Now you see it
Believe your eyes: Yes, that is Magic Hat on tap in The STL. Look for the Vermont-based brewery’s flagship ale, No. 9, at Blueberry Hill and Cicero’s in The Loop, Growlers Pub in Sunset Hills and Creve Coeur, and The Wedge on Bates Street in South City, among other locations. In the coming months, Magic…
English to Spanish
We think salt is a big deal, and apparently, people in Spain agree. I’m just back from Barcelona, where I couldn’t help but notice salt’s presence not just to enhance flavor, but also to enhance texture and presentation. Maldon sea salt from England, in particular, was front and center in Barcelona. It was sprinkled on…
The Scoop: Barbecue biz is still smokin’
Chesterfield-based Bandana’s Bar-B-Q has opened its 26th location, in Washington, Mo. The barbecue chain plans to open 10 more restaurants this year, including one in the Creve Coeur area. Bandana’s also has launched an online ordering system, which enables customers to place and pay for carryout orders.
Partying with Prince
Prince graced the universe with new albums yesterday, and word is they hark back to their monumentally funky predecessor Purple Rain. Let’s go crazy. Mixologist Nhat Nguyen, owner of Urban Lounge on South Grand, serves a cocktail that’ll make a pedestrian listening party supreme. Let him guide you to the Purple Rain, a fruity dynamo…
Drinking on the job: Stirrings Blood Orange Martini set
Call it research. Call it getting our creative juices flowing. We occasionally sample a little something-something during business hours. “Dine, drink and live well!” is the Sauce way, right? Inspiration: new Stirrings Blood Orange Martini mixer and Rimmer garnish First, a disclosure: We have a soft spot for Stirrings. Its line of mixers, packed in…
Soup of the day
Looking for a light lunch? We spent some time on the ol’ horn this morning finding some hit-the-spot soups: • South City’s king of comfort food, Iron Barley, is serving up clam chowder with smoked salmon: 314.351.4500. • Seafood fans can also opt for lobster minestrone at Araka in Clayton: 314.725.6777. • Nadoz Euro Bakery…
Beans and garden greens
Sautéed greens are many a gardener’s favorite side dish. If you’re growing Swiss chard or kale this spring, consider making this light Italian bean dish with the season’s first harvest. Sauté 1 bunch of greens with garlic and 1/3 cup of slivered red onion, adding pancetta if you wish. Stir in a cup of warm…
Bean Cuisine: Italians do it better
Italian cuisine is more than oodles of pasta noodles. Beans have a long history and remain a staple in every province. Fagioli are served in hole-in-the-wall bars and the finest trattorias, in farmhouse kitchens and high-rise apartment houses. There are Italian bean dishes for practically every course – as antipasti, in soup or with pasta…
Fresh pasta empire
Mangia Italiano has partnered with Whole Foods Market to bring a taste of South City to Chicago. Four locations now carry nine varieties of Mangia’s fresh pasta, and owner David Burmeister expects to add a fifth store to the list this June. Bravo! There’s also some good news for hungry St. Louisians. Whole Foods in…
See you there: Grape Arts
We’ll be at Windows Off Washington on Sunday for Art Saint Louis’ signature fundraiser, Grape Arts XVII. This event, of which Sauce is a media sponsor, promises to be a lovely afternoon of wine, art and music. But last call for reservations is today: 314.241.4810.
Chips off the old block
The crew from the erstwhile Billy Goat Restaurant and Bar has started making its popular potato chips at a shop in South City. Each crunch packs a touch of heat and an invigorating pinch of salt. (Added bonus: Instead of making a mess of your fingertips, the seasoning stays on the chip.) Now, at the…
All Italian, all month long
We’ve got some tasty tidbits about two of the restaurants featured in this month’s cover story, Italian Renaissance. On March 25, Acero in Maplewood will be hosting a wine dinner with Elisabetta Foradori, owner of an internationally lauded winery in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. Foradori’s Granato, a fruit-laden Teroldego, is a true palate…
Post-Paddy’s Day slaw
You got suckered into buying St. Patrick’s Day grocery loss leaders – a couple of pounds of corned beef, a bag of potatoes and worst of all, cabbage. St. Patrick’s Day will come and go, and you’ll be left with a stinkin’ half head of cabbage that you don’t know what to do with. One…
Love, Italian Style
Why do St. Louisans love Italian wines so much? The answer is somewhat simple: There is just so much to love. Wines from Italy romance for a plethora of reasons: unique grape varieties, food-friendliness, diverse wine styles, and the quality that is available whether you spend $12 or $50 a bottle. Combine these factors with…
Drinking on the job: Skyy pineapple
Call it research. Call it getting our creative juices flowing. We occasionally sample a little something-something during business hours. “Dine, drink and live well!” is the Sauce way, right? Inspiration: Brand-new Skyy Infusions pineapple vodka With warm weather not part of the plan for this weekend, we decided to take matters into our own hands.…
New cheese in town
Just when you thought the goat cheeses from Baetje Farms couldn’t get any better, the Bloomsdale, Mo., farm has added an aged raw-milk feta to its early spring lineup. The feta is sold in a golden marinade of extra-virgin olive oil flavored with sun-dried tomatoes, roasted garlic, minced basil and peppercorns. Beautiful to behold but…
St. Louis chef Gerard Craft featured in this month’s Food & Wine Magazine
Recipes from St. Louis superstar Gerard Craft grace more than 10 gorgeous pages of the April issue of Food & Wine magazine. In the spread, the chef and owner of Niche Restaurant in Benton Park made lunch for several big names in Napa Valley wine, including Randy Dunn of Dunn Vineyards, Beringer’s Laurie Hook and…
Thank heaven for more beer
Amen to this: New local brewery Cathedral Square has readied its first release, Belgian Abbey Ale. Led by brewmaster Brian Neville, the brewery is part of a restaurant complex under construction at 3914 Lindell Blvd., which once housed the Playboy Club and more recently The City Grille and Brewhouse. Meantime, find Cathedral Square’s Abbey Ale…
The Scoop: Two in one
Downtown will be home to a new restaurant and nightclub in a couple of weeks, when St. Louis Jazz Café, a new supper club from owners Arnold and Audre Charleston, marks its grand opening on March 21. Guests will be able to dine on upscale comfort food, some with a Creole influence, from chef de…
Olive oil exclusive
Extra Virgin, an Olive Ovation in Clayton has launched a new club to satisfy your taste for the finer things in life. Four times a year, members of Olive Ovations can get their hands on new and limited releases along with reserve oils that don’t ordinarily pop up in retail shops. Select vinegars and specialty…
The Scoop: Welcome back!
Listen up, Chuy Arzola’s fans, cuz the news is good: Your favorite Tex-Mex eatery will soon be back, fajitas and all. Coby Arzola confirmed today that he and his dad, Eddie Arzola, plan to reopen their beloved eatery, this time in Midtown, at 3701 Lindell Blvd. The space currently houses Joe Boccardi’s Ristorante, which will…
Do a 120
Beer tastings always get our attention, but our ears went right up at word of Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA. Look for it – along with Boulder MoJo Risin’ Double IPA, Clipper City High Seas Holy Sheet, and other beers big and not quite as big – at a tasting on Wednesday from 6 to…
Recipe: Stellina’s Tagliatelle
When it comes to Italian fare, it doesn’t get more classic than pasta. But at South City’s Stellina Pasta Cafe, owners Jamey and Lisa Tochtrop turn old school new by bathing their handcrafted fresh pastas in simple preparations that spotlight clean flavors and high-quality ingredients. No run-of-the-mill red sauce here; not an Alfredo in sight.…
Review: Gio’s Ristorante & Bar in St. Louis
From formal dining rooms to neighborhood red-sauce joints, there’s no shortage of old-school Italian eateries in St. Louis. And last December, John Ruggeri and Dominic Galati added one more to the mix: Gio’s Ristorante & Bar, located in an area of downtown starving for more restaurant options. Before opening his own restaurant in Wentzville, Ruggeri…
Review: Luna Lounge in St. Louis
When someone mentions Bar Italia, the first thing that comes to mind is the smartly clad power lunchers gawking at each other on the luxe patio whenever I jog past on my way to Forest Park. But as night falls, the fashionable eatery opens the doors to a side room that plays host to a…
Where to Find Sanfilippo’s Italian Goods This Spring
In two Italian words, Salume Beddu, Mark Sanfilippo captures the essence of his business. Salume: cured and preserved pork. Beddu: beautiful. “It’s all about preserving the pig,” he said. But after several conversations with this food artist, I think it’s about more. Sanfilippo’s open curiosity, his love of history and tradition, and his search for…
The Hill’s unsung heroes
Aside from the murals of Italian landmarks and the portrait of the Virgin Mary, the most memorable thing about Eovaldi’s Deli and Catering is its sandwiches. Sure, Eovaldi’s also offers pastas, pizzas and salads, but the sandwiches, which take up half the menu and range from $4 to $11, are the heart of this deli…
The shape of apps to come
Kathy: There’s no question that toasted ravioli holds this city in an iron grip as the go-to of Italian appetizers. Russ: Oh, it’s way beyond that. I’m pretty sure I saw someone munching t-ravs at a Korean place last week. K: It’s pretty well accepted that they’re a St. Louis invention, so the hometown affection…
Kid-friendly fare at a posh Clayton address
I’m not going to lie to you: Clayton’s Carondelet Plaza has always sort of intimidated me. First, there was The Ritz-Carlton. Then they went and built The Plaza in Clayton, where the grandest unit actually comes with maid quarters. So a restaurant housed here wouldn’t first come to mind as a place to take two…
The procrastinator’s guide to baking
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24 To do: I feel the end approaching — a rough draft of a radio documentary and a revised syllabus are due. Instead, I consult cookbooks and deny reality as I lift a white apron off the pantry door. What I bake: Three dozen white and semisweet chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. I…
Tony’s lightens up
The food at Tony’s doesn’t shout at you, but it doesn’t need to. Understated elegance and impeccable taste are hallmarks of this cornerstone of Italian cuisine in St. Louis, where pristine ingredients are allowed to shine. Chef Vincent P. Bommarito has been executive chef at Tony’s since 1985, and in that time he has watched…
Eat Italian, drink Missouri
Most of us probably think of pairing Italian wines with Italian foods, but I hope you’ll consider using our state’s wines instead. It’s not as odd as it sounds. I have long contended that, unlike typical New World-style West Coast wines, Missouri’s wines are made in a style closer to that of Europe. Our sweeter…
Green Gold: The olive oils of Italy are rich with range and value
Italian olive oil refuses to be pigeonholed. It isn’t the only peppery choice for pasta or the go-to buttery oil for sautéing. It isn’t the most expensive, the least expensive, the most widely available or even necessarily the finest olive oil on the market, though its reputation might suggest otherwise. It could fill any niche…
Italian Renaissance: Taking a modern approach to a classic cuisine
Lamb, star anise and fregola. Chicken, fennel and peperonata. Prawns, garlic and speck. Even a quick look at Cielo’s menu shows it to be fluent in Italian. “There are certain core fundamental flavors that go into Italian food,” said Karen Hoffmann, executive chef of the downtown restaurant inside the Four Seasons Hotel. “Lots of cinnamon,…
