Draft Operations: A perfect pint starts with well-maintained lines
“What do you have on draft?” It wasn’t so long ago that simple and straightforward question yielded a simple and straightforward answer from a bartender or server – but no more. Now the answer would most likely be in the form of a litany of draft brew options. You don’t have to look much further…
Ugly Veggies: Even the humblest of vegetables are packed with health benefits
They’re not brightly colored. They’re not highly touted. No one claims they’ll magically halt your body’s slide toward diabetes, Alzheimer’s, hypertension or cancer. But don’t write them off just because they’ve got a colorless reputation. Overlooked veggies like celery, eggplant, potatoes, onions, artichokes, cauliflower, cucumbers and zucchini can all contribute to your health. Take the…
G. I. Track: Soldiers get their food fixes on assignment and back home
Goat is a local specialty in Farah, Afghanistan, if not necessarily a delicacy. Because the hearty beasts can digest just about any dry weed they get their teeth on, they thrive on the barren landscape on the southwestern edge of Afghanistan near the Iraqi border. De Soto, Mo., resident Ed Boyer, 47, a 26-year veteran…
Chef’s Selection: The best kitchens in town hunt for help
Someday, you might be dining at a nice restaurant in St. Louis and notice Jonathan Murphy’s name on the menu. At 22, he’s vigorously working his way up in the kitchen at Racquet Club Ladue. As garde manger, or preparer of cold foods, he scribbles down the commands of executive chef Christopher Desens in a…
Review: Koko in St. Louis
Severe dread engulfed me when I read the first words on Koko’s Web site: “At the crossroads of central convenience and culinary perfection sits KOKO.” Ugh. OK, I agree that Koko’s Ivanhoe Avenue location in southwestern St. Louis is a wonderful choice, and being a few blocks from the highway is supremely convenient, but the…
Review: M Lounge in St. Louis
Guy’s perspective There is something to be said for making out in public. Now by making out, I don’t mean a fleeting goodbye kiss. And by public, I don’t mean on her front stoop. By making out, I am talking about full-on teenage face time, and by public, I mean within 5 feet of other…
Cider-Braised Belgian Endive
4 to 6 servings
Guinness Braised Beef
Makes about 12 8-oz. servings
Green Up Your Act: There are easy ways to cut energy use in the home kitchen
Close the refrigerator! Turn off the lights! No doubt most of us can still hear our parents’ voices reverberating with those nagging commands. Their imperatives were likely aimed at saving money, and they were onto something. Today’s energy prices – sent skyward in part by rising demand, possible shortages and world politics – have made…
Balaban’s new team balances the past and the future
After a bit of sprucing up, Balaban’s reopened in February under new ownership and with a new chef at the helm. Previously executive chef at Harvest Seasonal Market Cuisine, Andy White has redesigned the menu, striving to respect the restaurant’s history while giving the cornerstone establishment an update. So how are you revamping Balaban’s but…
Skillfully composed crêpes strut their stuff at Rooster
A bright new light has emerged on the Downtown dining scene. Rooster is a hip eatery just a couple of blocks from Washington Avenue. Dave Bailey, who also owns Baileys’ Chocolate Bar in Lafayette Square, opened Rooster in November, offering sandwiches, soups and salads. But it’s the crêpes with inventive fillings that make you want…
Just in time for spring, a fresh twist on the vodka martini
When my husband and I were dating, we used to go to the Vietnamese restaurant LemonGrass in its old location (farther south on South Grand) so often we didn’t have to order. The servers all knew what we wanted, which meant we got our food in record time from what must be the fastest kitchen…
Braising: A magical transformation from tough to tender
Braising may seem like culinary alchemy – and for good reason. The cook tosses an inherently tough cut of meat into a pot, adds a wee bit of stock or other liquid and leaves the pot, covered and unattended, in a slow oven or over low heat. A couple of hours later, she removes the…
A rarity in the world of wine experts hails from Missouri
Missourian Doug Frost has achieved the wine world’s equivalent to rock-star status by becoming both a Master Sommelier and passing the British-based Master of Wine exam. Either of these accomplishments is impressive on its own, but achieving both is a major feat – and rare: Only two Americans can lay claim to both titles. I…
Wild greens and herbs are ripe for the foraging
Who knew there was more to weeds than irritation? Turns out, you can eat some of them – for example, those tiny onion bulbs and their chive-like leaves that last month began to burst through the brown zoysia like Chia Pets gone crazy. They’re wild onions, and they’re ready for harvest now. “The flavor is…
