In Defense of Provel
Psst. You people who hate Provel – come closer. Can we talk? I think I know why you loathe our infamous local cheese. It’s because it’s not mozzarella, right? Because a cheese – a processed cheese, no less – that is not mozzarella on a pizza makes you bridle and maybe want to write your…
Cubanelle Relish
• Heat the olive oil in a large 3- or 4-quart nonreactive saucepan. Add the garlic and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. • Chop the onion into pieces no larger than Œ inch. Add the onion to the pan and raise the heat to medium low. Add a pinch of salt…
The Scoop: Oysters and champagne coming to De Mun in September
The Post-Dispatch announced back in March that Alan Richman, owner of Sasha’s wine bars in the Clayton and Tower Groves neighborhoods, will be opening an oyster bar just down the street from his De Mun Ave. location, next to Jimmy’s On the Park. Now, Richman tells Sauce that the 1,400-square-foot, 35-seat De Mun Oyster Bar…
Taste By Niche’s Ted Kilgore takes home a win from Tales of the Cocktail
A Saucy congrats to local mixologist Ted Kilgore who took home the top prize at the Yellow Tail cocktail competition at the Tales of the Cocktail last week in New Orleans. Taste by Niche’s Kilgore was named one of six finalists for the event after competing against nine other mixologists from across the country at…
The Scoop: Webster Groves wine bar is robust with new hires
Robust Wine Bar announced today that Kris Janik will be joining the Robust team as executive chef and that Frank Romano will take over as general manager of the Webster Groves restaurant beginning Aug. 2. Janik has worked at numerous fine-dining restaurants in St. Louis, including Mirasol, Savor, Monarch, Niche and, most recently, Franco. Janik…
The Scoop: Cielo gets new exec chef
The Four Seasons St. Louis has announced Fabrizio Schenardi as the hotel’s new executive chef. Effective Aug. 23, Schenardi will be leading the culinary team at the hotel’s Italian restaurant, Cielo. Fabrizio joins the organization from Pelagia Trattoria in the Renaissance Tampa Hotel International Plaza, where he has worked as executive chef since 2004. In 2008,…
The Scoop: Monarch aflutter as grand re-opening approaches
There are a lot of wonderful surprises awaiting those guests who will be attending Monarch’s grand-reopening this Saturday, July 31. Sauce will leave the big reveal to owners Aaron Teitelbaum and Jeff Orbin, exec chef Josh Galliano and his culinary team, but we will give you a heads-up on other happenings at the Maplewood restaurant:…
Sneak a peek at Monarch’s new menu
Habitués of Maplewood’s Monarch are dying to know what the new dishes will taste like and what the new atmosphere will feel like when the popular bistro reopens with a Southern-inspired menu and ambiance this summer. Well wait no longer. The National Children’s Cancer Society is hosting a sneak-peek fundraiser at Monarch on Saturday, July…
The Scoop: Brasserie bids cordial bienvenue, adieu to cocktailians
A Saucy welcome to Ted Charak, Brasserie’s new bar manager. Charak has been tending bar since 1993, primarily in San Francisco and Portland, Ore., and has recently returned to his native St. Louis. In 2006, Charak and a business partner opened craft cocktail bar Teardrop Lounge, which remains a popular bar in Portland. The concept…
La Dolce Via expands breakfast
Don’t you just love the weekend brunch at La Dolce Via Bakery and Cafe? Those biscuits and gravy made with local lamb sausage gravy, ladled over a house-made cheese scone and topped with a fried, local-farm egg? Light and fluffy pancakes (owner Marcia Sindel’s father’s special recipe), with house-made maple syrup? And those egg scramblers…
The Scoop: Imagine brings interactive sports – and food – experience to downtown
Wishing there was a place downtown where you could shoot some pool, play some Wii and nosh on your favorite bar grub just the way you like it? Imagine no longer: Imagine, the ultimate sports game house and eatery, is coming to the Washington loft district. Located at 1931 Washington Ave., next to Pour House,…
The Scoop: More to munch at new Colleen’s Cookies location
When Colleen Thompson realized that the grand opening of her new Colleen’s Cookies retail shop would fall on Friday the 13th, she improvised. The decorated-shortbread-cookie maven has prepared special cookies for the Aug. 13 gala that feature broken mirrors, ladders and black cats. Visitors to the new sweet shop, on the border of Clayton and…
The good, the bad and the oh-so-tasty at inaugural tomato cocktail contest
Sure, the thought of sweet summer tomatoes plucked fresh from a local farm should be enough to get you out of bed on a Saturday. But just in case you need that little extra push shaking off the covers, this homegrown tomato contest will also feature the first-ever Good, Big and Ugly tomato cocktail showdown.…
The Scoop: Pi to open fourth location
St. Louis Magazine’s George Mahe broke the news today that Pi will soon be opening its fourth location, this time in Chesterfield. For more info, click here.
The Scoop: Café Ventana adds French quarters
Anyone who’s been to weekend jazz brunches at Café Ventana lately knows that finding a seat at this hotspot can be a bit of a challenge. “It’s a madhouse and students aren’t even here right now,” said Amy Cox, marketing director for the Midtown locale. The solution? Add some French quarters. The Café Ventana annex…
The Scoop: Araka Snags Sleek’s Caravelli as Exec Chef
Steven Caravelli, chef de cuisine at Hubert Keller’s Sleek in Lumière Place, has been hired to helm the kitchen at Araka in Clayton. Araka owner Brad Beracha hinted at the change last week. An e-mail sent to Araka newsletter subscribers said, “We have great news about the Araka kitchen (opposed to the other news),” the…
The Scoop: Gelato Di Riso shutters its Warson Woods location
Gelato Di Riso closed its location in Warson Woods this week after owner Susan Reis decided not to renew the lease, which is up this month. The Italian ice cream stop will maintain its other two locations on The Hill and in the Central West End. Reis made the decision to close the Warson Woods…
A Cut Above: A midcounty butcher shop cleaves to old-school ways
Story by Bryan A Hollerbach | Photos by Brian Fagnani After decades of supermarket impersonality, old-school butcher shops – staffed by old-school butchers – are regaining popularity, especially on the coasts. In certain areas of St. Louis, of course, such shops have never fallen from favor. One prime example: Baumann’s Fine Meats in Brentwood, where…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Celebratory cocktails for Campari cultists
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Campari, the world’s top-selling aperitif. We’re always happy to use milestones as an excuse for a bit of tippling and figured we’d give Saucy sippers a quick rundown on ways to commemorate the birthday of this oh-so-bitter red spirit. “Gin and Campari pair so beautifully,” said Eclipse Restaurant’s…
The Scoop: Nadoz Café adds wine bar at The Boulevard
Nadoz Euro Bakery Café is expanding. Kathy Becker, vice president for Steven Becker Fine Dining, the catering company that operates the Nadoz locations at The Boulevard and in Midtown at the Coronado, confirmed that the company is close to signing a lease to take over the space next door to its Richmond Heights location. The…
Local Brewer Drew Huerter on life after Mattingly
When Mattingly Brewing Co. shuttered its doors on July 1, its most esteemed brewer was nearly as surprised as the rest of us. Drew Huerter had been working at Mattingly since the shop opened more than two years ago and was the face and head brewer behind its popular “peek a brew” series. When word…
Man vs. beef at the Brewhouse
Even if you’ve never prayed before, you might want to say a little prayer for mercy – and good digestion – after ordering the Tower of Doom. The more-than-formidable eating challenge is offered at the Brewhouse Historical Sports Pub at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, on the eatery’s new summer menu. It’s…
Bon Appétit Cheers to Taste by Niche
A Saucy congrats to Taste by Niche, which Bon Appétit named one of the country’s 10 best new cocktail bars in its August issue. The mag gave props to local mixologist Ted Kilgore and Niche chef Gerard Craft for their collaboration on The Grey Fizz, a drink complete with gin, Earl Grey-infused vermouth, lemon and…
The Scoop: Sabu’s Coffee: another reason to exit Hwy. 40 at Hampton
If you’ve driven down Oakland lately, you may have noticed that there’s an additional eating option at The Highlands complex along Highway 40. Sabu’s Coffee, located at 5708 Oakland, has offered a thoughtful selection of breakfast and lunch fare since it opened last month. Croissants, bagels and sandwich breads come fresh from Companion, while in-house…
The Scoop: One 19 North brings tapas to Kirkwood
Hey, amigos and amigas: There’s a new tapas joint in town, right along the main drag in Kirkwood. Pat and Ellen Carr opened their One 19 North Tapas Wine Bar (located at 119 North Kirkwood Road, naturally) late last month, in the former D’Vine Wine space. “I just fell in love with the tapas experience…
The Scoop: Libations get loftier as neighborhood noshery Lola adds absinthe lounge
Some restaurants take years before they expand. In other cases, as with neighborhood noshery Lola, it’s just a matter of months. Lola opened in January in the old Crepes in the City spot at the corner of 14th Street and St. Charles. When owners Chris Hansen and Cijo Matthews had the opportunity to take over…
Feast like Tom Sawyer this Sunday at Herbies
What is a coon supper? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like – a dinner at which the main course is raccoon meat. You won’t find many communal coon suppers these days (at least, we don’t get invited to them), but cherished local author Mark Twain craved them. Throughout his years as a literary giant,…
Variety and Value at Mojo Tapas
I’ve been a fan of chef Eric Erhard for many years, so I was looking forward to visiting his new restaurant, Mojo Tapas Restaurant and Bar, to explore the wine and cocktail list. The wine selections were solidly chosen for a medium-sized list. Bottle choices included a respectable five sparkling, more than 20 whites and…
The Scoop: Wine garden ‘unkorks’ in Wentzville
Need a new wine-sipping destination? Head west on I-70 to Unkorked Wine Garden, where the vino starts flowing early. Located at 205 E. Allen Street in downtown Wentzville, Unkorked offers free wine tastings and sells 12 wines by the glass and 40 by the bottle. While Unkorked offers its fair share of local bottles, “the…
The Scoop: Chief cheese-ologist discusses the menu at new mac & cheese eatery
Sauce stopped in at Cheese-ology yesterday to chat with owner Bill Courtney about the mac and cheese pit stop he opened in The Loop this week, as well as his advice on what cheesy dish to try first. “The 4-Cheese and the Bacon, Bacon are the ones I’m most proud of,” said the former Wash…
Review: The Silver Ballroom in St. Louis
Pinball, booze and punk rock all have it out for a spot center stage at The Silver Ballroom, a new drinkery in the Bevo neighborhood that is fast becoming something of an underground sensation. Tucked away on a nondescript part of Morganford Road, The Silver Ballroom was hard to spot on an initial visit. The…
How to Find and Prepare Local Okra This Summer
Mid-June, when the summer sun blazes and night temperatures graze just a hair cooler, Justin Keay of North County Produce Co. direct-seeds his okra crops. “Okra’s an African plant,” he said. “It thrives best when the weather’s ugly-hot.” By mid-August, he’ll harvest extra-small pods to add to Asian stir-fries. He steams the pods lightly before…
Jason Tilford puts a modern twist on Mexican food at Milagro
Jason Tilford discovered his culinary calling in high school, while working at a seafood restaurant in Norfolk, Va. He thrived on the “controlled chaos” in the back of the house, where “everybody knew what was going on but it seemed like nobody did.” Tilford has been opening restaurants since 1994, including food service operations in…
Review: Mojo Tapas Restaurant and Bar in St. Louis
Toward the end of our meal at Mojo Tapas Restaurant and Bar, my dining partners looked around with satisfaction, pleased with the food, the revamped interior, the prices and the close proximity to the neighborhood. Yes, Mojo is another tapas-style/small plates/larger plates/pan-Latin/whatever we call them today restaurant where fancy cocktails and “sliders” are de rigueur…
Recipe: Cyrano’s Café’s Creamsicle Panna Cotta
July’s heat calls for cool treats, like those created by Cyrano’s owner and pastry chef Carolyn Downs, whose sweets menu features an upscale version of a summertime classic you’ll remember from childhood: the Creamsicle, here reimagined as panna cotta. The silky custard brings the cold and creamy, while the Orange Crush syrup adds vibrant color…
Special Tea
4 2-liter batches
Farmhouse Cheddar
2 pounds
An Eater’s Guide to Soulard Market
There’s just something about drinking a beer while buying your beans or eating a dozen mini doughnuts while haggling for your ham that can make your Saturday a perfect one. Soulard Market not only offers fruits, veggies, fish and eggs, but it also has seven ready-to-eat food vendors, perfect spots for a quick, delicious snack…
Order Dessert First at Cravings Restaurant
You may be tempted to eat dessert first at Cravings Restaurant and Bakery in Webster Groves. The lime-blueberry bombe would be a good place to start. It’s bright, luscious and texturally titillating: A dense and chewy white chocolate brownie is filled with airy and smooth white chocolate mousse, lime cream and blueberries. If this dessert…
Whey Cool: Hard cheeses aren’t too hard to make at home
When I made the leap from crafting soft cheese in my home kitchen to working with drier styles like Gouda and Cheddar, I feared they were called “hard” for a reason. These cheeses are more advanced than the ricotta and mozzarella I’d started with and the chèvre and feta I’d moved on to, but I…
Marvelous Milkshakes: A soda-fountain standard shakes off expectations
Vanilla, chocolate, strawberry. The holy trinity of milkshakes will always be soda fountain faves, but for those seeking a new spin on frothy frozen treats, a world of flavors awaits. Frosty faves reach new heights Last October, shake enthusiasts couldn’t wait to grab a stool at Pi in Kirkwood, where pastry chef Mathew Rice helped…
Saké Stars in Summertime Cocktails
Summertime has us feeling free-spirited, and we’re looking to sip something more exotic. Local bartenders must be feeling the same way, given the spate of cocktails made with Japan’s favorite alcoholic potion, saké. At Mai Lee in Brentwood, owner Qui Tran has worked with mixologist Jason Main of The Wine Merchant to develop two saké…
Short List: Pulled-pork sandwiches
Of all the piggy parts to choose from, the upper shoulder must rank among the most popular. Depending on how it’s cut and prepared, it offers us a regional barbecue titan in the form of pork steaks or, even more renowned, pulled pork. Even the most practiced backyard pit master with a gallon of Maull’s,…
