at all,”…
33 haiku
I buy retail late Sit at a table and write No one throws me out You may have heard that Jake Hafner has sold his (and my and possibly your) little corner of heaven in Lafayette Square, 33. I’m clearly not writing to break this news but to say a hearty thanks to Jake for…
Iron Barley’s PBJ Blaster Pie
8 to 10 oz. Oreo cookies (with filling) ½ cup melted butter ¼ cup cream ¼ cup sour cream 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup powdered sugar ½ cup 40 percent cream ½ Tbsp. cumin ½ tsp. cayenne ¼ cup chunky peanut butter ¼ cup cream of coconut ½ cup strawberry jam…
So poppin’, so fresh
Over the weekend, there was a celebrity sighting at Lubeley’s Bakery and Deli in Shrewsbury, grand prize winner of a General Mills makeover contest. “I’m standing here with the Pillsbury Doughboy,” said a gloating fan into her cell phone. As cameras flashed, the crowd took turns poking the most famous belly in the baking world.…
Recipe: Sidney Street Cafe’s Tuscan Sea Bass
Go ahead, let your good times roll. Afterward, we’ve got just the thing for your Lenten repast: Tuscan sea bass from Sidney Street Café, where chef Kevin Nashan uses sun-dried tomatoes, rosemary and Asiago cheese to evoke the flavors of sunny Italy. We bet you don’t limit this fish to Fridays. Tuscan Sea BassCourtesy of…
Review: Blue Ocean Sushi in St. Louis
In December, I read that actor Jeremy Piven abruptly quit the lead role in a Broadway play because of a high mercury count ostensibly stemming from his prodigious daily consumption of sushi. In January, I ate at the new Blue Ocean Sushi restaurant in The Loop, whose entire business plan is all-you-can-eat sushi. “All you…
How Local Preserves Can Brighten Up Your Winter
The jams, jellies, marmalades, preserves, fruit butters and conserves from local farms bring the flavors of summer’s fruits to bleak mid-winter tables. “From August to October, with no let up, I’m in the kitchen cooking,” said Sam Wiseman of Sunflower Savannah in Beaufort. “My husband’s learned when we are rolling down the road and I…
Review: The Speakeasy at The Saxton in St. Louis
If The Speakeasy at The Thaxton has one thing going for it, it’s authenticity. Speakeasies, by their nature, are notoriously hard to locate, and this one is no exception. Three blocks south of the bustle of Washington Avenue, the dark, secluded corner of Olive and 11th streets has a foreboding air. A subtle neon sign…
Spiced Poached Pears
2 servings
Creative carbo-loading at Companion
As you walk into Companion’s Central West End location, you should probably keep your kids’ eyes facing forward, because immediately to the left, just inside the door, are two cases filled with cookies, cakes, pies and pastries. For our boys, this sugary cavalcade became immediate motivation to eat a good meal and clean their plates.…
Refined meets rustic at El Borracho
John Griffiths is adaptable. As a consulting chef, he’s worked on a number of high-profile projects around town, each one distinct from the next. Skybox serves Southern-urban comfort food. When he was at An American Place, it was farm-to-table fine dining. Lumen is a private-event space that allows him to create global cuisine tailored for…
Expat longings: food as currency
Upon returning to Turkey after a summer break in St. Louis, we decided to upgrade our mattress. This meant hauling our loaner up 180 steps to our landlord’s building. Having a frame too small for the task, I called a friend to see if he was available to help my husband, Steve. I was so…
South City sophisticate
Imagine yourself in a comfortable, low-lit booth, silverware sitting in a Mason jar on the table, with ammo hanging near the rows of liquor and New Order playing on the jukebox. A two-decades-old poster on the wall announces former mayor Vince Schoemehl’s next run for office, and the neon in the window advertises Pabst, the…
Tables for 2: Six hot spots to enjoy a come-hither dinner
Table 34 The Crossing 7823 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton 314.721.7375 What you see is more than a place to fine dine; it’s the next best thing to pillow talk. Located at The Crossing in Clayton, where you can fall in love all over again with classics such as blue cheese soufflé, this recess has enchanting…
Hot and Steamy: This cooking method is fast, flavorful and good for your heart
Why give a toot-toot to steaming? For starters, steamed food retains more vitamins and minerals while cooking. It’s also a low-cal way of eating that promotes thinness, what the French would call cuisine minceur. (Cuisine vapeur, n’est pas?) But besides the health benefits, steaming results in food that is brighter, with more natural flavor and…
Missouri-made Valentines
It’s late night on the 13th of February, just a quiet mid-winter Friday. All is well with the world. Then, “Oh, &%$#!!!,” tomorrow is Valentine’s Day and you totally forgot. How about giving him a six-pack from the all-night gas station? Maybe she’d like a gift certificate from a 24-hour fast-food drive-thru? Only if you…
Oyster lust: A boatload of varieties is within reach of St. Louis
The words “squishy” and “slimy,” common in oyster-speak, rarely stimulate the appetite. But thanks to FedEx and a mentality that oysters aren’t only for the wealthy anymore, Americans eat 2.5 billion oysters per year, according to the Molluscan Shellfish Institute. For the diner, fresh oysters are interactive. And for the chef, oysters offer the opportunity…
Strawberry-Black Pepper Fool
4 servings
Gateway Spice Co.’s Oysters Moscow
3 dozen oysters
Broadway Oyster Bar’s Oysters Bienville
1 dozen oysters
