2 new St. Louis restaurants to try this September
1. Utah Station1956 Utah St., St. Louis, 314.588.8099, Facebook: Utah Station A long-neglected service station in Benton Park has new life as a vegan hotspot. Utah Station executive chef Chris Bertke spent years developing his own plant-based meat substitute that takes center stage in dishes like toasted ravioli, gyros and fast food-inspired favorites the Big…
Foris Rogue Valley pinot noir is a wine for all seasons
Pinot noir is a wine for all seasons. The grape is fussy about where it grows, but results are magical in the right terroir – like Oregon’s Rogue Valley. 2017 Foris Rogue Valley Pinot Noir features tart cherry notes and softness from low tannins, ideal for sipping alone, but its balanced acidity pairs well with…
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Taste of St. Louis returns to downtown Sept. 13 to 15
Taste of St. Louis will be better than ever when it returns to its birthplace in downtown St. Louis Sept. 13 to 15 at Soldiers Memorial Plaza. “Moving the event back to the downtown area was top priority for us and, had that not been an option, Taste It Productions would not have acquired the…
Try a modern take on a classic Pendennis Cocktail
The Pendennis Cocktail has had many variations since its heyday in the 1940s. Try our version: In an ice-filled shaker, combine 2 ounces Plymouth gin, ¾ ounce Rothman & Winter apricot liqueur, ¾ ounce lime juice and 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters, shake 17 to 20 seconds and strain into a cocktail glass. It boasts a…
10 St. Louis juice bars to explore now
Fresh-pressed juice is an easy way to up your fruit and veggie intake, getting a wide range of nutrients from produce you normally might not eat. While there’s no bad time for fresh juice, the most beneficial time is on an empty (or close to) stomach so your body is free to absorb as many…
The best beers for a St. Louis backyard barbecue
Beer and barbecue goes together like … well, beer and barbecue. You’re outside with friends, watching a large hunk of meat slowly cook for 8 to 12 hours. You can definitely find time for a beer. These options that go wonderfully with all the meat and sides you love. 1. Pilsner Urquell is forever near…
Pappy’s Smokehouse launches food truck, Pappy’s Rollin’ Smoke
Pappy’s Smokehouse’s famous barbecue is on the move. The restaurant’s new food truck, Pappy’s Rollin’ Smoke, hit the streets for its first official day of service on Monday, Aug. 26. “We talked about [a food truck] for a couple of years and now just seemed like the right time, so we pulled the trigger,” said…
Vicia’s Michael and Tara Gallina will open Winslow’s Table
Michael and Tara Gallina, co-owners of acclaimed vegetable-forward restaurant Vicia, are getting ready to debut a new place – sort of. The Gallinas have purchased Winslow’s Home in University City and plan on tweaking it a bit and reopening it as Winslow’s Table later this fall, as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “We’re really excited…
Mike and Liz Randolph will open Original J’s Tex-Mex Barbecue
Restaurant power couple Mike and Liz Randolph have opened a variety of eateries over the years featuring a range of cuisine, from Italian to Latin American. Now, they’re taking on barbecue. Original J’s Tex-Mex Barbecue is slated to open later this year at 7359 Forsyth Blvd., on the edge of Clayton and University City, formerly…
Urban Chestnut’s grapefruit radler is a new summer staple
Big Shark Grapefruit Radler is the latest spin on Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s insanely successful Big Shark Lemon Radler released last spring. Just as good for a round of golf as it is blended with your favorite gin, this grapefruit-forward, 4.2% brew is a perfectly light-bodied yet full-flavored offering from a staple in the St.…
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Clayton holds Brews, Blues + BBQ Festival for new breweries
Sample craft beers from new local breweries at the Clayton’s Brews, Blues + BBQ Festival from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, in downtown Clayton. Featuring the region’s newest in the craft beer scene, the event will host 10 breweries such as Peel Brewing Co., Brew Hub Taproom, Beer Outside, Melvin Brewing sampling their signature…
First Look: Mayo Ketchup in Lafayette Square
Mandy Estrella, aka Plantain Girl, has spent the last four years perfecting her takes on the cuisine of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Cuba via pop-ups, catering and other projects. On Wednesday, Aug. 28, she and partner Bradley Payne will open the first solo restaurant, Mayo Ketchup, named after Puerto Rico’s favorite condiment. The…
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Try 20 trucks at the free Alton Food Truck Festival Aug. 24
Hang out in downtown Alton at the Liberty Bank Amphitheater at the fourth annual Alton Food Truck Festival from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. Stephanie Tate, Alton Convention and Visitors Bureau marketing communications director, said the free festival is a great way to bring people to Alton. “It’s a nice end of summer…
Review: Bemiston Cocktail Club in Clayton
A Clayton address often signals a highbrow scene, but Bemiston Cocktail Club leans casual, efficiently mixing up simple, fun cocktails in a relaxed space and offering a long-needed, late-night option to the city’s nightlife. It’s a chilled out reimagining of Extra Brut, the location’s former Champagne bar by the same owners. Tucked beyond a long,…
Area restaurants, bars plan for a future with a St. Louis MLS team
It’s official: St. Louis has is its own Major League Soccer team. MLS commissioner Don Garber announced the decision yesterday, Aug. 20, at a press conference in St. Louis. The expansion team, which has not been named yet, will play in a stadium to be built in the Downtown West area near Union Station. The…
3 meals that changed St. Louis chef Ramon Cuffie’s life
Chef Ramon Cuffie is a student at heart, from studying old Italian and French cookbooks to learning from the international customers during his tenure at Bar Italia. He earned a GED in order to get an associate’s degree from the Culinary Institute of America. “Every skill I have came from this job,” he said. “Every…
Grace Meat + Three will open new late-night concept in The Grove
Those roaming The Grove in search of late-night eats in will soon have another option from a popular neighborhood eatery. Grace Meat + Three will open a late-night walk-up window concept, Grace Chicken + Fish, which will operate out of the Grace location at 4270 Manchester Ave. Chef and co-owner Rick Lewis said he and…
What I Do: Fran Caradonna at Schlafly in St. Louis
Fran Caradonna is one of the founding mothers of the local beer scene. Back when Anheuser-Busch dominated St. Louis, she and her then-husband Tony Caradonna started the area’s first craft beer distributor, then launched O’Fallon Brewery in the early 2000s. Earlier this year, Caradonna left O’Fallon to take a leadership role at Schlafly, which was…
Moussalli’s Prime will open in Edwardsville this fall
Farm-to-table concept Moussalli’s Prime will open this October at 7415 Illinois Route 143 in Edwardsville, as reported by The Edwardsville Intelligencer. The restaurant will enter the former home of Andria’s Countryside Restaurant, which resided on the 5-acre plot of land for more than 30 years. Jonathan and Claire Fowler now own the building, along with…
First Look: The St. Louis Center for Plant-Based Living in Kirkwood
Caryn Dugan has been running STL Veg Girl for more than a decade, and as of Tuesday, Aug. 13, she’s officially settled into a brick-and-mortar. The St. Louis Center for Plant-Based Living at 131 W. Jefferson Ave., in Kirkwood, is not only the first organization of its kind in St. Louis – Dugan said it’s the first in…
How underground restaurants are shaping St. Louis’ food scene
Normally, I wouldn’t go out in weather like this. It was an unseasonably cold night in March, a fresh blanket of snow doing little to soften the icy pavement. Normally, I would have happily succumbed to fleece joggers, Netflix and whatever leftovers remained in the fridge. Instead, my husband and I stood shivering in front…
Stock your pantry with these 6 St. Louis restaurant products
Visit a local grocery store and you’re bound to see flashy endcaps advertising a way to bring your favorite St. Louis restaurant home. But not all mass-produced products emblazoned with trusted eateries’ logos are created equal. Here are a few classic options we can get behind. 1. Bartolino’s Marinara SauceMany jarred tomato sauces are too…
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St. Louis World’s Fare returns this weekend
As the end of summer nears, the St. Louis World’s Fare is the perfect way to close it out. The free, three-day festival is slated for Friday, Aug. 16 to Sunday, Aug. 18 at the World Fair’s Pavilion in Forest Park with games and activities, musical performances, food, dance, art and more. Co-founder and president…
Young’s is a summertime staple in Valley Park
Young’s Restaurant and Ice Creamery has been a Valley Park staple since 1954. Located at 206 Meramec Station Road off Route 141, it’s survived two moves forced by street construction – first in 1988 and again in 2002. Today, it’s managed by Grant Young, whose parents opened the first location as a seasonal burger and…
Review: Bulrush in Grand Center
It would be tempting to dismiss as pretense and gimmick a restaurant based entirely on interpreting Ozarkian food through a modern lens. But when chef-owner Rob Connoley explained our tasting menu at Bulrush was “taken from the period of the Ozarks between 1820 and 1870,” and told a story behind each course, there was no…
First Look: Utah Station in Benton Park
Nearly two years after it was announced, Utah Station will finally open doors tonight, Aug. 8, at 1956 Utah St. in Benton Park. The former defunct service station has been transformed into St. Louis’ newest vegan-focused eatery. Executive chef Chris Bertke has created a menu of plant-based dishes inspired by fast food favorites like a…
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Rise Up Festival celebrates revitalization of St. Louis Aug. 17
Enjoy local food, art and music at the seventh annual Rise Up Festival celebrating revitalization efforts in the St. Louis area from 2 to 11 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 17. “There’s an affordable housing crisis all over this country, and mixed income neighborhoods are the most successful in this country, so we are trying…
Giant Strawberry Toaster Pastry Recipe
My friend is obsessed with strawberry Pop-Tarts, so I made a giant one for his birthday. I tinkered with the filling, including freeze-dried strawberries gave it more tartness than you get from the grocery-variety toaster pastry, and this version has a lovely, flaky pastry crust. Kids and adults alike devoured this! If you like sweet…
Summer’s hottest drinking trend: rosé everything
Summer’s favorite drink has gotten so big it’s transcended the wine bottle. Everything from cider to spirits can be seen through rosé-colored glasses these days. Pink beers are trending, and many explicitly claim the rosé name. Crooked Stave Brewery in Denver makes a sour rosé ale that employs a wild fermentation process along with…
Wellspent Brewing Co. has closed in Midtown
Wellspent Brewing Co. co-owner and head brewer Kyle Kohlmorgen announced yesterday, Aug. 6, that his 1½-year-old brewery will close indefinitely, effective immediately. The brewery has operated at 2917 Olive St., in Midtown since March 2018. “Unfortunately, our business cannot support the amount of debt we took on to get started,” Kohlmorgen wrote in a social media…
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Your guide to St. Louis catering
Are you hosting an event and aren’t sure how to pull off feeding your guests, whether you’ll have five or 5,000? From landmark purveyors that have been feeding the region for decades to up-and-coming restaurants, we’ve got recommendations with a range of cuisines for any kind of event. Bookmark this compilation for reference for the…
Southtown Pub closes doors on Kingshighway Boulevard
A South City favorite has packed up shop. Southtown Pub at 3707 S. Kingshighway Blvd., has closed, as reported by St. Louis Magazine. Owners Paul and Sam Perrigue made the official announcement Monday, Aug. 5 via Facebook, citing too much debt after trying to expand the business. “We fought the good fight for as long…
Vicia’s Tomato Salad
6 servings
Farmhaus’ Tomato Carpaccio
4 servings
Farmhaus’ Sungold Tomato Salad
2 to 4 servings
J. Devoti’s Trattoria’s Garden Tomato Salad
6 servings
Vicia’s Tomato Tartine
8 servings
Olio’s Israeli Bruschetta
6 to 8 Servings
First Look: Open Concept on Cherokee Street
Cherokee Street has never had a shortage of places to drink, but with the addition of Open Concept at 2712 Cherokee St., a whole new way to party has emerged. The idea is simple: pay $10 an hour, and drink as much as you can legally handle, owner Michael Butler said. The idea comes from…
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Bissinger’s, Bourbon & BBQ features over 100 bourbon samples
Don’t miss the opportunity to try popular bourbons at the fourth annual Bissinger’s, Bourbon & BBQ from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25 at The Caramel Room. A wide range of styles will be on offer, including Four Roses Yellow Label, High West Double Rye, Belle Meade Sherry Cask Finish, Jim Beam Black, Knob…
St. Louis chefs share their favorite recipes for peak summer tomatoes
With tomatoes in abundance at farmers markets, in our gardens and on our plates, we’re all about enjoying the harvest’s bounty in fun, new ways. Here, some of our favorite local chefs share their favorite simple, tomato-centric recipes with minimal cooking, from Israeli bruschetta to tomato tartine. Tomato Tartinecourtesy of Vicia’s Michael Gallina8 servings 1…
Why you should eat this torta at El Toluco in Manchester
The torta at El Toluco Taqueria & Grocery is a true colossus. Its base is telera bread from El Chico bakery on Cherokee Street. Along with the meat of your choice (get the al pastor), you’ll find beans, jalapenos, chipotle salsa, queso de puerco, tomatoes and lettuce, mayo, onion, avocado, queso fresco, Oaxaca cheese and … a…
Le Macaron will open first MO location in Webster Groves
Le Macaron French Pastries will open a franchise at 111 W. Lockwood Ave. in Webster Groves around Oct. 1. The company currently has around 30 locations, but this will be its first in Missouri. Owner Jim McKibben said Le Macaron is known for – you guessed it –macarons, of which it has about 20 staples and a rotating…
8 new places to try in St. Louis this August
1. Indo1641 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.899.9333, Facebook: Indo – STL With a raft of raves from local and national press and high-end accolades like his semifinalist nod for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year, chef Nick Bognar could have easily coasted for a while. Instead, he decided to ramp things…
