Drink this Brooklyn cocktail
The Brooklyn cocktail has evolved since it first appeared in print in 1908. Most modern versions are on the drier side. Our version is 2 ounces Rittenhouse Bonded Rye, 1 ounce Dolin dry vermouth, ¼ ounce maraschino liqueur, ¼ ounce Bigallet China-China Amer and 2 dashes Angostura bitters. Stir ingredients together with ice for 45…
The best things we ate in St. Louis in 2021
To go along with our Best New Restaurants of 2021 list, here are some of the local dishes we’re still thinking about long after we ate them. Meera Nagarajan, executive editor Roasted pumpkin with green curry – Indo Cauliflower tacos – Fresh Gatherings Vegetable kebab – Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant Aloo gobi – Copper Chimney Liz…
Eat these crab zeppoles at Botanica in Wildwood
The crab zeppoles at Botanica are round pockets of dough laced with chopped crabmeat and served atop pools of preserved lemon remoulade and cocktail sauce. Though he feels it’s a bit early to make a definitive call, executive chef Ben Welch suspects the zeppoles could become the new restaurant’s signature dish. “It seems like every…
What I Do: Elmwood sommelier Patricia Wamhoff
Sommelier Patricia Wamhoff has been a guiding force in St. Louis’ wine scene for over 20 years. A native of Toronto, Wamhoff holds numerous professional certifications including advanced sommelier from the Court of Master Sommeliers. She is also a certified wine educator through the Society of Wine Educators and has mentored many industry professionals undertaking…
With burger joint Intergalactic now open at City Foundry STL, three’s not a crowd for Brian Schmitz and co.
Reports of Intergalactic’s smashburgers have been greatly exaggerated, as the new burger joint in City Foundry STL’s food hall isn’t actually serving them. Co-owner Brian Schmitz is quick to clarify: “It’s not a smashburger.” But that doesn’t mean they aren’t going for the distinct Maillard reaction flavor and textures that burger fans know and love.…
St. Louis wine menus with something to talk about
Bored of drinking your same old wine on your same old couch? Venture out to peruse one of these restaurant wine menus. With some, you can even bring that wine back home. Annie Gunn’sFor the past 19 years, Annie Gunn’s has won Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence – the longest run for any…
Black Forest Kaffee Haus is now open in Tower Grove East
After a multi-year process to rehab a historic space that was previously a convenience store, Black Forest Kaffee Haus has opened up at 2900 Sidney St. In part inspired by German fairy tales, Black Forest hopes to bring a cozy, nostalgic spot to the Tower Grove East neighborhood. “I’ve been in the food industry since I was…
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St. Louis restaurateur Ben Poremba shares recipes for marijuana-infused dishes
The variety of medical marijuana edibles has grown exponentially in the year they’ve been available in Missouri, but sometimes medicating in the privacy of your home with a nice meal offers an experience you can’t get at your local dispensary. When starting your cooking with cannabis journey, there are a few products that will allow…
STL Toasted will serve an array of toasted ravioli when it opens in the City Foundry STL food hall next year
Some concepts make so much sense that it’s a shock that nobody’s thought of it before. Such is the case with STL Toasted, which seems to be – and correct us if we’re wrong – St. Louis’ first toasted ravioli-centric restaurant. The restaurant, owned by Matthew Fuller and his wife, Brittany Abernathy, is slated to…
Copper Pig in south St. Louis has closed its doors permanently
Yesterday, Monday, Dec. 20, American-Asian fusion restaurant the Copper Pig announced via Facebook that it has closed its doors at 4611 Macklind Ave. “Thank You. Copper Pig served it’s last drink and meal tonight,” the message said. The restaurant opened in Southampton in 2015. Owner Nhat Nguyen confirmed that the restaurant is now closed. “I…
Prism, a new LGBTQ bar, will open in the Grove in early 2022
In early 2022, the Grove will welcome a new bar when Prism occupies 4510 Manchester Ave., the former home of The Monocle. Prism will be part cocktail lounge and part cabaret stage with drag shows, and will also offer an outdoor patio. “We had been looking a little bit for a venue, and I have…
Elmwood’s Pizza Champ and Shared by Side Project will cohabitate in new Maplewood space early next year
For the past year-plus, Elmwood’s pizza pop-up Pizza Champ has tested the limits of what a pop-up can be. At this point, it’s basically taken over the Elmwood space for regular service (though some Elmwood favorites remain on the menu); early next year, however, Pizza Champ will move into a space of its own when…
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Bottles that make perfect gifts for the boozehound in your life
The panic of last-minute gift giving can elicit high blood pressure in nearly anyone this time of year, but luckily your neighborhood spirits store has everything you need to fill those 11th hour stockings. While gifting a beautiful bottle of booze may not be ground-breaking, people traditionally gravitate to the big displays of cardboard boxes…
Rock Star Tacos has opened a location on the Hill with an expanded menu
Rock Star Tacos has outgrown its original St. Charles location, which is currently closed for the season due to no indoor seating. In November, the restaurant opened up a new location on the Hill at 4916 Shaw Ave. Fittingly sharing its new home with recording studio Gaslight Studio, Rock Star Tacos aims to elevate its passion for…
Serendipity will close its Webster Groves location this weekend before reopening in the Grove next year
Fans of Serendipity have surely been looking forward to the brand’s impending shop in the Grove, which is set to open next spring. In the meantime, Serendipity’s storefront at 8130 Big Bend Blvd. will close this Sunday, Dec. 19. Owner Beckie Jacobs said that the main reason for the closing was that her landlord chose…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 9 Chuck’s Hot Chicken
When the name of the food you’re eating is in the name of the restaurant, it better be phenomenal. And at Chuck’s Hot Chicken, it certainly is. From the Nashville hot chicken sandwich, which features a massive, juicy breast on a sturdy, well-buttered brioche bun, to tenders and bone-in wings and thigh/leg quarters, the protein is truly…
Sauce seeks editorial interns for spring 2022
Attention journalism, communications and English students: Sauce Magazine is seeking both remote and in-person editorial interns for spring 2022. We need students with a passion for the St. Louis food scene who want to translate that love to print and online media. As a Sauce editorial intern, you will: • Assist Sauce editorial team with the production of…
St. Louis restaurants donate nutritious meals to unhoused people and others in need
St. Louis is full of restaurants that have amazing food, but many are filled with amazing people too. Just ask Darryl Vennard. He’s been in the wine and sake business for over 30 years and has developed lots of relationships with restaurateurs in that time, but about a year ago put those relationships to use…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 8 Clara B’s Kitchen Table
There are few things as comforting or luxurious on the palate as a mound of well-prepared grits. Sadly, whether due to the dish’s misleading simplicity or the easy availability of instant varieties, it can be difficult to find decent grits in St. Louis (surprising, given the city’s Southern character). Thus, while there are many great…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 7 Chicken Scratch
Of roast chicken, food writer Jeffrey Steingarten wrote, “Whenever I have nothing better to do, I roast a chicken. On average, I have nothing better to do about twice a week.” But Mary Randolph, author of The Virginian Housewife cookbook, said it best back in 1824: “No meat can be well roasted except on a…
Rooster reopens in larger location downtown
Earlier this year, restaurateur Dave Bailey announced that downtown mainstay Rooster (1104 Locust St.) would be moving down the street to 1025 Washington Ave., the former location of The Dubliner. After months of work, Rooster is finally open in its new home. “It’s a bigger space with even more seating, taller ceilings,” Bailey told us…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 6 Chez Ali
Chez Ali’s brings a compact selection of Afro-Caribbean favorites to the City Foundry STL’s food hall. Chef-owner Alioun “Ali” Thiam’s spicy, sweet and citrusy yassa chicken, braised with onion, lemon and mild spices in a Dijon mustard sauce, is totally addictive; it’s a testament to why the dish is a classic of West African cuisine.…
The 12 beers of Christmas
The long, sunny days of throwing back light-as-a-feather lagers are long past. ‘Tis the season to shift to slower sipping brews. Whether you’re shopping for stocking stuffers, on the hunt for the perfect potluck accompaniment or just feeling out of ideas for stocking your home fridge, we’re got 12 beer recs that are sure to…
Best New Restaurants // No. 5 Rockwell Beer Garden
In an ancient viral video, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen once sang, “Gimme pizza! P-I-Z-Z-A!” Here in reality, the good people of St. Louis Hills have been singing the same tune since last spring, when they learned that Rockwell Beer Co. would be adding a pizza-centric outpost in the middle of Francis Park. Now that it’s…
Charleville Brewing Co. is closing its St. Louis location
In a Facebook post on Wednesday, Dec. 8, Charleville Brewing Co. announced that it would not be renewing the lease on its St. Louis location. Charleville Brewing Co., based in Ste. Genevieve, expanded to St. Louis nearly five years ago. While they mentioned in their post that “exciting projects … are in the works for…
First Look: Grand Spirits Bottle Co. on South Grand in St. Louis
“During quarantine, I wanted somewhere to grab a bottle of natural wine without driving or doing the dreaded Schnucks run,” said Michael Fricker, owner of the newly opened Grand Spirits Bottle Co. at 3194 S. Grand Blvd. in the South Grand entertainment district. So he created a place to do that. And the fact that it’s less…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 4 Pizzeria Da Gloria
It’s a sign of a great restaurant when everyone you know has a different favorite dish there. On a recent visit to Pizzeria Da Gloria, one person at my table sang the praises of the stracciatella pizza with house-made cheese, while another was obsessed with the Bonci, a cheeseless pie that features eggplant, garlic-chile oil…
First Look: Platypus in the Grove
Platypus, a new bar from bartenders and co-owners Tony Saputo and Meredith Barry, opened in the former U.R.B. space at 4501 Manchester Ave. in the Grove in mid-November. “Everything about this is very serendipitous,” Saputo said. Saputo and Barry met a few years ago on a bus ride to Uncle Nearest, a whiskey distillery in Tennessee,…
Popular pan-Asian restaurant VP Square has closed
VP Square, the popular restaurant from the owners of Cafe Mochi, has closed its doors “until further notice” at 3611 Juniata St., according to a note on the restaurant’s website. The closing was first reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Owned by siblings Victor, Duncan and Mina Pham, the restaurant was known for its ramen,…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 3 Songbird
St. Louis has long needed more places like Songbird, a metropolitan but farm-to-table-leaning spot where people can stop through for top-notch coffee (in this case, Sump) and a killer meal that satisfies on every level. Owners Chris Meyer and Mike Miller have traveled a long path to this moment, from carryout restaurant Kounter Kulture and…
First Look: Bar K in Forest Park Southeast
With two enormous dog parks, three bars and a restaurant featuring menus for both humans and dogs, Bar K at 4565 McRee Ave. in St. Louis surely represents the next phase in the evolution of canine-human relations. An outdoor stage for live music, a splash pool and a doggie climbing wall are just a few of…
2021 Best New Restaurants // No. 2 Tai Ke Shabu Shabu
With Tai Ke’s relaunch this year as Tai Ke Shabu Shabu, the beloved Taiwanese spot has fully realized the potential it’s been working toward for years. The original Tai Ke quickly built a cult following after opening, despite being relatively hidden away behind a strip mall in University City. There was a certain charm to…
Whisky on Washington brings whiskies of the world to downtown St. Louis
Whiskey lovers, rejoice: St. Louis has a new spot dedicated to the amber-colored spirit. Whisky on Washington, located at 1321 Washington Ave. in downtown St Louis, opened its doors in August. The business has a full bar with an emphasis on whiskeys from all over the world. Owner David Shanks fell in love with whiskey…
Get your holiday drink on at these St. Louis pop-ups
Some dread the winter holidays; others think they’re the most wonderful time of the year. Whatever your feelings on the season might be, holiday pop-ups are an undeniably fun and festive way to close out the year. Here a few spots to give your holiday spirit a little extra spark. Up on the RooftopThree Sixty,…
Banh Mi So No. 1 on South Grand is for sale
South Grand Vietnamese mainstay Banh Mi So No. 1 is officially for sale, according to a sign inside the restaurant. “Banh Mi So 1 For Sale,” it reads, alongside a phone number for interested parties (314.353.0545). The owners confirmed that they’re looking to sell the space, but assured customers that it will remain open for carryout until…
Best New Restaurants // No. 1 Root Food + Wine
Over the river and through the woods, heading west past Chesterfield, taking Missouri 94 down another 16 miles of rural, winding, two-lane road … to Root Food + Wine we go. Nestled among the backroads and small homes and businesses of Augusta, deep in wine country, Root offers a concise selection of starters, plates and…
Vitale’s Bakery on the Hill is a St. Louis landmark
Many businesses that have stood the test of time are also family businesses; that’s just how it works. But Vitale’s Bakery on the Hill, now in its fourth generation, takes it to the next level. Take a deep breath and try to keep up. According to Vitale’s president and co-owner Angie Vitale, the bakery’s legacy…
Florissant kebab and daiquiri hotspot Stix & Ice has closed
North County restaurant Stix & Ice has closed, according to a Facebook post from yesterday, Tuesday, Nov. 30. “Thank you so much to so many for 4 ½ years of family fun and support,” the message said. It went on to attribute the closing to unruly behavior, though it’s ambiguous whether the pandemic played…
