The Scoop: Big changes at Niche restaurants
Rumors had been swirling for some time that Taste by Niche was going to move to the Central West End into the space vacated by chef Eric Brenner’s now defunct Moxy Bistro. Today, chef-owner Gerard Craft made the news official. However, Craft has been holding back since there were many more pieces to the puzzle…
Flapjack fun this Friday
Right now, the young ladies of The Rotary Club of Webster Groves are primping and preening before their mirrors, practicing their speeches and covering themselves in authentic maple syrup. That’s what it takes to become a pancake queen. Okay, maybe it’s just a few dabs of syrup behind the ears and on the pulse points,…
The Scoop: Shula’s 347 Grill runs option play for St. Louis market
Famed NFL coach Don Shula will soon be opening Shula’s 347 Grill in the Roberts Tower, the new 25-story luxe condo development that sits adjacent to the Roberts Mayfair Hotel downtown. Shula owns a portfolio of 31 dining establishments that include five different brands and 10 Shula’s 347 Grill locations around the county, so Sauce…
Stocking Up: Sunchokes shine by any name
Welcome to Stocking Up, a new online column in which we reveal which products you should be looking for at the market right now. From fresh fruits and veggies to olive oils and sodas, we’ll tell you where to get them and how to pick out the best ones – we even suggest ways to…
The Scoop: Morfogen moves to Mosaic Bistro Market, Maher takes over at Webster Farmers’ Market
Chef Gretchen Morfogen has left her position as market master of the Webster Groves Farmers’ Market to head the kitchen at the recently opened Mosaic Bistro Market in Clayton, the newest addition to the Schmitz family of restaurants that currently includes Mosaic downtown and Barcelona in Clayton. A trio of restaurants will soon be added…
Teetotaler: A virgin cocktail to be proud of
Welcome to Teetotaler, a new online column geared at showing you the amazing non-alcoholic drink options around the city. You’ve seen our recommendations for where to get the best brews, booze and bubbly around town. Now it’s time to show you that you don’t have to get tipsy to taste the best this city has…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Gateway to the Zest
Chris Muether has only been working behind a bar for a year and a half. Yet the bartender at Danno’s American Pub is already going places – literally. This August, Muether was one of three area bartenders to represent St. Louis in the Greater Kansas City Bartending Competition, shaking up a cocktail that he dubbed…
The Scoop: Three local cocktailians break out a classic for a night of old school drinks
Area bartenders Chad George, Matt Obermark and Matt Seiter have cracked open the (cocktail) history book to bring St. Louis tipplers an adventure in lost and forgotten libations. The revival starts at 6 p.m. next Monday at Atomic Cowboy in The Grove neighborhood, where this talented group will be serving up five different recipes from…
Get your barbecue fill this weekend
In the world of competitive barbecuing, the public rarely gets to taste the good stuff. The cooks grill and smoke the ribs and steaks, the judges offer their sanctified opinions of same, and the hungry mob is often not even invited. Not so at the St. Louis Home Fires BBQ Bash. The sixth annual event,…
Stocking Up: Heirloom pole beans
Welcome to Stocking Up, a new online column in which we reveal which products you should be looking for at the market right now. From fresh fruits and veggies to olive oils and sodas, we’ll tell you where to get them and how to pick out the best ones – we even suggest ways to…
The Scoop: Local Harvest Grocery moving to larger space
As more quality, local products hit the market, it’s hard to squeeze them all into a 600-square-foot store. But in December, when Local Harvest Grocery moves a few storefronts north to 3108 Morgan Ford Road near Arsenal Street (the grocery is currently at 3148 Morgan Ford Road), there will be three-times the current space to…
Guide to Drinking: Bartender’s Choice
I love the local dive bars like Colorado Bob’s [Ship of Fools] on Morgan Ford Road. It’s an old pirate ship-of-a-bar. They have a sailboat in front with a sail. When the bar is open, the sail is up. When the bar is closed, the sail is down. Inside, there’s a huge ship wheel that…
Guide to Drinking: Bartender’s Choice
Who would know better where to grab a barstool or what to imbibe than a bartender? A few industry experts weighed in with the places and potations they enjoy when they aren’t the ones doing the pouring. Taste. My favorite drink is called Adam’s Purgatory. It’s a variation of one of Ted [Kilgore’s] creations called…
Choosing the Cover
I love that we put a can of tuna on the cover this month for Greg Rannells’ story, Tinned Treasures, for which he both shot the photographs and contributed the recipes. Greg and I liked the design of all the tinned items’ packages, especially the typography in Nuri Brand’s Portuguese sardines. We also liked how…
Teetotaler: Local options abound for bubble tea
Welcome to Teetotaler, a new online column geared at showing you the amazing non-alcoholic drink options around the city. You’ve seen our recommendations for where to get the best brews, booze and bubbly around town. Now it’s time to show you that you don’t have to get tipsy to taste the best this city has…
Extra Sauce: Choosing the Cover
I love that we put a can of tuna on the cover this month for Greg Rannells’ story, Tinned Treasures, for which he both shot the photographs and contributed the recipes. Greg and I liked the design of all the tinned items’ packages, especially the typography in Nuri Brand’s Portuguese sardines. We also liked how…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Amazing flow of alcohol at Lukas Liquor’s Amazing Taste
If you’ve never attended The Amazing Taste event alcohol superstore Lukas Liquor puts on each year, this is the year you don’t want to miss it. This Sunday, from 1 to 5 p.m., you can sip standout wines, beers and spirits from around the world. Food will also be offered by area restaurants including Espinos…
The Scoop: Northwest Coffee and Straub’s team up for original brew
Northwest Coffee Roasting Co. has been selected to produce artisan coffee for Straub’s Fine Grocers. The new offering, Straub’s by Northwest, will consist of single-origin and custom blends as well as certified organic and fair trade offerings. The hand-roasted coffee will be available at all four Straub’s locations starting Monday, Sept. 20. “Straub’s made the…
Moses’ Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. • Mix the sugars, butter, vanilla and egg until light in color and creamy. • In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. • Stir wet and dry ingredients together until well blended. The dough will be very dry and stiff, and it may seem as though…
Banana Bread with Smoked Walnuts
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Mix together butter, banana, eggs, molasses and vanilla. • In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. • Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients; do not over-mix. • Mix in the walnuts. • Bake in a buttered…
The Scoop: New eco-friendly dining venue at Wash. U.
A new dining venue on the Washington University campus is taking sustainability in food service to a new level. Bear’s Den is located just east of Big Bend Boulevard at 6614 Shepley Drive in the new residential center, South Forty House. But it’s not just students who get to enjoy this eco-friendly nosh – Bear’s…
Banana Bread with Smoked Walnuts
1 stick butter, very soft (almost melted) 1½ -1¾ cup very ripe banana, chopped 2 eggs, lightly beaten 1 tsp. molasses (optional, but it really pumps up the flavor) 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1¾ cup all purpose flour ½ cup white sugar ¼ cup dark brown sugar 1 tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. baking soda…
Name that chicken this Friday
Over at the 13th Street Garden in Old North St. Louis, one of the chickens’ “pastimes includes solving the New York Times crossword puzzle.” Another reports, “my goals in life include traveling the world in a hot air balloon.” A third admits, “I am a quiet hen who is often overlooked when people visit the…
Moses’ Chocolate Chip Cookies
¾ cup packed light brown sugar ¾ cup granulated sugar 1 cup or 2 sticks butter, softened 1 tsp. vanilla 1 egg 2¾ cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp. baking soda ½ tsp. salt 1-12 oz. bag semisweet chocolate chips 1½ cups rough chopped smoked pecans • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. • Mix the sugars, butter,…
The Scoop: Chef Ben Welch takes the reins at The Stable
Chef Ben Welch is back in St. Louis and has taken the reins at Benton Park brewpub, The Stable, as Evan Benn of the Post-Dispatch reported yesterday. Working at Overlook Farm in Clarksville about an hour and a half outside St. Louis, Welsh eventually grew tired of the long commute. “I love the farm-to-table thing…
Extra Sauce: Make a smoker at home
In this month’s feature, Smoked-In Flavor, Sauce contributor Dee Ryan shared her delicious experience with a smoker that she received as a gift. Want to infuse that delectable smokiness into your own foods but don’t have a smoker at home? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Smoked nuts, fish and ribs sound great, but what…
No smoker, no problem
In this month’s feature, Smoked-In Flavor, Sauce contributor Dee Ryan shared her delicious experience with a smoker that she received as a gift. Want to infuse that delectable smokiness into your own foods but don’t have a smoker at home? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Smoked nuts, fish and ribs sound great, but what…
Stocking Up: Peach season’s Encore
Welcome to Stocking Up, a new online column in which we reveal which products you should be looking for at the market right now. From fresh fruits and veggies to olive oils and sodas, we’ll tell you where to get them, how to pick out the best and even suggest ways to add them to…
Garlic for glory at Saleem’s annual Garlic Festival
The 24th annual Garlic Festival held later this month at Saleem’s West in Winchester offers the spectacle of a roasted garlic-eating contest that must be seen – and smelled – to be believed. “The record right now is 15 heads in 10 minutes,” Saleem’s co-owner Simon Hanna said of the number to beat at this…
Extra Sauce: Short List Runner-Up
Each month, we scour the city for the best version of a single dish. Be it french fries or foie gras, Buffalo wings or BLTs, we report which three spots are dishing up St. Louis’ best – and exactly what we loved about them. But who says we have to pick just three? Our writers…
Short List Runner-Up: Another cookie to crave
Each month, we scour the city for the best version of a single dish. Be it French fries or foie gras, Buffalo wings or BLTs, we report which three spots are dishing up St. Louis’ best – and exactly what we loved about them. But who says we have to pick just three? Our writers…
Fact or Fiction: The heat is in the seeds
Welcome to Fact or Fiction, a new online column in which we dive into the truth behind some well-accepted foodie wives’ tales – and reveal whether they’re fact or fiction. Fact or Fiction: Most of the heat in peppers is in the seeds Fiction. The majority of the capsaicin (the active component that gives chile…
Teetotaler: House-made root beer at Monarch
Welcome to Teetotaler, a new online column geared at showing you the amazing non-alcoholic drink options around the city. You’ve seen our recommendations for where to get the best brews, booze and bubbly around town. Now it’s time to show you that you don’t have to get tipsy to taste the best this city has…
Pick-Me-Up Artists: Local chefs revive the intermezzo
“I’m afraid that the intermezzo has gone awry,” said Larry Forgione. To the chef-owner of An American Place, what should be a tart, slightly sweet, tiny offering served midway through a multicourse meal has become “sickeningly sweet,” thus wrecking its intention as a palate re-energizer. “It’s supposed to be neutral,” said Annie Gunn’s executive chef…
Tinned Treasures: Think foodies don’t eat canned foods? Think again
Canning isn’t just for peaches and pickles, nor is tinned seafood limited to Chicken of the Sea. Some of the world’s best seafood, often packed straight off the line with just a bit of salt and olive oil, is to be found in a can. Premium tinned seafood can be found at high-end grocers and…
Drink This Weekend Edition: Cocktail dinner at Sanctuaria to feature North Shore spirits
From wine dinners to beer dinners and now even cocktail dinners, restaurants all over town offer bang-for-your-buck multi-courses paired with great beverages. An upcoming event we’re buzzing over is a cocktail dinner at Sanctuaria in The Grove. The event is scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 16 and is a five-course affair featuring products by North Shore…
The Scoop: Brenner excited to enter catering business with Robust
Stanley Browne, owner of Webster Groves’ Robust Wine Bar, has joined forces with chef Eric Brenner, owner of the recently shuttered Moxy Bistro, to offer full-service food and beverage catering. Brenner and Browne have known one another for over a decade. “He was in charge of wine sales at Bommarito Wines when I was working…
The Scoop: Second Street Bike Stop Café rolls in to St. Charles
“Gears, grinds and good times.” That’s the slogan at Second Street Bike Stop Café, a cyclery-eatery that recently opened in historic downtown St. Charles. The café, located at 1325 N. Second St., serves breakfast and lunch, offering an extensive espresso bar, freshly baked goods from Companion, sandwiches and salads, plus soups once the weather cools.…
Crafting the Future: A new brewery taps into the potential of the local beer scene
To me, it’s just a patch of grass, tiny – just big enough to fit maybe 25 people – and oddly located, only a few steps from the cars driving up and down busy Washington Avenue. But to Florian Kuplent, it’s the beginning of something. It’s long, wooden tables filled with customers, laughter and the…
10 Wines Under $10
1. Casas Patronales Carmenere 2009 A velvety, well-balanced red from Maule Valley, Chile. $10. WineStyles, 1624 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, 636.536.0711 2. Vendi Pinot Grigio A fruity, floral Italian white. $7.99. Grapevine Wines, 309 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.909.7044 3. Bodegas Tarima Monastrell A Spanish red that pairs well with spicy tapas and other Spanish dishes.…
The Scoop: Indian veg restaurant to take over Miss Saigon spot in The Loop
A new vegetarian Indian restaurant, Gokul Snacks and Sweets, is headed to the East Loop. Owner Jim Sandhe will be opening location No. 2 at 6101 Delmar Blvd., in the spot vacated by Vietnamese eatery, Miss Saigon. “I have a lot of students coming from Washington University and they have been telling me to open…
The Scoop: Boogaloo up for sale
Boogaloo, the restaurant in downtown Maplewood that serves a twist on Cuban, creole and Caribbean food, is up for sale. It was an ad on Craigslist seeking a buyer of the restaurant that tipped The Scoop off (the ad has since been removed from the site but we have been told it should be up…
Drink This Weekend Edition: A month of artisan spirits tastings begins tonight at TWCP
You might have noticed the occasional appearance of Drink This Weekend Edition, a column on our blog featuring news and notes about adult beverages. With so much happening in the world of spirits, wine and beer, we’ve decided to turn Drink This into a regular intoxicant. Every Friday, we’ll share intel on A-list drink-related events,…
The U. joins in on eating contest trend
If lunch exploded, it might look something like The Graduate: a monstrous sandwich with two beef patties, four strips of bacon, two chicken strips, a fried egg, chili, cheddar, Swiss, provolone, giardiniera (hot Italian relish), fried onion strings and cheese sauce. This hearty helping of protein is served up at The U., the sandwich joint…
Sauce: The Photographs at Niche in September
Did you miss Sauce: The Photographs this past weekend at the Philip Slein Gallery? Wish you could see which images were featured – and even pick the one that’s perfect for your own kitchen? We’re excited to announced that many of the photographs from last week’s show are now on display at Niche Restaurant on…
Review: Milagro Modern Mexican in Webster Groves
In a town where Mexican food frequently means more of the same (read: blankets of grated cheese, rivers of sour cream and mounds of refried beans and Spanish rice), several have tried to break through the mundane (Maya Café and the erstwhile Agave come to mind). Now in swaggers Milagro Modern Mexican, Jason and Adam…
Recipe: Eclipse Restaurant’s Peach Streusel
Grilled peaches with vanilla ice cream is a classic late-summer combo, but add a well-spiced cap of streusel and bake it till it’s bubbly, as pastry chef Clair Robberson does at Eclipse, and suddenly a summer staple is fit for fall. Even better, Robberson’s use of a touch of rosemary and a hint of ginger…
Dave Rook dishes out old-fashioned American food at Copia
Cooking is all I’ve ever known,” said Dave Rook, executive chef at Copia Urban Winery & Market. During Rook’s youth, his father owned a catering company and also ran the kitchen at Sunset Hills Country Club in Edwardsville. After cheffing aboard cruise ships and riverboats, Rook docked at area restaurants such as Fitz’s, Crazy Fish…
Lemongrass Recipes to Try This Month
For Justin Keay of North County Produce Co., the lemongrass he planted for the first time this year can’t mature soon enough. He cooks the Thai, Vietnamese and southeast Asian foods he enjoys with store-bought lemongrass for now, but he believes the freshly cut stalks he’ll harvest in early September will add even more flavor.…
Review: International Tap House in St. Louis
Christmas came about six months early this year for city-based fans of Chesterfield’s International Tap House. The beer-lover’s bar opened a second location in the heart of Soulard in June, and, in addition to being much more accessible to us city folk, the new incarnation of Itap is bigger, bolder and much easier to score…
Moroccan Preserved Lemons
• Slice lemons into quarters from top to bottom. • Place a layer of lemon quarters into a wide-mouth 1-quart jar and cover with salt. Add more lemons and salt, and continue doing this until the jar is full. • Add lemon juice and secure the lid. • Give the jar a good shake until…
Fennel Jam
• Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the fennel and onions and sprinkle with salt. Cover and cook until the fennel and onions are soft and begin to brown, about 15 minutes. • Remove the lid and cook until caramelized and jammy, about 20 minutes longer. • Add the…
Tartar sauce
• Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. ½ cup reduced-fat mayonnaise 1 Tbsp. chopped capers 2 Tbsp. chopped dill pickle 1 tsp. lemon juice ½ tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
Limeade
4 to 6
Marquette
1 serving
Smoked Sprat Bruschetta With Fennel Jam and Tomatoes
6 appetizer servings
Spanish Octopus With Chorizo, Fingerling Potatoes and Salsa Verde
4 appetizer servings
Onion Sorbet
12
Snails in Anise, Citrus and Saffron Broth
4 appetizer or 2 entrée servings
Pickled Mustard Seed
• Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes or until tender. 2 Tbsp. yellow mustard seeds ¾ cup water ¼ cup cider vinegar 1 Tbsp. sugar ½ tsp. kosher salt
The Bartender’s Spice Rack
The cocktail world is all about bitters these days – and not just the hard-hitting classics Angostura and Peychaud’s. Bartenders are enjoying the nuance they can achieve with just a dash or two of bitters in a wide variety of flavors, from citrus flavors like lemon, grapefruit and orange to vegetal flavors like celery to…
Short List: Chocolate chip cookies
Crêpes: etc. 52 Maryland Plaza, St. Louis, 314.367.2200 You’ll find these cookies next to the register, each tucked into its own white bag, ready for easy on-the-go or in-house consumption. When I relayed my order to the man behind the counter, he confidently informed me that these cookies were the best in town … and…
Head to Soulard for Fine Dining in Flip-Flops
Looking to dine on a $30 peppered Black Angus fillet and sip a smooth 1998 Château Giscours Margaux while wearing shorts and sandals? Soulard’s Restaurant and Bar is the place. The casual atmosphere and laid-back (but by no means uninformed or lax) service is a boon to those who want quality without the fuss. The…
Marquette
When hot and sticky sidles into cool and crisp, head to Monarch for a Marquette. Sweet but not syrupy, Nate Selsor’s creation straddles the seasons, its smooth, balanced flavor profile perfect for both sultry summer nights and chilly fall evenings. 1 Serving 1 oz. Fernet-Branca 1 oz. Aperol 1 oz. Dolin blanc vermouth ½ oz.…
Chilled Green Apple
INGREDIENTS 6 tart green apples, Gravenstien or Granny Smith 4-6-inch stalks of inner white celery hearts, washed 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. wild flower honey 6 fresh mint leaves Pinch of sea salt PREPARATION • Place 6 small port or dessert wine glasses, washed and polished, in a freezer. • Core the apples and…
Smoked-In Flavor: Jazz up a pantry staple with a few hours over apple wood
Last summer, a friend gifted me a big ol’ battleship of a smoker – a true barrel smoker with a fire box – a few weeks before my birthday. As I looked at it sitting in my backyard, I dreamed of smoking pork butts, ribs, beef, maybe even my own bacon. A week later, my…
