May 2018 Feast Magazine

Inspired Local Food Culture | M i dw e st

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Discover innovative dishes and classic favorites. A steakhouse mixed with Italian flair, serving the finest steaks, seafood and Italian cuisine.

Featuring a large selection of international wines and champagnes.

Enjoy complimentary Valet Parking.

Reservations encouraged.

Call 636.940.4471 or visit StCharles.Ameristar.com.

ONE AMERISTAR BOULEVARD ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI 63301 636.949.7777 | AMERISTAR.COM ©2018 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Book your event today: events@mybleuevents.com Phone: 314.231.4808 www.mybleuevents.com

We create picture perfect events with delicious food, expert bar service, creative décor, and exciting entertainment. We specialize in conventions, corporate events, conferences and weddings in St. Louis and Columbia.

Restaurant • Winery • Live Entertainment 6601 South Highway 94, Augusta, Mo ( between Dutzow & Augusta )

balduccivineyards.com | 636-482-8466

Inspired Local Food Culture

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l i v ei c mus

's

b e e ri t s spir &

wineries

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lo ca l ch ef s

awa w i n nri d w i n en g

it's better with bacon Join us for a live cooking demo with some of St. Louis’ chefs.

They’ll be putting their creative spin on cooking with bacon.

Augusta Winery Balducci Vineyards Canterbury Hill Winery and Restaurant Chandler Hill Vineyards Chaumette Vineyards & Winery Cooper's HawkWinery & Restaurants Defiance Ridge Vineyards LaChance Vineyards Martin Brothers Winery Missouri Wines Montelle Winery Noboleis Vineyards Stone Hill Winery The Terrace at French Village Wild Sun Winery

hosted by burgers’ smokehouse

breweries

   

4 Hands Brewing Co. Mother's Brewing Co. Schlafly Beer Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.

distilleries

     

Holladay Distillery Mastermind Vodka TILL Vodka / George Remus Bourbon Pinckney Bend Snow Leopard Vodka StilL 630

wine pairings

 Edibles & Essentials  Larder & Cupboard

restaurants  BaiKu Sushi Lounge  Beast Craft BBQ Co.  Bleu Catering  Blood & Sand  Burgers' Smokehouse  Capitalist Pig  Element  Favazza's on The Hill  The Preston  Ruth'sChrisSteakHouse  Sister Cities Cajun  Southern  Winslow’s Home

Last Chance

to Purchase Tickets!

Only general admission remaining.

visit feastmagazine.com/events for more details sponsored by:

www.metrolightingcenters.com

Inspired Local Food Culture

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REAL AMERICAN LAGER REAL AMERICAN LAGER 8

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may 2018

from the staff

76 85 92 98

FortiFying a revival

fortified wines like Port and sherry are making a comeback on cocktail lists across the world. in Missouri, bartenders and winemakers are hoping that this renewed interest leads to increased sales as well.

board meeting upgrade your next at-home happy hour with an all-local cheese and charcuterie board paired with fine Missouri wine.

through the grapevine

The long and tangled history of norton, Missouri’s state grape.

a kind oF magic Claverach farm’s natural wines push the boundaries of what’s possible in grape growing and winemaking in Missouri.

| 10 |

from the PUBLIsher

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dIgItaL content

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feast tv

Through the grapevine What’s online this month Great grains

dIne

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on trend

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where we’re dInIng

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one on one

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one on one

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In season

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one on one

Sushi burritos Del Pietro’s Karai Ramen + Handroll, Brookside Poultry Co. AJ Brown, Knead Bakehouse & Provisions Branden Dinger & Caleb Stangroom of Element Gooseberries Lance Gipson of Tribe Street Kitchen

drInk

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on trend

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where we’re drInkIng

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one on one

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the mIx

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on the sheLf

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one on one

Amaro

Casual Animal Brewing Co., Small Change, Bonsai Sushi Beau Williams of Soft Conspiracy Sweet Tea Sangria What to drink this month Justin Ackerman of L’Acadiane

shoP

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shoP here

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get thIs gadget

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one on one

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cULInary LIBrary

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shoP here

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artIsan ProdUcts

Baby Kakez

A wine-chilling ice mold and a wine saver Jonathan Parker of Parker’s Table Prosecco Made Me Do It by Amy Zavatto Made in Kansas City Café Kansas City Canning Co. strawberry-Champagne jam and Black Brew Tea Palmer lemonades

cook

| 58 |

| 60 |

TABLE of ConTEnTS PHoTo of CHEESE BoARD (P. 85)

By JonATHAn GAyMAn CoVER ART By yuLiA BRoDSKAyA

heaLthy aPPetIte

Sautéed cherry and wilted vegetable salad mystery shoPPer

Bloomy rind aged goat cheese with vegetable ash

| 62 |

qUIck fIx

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sweet Ideas

Pork burgers with tomato-onion jam and raclette cheese Sweet or savory crêpes

Volume 9

| Issue 5 | May 2018

Vice President of niche Publishing, Publisher of feast Magazine

Catherine Neville, publisher@feastmagazine.com

sales

director of sales

Angie Henshaw, ahenshaw@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1298 account Manager, st. louis region

Jennifer Tilman, jtilman@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1205 account Manager, Kansas city region

Pete Nicklin, pnicklin@feastmagazine.com, 785.431.8025 sPecial Projects editor

Bethany Christo, bchristo@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1244

eDITORIal senior editor

Liz Miller, editor@feastmagazine.com Managing editor

In “Great Grains,” the first episode of Feast TV’s new season, I visit with Mike Martin of Martin Rice Co. to see how his family is growing long-grain and jasmine rice in southern Missouri and then shipping that rice to customers across the globe.

Nancy Stiles, nstiles@feastmagazine.com digital editor

Heather Riske, web@feastmagazine.com Kansas city contributing editor

Jenny Vergara st. louis contributing editor

Mabel Suen editorial intern

Lauren Smith fact checKer

Danielle Lacey Proofreader

Erica Hunzinger contributing Writers

Christy Augustin, Gabrielle DeMichele, Kristen Doyle, Ana Elliot, Natalie Gallagher, Rose Hansen, Becky Hardin, Hilary Hedges, Mallory Mast, Lauren Miers, Brandon and Ryan Nickelson, Jenn Tosatto, Jessica Vaughn, Emily Wasserman, Shannon Weber

aRT

art director

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com Production designer

Jacklyn Meyer, jmeyer@feastmagazine.com contributing PhotograPhers

Zach Bauman, Angela Bond, Keith Borgmeyer, Jessica Cain, Jason Dailey, Kristen Doyle, Ana Elliott, Jonathan Gayman, Becky Hardin, Anna Petrow, Jennifer Silverberg , Christopher Smith, Mabel Suen, Emily Teater contributing illustrators

Yulia Brodskaya & Jeremy Luther

FeasT TV

producer: Catherine Neville production partner: Tybee Studios

COnTaCT Us Feast Media, 8811 Ladue Road, Suite D, Ladue, MO 63124 314.475.1244, feastmagazine.com

DIsTRIbUTIOn To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Thomas Norton for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at TNorton@post-dispatch.com and Jason Green for Kansas City at distribution@pds-kc.com.

Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned. All contents are copyright © 2010-2018 by Feast Magazine™. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC

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publisher’s letter

T

he wine industry is intertwined with our region’s history.

When French, Italian and German immigrants came west and settled in the fertile river valleys along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, they brought with them traditions of grape growing and home winemaking.

As settlements grew into towns and towns grew into cities, the wine industry grew as well. Missouri was once the biggest wine producer in the country, until Prohibition brought everything to a screeching halt.

Thankfully, the local wine industry is thriving again. New wineries pop up each year, wine-country tourism is growing and winemakers are crafting better and more interesting wines now than ever before.

About half an hour outside of St. Louis, Sam Hilmer and Rachel Shulman are cultivating a range of grapes at Claverach Farm that they then vinify into pétillant-naturel, or pét-nat, wines. Their natural approach means they intervene as little as possible in the field as well as in the winemaking process, and the sparking white, red and rosé pét-nats they produce are as delicious as they are unique.

Senior editor Liz Miller takes you to their farm on p. 98.

it comes to the renewed interest in these delicious libations, and Missouri boasts a number of wineries making unique fortified wines. Mallory Mast pours you a sip on p. 76.

Managing editor Nancy Stiles follows the twists and turns of the Norton grape’s storied past on p. 92, and Hilary Hedges pairs local wine with local cheese and more in Board Meeting, which begins on p. 85.

You’ll find other local-wine tidbits scattered throughout this issue, our annual ode to the regional wine industry and one of my favorite issues of the year.

This month also marks the debut of the 2018 season of Feast TV, which airs on PBS stations throughout Missouri and southern Illinois. In the new 13-episode season, I take you from the spring-fed waters of Rockbridge Rainbow Trout & Game Ranch in the Ozarks to the wood-filled lot at Woodyard Bar-B-Que in Kansas City, Kansas, to the 100-plus-degree kitchen on the Balkan Treat Box food truck in St. Louis. It’s an incredible adventure putting each season together, and I hope you’re as inspired by the diverse array of dedicated people who make up our food scene as I am.

Until next time, The national interest in esoteric natural wines is not the only trend we’re seeing reflected in local winemaking. Port, sherry and other fortified wines are seeing a resurgence in popularity, thanks in large part to the complex flavor they lend to cocktails.

Bartenders are leading the charge when

Catherine Neville

05.18 yulia brodskaya

look ahead never behind

London, United Kingdom, Illustrator “I really enjoyed working on this cover assignment, because I was given creative freedom to depict the Norton grapes in paper the best way I see fit.

I’ve chosen to use several different paper-craft techniques, combining tightly rolled circles to represent grapes with roughly torn pieces of paper for the wine leaves and surrounding areas.

I believe this juxtaposition of clean geometric circle shapes with the paintinglike, expressive manner that I used for creating the leaves and background is what makes the cover artwork unique and appealing to the eye. I will definitely use this method that I discovered while working on this project for my future paper artworks.”

(Through the Grapevine, p. 92)

jonathan gayman St. Louis, Photographer “Winter was long this year, and it certainly didn’t feel like spring on a cold and rainy Saturday in March when Feast art director Alex Povis and I (along with food stylist Amanda Wilens) spent the morning in my Downtown St. Louis studio dreaming about sunshine and wine – and photographing a lot of delicious cheese. Whatever the weather, cheese (and of course a little wine) will always bring a smile to my face. For more delicious food photography, follow me on Instagram @jonathangayman. ” (Board Meeting, p. 85)

jenny vergara Kansas City, Contributing Editor “It’s always fun to see what the guys from Made in KC are up to. This month I’m covering their retail and coffee shop combo, Made in Kansas City Café, located downtown. They’re also planning to open a local spirits bar in the back of the café sometime this summer, which will make it an ideal destination for locals and tourists alike – Kansas City-themed merch, coffee and cocktails offered all in one place.

They’ve also announced plans to open Made in Kansas City Marketplace on Country Club Plaza

by June or July. I love the changes the Plaza is making to go more local.” (Shop Here, p. 52)

becky hardin St. Louis, Writer & Photographer “I love developing creative and unique cocktails to make celebrating fun and easy.

An elevated drink can take any get-together from great to amazing. Sangrias have always been one of my very favorite drinks, so coming up with something creative for Feast was a wonderful experience! In my journey to learn how to cook, photography has emerged as my passion. I can’t believe I waited so long to learn my way around a kitchen and my camera.

Working with Feast to put my recipes and photographs in print is an absolute dream, and I’m so honored. Cheers to delicious drinks that anyone can make at home!” (The Mix, p. 38)

1220 Artisan Spirits co m i n g m ay 2 0 1 8 Inspired Local Food Culture

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MAY M 18-20 18

STL

5/45/5

sT. louis MicrofesT Fri., May 4 and Sat., May 5, session times vary; $45 general admission, $60 VIP; Upper Muny Parking Lot, 1 Theatre Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, Missouri; 314.588.1186; stlmicrofest.org

Benefiting Lift for Life Gym, the St. Louis Microfest features international and craft beer offerings from more than 125 breweries. Each Microfest ticket includes a tasting glass, access to restaurant and brewery demos, and live music. Food will be available for purchase from several local food vendors.

WINEFEST INEFEST

60+ WINES FROM 11 MISSOURI WINERIES $20 IN ADVANCE $30 AFTER MAY 6TH FRIDAY 5-10PM SATURDAY 12-10PM

SIP & SAVOR

10 WINERIES & RESTAURANTS SHOWCASE FOOD & WINE PAIRINGS $25 IN ADVANCE $30 AFTER MAY 6TH SUNDAY 12-3PM

LIVE MUSIC ALL WEEKEND

ART FAIR ARTISTS DISPLAY, SELLAND

STL

5/5

BaTTle of The Badges BBQ Sat., May 5, 5 to 9pm; $20, $25 day of; Shaw Park, 27 S. Brentwood Blvd., Clayton, Missouri; 314.290.8466; claytonbbq.com

Clayton, Missouri, is hosting Battle of the Badges BBQ to benefit The Backstoppers and Responder Rescue. Competing teams will serve 2-ounce samples of barbecue pork butts, chicken and ribs. Weber Grill Restaurant will serve side dishes. Cash bars will be available, and entertainment will be provided by Leland’s Road.

DEMONSTRATE THEIR ART ON MAIN STREET! FREE ADMISSION! FRIDAY 5-8PM SATURDAY 10AM-8PM SUNDAY 10AM-4PM FOR MORE INFO CALL 636.239.1743 ORVISIT DOWNTOWNWASHMO.ORG STL

5/6

TasTe & ToasT Sun., May 6, 2 to 5pm, VIP after-party 5:30 to 7pm; $35 general admission, $75 VIP (sold out); Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, sixth floor, 999 N. Second St., Downtown, St. Louis, Missouri; 314.475.1244; feastmagazine.com/events

You’re invited to the fourth-annual celebration of Midwest wine, beer and spirits!

Sample award-winning wines paired with dishes from top area restaurants.

Enjoy free pours from the region’s best wineries, breweries and distilleries and food samples from some of the area’s best restaurants.

STL

5/18

sip & savor Fri., May 18, 6 to 9pm; early bird $45, $65 VIP; Hilton St. Louis Frontenac, 1335 S. Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri; 314.993.1100; angelsarms.org/event/ sipandsavor2018

Sample incredible food alongside an array of wines, spirits and beer at Sip & Savor, plus live music, auction items, raffles and a photo booth. All proceeds will benefit Angels’ Arms. VIP tickets include access to an exclusive tasting room with premium food and beverages and specialty raffles.

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STL

5/18

Feast tV TasTe & see: Go souTh

31 st a n n u a l

Fri., May 18, 7pm; $15 or $60 for all five events; Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., Grand Center, St. Louis, Missouri, feastmagazine.com/events

In our first Taste & See of the season, we’re exploring the flavors and textures enjoyed by our southern neighbors, from tacos to plantains to tequila. The event kicks off with live music and will feature segments from Feast TV on two-story screens, interviews with chefs and live cooking demos.

MO

5/185/20

5/19

mother ’s day weekend

MaY 11, 12 & 13

DownTown washinGTon Fine arT Fair & wineFesT

Friday, May 11 / 6:00–10:00 p.m.

Saturday, May 12 / 10:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.

Sunday, May 13 / 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.

Fri., May 18 to Sun., May 20; price varies; historic downtown Washington, Missouri;

$10 / Ages 10 and under are FREE! Laumeier Members are FREE!

facebook.com/events/1752744558365918

In the heart of Missouri wine country, enjoy a juried art fair featuring regional artists, wine tastings, snacks and gourmet foods to sample, and Sip & Savor Sunday featuring wine pairings with local restaurants; Feast managing editor Nancy Stiles will award the traveling trophy to this year’s winner.

MO

2018

Presenting Sponsor

Leading Sponsor

Contributing Sponsor

Contributing Sponsor

Patron Sponsor

www.laumeier.org/shop Patron Sponsor

wine & waGs wiTh sTray rescue oF sT. Louis Sat., May 19, 12 to 3pm; free; Chandler Hill Vineyards, 596 Defiance Road, Defiance, Missouri; 636.798.2675; chandlerhillvineyards.com

LAUMEIER SCULPTURE PARK 12580 Rott Road / Saint Louis, Missouri 63127 314.615.5278 www.laumeier.org

Find a friend for life at Chandler Hill Vineyards’ pet adoption event. The winery is partnering with Stray Rescue of St. Louis – the largest no-kill organization in the city and surrounding area – for a day of wine and wags. Stray Rescue is bringing several of its pets for you to meet and adopt. You can also shop for pet products from area vendors and taste or purchase bottles of the latest releases of its State of Mind wines.

KS

5/195/20

TasTy expo Sat., May 19, 10am to 6pm, and Sun., May 20, 11am to 5pm; $20; Overland Park Convention Center, 6000-6001 College Blvd., Leawood, Kansas; 913.909.3921; tastyexpo.com

Tasty Expo is the ultimate food and beverage event, where you can enjoy hundreds of free food, wine, spirits and beer samples; taste products from local growers and artisanal producers; and sample the newest products coming to the market.

STL

5/23

schnucks cooks: pork BurGers wiTh TomaTo-onion Jam anD racLeTTe cheese Wed., May 23, 6 to 9pm; $45; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School, 12332 Manchester Road, St. Louis; 314.909.1704; nourish.schnucks.com/schnucks-cooks

In this class you’ll learn how to make burgers using ground pork and sirloin instead of classic ground beef, complemented by cookout-ready sides of roasted cauliflower salad and miso-glazed roasted potatoes.

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this month on

feastmagazine.com the feed

it’s tiMe tO play favOrites!

PhotogrAPhy by Emily tEAtEr

Vote now for your favorite chefs, restaurants, bars, brewers, winemakers and food-and-drink producers across the region in our annual Feast 50 Awards poll. Just head to feastmagazine.com to cast your vote.

-

St. Louis’ iconic Eat-Rite Diner is back. The longtime favorite reopened under new ownership last month, featuring an updated look and a few new menu items. Don’t worry, though: The classic slinger hasn’t changed a bit.

PhotogrAPhy by APril FlEming

Downtown Columbia, Missouri, staple Main Squeeze is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. We caught up with owner Leigh Lockhart to chat about the powers of turmeric, getting people to eat more vegetables and why you shouldn’t be afraid to mess up your food.

KC Taco Zone started as a small taco stand but has since grown into a downtown Lawrence, Kansas, fixture.

This year, the restaurant is expanding its catering operations and releasing a new hot sauce.

PhotogrAPhy by tEssA CooPEr

PHOTOgraPHy By keiTH BOrgmeyer

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MO Tucked between storybook hills in Clever, Missouri, is Lavender Falls Farm. This month, the farm, which boasts 2,400 organic lavender plants, opens for its second season serving French tapas, drinks and dessert. feastmagazine.com

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100% AmericAn GrAss Fed BeeF & PAsture Pork

no AntiBiotics

pOrk

/

no Added hormones

sTeaks

/

beeF

never conFined

/

pOulTry

/

laMb

The Whisnant Family – Doniphan, MO raincrowranch.com / 573-243-3107 Inspired Local Food Culture

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on our partner stations

debuts this month! great grains We often take grains for granted, but how are they grown and harvested, and what’s out there beyond wheat? Explore Midwest grain from field to mill.

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Mondays at 9:30pm starting May 7.

wood fired The intense heat and smoke of live-fire cooking adds dimension to even simple dishes.

Discover how chefs use wood-fired ovens to amplify the flavors of seasonal fare.

good eggs Eggs are key players in everything from brioche to meatloaf. Explore the ubiquitous egg at a farm raising chickens, ducks and geese, and get a taste of creative egg-centric breakfast fare.

go east In Kansas City, watch Feast TV on KCPT (Channel 19) Saturdays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 7:30am starting April 28.

The foods of Asia are vast and varied. Explore the vibrant flavors from China, Korea, Japan and Vietnam, including pan-fried dumplings, stuffed bao buns and Korean barbecue hot off the grill.

water world From freshwater streams to saltwater farms, seafood is being raised in the Midwest. Explore different approaches to farming fish, including a decades-old trout farm and an innovative saltwater shrimp farm.

coffee & donuts You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Saturdays at 10am starting May 5.

In this episode, we explore the all-American pairing of coffee and donuts. Watch coffee being roasted on-site, then pair it with artisan donuts and pastries that are almost too good to dunk.

fermented There are lots of delicious benefits to fermentation. Sip on craft beers and kombucha, then discover how chefs are using a range of fermentation and preservation techniques to develop unique flavor.

go south Explore the flavors and textures of Central and South America, including fresh masa made from local non-GMO corn, ingredients native to Peru and the art of a perfectly layered Cuban sandwich.

The new season of Feast TV will debut in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8) this summer.

smoked There’s a lot more to smoked food than meets the eye: Local chefs use a fine-dining background or a vegan approach to inform creative takes on classic ‘cue.

crushed Go behind the scenes in the Missouri wine industry during harvest, visit an urban winery and pair French wines with food at one winery’s award-winning restaurant.

Feast TV’s new season will air in the Lake of the Ozarks region on Ozarks Public Television.

Check your local listings for airdates.

farm to table Explore various ways to shop local, including a farmers’ market, a farm-fresh market and café and a CSA program connected to a restaurant.

frozen assets Cool down with everything from snow cones to ice cream, including locally made snow cone syrup, and another company producing Mexican ice cream and paletas.

for the win Check mylaketv.com to watch Feast TV in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

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Follow St. Louis chef Ben Grupe and his commis, Jared Dix, as they prepare for and then compete in the Ment’or competition in Las Vegas, which will determine Team USA for the 2019 Bocuse d’Or competition.

Pasta, bread, cereal – so many staples are built on a base of grains. But how are grains grown and harvested, and what’s out there beyond wheat? In this episode, host Cat Neville takes you from the field to the mill to explore Midwest grain production. First up, we visit Hodgson Mill, which has been milling grains since the 19th century. She then heads to southern Missouri to see how rice is grown at Martin Rice Co. and has a sip of grain-to-glass bourbon at Stumpy’s Spirits in southern Illinois.

Stumpy’s Spirits is one of the country’s few grain-to-glass distilleries, crafting its whiskeys and vodkas on the family farm in Columbia, Illinois.

Farro is the star in host Cat Neville’s recipe for stuffed collard greens, an easy vegetarian main course brightened up with fresh herbs and lemon.

In southern Missouri, where rice fields stretch for miles, Martin Rice Co. is cultivating long-grain and jasmine rice that’s shipped all over the world.

feast tv is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors:

Missouri Wines supports the more than 125 wineries operating in the state and is focused on promoting the industry’s growth and vitality.

Kaldi’s Coffee is dedicated to creating a memorable coffee experience for customers and guests via sustainable practices and education.

Ole Tyme Produce provides some of the finest produce in the St. Louis region, serving restaurants, hotels, food service and catering companies.

The Raphael Hotel is Feast’s official hotel, offering luxury accommodations and dining near Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

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Housemade INTRODUCING OUR

RIGATONI BOLOGNESE

We start with housemade rigatoni, using fresh toasted cracked black pepper in our pasta dough. Served over our savory, slow braised bolognese, made with ribeye, local G&W sausage, fresh garlic and San Marzano tomatoes, finished with pecorino cheese.

ENJOY FOR LUNCH OR DINNER. Complimentary Valet Parking.

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888.578.7289 | rivercity.com Š2018 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

holy smokes

Element's pop-up dinners focus on creative cooking techniques and local flavors in Springfield, Missouri, on p. 24. photography by ana elliot

this trend combines two dishes that are excellent on their own to create a burrito-sized sushi roll. wrapped in seaweed and stuffed with everything from classic raw fish to nontraditional korean bulgogi, SUSHi bURRitOS are rolling out across the midwest.

ready to roll Two words: sushi burrito.

Written by Liz MiLLer

|

PhotograPhy by jason daiLey

POki RitO Tuna, mango, jalapeño, avocado, pickled red cabbage, spicy mayo and eel sauce

YaM-YaM-RRitO Sweet potato and onion tempura, avocado, cucumber, pickled red cabbage and roasted garlic aïoli

SUMO CRUNCH Spicy tuna, crab, shrimp tempura, avocado, pickled red cabbage, spicy mayo and eel sauce

roll call hungry for more? these three restaurants also serve fresh and fun sushi burritos. kC Although the focus at kC Poke bar in Gladstone, Missouri, is poke bowls, the restaurant serves a sushi burrito made with poke, and any bowl can be turned into a burrito.

COMO Visit a Little More in Columbia, Missouri, which opened in March, for create-your-own poke bowls, Thai rolled ice cream and sushi burritos. A Little More also offers signature bowl and burrito combos; try the Eat More Chicken burrito with chicken, crab meat, avocado, spring mix, cucumber, sweet corn, masago and garlic chips with eel sauce and spicy mayo.

SGF Sushi burritos aren’t technically on the menu at karai Ramen + Handroll, which opened in March in Springfield, Missouri, but you can order one of its several traditional Japanese handrolls served that way; try the lobster or bay scallop.

Turn to p. 22 to learn more.

i am sushi burrito COLUMBIA, MO. Kwang “Kory” Yoo, owner of Geisha Sushi Bar in

Columbia, Missouri, has wanted to open a fast-casual or counter-service sushi concept downtown for years. After trying a sushi burrito in San Francisco, Yoo was confident that the quick-service meal would be a perfect fit for the college crowd in Columbia. Yoo’s instinct paid off when he debuted I Am Sushi Burrito in Columbia last year; the restaurant, which opened in August, has been a hit. The menu includes build-your-own sushi burritos, poke bowls, salads and tacos. Customers choose one filling (including fresh or spicy salmon or tuna, spicy pork, beef bulgogi and more), five toppings from more than 30 options (fried tofu, mango, kimchi) and one of 10 sauces or dressings (green Sriracha, eel sauce). “I really love to do it that way, because people want to decide what they want to eat,” Yoo says. He’s hoping to expand I Am Sushi Burrito with a location in Overland Park, Kansas, or downtown Kansas City later this year. “Sushi burritos are for everyone – not just sushi fans,” Yoo says. “If you like steak, bulgogi beef or spicy pork, it’s for you.”

AT CAFFETTERIA, WE BELIEVE

HAPPINESS IS A FULL BOWL.

904 Elm St., Ste. #100, Columbia, Missouri, iamsushiburrito.com

Now Open

blk mkt eats ST. LOUIS. Kati Fahrney and Ron Turigliatto saw the potential for sushi burritos to anchor a fast-casual restaurant in St. Louis focused on fresh, made-from-scratch fare. What they didn’t anticipate was the demand: When Blk Mkt Eats opened in St. Louis last October, Fahrney and Turigliatto were inundated with customers and lines out the door. Part of the excitement was the nontraditional filling combinations, including the Seoul Delicious, with grilled chicken, kimchi slaw, Bibb lettuce, carrots, crispy shallots, gochujang mayo and house pickles, and the gluten-free Swedish Fish, with Scandinavian cured salmon, yuzu-dill slaw, Persian cucumbers, avocado, lemon-spiked asparagus, fennel and yuzu gold sauce. “We wanted to combine flavors from different cultures that you might not expect to see in a sushi roll,” Fahrney says.

The café also serves poke bowls and sushi nachos, with both fish and chicken options. Fahrney says Blk Mkt’s success has led to a search for a second location. “We’re excited that we’re going to get to grow in St. Louis and bring more Blk Mkt Eats to people in the area,” she says.

THE SHOPS OF

PRAIRIE VILLAGE

25 ON THE MALL

CaffetteriaModernCafe.com

9 S. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, blkmkteats.com

tokyo sushi LAWRENCE, KS. Two years ago, David Kwon had the idea to make a

burrito-sized sushi roll at Tokyo Sushi in Lawrence, Kansas, where he works as general manager. But when he Googled the idea, he learned not only was it already an established dish, it was popular across the world. “In Lawrence, there’s a lot of Mexican cuisine; people like burritos and such, so I [liked the idea of] the sushi burrito,” Kwon says. Tokyo Sushi serves six Tokyo Burritos; Kwon says the Sumo Crunch is the best-seller, made with spicy tuna, crab meat, shrimp tempura, avocado, pickled red cabbage, spicy mayo and eel sauce. “It’s a fusion dish – not too fishy, with a more relaxed flavor for people who don’t like fish or are afraid of raw items. The spicy tuna is raw, but every component pairs well together and tastes really good,” Kwon says. Another customer favorite is the Yam-YamRRito, a vegetarian option stuffed with sweet potato and onion tempura, avocado, cucumber, fresh pickled red cabbage and a roasted-garlic aïoli. Kwon says to keep an eye out for new sushi burritos at Tokyo Sushi; as demand grows, he plans to expand menu offerings.

619 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas, tokyosushilfk.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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where we’re dining From new restaurants to renewed menus, our staff and contributors share their picks for where we’re dining this month.

BrooKsiDe Poultry Co. WrItten by Jenny Vergara

|

photography by anna petroW

KANSAS CITY. Kansas City has gone wild over chef-owner

Charles d’ablaing's fowl-focused restaurant, Brookside Poultry Co., which opened in January in the east brookside neighborhood. the menu offers only two categories: poultry and not poultry. d’ablaing’s Southern roots show in every juicy bite of his 48-hour, sour cream-brined, crispy, crunchy fried chicken. Make it a meal by adding butter-poached green beans and Cheddar potatoes for an additional $7, or try the chicken salad sandwich with thick-cut steak fries. he also offers whole roasted chicken and duck, sourced from barham Cattle Co. & Family Farms in Kearney, Missouri. after 72 hours in a citrus brine, the birds are then roasted slowly in a rotisserie oven. you’ll also find d’ablaing’s signature shrimp and grits on the menu, plus sirloin steak and Cheddar biscuits. the bar offers a simple selection of about 10 canned beers, and a handful of wines by the glass or bottle.

408 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, Missouri, bkspoultryco.com

Karai ramen + HanDroll Story and photography by ana ellIott

SPRINGFIELD, MO. When developing the concept for Karai Ramen + Handroll, owner young Jung wanted to create something innovative yet still approachable for Springfield diners. With a big, open-concept floor plan that gives hints of both natural and industrial inspiration, Karai offers the perfect environment for Japanese-style comfort food. Karai’s signature ramen is crafted from a housemade tonkotsu bone broth spiked with sweet and savory spicy sauce. Choose from various ingredients including wood-ear mushrooms, spring onions and a choice of pork, chicken or tofu, or opt for hand rolls (similar to open-faced sushi burritos) and sushi rolls. Jung and her husband, John, who also own haruno, Kai and Koriya, continue to bring their take on asian cuisine to Springfield in new ways; the 100-year-old live moss on the wall pays homage to the traditional dishes on the menu, while industrial elements give the restaurant a modern feel. the juxtaposition of the décor mirrors the food we’ve come to love and expect from the Jungs: traditional with a twist.

640 W. Republic Road, Springfield, Missouri, facebook.com/karairamen

Del Pietro’s Story and photography by Mabel Suen

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO. a former

St. louis dining institution recently made a comeback in richmond heights, Missouri – sort of. Del Pietro’s opened in January, cooking up classics from its storied past along with some modern takes on Italian dishes. Michael del pietro – who also owns area restaurants including Sugo’s Spaghetteria and Via Vino enoteca – sought to pay homage to his family with the brand’s revival. his parents opened the original del pietro’s in 1976, and the restaurant was known for signature pastas, pizzas and

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especially the veal parmigiana until it closed 35 years later in 2011. guests can still find classics including tutto mare with shrimp, crab and clams in a garlic cream sauce alongside new entrées such as a roasted-cauliflower pasta. the dish, inspired by a recipe from del pietro’s grandmother, features cauliflower cooked with pancetta, garlic and chicken stock, with housemade pasta in olive oil. although the location and some menu items have changed, the restaurant's longstanding tradition of hospitality remains exactly the same.

1059 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, Missouri, mikedelpietros.com

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Bacon created equal. not all is

q&A

adding no water and allowing

aj brown

chef-owner, knead bakehouse & provisions Written by Lauren Smith

|

PhotograPhy by mabeL Suen

ST. LOUIS. tucked into an unassuming strip mall in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park neighborhood is a sleek, minimalistic bakery with some of the very best bread in town. at Knead Bakehouse & Provisions, which opened in november, the selection of morning buns and loaves are impossibly fluffy and coated in cinnamon glazes and caramelized cheeses and herbs. the lunch menu from chef-owner aJ brown, including sandwiches served on thick-cut rustic bread or brioche with local microgreen lettuces, tomato, smoked gouda, garlic-herb aïoli, whole-grain mustard and house pickles, is not to be overlooked, either.

the cure recipe to age on our bellies & jowl before being slowly smoked is what sets our bacon apart. time to experience bacon full of flavor with an extra meaty bite. and...it’s made right here in missouri.

How did you get into bread baking? i studied nutrition and food science in college and was making a few breads at that time, but afterwards, i got started with fermentation in the beverage industry. i really developed a passion for fermentation and ended up going to culinary school in France in 2012, which solidified my interest in food more than the beverage industry. bread became this marriage between the fermentation side and food. it was in France that i was buying bread on a daily basis and became immersed in that culture, which i wanted to bring back to the States. What makes Knead’s breads unique?

We source local flours that come from missouri and illinois, and we try to build that midwestern flour culture and industry by supporting them, because it’s really hard to grow good wheat in missouri. We’re looking into a couple of different mills to partner with; one is the mill at Janie’s Farm in ashkum, illinois. We’ve also worked with heartland mills in marienthal, Kansas.

Our sourdough starter is our identity; [it uses] a wild yeast that grows in Missouri, and we try to hold true to that by mimicking the temperature and humidity [of the local cave it's from] in one of our cold rooms and do a really long fermentation process.

While breads bought at the grocery store [might] ferment for about six hours, our fermentation process alone takes about 72 hours. How did you develop Knead's lunch menu? it was really trying to highlight the quality of what we’re putting into our loaves. We tried to keep the menu simple and go all in on soup, salads and sandwiches.

We're going to do a more extensive menu come spring utilizing more seasonal produce and include some breakfast and brunch options, sandwiches, and shareable plates.

What inspires your work? i like to let the bread speak for itself; i like the simplicity of bread in that sense. there’s only four ingredients when you get down to the bare basics [of bread], but it’s really intricate and you can go so deep into flavor if you take the time to work with those ingredients.

3467 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, kneadbakehouse.com

®

sMokeHouse.CoM 32819 HigHway 87, California, Mo 65018 | 800-624-5426

find us at your loCal retailer, order online or Call us to purCHase for your restaurant.

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branden dinger & caleb stangroom chefs, element

q&A

Story And photogrAphy by AnA EllIott

SPRINGFIELD, MO. Chefs Branden Dinger (pictured right) and Caleb Stangroom (pictured left) wasted no time when it came to Element, a new pop-up series in Springfield, Missouri.

From idea to execution, the pair had about six weeks; Element now hosts monthly dinners at rotating locations. The pair say the primary aim of Element is to start a conversation over each meal. “We hope to get local business owners, executive chefs and farmers around the table to talk about how to improve downtown and C-Street, and Springfield as a whole,” Dinger says. The two met working under Zach White at The Order at Hotel Vandivort; they also brought on Kai beverage curator Ryan Michael to run the bar program and manage operations at Element.

What inspired Element? We really wanted to have the community come together, showcase our food and give the opportunity to others to do the same. We use 80 percent local [ingredients] on our menus, and for each dinner, we share a list of farmers/purveyors used. –Brandon Dinger We love collaboration. For example, in February, European Café helped us with the third course, a crema Catalana with blood-orange sorbet. The dish had white chocolate ganache and an elderflower gel. –Caleb Stangroom Why is it important to you to use local ingredients? It’s the summation of everything around us. Springfield has a plethora of small businesses, farms and restaurants trying to do what they love, just like we are. We source through the farmers’ market and with Paul Allen at Farm 2 Counter. Having worked at The Order, we know almost all of the local farmers and purveyors and utilize them as much as possible. –C.S. Is chef Zach White a big influence on Element? Zach taught me how to be a leader. He sharpened the tools I already had to make me into the chef I am today. He gave me a modernist

Scallop served on an olive oil-thyme cracker with grapefruit beads made with reverse spherification, salmon roe, and Szechuan buzz button flower

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approach; he also taught me how to incorporate locality into everything I cook. –B.D. He’s shown me a lot about how to treat people, inside and outside a kitchen. The ego has no place in this craft. Branden Bentley [of Vespa Kitchen] is one of largest influences in my life, inside and outside the kitchen, [too]. –C.S. Why do a pop up instead of a traditional restaurant? I had been wanting to do something like this, and then Caleb approached me and said he had an amazing guy [Ryan Michael] to help. When Caleb started at The Order, it was an instant friendship, and we just knew it was going to work. We all met nearby over beers, and the rest is history. –B.D. What are your future plans for Element? I’ve said since day one that we will get a restaurant out of this. Element is something to really craft our expertise. We are all young guns in this and just wanted to get started. –B.D. We all want a restaurant, without a doubt, but I think there’s a lot to do until then. We have a lot to learn. It all comes down to the right time, the right team and the right model. –C.S. facebook.com/elementpopup

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pinckneybend.com

Historic Hotels of America 325 Ward Parkway | Country Club Plaza 816.756.3800 | raphaelkc.com | chazontheplaza.com

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IN SEASON: MAY ThrOUgh JUNE

Gooseberries Gooseberries have a famously short growing season; the cousin of the blackcurrant is ripe for a month or two in late spring.

Local chefs take advantage of the tart green berry in both sweet and savory dishes.

Written by nancy StileS

it’s easy as pie ST. LOUIS. Pie is one of the most traditional ways to use gooseberries. At it’s easy as Pie, which delivers from-scratch pies in the St. Louis area, owner Cindy Grunik has three variations on a classic gooseberry pie: a simple gooseberry filling, which has a hint of nutmeg; or a cream filling, with a gooseberry-vanilla cream base; and either a crumb topping or flaky lattice crust. “Gooseberries are similar to rhubarb in their tartness; they have flavor, so you don’t need to do a lot to them,” she says. Because they have such a short season, Grunik grabs them at Global Foods, Straub’s or Whole Foods when she can, but she says canned gooseberries also work well. She suggests using them as a glaze for scallops or in salad dressings; Grunik makes gooseberry jam – it doesn’t need pectin – with just sugar and a bit of lemon. “There’s so many things you can do with gooseberries,” she says. “It’s kind of one of those nostalgic flavors, like strawberry-rhubarb; people try it and are enamored with it.”

itseasyaspie.com

the farmhouse KANSAS CITY. As chef-owner of the Farmhouse in

Kansas City’s River Market neighborhood, Michael Foust says he’s used gooseberries in many different ways. He’s found that older clientele are familiar with gooseberries, and the younger generations are just now learning about them. “Last year, we did gooseberry hand pies with gooseberries, brown sugar [and] sorghum,” Foust says. “I like the depth with a little bit of molasses in there. Sugar doesn’t need to be so one-dimensional; by using different kinds of sugars you can build depth of flavor.” Foust says a sweetener is the most important foil for gooseberries when cooking or baking with them at home; it will completely change the flavor of the tart berries. “To get the gooseberry to be what it’s supposed to be, you have to have sugar,” he says. Because the season is so brief, The Farmhouse will only feature gooseberries for a short time, so be on the lookout this spring. “Don’t be afraid of the gooseberry!” Foust says with a laugh.

300 Delaware St., Kansas city, Missouri, eatatthefarmhouse.com

persimmon hill farm LAMPE, MO. At Persimmon Hill Farm in Lampe, Missouri, gooseberries are just one of the fruits Earnie and Martha Bohner cultivate. The couple began farming in 1982 with blueberries and have since added gooseberries, blackberries, raspberries, plums and more. Most notably, gooseberries are combined with blueberries and wild Missouri black walnuts in Persimmon Hill’s Nutty Blue Goose Jam. The jam is sweetened with cane sugar and a hint of lemon and made in small batches to prevent overcooking. “There’s a really nice texture to them,” Earnie says.

“Gooseberries are kind of a hard little berry, and they seem to stay together better than blueberries or blackberries, so you get that texture a little bit more [in the jam].”

You can grab the jam at the farm’s store, or request it on peanut butter and jelly at Persimmon Hill Farm Restaurant, open May through August, which serves farm-to-table fare with the best Persimmon Hill has to offer. You can also pick your own berries or shop the farm store for shiitake mushroom sauce, elderberry preserves and more.

367 Persimmon Hill lane, lampe, Missouri, persimmonhill.com

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a GOOD cocktail fixes MOST BAD dayS

q&A

We’ve discovered

lance gipson executive chef, tribe street kitchen Written By Jenny Vergara

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PhotograPhy By Jessica cain

KAnSAS CITY. as executive chef at Tribe Street Kitchen, Lance gipson serves up street-food-inspired dishes from around the world. open until 1:30am, Delaware street’s newest hot spot has the feel of a bustling night market with a large outdoor patio, lively two-level bar and communal tables packed with patrons enjoying small plates paired with internationally inspired cocktails or local beer. the menu is heavily influenced by trips abroad taken by gipson and owners Ben VinZant, sam hagan and Jordan Mathes. the partners decided to open tribe street Kitchen when they all agreed that some of the most memorable meals they’d enjoyed on their jaunts came from a street-food vendor or a night-market stall, paired with good friends and a cold drink.

What was your inspiration for the menu? one of the owners, Ben VinZant, has been all over the world. he’s probably traveled the most out of all of us, so he’s been very involved in providing feedback on the types of dishes he’d like to see on the menu at his restaurant. i've traveled some, and we also hosted globally themed dinners during my years working for country clubs, so i draw upon those experiences and my own research to figure out what we could execute well in the restaurant. With so many different cuisines on the menu, including Korean, Moroccan, Spanish, Peruvian and Vietnamese, how are you able to execute all of them well? consistency is important. about half of our menu is constant, meaning it doesn’t change and is always available. then, twice a year, we switch the other half of the menu to match the seasonal produce we have, so we can highlight local ingredients and freshen up our offerings. We may offer dishes from southeast asia and africa in the spring and summer and a nordic-inspired menu in the fall and winter. i’ve also tried to group the countries we cover on our menu into those that use similar proteins and produce; what takes chicken and vegetables from africa to asia is a massive spice rack, sides and condiments. Why did you decide to add a separate section for skewers and tacos to the menu? We tried to pick cooking techniques found in multiple countries; we have a skewers section on the menu and a live-fire oak woodburning grill in the kitchen to allow us to prepare skewers from around the world. having a taco section on the menu allows us to cover Mexico in a meaningful way, and it gave us the opportunity to make our own tortillas in house. What are some of your favorite dishes on the menu?

I really love the Korean gochujang pork skewers made with beet, asparagus and som tum [green papaya salad]. We

decided to make a Peruvian ceviche: the shrimp is marinated in a mixture of clam juice and tropical-fruit juice before it’s mixed with habanero, cilantro, fire-roasted corn, watermelon radish, lime and aji Amarillo, a Peruvian yellow chile pepper. What i really like to see though, is people ordering a mad collage of plates – so many that they cover the entire table. that's truly the idea behind tribe street Kitchen.

316 Delaware St., Kansas City, Missouri, tribekc.com

305 E. Walnut · Springfield, MO | (417) 832.1515 | TheorderSGF.com

SEASONAL DRINKS

ESPRESSO 700 WITH STEAMED MILK AND HOUSE-MADE MINT SIMPLE SYRUP

FIREPOT MATCHA WITH STEAMED COCONUT MILK AND A DASH OF SALT AND CARADAMOM Inspired Local Food Culture

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Regional RestauRant guide 4 Hands Brewing Co. 1220 S. Eighth St. St. Louis, MO 314.436.1559 4handsbrewery.com

The Bloom Café 5200 Oakland Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.652.5666 thebloom.cafe

Chaz on the Plaza at the Raphael Hotel 325 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 816.802.2152 raphaelkc.com

Element 1419 Carroll St. St. Louis, MO 314.241.1674 elementstl.com

Asian Cafe Bar & Grill 1260 Bryan Road O’Fallon, MO 636.272.4429 asiancafebg.com

The Blue Owl Restaurant & Bakery 6116 Second St. Kimmswick, MO 636.464.3128 theblueowl.com

Cinder Block Brewery 110 E. 18th Ave. North Kansas City, MO 816.298.6555 cinderblockbrewery.com

El Patrón Cocina & Bar 2905 Southwest Blvd.

Kansas City, MO 816.931.6400 elpatronkc.com/home

Aya Sofia 6671 Chippewa St. St. Louis, MO 314.645.9919 ayasofiacuisine.com

Bluestem 900 Westport Road Kansas City, MO 816.561.1101 bluestemkc.com

Cleveland-Heath 106 N. Main St. Edwardsville, IL 618.307.4830 clevelandheath.com

BaiKu Sushi Lounge 3407 Olive St. St. Louis, MO 314.896.2500 baikustl.com

Brick River Cider Co. 2000 Washington Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.224.5046 brickrivercider.com

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants multiple locations chwinery.com

Farm to You Market Cafe 5025 Old Highway 100 Washington, MO 844.682.2266 farmtoyoumarket.com

Cafe Cusco 234 E. Commercial St. Springfield, MO 417.868.8088 cafecusco.com

DD Mau Vietnamese Eatery 11982 Dorsett Road Maryland Heights, MO 314.942.2300 ddmaustl.com

Favazza’s on The Hill 5201 Southwest Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.772.4454 favazzas.com

Barcelona Tapas 34 N. Central Ave. Clayton, MO 314.863.9909 barcelonatapas.com

Café Ventana 3919 W. Pine Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.531.7500 cafeventana.com

Defiance Ridge Vineyards 2711 S. Highway 94 Defiance, MO 636.798.2288 defianceridgevineyards.com

Fratelli’s Ristorante 2061 Zumbehl Road St. Charles, MO 636.949.9005 fratellisristorante.com

Beast Craft BBQ Co. 20 S. Belt W Belleville, IL 618.257.9000 beastcraftbbq.com

Caffetteria 25 on the Mall Prairie Village, KS 816.756.2300 caffetteriakc.com

Diablitos Cantina 4198 Manchester Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.535.9700 diablitoscantina.com

Gerard’s Restaurant 1153 Colonnade Center Des Peres, MO 314.821.7977 stlgerards.net

Bella Vino Wine Bar & Tapas 325 S. Main St. St. Charles, MO 636.724.3434 bellavinowinebarstl.com

Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant 1707 S. Summit Drive Holts Summit, MO 573.896.9966 canterburyhill.com

Duke’s 2001 Menard St. St. Louis, MO 314.833.6686 dukesinsoulard.com

Hendricks BBQ 1200 S. Main St. St. Charles, MO 636.724.8600 hendricksbbq.com

Bishop’s Post 6125 Chesterfield Parkway W Chesterfield, MO 636.536.9404 bishopspost.com

Capitalist Pig 2727 S. 12th St. St. Louis, MO 314.772.1180 capitalistpigbbq.com

Eckert’s Country Restaurant 951 S. Green Mount Road Belleville, IL 618.233.0513 ext. 3 eckerts.com/country-restaurant

Hidden Lake Winery 10580 Wellen Road Aviston, IL 618.228.9111 hiddenlakewinery.com

Bissell Mansion Restaurant & Dinner Theatre 4426 Randall Place St. Louis, MO 314.533.9830 bissellmansiontheatre.com

Chandler Hill Vineyards 596 Defiance Road Defiance, MO 636.798.2675 chandlerhillvineyards.com

Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard 10035 Edg-Clif Drive Potosi, MO 573.438.4741 edg-clif.com

House of Chow 2101 W. Broadway Columbia, MO 573.445.8800 houseofchow-como.com

Blood & Sand 500 St. Charles St. St. Louis, MO 314.241.7263 bloodandsandstl.com

Chaumette Vineyards & Winery 24345 State Route WW Ste. Genevieve, MO 573.747.1000 chaumette.com

Edibles & Essentials 5815 Hampton Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.328.2300 ediblesandessentials.com

Il Lazzarone 412 Delaware St. | 1628 Frederick Ave. Kansas City, MO | St. Joseph, MO 816.541.3695 | 816.273.0582 illazzarone.org

Balducci Vineyards 6601 S. Highway 94 Augusta, MO 636.482.8466 balduccivineyards.com

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SGF

SGF

Farmers Gastropub 2620 S. Glenstone Ave. Springfield, MO 417.864.6994 farmersgastropub.com

Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. multiple locations kaldiscoffee.com

Nudo 11423 Olive Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.274.8046 nudohousestl.com

Rye 10551 Mission Road 4646 JC Nichols Parkway Leawood, KS | Kansas City, MO 913.642.5800 | 816.541.3382 ryekc.com

Stone Hill Winery 1110 Stone Hill Highway Hermann, MO 573.486.2221 stonehillwinery.com

Klondike Café at Montelle Vineyard 201 Montelle Drive at MO Highway 94 Augusta, MO 636.228.4464 montelle.com

O’Dowd’s Gastrobar 4742 Pennsylvania Ave. Kansas City, MO 816.561.2700 odowdskc.com

Sanctuaria 4198 Manchester Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.535.9700 sanctuariastl.com

Super Smokers BBQ 601 Stockell Drive Eureka, MO 636.938.9742 supersmokers.com

The Order at Hotel Vandivort 305 E. Walnut St. Springfield, MO 417.851.5299 theordersgf.com

Schlafly Tap Room and Schlafly Bottleworks 2100 Locust St. | 7260 Southwest Ave. St. Louis, MO | Maplewood, MO 314.241.2337 schlafly.com

The Terrace at French Village 6188 Highway Y French Village, MO 573.358.7177 theterrace.com

Lenexa Public Market 8750 Penrose Lane Lenexa, KS 913.477.7516 lenexapublicmarket.com

Original Springs Hotel Restaurant 506 N. Hanover St. Okawville, IL 618.243.5458 theoriginalspringshotel.com

Sister Cities Cajun 3550 S. Broadway St. Louis, MO 314.405.0447 sistercitiescajun.com

Texas de Brazil 1137 St. Louis Galleria St. Richmond Heights, MO 314.352.8800 texasdebrazil.com

Mai Lee 8396 Musick Memorial Drive Brentwood, MO 314.645.2835 maileestl.com

Paddy O’s 618 S. Seventh St. St. Louis, MO 314.588.7313 stlpaddyos.com

Triumph Grill 3419 Olive St. St. Louis, MO 314.446.1801 triumphgrill.com

Martin Brothers Winery 1623 Old Iron Road Hermann, MO 573.486.0236 martinbrotherswinery.com  Can bring in outside food

Pappy’s Smokehouse 3106 Olive St. St. Louis, MO 314.535.4340 pappyssmokehouse.com

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. 3229 Washington Ave. 4465 Manchester Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.222.0143 urbanchestnut.com

The Mixx multiple locations mixxingitup.com

The Pressed Penny Tavern 1511 Westport Road Kansas City, MO 816.531.7687 thepressedpennytavern.com

Mother’s Brewing Co. 215 S. Grant Ave. Springfield, MO 417.862.0423 mothersbrewing.com

The Preston 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.633.7800 theprestonstl.com

The Muddled Pig Gastropub 2733 Sutton Blvd.

Maplewood, MO 314.781.4607 themuddledpig.com

Q39 1000 W. 39th St. 11051 Antioch Road Kansas City, MO | Overland Park, KS 816.255.3753 | 913.951.4500 q39kc.com

Smoke Brewing Co. 209 SE Main St. Lee’s Summit, MO 816.525.2337 smokebrewingco.com

The Well 7421 Broadway St. Kansas City, MO 816.361.1700 waldowell.com

NaCl + H2O 817 Pine St. Rolla, MO 573.426.6699 naclh2orolla.com

Red Door Grill multiple locations reddoorgrill.com

Southern 3108 Olive St. St. Louis, MO 314.531.4668 stlsouthern.com

Wild Sun Winery 4830 Pioneer Road Hillsboro, MO 636.797.8686 wildsunwinery.com

Noboleis Vineyards 100 Hemsath Road Augusta, MO 636.482.4500 noboleisvineyards.com

Ruth’s Chris Steak House 1 N. Brentwood Blvd. #150 315 Chestnut St. Clayton, MO | St. Louis, MO 314.783.9900 | 314.259.3200 ruthschris.com

Spin! Neapolitan Pizza multiple locations spinpizza.com

Winslow’s Home 7213 Delmar Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.725.7559 winslowshome.com

LaChance Vineyards 12237 Peter Moore Lane De Soto, MO 636.586.2777 lachancevineyards.com

SGF

SGF

Smitty’s Garage 8811 State Line Road Kansas City, MO 816.731.1455 eatatthegarage.com

Must Try

: The Grilled Jalapeño-Bacon Cheeser features garlic aïoli, lettuce, tomato, onion, freshly grilled jalapeños, bacon and American cheese.

SGF

Van Gogh’s Eeterie 334 E. Commercial St. Springfield, MO 417.344.0085 vangoghseeterie.com

Vin de Set 2017 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.8989 vindeset.com

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www.metrolightingcenters.com

For All of Life’s Celebrations 9723 Clayton Road | St. Louis, MO 63124 | (314) 567-6650 www.miesnersflowers.com

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dueling pianos | murder Mysteries

Weddings & Receptions a party for any occasion

way more than just wine Canterburyhill.com (573) 896-9966 Holts Summit, MO

Locally Made Vodka

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tea time

Layered boba drinks are as beautiful as they are refreshing at Bonsai Sushi in Columbia, Missouri, on p. 36. photography by keith borgmeyer

amaro Fernet-Branca. Averna. Cynar: What do they have in common?

They’re all types of amaro.

WriTTen By HeATHer riSKe PHoToGrAPHy By KeiTH BorGMeyer

the bittersweet italian liqueur is made by infusing grape brandy or a neutral spirit with any number of botanicals, citrus peels, aromatic barks and spices. although all styles of AMAro are bitter, flavor profiles can range from rhubarb to orange peel to coffee to menthol. amaro has traditionally been consumed as an after-dinner digestif, but lately, bartenders are turning to the complex spirit to add depth of flavor and dimension to cocktails.

Sot kansas city. Jay Sanders thinks amaro newcomers should take a shot of Fernet-Branca right

off the bat. “It’s called the bartender’s handshake for a reason,” he says. “Typically, if we go out, someone’s having a shot of Fernet-Branca.” Although Fernet may be one of the better-known bottles, Sanders (who recently moved to Manifesto) used a range of amari to balance the drinks at SoT in Kansas City. “Amaro is an amazing way to add depth and balance to any drink you want to make,” he says. In particular, he says amaro is becoming a popular way to lend herbaceous notes to sweet Tiki-style cocktails. For instance, the recent Andy Rieger Takes a Vacation – named for his friend and the co-founder of J. Rieger & Co. – featured the local distillery’s Caffè Amaro with passion fruit, orgeat syrup, cinnamon bark syrup and lemon. Last month, SoT’s new general manager Taylor Johnson added a handful of cocktails on tap, including a classic Paper Plane with bourbon, Aperol, lemon and Amaro Nonino.

1521 Grand Blvd., Crossroads Arts District, Kansas City, Missouri, sotkc.com

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CAffè AMAro Italian amari are the standard-bearer, but a few American distilleries are now debuting their own styles. In 2016, Kansas City’s J. Rieger & Co. released Caffè Amaro, an amaro made with cardamom, gentian and vanilla that also incorporates single-origin coffee from Thou Mayest Coffee Roasters. It’s more bitter than traditional coffee liqueurs, so the amaro is best sipped as an after-dinner drink or mixed into cocktails like a Caffè Amaro and tonic or a White Russian. jriegerco.com

OLIVE + OAk

types of aMarO

In March, Olive + Oak in Webster Groves, Missouri, debuted its own house amaro. Bartender Charlie Martin, who developed the amaro with bar manager Morgaine Seguira, says it’s similar to a cross between green chartreuse and Fernet-Branca: The vibrant, bright green amaro is made from around 15 different ingredients including sage, mint, rosemary and gentian root. Look for a barrel-aged version to drop later this month. oliveandoakstl.com

Amaro styles vary widely across Italy: Though they’re all bitter to some degree, some are light and fruity while others are dark and earthy. Here are a few bottles to know the next time you order a drink.

AMARO LUCANO With hints of caramelized sugar, Amaro Lucano has a mintiness reminiscent of Fernet, though not nearly as strong.

AMARO MONTENEGRO On the lighter end of the spectrum, Montenegro features prominent orange and rosewater notes.

AMARO NONINO A lighter, more orange-forward amaro with sweet, fruity and floral flavors, Nonino also has a bracing bitterness to it from allspice and bitter orange.

AMARO SIBILLA The dry, earthy and somewhat nutty style gets a bit of sweetness from wild mountain honey.

AVERNA Often considered a good introductory amaro, Averna is well-rounded. The thick, dark brown liqueur is on the sweeter end of the spectrum but also boasts herbal notes like rosemary, sage, anise and citrus.

CYNAR Dark brown in color, cynar (CHEE-nar) is made with more than a dozen botanicals, the most notable being artichoke.

FERNET-BRANCA Known as the “bartender’s handshake” among industry vets, Fernet is extremely bitter and mint-forward, lending strong herbal overtones to drinks.

SFUMATO A style of rabarbaro (the rhubarb-flavored family of amaro), Sfumato features dark caramel and herbaceous notes.

Barred Owl's housemade amaro is kept in a custom bottle made by bar manager Andrew Ruth's sister.

Pig & Pickle

Barred Owl Butcher & taBle

st. louis. Some people enjoy shower beers, but Jeffrey Moll? He keeps a bottle of Amaro Averna in his shower caddy. The bar manager at Pig & Pickle in St. Louis first made his love of amaro well-known to diners at the now-shuttered Randolfi’s, where he snuck amaro into just about every cocktail on the lengthy list. “It’s almost like a holy trinity of flavor: You have bitter, sweet and herbaceousness," he says. When he joined the team at Pig & Pickle last fall, Moll brought one of his favorite amaro cocktails with him.

The Cuban Missile Crisis features a base of Fernet-Branca with Carpano Antica vermouth, green chartreuse, Campari and Amaro Sibilla. The cocktail is also a favorite shift drink for bartenders at Planter’s House, where Moll splits his time behind the bar. This spring, he hopes to introduce a few more amaro-forward drinks there, too. “[Each amaro is] so very different, but they add so many layers of flavor and interesting nuances,” he says.

columbia, mo. When bar manager Andrew Ruth developed the bar program at Barred

5513 Pershing Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, pigandpickleeatery.com

47 E. Broadway, Columbia, Missouri, barredowlbutcher.com

Owl Butcher & Table, he had to prove he could sell amaro. Now, the Columbia, Missouri, spot easily carries the biggest selection in town. “A lot of times, amaro is an expression of the region where it comes from,” he says. “Just like a wine, you’re tasting the terroir." At Barred Owl, the bartenders play with different styles of amari in the Keep it Classy, which features a bartender’s choice of a barrel-aged spirit and amaro with Benedectine. Barred Owl also makes its own house amaro: Herbs, citrus peels and botanicals are macerated with a neutral spirit and sugar. The Barred Amaro is on the sweeter side, with notes of caramel and orange, yet finishes bitter. An ongoing joke behind the bar is Barred Owl’s Infinity Amaro: an equal part of each and every amaro on the menu blended together. “It’s something you can’t get anywhere else, and it’s actually very tasty,” Ruth says.

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where we’re drinking Check out what we’re sipping at bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries and coffee shops.

Small Change Written by HeatHer riske

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pHotograpHy by jacklyn meyer

ST. LOUIS. Small Change looks a little different than its sister bar, planter’s House: a vintage Falstaff sign hangs outside, stag flows from the taps and two vending machines offer chips, crackers and candy. but when it comes to the cocktails, you’ll still find the same attention to detail that won planter’s House fans – just at a lower price point. named after a tom Waits album, the laid-back bar offers a short but sweet list of rotating cocktails in st. louis' benton park neighborhood. try the mad as Hatters, a riff on the singapore sling with gin, cherry Heering, passion fruit, lime, angostura bitters and club soda, or the old Fashioned-inspired clap Hands, featuring two types of rum, banana liqueur and tiki bitters. in the mood for a shot? order the pbj time; you’ll take a shot of peanut butter fat-washed cognac followed by one of manischewitz concord grape to mellow the heat. it’s a fun play on the classic sandwich – and at small change, fun is key.

2800 Indiana Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, facebook.com/smallchangestl

BonSai SuShi Written by lauren miers

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pHotograpHy by keitH borgmeyer

COLUMBIA, MO. Bonsai Sushi in columbia, missouri, offers more than delicious food. the eatery, just off south ninth street, recently added four types of boba drinks to its menu: milk tea, green tea, iced coffee and taro milk tea. each drink’s ingredients are layered in the glass, creating an ombré effect. boba balls sit at the bottom, the drink of choice is poured over them, and sweetened condensed milk or half and half tops off the creamy concoction. milk tea (made with thai tea) and taro milk tea (made with taro root) present the most unique colors, filling glasses with milky shades of orange and purple, respectively. the boba drinks are served with an extra-large straw so the sweet, chewy tapioca pearls can be easily eaten. these cool, sweet boba options pair well with bonsai’s hot soups, such as the popular ramen chachu pork soup, with ramen noodles, chachu pork, naruto egg and scallions, or sushi rolls.

308 S. Ninth St., Ste. 105, Columbia, Missouri, facebook.com/bonsaisushi.mo

CaSual animal Brewing Co. Written by jenny Vergara

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pHotograpHy by cHristopHer smitH

KANSAS CITY. Casual Animal Brewing Co. is the newest microbrewery and

taproom to open in the heart of the crossroads arts District in kansas city. its laid-back brewing philosophy, cozy location and community-minded focus has kept the tasting room packed with beer-lovers since opening in February. owners kyle and lara gray offer a selection of 10 rotating beers on tap, including the local motive collaboration, which benefits a different local nonprofit each quarter. right now, casual animal will donate $2 from every pint of local motive Fruit ale sold to after the Harvest. currently, you’ll find curious creature ipa, branch out stout, cat shark amber ale, treat yourself Honey Wheat, Hop the Fence india pale lager, logging logger lager and bear Hug multigrain brown on tap. the taproom also offers local cheese and crackers, chips and complimentary buckets of peanuts, with outside food also welcome.

1725 McGee St., Kansas City, Missouri, casualanimalbrewing.com

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q&A

beau williams & keely edgington owners, julep and soft conspiracy Written by natalie GallaGher

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PhotoGraPhy by Jessica cain

KANSAS CITY. husband-and-wife team beau Williams and Keely edgington

A TASTE OF THE HEARTLAND. NOW IN MISSOURI. TILLVODKA.COM

opened Julep in Kansas city’s bustling Westport neighborhood just over four years ago. true to its namesake, the hot spot has built its reputation on classic cocktails, fine whiskey and low-country southern food. in March, the couple debuted Soft Conspiracy, a second bar concept located in Julep’s back room that seats around 20. Julep executive chef charles barr also gets creative with pairing menus to complement soft conspiracy’s cocktails.

Why did you decide to open a second concept inside Julep? it was always within the realm of possibility – doing a separate concept in the back room – but within the first week of opening Julep, we realized we had a lot on our plates already. the demand was big enough that we were seating a lot of overflow back there, and we put [a second concept] on the backburner. We always thought we’d reinvest in the space one way or another, and eventually we thought about how we could create two different vibes, because that back room is so intimate. –Keely Edgington How does the bar-within-a-bar work? We do reservations for soft conspiracy through our website; you just walk in the front door at Julep and let our host know that you’re looking for soft conspiracy. When you get into soft conspiracy, two bartenders and two bar carts will be your service. you can sign up for the omakase, a coursed dinner where we’ll pair cocktails with food from our chef, charles barr. that’s another great thing about soft conspiracy – it gives him creative license to push the envelope with his cuisine and showcase what he can do. –Beau Williams Why did you decide to incorporate bar carts?

We’re making cocktails tableside, which would be impossible in the front [of the building]. With the intimate atmosphere in the back, we can pull those things off. Plus, it’ll be exciting to watch some of those things made right next to you. –B.W. Tell us about the drink menu. We use things like a

reverse spherification technique, where we’re taking cucumber or yuzu fruit liquid and making caviar-style spheres to garnish a cocktail. We’ve also talked about taking

Plantation Pineapple rum and doing a classic Daiquiri, but doing a flambéed chunk of pineapple to garnish, like an old-school French dessert. We want to do things that give a little wow factor [and] makes them entertaining to see performed tableside. there’s some similarity between cocktails at soft conspiracy and Julep in that both are rooted in classics, but the experience at soft conspiracy will be more adventurous. –B.W. 4141 Pennsylvania Ave., Ste. 104, Kansas City, Missouri, julepkc.com

American Wheat Vodka | 40% ALC by VOL Till Distilling Company, Atchison, Kansas BE PROUD OF YOUR LEGACY. ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.

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StoRy, REcIpE And photoGRAphy by bEcky hARdIn

Sweet tea Sangria SERVES | 8 to 10 |

1 7½ ¼ 2 1½ 2

750-milliliter bottle Vignoles cups sweet tea cup triple sec cups sliced frozen peaches cups fresh raspberries lemons, sliced, plus more for garnish fresh mint, for garnish

| preparation | In a large pitcher, stir together wine, tea and triple sec.

Add fruit; refrigerate at least 2 hours.

When ready to serve, stir once more and pour over ice. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint. Serve.

Sweet tea Sangria Sweet tea sangria is the ultimate summer cocktail. It's perfect for sipping on the porch, enjoying with friends and family or taking to your neighborhood barbecue. It's super simple, and you probably already have most of the ingredients you need: sweet tea, Vignoles (most medium-sweet wines will work), triple sec and some fresh fruit. Top with fresh mint, and you're truly in business. If the weather is hot, you know where to find me: In the backyard with this refreshing cocktail.

Becky Hardin is the recipe developer, photographer and writer behind thecookierookie.com. Her work has been featured on sites such as The Huffington Post, The New York Times, and Better Homes and Gardens. Her recipes and photography been featured in print in publications such as Women's World Magazine, Redbook, and Family Circle. She is a self-taught cook who loves to create recipes anyone can make and everyone will love.

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WINE

stonehaus Farms winery’s 2016 missouri ViVant

n eo o

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on

on The shelf : may PIcks

q&a

written by HiLary HeDGes

Provenance: Lee’s summit, Missouri PaIrIngs: Halibut • Crab cakes • Roasted chicken

the Vivant grape, originally from ontario and growing in popularity in new york and the Midwest, is often compared to Chardonnay. at Stonehaus Farms Winery in Lee’s summit, Missouri, winemaker brett euritt produces a full-bodied, 100-percent Vivant with a buttery mouthfeel. Cold fermentation in stainless steel gives the wine bold fruit flavors on the front; French oak aging brings balance mid-palate and vanilla notes on the finish. Let this wine warm up a few degrees after taking it out of the fridge rather than serving ice cold. you can find it at Kansas City-area Hy-Vee stores or the winery's newly remodeled tasting room in Lee’s summit.

justin austermann

beverage manager, l’acadiane written by LaUren sMitH

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PHotoGraPHy by eMiLy teater

stonehausfarms.com Hilary Hedges is a former newsie whose passion for wine led her out of the newsroom and into the cellar. She is currently director of sales and marketing and assistant winemaker at Amigoni Urban Winery in Kansas City.

BEER

4 hanDs Brewing Co.’s ContaCt high JuiCeD written by ryan niCKeLson

sTyle: american Pale wheat ale with Citrus (5% abV) PaIrIngs: Buffalo mozzarella • Summer salad with

lemon vinaigrette • Citrus-glazed pound cake st. Louis’ 4 Hands Brewing Co. first brewed Contact High in 2012, and it's been a staple in my house ever since. its bright color, huge Pacific northwest hop aromas and orange zest already made for a great beer, but 4 Hands has juiced things up for this newest variant: Contact High Juiced. the addition of tangerine juice and zest takes the beer to new levels of refreshing citrus flavor. this should definitely be in your cooler this summer.

4handsbrewingco.com Brothers Brandon and Ryan Nickelson are available to help with beer picks and pairing recommendations at their store, Craft Beer Cellar, a craft beer shop in Clayton, Missouri, with an upcoming location in South City. To learn more, visit craftbeercellar.com/clayton.

SPIRIT

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling’s Downhome sweetwater Pink lemonaDe VoDka written by Jenn tosatto

Provenance: ste. Genevieve, Missouri (35% abV) Try IT: with lemon and wheat beer over ice

in addition to producing acclaimed wine and craft beer, Crown Valley brewery & Distilling makes spirits as well. Pink Lemonade is part of its sweetwater flavored vodka series – perfect for sipping on warm days.

Unlike some flavored vodkas, the sweetness isn't over the top, and there’s a very nice tartness that makes it quite mixable. at a slightly lower 70 proof, it works as a base spirit, but i find it shines brightest as a modifier in punch. any way you mix it, you’ll want to enjoy a glass on a sunny porch in a rocking chair. crownvalleybrewery.com/spirits You can find Jenn Tosatto running the bar at Mission Taco Joint's Kansas City location. She also loves donating her skills to many charity events around the city, as well as working private events.

sT. loUIs. the latest addition to st. Louis’ historic Lafayette square area is the new orleans-inspired bistro L’Acadiane. the restaurant, from prolific restaurateur David bailey, is named after the region of Louisiana rich in Creole history and food heritage. the cocktail menu, developed by beverage manager Justin austermann, features unique twists on southern classics. take the sazerac Ménage a trois, for example: the traditional mix of rye whiskey, Peychaud’s bitters, lemon and an absinthe rinse gets a creative upgrade with not one but three separate applications of absinthe. Pair the interactive cocktail with Cajun-style plates including crawfish bisque, crab-stuffed Missouri catfish and hominy hush puppies.

What inspired the cocktail menu at L’Acadiane? inspiration is easy because there’s such a great drinking and bar culture in new orleans. we wanted to work in some of the classic cocktails that are already part of the new orleans repertoire, as well as some variations. while the food menu has influences from across the south, the bar menu is specifically focused on new orleans and [its] French influence. What was the idea behind the Sazerac Ménage a Trois? the sazerac is a new orleans classic, one that most bartenders and many of our guests are already familiar with. We

wanted to present a sazerac that was simple and classic but also add options to dress it up and make it playful for our guests.

the most notable thing about a sazerac is the absinthe-rinsed glass. the absinthe being an ingredient of the drink, but sort of absent from the drink at the same time – because the glass is just rinsed in absinthe and dumped out – is what inspired us doing it three ways. we wanted to put it front and center. we present the absinthe in the form of rock candy on the side; it can be stirred into the cocktail to sweeten it, if that’s to the guest’s taste. we also present an absinthe ice cube on the side as well. it makes [absinthe] a little more approachable. How do the drinks complement the Cajun-influenced menu? there are a lot of bold flavors on the food menu; we have some very rich and spicy dishes. the drinks have to stand up to that – they have to be strong and a little sweet to complement some of the spicy food. we knew [when] putting together the bar menu that the drinks could not be timid if the food was big and bold.

What’s your favorite drink on the menu? i’m very happy with the Hurricane. we wanted to do a Hurricane that wasn’t just a bunch of sugar, so it’s just made of fresh juices and aged rum – very simple. Personally, i really enjoy the wise blood cocktail, which is a fennel- and celery-infused gin mixed with a Port [wine] syrup and lime juice.

1915 Park Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, lacadiane.com

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promotion

written by bethany christo

PROFILES SPIRItS

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bEER

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wInE

of the earth farm DiStillery

apple BranDy Provenance: Richmond, Missouri Pairing: grilled pork chops

Of The Earth Farm Distillery’s Apple Brandy is best enjoyed in a proper brandy snifter for savoring. Notes of ripe apple meet the nose, followed by flavors of rich caramel and a sweet oakiness on the palate. Of The Earth Farm Distillery has been producing Apple Brandy and other delicious spirits since 2012. The brandy-making process begins with mashing and fermenting a blend of fresh apples that are picked at peak ripeness in Richmond, Missouri.

The flavors and sugars of the Golden Russet, Redfield, Idared and other apple varieties ferment for three to four weeks, and then the mash is distilled in a pot still in small batches.

The fresh eau de vie is aged in charred Missouri white oak barrels before being bottled.

oftheearthfarm.com Of The Earth Farm Distillery 17190 Highway 13, Richmond, MO 64085 660.232.1096

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Explore the flavors of wine, beer and spirits from new (or new-to-you) offerings from makers across the region and country. From a juicy tangerine and hop-forward St. Louis beer to refreshing white wine from Missouri wine country to spicy, caramely bourbon distilled in caves 65 feet underground outside of Kansas City, we present unique and seasonal libations to try this month.

S.D. Strong DiStilling

Big Boom Straight Bour BourBon Provenance: Parkville, Missouri Pairings: grilled or smoked meats, sticky

toffee pudding Made 65 feet underground in Parkville, Missouri, Big Boom Straight Bourbon from S.D. Strong Distilling is named for the neighboring dynamite blasts that sometimes rock the caves where it’s distilled. However, Big Boom could just have easily have been named for its huge, explosive flavor. After nearly three years in American white oak barrels, the bourbon bursts with notes of spice, fresh oak and soft corn, all underscored by a rich layer of caramel. And because the bourbon is distilled in underground caves where temperatures and conditions are consistent, you can expect to be blown away by every hand-numbered bottle.

sdstrongdistilling.com S.D. Strong Distilling 8500 NW River Park Drive #136A, Parkville, MO 64152

promotion

Rits wood Hat spiRits enesque BouRBon RuBenesque Provenance: New Florence, Missouri Pairings: spicy almonds, aged Gouda, dark

still 630 Volstead’s Folly aMeRiCan gin Provenance: St. Louis try it in: gin and tonic, Corpse Reviver

chocolate, toffee, cinnamon ice cream

Cheekily paying “homage” to Andrew Volstead, writer of the Volstead Act that enforced Prohibition, Volstead’s Folly is a unique and flavorful gin from StilL 630 distillery in St. Louis. Twelve different botanicals highlight juniper, sage, elderberries and cardamom on the nose.

Plus, StilL 630 is the only distillery that uses oak chips as a botanical, which lend an underlying warmth and bind the flavors together. Volstead’s Folly finishes with ginger root and fennel over a nice, delicate, oaky note from the oak chips.

Wood Hat Spirits’’ most popular product is the full-bodied Bourbon Rubenesque. The 100-proof bourbon features a grain bill of blue corn and wheat, all locally grown. Blue corn alters the aroma and finish from that of the traditional bourbon: It’s smooth up front, with a full, well-rounded mouthfeel. Bourbon Rubenesque finishes with a complex flavor and a delicate warmth. The aging barrels are made from 3-year-old, air-dried chinkapin oak staves, adding notes of rich, dark caramel, chocolate and hints of toffee to the spirit. woodhatspirits.com

still630.com

Wood Hat Spirits 489 Booneslick Road New Florence, MO 63363 573.216.3572

StilL 630 1000 S. Fourth St., St. Louis, MO 63104 314.513.2275

J. RiegeR & Co.

MidwesteRn dRy gin Midweste Provenance: Kansas City try it in: on the rocks, classic cocktails

Midwestern Dry Gin from Kansas City’s J. Rieger & Co. is the brainchild of one of the world’s top gin distillers, Tom Nichol, and is inspired by the traditional London dry gins that famously emphasize the spicy and aromatic character of mature juniper berries. By selecting only the finest botanicals from around the world – including juniper, coriander, angelica root, licorice root and orange peel – the result is a bold, full-flavored gin with layers of aroma and a complexity of flavor.

jriegerco.com J. Rieger & Co. 2700 Guinotte Ave., Kansas City, MO 64120 816.807.3867

FiVe FaRMs

iRisH CReaM liqueuR Provenance: County Cork, Ireland,

and imported by Holladay Distillery in Weston, Missouri try it in: Irish Chocolate-Truffle Martini; in hot coffee; ice cold in a chilled glass Five Farms is a single-batch Irish cream liqueur exclusively sourced and produced in County Cork, Ireland. It derives its name from the five family-owned farms in the region that provide the product’s rich dairy cream. Five Farmsis made with premium, 10-year-old, triple-distilled Irish whiskey and contains 10 percent Irish whiskey – most brands use less than 1 percent. Five Farms was recently awarded the Chairman’s Trophy at the prestigious Ultimate Spirits Challenge with a score of 97, making it the highest-scoring Irish cream of all time. The judging panel noted that the drink is “intensely satisfying” with a “lush palate that coats the mouth with flavors of coffee with fresh cream, dulce de leche, coconut, maple and Belgian waffles.”

fivefarmsirishcream.com Holladay Distillery 1 McCormick Lane, Weston, MO 64098 816.640.3056 Inspired Local Food Culture

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promotion

briCK river iver Cider Co.

sChlafly beer

Provenance: St. Louis Pairings: fruit and cheese board, salmon cakes

Provenance: St. Louis Pairings: pork steaks, chicken and vegetable

firehoUse rosé osé

St. Louis’ first cidery is Brick River Cider Co., which opened in February. The tasting room features hard ciders made with fresh-pressed juice from Midwestern apples rather than made with juice concentrate. Named for the building’s former use, Firehouse Rosé is a tart and complex take on dry rosé wine. Sold in 750-milliliter bottles, the gluten-free cider is made with an earthy apple cider fermentation, Montmorency sour cherry juice from Michigan and a tart hibiscus tea. brickrivercider.com Brick River Cider Co. 2000 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 63103 314.224.5046

william K. bUsCh brewing Co.

Kräftig lager Provenance: St. Louis Pairings: spring greens salad with

raspberry-balsamic vinaigrette, bourbon and brown sugar-glazed rib eye with caramelized onions, honey-apricot crème brûlée

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sUmmer lager ager kebobs, burgers A smoother, maltier and hoppier alternative to light lagers, Schlafly Beer’s sessionable Helles-style Summer Lager is a bright, golden beer, wholly representative of what summertime should taste like. The malts impart a fresh grain character, while the hops lend a mild spicy, lemony flavor. The largest locally owned brewery in St. Louis uses a yeast that ferments the beer slowly and at a lower temperature to make its lager. It’s then stored for several weeks, which results in a beer that is exceptionally smooth and perfect for warmer weather. schlafly.com Schlafly Bottleworks | The Schlafly Tap Room 7260 Southwest Ave., Maplewood, MO 63143 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 63103 314.241.2337

Urban ChestnUt brewing Co.

stammtisCh s Provenance: St. Louis Pairings: fish tacos, pizza, charcuterie plates

Kräftig Lager is an unadulterated expression of the American premium lager style, thanks to William K. Busch Brewing Co.’s adherence to the Purity Law of 1516. The exclusion of corn or rice fillers allows this lager to exhibit a true malt flavor and light grain sweetness that is absent in many beers in this category.

Made with only two- and six-row barley malt, Hallertau hops, pure yeast and water, this approachable lager features a balanced and enjoyable hop character.

Stammtisch is a German Pilsner from Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. that opens with floral and perfumey aroma notes from Strisselspalt and Hallertau hops. Bready, graham-cracker flavors from the Pilsner malt balance out the hop bitterness to create an extremely clean and crisp Pilsner that clocks in at 5.4 percent ABV. In June 2016, Paste magazine ranked Stammtisch the No. 1 Pilsner, describing it as striking “the ideal balance between drinkability and character – a hoppy beer that would never overwhelm the palate of a hop-averse drinker and provides a little bit of something for everyone.”

kraftig.com

urbanchestnut.com

William K. Busch Brewing Co. 8047 Litzsinger Road, St. Louis, MO 63144 314.932.7911

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. 4465 Manchester Ave. and 3229 Washington Ave., St. Louis, MO 314.222.0143

promotion

MotHer’s er’s Brewing Co.

sunsHine CHugsuCkle Ckle

saMuel adaMs

saM ’76

Provenance: Springfield, Missouri Pairings: strawberry-walnut salad,

Provenance: Boston Pairings: pigs in a blanket, grilled hot dogs

shrimp and grits, cruising the lake in the heat of summer

and brats

IPA-haters will be forced to rethink their stance with Mother’s Brewing Co.’s Sunshine Chugsuckle. This New England-style IPA shines like a ray of pure juicy sunshine with a fruity and floral hop aroma and minimal hop bitterness. Made with Citra hops, flaked toasted wheat and oats, Sunshine Chugsuckle features intense resin and citrus flavors with a full, creamy and velvety mouthfeel. Grab a glass and drink as fresh as humanly possible – this beer is meant to be consumed, not cellared.

mothersbrewing.com Mother’s Brewing Co. 215 S. Grant Ave., Springfield, MO 65806 417.862.0423

4 Hands Brewing Co.

ContaCt HigH JuiCed Provenance: St. Louis Pairings: spicy food, poultry

Contact High Juiced from St. Louis’ 4 Hands Brewing Co. is brewed with fresh tangerine juice and zest, so the name is an accurate descriptor – it’s definitely juicy. Released in April as a six-month seasonal ale, Juiced has a hop-forward flavor, citrusy aroma and crisp hop finish.

4handsbrewery.com 4 Hands Brewing Co. 1220 S. Eighth St., St. Louis, MO 63104 314.436.1559

Sam ’76 is a revolutionary new beer from Samuel Adams that is an unmatched combination of refreshment, craft flavor and aroma. By experimenting with both lager and ale yeast strains, the brewers developed a unique brewing process that takes two active fermentations and blends them together to create a deliciously harmonious result.

This process delivers a distinct flavor that showcases the slight fruitiness of an ale with the balanced drinkability and smoothness of a lager. Whether you’re on the patio, watching the game or headed to a party, Sam ’76 can be your go-to beer.

samueladams.com Samuel Adams 30 Germania St., Boston, MA 02130 617.368.5080

sMoke Brewing Co.

narCissist india Pale lager Provenance: Lee’s Summit, Missouri Pairings: Smoke Brewing Co.’s Pork 3.0

(competition-style pork ribs, pork belly burnt ends and pulled pork), shrimp and sausage Cajun pasta Narcissist India Pale Lager from Smoke Brewing Co. features a light malt sweetness and melanoidin malt character found in many classic European lager styles, but the hoppy aroma and flavor take center stage in this IPL. New Zealand Motueka hops bring notes of Mojito lime character with subtle hints of tropical fruit and lemon zest. Amarillo hops complement the lime and lemon notes by introducing a distinct orange aroma.

smokebrewingco.com Smoke Brewing Co. 209 SE Main St., Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 816.525.2337

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promotion

Martin brothers Winery inery

orange blossoM MeaD Provenance: Hermann, Missouri Pairings: manchego, havarti and Brie

cheeses; pork loin; pheasant; aromatic Asian cuisine; mild fish dishes Martin Brothers Winery uses modern day winemaking practices to produce traditional meads that enhance the varietal character of each honey harvest. Orange Blossom Mead uses orange blossom honey from the citrusgrowing regions of Florida and Southern California. Every year, beekeepers bring thousands of beehives to these regions to help pollinate orange groves. While there, the bees create a rich, floral honey. The honey is extracted and shipped to Martin Brothers in Hermann, Missouri, where the fermentation and winemaking takes place. Orange Blossom Mead has a rich bouquet of orange blossom and white floral aromas on the nose, followed by orange zest, with a body resembling notes of vanilla and a bright, crisp finish.

WilD sun Winery

Dry rosé Provenance: Hillsboro, Missouri Pairings: berries, poultry, pork

The refreshing Dry Rosé from Wild Sun Winery starts off with a beautiful color of light candy apple red. It boasts aromas of cranberries and strawberries and resembles the sweet smell of poundcake with whipped cream. The well-balanced rosé features a touch of sweetness at the tip of the tongue, with a balanced acidity and a finish that’s soft but long and leaves you with notes of berry on your palate. Wild Sun’s Dry Rosé is produced by cold-pressing Missouri red Chambourcin grapes shortly after crushing and then cold-fermenting at 60°F to preserve the fresh fruity character of the grapes. wildsunwinery.com Wild Sun Winery 4830 Pioneer Road, Hillsboro, MO 63050 636.797.8686

martinbrotherswinery.com

Martin Brothers Winery 1623 Old Iron Road, Hermann, MO 65041 573.486.0236

Dry Vignoles

eDg-Clif farMs & VineyarD rosé ChaMbourCin

Provenance: Augusta, Missouri Pairings: sushi, Mexican cuisine, spicy foods,

Provenance: Potosi, Missouri Pairings: ham, grilled salmon, shrimp and

fresh-cut strawberries

grits, pasta primavera, creamy goat cheese

Made from the French hybrid Vignoles grape, Montelle Winery’s off-dry white pairs perfectly with sunshine and lighter fare. With intense aromas and flavors of fresh pineapple, wild strawberries, lime and Meyer lemon, Dry Vignoles offers a crisp, refreshing acidity that leads to a clean finish. The 2016 Dry Vignoles brought home Best of Class and gold from the 2017 Pacific Rim Wine Competition in California, along with a silver from the 2017 Dan Berger’s International Wine Competition.

Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard’s Rosé Chambourcin is a fresh and balanced, dry yet fruit-forward rosé made from premium Chambourcin grapes that are grown and hand-tended on the hills of the Fourche a Renault River Valley in the heart of the Ozark Mountains. This was the first type of wine ever made at Edg-Clif, which is now known for its French-style dry rosé. The 2018 vintage has aromas of berry fruits and violets and a finish that is crisp yet lingering.

montelle.com

edg-clif.com

Montelle Winery 201 Montelle Drive, Augusta, MO 63332 636.228.4464

Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard 1 10035 Edg-Clif Drive, Potosi, MO 63664 573.438.4741

Montelle Winery

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laChanCe e Vineyards

Cabernet doré oré

balduCCii Vineyards

natalia

Provenance: De Soto, Missouri Pairings: grilled chicken, seafood

Provenance: Augusta, Missouri Pairing: anchovy spaghetti carbonara

Receiving 91 points and a gold medal from the venerated Beverage Testing Institute, LaChance Vineyards’ Cabernet Doré is a vibrant and appetizing white hybrid with exotic tropical flavors and great acidity.

LaChance was one of the first vineyards in the country to grow this brand-new grape varietal, which offers aromas of papaya-melon relish, wintergreen, holly and a hint of bark, as well as citrus flavors of spiced green apple, kiwi and

Located in picturesque wine country in Augusta, Missouri, Balducci Vineyards’ Natalia, which is named after the owners’ daughter, is a dry white made from Vidal Blanc and Vignoles grapes and is similar to a Sauvignon Blanc.

Citrusy and lightly herbal, with a succulent texture, the wine pairs well with rich and creamy pastas such as anchovy spaghetti carbonara.

Buddha’s hand.

balduccivineyards.com

lachancevineyards.com

Balducci Vineyards 6601 S. Highway 94, Augusta, MO 63332 636.482.8466

LaChance Vineyards 12237 Peter Moore Lane, De Soto, MO 63020 636.586.2777

Chaumette Vineyards & Winery

unoaked Chardonel Provenance: Ste. Genevieve, Missouri Pairings: white fish, hard cheese, chicken

Chaumette Vineyards & Winery’s Unoaked Chardonel is Sauvignon Blanc in style, made with a grape that’s a cross of Chardonnay and Seyval. Vinified dry and stainless steel-fermented, the light and crisp wine has mineral notes and hints of Fuji apple and grapefruit. The fruit-forward, award-winning Chardonel has a refreshing finish and pairs well with apéritifs and other light fare. chaumette.com Chaumette Vineyards & Winery 24345 State Route WW Ste. Genevieve, MO 63670 573.747.1000

Chandler hill Vineyards

Vignoles

Provenance: Defiance, Missouri Pairings: grilled fish, chicken, spicy

Asian cuisine The 2016 estate-grown Vignoles from Chandler Hill Vineyards is made in a crisp, dry style with an abundance of ripe pineapple and citrus zest notes. The fruit notes form a pleasant tropical bouquet on the nose, and the wine has a beautiful, well-rounded body. The 2016 Vignoles finishes with a balanced acidity and is a perfect pairing for grilled fish, chicken and even spicy Asian cuisine. Chandler Hill winemakers recommend sipping this crisp wine out on the expansive deck of the Defiance, Missouri, winery, which overlooks the scenic vineyard where all the Vignoles grapes are grown. chandlerhillvineyards.com Chandler Hill Vineyards 596 Defiance Road, Defiance, MO 63341 636.798.2675

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cast your feast 50 ballot vote for your favorites!

st. louis kansas city springfield columbia 46

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The world’s first

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Five Far ms Irish Cream Liqueur has been awarded the Chair man’s Trophy at the 2018 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, the premier spirits competition in the world. The 97 score awarded to Five Far ms is the highest that an Irish Cream Liqueur has ever received in this prestigious competition, signaling the ar rival of a brand that is poised to elevate the categor y.

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garden party

Keep your wine chilled in style with this customizable ice mold on p. 50. photography courtesy crate & barrel

BaBy KaKez Story and photography by Mabel Suen

st. louIs. In Midtown St. louis, a small sweets storefront

offers a variety of baked goods as well as barbecue on Saturdays. Baby Kakez comes from baker Michelle Jones and her husband, gary. She first began making cakes as a hobby while running an in-home day care business in north County. “I was making things for people of service and friends at the bank, barbershop and store. I wanted to make something cute for people who love sweets,” she says. “Soon enough, my baked goods were more in demand than child care.” the baby Kakez brand was born in 2014, named after Jones’ nickname for her daughter, Kerri; the custom-cake shop opened in Midtown in February 2017. the shop features cheerful blue walls and a few seats for guests grabbing a bite inside, plus room in the back for hosting everything from birthday parties to decorating classes. the rotating treat selection includes miniature bundt cakes, cupcakes, dipped oreos and candy-coated apples. highlights include a strawberry-lemon cupcake topped with lemon icing and a fresh strawberry. additional cake flavors include butter-pecan, birthday cake and chocolate. the best-selling item is a pretzel nib, which transforms an otherwise savory snack into a decadent dessert covered in caramel, chocolate and nuts. Jones’ personal favorite is the bite-sized brownie cake pop, also covered in caramel, chocolate and nuts. paired with gary’s grilling on the weekends – including ribs, grilled chicken and bacon-wrapped burgers – the smorgasbord of sugary delights makes this Midtown shop one worth visiting early and often.

3305 Olive St., St. Louis, Missouri, babykakez4.com

wrItten by nanCy StIleS

crate & barrel ice mold and wine chiller Keep your wine chilled in a festive or seasonal display any time of year. Freeze flowers, berries, citrus, greens and more into the ice mold for party perfect presentation.

The double-walled stainless steel coaster will keep your mold frozen for up to six hours.

For more information or to purchase the mold and wine chiller, visit crateandbarrel.com.

proimb wine saver pump preserver extend the life of your favorite wine – for a few days, at least. the proiMb wine Saver pump preserver creates an airtight vacuum seal to prevent wine from oxidizing for up to 14 days. the set includes a stainless steel pump and four wine stoppers, as well as a two-year warranty.

photo courtesy crate & barrel

For more information or to purchase the pump preserver, visit amazon.com. photo CourteSy aMazon

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A rich floral, full-bodied wine, Light Crisp finish of orange zest.

Exclusively from Orange Blossom honey.

Pairs well with your next dinner party.

Vineyard Tours • Wine Tasting • Craft Beers • AirBnB

Gerard’s Restaurant rich in Culinary tradition Proudly Serving St. Louis for 23 Years

Made to order  Steaks  Pasta  Oysters  Fresh Fish Colonnade Center 1153 Colonnade Center | Des Peres 314-821-7977 | stlgerards.net

“Premium quality produce and specialty products from around the world and around the corner” Sunfarm Food Service • Saint Louis, MO • 314.241.1288 • sunfarmfs.com Download our app by searching ‘sunfarm’ in your app store

breakfast. lunch. opportunity.

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The Bloom Café serves a fresh take on casual dining while helping people with disabilities grow their independence through a unique job training program.

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Monday-Saturday from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.

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jonathan parker owner, parker’s table WRITTEN By EMILy WASSERMAN

|

PHOTOgRAPHy By EMILy TEATER

ON O

RICHMOND HEIGHTS, MO.

ON

and a post office were here. It’s a lost snippet of history. We can comfortably get up to 50 people in [the tasting room]. There’s a Mad Men, lounge-y feel. The tables come from the Chicago Ritz-Carlton and the chairs come from the Cheshire Inn. The posts were cut from one beam that came out of The Schlafly Tap Room. My friend Paul Casey, who was a carpenter, saved that beam years ago to make way for a stairwell. [Local woodworker] David Stine quartered it. The corks at the front of the bar come from the shop; they make a map of the Missouri River Valley. How will the kitchen at Parker’s Table help you grow your business? Jay Stringer, who enjoyed stints at Spiaga in Chicago and Elaia, is in the kitchen. Most of us come into this shop out of restaurants; it’s nice to have a kitchen so we can play with matching wines and food and not treat them as isolated elements to a meal. That’s always been the idea of the shop. Why is St. Louis a good place for Parker’s Table? I’m from Nashville; coming to St. Louis was a revelation to me in what a city with deep roots could be like.

The loyalty of the people of St. Louis to their local small businesses and [their] interest in people who operate them really appealed to me. It doesn’t exist just in the retail scene but the food scene in general; it’s a very collegiate and collaborative environment.

NE

E Jonathan Parker, who owns Parker’s Table in Richmond Heights, Missouri, started his career more than 30 q&A years ago as a buyer and beverage manager at the Saint Louis Club.

His work there caught the eye of Anthony Bommarito, who hired Parker as the first salesperson at A. Bommarito Wines. A trip to Italy in the early 1990s inspired Parker to create a “small, thoughtful, personalized wine shop” in the St. Louis area. Parker’s Table opened in 1995 and is now heading into a new chapter as it unveils a tasting room, which opens this month.

How has your role at Parker’s Table changed over the years? This is a business where when you walk in, you can see the individual enthusiasm of each person who works in the shop – from Chris [Chartrand] on the beer wall, to Simon [Lehrer] the cheesemonger and spirits buyer, Jay [Stringer] in the kitchen, and me trying to stay out of the way and let them do their thing. Over the years, I’ve evolved into more of a set designer and low-key stage manager. I try to provide everyone who works here a space to show off what they know.

Hopefully in a few more years, the people who work here can run the place on their own!

Tell us about the tasting room. The side of the shop with the tasting room was originally a market called DeMun Market and Parker’s Table was originally the Richmond Heights Post Office. Oakland Avenue was a main street until the 1930s; that’s why a market

7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, Missouri, parkerstable.com

Prosecco Made Me do It WRITTEN By LAuREN SMITH

Amy Zavatto grew up a butcher’s daughter and Italian winemaker’s granddaughter, which gave her an appreciation for food and respect for the artisans who produce it. Zavatto’s fith book about wine, spirits and cocktails, Prosecco Made Me Do It, is a small and whimsical cocktail book full of 60 sparkling wine recipes. Not to be confused with Champagne, which only refers to wine produced in the Champagne region of France, Prosecco is a semi-sparkling Italian white wine essential to classics like spritzes and variations on the Bellini. Although Zavatto’s book includes traditional recipes like the Rossini, made with three parts Prosecco and one part strawberry purée, there are new twists on old favorites like The green Eyes, a take on the classic gin Fizz, made with green chartreuse and a granny Smith apple. Every recipe is paired with a playful illustration by Ruby Taylor, making the drinks even more bubbly.

By Amy Zavatto andrewsmcmeel.com

NEW tasting room at Parker’s Table

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May’s selling season is in full swing, Surely a new address will give your step some Spring.

Be you Dweller or Seller, house hunting is not for the faint of heart, So let’s create a strategy that sets YOU apart!

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Made in Kansas City Café WrITTeN By JeNNy VergArA

|

phoTogrAphy By ANgelA BoNd

KANSAS CITY. keith Bradley, Thomas McIntyre and Tyler enders, the partners behind

the popular retail shop Made in kC, now have five stores across the kansas City area. Made in Kansas City Café opened in downtown kansas City in december; the trio took their popular kansas-City themed retail shop and added a coffee bar, with plans to open a taproom in the back of the space sometime this summer. located between hotel phillips and the new hotel Indigo on Baltimore Avenue, the café is housed in a gorgeous, historic building that was once the hotel Bray, which originally opened in 1915. order your favorite caffeinated beverage, from single-origin coffee and espresso to cortados and macchiatos, before shopping. you’ll find local Boozy Botanicals, Messenger Coffee Co., kansas City Canning Co., hugo Tea Co., hot helga Mustard, sAp Bourbon Barrel Aged Maple syrup and much more.

1114 Baltimore Ave., Kansas City, Missouri, madeinkc.com

artisan products

WrITTeN By lAureN sMITh

kansas city canning co. strawberry-champagne jam KANSAS CITY. Kansas City Canning Co.’s newest release, strawberry-Champagne jam, is made with mostly locally sourced, organic strawberries and a whopping nine bottles of Champagne per batch. Its bright, fruity flavor is cut by the bubbly, and the natural citrus pectin provides a zesty note while keeping the product low in sugar. Co-owner Timothy Tuohy suggests mixing the jam in a cocktail with Boulevard Brewing Co.’s Jam Band Berry Ale and gin; he says it also pairs well with Nutella in a stuffed French toast, or as a topping for pancakes, cream cheese or even ice cream.

kansascitycanningco.com phoTo CourTesy kC CANNINg Co.

black brew tea palmer lemonades ST. LOUIS. Zach Mcgee of Black Brew Tea in st. louis creates various loose-leaf tea blends using herbal flavors that pack a punch. his powerhouse tea is an invigorating blend of green tea and garcinia cambogia, while Frequency is a more calming blend of hibiscus, blue mallow, juniper berry and blackberry leaf. Mcgee has also incorporated these flavors into his sustainable line of palmer lemonades, a citrus beverage made with one part herbal tea and one part organic lemonade. The company recently launched a kickstarter campaign to fund the promotion of its new lemonade line.

bbtea.net phoTo By JACklyN Meyer

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Bring this in for $10 off per person “Get ‘Hitched’ to a Red Neck or Die”

Ask for a “STARRING” role or just sit back and guess “Whodunit.” Will Bubba solve the case before he gets ‘hitched’? Or will it be a shotgun weddin’? Come and get served up a heaping helping of our hospitality - Red neck style.

Join Bubba, Billie Jean and the Duck Dynasty Clan. for a night of merriment and murder in this interactive comedy mystery served with a 4-course meal to Die for!

Call for reservations today at 314-533-9830 Coupon valid through May, 2018. Not valid for groups.

4426 Randall Place • St. Louis • 314.533.9830 • bissellmansion.com

Happy Mother’s Day

From the Prezzavento Family to Your Family Chi Mangia Bene Vive Bene! “To Eat Well is to Live Well” Proudly Serving Authentic Italian Food in a Family Atmosphere.

Call Now To Book Your Mother’s Day Reservations!

Let Us Cater Your Special Occasion Try Our Party Pans For A Delicious Meal For Any Size Group Featuring Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Reservations Recommended, Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-10pm • Sunday Noon-9pm • Closed Monday

5442 Old Hwy 21• Imperial • 636.942.2405 • trattoria-giuseppe.com

A PLACE FOR OPPORTUNITY The Gateway Region YMCA’s community programs provide enriching experiences to youth and adults.

We’re committed to providing opportunities and services across the region, doing all we can to make positive and lasting change.

Together we can create opportunities for all.

gwrymca.org/opportunities

Inspired Local Food Culture

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WORK HARD, PLAY HARDER Join us on the patio for happy hour, weekdays 4-7 PM.

Now Serving Brunch Every Sunday 11am-2pm •Open to the Public Monday & Tuesday •Cocktail & Wine Dinners Twice Monthly •Award-Winning Chef’s Table •Private Dining Rooms Available www.bloodandsandstl.com

314-241-7263

@bloodandsandstl

Membership Has Its Privileges

B R O O K S I D E 6 3 24 B R O O K S I D E P L A Z A | L E AW O O D 1 1 8 51 R O E AV E N U E | O P 8 0 0 1 W 1 5 9 T H S T R E E T

M A K E Y O U R R E S E R VAT I O N S AT R E D D O O R G R I L L .C O M

JOIN US FOR MOTHER'S DAY BRUNCH OR DINNER! Sunday Brunch & Dinner: Enjoy an amazing breakfast menu with our delicious boozy breakfast cocktails & Chef Mehmet's Whole Roasted Lamb.

Lunch: Tues-Fri - Dinner: Tues-Sun - Sunday Brunch Happy Hour: Tues-Fri Available for private parties and catering.

Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine. Known for our Meze (small plates), Lamb Dishes, Fresh Fish and Excellent Wine Selection.

6671 Chippewa Street • St. Louis • 314.645.9919 • ayasofiacuisine.com

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Steelville, Missouri

PROMOTION

home of hospitality

HuzzaH vallEY rESOrt

wildwOOd SpringS lOdgE Spring EvEntS CalEndar 5/13 • Mother’s day Brunch, 10am-1pm: Adults, $22 / Kids ages 4-11, $11 9.28 • arianna String Quartet

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9.15 • lefevre Quartet: 6pm 10.13 • Sandi patty: 7pm 10.20 • Bill anderson: 7pm 10.27 • the isaacs: 6pm 10.28 • dailey & vincent: 2pm 11.3 • John anderson: 7pm 11.10 • “Celebrate america” patriotic Show with the lesters & Chosen Ones: 2pm 11.17 • greater vision, Mark trammell Quartet, Second-Half Quartet with pat Barker: 6pm 12.8&12.9 • Christmas inthe Country: 2pm 12.16 • dailey & vincent Christmas Show:2pm

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573.775.5999 meramecmusictheatre.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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ChesterďŹ eld 633 Spirit of St. Louis Blvd. 636.519.1611 Maryland Heights 11585 Lackland Rd. 314.677.6713 beckallencabinetry.com feastmagazine.com

m ay 2 0 1 8

berry nice

Master sweet or savory crĂŞpes at home on p. 66. photography by jacklyn meyer

Story, recipe and photography

by KriSten doyle

Sautéed Cherry and Wilted Vegetable Salad The easiest and fastest way to shred these hearty vegetables and greens is using a mandoline. Feel free to try a different combination of vegetables in the salad; other hearty vegetables and greens such as cauliflower, arugula, bok choy, kohlrabi and radishes would work well.

ServeS | 4 |

paired up

local must-try norton wines Wild Sun Winery’s Norton wildsunwinery.com les Bourgeois Vineyards’ 2015 Norton missouriwine.com Balitmore Bend Vineyard’s 2013 Norton Reserve baltimorebend.com

4 Tbsp white balsamic vinegar, divided 2 cups fresh dark sweet cherries, pitted, deseeded 1 cup Brussels sprouts, shredded 1 cup broccoli, shredded 1 cup red cabbage, shredded 1 cup green cabbage, shredded 1 cup kale, shredded ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese

| preparation | in a large saucepan over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar and cherries.

Sauté until cherries start to soften and cherry juice begins to thicken, 7 minutes. add brussels sprouts, broccoli, red and green cabbages and kale and sauté for an additional 2 minutes or until vegetables become wilted and slightly soft. divide mixture evenly between 4 salad plates or bowls. drizzle with remaining white balsamic vinegar and top with crumbled goat cheese. Serve.

healthy appetite

Sautéed Cherry and Wilted Vegetable Salad It’s finally cherry season – from May to June in Missouri – and one of my favorite ways to work with the fruit is grilling, roasting or simply sautéing it. The inherent tartness and sweetness of cherries provides an ideal foil for savory flavors; use the fresh fruit to make a glaze for chicken or as the base of a salad dressing.

This wilted vegetable and sautéed cherry salad is more than a side dish: The shredded vegetables are very lightly cooked in a blend of fresh cherries, cherry juice and white balsamic vinegar, resulting in a salad full of crunch and naturally sweet flavor.

The tartness of cherries pairs well with jammy, dry local Norton wines; throw this salad together, pour a glass of wine and make the most of warm spring weather by dining alfresco.

Kristen Doyle is the creator of award-winning website dineanddish.net. Since early 2006, she has been sharing her favorite recipes, photos and life stories with an ever-growing audience of engaged readers. Beyond her blog, Doyle has expanded her freelance food and travel writing and photography career to include work with major brands as well as providing editorial content and direction for nationwide print publications and websites. Follow her on social media @dineanddish.

%PG

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Timeless Favorites...

traditional cuisine with contemporary and bold defining flavors!

Live Music: Wednesdays 5:30 - 8:30pM | Happy Hour M-F 4:00 - 600 16125 chesterfield parkway West | chesterfield, Mo 63017 | 636.536.9404 Inspired Local Food Culture

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Hervé Mons' Ovalie Cendrée

story and recipe by shannon weber photography by jennifer silverberg

Pressed Picnic sandwich with bloomy-rind Goat cheese Be sure to raid your grocer’s olive bar for this one: It’s the best way to get what you need without a lot of half-empty jars in your fridge. For a crunchier salad green, pile arugula between layers of meat the day of and rewrap until you’re ready to serve the sandwiches. serves

| 8 to 10 |

i obsessively handpick the ingredients for this column, but this month, i did something unheard of: i placed myself in the hands of an experienced local cheesemonger. she led me to a selection of aged bloomy-rind goat cheeses coated with ash, and i fell. hard.

Turn to p. 89 to learn about two local bloomy-rind goat cheeses, plus one made with sheep's milk.

olive Salad

1¼ cups green and black pitted and marinated olives 1 cup giardiniera ¾ cup roasted red peppers, drained ¼ cup marinated grilled artichoke hearts, drained ½ tsp chile flakes 1 tsp dried oregano ¹⁄₃ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup olive oil

Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog

Sandwich

1 cup olive salad (recipe below), divided 16 oz ciabatta bread (1 large or 2 medium loaves), sliced in half 8 oz bloomy-rind goat cheese, chopped and mashed with a fork 3 oz (12 slices) Calabrese salami 3 oz (12 slices) soppressata 1 lb smoked ham, sliced 2 cups baby arugula, lightly packed

| preparation – olive salad | in the bowl of a food processor, add olives, giardiniera, red peppers and artichokes; pulse 10 times in 1-second bursts until evenly chopped. stir in chile flakes, oregano, vinegar and oil; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.

| preparation – sandwich | spread ½ cup olive salad on each half of ciabatta; crumble goat cheese evenly over both halves, pressing into bread with hands. on bottom half of bread, layer calabrese salami, soppressata and ham; layer arugula over ham. carefully flip top half of bread over onto base; wrap tightly with plastic wrap until secure. set on countertop and place a heavy cast-iron skillet or dutch oven on top to press sandwich, 2 hours. refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. | to serve | Unwrap sandwich and, using a serrated knife, slice into 8 to 10 smaller sandwiches; serve.

Capriole's Sofia

paired up

local must-try vidal blanc wines Balducci vineyards’ 2016 vidal Blanc balduccivineyards.com edg-clif Farms & vineyard’s Starlight white or estate-Bottled vidal Blanc edg-clif.com adam Puchta winery’s vidal Blanc adampuchtawine.com

meet: bloomy-rind Goat Cheese

What Is It? I enjoy fresh chèvre as much as the next person, but it can be chalky, tangy and limited in terms of flavor. Goat milk can be used to make a range of cheese styles, like the three bloomy rinds featured here. I tested Cypress Grove's Humboldt Fog from California, Capriole's Sofia from Indiana and Hervé Mons' Ovalie Cendrée from France for this recipe; for a local option, try Angel Food or Little Bloom on the Prairie from Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery in Champaign, Illinois. Visually, they're stunning: The cratered rinds give way to smooth inner pastes that straddle liquid and solid.

What do I do WIth It? Each of these aged goat cheeses offer a clean and mellow alternative to fresh chèvre, with complex flavor that’s softly assertive and never overpowering; all three feature hints of lemon, mushroom and grass. Charcuterie platters are a given, but summer is upon us: Amp up your burgers (turkey or beef) with melted slabs of aged bloomy-rind goat cheese and a peppery green like arugula or cress. Crumble it into green salads with summer berries, toasted nuts, a sturdy grain like farro and a simple vinaigrette. These aged goat cheeses also invigorate a classic pasta primavera.

Shannon Weber is the creator, author and photographer behind the award-winning blog aperiodictableblog.com, and her work has appeared on websites such as Bon Appétit, Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. She is a self-taught baker and cook who believes that the words “I can’t” should never apply to food preparation and that curiosity can lead to wonderful things, in both the kitchen and life.

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The Muddled Pig

lisar@pappyssmokehouse.com | 314.570.7292

2733 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, MO 314.781. 4607 • TheMuddledPig.com

5.5

dirty dozen mud run in festus west city park

up

co

Climb, crawl & slip through 12 muddy obstacles on a 2-mile course. DJ during the day. $40 registration through April 13, $50 after, includes event tee & beverage of your choice.

6.2

mayor’s spring cruise in downtown festus

mi

ng

Cruise with the mayor. All vehicles welcome. Car show before cruise, live music after. If you’re not cruising, bring your lawn chairs and coolers.

ev

en

30 annual firecracker in festus west city park 6.22 – 6.23 festival th

3106 Olive Street | St. Louis, MO 63103

Only 20 minutes from St. Louis, Kimmswick and Jefferson County & Ste. Genevieve wine countries.

ts

6.22: Hillbilly Authority, 6-10pm • 6.23: John McEuen, Scotty Bratcher, Edgar Winter Band, 6-10pm

6.30 swingin’ under the stars in festus west city park The Missouri Big Band, 6-9pm

Head to Festus’ Facebook page For more details on tHese events and more.

For a one night stay or a weekend getaway, stay at one of these fine establishments. www.cityoffestus.org

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quick fix

Pork Burgers

story and recipe by Gabrielle deMichele photoGraphy by jennifer silverberG

Pork Burgers With tomato-onion Jam and raclette cheese An egg or potato bun will work well in place of brioche, if you prefer. Really, it’s the toasting that brings out the flavor of the bun. To toast, add a light smear of butter and slide under the broiler or fry in a buttered skillet. serves | 4 tO 6 | tOmatO-ONiON Jam

2 2 2 2 1 ½ ½ ½ ½

Tbsp olive oil sweet onions, thinly sliced tsp kosher salt garlic cloves, minced 28-oz can whole tomatoes, drained cup molasses cup light brown sugar cup apple cider vinegar tsp ground allspice

Pork Burgers

1 ½ ½ 1 ½ ½ 6 6

lb ground pork lb pork sausage, minced or ground lb bacon, minced or ground lb ground sirloin tsp kosher salt tsp freshly ground black pepper slices raclette cheese, divided brioche buns, toasted, divided tomato-onion jam (recipe below)

| preparation – tomato-onion jam | in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat, add olive oil; when oil is hot, add onions and salt. cover and cook until onions are wilted and soft, about 10 minutes. add garlic and sauté, 1 to 2 minutes. add remaining ingredients, cover and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally. remove lid until tomatoes break down and jam becomes thick, about 20 minutes. remove from heat and adjust seasoning to taste.

With tomato-onion Jam and Raclette cheese Grilling season is finally in full swing, and to celebrate, we’re shaking up burger night by using ground pork and sirloin instead of classic ground beef. topped with melty raclette cheese, homemade tomato-onion jam and wedged between fluffy brioche buns, these burgers aren’t short on flavor, and the richer blend of meat ensures extra juiciness.

We tend to pair burgers with beer – especially when we’re grilling outside on a warm day – yet a dry, earthy and light-bodied local chambourcin wine would also complement the tomato jam, smoky pork and sirloin in this burger. if you prefer white wine, a dry bottle of bubbly would pair well with the richness and spice of the pork patties and jam.

chef’s tip

the Menu

GROuND ROuND. to combine the ground pork and sirloin more evenly into your burger patties, add both to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix thoroughly using the paddle attachment instead of mixing by hand.

• Roasted Cauliflower Salad • Miso-Glazed Roasted Potatoes • Pork Burgers • Pavlova With Fresh Berries

get hands-on: Join Feast Magazine and schnucks Cooks Cooking school at 6pm on Wed., May 23, at the des peres, Missouri, location to make the dishes in this month’s menu. tickets are just $45 for a night of cooking, dining and wine. rsVp at nourish.schnucks.com/schnucks-cooks or call 314.909.1704.

In this class you’ll learn how to make burgers using ground pork and sirloin instead of classic ground beef, complemented by cookout-ready sides of roasted cauliflower salad and miso-glazed roasted potatoes.

| preparation – pork burgers | in a large mixing bowl, combine all meat and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, mix until well combined, taking care not to overwork. form meat into 4 to 6 patties. in a cast-iron pan or grill pan over medium-high heat, add 3 or 4 patties. cook in pan, untouched, for 4 minutes.

Using a spatula, flip patties carefully; cook 3 to 4 minutes more. (patties will continue cooking once removed from heat.) transfer to a serving platter, top each with cheese and tent with aluminum foil; cook remaining patties. assemble patties on buns and top each patty with a dollop of jam. serve warm.

paired up

local must-try sparkling wines Noboleis Vineyards’ Noblevescent noboleisvineyards.com Pirtle Winery's effervescent Mead pirtlewinery.com kC Wineworks' Blanc de Blancs kcwineworks.com

WATCH IT ON THESE NETWORKS

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Mondays at 9:30pm starting May 7.

In Kansas City, watch Feast TV on KCPT (Channel 19) Saturdays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 7:30am.

You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Saturdays at 10am starting May 5.

The new season of Feast TV will debut in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8) this summer.

Feast TV’s new season will air in the Lake of the Ozarks region on Ozarks Public Television.

Check your local listings for airdates.

Check mylaketv.com to watch Feast TV in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

feast tv is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors:

Inspired Local Food Culture

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sweet ideas

story and recipe by christy augustin photography by jacklyn meyer

Sweet OR SavORy CRêpeS The crêpe batter recipe calls for four whole eggs plus four egg yolks; freeze leftover whites for future use. To flavor sweet crêpe batter, add fresh citrus zest or spices such as cardamom or nutmeg. To flavor savory batter, add minced fresh herbs like chives or basil.

Although the measurements for the sweet crêpe batter differ from those for the savory batter, the preparation of both follows the same steps. To make the crêpes, you’ll need nonstick cooking oil spray. yields | 10 crêpes |

sweet crêpe Batter ²⁄₃ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour ¹⁄₃ cup confectioner’s sugar pinch kosher salt 2 large eggs 2 egg yolks ¼ tsp vanilla extract ½ cup half and half ½ cup whole milk ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted savory crêpe Batter 1 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour 1 Tbsp granulated sugar 1½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper ½ lemon, zested 2 large eggs 2 egg yolks ½ cup half and half ½ cup whole milk ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

| preparation – sweet or savory crêpe batter | in a large mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients and stir or whisk together; transfer to the bowl of a blender. top dry ingredients with all wet ingredients (and any additional flavorings, if desired) and blend until smooth. refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours or preferably overnight.

| preparation – crêpes | place a cookie sheet near your stove. heat a nonstick skillet or crêpe pan over medium heat until warm. lightly spray with nonstick cooking oil spray. using a ladle or measuring cup, pour approximately 2 ounces of crêpe batter into skillet or pan and swirl to coat the bottom. cook until crêpe is firm enough to touch, about 45 to 60 seconds, then flip it over by loosening edges with a rubber spatula and gently and quickly flipping with your fingers. cook until just lightly golden, another 45 seconds or so; slide crêpe onto cookie sheet to cool. repeat until you’ve used all batter.

Sweet OR SavORy CRêpeS Wandering the streets of paris, it seems as if there’s a crêpe cart on every corner. crêpes are cooked to order on large hot plates, the batter spread out using wooden wands; it looks like magic and they taste like heaven. my favorite crêpe filling is nutella and bananas, topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. eating those crêpes on the street is one of my fondest memories of a very special vacation. and with this simple recipe and an everyday nonstick skillet, you can bring a taste of France into your own kitchen. the only difficult part of this recipe is mastering the crêpe flip – it always takes two tries (or maybe three or four) to get it right. don’t fret if your first few aren’t perfect: the French say the first crêpe is pour les chiens, or "for the dogs," anyway! these two recipes outline how to make sweet or savory crêpe batter, but i’ve left the filling and topping options up to you. try pairing mascarpone cheese and fresh strawberries with sweet crêpes, or use my preferred nutella and banana combination. savory crêpes can be stuffed with hummus and green veggies as a healthy snack, or serve them as i do: filled with ham and brie. if you’re making crêpes for a leisurely brunch, try pairing a ham and brie number with local seyval blanc. or if you prefer fresh fruit (think apples, pears or peaches), bacon or chicken, or cheeses such as muenster or gorgonzola, local traminette wine will act as an ideal match.

Christy Augustin has had a lifelong love affair with all things sweet. After working as a pastry chef in New Orleans and St. Louis, she opened Pint Size Bakery & Coffee in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park in 2012. She calls herself the baker of all things good and evil. Learn more at pintsizebakery.com.

paired up

local must-try traminette wines stone Hill winery’s 2015 reserve traminette stonehillwinery.com somerset ridge vineyard & winery’s traminette somersetridge.com augusta winery’s 2016 estate Bottled traminette augustawinery.com

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Visit us at TexasdeBrazil.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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Patio dining

a guide to dining

Al Fresco

kc

Serving Midwestern comfort foods such as fried chicken, farm-fresh veggies and pie from James Beard Foundation award-winning chefs Colby and Megan Garrelts, Rye on the Plaza features sidewalk seating overlooking the iconic J. C. Nichols Memorial Fountain in the heart of Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. The sidewalk patio is open for breakfast, lunch, brunch, dinner and happy hour, which runs Monday through Friday from 4 to 6pm and includes half-off snacks, drink specials and $4 slices of pie.

816.541.3382, ryekc.com/plaza

kc

mixxingitup.com

mo

bishop’s post

the mixx

The Mixx is a modern, casual restaurant that focuses on fresh, housemade salads, soups, sandwiches, wraps and pasta dishes. Along with locations in the Kansas City Power & Light District and Country Club Plaza, the Hawthorne location in Overland Park, Kansas, (pictured) features a family-friendly patio perfect for a casual lunch or dinner. An overhang also ensures plenty of shade and comfort during warm spring days.

written by bethany christo

stl

Rye on the Plaza

Canterbury Hill Winery&Restaurant

Canterbury Hill Winery & Restaurant sits on top of a rock bluff in Holts Summit, Missouri, with a stunning view of the state capitol and the rolling hills of Callaway County. Canterbury Hill offers American cuisine on its 450-person dog-friendly patio. A full menu of apps, salads, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, steak, seafood and dessert is available, best paired with a Canterbury Hill wine, wine slushie, wine flight, craft cocktail or beer.

573.896.9966, canterburyhill.com

stl In Chesterfield, Missouri, Bishop’s Post is a contemporary eatery offering upscale, seasonal fare.

The beautifully landscaped outdoor patio features a large cascading waterfall, umbrella shading and an adjoining four-seasons garden room with a roof covering.

636.536.9404, bishopspost.com

stl

the Chase Club

Sitting on the patio at Favazza’s on The Hill is just like being in Italy – surrounded by an aromatic herb and rose garden with views of fountains and painted murals and enjoying plates of authentic Italian cuisine. Open year round, the 100-person covered patio is a great place to watch games by the outdoor bar – staying warm in the enclosure next to an oversized fireplace. The additional 50-person umbrella-shaded patio is a favorite in town for al fresco dining on warmer days.

314.772.4454, favazzas.com

stl

Located in St. Louis at The Chase Park Plaza, The Chase Club overlooks the hotel’s Mediterranean-style pool with shaded terrace seating, fire pit lounging and live entertainment – come for happy hour Monday through Friday for drink specials and innovative gastropub fare.

314.454.9000, stlchaseclub.com

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Favazza’sonTheHill

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.

Tip back a stein of craft beer, nosh on locally sourced German fare at a shaded communal table and enjoy live music Friday and Saturday evenings at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s Midtown St. Louis location. The traditional German biergarten is an oasis for drinking the regional brewery’s portfolio of old- and new-world European styles from the outdoor bar, which can be paired with sandwiches and other light farm-to-table fare.

314.222.0143, urbanchestnut.com

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SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza

kc

kc

El Patrón Cocina & Bar

kc

Chaz on the Plaza

Stop by a cool and contemporary patio at any of SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza’s 10 Kansas City-area and Lawrence, Kansas, locations. The dog-friendly patios are perfetta for a date night, lunch meeting or family outing. Enjoy artisan pizzas, sandwiches, salads and gelato, plus affordable premium wine, craft beer and housemade sangria.

Popular for its $2 Taco Tuesday and weeknight happy hour, El Patrón Cocina & Bar in Kansas City serves authentic Mexican cuisine that’s best enjoyed on its festive outdoor patio. Along with tacos, signatures include housemade mole sauce, sizzling fajitas, enchiladas and tamales – all of which can be paired with from-scratch Margaritas and Mojitos.

Chaz on the Plaza, at The Raphael Hotel, offers a scenic, shady patio to “drink in” Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Sit back, relax and listen to live jazz on Friday and Saturday evenings through October. An outdoor bar is ready to serve inventive craft cocktails, wine, bubbles and beer to complement the unique menu of chef Joe Cizek.

spinpizza.com

816.931.6400, elpatronkc.com/home

816.802.2152, raphaelkc.com/chazontheplaza

stl

Edibles & Essentials

kc

ThePressedPennyTavern

STL

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants

Edibles & Essentials in St. Louis Hills has a quaint and quiet patio. Sip a beverage on the charming, 50-person partially covered terrace, and enjoy a meal from the seasonally rotating menu of small and large plates with American, Mediterranean and Asian flair. Stop by on Sat., May 12 for the patio kickoff party with a pig roast and live music.

Come enjoy a selection of small plates on The Pressed Penny Tavern’s renovated back patio or front sidewalk seating in Kansas City. Enjoy the relaxing, intimate ambiance during happy hour seven days a week from 3 to 6pm (9pm Sundays), featuring draft beers, well drinks, wines by the glass and inventive, chef-driven dishes.

Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants location in Town and Country, Missouri, features a sophisticated patio overlooking a picturesque manmade lake. Enjoy an outdoor extension of the contemporary dining experience of American-fusion dishes and pairings from the extensive, award-winning wine list.

314.328.2300, ediblesandessentials.com

816.531.7687, thepressedpennytavern.com

636.489.0059, chwinery.com

stl

sister cities cajun

Sister Cities Cajun, a favorite for its mix of classic Cajun, French and modern American flavors, has a new St. Louis location. Right now, the patio and outdoor bar seat a couple dozen for lunch, dinner and drinks, but major renovations are in the works for additional lawn seating, an outdoor stage, a fire pit and leash-free dog park this fall.

314.405.0447, sistercitiescajun.com

sgf

farmers gastropub

The patio at Farmers Gastropub in Springfield, Missouri, has a cool, relaxed vibe for catching up with friends on a Saturday afternoon or enjoying brunch with family (and the family dog!). Enjoy daily happy hour from 2 to 5pm, featuring beer, wine and cocktail specials, plus half-price snacks from the menu of locally sourced, British pub-style eats.

417.864.6994, farmersgastropub.com 69 Inspired Local Food Culture may 2 018

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O’Dowd’s gastrobar

sgf

the order

The intimate covered patio at The Order at Hotel Vandivort is an upscale-yet-approachable spot in Springfield, Missouri, to relax on the lounge seats and enjoy craft cocktails, local beer and refined, locally sourced dishes. Try drinks from the new cocktail menu at happy hour Monday through Thursday (4:30 to 6:30pm), plus “yappy hour” with four-legged friends the first Saturday of the month.

417.851.5299, theordersgf.com

O’Dowd’s Gastrobar is a social outdoor space in one of Kansas City’s hippest spots. Along with chef-driven American and Irish cuisine, order daily late-night drink specials (and all day Sunday) and social-hour deals (4 to 6pm Monday to Friday) from the outdoor full-service bar.

816.561.2700, odowdskc.com

mo

edg-clif farms & vineyard

stl

barcelona tapas

The full-service patio at Barcelona Tapas in Clayton, Missouri, resembles breezy European-style sidewalk cafés. It’s perfect for relaxing with a pitcher of sangria and true Spanish tapas. On Wednesdays, spice up your night with live music on the patio starting at 6:30pm.

314.863.9909, barcelonatapas.com

stl

BaiKu Sushi Lounge

Cozy and inviting, BaiKu Sushi Lounge’s patio is tucked away in bustling Midtown St. Louis. Kick back, relax and enjoy specialty sushi rolls and creative Asian-inspired cocktails with friends and family. Soak up the sunshine at lunch, and enjoy 20-percent off at happy hour Tuesday through Friday from 4:30 to 6pm.

314.896.2500, baikustl.com In Potosi, Missouri, relax at an open-air pavilion surrounded by vineyards and gardens. The outdoor bar and patio at Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard is a picnic-friendly destination to try its award-winning wines and craft beers, attend special dinners and listen to weekend live music.

stl

573.438.4741, edg-clif.com

KC

cinder block kitchen

Ruth’s Chris Steak house

Past the sleek bar and booths at Ruth’s Chris Steak House in Clayton, Missouri – known for its USDA prime steak served on sizzling 500°F plates – is a cozy patio with outdoor dining for 50 guests. Enjoy daily happy-hour specials and live music on Fridays and Saturdays from comfortable couches around the fire pits.

314.783.9900, ruthschris.com/clayton

stl

In 2013, Cinder Block Brewery expanded to include Cinder Block Kitchen, which serves farm-fresh twists on bar favorites from a food truck parked on the 150-person patio. The large picnic tables with illuminated umbrellas offer shade during the day and plenty of light at night.

816.298.6555, cinderblockbrewery.com 70 feastmagazine.com m ay 2 0 1 8

Sanctuaria

Surrounded by wrought-iron fencing and brick walls with stunning murals, Sanctuaria’s garden patio is both an open and intimate space to enjoy creative cocktails and tapas, happy hour and occasional live music in St. Louis. Sit at shaded low-top tables in the covered French atrium in the garden, which grows herbs, flowers and produce used in the restaurant’s kitchen and bar.

314.535.9700, sanctuariastl.com

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stl

The Bloom Café

kc

Il Lazzarone

STL

Capitalist Pig

Now open in St. Louis, The Bloom Café offers a fresh take on fast-casual breakfast and lunch while helping people with disabilities grow their independence. The patio offers shaded seating among an urban garden. Although currently under construction, the patio will soon be a destination within walking distance of Forest Park.

Steps away from the Delaware Street KC Streetcar stop in River Market, Il Lazzarone’s patio is a comfortable place to enjoy authentic Neapolitan-style pizza, Italian wine, craft cocktails, 30 draft beers and a selection of frozen drinks. The cozy, dog-friendly spot is open late every night and offers after-work and late-night happy hours daily.

St. Louis’ Capitalist Pig serves handcrafted and house-smoked barbecue from local and regional sources, with an emphasis on sustainability and responsible farming practices. The dog-friendly Soulard patio is a private and breezy hideaway with plenty of shade and greenery – perfect for a long, relaxing lunch or Sunday barbecue brunch.

314.652.5666, thebloom.cafe

816.541.3695, illazzarone.org

314.772.1180, capitalistpigbbq.com

KC

red door grill

Red Door Grill offers hip outdoor spaces in the Kansas City area to enjoy brunch, lunch, dinner and weeknight happy hour from the locally sourced and passionately prepared wood-fired menu. The patio has a retractable roof, screened panel walls and heaters for cool nights, as well as umbrellas for warm days, and features fire pits and TVs. reddoorgrill.com

stl

Winslow’s home

kc

the well

The Well is a unique, multi-level restaurant with open-air windows and an expansive, all-season rooftop patio – one of Kansas City’s largest. The Well is open seven days a week, 365 days a year, and is a favorite for late-night, chef-driven eats and weeknight happy hour from 3 to 6pm, as well as its Sunday brunch and live weekend entertainment.

816.361.1700, waldowell.com The patio at Winslow’s Home in St. Louis provides a comfortable alternative to the bustling dining room.

Enjoy a glass of wine or relaxed meal from the menu of seasonal farm-inspired dishes with ingredients picked fresh from Winslow’s Farm.

Don’t forget to stop by the retail counter to take some artisan goodies home with you.

314.725.7559, winslowshome.com

KC

STL

Element Restaurant & Lounge

Element Restaurant & Lounge is a New American spot serving inventive, seasonally driven food in St. Louis’ renovated former City Hospital. The patio includes an herb garden and shaded dining tables, and a second lounge patio features fire pits and live music on Fridays.

314.241.1674, elementstl.com

Smoke Brewing Co. is a Lee’s Summit, Missouri, staple for innovative craft beer and from-scratch American fare. Relax on the spacious patio that peeks into the brewery through a glass garage door. Stop by for live music on Saturday nights through the fall. Along with craft beer, a full bar and wine list are available – try pairing with the signature pan-seared salmon.

816.525.2337, smokebrewingco.com 71 Inspired Local Food Culture may 2 018

Smoke brewing co.

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aGe oF asPaRaGus

]

conoVer’s colossal Let’s hear it for Memorial Day, Little Women and Conover’s Colossal asparagus: Each of these were introduced 150 years ago, and they live on today as the kickoff to summer, a classic comingof-age novel and one of the most popular kinds of heirloom asparagus, respectively. It’s a tasty, highyield variety that’s a great source of nectar for bees and other helpful garden insects.

in Good with

From Vitamin a to Zinc, asparagus Has it all WitH Dr. Yin cao scD, mpH a Washington University assistant professor of surgery at Siteman Cancer Center

In the long view of history, asparagus is a relative newcomer to the United States. It didn’t make its way here until the mid-1800s, even though it had been grown in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years. The vegetable was so prized by ancient Egyptians they offered it up to their gods. Caesar Augustus used it as a rallying cry of sorts, spurring his subordinates to action with the phrase Velocius quam asparagi conquantur! — or, Faster than you can cook asparagus!

As far as food analogies go, Caesar’s was an accurate one: Asparagus needs only a few minutes to cook — a dramatic contrast to the three years it takes for new crops to start producing spears. After that, the plants can sprout for decades.

Asparagus is now widely available at stores and farmers’ markets all year long, and they are currently at their peak.

Asparagus contain a veritable alphabet of vitamins, says Dr. Yin Cao, a Washington University assistant professor of surgery at Siteman Cancer Center. “Antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C and E, help the body get rid of or fight off damaged cells, which can be responsible for some cancers and chronic health diseases,” she says. They are also high in vitamin K, which promotes bone growth and healing throughout the body.

Spears may be thick or thin; green, purple or white; sweet or savory. When picking out a bunch, take a look at the feathery tip: The leaves should be pulled in tight. Thickness or thinness doesn’t much affect the taste. In fact, the thicker varieties are often a little more tender. Instead, think about how they’ll be

prepared. Thicker ones will hold up better broiled or on the barbecue grill, while thinner asparagus are better suited for steaming and stir-fries.

Asparagus’ vibrant color is more than just good looks. It’s the product of flavonoids, an important nutrient found in plants and vegetables. “Flavonoids are believed to reduce inflammation in the body,” Dr. Cao says. “Too much inflammation is linked with heart disease and certain cancers. These vitamins are part of a strong immune system, and they keep you feeling healthy.”

Though each spear contains only about four calories, they’re packed with essential minerals, including iron, calcium, protein and fiber. Foods that are high in protein and fiber are particularly good for weight control because they’re filling, which leads to fewer calories consumed overall. “Being overweight is now linked to multiple cancers, as well as a heightened risk for diabetes, heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Having a diet full in fiber and protein can help you maintain or achieve your weight loss goals,” Dr. Cao says. She points out that iron and calcium also support healthy bones and lower the risk of osteoporosis later in life.

But even with their slate of nutritional advantages, asparagus’ most superlative quality may lie in its crowd appeal. After all, vegetables are only beneficial if people are willing to eat them.

Asparagus can be incorporated into just about any meal, and it makes an excellent palette that allows even the simplest ingredients — such as olive oil, fresh-shaved cheese and zested citrus fruit — to shine bright.

Roasted GaRlic and PaRmesan asPaRaGus Yields | 4 servings |

½ ½ ½

pound fresh asparagus teaspoon salt teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

3 cloves minced garlic 2–3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese olive oil spray

Nutrition Information (per serving): 32 calories, 1g fat, 350mg sodium, 3g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 3g protein

Rinse the asparagus and trim off woody end pieces. Spread out in a thin layer on top of the prepared cookie sheet.

Bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Enjoy!

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There are dozens of heirloom asparagus available to gardeners, and Mary Washington is among the most foolproof. First cultivated in the early 1900s, it embodies asparagus’ very best traits — so much so it’s the parent plant for many hybrids. Mary Washington’s deep green spears are heavy but tender, and they’re punctuated with a beautiful feathery tip. It grows well in both hot and cold conditions, is resistant to most diseases and — once it has been established — can keep producing for decades.

precoce D’argenteuil If Claude Monet designed an asparagus, it might look something like the sweettasting Precoce d’Argenteuil. At turns pink, lavender, green and white — sometimes all on the same stalk.

This heirloom asparagus has been around since the late 1800s. “Precoce” means “early” in French, and these vegetables are some of the first to push up from the ground in springtime. Argenteuil is a suburb of Paris, famous for its asparagus production and gorgeous landscape. In fact, Monet himself was so inspired by Argenteuil (the town, not the asparagus) he moved his family there in 1871 and went on to create some of his most magnificent work.

purple asparagus Purple asparagus get their show-stopping color from anthocyanin, an antioxidant that some studies have linked to heart health, cancer prevention and a longer life. Thanks to their sugar content — about 20 percent higher than their green counterparts — purple asparagus have a sweet, bright taste. They do have woodier outsides than green ones (so peel the lower half before eating), but otherwise preparation is easy. To get the most out of them, roast or grill quickly over high heat, then accent simply with olive oil and sea salt.

WHite asparagus

| preparation | Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.

Spray the asparagus lightly with a coat of olive oil spray.

Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic and parmesan cheese. Use your hands to mix the asparagus with all of the ingredients, then lay out into an even layer. Spray with one more light coat of olive oil.

marY WasHington

Recipe courtesy of: belleofthekitchen.com/2016/03/16 /garlic-parmesan-roasted-asparagus/

White and green asparagus are the very same variety, minus one crucial element: sunlight.

As white asparagus begin to emerge from the ground, dirt is piled on top of the spear. This blocks the sun and halts the production of chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants and vegetables their green hue.

White asparagus are tender inside and out, and like air kisses and diesel engines, they’re more popular in Europe. Here in the U.S., they’re often found in stores jarred or canned. White asparagus are less woody and more mild than green, but the two types can be used interchangeably in recipes.

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Show Me Series KC on Eventbrite

| 76 |

FortiFying a revival

Fortified wines like Port and sherry are making a comeback on cocktail lists across the world. In Missouri, bartenders and winemakers are hoping that this renewed interest leads to increased sales as well.

| 85 |

Board Meeting

Upgrade your next at-home happy hour with an all-local cheese and charcuterie board paired with fine Missouri wine.

| 92 |

through the grapevine

The long and tangled history of Norton, Missouri’s state grape.

| 98 |

a kind oF Magic

Claverach Farm’s natural wines push the boundaries of what’s possible in grape growing and winemaking in Missouri.

PhoTo oF ClaveraCh FarM PÉT-NaT by jeNNIFer sIlverberg

Fortifying a Revival Fortified wines like Port and sherry are making a comeback on cocktail lists across the world. In Missouri, bartenders and winemakers are hoping that this renewed interest leads to increased sales as well. written by MALLOry MASt

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|

phOtOgrAphy by zAch bAuMAn | iLLuStrAtiOnS by jereMy Luther

Jenn Tosatto of Mission Taco Joint in Kansas City

11 Must-Try Local Fortified Wines Kansas City-based American Master of Wine and master sommelier Doug Frost has been working in the regional wine industry for almost 40 years, and he’s a regular judge at the Missouri Wine Competition. He recommends the following 11 local fortified wines to try right now, including tasting notes for each.“First and foremost, [when

W

judging wine, you’re] trying to find a good representation of the style.

Secondarily, [you're] looking for balance – [that] the sugar doesn’t stick

hen Jenn Tosatto was invited

first event in 2005, there’s been a renewed

to compete in the 10th-annual

interest in sherry and other fortified wines

out to the degree that the wine is cloying,” Frost says.“Grapes grown

U.S. Sherry Cocktail

worldwide. The revival is often credited

in this [region have a] high malic content; those characteristics lend

Competition in 2015, she

to legendary wine consultant Steve Olson

themselves well to good, solid dessert-style fortified wines.”

knew she needed to bring her A-game. She

and renowned bartender Andy Seymour,

was competing against just 10 bartenders

who were hired by Wines from Spain, the

from across the country and representing

trade commission of Spain, to help promote

The Rieger in Kansas City, where she worked

Spanish wine exports. They led a group of

adam puchta winery’s signature port. Adam Puchta

mountain grove cellars’ ozark mountain port. This is a

at the time. (She's now at Mission Taco Joint.)

sommeliers to Jerez in 2002, and in 2005, to

Winery is adept at Port-style wines. The

really lovely version of Norton-based Port.

the first sherry-cocktail competition finals in

Signature Port is fruity and powerful, in

I highly recommend it.

Her strategy included making a sherry

New York. Bartenders across the world began

the style of ruby Port wines.

vermouth from scratch by steeping a

swapping sweet vermouth for Port and dry

combination of amontillado sherry with

vermouth for sherry in cocktails, but it has

chamomile, juniper berries, cardamom,

taken years to grow into a real industry trend.

adam puchta winery’s anniversary port. Adam Puchta Winery is the oldest family-owned winery in

coriander, grains of paradise, simple syrup and

noboleis vineyards’ port-style norton.

Another lovely example of the more elegant style of Norton Port.

lemon and grapefruit peels for 24 hours. She

Tosatto believes the resurgence is part of a

the U.S., so it makes sense that Tim Puchta

then dissolved Simcoe hop pellets in a neutral

larger trend toward lower alcohol-by-volume

should exhibit great skill with aging wines.

vodka before straining the solids from both

(ABV) cocktails over the past five years. “I

This Port is defined by its time in barrels

somerset ridge vineyard & winery’s citron white port.

separately and then combining and chilling the

definitely think there's renewed interest [in

and age.

This is an unusual, sweet and tangy wine, like

mixture for another 24 hours.

fortified wines],” Tosatto says. “People [are]

someone made orange slices into a Port.

To make the cocktail, which she named

drunk,’” phase; more people want to drink

holy-field vineyard & winery’s st. francis port.

The Night Breed, Tosatto mixed her sherry

to appreciate alcohol and [its] nuances. The

This has the richness and bold fruit flavor

stone hill winery’s cream sherry. This perennial favorite has

vermouth with gin, lemon juice, simple syrup

interest in low-ABV cocktails has driven

of Norton along with a tangy, clean finish.

the nutty character of an aged sherry along

and plum bitters. The result was an earthy,

bartenders to use a lot of fortified wines [as]

floral cocktail with a pleasant yet unexpected

bases of cocktails.”

getting out of the, ‘I want to drink to get

jowler creek winery’s nort.

A chocolate-rich style of Norton based on

bitterness on the finish from the Simcoe hops.

Fortified wines like Port, sherry and Madeira

a Port.

At the competition, which was held in New

are simply wines that have been strengthened

York City, she served the drink chilled in a

and preserved – or fortified – with a distilled

cordial glass garnished with an edible orchid.

spirit. Wines are typically fortified with an

les bourgeois vineyards’ rocheport. A very pretty, fleshy,

Although she didn’t win, the judges told her

unaged, clear, high-proof distilled grape spirit

fruity style of Norton Port.

how fantastic her drink was, and sipped her

or brandy – not the kind you’d sip straight.

Although fortified wines have been around

montelle winery’s cynthiana port. Owner and

The cocktail competition is hosted by Sherry

for more than 3,000 years, as with any trend,

winemaker Tony Kooyumjian makes an

Wines Vinos de Jerez, a trade association

what’s old is new again – and now, evolving.

elegant Port.

promoting Spanish wine exports. Since the

Sherry sales doubled globally last year, with

vermouth as they made their final decision.

with dried fruit, and is defined by a touch of tangy, tart apple at the finish.

stone hill winery’s port.

Norton can succeed in a variety of styles, including this rich and complex Port.

vox vineyards’ munson report. A Port made with a blend of grapes from a new and fascinating producer of Missouri wines.

Inspired Local Food Culture

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drier, premium products seeing the most

The base process for making any fortified wine

ruby Port is the most common and youngest

growth, according to the Wine Market Council, a

is similar to that of sherry: Juice ferments as the

variety, aged for no more than three years.

nonprofit dedicated to advancing the U.S. wine

yeast eats grape sugars, converting sugar to

Ruby-style Port is typically sweet and tannic,

market through research. Now that millennials

alcohol. The difference in making fortified wines

with dark berry and fruit flavors.

are the largest consumer base in America, their

is that when the wine fermentation reaches the

preferences toward craft and artisan-made

winemaker’s desired level of residual sugars

Like the laws governing Champagne – sparkling

products are pouring over into the alcohol

(typically 8 to 14 percent), the grape spirit or

wine produced outside of the Champagne

industry. What began with the post-recession

brandy is added to fortify the wine. This kills

region of France cannot be labeled as

craft-beer movement has since expanded to

the yeast, halting fermentation. If spirits are

Champagne – as of 2006, winemakers can no

include a booming craft-distilling industry,

added prior to fermentation finishing, it typically

longer sell their fortified wine as Port, Madeira

with nearly 300 percent growth in crafts spirit

results in a sweeter wine, and if they’re added

or sherry unless it’s made in specific European

debuts since 2011, according to Mintel, an

after fermentation, it results in a drier wine.

locales. Port stems from the Douro Valley of Spain, Madiera from the Madeira Islands and

analytics firm. Millennials are also responsible for nearly half of all wine sales in the U.S., as

Although Port requires a less complex

Wine Market Council reported in 2015.

winemaking process (heat and yeast aren’t

sherry from Jerez or Andalusia, Spain.

Port (and Sherry) Authorities Prior to Prohibition, there were 60 wineries

involved), its story is similar to sherry. In the

However, a clause in the 2006 law grandfathered

operating in Hermann, Missouri, alone. When the ban

Today, you’re more likely to see a barrel-aged

1600s, when England and France were at war,

in some bottles labeled Port and sherry, so long

was lifted 13 years later, most local grape growers

sherry with notes of whiskey and spice or a

the British swapped their French Bordeaux

as their labels and ingredients never change. In

and winemakers had either taken up new professions

bold, dry glass of Port on a drink list, either solo

for red wine from northern Portugal. To keep

Missouri, this clause applies to Port, typically

or died, leaving the state’s once-booming commercial

or in a cocktail, as industry pros like Tosatto

it from spoiling, they added spirits. Port is

made from Norton grapes, and sherry, produced

industry to languish for more than half a century.

play with and promote their unique flavor.

sometimes aged in wood (as with tawny Port);

with a blend of regional red and white grapes.

Stone Hill Winery in Hermann was the third-largest

Don’t Call It a Comeback The history of sherry can be traced back to 1100 B.C. to Jerez, where native white grapes Palomino, Pedro Ximénez and sometimes Muscat are grown. In later centuries, the Greeks and Romans began to import wines from this region. By the 17th century, the Spanish Moors had introduced a distillation process and would fortify their wines for long overseas voyages, which is likely when the technique of adding spirits to wine began.

Wine barrels often sat on ships in brutally hot temperatures, causing the white wine inside to become so oxidized it turned a brownish color.

Typically, oxidation (adding or removing oxygen) is the enemy of wine. Yet these Spanish whites became so oxidized that they developed a nutty aroma and flavor that quickly gained popularity in Europe – the British were even buying stolen barrels of the wine from pirates for a time.

As demand for sherry increased over the next century, winemakers were tasked with recreating the experience and conditions of a trans-Atlantic trip – what today is known as maderization, or intentionally heating and oxidizing wine before aging. Such experimentation led us to the modern sherry-making process, where winemakers age with a heat application to oxidize casks – practices that would destroy normal wine.

The resulting sherry can range from dry to sweet depending on how it’s made, with a nutty, caramel-glazed finish.

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winery in the world before Prohibition; in 1965,

Johnson says Stone Hill’s Port is dark and

point on, it’s really handled like you would any

Although he's happy with the 1855, when it comes

Jim and Betty Held revived it.

full-bodied – moderately tannic and fruit-

other dry red wine. We don’t allow it to get

down to it, Port is Puchta’s passion. Puchta and

forward. “Norton makes a Port that has a little

exposed to heat and oxygen, [which is] what we

his winemaker, Michael Rouse, make two styles

When Dave Johnson, senior winemaker at

more acidity to balance the sweetness; it’s

do purposely to sherry.”

of Port: Signature and Anniversary, both made

Stone Hill, came on board in 1978, Missouri’s

not as tannic as Portuguese-vintage Ports and

wine industry was still in the early days of

doesn't require the [same] long aging,” he says.

with estate-grown Norton grapes and the same The final product is a dark, rich dessert wine

red wine-grape spirit from California used for

with strong blackberry and cassis flavors.

1855. Signature is an unaged ruby-style Port, and

begin producing Port at Stone Hill until 1990

Port made at Stone Hill can age for just a few

Johnson recommends sipping the Port with

Anniversary is aged in oak. In 2014, Signature won

(which was then released in 1992 and 1993),

years or up to 10 years, Johnson says, compared

strong cheeses, nuts or anything fruit-based,

Best of Class at the Missouri Wine Competition.

although he says Stone Hill has records of

to some that age for more than 150 years in

like a raspberry torte.

pre-Prohibition Port and brandy production.

Portugal. Johnson is currently preparing to

rebuilding its former glory. Johnson wouldn’t

“Interest in Port has increased; [our Port

begin production on a brandy at Stone Hill, but

In addition to its Port, Stone Hill produces

production is] increasing because demand for

Today, Stone Hill uses single-vintage Norton

most Missouri producers get their grape spirits

a dark, rich cream sherry. There are several

Port has increased,” Puchta says, although it’s

grapes – Missouri’s state grape – for its Port,

and brandy from outside of the state. Right

styles of sherry, including amontillado, fino

baby boomers, not millennials, who buy it from

resulting in what Johnson calls a “distinctly

now, the same out-of-state brandy is used to

and oloroso. Oloroso, the style that Johnson

him by the case.

Missouri” dessert wine, which is aged for a

make both Stone Hill’s Port and sherry.

produces at Stone Hill, refers to any sherry,

year in a variety of American and European

dry or sweet, made with forced (as opposed to

“It’s cyclical, just like people drinking whites

natural) oxidation.

or reds,” Puchta says. “I’ve always loved rosés

oak barrels. Norton grapes have a little less

“We start the fermentation and then we fortify

tannin and a higher acidity than the red wine

[the wine] with brandy, and do it at a stage that

grapes typically used in Portugal, which

allows for what we like – around 8 percent

For Johnson, making the cream sherry has

rosés. You see more Port drinkers in the winter,

feature blackberry and mulberry flavors.

residual sugars,” Johnson says. “From that

been labor-intensive from the beginning

but we have a fairly hardcore group that likes to

(production began in 1993 and the first release

drink it with their barbecue [in the summer].”

[before it was a trend], and I continue to love

was in 2000). He uses a modified Spanish solera process, meaning he blends a mixture

While Johnson prefers enjoying Port as a

of vintages dating back to 1999 for better

traditional complement to dessert (especially

consistency; Stone Hill’s blend has an average

anything with toffee or caramel), Puchta says he

age of between eight to 10 years.

wants people to experiment and have fun with it.

“While heat and oxygen are normally the

“People don’t think outside of the box with Port,”

enemies of wine, Stone Hill cream sherry, like

he says. “They think it’s for after dinner and that’s

Doug Frost offers this advice: “A dessert wine

most Oloroso-style sherries, is purposely

it. But Port as an apéritif… it's cool what we can

should be as sweet or sweeter than the dessert.

exposed to heat and oxygen to encourage

do with that! Ports are fun.”

fortified wine and food As far as pairing fortified wines with food goes,

In general, sweet wine is a fantastic foil for

maderization, leading to the dark amber color

cheese; cheese really isn’t as good a foil for red

and nutty flavor and aroma,” Johnson says.

At home, Puchta likes to add a little Port to

wine as mythology tells us.” Frost recommends

“The young sherry spends one summer in a

homemade whipped cream to top pumpkin pie,

serving fortified wines in a smaller wine glass

tank exposed to the hot Missouri sun and

which gives it a nutty flavor. Puchta says that

then is barrel aged for many years in a warm,

some of his chef friends have used his Port in

above-ground building, rather than Stone

salad dressings, marinades, sauces and more. He

Hill’s cool underground cellars.”

encourages people to cook with them, use them

that has a bowl tapering inward, “so you can catch all the good smells waiting for you.”

in desserts, pair them with non-dessert courses, Johnson’s long-term diligent care has been

drink them with appetizers and use them in

rewarded: Stone Hill won Best of Class awards

cocktails.

in the dessert wine category for its cream sherry at the Missouri Wine Competition in

“For so many years, [Ports] were just some big

2015, 2016 and 2017, and Stone Hill’s 2013 Port

[mystery], but Port is a super-fun wine – you don’t

won gold in 2017.

have to keep it for dessert,” he says.

Stone Hill isn’t the only Missouri winery producing quality fortified wines in Hermann: Adam Puchta Winery has also produced them since the mid-1990s.

Tim Puchta, owner and president of Adam Puchta Winery, lives in what was once his grandparents’ home, next door to his winery.

It's the oldest continuously owned family winery in the country, operated by the Puchtas since 1855, the year Adam Puchta – Tim’s great-great-grandfather – made his first wine.

Puchta is particularly proud of 1855, the

Grape Expectations

Madeira-style sherry he started making in

At Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard in Potosi, Missouri,

2000; he released his first 300-gallon batch in

partner and winemaker Cyndy Keesee has

2010. Like Johnson at Stone Hill, Puchta also

personally seen an increased interest in fortified

uses a modified solera system, and suspends

wines at her family's winery.

old and new oak staves in enclosed stainless steel casks, which he then exposes to sunlight.

“It’s not just guys [who] want to sit around and

The 1855 is made with a blend of Vivant,

smoke cigars,” Keesee says with a laugh. “[It’s] not

Vignoles and Norton grapes; a red grape spirit

necessarily middle-aged men – younger people

from California is used to fortify the wine.

like Port. Millennials are very experimental and Inspired Local Food Culture

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want to try different things. They want things local; they want things hand-crafted. They want the experience that goes with it. I’ve had a lot of people looking for a Port-style wine, wanting to know if we were going to make one.”

Keesee looks to her own adult children for feedback on Edg-Clif’s wines. “The farm has been in our family since 1926 – we purchased this property for it to become a farm and cattle ranch – so we’ve always wanted to keep that heritage alive,” she says.

Shaking It Up

Keesee has been operating the winery since

Even as local wineries are delving more into

2010 on land that has been in her family for

fortified-wine production, it’s still bartenders

more than 90 years. The 7-acre vineyard

like Tosatto who are helping push them into

currently grows three grape varieties –

the national spotlight.

Chambourcin, Vignoles and Vidal Blanc – and everything is harvested by hand.

“Sherry was a dead category until bartenders began focusing on it,” says Doug Frost, a

Mission Taco Joint Kansas City bar manager Jenn Tosatto offers the following advice for mixing fortified wine into cocktails: “Port and Madeira and those dark, richer flavors work really nicely with bigger, bolder flavors. Sherry really shines with fresh fruit; I really like brunch cocktails with sherry.”

Sherry Cobbler Recipe by Jenn TosaTTo seRVes | 1 |

Honey-cinnamon syRup (Yields about 2 cups) 1 cup water 1 cup honey 2 cinnamon sticks sHeRRy cobbleR ½ oz honey-cinnamon syrup (recipe below) ½ oz fresh orange juice ½ oz fresh lemon juice 1½ oz amontillado sherry ice 1 slice fresh pineapple, sliced into ½-inch cube (for garnish)

| preparation – honey-cinnamon syrup | In a saucepot over medium heat, add all ingredients and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, discard cinnamon sticks and let cool.

In 2015, Keesee began making one 53-gallon

Kansas City-based American Master of Wine,

barrel of Port a year out of a variety atypical

master sommelier and founder of Missouri’s

for Port in Missouri (and across the world):

Jefferson Cup Wine Invitational. “And as

| preparation – sherry cobbler | In a

Chambourcin.

[bartenders] focus on it, their knowledge

cocktail shaker, add all ingredients except garnish and ice; shake vigorously. Strain into a Collins glass over ice. Garnish with pineapple wedge and serve.

trickles down to the consumer.”

Wine made from Chambourcin grapes is typically light in body, although Keesee says

The versatility of fortified wines in

that Edg-Clif’s grapes are fuller-bodied due

cocktails – from base spirit and modifier

to the vineyard’s nitrogen-rich soil from its

to a flavoring component – is part of their

65 years operating as a cattle ranch. The idea

charm. Tosatto attributes her “quiet love” of

to make a Port was inspired by a friend who

sherry to her mentor, award-winning Kansas

sampled very jammy Chambourcin grapes

City mixologist Ryan Maybee, co-owner

that were almost falling off of the vine; the

of Manifesto cocktail bar. It was Maybee

grapes are also used to make Edg-Clif’s

who first taught Tosatto to appreciate and

Classic Chambourcin wine. Keesee fortified

properly care for vermouth – tips she now

the Port with grape brandy from Post Famillie

passes on to patrons at Mission.

Vineyards in Altus, Arkansas.

Tosatto particularly likes working lunch shifts So far, Keesee says the Port is smooth, with

at Mission Taco Joint, when she has more

the dark cherry and brown currant qualities

time to engage with customers and offer

of a traditional Chambourcin, and a spicy,

recommendations. One of her favorites is the

peppery finish with notes of unsweetened

classic, pre-Prohibition era Sherry Cobbler, a

chocolate. It should eventually produce a

shaken cocktail made with sherry, sugar and

dry to semi-dry, light red Port with a lighter

fresh citrus juice, or a New York Sour topped

body than Norton and fruity, earthy and spicy

with Madeira instead of dry red wine.

complexity. She won’t release it until it ages to her standards; she estimates the first run

“People tend to like [fortified wine in

will be released next year at the earliest.

cocktails],” Tosatto says. “I wish I saw more people ordering it as a stand-alone. I’m still

“It tastes great – it’s really fun,” Keesee

hoping bartenders that love [fortified wines]

says. “It has a really nice balance between

as a category can change that.”

fruitiness and French oak. It doesn’t taste like anyone else’s Port.”

Frost agrees. He recently helped open The Restaurant at 1900 in Kansas City, which debuted in April. As the restaurant’s beverage director, he’s contemplating offering free tastes of fortified wine with dessert to get customers excited about the drinks, in addition to offerings Port and sherry cocktails behind the bar.

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ediToR’s noTe: Jenn Tosatto is a

Port – but it can lead to fascinating flavors

contributing writer at Feast.

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Upgrade your next at-home happy hour with an all-local cheese and charcuterie board paired with fine Missouri wine.

Wine pairings by Hilary Hedges

|

pHotograpHy by jonatHan gayman

|

styling by amanda Wilens

What grows together goes together, as they say, and nothing pairs better with local wine than local cheese. our region's terroir is expressed beautifully in these artisan products, each reflecting the character of our soil and climate. rather than grabbing a run-of-the-mill Cheddar to pair with a bottle of dry red wine from California, France or italy, reach for products made close to home.

Pair cheddar with norton try Pirtle’s 2016 Missouri norton Cheddar pairs exceptionally well with full- and medium-bodied reds. Pirtle Winery’s award-winning Missouri Norton has a nice, balanced tannin structure that complements the sharpness of the cheese. It’s a dry, medium-bodied red wine made from grapes grown a few miles away from the winery in Weston, Missouri.

The Norton has flavors of black cherry, spice and a hint of smoke from aging in American oak for 12 months. The fruit-forward flavors and light, dry finish make it the perfect wine to enjoy on the patio with friends. pirtlewinery.com

Must-Try

local

cheddars

▶ Milton Creamery’s Flory’s Truckle made at Homestead Creamery in Jamesport, Missouri, miltoncreamery.com ▶ Hemme Brothers' Cheddar or Aged Cheddar from Sweet Springs, Missouri, hemmebrothers.com ▶ Edgewood Creamery’s Sharp or Mild Cheddar, from Purdy, Missouri, edgewoodcreamery.com

Pair toMMe with chaMbourcin t r y r ö b l l e r V i n e ya r d ’ s 2015 Missouri le troMPier noir Le Trompier Noir from Röbller Vineyard in New Haven, Missouri, is inspired by the Pinot Noir found in Burgundy’s Cote d’Or region. It’s a fruit-forward, medium-bodied blend with soft tannins. The wine balances the delicate flavors of tomme without overpowering it. Winemaker Jerry Mueller uses a blend of Chambourcin, St. Vincent and Villard Noir grapes that are harvested and fermented together using yeast from his favorite district in Burgundy to capture the famous wine region’s character. Flavors of blackberry, plum and spiced cherries are followed by a hint of toasted oak and a smooth, balanced finish. robllerwines.com

Must-Try

local

toMMes

▶ Marcoot Jersey Creamery’s Tomme from Greenville, Illinois, marcootjerseycreamery.com ▶ Green Dirt Farm’s Prairie Tomme from Weston, Missouri, greendirtfarm.com ▶ Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery’s Moonglo from Champaign, Illinois, prairiefruits.com

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2

3

1

4 loCal additions

1 Culinary Provisions Cheddar •

and blue cheese crackers made in Sedalia, Missouri, culinaryprovisions.net

2 Fresh bread from Union •

Loafers in St. Louis (pictured) or Fervere in Kansas City, unionloafers.com; fervere.com

3 Salume Beddu finocchiona •

and cacciatorini made in St. Louis, salumebeddu.com

Pair Blue Cheese With Port

Must-Try

loCal

Blue

Cheeses

▶ Edgewood Creamery’s Ozark Mountain Blue Cheese from Purdy, Missouri, edgewoodcreamery.com ▶ Terrell Creek Farm’s Jackie Blue from Fordland, Missouri, terrellcreekfarm.com ▶ Ludwig Farmstead Creamery Vermilion River Blue from Fithian, Illinois, ludwigfarmsteadcreamery.com

try Chandler hill V i n e ya r d s ’ 2 0 1 5 P o r t The 2015 Port from Chandler Hill Vineyards in Defiance, Missouri, made with Norton grapes, is rich and sweet enough to stand up to a strong, pungent cheese like blue.

It’s nutty, with flavors of chocolate, oak, smoke and spice from four years of oak-barrel aging. Neutral grape spirits are added during production, stopping fermentation early and fortifying the wine. chandlerhillvineyards.com

4 Olea Estates’ Olea Gold •

Olive Oil based in Maryland Heights, Missouri, oleaestates.com

+

The Berry Nutty Farm’s raspberry or blueberry spread made in Independence, Missouri, theberrynuttyfarm.com

Inspired Local Food Culture

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87

White, Sparkling & roSé Wine 2

pair Quark With Vidal Blanc try Blumenhof Winery’S 2017 miSSouri Weinland With quark’s history in German-speaking countries, it’s no surprise that it pairs beautifully with the fruit-focused, German-style wines from Blumenhof Winery in Dutzow, Missouri. The award-winning 2017 Missouri Weinland is off-dry, with 2 percent residual sugar, and bursts with crisp peach, pear, melon and apricot flavors. The fruit balances out the tanginess of the quark and its crispness complements the creamy finish of the cheese. This is Blumenhof’s best-seller, made from mostly estate-grown Vidal Blanc grapes. blumenhof.com

Must-Try

local Quark

▶ Marcoot Jersey Creamery’s Quark from Greenville, Illinois, marcootjerseycreamery.com ▶ Hemme Brothers Farmstead Creamery’s German Quark from Sweet Springs, Missouri, hemmebrothers.com ▶ Milton Creamery’s Quark from Milton, Iowa, miltoncreamery.com

1 Culinary Provisions Parmesan-thyme and Gruyère •

crackers made in Sedalia, Missouri, culinaryprovisions.net

2 Fresh bread from Union Loafers in St. Louis (pictured) • or Ibis Bakery in Kansas City, unionloafers.com; ibisbakery.com

3 Kansas City Canning Co.’s 7-Pepper Jelly •

made in Kansas City, kansascitycanningco.com

4 Volpi’s Aged Asiago Cheese Salame •

and traditional prosciutto made in St. Louis, volpifoods.com

local additionS

5 Half Crocked Chef’s Purple Haze lemon-lavender honey •

made in Springfield, Missouri, halfcrockedchef.com

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1

Pair Fresh Chèvre With sParkling Brut

Must-Try

loCal Fresh Chèvre

▶ Baetje Farms’ Three-Pepper or Plain Coeur de la Crème from Bloomsdale, Missouri, baetjefarms.com ▶ Goatsbeard Farm’s Fresh Herb Goat Cheese from Harrisburg, Missouri, goatsbeardfarm.com ▶ Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery’s Chèvre Frais from Champaign, Illinois, prairiefruits.com

try les Bourgeois Winery’s sParkling Brut A crisp sparkling wine cuts through the saltiness of fresh, salty cheeses like chèvre. The peach, apricot and apple flavors in Les Bourgeois Winery's Sparkling Brut also pair nicely with chèvre. The limited-production wine is made through a process called méthode champenoise; this means a second fermentation happens inside the bottle, creating the bubbles in the wine. At Les Bourgeois in Rocheport, Missouri, Vidal Blanc grapes are harvested early so that the alcohol content stays low enough to allow for two rounds of fermentation. missouriwine.com

Pair Bloomy rinds With rosé

3

try montelle Winery’s la roseé Bloomy-rind cheeses shine when paired with fruit-forward rosés and light-bodied reds. La Roseé from Montelle Winery in Augusta, Missouri, is made from a blend of St. Vincent, Chambourcin and Cabernet Franc grapes. It features vibrant flavors of strawberry and raspberry with a well-rounded mouthfeel and lingering finish. It's flavorful and refreshing, providing the perfect balance for bloomy-rind cheeses. The rosé is made using a process called saigneé, which is French for “to bleed.” After grape clusters are destemmed, the juice, pulp and skins soak together to extract color. The juice is pumped from the grape must – rather than pressed – and cold-fermented in stainless steel. This gives the wine lighter tannins and fresh fruit aromas and flavors. montelle.com

4

5

Must-Try

l o Ca l B l o o m y r i n ds

▶ Green Dirt Farm’s Dirt Lover from Weston, Missouri, greendirtfarm.com ▶ Baetje Farms’ Miette from Bloomsdale, Missouri, baetjefarms.com ▶ Goatsbeard Farm’s Prairie Bloom from Harrisburg, Missouri, goatsbeardfarm.com

Pair gouda With Chardonel try Wild sun Winery’s 2016 reserve Chardonel

Must-Try

loCal goudas

▶ Ludwig Farmstead Creamery’s Traditional Dutch Gouda from Fithian, Illinois, ludwigfarmsteadcreamery.com ▶ Cool Cow Cheese’s Gouda from Owensville, Missouri, coolcowcheese.com ▶ Marcoot Jersey Creamery’s Gouda from Greenville, Illinois, marcootjerseycreamery.com

The 2016 Reserve Chardonel from Wild Sun Winery in Hillsboro, Missouri, has a rich, well-rounded mouthfeel.

It features flavors of vanilla, oak and smoke that pair well with the creamy texture and smokiness of Gouda, highlighting the flavors in both without competing. It’s a dry, full-bodied wine that's fermented in French oak barrels. During aging, the sediment from the fermentation is stirred back into the wine twice a week – a process called bâtonnage – giving it a creamy texture. wildsunwinery.com Inspired Local Food Culture

may 2 018

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The long and tangled history of Norton, Missouri's state grape. written by nancy StileS paper illuStrationS by yulia brodSkaya

64

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T

homas Jefferson was not used to failing. He wrote

For Missouri grape growers, though, Norton is far less vexing

three years later. “The Savoyard [a person from Savoy] with his

the Declaration of Independence, of course; was

than it was for Jefferson; the native vine flourishes in our

monkey and red cape you passed just now in the streets of Paris,

ambassador to France during the Revolutionary War;

climate. Norton was grown in Missouri prior to Prohibition, and

is a more dignified personage than a Doctor in Richmond.”

was America’s first secretary of state and its third president.

became the official state grape in 2003, more than 180 years

He ran a successful plantation – albeit one dependent on slave

after its birth. It originated in Virginia, which still boasts the

When Norton and Eliza married in 1818, they received Magnolia

labor – and designed hideaway beds, dumbwaiters, sundials

largest planting of Norton – Chrysalis Vineyards in Middleburg.

Farm, a 27-acre Virginia plantation from her father, as well as

and plows. But after more than 50 years of trying, he couldn’t

But most of the world’s Norton doesn't come from Virginia. It

11 slaves and their children. Everyone in Virginia at that time,

master American wine grapes.

comes from Hermann, Missouri.

including Norton, writes Todd Kliman in The Wild Vine, his 2010 account of the Norton grape, “was caught up in the frenzy of

Jefferson began his foray into grape growing as early as

“What makes it really an ideal thing for growers to produce is

discovery in [America], a rush to identify and classify the rich and

1772; the next year, an Italian winemaker – among many other

that it's incredibly disease-resistant, it’s very winter hardy,”

varied bounty all around [them], the fascinating species of fruits

things, not unlike Jefferson – named Philip Mazzei established

says Misha Kwasniewski, who leads the enology program at the

and vegetables and plants and trees.”

a vineyard next to Monticello. Jefferson had full faith in him:

University of Missouri. “Essentially, all the things that are trying

When Mazzei brought in Tuscan winemakers, Jefferson hired

to kill grapevines and weak [European] vinifera, Norton survives Norton threw himself into his work at Magnolia Farm,

them, too. Thirty vines were planted at Monticello, with

and thrives and can even deal with the hot, humid temperatures

particularly after the deaths of Eliza and their child. He pored

cuttings from France, Italy, Portugal and Spain, as well as native

of a Missouri summer.

over horticulture and botany texts and planted raspberries,

American vines. A month later, frost killed them all.

asparagus, figs and strawberries, and cultivated grapes of all "A lot of people [who] are new to the wine industry think that

sorts: French Sauvignon Noir, purple Bordeaux, Spanish Bloom

Despite this early failure, Mazzei was able to establish

it's a very easy grape to produce great wine from. In fact, I

Raisin, and of course, native American grapes. By 1828, he had

the Virginia Wine Co. (he counted Jefferson and George

would argue it's probably one of the most challenging grapes to

more than 27 varietals in production. Norton, like Jefferson and

Washington as shareholders). But after only three years, the

make great wine [with], because while it will always produce, it

others, aimed to breed a grape that was resistant to the rot and

revolution hit Virginia. Jefferson later claimed the vineyards

takes a lot of wrangling."

mildew that plagued Vitis vinifera in North America, but could

were hopelessly trampled by a German general’s horses. In any

stand up in quality to European wines. He taught himself about

case, Mazzei abandoned Virginia for Europe in 1785.

the latest grape-growing methods and experimented with cross breeding.

Over the ensuing decades, Jefferson tried just about anything to establish a thriving vineyard at Monticello. He planted

One day – probably in the fall of 1821, contends Kliman, when

European grapevine cuttings – Vitis vinifera – as well as native

Dr. Norton would have been anticipating the birth of his first

vines like Scuppernong, even after he was elected president.

child – he came across something strange at Magnolia Farm.

He brought vines back home from the White House grounds.

He found grapes that were neither European Vitis vinifera nor

Jefferson had faith that the Americas could produce a wine to

Vitis aestivalis, a native species he had planted nearby. As he

rival anything in Europe; he just couldn’t find the right grape.

would later explain, a few years earlier, he had cross-pollinated Bland, a musky native grape, with a European variety, probably

On March 22, 1824 – two years before Jefferson’s death –

Pinot Meunier. However, when pollinating by hand, he didn’t use

vine cuttings from a Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton arrived in

the now-common method of securing a bag over the flower to

Richmond, Virginia, at the offices of Jefferson’s agent, Bernard

prevent unwanted pollination, and some Vitis aestivalis got

Peyton. They were addressed to Jefferson’s grandson, Thomas

involved. Norton’s Virginia Seedling was born.

Jefferson Randolph, who was overseeing Monticello.

"From a winemaker's standpoint, [Norton is] a real challenge. You have extremely high levels of what's called malic acid; just think of that as apple or pear flavors.

Even at its ripest, [Norton] ends up having a red apple kind of flavor to it, which is unusual in red wine."

PORTRAIT OF DR. DANIEL NORBORNE NORTON COURTESY OF THE VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ART IN RICHMOND

“By a waggon [sic] a few days prior [I] sent you a Box of Grape cuttings, sent to my counting house, by Dr. Norton of this City, without directions,” Peyton wrote Jefferson. “He tells me they were intended for Jefferson Randolph. Please acquaint him with it.” Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that Randolph planted the cuttings, nor what the grapes were; he certainly didn’t share his grandfather’s passion for viticulture. Norton never heard back from Jefferson, and the former president died on July 4, 1826, without ever having produced one bottle of wine after five decades of grape growing.

Dr. Daniel Norborne Norton

-Doug Frost, master sommelier

As 1821 came to an end, Dr. Norton was on the verge of suicide.

Norton was sufficiently intrigued by the grape’s flavor, which

“I had my dear Brother [sic] looked to the grave with pleasure

lacked the musky quality – often called foxiness – that had been

as a retreat from my misery,” he later wrote to his half-brother,

associated with American grapes up until that point, to plant

John Jaquelin Ambler. “I never slept but for a few moments at a

grapevine cuttings and harvest enough to press into wine.

time, and then I would dream of Heaven, but to wake in Hell.”

“For the purpose [of] making wine, this is hardly to be excelled by “It’s a very vexing grape,” says Doug Frost, Kansas City-based

On December 17, 1821, his wife of three years, Eliza, died

any foreign variety,” Norton wrote to William Prince Jr., the third

author, master sommelier, American Master of Wine and

alongside her newborn baby. “The unfortunate Dr. Norton was

generation to run the influential Linnaean Botanic Garden and

Missouri Wine Competition judge. He’s referring to Norton’s

at a single blow of destiny made a childless widower,” Ambler

Nurseries in New York. In addition to the Norton grape, Prince

Virginia Seedling, now called the Norton grape. There’s no way

told the Richmond Mercantile Daily Advisor. Norton, who had a

took on all sorts of experimental projects; Lewis and Clark

to know if that’s what Norton sent to Thomas Jefferson in 1824,

medical practice in Richmond, couldn’t bring himself to adhere

even sent him discoveries they found on the exploration of the

but it's the doctor's greatest legacy.

to the banal rhythms of fashionable society – parties, theater,

western territories for cataloging and classifying.

social card games – much less his mind-numbing day job.

“From a winemaker’s standpoint, [Norton is] a real challenge,”

Norton’s “assiduity and devoted attention to the culture of the

Frost says. “You have extremely high levels of what’s called

“What a stupid employment of pen ink & paper to be allways

vine for a period of years [places] him among the distinguished

malic acid; just think of that as apple or pear flavors. Even at its

[sic] writing ‘to be well shaken before taken,’ take one of these

connoisseurs of the subject,” Prince wrote in 1830. He was so

ripest, [Norton] ends up having a red apple kind of flavor to it,

powders every two hours in a little sugar and water, ‘put the

impressed by Norton’s grape that he included it in the nursery’s

which is unusual in red wine.”

feet in warm water at bed time & etc.,’” he wrote to Ambler

1822 horticultural catalog, exposing it to winemakers and grape Inspired Local Food Culture

may 2 018

93

growers through the u.S. The catalog christened the new

planted grapes. Norton was planted as early as 1843 by Hans

varietal as Norton’s Virginia Seedling – Vitis Nortoni.

Widersprecher; Jacob Rommel produced the very first bottle of Missouri Norton wine five years later.

profit of $19,679.80 over five years in 1865.

Despite the success of Hermann’s vintners, Husmann, who, like many of his fellow Germans, was a steadfast abolitionist,

In 1830, Prince published A Treatise on the Vine, with descriptions of 80 native and 200 foreign grapes. In the entry

German-born biologist George Husmann planted his first

slipped in a note regarding a Confederate troop raid of his

on Norton’s Virginia Seedling, he wrote, “The vine resists the

vines in Hermann in 1847; eventually he would be considered

vineyard into the widely read guide to winemaking just a few

cold of the most severe winters, never failing to produce fruit

one of the fathers of the Missouri grape industry. He quickly

lines later.

and that most profusely, thriving even without pruning. [The

became a leading proponent of Norton. “This grape has

grapes] are round and a little flattened at the end ... they do not

opened a new era in American grape culture, and every

“The fourth year [1864], nearly all the fruit buds of the vines had

contain a great quantity of juice, but what they yield is of the

successive year but adds to its reputation,” he explained in

been killed above the snow line, but I made, besides the grapes

richest quality.”

1866’s landmark survey The Cultivation Of The Native Grape

sold, about $1,500 worth of wine, which was emptied by rebels

And Manufacture Of American Wines. “It is a conceded fact

in their raid that fall, and consequently lost,” he grumbled.

Around this time, Norton began to get his life back. He

that the best red wines of Europe are surpassed by the

remarried in 1831, and his pursuits at Magnolia Farm were

Norton as an astringent, dark red wine, of great body, fine

Winemaking was one of the purest pursuits man could practice,

paying off. Farmer & Gardner, a weekly Baltimore newspaper,

flavor... vine vigorous and hardy, productive.”

in Husmann’s opinion, and he made sure his readers knew what

published a glowing review of a bottle of wine Norton made

was at stake in 1865. He declared “the southwest,” meaning

from his new grape: “It is not our purpose to say, that this wine

Missouri, to become the country’s premier winemaking region

is as good or better than any imported; but we do, in all candor

in the coming years. He was right: By 1870 Missouri was the

affirm, that we consider it a better article than one half of

nation’s largest producer of wine.

the newfangled liquors which we receive from Europe.”

“We have the advantages of longer seasons and a Norton’s Virginia Seedling began to spread

warmer climate, generally of richer soil, of cheaper

west and south to Georgia, Arkansas, ohio

lands; we can cultivate varieties which cannot be grown by our eastern brethren, and therefore all

and Missouri with the help of Prince’s

the chances are on our side,” he wrote in the

catalogs. His success was relatively short

book’s final paragraph.

lived, unfortunately: After contracting dysentery, Norton died on Jan. 25, 1842, at

“The mountainous regions of Tennessee,

the age of 47.

Georgia, Arkansas, Texas and Alabama may, perhaps, rival and even surpass us

“Dr. N. was a gentleman of an enlarged mind, of fine literary taste, and

in the future, but their inhabitants at

celebrated for his knowledge of the

present are not of the clay from which

vine, and his skill in horticulture,”

grape-growers are formed. They still

read his obituary in the Richmond

cling to the demon of slavery ... let us

Enquirer. “His disposition was

hope that a better spirit may prevail,

amiable; his society most agreeable.

that they will in time begin to see their

The scope of his observation

own interest, and welcome with open

had been extensive – various in

arms everyone who can assist them in developing the natural advantages of

reflections. We bid him a last and

their lands. The grape can only flourish on free soil, and by free intelligent labor.”

affectionate Adieu!”

The German immigrants who arrived in Hermann, Missouri, in the 1830s were expecting a “New Rhineland,”

Norton's Virginia Seedling

At the 2017 Missouri Wine Competition, 31 wineries submitted 32 Nortons to be blind-tasted in the hopes of winning the prestigious C. V. Riley Award, bestowed upon the best Norton,

a fertile river valley where they could cultivate the crops of their homeland. Instead, they were met with rocky terrain and

By that time, all the leading winemakers in Hermann were

or perhaps even the Governor’s Cup, given to the best wine of

extreme weather conditions – hardly conducive to growing

growing Norton alongside Concord, Catawba, Delaware and

any varietal. Frost says tasting Nortons at the competition is

European grapes. There were plenty of wild varietals, but they

Herbemont. Missouri’s long, hot summers provide Norton

famously difficult, because there isn’t one prevailing style. Will

mostly had a foxy quality.

with the extra time it needs to develop its sugars and ripen

the wine be sweet? Big and robust? Elegant?

– even more than in its native Virginia. In 1865, Hermann “[The term foxy] was used early on by people who felt that

produced about 10,000 gallons of Norton, Husmann recorded,

“All those things have to be sorted out,” he says of the judging

[American grapes] had sort of a wild animal smell,” Frost says.

valued at $4 per gallon, just slightly less than double that of

process. “First things first: If the wine is balanced, clean and

“Norton is one of the least foxy grapes that you’ll run into that

Concord and Catawba.

correct, you ask yourself, what style is this, and is this a good version of that style? It comes down to balance, freshness of

has some American heritage to it; there’s no good Norton out there that has much in the way of that character.”

That year was Michael Poeschel’s third season cultivating

fruit and complexity, of which the grape is entirely capable.”

Norton. Poeschel, who founded what later became Stone luckily for the Hermann colonists of the German Resettlement

Hill Winery, alone produced 2,000 gallons; his brother

That complexity comes from a seemingly incongruous

Society of Philadelphia, Norton’s Virginia Seedling made its

William, whom Husmann calls “one of the most intelligent

combination of high acid and high pH; at the university of

way to Missouri less than a decade after their arrival. At first,

and industrious cultivators and wine-manufacturers in the

Missouri, Kwasniewski says harvesting at just the right time is

the settlers were disparagingly called the latin peasants, as

vicinity,” made and sold 600 gallons. Husmann dutifully

especially important for Norton.

they knew more about the classics than agriculture. But soon

recorded these numbers in The Cultivation of the Native

they began to cultivate native grapes, and the city offered

Grape, noting frosts that harmed the grapes, how vines were

“As you get toward harvest, you’ll hit a point where you’ll no

parcels of interest-free land for just $50, provided you

trellised and what soil is best. Husmann himself estimated a

longer get any improvement – no longer get better flavor or

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NoRToN GRAPE IlluSTRATIoN, FlEISCHMAN. 1867. “NoRToN GRAPE.” SPECIAl CollECTIoNS, uSDA NATIoNAl AGRICulTuRAl lIBRARy.

his reading, and original in his

any sugars – but the pH will just start to skyrocket,” he explains.

“Why that matters and why we care, is [because] it makes the wine a lot more microbially unstable; a lot of

black currant and black pepper, with a smooth finish. Frost describes both the Stone Hill and Noboleis Norton wines as elegant, supple and somewhat restrained.

things that aren’t the good yeast can potentially grow [in the wine]. So even a winemaker that maybe harvested

“Even three years ago, if I was drinking a Norton and we’re

at a point that the flavors were really great will find that six

arguing about two different Nortons in the finals of the

months later, or a year later, that wine starts to fall apart.”

Missouri [Wine] Competition, it’d be like OK, I think this one’s Tony Kooyumjian’s from Montelle or Augusta wineries; I think

Frost and Kwasniewski agree that Norton’s acidity is one of the

this one’s Dave’s from Stone Hill – we knew which ones they

most challenging aspects of the grape for a winemaker.

were going to be,” Frost says. “But the last few years, we have no idea, because there’s so many people making good Norton

"What makes it really an ideal thing for growers to produce, it's that it's incredibly disease-resistant, it's very winter hardy. Essentially, all the things that are trying to kill grapevines and weak [European] vinifera, Norton survives and thrives and can even deal with the hot, humid temperatures of a Missouri summer."

-Misha Kwasniewski, director of the enology program at the University of Missouri

“That high acidity really needs some other components to

that you don’t assume anything. I’m never surprised anymore

balance it out, and by, say, aging it in oak, you get a nice balance

when I go, ‘Wow!’, and it’s somebody’s whose Norton I’ve only

where the tannins and aromas of the oak complement that

had once or twice, and it’s just great. I love that.”

acidity almost in the same way that sugar complements the acidity in lemon,” Kwasniewski says. “You’ve got enough going

In that way, given the benefit of time, experience and modern

on in your mouth that it’s no longer harsh, but just a nice, round

technology, Missouri grape growers have proved to do what

texture that really works.”

Jefferson never could: yield superior quality wine from native American grapes.

The reigning Norton champ is Stone Hill Winery’s 2015 Norton, which won the 2017 Governor’s Cup and the C.V. Riley Award.

“I was at a lunch in California not too long ago, and somebody

Stone Hill senior winemaker Dave Johnson uses 100 percent

[who] had the luxury of just having Napa Cab fruit come into

estate-grown grapes harvested late in the season, fermented

their door was like, ‘Why is anyone ever touching their wine? All

on the skins for 12 months and then aged in American, French

I do is throw in the yeast and I stand back.’” Kwasniewski says.

and Hungarian oak barrels. The result is a big, full-bodied wine,

“Well, that’s dull, and that’s not showing the [winemaker’s] skill.

dry and complex with flavors of blackberry.

What we have in Missouri are some of truly the best growers and best winemakers in the world, because it’s not easy. They

The 2016 C.V. Riley Award winner, the 2014 Norton from

make something great despite it not all being easy. We should

Noboleis Vineyards in Augusta, Missouri, is harvested in

really respect that – it’s like a huge added degree of difficulty

mid-October; the sugar level of the grapes is tested to ensure

to be doing the magic that they are here.”

they’re as ripe as possible. After fermentation, Noboleis ages its Norton in oak barrels, where it develops flavors of plum,

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ClaveraCh Farm’S natural wineS puSh the boundarieS oF what’S poSSible in grape growing and winemaking in miSSouri. wRiTTEN by Liz MiLLER pHoTogRapHy by jENNiFER SiLvERbERg

S

omething about Claverach Farm seems almost magical.

Not in the idyllic, pastoral way you might expect of a small farm – owners Sam Hilmer and Rachel Shulman have no illusions or sentimentality about the long hours, taxing physical labor and very real challenges that modern

farmers face. The magic is that these two people, with the help of just one part-time field worker, are able to maintain a 300-acre farm in Eureka, Missouri, and grow “every vegetable you can imagine,” plus five acres of wine grapes. The magic is that Hilmer, the winemaker, can make natural wine (wine with minimal chemical or technological intervention) using hand-harvested grapes he’s grown in Missouri’s extreme heat. The magic is that his wines are garnering recognition from winemakers and oenophiles across the country and world.

Hilmer has been making wine for the better part of 20 years, but always in small volumes. Now, with a natural-wine distribution company in operation and even more unique offerings on the horizon, Claverach is poised to work more of its magic on the local wine industry.

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*

**

The land where Claverach is located today has been in Hilmer’s family since the 1890s. He was raised there, although both of his parents worked jobs off of the farm and only raised a small herd of cattle. It wasn’t until the mid-1990s – much to his mother’s dismay – that Hilmer took up vegetable farming as a full-time job. By 1997, he’d planted his first grapevines.

“I decided I wanted a farm, and my mom pretty much wanted to kill me – ‘You can’t be serious,’” Hilmer recalls with a laugh. “The big question is how to make a living on a farm like this. That’s been my main question since I became an adult, but I’ve stayed with it.”

For the most part, Hilmer has used sustainable farming practices on his family’s land from the beginning, whether growing tomatoes or Chambourcin grapes.

He uses minimal chemicals, and plants, prunes and harvests every grapevine by hand. Because Claverach is a small operation, this approach has so far proved manageable, although highly labor intensive and time consuming, especially in Missouri’s climate, which can prove challenging for some grape varieties.

“The viticulture – really putting in the work in the vineyard, and putting the care in to the quality there was what really motivated me,” Hilmer says. “That’s my focus – really getting to know what the grapevines need. It’s a long season, so you have to be there from the very beginning and nurture the vines along.”

In the past 15 years, there’s been a growing movement among

*

**

It took Hilmer about three seasons for the vines

vintners to return to this natural style of grape growing

to yield fruit, which is typical of grape growing. He

and winemaking. This has led many winemakers to explore

admits he made a lot of mistakes in those early days

historical styles of wine, including the French méthode

Many of the grapes grown at Claverach are Vitis vinifera, a

and struggled along until 2000, when he made his

ancestrale to produce pétillant-naturel, or pét-nat. To make

species commonly cultivated in Europe, including Cabernet

first wine. Three years later, Hilmer made what he

a pét-nat, wine is bottled before primary fermentation has

Franc, Petit Manseng, Marselan and Cabernet Sauvignon. Like

considers his first true natural wine. Natural wine is

finished, resulting in natural bubbles with no added sugar.

Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, these grapes are grown in some of the most well-regarded wine regions in the world, yet they’re

generally regarded as one made with limited chemical

rarely raised for commercial winemaking in Missouri.

or technological intervention, in both the vineyard and

The New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov hailed the return

the winemaking process, although there’s no official

of pét-nat just this March, featuring 20 from around the

definition.

world. “This informal, unpretentious sparkling wine, which

European grape varieties flourish in climates with a moderate

can be made from an untold number of grapes in styles

year-round temperature and a mostly dry grape-growing

He’s applied the same low-intervention approach ever

ranging from hazy, unfiltered and full of sediment to

season, so while they thrive in say, Napa, Sonoma or Alsace,

since, eschewing the chemicals commonly used in

clean-as-a-whistle, has caught on all over the winemaking

places that remain cool and dry for much of the spring and

winemaking, such as sulfur dioxide, which is used to

world,” he wrote.

summer, they tend to wilt in Missouri’s summer heat and humidity. Spring also brings challenges in the Midwest; if a cold

kill unwanted yeasts or bacteria and safeguard wine against oxidation.

Hilmer has been making pét-nats at Claverach since 2015;

spell hits after bud break, it can wreak havoc in the vineyard.

that first year, he produced three: a white, red and rosé.

This is especially true of the low-intervention wines that Hilmer

“That style of not manipulating the product really

“I’ve always been drawn to wines that are more eccentric,”

produces, as he doesn’t filter them or use fining agents to

spoke to me, and [chemical and technological

he says.

chemically reduce bitterness and astringency.

the quality of the raw material was paramount; you

Claverach makes both sparkling pét-nats and still

To better imitate the elevated, rocky slopes in Europe

have to grow grapes that are as ripe as possible, as

(non-sparkling) wines. Plenty of other wineries across the

where Vitis vinifera varieties thrive, Hilmer recently planted

clean as possible and they have to taste good if you

country produce natural wines and pét-nats – in California,

Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec on a stretch

want to make wines that aren’t manipulated.”

Oregon, Washington, Texas, New York, Vermont, for example –

of limestone on a hill on the farm. Shulman says preparing the

but Hilmer is pioneering them in Missouri.

vineyard required breaking up large pieces of limestone to

manipulation] really didn’t,” Hilmer says. “I knew that

create holes in the rock for young grapevines. She and Hilmer

Far from a new trend, this style of grape growing and winemaking is as old as the first cask of wine. Some of

“It’s a little nuts trying to make natural wine in Missouri,

expect the vineyard to yield higher-quality grapes than those

the oldest and most well-regarded wineries in Europe

because there’s so much that can go wrong,” Hilmer says. “The

grown in a flat field, as this isn’t the first time they’ve planted

exclusively produce natural wine, simply because

Midwest is not predictable; that’s the one thing you can bet on.”

European grapes in Missouri limestone.

that’s always how it’s been done. Over the past century, though, grape growing has seen the same modern changes as any other agricultural crop, with chemical intervention both in the vineyard (spraying to prevent diseases, mildew, mold and pests) and in the cellar (again, the addition of chemicals like sulfur dioxide).

“It’s a lIttle nuts tryIng to make natural wIne In mIssourI, because there’s so much that can go wrong,” hIlmer says. “the mIdwest Is not predIctable; that’s the one thIng you can bet on.”

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“We’ve found that when you grow grapes in rocks, not only is the quality of the fruit better, but the grapes are just generally happier, so you don’t have to spray as much,” Shulman says.

“What’s happened in the past, if you didn’t spray those baby vines, after it rains, they lose all their leaves and die because they’re so sensitive to mildew and mold. But because they were grown on rocks, and because Sam was really dialed into the nutrition he put out into this field for the grapes, we didn’t have to spray them once, and they were some of the healthiest-looking vines on the farm.”

One of the reasons that production at Claverach is so limited is because Hilmer and Shulman spend a lot of time in the vineyard with their grapes; this is true of all of the varietals that they grow, but especially the Vitis vinifera.

“Our focus is on growing clean fruit,” Shulman says. “That’s why we hand-harvest all of our grapes. Every vine needs to be touched at least 10 times a season – every single vine. So it’s a ton of labor.”

In places like Napa Valley or the Loire Valley of France, these European grapes naturally thrive. However, in Missouri’s climate, many grape growers plant hybrid grapes, which are crosses between more sensitive European varieties and hardier native American grapes like Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia. These native vines are naturally resistant to harsher temperatures, rain and other weather conditions and pests.

“We’ve found that When you

Hybrid grapes yield fruit that grows well in more rugged

groW grapes in rocks, not

a popular grape grown in Missouri, for example, is a cross

only is the quality of the fruit better, but the grapes are just

climates and can be used to make exceptional wine. Chardonel, between French Chardonnay and hardy Seyval Blanc, itself a French-American hybrid. Like its Chardonnay parent, Chardonel is often aged in oak and used to make dry, buttery white wine.

generally happier, so you don’t

“Grown carefully, hybrids like Chambourcin, Chardonel,

have to spray as much.”

Hilmer says. “I grow Chambourcin, which I feel is a fairly

-rachel shulman

Traminette and Valvin Muscat can really make great wine,” versatile grape, and can make some pretty decent wine if you

**

treat it properly in the vineyard.”

*

The ability to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible to grow in Missouri is part of what drew Hilmer to making natural wine almost a decade ago.

This spring, the winery is releasing two new products rarely made in Missouri: a white and red vermouth. Both start with a base of blended wine infused with herb and root tinctures made with fresh ingredients grown on the farm. Some of the aromatics are sourced elsewhere – like the blood oranges Hilmer uses to make bitters for the vermouth – but he sources as much from the farm as possible.

“I’ve always grown various herbs on the farm, and I started making tinctures out of them because I thought it would be a fun way to preserve them,” Hilmer says. “Vermouth has been in the consciousness of the food-and-beverage scene here recently, and I thought it would be a great use of the special things we grow here in the field.”

Both vermouths are fortified with grape brandy from Post Familie Vineyards in Altus, Arkansas, and sweetened with passito, or wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice. In this case, Hilmer is using passito pressed from semi-dried Petit Manseng and Chambourcin.

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“The passito balances the whole thing with [its] sweetness,” Hilmer says. “It’s a way to not have to add cane sugar or anything other than grape sugar; you’re not bringing in anything from the outside, sweetening-wise.”

The red vermouth is made with a base blend of Chambourcin, the white with a base blend of Bianca. As with sherry, these base blends are oxidized, meaning they’ve been exposed to oxygen. When Hilmer bottled the Bianca a couple of years ago, he intentionally left headspace in the tank to allow for such oxidation over time. “This wine is slightly oxidized in a charming way,” he says. “Oxidation isn’t really something to be avoided in making vermouth; it can actually help complexity.”

Like the renewed interest in pét-nat, vermouth and other fortified wines such as sherry have been increasing in popularity across the world, especially with bartenders.

“I think vermouth is the one that’s really speaking to the bar scene at the moment,” he says. “The world of fortified wines is really interesting, because it can be a signature of your place – where you are in the world and what you grow.”

Hilmer will produce 30 cases of each vermouth (for a total of about 800 bottles) and plans to sell them through retailers as well as to bars and restaurants. He bottled the vermouths this spring and hopes to release them in early summer.

Hilmer and Shulman also see a connection between the playfulness and resurgence of interest in pét-nat and vermouth with that of the modern American craft-beer movement, where the exploration of untraditional ingredients and brewing

To learn more about fortified wines and the local wineries producing them, turn to p. 76.

techniques is embraced and encouraged.

“Wine, compared to beer, is a much more rigid, traditional thing,” Hilmer says. “You look at the craft-beer industry, and there’s no place it won’t go. The imperative is: Is it good? Does it taste good? And in wine, people get freaked out if it doesn’t fit into a little box of what’s proper and what’s not. I think you’re seeing that strangeness in wine is being embraced a little more.”

As owners of a small-scale winery – what some may call a craft winery – Shulman says that she and Hilmer often discuss that disconnect between the local beer and wine communities.

“Why can’t wine have what beer has in terms of the craft scene?” Shulman says. “I wish people could get into and enjoy wine because it’s pleasurable, the same way they do beer, and not get so hung up on being scared or feeling intimidated by it.

“That’s one of the reasons that the pét-nat is fun for us – the whole idea of pét-nat is that it’s kind of irreverent. It’s a dirty wine: It’s unfiltered, cloudy, there’s schmutz on the bottom unless you disgorge it. That’s interesting to us, because it fits within this craft-wine model, where it’s not this polished, stodgy product.”

And at least in the wine industry, Claverach’s work is slowly gaining international attention. Recently, on a trip to Kansas City, French winemaker Éric Texier tasted Claverach’s still Chambourcin at a Kansas City restaurant, and shared a photo of the bottle on Instagram with the caption: “Chambourcin! I know a few old Ardechois [in south central France] farmers who would be delighted to drink this. F*** vinifera.”

Hilmer and Shulman may not agree with Texier’s blunt appraisal of Vitis vinifera, but given the rarity of Chambourcin and other hybrids on wine lists across the country and globe, they understand the spirit – perhaps the delight – in which it was written. Although French law prohibits grape growers from raising hybrid grapes for commercial wine production, Inspired Local Food Culture

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Chambourcin and other crosses are still grown and used to make wine for personal consumption in France.

*

“[Texier] was amused by the fact that he was drinking

ClaveraCh’s Wine list:

Chambourcin in the U.S.,” Shulman says with a laugh.

Claverach is currently selling one wine: The 2017 rosé pét-nat, of which just 200 cases were produced. The wine is a blend of 40 percent Chambourcin, 20 percent Bianca, 15 percent Petit Manseng, 15 percent Cabernet Franc and 10 percent Marsanne.

In March, even more wine experts and enthusiasts got a taste of Hilmer’s work at Third Coast Soif, the second-annual natural-wine festival hosted in Chicago. The fest features natural wines made across the country and world; Claverach was the only Midwest winery invited to participate, joining small producers from Oregon, Washington, California, Utah and New York, as well as winemakers from Europe and Mexico. Hilmer poured his 2017 rosé pét-nat, made with a blend of all his grapes – hybrids and Vitis vinifera – for the 400 or 500 people at the festival.

“It’s like the crème de la crème of natural-wine producers in the world; I might be a little out of my league, but that’s OK,” Hilmer says. “I’ve been stuck on this idea of making wines that reflect this particular place and how to make them for a long time. It validates that focus; it makes me feel like I should keep doing

The winery is also releasing white and red vermouths this summer. Both are made with a base of blended wine infused with herb and root tinctures made on the farm and fortified and sweetened with passito wine (wine made from grapes that have been dried to concentrate their juice). The passito wine was pressed from semi-dried Petit Manseng and Chambourcin grapes.

**

this, because it's often challenging.”

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As Hilmer and Shulman’s attention and time are increasingly focused on winemaking and grape growing, they’ve had to reevaluate other elements of their work. Over the years, produce from the farm was sold to restaurants around town, but more recently that’s changed.

Today, all of the produce raised at Claverach either goes back into the business via dinners hosted at the farm’s barn event space – where Hilmer is the chef – or is stored for personal use.

“Doing dinners as opposed to the farmers’ market has allowed us to grow ‘weird,’ high-labor products, like edible flowers,” Shulman says. “You could never take them to farmers’ markets because you’d just lose money on it.”

Perhaps the biggest change is the small natural-wine distribution company Shulman launched in 2016. In addition to selling Claverach’s limited stock of natural wines, Shulman sells natural wines from around the world to local restaurants and retailers.

To support their network of natural-wine producers, Claverach is taking a new approach to its farm dinners this year. Instead of hosting regular meals on Friday and Saturday nights at the farm as they have in the past, Shulman and Hilmer have scaled back to a few dinners a month, each in partnership with a different winery producing natural wine. The farm also hosts dinners with wine pairings for private events.

Whatever the format or frequency, the dinners are another part of the magic at Claverach. Guests get to see, taste and experience all of Hilmer and Shulman’s work come together directly on the farm, both on their plates and in their glasses. It’s a chance to form a deeper connection between where local food and drink really comes from, and to appreciate its freshness and unique flavor.

“Sometimes I feel foolhardy, like maybe I’m going in the wrong direction with this [winery] – it’s expensive, slow and in a certain way, a research project and an art project,” Hilmer says. “But ultimately I want it to lead to wines that make me proud, and maybe even surprise people [who] say, ‘Wow, I didn’t even know that was possible in Missouri.’ That’s really my passion.” claverachfarm.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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Owned by longtime friends and business partners Ashley Morrison (pictured left) and Jackie Roach, née Miller (pictured right), Bella Vino Wine Bar & Tapas in St. Charles, Missouri, is a warm, inviting and cozy retreat. The rustic-chic restaurant serves small plates and a selection of high-end wines out of a quaint brick townhouse in the city’s historic district.

We recently caught up with Morrison and Roach to learn where they like to dine and grab drinks in the St. Louis area when they’re off the clock. –Lauren Smith

with Jackie Roach & Ashley Morrison owners,

bella vino wine bar & tapas

ImagIne you have one entIre day to dedIcate to dInIng out In the St. louIS area: Where Would you grab breakfaSt, lunch and dInner, and What Would you be orderIng at each Spot?

katy traIl

praSIno

the capItal grIlle

I would take off on a Sunday and go for a bike ride on the Katy Trail. After that I would stop for a light lunch at Prasino in St. Charles and order the lobster avocado, which is a halved avocado with fresh lobster meat and a mango salsa inside.

For dinner, I’d go to The Capital Grille in Clayton, Missouri.

I love their prime aged New York strip steaks and lobster mac ‘n’ cheese. –Jackie Roach Who or What do you belIeve IS a hIdden gem In the St. louIS area food Scene?

edIbleS & eSSentIalS

“I live in South City, and really love EdIblES & ESSEntIalS on Hampton. the chef-owner is always there helping and serving up tasty food, and they have a great wine selection for being a smaller place.”

I live in South City, and really love Edibles & Essentials on Hampton. The chef-owner is always there helping and serving up tasty food, and they have a great wine selection for being a smaller place. –Ashley Morrison What’S your favorIte drInk, and Where In the St. louIS area are you orderIng It?

alISha blackWell-calvert

PHOTO BY JuDD DEMALINE

I love a nice craft cocktail, like the coconut Mojito from Copper Pig or the lavender spritz from Stone Turtle. –A.M. Where do you go for late-nIght eatS and/or a nIghtcap?

My favorite nightcap spot is Scarlett’s Wine Bar in the Central West End. Depending on the weather, I would order a dry rosé or the Justin Winery Cabernet. One of my weaknesses is a wood-fired pizza. I’d order either the pizza Margherita or the Meat Lover’s. –J.R.

copper pIg

Stone turtle

PHOTOGRAPHY COuRTESY INSTAGRAM uSERS

Who In the local reStaurant Scene InSpIreS you?

There are two people I follow. Alisha Blackwell-Calvert, the sommelier at Reed’s American Table – she’s so knowledgeable, always forward-thinking and following new trends. And Glenn Bardgett, who’s the wine director at Annie Gunn’s. He and his wife are regulars at Bella Vino, and I love to pick his brain and get some inside knowledge, because he’s been in the business for so many years. –J.R. What’S your go-to SpecIalty market, grocer or farmerS’ market – and What are you buyIng there?

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glenn bardgett

PHOTO BY NATALIE HINDS

My go-to farmers’ market would be Soulard – I love to grab a Bloody Mary, walk around and buy fresh produce. Don’t forget to grab a tamale there too! –A.M.

Scarlett’S WIne bar

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SAM ‘76 IS A PERFECT UNION OF LAGER AND SAM ‘76 IS A PERFECT UNION OF LAGER AND ALE GIVING YOU A CRAFT BEER WITH THE ALE GIVING YOU A CRAFT BEER WITH THE FLAVOR OF AN ALE AND THE REFRESHMENT FLAVOR OF AN ALE AND THE REFRESHMENT AND CRISP FINISH OF A LAGER. AND CRISP FINISH OF A LAGER. THE RESULT IS REVOLUTIONARY. THE RESULT IS REVOLUTIONARY.

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