By the Book: Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway’s Whole-Wheat Banana Pancakes
Reading Thug Kitchen, the cookbook inspired by the profanity-laced blog, is a chore. The authors became roiled in controversy when their weakly urbanized, off-key “thug” voice, which ends up sounding like an affluent white millennial’s, was revealed to be just that: 29-year-old Michelle Davis and Matt Holloway, as white and as Hollywood as they…
Dana Cowin’s Steak au Poivre
2 servings
Ben Mims’ Grapefruit-Blackberry Bars
12 to 16 servings
Boozy Ginger Balls
3 dozen balls
Carrot-Orange Salad with Harissa
4 servings
Earl Grey Caramel Cake
1 8-by-8-inch pan
Peppermint Red Velvet Cake Roll
6 to 8 servings
Chicken Thighs with Butternut Squash and Sage
4 to 6 servings
Vesper Martini
1 serving
Behind the Scenes at Sauce: January 2015
A lot happens behind the scenes at Sauce HQ, from kicklines with The Loop’s Joe Edwards to putting our interns through the ringer. Here’s a peek at some of our favorite recent moments on the job.
Drink This Weekend Edition: Vesper Martini
The martini is best known as the 007 or the official drink of James Bond – though any bartender will tell you it should definitely be stirred, not shaken. This Vesper martini combines both vodka and gin and requires a little finesse to perfect. The ratio of vodka to gin varies, but most classic…
Extra Sauce: Team Sauce’s favorite chicken wings
Chicken wings are ubiquitous on a Super Bowl spread. We’re all for making our own, but nothing can beat our favorite restaurants, bars and barbecue joints. Here’s where Team Sauce goes when we’re craving chicken wings: Did we pick one of your favorites? Are we out of our minds? Who did we miss?…
Extra Sauce: 5 recipes to win your Super Bowl party
Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest unofficial American holiday of the year, and as with all our holidays, it comes with it’s own traditional menu of delicious eats. Step up your game day grub with five recipes for our favorite football food: 1. Get smoky with a big pot of Smoked White Bean Chili.…
The Scoop: Lukas Liquor announces new location, name change
Change is in the air at Lukas Liquor; come mid-May, the store will move to a new, larger location at 15678 Manchester Road in Ellisville and will take on a new name: Lukas Wine & Spirits. The new location is less than a half-mile from Lukas Liquor’s current store at 15921 Manchester Road, where…
The Scoop: Chris DiMercurio nabbed for exec chef position at HandleBar
{From Russia With Love, a flatbread of smoked salmon, greens, dill, creme fraiche, pickled onion and caviar by HandleBar’s new executive chef Chris DiMercurio} In the last six months, keeping track of chef Chris DiMercurio’s whereabouts has been a bit like playing “Where’s Waldo?” DiMercurio, among the handful of chefs who launched Element, left…
The Scoop: Hungry Buddha to open on South Jefferson
Editor’s Note: This post was updated at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 29 and again at 2 p.m. Feb. 4. Prepare for pan-Asian fare according to the sign on the storefront at 3701 Jefferson Ave., where Hungry Buddha is set to open at the end February. “We’re going to be a fast-casual restaurant with a solid bar…
Chef Grams: Behind the scenes with #STL chefs, bartenders, farmers and more
We could scroll through Instagram all day, ogling food pics that make our mouths water and our stomachs growl. (We’ve even been known to share what we’re eating, drinking and cooking from time to time.) Some of your favorite St. Louis chefs, brewers, baristas, bartenders, farmers and more are sharing snaps of weird ingredients, funky…
The Scoop: Tiny Bar to open downtown in April
Downtown St. Louis will gain an itty bitty bar this spring. Tiny Bar will be set up a 250-square-foot shop in the lobby at 1008 Locust St. The bar, set to open in April, is a joint venture between Aaron Perlut (pictured), Andrew Barnett and Brian Cross of public relations firm Elasticity and the…
Meatless Mondays: Vegetarian Beef Stew
Meat-based stews can take hours of simmering to turn tough cuts into tender morsels. Vegetarian stews, on the other hand, can come together in less than an hour. Our Vegetarian Beef Stew is as filling as its inspiration, without all that time-consuming stew meat. Chunks of rutabaga, potatoes and carrots are simmered in tomato-based…
The Scoop: The Wine Merchant prepares to move to larger location
After 20 years on South Hanley Road, The Wine Merchant will relocate just two blocks away at 7817 Forsyth Blvd., as reported by St. Louis Business Journal. Wine Merchant vice president Jason Main said plans to move the specialty shop first surfaced in spring 2014 when a developer approached shop management. Rehab to the…
By the Book: Alice Medrich’s Ricotta Cheesecake with Chestnut Crust
Alice Medrich’s new book Flavor Flours poses an intriguing question: What if wheat flour didn’t exist? Though I’ve used almond flour for baking (and engaged in a brief foray with spelt), I haven’t delved deeply into non-wheat flours before. Still, I’ve had success with Medrich’s recipes in the past, and so I thought if…
The Scoop: Tony’s to open casual downtown cafe, Tony’s A.M.
{Vince Bommarito Jr.} Tony’s Restaurant has relaxed its dress code, but if those nice tablecloths still intimidate you, you may feel more at home at the Bommarito family’s forthcoming casual cafe, Tony’s A.M., it’s opening mid-February at 10 S. Broadway, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal, and will be located just down…
The Weekend Project: Bread & Butter
A new year always heralds hope of new beginnings and personal improvement. We vow that this year, we’ll cook better: healthier and more often, tackling more projects and challenging ourselves in the kitchen. Yet three weeks into January, we find ourselves losing resolve. Who has time to embark on ambitious cooking resolutions while juggling…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Charlie Chaplin and tea cocktails at Blank Space
{The Charlie Chaplin at Blank Space} If you dig the inside baseball of the drinking industry, chances are you’ve made your way over to Motown Mondays at Cherokee Street’s Blank Space. The slow-jam sesh at the visual and performing arts venue, according to owner Kaveh Razani, is a confab of the city’s drink-mixing minds and…
Sneak Peek: The Old Bakery Beer Company
Alton is about to lure St. Louisans over the Mississippi river with the opening of The Old Bakery Beer Company. The brewery and tasting room is set to open doors this Friday, Jan. 23 at 400 Landmarks Blvd. As The Scoop reported in March 2014, the newest metro-area brewery is a joint venture between married…
The Scoop: Companion to move baking operations to new facility in Maryland Heights
{Companion owner Josh Allen} Companion has recently annouced plans to move its headquarters, including the Companion outlet, from its current location in the Dutchtown neighborhood to a new 41,000-square-foot facility at 2331 Schuetz Road in Maryland Heights. Construction is slated to begin in March with the move scheduled for August. The new facility will…
The Scoop: Mastermind Vodka to move from Illinois to Missouri
Illinois-based Mastermind Vodka is moving its award-winning spirits across the muddy Mississippi. Taking over the space formerly occupied by The Nest at 10440 German Blvd., in Frontenac, Mastermind hopes to open its distilling operations, tasting room and restaurant by mid-April. While the restaurant’s concept, chef and bartender are still in the works, the makers…
Baked: Peppermint Red Velvet Cake Roll
Red velvet is hands-down my favorite cake. As much as I love a classic, fudgy chocolate cake, there’s no denying that a tangy cream cheese frosting is the perfect complement to a velvety, lighter chocolate cake. But as much as I love red velvet, I’m sick to death of standard layer cakes and cupcakes,…
Just Five: Carrot-Orange Salad with Harissa
I was introduced to harissa, a spicy North African chili paste, when I first devoured Ben Poremba’s Moroccan Shredded Carrot Salad at Olio. Since then, this spicy aromatic salad has been on my list of inspirational Just Five dishes for a long time. Harissa is made from ground chilis, garlic and aromatic spices that…
The Scoop: Guerrilla Street Food signs on for a brick-and-mortar
{Guerrilla Street Food at Food Truck Friday} Heads up, South Grand: a Filipino invasion is headed your way this spring. Co-owner Brian Hardesty announced that his popular food truck Guerrilla Street Food has signed a lease to open a brick-and-mortar location at 3024 S. Grand Blvd., as reported by St. Louis Magazine. The space,…
Meatless Monday: Grilled Endive Salad with Cannellini Beans
We love surprise warm January days like these; take advantage and fire up the grill for a meal that stays clear of heavy stews and braises. Slightly bitter endive is sturdy enough to withstand an open flame and takes on a whole new flavor profile when imbued with a bit of char. Cover with…
By the Book: Ben Mims’ Grapefruit-Blackberry Bars
Breakfast is supposedly the most important meal of the day, but I’d argue that the title should really go to dessert. Ben Mims seems to agree in his new book, Sweet & Southern: Classic Desserts with a Twist, the pages of which are filled with mouthwatering recipes for cakes, pies, custards, cookies and even…
The Scoop: Grbic family wins ‘Guy’s Grocery Games,’ announce plans to open new Lemmons
{From left, Erna, Ermin and Senada Grbic} Three South St. Louis siblings cooked up a recipe for success during their Jan. 11 appearance on The Food Network. Senada, Erna and Ermin Grbic of Grbic Restaurant won Guy’s Grocery Games, a culinary competition hosted by network personality Guy Fieri. The Grbic clan bested three other…
Drink This Weekend Edition: The Woodsman at 4 Hands’ Anniversary Party
Beer lovers don’t necessarily need a special occasion to try a new beer, but sometimes a celebration just presents itself. Case in point: 4 Hands Brewing Co. celebrates its third anniversary tomorrow, Jan. 16 with a party kicking off at noon and rolling all night long. 4 Hands will feature several draft selections of its…
The Scoop: Miss Leon’s Soul Food Restaurant, Bombers Hideaway open in The Grove
Serving soul food with a side of entertainment, Miss Leon’s Soul Food Restaurant and Bombers Hideaway bar and event venue opened Jan. 5 at 3960 Chouteau Ave., formerly the home of Bad Dog Bar & Grill. Leon Augustus Braxton Jr. is the chef at the eponymous soul-food establishment, which is tucked into the Bombers…
Budget Crunch: 10 delicious dishes and sweet deals to try now
It’s time for Budget Crunch, wherein intrepid reporter Byron Kerman offers 10 tips on delicious menu items and sweet deals happening now. Got $10? Grab a friend and sample, split and stuff yourselves with these steals. 1. Someone at Brasserie really likes bratwurst. That would be executive chef Nick Blue, who has…
The Scoop: Embattled Trattoria Branica shuttered
Italian eatery Trattoria Branica, which occupied a storefront in Le Chateau Village in Frontenac, has closed, as reported by the St. Louis Business Journal. B & F Enterprises, which owns the property, confirmed the closing. “Unfortunately, (the restaurant was) not able to keep up with their obligations,” said Barbara Kantrovitz, a B & F representative. She…
Meatless Monday: Cheese Tortellini with Broccoli and Pine Nuts
Take your Monday night meal from standard to stellar with a secret ingredient: browned butter. A few extra minutes of gentle swirling turns melted butter into a nutty unctuous sauce. Add toasted pine nuts to simple cheese tortellini and plenty of fresh broccoli to up the health factor. Then toss it all in that…
The Scoop: Patrick Connolly leaves Basso
{From left, Patrick and Suzanne Connolly in their home} Chef Patrick Connolly is no longer at the helm of Basso, the Italian gastropub in the basement of The Restaurant at The Cheshire. The James Beard Award-winning chef confirmed he has left St. Louis, moving back to the East Coast with his wife, Suzanne Connolly.…
Why you need to eat the Cheese Hash Browns at Goody Goody Diner right now
Everything we’ve had from Goody Goody Diner up to the restaurant’s name, but the standout is the Cheese Hash Browns. These crispy cubed potatoes finished with an irresistible cheese sauce are no mere side dish. They are the salty foil to your sweet hotcakes, the excuse to eat cheese fries for breakfast, the cure to…
By the Book: Marco Canora’s Roasted Asparagus and Lemon with Chunky Pesto
Marco Canora’s A Good Food Day is all about making healthy, tasty choices. I figured for the sake of the new year and my new 2015 figure, this would be a strong start to clean eating (at least until February). Like most home cooks, I gravitate toward recipes that are easy and quick – and if…
The Scoop: UCBC sets up shop in Bavaria
Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. is – in a way – bringing its beers home. The St. Louis beer magnate announced today, Jan. 9, that it has purchased a small brewing facility in the southern German state of Bavaria, with plans to begin brewing and distributing its beers onsite in Europe as early as this…
Schlafly brewmaster heads to Brew Hub
Change is in the air at Schlafly. Brewmaster and longtime employee Jim “Otto” Ottolini has accepted a new position as chief of brewing operations for Brew Hub, as reported by Lisa Brown of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Ottolini said his last day at Schlafly is Jan. 16. Brew Hub announced plans to open its second…
Drink This Weekend Edition: 2015 wine trends with Jon Dickinson at Parker’s Table
{From left, Parker’s Table manager Jon Dickinson and Jon Parker} The new year brings new talk of trends throughout the food and beverage scene, from those we eagerly anticipate to those we wish would just disappear already. I recently popped by Parker’s Table to chat with manager Jon Dickinson about what’s up next for…
What I Do: Cindy Higgerson of Larder & Cupboard
Cindy Higgerson left a nearly 30-year career as a histotechnologist (“We’re the people who run the tests on a biopsy.”) to manage Larder & Cupboard, a new specialty food shop in Maplewood. An unexpected move? Not when you learn she’s the face behind food fanatic @MCharcuterie on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Meet the exuberant home…
The Scoop: WildSmoke to close Jan. 10, will become EdgeWild Bar & Grill
After a one-year run, smokehouse and bar WildSmoke is closing doors Jan. 10 and will reopen this spring as EdgeWild Bar & Grill. Owner Andy Kohn announced plans for the space at 12316 Olive Blvd., in Creve Coeur today, Jan. 7. “We’ve been talking over the last couple months,” said Todd Wyatt, director of…
Baked: Earl Grey Caramel Cake
This cake is deceptive. It’s so simple to make, yet it tastes unbelievably delicious and moist thanks to homemade caramel poured over the top. This recipe looks like it would be exceptionally sweet, but I added some herbal, savory elements like Earl Grey tea leaves, bergamot extract and some orange zest to keep the…
Just Five: Chicken Thighs with Butternut Squash and Sage
It is a truth universally acknowledged that chicken thighs are always better than chicken breasts. They don’t dry out like breasts can, and dark meat has more flavor. This dish celebrates the thigh in all its glory – in less than 30 minutes. Since this column limits me to just a few ingredients, I…
Extra Sauce: 12 healthy recipes to help keep New Year’s resolutions
{Seven-Grain Salad with Italian Sausage, Peppers and Capers} Pledging to eat healthier in 2015 is a noble endeavor, but one cannot live on poached chicken breasts and lettuce alone. Here, 12 nutritious – and delicious – recipes to help maintain your New Year’s resolve. {Poached Salmon with Mustard Sauce} 1. We all know fish…
Miso Soup
4 servings
By the Book: Dana Cowin’s Steak au Poivre
It takes some moxie to admit one’s own shortcomings. Imagine being the editor of a preeminent food magazine and publishing a cookbook of confessions about where you’ve gone wrong in the kitchen. That’s what Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief at Food & Wine magazine, did in her Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen. “I am going…
Wine that will make you switch teams
Do you only drink white wine? Love reds, but despise that chardonnay stuff? Fair enough, but wine isn’t always what it appears to be. Some white wines hold the same flavors and textures as reds and vice versa. Known as transitional wines, these wines will sway you from one color to another. Get ready to…
3 wheat beers to try right now
Though there are many styles of wheat beers – Belgian witbier, German hefeweizen or American wheat, to name a few – they share certain characteristics. Wheat malt is what lends the beer a soft, fluffy body and gentle sweetness, and the protein in wheat contributes to a dense, long-lasting head and cloudy appearance. Grab a…
The perfect inexpensive wine to pair with spicy foods
Gewürztraminer has strong associations with France’s Alsace region and Germany. Its regional offspring, traminette, is a hybrid of gewürztraminer and Joannes Seyve 23-416, possessing the same fragrance of lychees and rose petals as its parent but with more peach and apricot flavors. The top-scoring traminette from the 2014 Missouri Wine Competition was 2013 Noboleis Traminette.…
How to make a classic martini
Today’s martini, popularized by James Bond, is frequently a shaken cocktail made with vodka (and sometimes olive juice). Vermouth, a traditional – and integral – ingredient, is often completely omitted. No offense to 007, but we love sipping a martini made the way bartenders prepared it more than a century ago: In a pint glass…
Chris Sommers’ kitchen essentials
Chris Sommers rarely cooks, but the co-founder of Pi does eat more than pizza. Between Sommers’ trips to Miami before the opening of Pi’s eighth location, we raided the pantry of his CWE home to find out which kitchen essentials this restaurant magnate can’t do without.
Review: The Scottish Arms in St. Louis
Scottish cuisine, compared to that of say, France or Italy, may be a humble affair, but The Scottish Arms has a way of making traditional fish and chips, pasties and even chicken soup affairs to remember. The Leek Shall Inherit the EarthComing into the warm interior of The Scottish Arms from the frigid outdoors is…
Review: Urban Chestnut Grove Brewery & Bierhall in St. Louis
Strangers who talk to each other on commuter trains are happier than those who plug in and tune out, according to a recent study by behavior researchers at the University of Chicago. Florian Kuplent and David Wolfe, owners of Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., didn’t need a research study to understand the power of putting strangers…
Review: Unkle Munkey’s Coin Club in Edwardsville
Editor’s note: Unkle Munkey’s Coin Club has closed. Unkle Munkey’s Coin Club opened in July in what seemed the humblest of locations: an inauspicious strip mall on the edge of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s campus. Six months later, this booze- and food-centric arcade bar has become a local gem that attracts a bustling crowd on weekend…
Pappardelle with Bolognese
6 to 8 servings
Herbed Butter
1 cup
Anchovy Garlic Butter
1 cup
Ciabatta
2 loaves
Ones to Watch 2015: Tommy “Salami” Andrew
Age: 28Why Watch Him: The chef is such a creature of the woods, he belongs in a field guide. Habitat: Primarily resides in South City with a swarm of bees, which he projects will produce 750 pounds of honey for his Inappropriate Apiaries honey label in 2015. Most active during the early mornings and afternoons…
Vegan Pappardelle with Bolognese
Pasta is the only food that everyone in my family will eat without a side of heavy sighs and eye rolls. On noodle night, Carnivore Bob, myself and our little omnivores gather around a big bowl of hot, undressed pasta. We each take from the communal bowl, add our own toppings, and then happily fixate…
Ones to Watch 2015: Zach Althaus
Age: 29 Why Watch Him: This brewer is in it to win it. Zach Althaus is competitive. He can’t help it. In fact, he attended college on a golf scholarship and almost played professionally before trading his clubs for coffee beans. For the past 10 years, he’s plied his craft at Kansas City’s Roasterie and…
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…
Ones to Watch 2015: Jenna Pohl
Age: 29Why Watch Her: She puts Little Bo Peep to shame. At 13, the daughter of Michigan dairy farmers fell in love with sheep and began showing lambs at 4-H club competitions. Several years after her 4-H eligibility came to an end, her business, Midwest Lamb, was born. Jenna Pohl came onto the scene in…
Ones to Watch 2015: Brian Lagerstrom
Age: 27 Why Watch Him: He concocts Missouri-sourced fare with a passion that borders on obsession. “If something’s not available, well, I have to make it,” Brian Lagerstrom will tell you. Indeed, the narrative of his nearly two years in St. Louis reads like Choose Your Own Adventure meets America’s Test Kitchen. Our hero is…
Ones to Watch 2015: Britt Simpson
Age: 28Why Watch Her: She’s whipping up a whole new world of pie and pudding en flambé. To understand Britt Simpson, you need to know a few numbers from the Disney songbook. You have to stand up and belt out “Be Our Guest” from Beauty and the Beast or “I Wanna Be Like You” from…
Ones to Watch 2015: Jessie Gilroy
Age: 28Why Watch Her: Ten-hut! The “Crazy Kitchen’s” no-nonsense generalissima runs a tight outfit. In the middle of dinner service at Cucina Pazzo, the line cooks at the salad station are deep in the weeds, and rapidly making their way onto Jessie Gilroy’s shitlist. It’s just shy of 8:30 p.m. on a Friday, and the…
Ones to Watch 2015: Emily Parker
Age: 28Why Watch Her: She’s among the next generation of Schlafly leaders. There’s a reason your Schlafly Pale Ale tastes the same whether you sip it at the Tap Room downtown, a bar in New York City or in your living room: Emily Parker. The St. Louis native attended the University of California, Davis, where…
