Fresh and Fruity : Fruit purées perk up homemade marshmallows
I don’t like chocolate. Don’t get me wrong, I like to work with chocolate and I know for most desserts and confections, it’s the go-to ingredient. It’s just that I find the taste of chocolate overpowers everything else in the dish. And it’s just so expected; it seems like everything you can do with chocolate…
Eckert’s grows (in size)
Yee-haw and salutations! Eckert’s Country Restaurant of Belleville has announced a major, recession-defying project that will expand the humble eatery into a formidable 22,000-square-foot multiuse facility. Come July, the public will be able to enjoy expanded space for local produce, locally raised beef and pork in a fresh meat shop, specialty foods, an expanded bakery,…
iTAP brews a boffo birthday bash
Some folks really know how to observe a birthday. Case in point: Chesterfield’s International Tap House is taking the whole first week of February to commemorate its first year of making local suds-lovers hoppy … er, happy. The bash starts Monday, Feb. 1, when iTAP halves the prices of half of its 40 drafts. (Which…
Bridge opening postponed
David Bailey’s new Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar, at 1004 Locust St., was supposed to open today, but will now officially open Feb. 10. He checked in with Sauce, saying, “We hit a snag, with a license taking a lot longer to process than I had planned for.” He also invited readers to e-mail…
Shannon-VanMatre named Restaurateur of the Year
Saucy congratulations to Pat Shannon-VanMatre! The Missouri Restaurant Association just named her Restaurateur of the Year, as co-owner of Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood. Her reaction? “Oh, my goodness – I’m honored beyond belief and just completely thrilled,” she told us. “Anytime your peers nominate you for something like this, it’s just an incredible honor.”…
Did you say “free”?
To add some sparkle to Thursday, both locations of The Jive & Wail are now serving free beer that night. Yes – free. Gratis. Complimentary. The deal involves draft Bud Light and runs from opening (6 p.m.) to whatever unspecified time the tap goes to foam. So if you’re cruising Manchester Road or Mid Rivers…
Going out of our tree … over syrup
Strange things happen in February. A groundhog in Philly emerges from his den with great trepidation to flashbulbs and sudden cult celebrity. Schoolchildren don beards and hats made from black construction paper. Men are forced to buy chocolates in heart-shaped boxes or face the prospect of never having sex again. And in Missouri, it’s maple…
Changes coming at Maplewood art café
CooperElla Coffee Shop & Cafe will become Artisan Caffé Monday, Feb. 1, noted chef Steven Baumgartner, who also promised a different approach to the menu in the coming weeks. “Over in the café, we’re changing to fresher produce,” Baumgartner said. “We’re going to do as much organic or local producers as possible, which of course…
Shogun Japanese Steakhouse expanding
As we speak, they are preparing for a festival of foodie theater that will happen seven nights a week in Creve Coeur. It is the theater of teppanyaki, Japanese hibachi cooking for an audience of diners. Zheng “Amy” Hui and Yan “Jason” Lin already own two successful Shogun Japanese Steakhouse restaurants (in Fairview Heights, Ill.,…
IFC adds to foodies’ TV menu
Baby, it’s cold outside – but the Independent Film Channel just announced a TV-related reason for local foodies to keep living, despite St. Louis’ usual dismal winter: a block of food-related programming on Tuesdays starting April 27. The block includes the new indie-rock cooking/concert hybrid Dinner With the Band – sneak-peek episodes of which aired…
Recalling Forgotten Flavors
“Waste not, want not” still resonates with modern chefs – who are adding the long-forgotten flavor of lesser-known cuts to haute cuisine. Wes Johnson, chef de cuisine at Eclipse, takes this adage to heart by innovating with more obscure cuts on the hotel’s new late-night menu. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., diners can feast…
Wine shop/art gallery to open next month
Remember when hippies gave flowers to the cops (and the occasional National Guardsman) at protests? Well, now that the Vino Gallery is turning a former Central West End police substation into a wine shop and art gallery, let the conversion between the martial and the spiritual recommence! Co-owners Rachael Buehrer and Alex Head are planning…
Schlafly brews up two bashes
Sick of winter? Well, in just a few days, the fine folks at Saint Louis Brewery are hosting a pair of events that promise to be good for what ales … er, ails you. First, on Saturday, the Schlafly Bottleworks is presenting its Cabin Fever festival from noon to 4 p.m. For $25 in advance…
Olive Street Smoke House opens today
Olive Street Smoke House (1227 Castillons Arcade Plaza) opened its doors today for lunch and dinner, GM Dan Manning just confirmed. The West County eatery’s menu, posted on its Facebook page, features smoked ribs and wings, a variety of burgers and other sandwiches, sides including fried pickle spears, and soups and salads. Its hours will…
Brew house tentatively opening in May
Beer fans will have to polish their steins just a few more months before drinking a toast to Ray Hill’s BrewHouse (418 S. Florissant Road). “We have tentatively set an opening date of May 15,” noted the Ferguson brew pub’s namesake and CEO of Hill Brewing Co. In the meantime, Hill’s staying busy brewing an…
Drink This: The All Good at Sanctuaria
If you’re headed to Sanctuaria for “wild tapas” this weekend, be sure to leave time for a round or two at the bar, where mixologist Matt Seiter is crafting distinctive cocktails with house-made tinctures. “Tinctures are the easiest thing to do, you just have to have patience,” said Seiter. Pour a few cups of Everclear…
Salami not to be truffled with
As you may have noticed from the infrequency of my posts, I’m not a natural blogger. Nonetheless, as I sat in my living room over the holidays with a friend at 2:30 a.m., noshing The Wine Merchant’s truffle salami like a teen gobbling a bag of Fritos, it occurred to me that I should mention…
Nadoz adds night menu
Shoppers along Brentwood Boulevard can now enjoy a new dining option at Nadoz Café at The Boulevard. The eatery just launched a night menu available after 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and it specializes in classic comfort food. (The breakfast and lunch menus remain available all day.) Entrées listed on the new menu include French…
Congrats: Salume Beddu in Wall Street Journal
A Saucy congrats to Salume Beddu’s Mark Sanfilippo and Ben Poremba, who were mentioned in today’s Wall Street Journal story on the implications of new airport security measures for salumieres.
Beware the Beast!
GCS Ballpark in Sauget, Ill. – home of the Gateway Grizzlies minor-league baseball team – has become a mecca for road-food pilgrims, and that tradition continues this spring. It all started in 2004, with Baseball’s Best Hot Dog. The all-Angus-beef frank is topped with bacon, sautéed onions and sauerkraut, and Cheddar sauce. Folks went gaga…
The bar’s the star at Sanctuaria
From the moment I sat down at the bar at Sanctuaria, I knew I was in a taste adventure. Mixologist Matthew Sietier has created a notable drink menu that offers both classic – Ramos Gin Fizz, a creamy frothy drink of deliciousness – and creative concoctions. When a mixologist like Seiter is behind the bar,…
Homer Simpson would squeal with delight
Starting tomorrow, the folks at The Wine & Cheese Place will launch a major offensive in the war against vegetarianism. More specifically, they’ll announce the first artisan bacon to be featured in what they deem “the year of the BACON at TWCP.” But this is just the beginning: TWCP has huge plans, as you may…
Park Avenue Coffee’s gooey butter in a box!
If your attempts at baking gooey butter cake at home have turned out like ours (aka epic fail), you’ll be pleased to hear that Park Avenue Coffee aims to help. The Lafayette Square coffee shop is now offering boxed mixes for its famed gooey butter cake in its three most popular flavors: traditional, double chocolate…
Lola’s grand opening sparks some heat
Not a minute too soon, Lola hopes to fire things up tomorrow with its grand opening. “Saturday is already set up to be a great night, with a live set from UG Project, featuring Lamar Harris and Mo Egeston,” noted publicist Doug Hall. “Mo will be celebrating his birthday that night as an added bonus.”…
Stellina’s expansion plans (and cake!)
Happy birthday to Stellina Pasta Cafe, which celebrates its third anniversary today. Look for the South City spot to amp things up in the year to come: A 400-square-foot addition to the front of Stellina’s building at 3342 Watson Road will break ground as soon as weather allows, reports owner and chef Jamey Tochtrop. The…
Terrace View to add Sunday brunch
The Terrace View will start serving Sunday brunch this weekend from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Its menu will include not only lunch items from the Citygarden restaurant (its burger, for example, and porchetta sandwich), but also breakfast fare like spicy eggs Benedict, steak and eggs, and biscuits and gravy made with duck sausage. The…
Slow Food schools urban homesteaders
Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he’ll smell funny for the rest of his life – or something like that. Less jocularly, later this winter, Slow Food St. Louis embraces the do-it-yourself credo with its new Urban Homesteading series of classes and films intended to…
Now Open: Chez Leon
Owner Leon Bierbaum and general manager Mike Hahn began welcoming guests for dinner in Chez Leon’s new Clayton home last week. The menu, under the direction of executive chef Colby Erhart, is much the same as it was at the classic French bistro’s former home in the Central West End, complete with frog’s legs, escargot…
Ozzie’s returns!
It would seem, to paraphrase Mark Twain, that rumors of Ozzie’s Sports Bar & Restaurant’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. As we mournfully reflected here, the fixtures from the shuttered jock joint at Westport Plaza went to auction less than three months ago – but now a new eatery downtown is scheduled to bear the…
The Shaved Duck to open for lunch
Talk about starting 2010 in fine style! The Shaved Duck will open for lunch during the workweek from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. starting today. The Tower Grove East eatery, located at 2900 Virginia Ave., will prepare its oak- and hickory-smoked meats earlier in the day to accommodate its expanded hours.
Drink This: Winter warmers at Overlook Farm
What to do with the kids off school and the relatives lounging on your couch? Load ’em up and take a day trip to Clarksville. Once you’ve eyed bald eagles during a walk along Riverfront Park and peered through the scopes at the Clarksville Visitors’ Center, check out the après-eagle scene at The Clarksville Station…
Talking turkey about chickens
Nothing excites my dog more than the chicken coop we stroll past on our morning constitutional – the sight of all that poultry clucking and pecking intrigues even a domesticated predator. And we don’t even live on a farm – this is the city. Urban chicken farming has become all the rage, you see. In…
Bánh Mì Blitz
“It’s a party in your mouth, man,” Qui Tran remarked with a laugh. Tran, who runs Mai Lee Restaurant and co-owns it with family members, was characterizing the bánh mì (pronounced BUN-me), the so-called Saigon sub. “It’s a staple,” the 32-year-old added, “just as much as noodles and rice.” Reflecting the colonial French influence on…
Review: Ari’s
Don’t let the selection at Ari’s Restaurant & Bar fool you. If it’s Greek fare you’re after, you’re in the right place. Yes, the menu is dotted with an odd mix of Italian, American and local dishes, but look past the fettuccini Alfredo, Philly cheese steak and toasted ravioli, because Greek is the way to…
5 Questions for Dave Bailey
Dave Bailey is the owner of Lafayette Square’s The Chocolate Bar, downtown’s Rooster and, opening downtown this month, Bridge. If we combined Rooster, Chocolate Bar and Bridge, we’d have a dish with bacon, chocolate and wine. Can you imagine it? We do have a bacon and chocolate truffle at Chocolate Bar. If you paired that with…
Review: Sanctuaria in St. Louis
Let’s get this out of the way right up front: Sanctuaria, while it has a bar and serves tapas, is not a tapas bar; that concept that still eludes St. Louis. Further, the “wild tapas” tagline is a hollow, albeit attractive, phrase that conjures up images of either feral small plates running amok or crazy…
Review: The Post Sports Bar & Grill in Maplewood
As a nightlife columnist, it’s part of the job to every now and again empty your pint glass, tuck it next to your ear and point it toward the tipsy masses to eavesdrop on which new bars are worth a second look. For the past several months, friends and foes alike have been pointing me…
These Fresh-Baked Breads Will Warm Up Your Winter
Satisfying for stomachs and souls in icy winter, fresh-baked breads from specialty bakers fill the basket for seasonal shopping in January. The shapes, tastes and textures of these breads might not be familiar, but bread translates easily. Take a Saturday trip to the St. Louis Community Farmers’ Market or the Maplewood Winter Market for a…
Recipe: John D. McGurk’s Guinness Stew
John D. McGurk’s Guinness Stew is just the thing for cold and blustery January weekends. Set a pot to simmer all afternoon and let the rich aroma fill the house. Come dinnertime, its hearty vegetables and rich, meaty flavor will warm you body and soul. Guinness StewCourtesy of John D. McGurk’s Juliet Poncez6 to 8…
Brasserie’s Roasted Delicata Squash Salad
4 servings
Bhatoora
10
Guinness Stew
6 to 8
Short List: Osso buco
If the cold, dark winter months have you seeking out hearty meals, nothing beats the richness and depth of flavor found in classic osso buco. Specifically, osso buco Milanese, where creamy risotto is paired with tender, braised veal shank for a soul-satisfying one-two punch of meat and carbs. Dig into the bone for some of…
Big Ideas, Bold Flavors: Grandinetti Is Back
Tim Grandinetti’s back, and he’s brought his intense passion and professionalism with him. A few years ago, Grandinetti resigned his position with downtown’s Renaissance Grand for a gig based in Winston-Salem, N.C. But he’s returned to the area to head up the kitchen at Overlook Farm in Clarksville. It’s a huge project encompassing (currently) two…
Square One’s Hop Schnapps: A New Spirit for St. Louis
When Square One Brewery and Distillery owner Steve Neukomm became a licensed spirits distiller in ’08, he began crafting a fine family of core liquors labeled the Spirits of St. Louis. But this entrepreneur didn’t stop with gin, rum and vodka. He’s released some standout inventive craft liquors, and his latest, a beer schnapps Neukomm’s…
Eclectic Flavors Keep Frazer’s Fresh
Frazer’s Restaurant and Lounge is a charming Benton Park eatery that strikes a balance between casual comfort and sophistication. With an atmosphere that’s warm and energetic, it’s the type of place that draws both neighborhood residents and destination diners, with enough variety and imagination on the menu to keep them coming back. Frazer’s current mix…
Grain, Elevated: Cornmeal goes from humble to high-end
The average home cook tends to use a 4-pound bag of cornmeal only for baking corn bread (or is everyone buying Jiffy now?) or for dusting a pizza stone to lend density and texture to the crust (and to make peeling it off that much easier). But there’s much more to love. Cornmeal is what…
