April 2013 FEAST Magazine

secret ingredient

kumquats

a dash will do

COOK WITH COFFEE

TINY CITRUS

ARTISAN BITTERS

Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

feastSTL.com | APRIL 2013 | FREE

Kitchen Innovation

Sizzling WITH FLAVOR!

We’ve got you covered with grilling greats like our signature brats, kabobs and loaded burgers – made fresh in-store. Savor the flavor of quality Pride of the Farm pork, Certified Angus Beef® or Schnucks Natural fresh chicken. Don’t forget, our butchers will custom cut your fresh meat or poultry to order. Just ask!

©2013 Schnucks

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

3

ART 10 FAIR 12

MOTHER’S DAY WEEKEND

150 artists

outstanding entertainment

and delicious cuisine

                             

             

        

4

feastSTL.com

April 2013

2013

&

TH

Kitchen looking more like an office?

At this rate, you might want both.

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

5

64 the not-so-simple life of

mike randolph

Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

APRIL 2013

from the staff

| 10 |

from the PUBLISHER

Tune in, turn on.

| 12 | feaststl.com What’s online this month.

| 16 | FEAST FAVES

Our staff and contributors share inspired ideas for tasteful living in St. Louis.

COLUMNS

| 26 | One on One

Mark Attwood of Comet Coffee rides the Third Wave.

| 28 |

the mix

Twelve Miles Out: A Prohibition-era protester.

55

spring is in the wares

| 30 | ON THE SHELF

New and notable in beer, spirits and wine.

| 32 |

mystery shopper

Buy it and try it: Kumquats.

| 34 |

how to

Roasting coffee at Chauvin.

| 36 | TECH SCHOOL

Perfect your pan-roast.

| 38 |

gadget a-go-go

We put five French presses to the test.

| 40 | Menu Options

Ditch the delivery with simple and delicious homemade pizza.

| 74 |

the last bite

Writer Barb Stefano seeks out a classic, sippable treat at Jennifer’s Pharmacy.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY of mike randolph (P. 64) BY Jennifer Silverberg Table of contents photography (p. 36) BY

62 getting to the root of

bitters

Jennifer Silverberg

44

cooking with coffee 6

feastSTL.com

APRIL 2013

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• We have been serving the St. Louis community for more than 30 years.We are a family-owned & run, no-debt organization with an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau.

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

7

Magazine Volume 4

| Issue 4 | April 2013

Publisher and Editor Catherine Neville Managing Editor, Print Content Brandi Wills Managing Editor, Digital Content Kristin Brashares Art Director Lisa Allen Vice President of Advertising Donna Bischoff Copy Editors/Proofreaders Andrea Mongler, Stephanie Witmer Contributing Writers Brandon Chuang, Anne Cori, Pat Eby, Chad Michael George Erik Jacobs, Jennifer Johnson, Ira Koplowitz, Nick Kosovich Jeremy Nulik, Angela Ortmann, Lucy Schnuck, Matt Seiter Barb Stefano, Michael Sweeney, Cassy Vires Contributing Photographers Jonathan Gayman, Jonathan Pollack, Jennifer Silverberg Adam Williams, Corey Woodruff Contributing Videographer Hannah Radcliff

Contact Us Feast Media, 900 N. Tucker Blvd., 4th Floor St. Louis, MO 63101 feastSTL.com Advertising Inquiries Kelly Klein, 314.340.8562 kklein@stltoday.com Comments publisher@feastSTL.com

Distribution To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Tom Livingston at tlivingston@stldist.com.

Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned.

All contents are copyright Š 2010-2013 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

8

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April 2013

Dinner Is On Us!

(plus better hearing)

At Hometown Hearing & Audiology Audiology, y our mission is to educate our patients and community about hearing loss and the importance of early detection and treatment. As health care providers, we understand how exhausting hearing loss can be to your ears, to your body and to your mind.

And if you are one of the many people struggling with this, we would like to invite you call today to set up a FREE HEARING SCREENING. An extensive audiometric hearing screening will be performed FREE of charge, helpful in identifying any hearing difficulties and determining if the newest personalized digital hearing aids will effectively correct such conditions. Different hearing aid options will be discussed and together you can come up with the best solution.

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Make it a point to call today to set an appointment for a FREE hearing screening and explore your options to help improve your hearing.

Call toll free: 1-888-729-6949

$25 GIFT CARD

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to a local restaurant

with the purchase of a set

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Only valid on select Pella® products and installation methods. To be eligible for advertised offers, in-home consultation must be scheduled by 05/09/2013 and purchase must be made by 06/08/2013. Not valid with any other offer or promotion. Labor and prior sales excluded. Other restrictions may apply. See store for details. 2The Pella Windows & Doors Visa® credit card is issued by Wells Fargo Financial National Bank. Offers expire 05/09/2013. ©2013 Pella Corporation

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8633 Mexico Rd. • O'Fallon, MO 63366 Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

9

publisher’s letter

TV

FEAST EVENTS

4th Annual Maplewood Coffee Crawl Sat., April 6, 8am to 1pm

Between segments, I show you how to make coffee gnocchi.

Free, register at cityofmaplewood.com/coffee

This self-guided event features samples from regional coffee roasters, delicious treats and sidewalk sales.

Dinner With Author Mary Roach Wed., April 10, 7pm; L’Ecole Culinaire $55, gulp.brownpapertickets.com See how to batch and age cocktails with Matt Seiter.

Roach will read passages while L’Ecole Culinaire serves food inspired by the book. Roach will conclude with a book signing.

Restaurant Week on The Hill April 15 to 21; restaurantweekonthehill.com

South St. Louis restaurants are coming together to kick off the 1st annual Restaurant Week on the Hill. Participating restaurants will offer a three-course, prix-fixe menu for $25.

Learn the secret to crisp pizza crust from Lucy Schnuck.

Feast Book Club Meet-Up Wed., April 17, 6pm; The Rustic Goat RSVP to editor@feastSTL.com

Join us to discuss Food and the City by Jennifer Cockrall-King while enjoying complimentary hors d’oeuvres and drink specials. Purchase the book from Left Bank Books and receive 20 percent off.

Meet Mike Randolph and find out how he balances two restaurants in one location.

Metro Theater’s Sharing Is Pairing Thu., April 18, 6 to 9pm; The Moto Museum $80, brownpapertickets.com/event/346210 or 800.838.3006

Metro Theater Company, a professional theater company serving young audiences and their families, presents a benefit event focusing on fine wine and food pairings.

Food Truck Feast

Find out how Brandon Benack sources truffles straight from Umbria.

Look for this icon. It tells you which articles are part of Feast TV!

Sat., April 20, noon to 8pm; Four Hands Brewery

Join us for food and fun with 10 local food trucks, two local bands and the debut of St. Louis’ first fashion truck, Rack and Clutch.

Bicycle valet offered by Mike’s Bikes.

Sunday Supper with Chef Lou Get behind the scenes at Kaldi’s latest coffee-infused dinner.

One of my favorite shows is Sunday Morning on CBS,

a magazine program featuring well-crafted lifestyle content that engages through good writing and great videography. So, when we decided to create Feast TV, the point of reference I gave everyone was, naturally, Sunday Morning. And I, naturally, told them to picture me as Charles Osgood, minus the bow tie of course.

Sun., April 21, 4pm; Annie Gunn’s $65, rookcooks.brownpapertickets.com

Chef Lou Rook III joins Left Bank Books and Feast Magazine for a special Sunday Supper event, featuring a discussion of his new cookbook, Rook Cooks: Simplicity at Its Finest, food from the book and paired wine selections.

Schnucks Cooks Cooking Class Wed., April 24, 6pm; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School $40, schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

After weeks of hard work and editorial nitpicking, I’m excited to present the first episode of Feast TV, our monthly program that will bring the pages of each issue alive. Hannah Radcliff, our tireless videographer, has done a brilliant job translating five stories from this print issue to video. You’ll see stills from each segment above, giving you a peek into the episode. Scan the QR code to watch it on your smartphone, or visit the Multimedia section of feastSTL.com. Watch for a new episode to debut with each new issue of Feast.

And I have to give a shout-out to writer Brandon Chuang. An Evolution of Ideas, his profile of Blood & Sand’s Chris Bork, is nominated for a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award in the Profile category alongside work from GQ and New York Times Magazine. This is the second time a Feast contributor has been up for a Beard award (Cassy Vires got a nod in 2011) and it’s gratifying to see a small, local magazine compete against the big guys on this level. The awards are on May 3 and I’ll be there, cheering Brandon on. I’ll also be at the James Beard chef awards on May 6, rooting for Gerard Craft.

This is his fourth time making it to the finals, and my gut says this is his year. We’ll keep you posted.

Until next time,

Join Cat Neville in the kitchen and learn the secret to pizza-crust perfection.

20th Annual Dining Out For Life Thu., April 25; diningoutforlife.com/stlouis

Grab breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of the participating restaurants. At least 25 percent of your check will be donated to support the work of Saint Louis Effort for AIDS.

Baltic Odyssey Cruise Sept. 3 to 13 314.968.9600, altairtravel.com

Join Cat Neville, in partnership with Altair Travel, for our second Oceania culinary cruise. This year’s trip takes you to Scandinavia, the world’s newest center of culinary innovation. Travel from Copenhagen to Stockholm with a three-day stop in St. Petersburg.

feedback?

catherine@feaststl.com

Catherine Neville

10

feastSTL.com

APRIL 2013

NOW OPEN

Rothman SMARTER. COOLER. Mattress BETTER. in Creve Coeur!

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Come see our new models with Cool Action Gel Memory Foam and Cool Twist Gel Foam.

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Inspired Food Culture

THE BEST REST for less!

April 2013

11

ONLINE CONTENT

feastSTL.com

Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

Dine Out

Dine In

Drink

Feast Events

Multimedia

The Magazine

Promotions

PHOTOGRAPHy by Jonathan Gayman

The Feed

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY! Continue this month’s exploration of coffee

with a private tour of St. Louis’ Chauvin Coffee Co. including plenty of samples to take home. Enter to win now by scanning the tag at right, or visit our Facebook page at facebook.com/feaststl.

MULTIMEDIA

FEAST TV: Debuting this month, Feast TV brings the magazine to life in a whole new way through in-depth segments on the stories and recipes found in each issue. Publisher Catherine Neville connects you to the St. Louis region’s most innovative culinarians through a fresh, insightful look at the local food scene.

Watch our first episode now by scanning the tag at right, or view it in the Multimedia, Videos section at feastSTL.com.

SUBSCRIBE NOW! Our award-winning enewsletter delivers the latest news on the St. Louis food scene, extra recipes, special events and more to your inbox every Tuesday. Sign up at feastSTL.com/site/newsletter or by scanning the tag at right.

CONNECT WITH US facebook.com/feastSTL Scan this tag to like us

twitter.com/feastmag Scan this tag to follow us

DINEIN

WHAT WE’RE COOKING: St. Louis food blogger Stacy Anderson joins Cleveland-Heath chef Eric Heath in the kitchen (pictured above) to bring you the story, techniques and recipe behind the Edwardsville establishment’s hot-selling housemade Cheddar biscuits. And, inspired by this month’s Cooking With Coffee (p. 44), local blogger Kimberly Henricks-Friedhoff whips up barbecue sauce featuring Kaldi’s Coffee. PHOTOGRAPHy by J. Pollack Photography

pinterest.com/feastmag Scan this tag to follow us Get the free app at gettag.mobi

12

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APRIL 2013

Best fried chicken in the midwest Join us for Sunday family style chicken dinners

114 W. Mill St. • Waterloo, IL • 618.939.9933 • gallagherswaterloo.com

Chill. Frozen Yogurt made fresh.

And we wouldn't do it any other way.

Our handcrafted artisan flavors, made in small batches of up to 10 gallons, are delivered to our stores fresh daily from a St. Louis dairy.

Introducing our new spring flavors: Pineapple Sorbet, Tangerine & Chocolate Malt.

Redeem this certificate for $1 off your next cup of Chill.

7610 Wydown • Clayton • 11935 Manchester • Des Peres • 9793 Clayton • Ladue • 314.932.5010 (Wydown) • chillfrozenyogurts.com

Miss Aimee B's Celebrating 26 Years Join Us! Unique Breakfast & Lunch 9-3 Tuesday - Saturday • Morning & Afternoon Showers • Evening Receptions & Parties • Arbor or Fireplace Wedding Ceremonies Celebrate Mother's Day Saturday, May 11 • Reserve 9-11- 1or 3

837 First Capital Drive • St. Charles • 636.946.4202 • missaimeeb.com

Que Pasa! Mexican Restaurant Come by and relax in our beautiful local restaurant and enjoy a warm basket of fresh chips and salsa while you browse our large selection of authentic, Mexican cuisine.

Que Pasa! offers a party room that seats 40-60 people.

Choose Que Pasa! for your next special party or luncheon.

Now offering catering for small & large groups.

Bring in this ad for $5 off any $25 food purchase or $10 off any $50 food purchase.

Open Mon.-Thurs. 11 a.m.-10 p.m., Fri. & Sat. 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. and Sun. 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Happy Hour Mon.-Thurs. 4 p.m.-8 p.m.

1165 Gravois Rd. • Suite 100• Fenton • 636.600.1062 • quepasamexicanrestaurant.com Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

13

Beer and BBQ St. Louis Style

Sunday April 14, 6pm-8pm • 14201 Manchester Rd. • Manchester, MO $25 per ticket, or $10 for a beer-only ticket Come join us for some excellent beer and BBQ!

You will have access to over 30 breweries, three entrees/two sides form Pappy's Smokehouse and all the fun that you have come to expect from Randall's Wines & Spirits.

To purchase tickets please visit any of our great locations or call 636.527.1002.

R.S.V.P. Required before April 10th

1910 S. Jefferson. St. Louis • 11000 Old Halls Ferry. St. Louis County • 14201 Manchester Rd. Manchester • shoprandalls.com

                                                          

��� ���� ������ �� ��� ���� ����� ��� ���� ��� ��� ���� �� � ��� ��� ��� ���� �� ���� ������ ����

�����

                                    

���� ���������� ���� ��� ��� ������������ ��� ��� ����� ���

Spring into a New Bath or Kitchen • Kitchens • Baths • Showers • Outdoor Living Spaces • Bars 45 sq. ft. only $2,375 • Up to 45 sq. ft. of Granite for your Kitchen • Includes the Exclusive 25+ Year Sealer • 16 Guage Stainless Steel Sink • 1 Edge Upgrade PLUS - 31" Vanity Top & Porcelain Sink, select colors HURRY! Offer Ends when Supplies are gone!

River City Granite

314.371.0300 • rivercitygranite.com

Fun Food, Happy People, Great Drinks!

FEAST FAVE • Pork Porterhouse. Rensing’s Porterhouse pork chop, cheddar jalapeno bread pudding, green beans, sunny side up egg VOTED BEST NEW RESTAURANT - 2012 by the RIVERFRONT TIMES VOTED FAVORITE NEW RESTAURANT - 2012 by SAUCE MAGAZINE Mon-Fri 11:00-close, Sat 10:00-close Offering Saturday brunch First Come - First Serve (No reservations) Open Mon - Fri starting at 11 am and Sat starting at 10 am

106 N. Main St. • Edwardsville • 618.307.4830 14

feastSTL.com

April 2013

SUNTRUP www.suntrupbuickgmc.com

2013 ENCoRE

LuxuRy SIzEd To FIT youR LIFE.

Starting at

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• GMC Suntrup Buick BuICk ENCoRE 4200 N. Service Rd. • I-70 and Cave Springs 639-939-0800 • www.suntrupbpg.com

*See dealer for details. Ad vehicle not compatible with any other dealer promotions.

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

15

FEAST FAVES

| where we’re dining

open next door this spring.)

– C.N.

6235 Delmar Blvd., The Loop, 314.932.5430 facebook.com/missiontacojoint

16

feastSTL.com

APRIL 2013

PHOTOGRAPHy by

When Adam and Jason Tilford, the brothers behind Milagro Modern Mexican, announced plans to open a casual taco joint in The Loop, our stomachs started to rumble. The kitchen at Mission Taco Joint churns out spot-on preparations of Cali-Mex cuisine. Tacos, burritos and tortas are at the heart of the menu, but don’t overlook La Mesa; you’ll miss the decadently crisp, spicy-sweet blue-craband-poblano taquitos drizzled with avocado sauce.

Tacos are layered with tender roasted duck and rich pork belly, delicate fish, earthy nopales (fresh cactus), or wood-grilled and chile-rubbed MoFu tofu. The Three Little Piggies is a massive burrito stuffed with pork shoulder, pork-belly carnitas and chorizo, which you should order smothered in roasted ancho chile sauce and melted cheese.

The tortas are a treat too. The Milanesa offers a crisp chicken breast with smashed black beans, rich Chihuahua cheese, tangy lime aïoli and a fresh cilantro-pepita pesto. Mission accomplished.

(Editor’s note: Look for Mission Taco’s bodega to

Jonathan Gayman

mission taco joint

FEAST FAVES

| where we’re drinking

slovenian rebula @ olio written by

MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY presents

ST. LOUIS SPEAKERS SERIES

Jennifer Johnson

The term Middle’terranean is aptly applied to Olio, an artfully rehabbed 1930s gas station turned gourmet bar serving up modern dishes of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influence.

The wine list isn’t deep, but it is broad, covering the rarely acknowledged yet up-and-coming wine regions of Israel, Greece and Slovenia while offering intriguing, non-mass-marketed examples from mainstream Italy, Spain, France and California. Try the Slovenian white Edi Simčič Rebula from the Goriška Brda district in Primorska. The Napa Valley of Slovenia, this region is situated just a stone’s throw from northeast Italy’s Friuli region. The wine boasts substantial acidity and body in addition to its lively herbaceousness from wild yeast inoculation and firm structure from light maceration (skin contact) before fermentation. The Edi is produced from the native Rebula grape, and its restrained stone fruit profile and marjoram accents set the stage for the split pea soup’s cumin and root vegetable aromatics. The wine doesn’t compete with the soup’s lemony undertones but rather highlights its slightly chunky texture and delightful poached-egg garnish. Or try it with the ham and cheese sandwich, as this wonderful white emphasizes the simplicity of Salume Beddu’s prosciutto cotto.

Seven Thought-Provoking Evenings of Diverse Opinions and World Perspectives

STEVE WOZNIAK

2013 - 2014 SEASON

Co-Founder of Apple Computer, Inc.

AT P OWELL H ALL

January 28, 2014

GEORGE PAPANDREOU

Olio, 1634 Tower Grove Ave., Botanical Heights, 314.932.1088 oliostl.com

OLYMPIA SNOWE

Former Prime Minister of Greece

Former U.S. Senator

February 18, 2014

October 8, 2013

Note: Olio’s soup offerings change daily. To ensure you can pair this wine with the split pea

soup, call ahead for the day’s menu.

BILL BRYSON

DAN RATHER

Bestselling Author and Humorist

Legendary Broadcast Journalist

October 29, 2013

March 25, 2014

ROBERT GATES

DORIS KEARNS GOODWIN

Former U.S. Secretary of Defense

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Historian

November 19, 2013

May 6, 2014

Series Sold by Subscription Only

Seating Limited – Order Now!

(314) 534-1700 SPONSORED

BY

PHOTOGRAPHy by

Corey Woodruff

www.StLouisSpeakersSeries.org

St. Louis-based wine enthusiast Jennifer Johnson is a sommelier, wine educator, journalist, and hospitality and marketing consultant who loves to celebrate life, family, food and wine.

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

17

FEAST FAVES

| where we’re dining

kaslik restaurant If classic Middle Eastern fare is what you’re craving, grab a seat at one of the five tables at Kaslik Restaurant and dig in. A number of nationalities are represented in the kitchen and that sense of collaboration results in exceptional food. Hummus is lemony and garlicky and oh-so-good. Falafel are crispy and tender without the greasy exterior that too often accompanies the deep-fried dish. Tangy labneh − thick Arabic yogurt − is drizzled with fruity olive oil and sprinkled with mint. Entrées consist mostly of flavorful grilled meats served with basmati rice. Shish tawuk features chunks of chicken marinated in garlic, lemon and spices and grilled until tender and juicy. Lamb kabobs are marinated in olive oil and cooked in the same manner. Beef shawarma is shaved from the vertical spit and grilled to order, served with pickles and onions. All three dishes are also offered as sandwiches. Served quick and hot, they make great on-the-go fare. But we suggest you stick around for a cup of Arabic coffee and a chat with chef-owner Wasem Hamad, taking the time to truly enjoy a taste of the Middle East. – B.W.

PHOTOGRAPHy by

Adam Williams

8141 N. Lindbergh Blvd., Florissant 314.972.8282

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APRIL 2013

FEAST FAVES

| food stuff

crafted with coffee This month we’re exploring how coffee brings diverse and intriguing flavor to unexpected foods. These three products are given a twist (and a kick to boot) with the inclusion of coffee. – B.W.

Nothing quite as savory as our sixteen-ounce

Prime New York Strip enhanced by a delicious brandy peppercorn sauce, fresh salad, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and Rose Bud Salad.

COFFEE BEAN NOUGAT

Conveniently located in Kirkwood Dinner Hours: Tues.-Sun. 5 p.m.

133 West Clinton Place St. Louis, MO 63122 314-965-9005

www.citizenkanes.com

       

             

COFFEE COLA

ESPRESSO SUGAR

| 1 | Trentasette Sicilian nougat bar, $5.95; Extra Virgin, An Olive Ovation, 143 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton, extravirginoo.com | 2 | Fitz’s coffee cola, $2.19 per bottle; Kaldi’s Coffeehouse, multiple locations, kaldiscoffee.com | 3 | Espresso natural cane sugar, $8.99 for 4.5 oz; Di Olivas, multiple locations, diolivas.com PHOTOGRAPHy by Jonathan Gayman

            Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

19

FEAST FAVES

| the big idea

truffle mania written by Brandon Chuang

Photography by

J. Pollack Photography

Twelve years: That’s how long Brandon Benack bought subpar truffles before he finally snapped.

The executive chef of Truffles restaurant in Clayton and his wife, Erika, recently launched Truffle Mania. They have partnered with Matteo Bartolini, a truffle farmer from the Umbria region of Italy, to bring truffles to St. Louis within 48 hours of being harvested. “He’s probably considered one of the top five truffle hunters in all of Italy,” Benack says about Bartolini. “And the land in Umbria is considered some of the best in the world for truffles.” Currently Benack’s biggest client is his own kitchen at Truffles, where he bangs out tuber-laced creations at a maddening clip.

Risotto with truffle purée, truffle twice-baked potatoes, even truffle ice cream. He also sells to local culinarians wanting to step up their own meals. “We have oils, butter, honey, two types of truffle purée and, of course, the actual truffles themselves. During the off-season we even have fresh truffle shavings that are packed in olive oil,” Benack says. “And when we say ‘olive oil,’ this is Umbria we’re talking about; Matteo goes next door to the guy that makes olive oil.” Naturally.

Truffle Mania, 314.562.7507

RESPONSIBLY RAISED, SKILLFULLY MADE. ®

CHILI-CORN SALSA MADE WITH NON-GMO CORN.                                                             

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feastSTL.com

April 2013

Homemade Greek Food Carry out • Catering Private Parties Gyros • Kebobs • Baklava oLYmPIa keBoB HoUSe aNd TaVerNa 7 days a week from 11am 1543 McCausland • 314-781-1299

Spices Spices Spices Fresh, Quality Spices at Prices You'll Love.

• Local soup, dip mixes & honey • Grilling rubs, marinades and spices • Hot sauces and peppers, including Ghost

GOSHENCOFFEE.COM

334 South Main,

100% ORGANIC.

636-916-3600

COMPLETELY UNCOMPROMISING.

Historic St. Charles 7 Days A Week

www.oldtownspices.com

ST. LOUIS' MOST AWARD WINNING & UNIQUE WINE EXPERIENCE

Webster Groves and NOW OPEN Downtown at The MX Lunch ~ Dinner ~ Private Parties ~ Corporate Catering ~ Weekend RoBrunch* ~ Wine Tastings ~ Wine & Gift Shoppe

BIG FLAVOR IN EVERY BITE. LUNCH | DINNER | BANQUET CARRYOUT | DELIVERY Lunch: 11-3 Monday - Saturday Dinner: 3-10 Monday - Thursday • 3-11 Friday & Saturday 11-9 Sunday

635 Washington Ave, St. Louis, MO 63101 | Downtown 227 W. Lockwood, Webster Groves, MO 63119 | Webster Groves For reservations, hours, locations and up-to-date information visit:

robustwinebar.com

#2 The Boulevard, St. Louis, Richmond Heights, MO 63117

maggianos.com • 314.824.2402 *Brunch only available at The MX Location

Like, Follow And Stay Inspired With Us: Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

21

FEAST FAVES

| shop-o-matic

family nuts Who doesn’t look back on the time they blew their entire month’s allowance in 10 minutes on far more sweets and treats than they could possibly eat and think, “It was totally worth it.” Thanks to Family Nuts, you can be as happy as a kid in a candy store all over again.

The candy, nut and chocolate shop in Westport Plaza is in fact family-owned and -operated. Beth Wilson and her niece Nicole Yeager spend their days dishing up tasty treats that are sold in bulk and weighed-to-order. The duo has curated a tantalizing selection of old favorites and modern hits that will have you leaving the store with far more than you intended.

Candy offerings include blasts from the past such as Boston baked beans, French burnt peanuts, Maple Nut Goodies, Mary Janes, root beer barrels, Atomic Fireballs and Bit-O-Honeys. The roasted peanut flavors are more contemporary, with choices like barbecue, butter toasted, garlic and buffalo. And the chocolate section finds a balance between the two with standards such as chocolate-covered almonds served up next to more unfamiliar, but equally popular, chocolatecovered blueberries.

If your sweet tooth isn’t yet satisfied, Wilson and Yeager will surely deliver with their earnest enthusiasm and charming wit. “We named the store Family Nuts thinking we’d put the family in nuts,” says Wilson. “Turns out we’re putting the nuts in family.”

– B.W.

312 Westport Plaza, Westport 314.576.9838, familynuts.net

THREE TASTY TREATS TO GOBBLE OR GIFT

and salty textural treat. The crunchy malt center is surrounded by a smooth layer of chocolate that’s dipped in creamy peanut butter. A favorite of kids and adults alike. | 2 | The Wild About Wasabi mix is the store’s most popular item. Spicy wasabi peas, salty almonds and sweet cashews are tossed together and lightly seasoned for a sensational snack. Serve with a cheese board to surprise and delight guests. | 3 | For lots of people, cherry sours were a childhood fave. At Family Nuts, the supersweet treat is also superfresh, sourced from a local maker for soft, chewy sours that taste even better today than they did when you were a kid.

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|1|

|2|

|3|

PHOTOGRAPHy by Corey Woodruff

| 1 | Peanut butter malt balls are a sweet

2013 CHEVROLET

Everyone Qualifies!

14,900

$

*

STK. #C4207

SHOP ONLINE AT:

www.weberchev.com Creve Coeur, Missouri 12015 Olive Blvd.

KOHLS

(Olive & I-270)

314-567-3300

TOLL FREE 1-888-408-2470

*Sale prices include all rebates & discounts. Select in-stock vehicles only. . See dealer for details.

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

23

Come try our Sushi Lover Specials All you can eat sushi special – buy one get the 2nd half price with a purchase of 2 beverages.

We have our all you can eat salad $7.99 lunch specials. Two rolls for $7.99 lunch only.

Also for students – show your official student ID and get 15% off every visit.

Choose from sushi, sashimi, special rolls, and if sushi isn't really your thing, various entrees, salads, noodles, and more are offered.

And the best part? The sushi is reasonably priced so you don't have to break the bank for a delicious sushi meal!

910 Olive St.• Downtown • 314.588.7888 • 2009 Zumbehl Rd. • St. Charles • 636.949.8888

How about a culinary trip to Munich?

Our large selection of award-winning Bavarian Bier, famous Riesling wines, seasonal specialties and "Gemuetlichkeit" will make you feel like you just visited Bavaria. Discover regional specialties and our large standard menu of authentic Bavarian dishes.

Live Oompah and accordion music every second and fourth Saturday.

Visit our website at www.roemertopfllc.com for pictures, music schedule and special events.

Reservations recommended!

Live music every 2nd & 4th Saturday • Groups welcome Tues-Fri 11-2 & 5-9, Sat 5-9, Sun 5-8. Closed on Mondays.

1415 McKinley St. • Mascoutah • 618.566.4884 • roemertopfllc.com

Retail and Wholesale For over 86 years, the Wenneman family business has been a tradition for many people in the St. Louis Metropolitan area. With total commitment to customer satisfaction as their primary objective, we place great emphasis on product quality and customer service.

Wenneman Meat Company is a full service, federally inspected, old fashioned butcher shop and meat market.

We produce a complete line of our own meat, deli and poultry products. Our formulations and recipes have been passed down for generations, and remain unchanged, while continuing to grow our product lines.

Retail and Wholesale

7415 State Rt 15 • St. Libor y, IL • 618.768.4328 • wenneman.com

Tenacious Eats Presents Movies for Foodies Tenacious Eats Presents Movies for Foodies By integrating film and food, we create an original experience, a feast for the senses,

an event that brings food and film, chefs and diners together.

By integrating film and food, we create an original experience, a feast for the senses, TUESDAY, P R Ibrings L 9 foodFour and diners a Funeral an eventAthat and Weddings film, chefs and together.

TUESDAY, A P R I L 23 My Big Fat Greek Wedding TUESDAY, APRIL 9 Four Weddings and a Funeral TUESDAY, M AY 7 Serial Mom TUESDAY, APRIL 23 My Big Fat Greek Wedding TUESDAY, M AY 14 Breakfast at Tiffany’s TUESDAY, MAY 7 Serial Mom TUESDAY, M AY 21 Eat Pray Love JoinMeals us forare multiple courses drinksourced pairings while enjoyingingredients. prepared withand locally and hard-to-find ourEach feature films. prepared locally sourced and new film Meals inspiresare a new menu with so each hard-to-find ingredients.

Each new film inspires a new menu so dining experience is unique. each dining experience Reservations required.is unique. Reservations required.

Tenacious Eats at www.brownpapertickets.com

4510 Manchester Avenue (at ������� ������ � ��� ����� � ������������ � �������������������������� 24

feastSTL.com

April 2013

Discover Historic Main Street Columbia

Shopping, Wine, & Dining Guide Agnes Ross

Illinois

115 W. Gundlach St. • 618-281-4327

Chateau La Vin 119 S. Main St. • 618-281-8117

April 19 & 20 City Wide Yard Sale!

Evalina’s Antique Café

Visit ColumbiaIllinois.com for upcoming event details.

DAILY DRINK & FOOD SPECIALS

Fabulous Finds 315 N. Main St. • 618-281-1954

FREE GIFT

5 TINY’S PUB & GRILL

$ 50 LUNCH SPECIAL

With any purchase over $25.

with this ad. Expires 4/30/13

Unique Western Apparel and Decor... Crafted to Last

602 N. Main St. Columbia, IL 62236

The Patina Pony is proud to present Western inspired clothing, boots, jewelry, accessories and designer home decor from today's top Western Artisans.

618-281-9977

Grill open Sunday-Wednesday 11-8 pm Thursday-Saturday 11-9 pm Pub open til 1 am.

124A S. Main St. • 618- 520-0569

SAVE 10%

When you present this ad with your first purchase. Offer expires 4.30.2013.

Offer not valid on furniture.

Located in the Old Distillary 113 W. Gundlach • Columbia, IL • 618.281.7915 • thepatinapony.com

Like us on Facebook for Sales, Events & Much More! www.facebook.com/ar.agnesross

Check out our new website coming soon!

www.agnesross.com

Located in The Old Distillery Center 115 West Gundlach Street

618-281-4327

Fashion Attic 128 S. Main St. • 618-281-7467

Fashion Attic 4 Kids 103 West Gundlach St. • 618- 281-7466

Gruchala’s Restaurant 210 S. Main St. • 618-281-9901

Imo’s Pizza 1450 Evergreen • 618-281-5552

Knott So Shabby Furnishings 117 W. Locust • 618-281-6002 New Orleans Boy Meets Local Girl

WINE SHOP, WINE GARDEN & TASTING BAR Live Jazz on most Thurs. Evenings

10% OFF PURCHASE Offer Expires 4/30/13

Great Wines, Specialty Beers, Spirits & Wine Accessories

chateaulavin.com Closed Monday • Tues.-Thurs. 2-9pm • Fri.-Sat. Noon-10pm • Sun. Noon-5pm

119 South Main Street, Columbia, IL • 618.281.8117

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Authentic Italian Brick Oven!

EVALINA'S ANTIQUE CAFE Something for E Everyone Consignments, Antiques & Unique Vintage items

• Private Parties by Reservation •

20% OFF*

CRAWFISH BOILS

Magnolia

& Live Music (Begins at 3pm)

208 N. Main St. • 618-281-8083

April 13 - Bob Case Blues Band May 18 - Funky Butt Brass Band June 8 - Mondin Band

Memory Lane Gifts & Floral

Check Website for Full Party Schedule

Any One Regular Priced Item

Southern Cuisine and Best Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis!

124A South Main St. Columbia, IL

123 South Main St • Columbia, IL 62236 Phone: 618-281-2229 Chris: 314-280-5224 • Micki: 618-980-2132

*Excludes food & jewelry.

Expires April 30, 2013

618.520.0569

Tues-Fri 11am-5pm • Sat 11am-4pm

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11-9pm

Email:whodatstakeout@yahoo.com • www.whodatsrestaurant.com

• Large Outdoor Patio • 11 Flat Screen TVs • 12 Beers on Tap, Imported and Specialty Micro Brews • Extensive Wine List • Kitchen Open Late

515-B N. Main St. • 618-281-4538

Our Coffee House Café 125 N. Rapp St. • 618-281-4554

Reifschneider’s Grill & Grape 608 N. Main St. • 618-281-2020

The Patina Pony 113 W. Gundloch • 618-281-7915

Private Parties Available

Tiny’s Pub & Grill

618-281-2020

602 N. Main St. • 618-281-9977

608 North Main St. Columbia, IL 62236 www.grillandgrape.com Daily lunch and dinner specials Black Angus Steaks & Burgers Appetizers • Salads • Sandwhiches • Fish Brick Oven Pizzas • Desserts

Fresh From New Orleans!

618-710-0200 700 North State St. Freeburg, IL 62243

12" TWOTOPPING PIZZA

9

$ 95

Must mention coupon when ordering. Only one coupon per purchase. Tax not included. Delivery Additional.

Not good with any other offer.

EXPIRES 4/30/13

Vida Verde Studio Salon & Boutique 127 N. Main St. • 618-281-6767

1450 Evergreen (Columbia, IL)

Who Dat’s Southern Food

CARRY-OUT • DINE-IN • DELIVERY

123 S. Main St. • 618-281-2229

618-281-5552

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

25

one on one

mark attwood

Comet Coffee written by Catherine Neville Photography by Jonathan Gayman

The Comet rollercoaster thrilled St. Louisans from its opening day in 1941 until it was torn down after a fire destroyed the Forest Park Highlands in 1963.

What lines Oakland Avenue today bears little resemblance to that mid-century playground, but look closely. The building that houses Comet Coffee, a Third Wave coffeehouse dedicated to coffee perfection, evokes the past in its curving lines. “With the building named after the Highlands and its shape reminiscent of a rollercoaster,” says Mark Attwood, “we thought it appropriate [to name the shop Comet Coffee].”

What made you want to open your own shop? Honestly? I wasn’t able to find a job with another coffee shop and with my fiancé as a pastry chef, it made sense to open a shop where we could focus on both our interests.

How does hand-brewed coffee differ from standard drip-brew coffees? If both are done correctly, the quality should be similar if using a high-end, commercial brewer.

It comes down freshness. When we brew, the coffee is handed off to you within minutes of it finishing. With a large drip brewer, the coffee may sit for a significant amount of time before being consumed. Do you have a particular favorite type of bean or growing region for coffee? Kenya. It’s a consistently bright and interesting cup of coffee. Do you ever just get a cup of coffee at the gas station if there’s no alternative? I don’t. Once you have good coffee, it’s really hard to go back. What do you think will follow the Third Wave?

I think we will see coffee roasters buying directly from an individual farm or family rather than a co-op or group of farms with a strong emphasis on the coffee varietal.

What is the best way for people to make coffee at home? The Clever is a cheap, clean and easy way to get a good cup of coffee. It’s kind of a mix between the Chemex and the press pot. Also, I believe Bona Vita has an automatic brewer that is [endorsed by the] Specialty Coffee Association of America. What is more important than the brew method is properly heated quality water (198°F to 211°F) and a burr grinder.

What is your opinion of the single-cup brew systems that have become so popular? It’s consumption for the sake of consumption. What you have is something that disguises itself as a fresh, quality product, but [is neither]. The coffee in the cups is processed and stale. And a more important part of coffee is lost: an appreciation for the underlying product and all the individuals it took to create it. A cup of coffee should be a five to 10 minute time of your day when you reflect and enjoy all that we have.

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5708 Oakland Ave., Dogtown 314.932.7770 cometcoffeestl.com Visit feastSTL.com to read the full interview with Mark Attwood.

Your Friends • Your Neighbors • At Your Service

Senior Living Communities

Tethered Full Rides Rides $ $ 3000 24900 /person

/person

Call the winery to reserve your spot

636-482-4500

SunriSe Hot Air

Balloon launch During Augusta Plein Air Art Festival Saturday, April 20th

Open Year rOund: Monday-Saturday 11am-5pm • Sunday 12pm-5pm

100 Hemsath road, augusta, MO 63332

www.rileyspence.com 636.349.2311

Offering weddings in 2013....

email weddings@noboleisvineyards.com, for wedding package information.

  

   

...of what’� in �tore!

    

  

         

             

   



      

 

  

  

   

                

             

   



     

 



 

  

  

    

    

 



   

   

   



       

      

Inspired Food Culture

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27

the mix

Twelve Miles Out

Story and recipe by Matt Seiter Photography by Jonathan Gayman

This dandy of a drink is a product of Prohibition. During that time period, the government moved the borders of the U.S. a few times. At one point, any area three miles offshore was considered international waters. When the government realized rum-running boats were easily navigated in those waters, it pushed the boundary a little farther out to rougher seas, to the 12-mile marker. As was common in those days, people took cruises to enjoy libations. They had to wait until the ship reached international waters for the bars to open. Twelve Miles Out became a popular drink to enjoy while giving Uncle Sam the middle finger from a safe (and legal) distance.

The recipe is easy to memorize – all equal parts. You just have to know the ingredients, which happen to be some of my favorites in the spirit world. The original recipe calls for white rum, Calvados and Swedish Punsch. I have used dark rums when making this drink, namely Angostura 7-Year rum, Flor de Caña 7-Year rum and Ron Zacapa. White rum will offer a lighter cocktail, but those darker rums add much more depth of flavor. My suggestion is to use dark rums in colder months and use white rums in late spring and summer.

Calvados has become one of my go-to spirits over the past few years. It’s an apple and pear brandy, aged like whiskey, and delightful to all senses. It’s a drier spirit, and I absolutely love the smell of it. Close your eyes, take a whiff, and imagine walking through an orchard on a cool afternoon.

There are a few exceptional brands out there. Check out Berneroy Fine, Busnel and Boulard. When it comes to Swedish Punsch, I prefer housemade. However, Kronan Swedish Punsch is a great bottled option. It’s a balanced and beautiful blend of rums, tea and citrus – just like Swedish Punsch should be.

Twelve Miles Out

Aging Your Own Cocktails There are a host of cocktails that lend themselves to aging. Twelve Miles Out is one of them. Riding on the heels of the popularity of barrel aging is the simpler and far less expensive technique of bottle aging. The process is the same as barrel aging, but you place your batch of premade cocktails in glass jars as opposed to wood barrels. To age the Twelve Miles Out, pour the three spirits in equal proportions into a Mason jar. Let it sit for three to six weeks in a cool, dark place. Sample it after three weeks and then every subsequent week until it tastes great and you’re ready to serve it.

If you allow the individual spirits to interact with one another over a longer period of time, the flavors meld together. Particular notes or accents get stronger and begin to shine through. However, you have to have patience. Imagine each spirit as a willful child. Put a bunch of them in a room together (the jar), and at first they’ll beat up on each other. Over time, they stop fighting. They start shaking hands, becoming buddies. There is an air of harmony within. Give these spirits some time and taste the beautiful friendship they develop.

Serves | 1 | 1

1

1

1

oz Flor de Caña white rum oz Berneroy Fine Calvados oz Kronan Swedish Punsch orange twist for garnish

| Preparation | Combine rum, Calvados and Swedish Punsch in a mixing glass. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds. Strain into

Matt Seiter is a co-founder of the United States Bartenders’ Guild’s St. Louis chapter, a member of the national board for the USBG’s MA program and a continuing educator for all desiring knowledge of the craft of mixology. He is a member of Drink Lab and is the creator of the Sanctuaria Cocktail Club.

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a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with an orange twist.

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Comedy Mystery Dinner Theatre “Nursery Crimes” Fairytale land isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be – just ask Humpty Dumpty. He didn’t fall off that wall, he was pushed!

Now that we are all grown up, help us find out what turned this Nursery Rhyme into a Nursery Crime.

This interactive comedy mystery will be presented with a 4-course meal to DIE for!

Call for Reservations 314.533.9830

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Tucker's Place Voted "The best steaks in St. Louis for 13 consecutive years by People's Choice Award" For over 30 years Tucker’s has consistently prepared top-quality American cuisine with steaks cut fresh daily. Delicious food, a relaxed and cozy atmosphere, terrific service and reasonable prices make Tucker’s what it is today … an excellent dining experience in St. Louis!

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Simply the best Steaks and Seafood Kreis’ serves the finest USDA Prime Mid Western Corn-fed Beef,aged four to six weeks in house. We offer an extensive choice of the classic Steak Cuts and Seafood including our famous Prime Rib. Simply the best available-Top 2%.

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or 20% Off your bill. Discount up to $20 *Valid only with purchases of two dinner entrees. Dine-in only. Not valid on holidays, restaurant special events or with any other discount. See web site for exclusions. Tax and tip not included. Expires 4/30/13.

535 S. Lindbergh • St. Louis • 314.993.0735 • kreisrestaurant.com Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

29

on the shelf

top april PICKS

beer

written by Michael Sweeney

Award-winning sommelier and mixologist Chad Michael George is founder of Proof Academy, which covers everything from wine and cocktail list consulting to spirits and mixology education.

Founders Brewing Co.’s All Day IPA

Nolet’s Dry Gin

AVAILABLE AT: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple

locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $8.99 (sixpack, 12-oz bottles) PAIRINGS: Curried chicken• Cheddar Some of us like a hop bomb but could do without all of the alcohol (or calories) of an IPA. That’s where Founders’ All Day IPA comes into play.

Founders created a sessionable beer that’s easy to drink but still provides a big burst of citrusy hoppiness for those of us looking to get our hop fix without a big abv.

Perennial Artisan Ales’ Aria STYLE: Belgian-Style Ale (7.2% abv) AVAILABLE AT: Friar Tuck, multiple locations, friartuckonline.com; $10.99 (750-ml bottle) PAIRINGS: Arugula salad • Carbonara

Brettanomyces is a special and devious little strain of yeast that can be a brewer’s best friend or worst nightmare. If properly controlled, it will provide one of the most complex flavors and aromas you’ll find in beer. Aria has a distinct aroma of tropical fruit with a subtle funkiness that will keep you coming back for more.

Chimay Brewery’s Grande Réserve (Blue) STYLE: Belgian Dark Strong (9% abv) AVAILABLE AT: Randall’s Wine and Spirits, multiple

locations, shoprandalls.com; $12.99 (750-ml bottle) PAIRINGS: Stilton• Smoked beef ribs Belgian dark strongs are some of the baddest Belgian beers on the shelves. Chimay Grande Réserve is one of the granddaddies of the style.

You’ll recognize this beer by its distinctive blue label, and you’ll never forget the almostindescribable maltiness. As you let the beer warm up, you’ll notice a huge aroma that will remind you of dried drupes.

feastSTL.com

APRIL 2013

written by Chad Michael George

The creator of STLHops.com and founder of St. Louis Craft Beer Week, Michael Sweeney is also the craft beer manager at Lohr Distributing.

STYLE: American IPA (4.7% abv)

30

spirits

PROVENANCE: Holland (47.6% abv) AVAILABLE AT: Friar Tuck, multiple locations, friartuckonline.com; $46.99 TRY IT: In a dry (2:1) martini

The Nolet family is well-known as the producer of Ketel One vodka. Its gin features three key botanicals not typically found in gin: Turkish rose, white peach and raspberry. Each botancial is distilled or macerated separately before blending.

These botanicals are the highlight in this product, and floral notes are dominant. This gin is smooth, aromatic and well-balanced. There are hints of the requisite juniper, but the Turkish rose and white peach make it shine. This is my favorite gin to use in a martini, without exception.

Dale DeGroff’s Pimento Aromatic Bitters PROVENANCE: France (45% abv) AVAILABLE AT: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple

locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $19.99 TRY IT: As a substitute for Angostura bitters in a Manhattan Dale DeGroff, a big contributor to the resurgence of quality cocktail and craft spirits, has teamed up with the Combier Distillery in Saumur, France, to produce these delicious bitters. Tropical spices and allspice berries load spice on the nose and on the palate.

Clove, licorice and cinnamon are the most dominant flavors. A bitter yet peppery finish make these a hot addition to any cocktail, but I specifically get a kick out of using them in a Manhattan.

Cadenhead’s Old Raj PROVENANCE: Scotland (55% abv) AVAILABLE AT: Randall’s Wine and Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com; $50.99 TRY IT: In your favorite gin cocktail

I recently fell in love with Old Raj all over again when it released a higher-octane 55 percent bottling. (Old Raj also makes a 46 percent version.) One of the great qualities of a higher-proof base spirit is the way it shines in complex cocktails, whereas lower-proof bottles get muddled or lost in the mix. Old Raj starts off as a great juniper-based gin, but then the distillers add a touch of saffron. This is where the slight yellow tinge comes from. Old Raj makes a mean gin and tonic when paired with a high-quality and bitter tonic like Q Tonic or Fever-Tree.

wine

written by Angela Ortmann

STLwinegirl Angela Ortmann shares her passion for all things epicurean through her event and consultation business, which is dedicated to enhancing your food and wine experience.

Matanzas Creek Sauvignon Blanc 2011 PROVENANCE: Sonoma County, Calif.

AVAILABLE AT: Randall’s Wine and Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com; $18.99 PAIRINGS: Fresh herb and tomato salad• Shellfish• Pesto pasta

Sauvignon Blanc is often seen as the white wine to go hand in hand with the seasonal bounty of spring.

The zesty tang of citrus notes is mellowed by the lush roundness of melon and pear. Subtle herbal notes finish this food-friendly and crowd-pleasing wine. An ideal choice for the onset of picnic season.

Peter Franus Proprietary Red 2007 PROVENANCE: Napa Valley, Calif.

AVAILABLE AT: West End Wines, 4906 Laclede Ave.,

Central West End, westendwines.com; $43.99 PAIRINGS: Grilled burgers• Olive tapenade• Raclette cheese Blueberry and blackberry flavors join with the distinct taste of cassis before unfolding into layered nuances of herbs, flowers and oak. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc, this deep and inky red wine is still in its growing years. Drinkable now with a little decanting time, or hold it for up to 10 more years.

Palmina Arneis 2009 PROVENANCE: Central Coast of California AVAILABLE AT: Bottle Cellars, 6039 Telegraph Road,

Oakville, bottlecellars.com; $19.99 PAIRINGS: Salmon• Goat cheese• Chicken and dumplings Its name means “little rascally one,” so you can understand why this grape is grown only in specific regions. This intriguing, food-friendly wine is customarily from Italy, but the Central Coast of California has seen great success cultivating it.

Soft citrus, floral and honeyed notes are unveiled in a creamy yet invigorating body. Barolo fans, take note: This could now be your go-to white.

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

31

mystery shopper

Meet: Kumquats

story and recipe by Erik Jacobs Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Ben Franklin once said something to the effect that “Wine is proof that God loves us, and that he loves to see us happy”. Franklin’s theological wisdom not withstanding, I’d like to offer up the kumquat as proof that whatever power created it has a brilliant sense of humor and loves to confuse us. This orange-hued, citrus-scented little fruit is just coming into season, and if you’ve never tried one, you’re in for some surprises.

What Is It?

It’s easy to see why the kumquat would be known as “the little gem of the citrus family.”

But the joke is apparently on us because, as it turns out, that olive-sized kumquat isn’t a citrus fruit at all. It looks and tastes like a hopped-up orange, but it resides in a genus all its own. Furthermore, if you’ve never eaten a kumquat, you might think a sensible approach is to peel the bitter rind and eat the sweet fruit inside. But you would be wrong. Unlike the orange, the kumquat has a sweet, edible rind and a bracingly sour fruit. Go figure!

How Do I Use It?

What to do with the fruit that defies convention? Fresh raw kumquats offer a sweet-sour explosion. Eating only the peel offers bright, sweet flavor with mildly acidic notes. Candied kumquats are a gorgeous garnish on spring and summer desserts.

Kumquats can also shine in savory settings.

The December issue of Feast featured a recipe for ProvenÇal braised beef short ribs that called for the addition of orange zest. (Find the recipe in our recipe database at feastSTL.com.) A handful of kumquats thrown into the braise 30 minutes before finish would be an amazing substitution.

Salad Go Boom Peppery arugula; salty, crispy prosciutto (or crispy Parmigiano-Reggiano if you wish to keep it vegetarian); cool, crunchy fennel; and sweetly sour kumquats make up a flavor profile reminiscent of a great Thai salad. In the Western tradition, however, we will bring it all home with a drizzle of intense, fruity olive oil and a sprinkle of smoked sea salt.

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Serves | 6 to 8 | high-quality, fruity extra-virgin olive oil ¼ lb prosciutto, thinly sliced 4 cups arugula 1 cup kumquats, thinly sliced and seeds removed 1 cup thinly sliced fennel smoked sea salt

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 375ºF. Place a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Place prosciutto slices on parchment and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until crisp. Remove and let cool. Break into pieces.

In a large mixing bowl, toss together arugula, kumquats, fennel and prosciutto. Divide among salad plates and drizzle each salad with 1 to 2 Tbsp olive oil. Finish with a sprinkle of smoked sea salt and serve immediately.

to pick up more delicious recipes featuring kumquats. Visit straubs.com for information on its four locations.

APRIL 2013

check it out!

Feast extra

You don’t need reservations. You don’t even need shoes. Just two glasses and a bottle of Chambourcin. As the moon rises over a quiet lake, you wonder: “Did the winemakers know how perfect the ripe-cherry fl avor would be on nights like this?” They’re Missourians; of course they did.

iiw w in ne e .or og m iss so mis s o u ri rriw in

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

33

how to

Roasting With Chauvin Coffee

written by Brandon Chuang Photography by Jonathan Gayman

“What’s that handle thing called?”

“A tryer,” Charleville says as he shoves the tool back into the drum.

Of all the things that people are obsessed with in the epicurean world, coffee is probably the most perplexing to me. I understand why people fawn over certain breeds of chicken. Organic I can dig. But what doesn’t make sense to me is when people tell me they’ll pay $20 for a 12-oz bag of coffee. Which is why I’m up about three hours earlier than normal on a Saturday – to find out if I’m completely right about this whole coffee thing, or if I’m just an ignorant prick.

Though Chauvin Coffee is closed on weekends, its roasting team of Mike Charleville and Jeremy Hanson has graciously come in on a Saturday to show me exactly what goes into roasting coffee.

I meet Charleville first. He greets me at the door holding a protein shake and wearing a shirt that looks like it’s waging war against his biceps. I quickly decide that no matter how I feel about coffee at the end of this, there is absolutely no way I’m saying anything negative out of fear that Charleville will kick my ass.

He brings me to the back, where the production facility is headquartered. Entering the main room, I’m quickly overwhelmed by a silent, monolithic metal structure that appears to have come from Jamaica, based on its shockingly bright yellow and green paint scheme. It’s quickly explained to me that what I’m looking at is a commercial roaster

by STA Impianti, and that its place of origin is actually Bologna, Italy. “There are only a handful of these in the U.S.,” Charleville, says, beaming proudly. “In fact, this may have been the first.”

Chauvin basically has two types of clients: highvolume (grocery stores and gas stations) and small-volume (restaurants and boutique coffee shops). Because of this, there are two distinct sizes of roasters: the behemoth I first met, which can handle about 250 lbs of beans at a time, and its baby brother, which is meant for smaller, more artisanal batches. It’s by the less imposing roaster that I first meet the less imposing roaster, Jeremy Hanson. A wiry, goateed fellow

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who is sans protein shake, Hanson is in the middle of a roasting cycle when we shake hands.

To get you up to speed, here’s the extremely stripped-down version of how you roast coffee.

First off, coffee beans are actually the seeds from the coffee plant. Growing everywhere from Brazil to India to Ethiopia, the “beans” are more often than not handpicked, cleaned and dried, and then shipped off in their raw form. To become the coffee that you purchase off the shelf, the beans must be exposed to heat and roast for a set period of time.

And while the basic principles behind roasting are simple, the act itself, especially on a commercial scale, is far more complex and stressful. Before I came in, Hanson had already filled the roaster’s hopper, the storage container atop the machine, with raw beans. He then dropped the beans into the roaster, where a washing machine-like drum rotates and spins them to ensure an even layer of heat. While he waits, he’s constantly checking the temperature and scribbling into a ragged notebook he has positioned on a desk nearby.

When I ask what he’s writing, he proceeds to show me: charts, filled in with temperatures, roast durations, even the color descriptions of the finished beans, all crammed into neat little rows and columns. He quickly flips through, showing me page upon page of similar-looking charts. Different days. Different beans. Different roasting methods.

“I’ve got notes going back for months,” he grins.

“Roasting is half science and half art,” adds Charleville. “You could even argue it’s more art.”

Then he walks over to the massive machine that first greeted me, turns and asks, “So, you want to fire this thing up?”

With a huge junction box positioned alongside the 20-foot-tall beast, Chauvin’s mega-roaster looks like a 1980s Russian nuclear plant. There are a multitude of buttons and flashing lights. At the push of a button, the machine whirs to life. It’s quite loud. “We should probably go get some beans,”

Charleville shouts at me as he points to a door.

Upon entering the warehouse in the back of Chauvin, you’re hit with the smell of flowers and fruit: an intense combination of aromas that results from the insane variety of raw coffee beans stored back here. Hanging from the rafters are the flags of the various places from which Charleville buys his beans: Panama, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and more.

Below them are mountains of sacks of beans.

I now understand why Charleville has arms the size of normal people’s thighs. Because he has to. Raw beans come to Chauvin in either 132- or 150-pound burlap sacks. It sucks to move, but Charleville does it like a boss. Before you know it, we’re back in the main roasting room where a giant monster of a machine has hungrily reached an internal temperature nearing 500°F. “It’s ready to go,” says Charleville. “You ready?”

Because of the amount of beans it takes to feed this thing, along with the massive weight of the bags, the hopper for this Bologna-born beast is actually below us. Charleville raises a giant metal lid on the floor and proceeds to tear open the sacks. “You need any help?” I ask, trying to do my part as behind-thescenes-guy-for-a-food-magazine. Charleville kind of gives me a once-over. “Nah, I’m good.”

Bag upon bag is fed into the floor hopper, and all the while a vacuum tube is sucking it up into the machine.

With a timed cycle, you need to be quick, otherwise you could mess up the roast or, worse, break a machine that costs as much as a small house.

Once the beans are in, a porthole in the roasting drum allows you to see inside so that you can check on the color. After a few minutes, Charleville pulls a handle in the middle of the drum that’s attached to a small cylindrical scoop. In the middle of the scoop are about 10 beans, mid-roast. “I’m checking the progress,” he explains. “Looking at the color, shape and texture – basically trying it throughout the process.”

If you’ve ever made sugar candy at home, you may be familiar with the term “crack.” Its name is an onomatopoeia − there’s literally a cracking sound.

In this case, it’s when the heat in the bean goes from endothermic to exothermic, meaning the bean cracks open from all the heat it’s absorbed.

Coffee roasters wait for the second crack, which normally indicates a finished, or nearly finished, roast. Two cracks and approximately 15 minutes later, Charleville stops the drum and opens a door at its base, flooding the beans onto a large metallic pan where gyrating arms circulate the beans to cool them. During this process, another hopper of beans (which Charleville raced over to dump into the floor) has already loaded itself and begun roasting.

Once the beans are cooled, they’re vacuumed up into a second tube, clear and plastic. Scattering around at a dizzying rate, the beans move onward and upward into a large storage tower. From there, Charleville and I dump the contents into a large bin and proceed to roll it over to a wall with yet more vacuum towers, where the beans are sucked up again into their own independent bean silo. There they wait until they’re ready to be packaged. Charleville takes a dry-erase marker and writes “HOUSE BLEND” across a small whiteboard that’s attached to the front of the silo. “That’s it,” he says with a smile.

Lucky for me, this month’s column was about roasting coffee with Chauvin, not “completing the entire coffee-making process with Chauvin.” If it were the latter, I’d probably still be there, because Chauvin packages much of its coffee by hand. With both machines running, Charleville and Hanson can crank out thousands of pounds of coffee a day.

Coming in on a Saturday just to entertain me, the two have already roasted over a quarter-ton of coffee. Needless to say, their production rate, and the skill needed to maintain it, is impressive.

I don’t understand why people love coffee so much. Don’t get me wrong – I drink coffee on a regular basis. In fact, I drink Chauvin coffee on a regular basis because that’s what the coffee shop below my office serves. I’ve just never understood why people get so crazy. But as I’m wrapping up talking with Charleville about some odds and ends, Hanson approaches me with a very simple question: “You want a coffee?”

Hanson, a trained barista, comes back with a foamy coffee drink. I take a sip. I have no idea what I’m drinking, only that it’s delicious − more so than any coffee I can recall having. “It’s a latte,” he says.

“But it almost tastes sweet.”

“Yeah, that’s good coffee. Oh, and there’s whole milk in it.”

Well, dammit, that milk better be organic.

Chauvin Coffee Co., 4160 Meramec St., Bevo Mill 314.772.0700, chauvincoffee.com

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A contemporary bistro specializing in local, fresh, and artisan products.

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Oma’sBarn HOME & GARDEN

Vintage Furniture • Flowers • Home Decor

575 Couch Avenue Kirkwood, MO 63122 www.AberdeenSeniorLiving.com

How you live starts with where you live.

Hop on into Spring!

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We’ve started . e r u t n e v d a w a ne Hand Crafted Coffees Importing Fine Coffees from 20 Countries • QUALITY • EXPERIENCE • SERVICE Full Service Coffeehouse & Restaurant Supplier Fourth Generation Family Owned Coffee Roasters Since 1930

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They'll tell you there's a lot to be said for everyday opportunities to meet people, continue learning and - for the first time - live without questions about future health care.

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

35

tech school

Pan Roasting

Story and recipe by Cassy Vires Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Pan roasting is one of the most popular cooking techniques used in professional kitchens today. It’s nothing new or inventive, just a simple improvement on the classic roasting technique. Classic roasting involves dry cooking in the oven at moderate heat for long cook times. The air from the oven circulates around the food, cooking it evenly on all sides. The benefit is tender, flavorful dishes. The downsides are the time it takes and the unimpressive appearance of the foods. Pan roasting solves both problems.

This technique is applied specifically to meat and is perfect for pork tenderloins and chicken breasts. It can also be used with heartier fish such as salmon and halibut or thick cuts of steak like rib-eye and strip.

The first step in pan roasting is to sear the meat at high heat to create an appealing caramelized exterior. Cast iron or stainless steel pans will collect fond for making a pan sauce at the end. Starting with hot oil is key.

Don’t add your protein until small ripples form in the oil and faint wisps of smoke rise from the pan. Once you add the meat, the trick is to leave it alone. The meat will let you know when it’s ready to be turned. If you give it a gentle pull with a pair of tongs and it resists, then it isn’t ready. Once the sear is complete, it will easily pull away from the pan.

Once the meat is properly seared, add a little liquid to the pan, about 1 inch, and place it in the oven to roast. This keeps the meat from overbrowning and takes the place of traditional basting. The initial sear and addition of liquid help the meat cook through faster, further decreasing the time it spends in the oven. The best way to tell when a protein is finished cooking is to use an instant-read thermometer. Don’t forget that the meat will continue to cook once removed from the oven, placed on a plate and allowed to rest − an important step in the process wherein the juices redistribute evenly.

The best part of pan roasting, however, is the pan sauce made after the meat is finished.

The fond is the bits of seasoning and meat that stick to the pan during searing and roasting and are the perfect start to a pan sauce. After the meat is removed from the pan for resting, pour off any remaining liquid.

Place the pan over high heat and deglaze it with stock, wine or brandy. Those liquids will help pull the fond up from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the sauce by half, season with fresh herbs and thicken with butter or cream.

Or, skip the dairy and add flour to make pan gravy. Drizzled over your pan-roasted meat, it makes for an impressive presentation and flavor that can’t be beat.

Cassy Vires is the owner and chef of Home Wine Kitchen and the forthcomingTable, opening in Benton Park this summer.

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Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast with Mushroom Cream Sauce

This is a quick and stunning way to prepare a simple chicken breast. Served with creamy mashed potatoes, this dish will impress your friends, including the pickier eaters.

Serves | 2 |

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 425°F.

Tbsp olive oil 1 2 split chicken breasts, bone-in and skin on salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 cup dry white wine 2 cups wild mushrooms, chopped 1 cup heavy cream

Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat and add the olive oil. Pat dry the skin of the chicken with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Once the olive oil is hot, sear the chicken, skin side down, until browned.

Season the underside of the chicken and turn it over. Carefully pour the white wine in the pan and add the mushrooms.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160°F. Remove from the oven and place the chicken breasts on a plate. Return the skillet to high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Whisk in the cream and reduce heat to medium. Cook until the sauce is thickened, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and serve immediately.

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Craft Chophouse focuses on the finest house butchered steaks, chops and the freshest seafood with emphasis on seasonal vibrant produce to create a culinary euphoria.

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210 South Buchanan Edwardsville (618) 307-9300 Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

37

gadget a-go-go

French Presses

OXO SoftWorks French Press with Groundskeeper PROS

Two features set this model apart.

First, the stainless steel housing over the glass carafe keeps coffee warm longer than other models do. Second, OXO added a groundskeeper, a silicone cup that is set into the carafe first to hold grounds. After coffee is poured, the groundskeeper lifts out most of the coffee grounds, making disposal easier.

CONS

The groundskeeper sometimes clings to the bottom of the carafe and requires a strong pull to dislodge it. The handle of the groundskeeper interferes with setting the lid and plunger squarely on the carafe, requiring a twist and rotation inside the carafe. Flimsy is the only word to describe the screen and its plastic housing at the bottom of the plunger. An odd design from a good maker.

Bodum Brazil French Press Coffee Maker, 4-cup

written by Pat Eby Photography by Jonathan Gayman

Planetary Design French Press Mug PROS

PROS

A favorite – from its round knob on top to the solid footing at the bottom. A slot opening in the lid to accommodate the handle gives a great mechanical line up to the screen over the pour spout. The domed lid looks fresh, French and sassy. The push is easy and smooth, the plunger solid and steady.

Plunger screws apart for easy cleaning.

A good buy.

Kudos for versatility, ease of operation and thoughtful design for this French press that goes places. It’s a press and an insulated mug all in one. The mug fits in the coffee holder in the car. You can store more coffee in the pull-down container at the bottom for a fresh cup brewed at the office or on the trail. A friend alerted me that this mug easily attaches to backpacks. I wouldn’t have guessed, so I didn’t test it, but it’s an interesting bonus feature.

CONS

CONS

No cons; just not suitable for a crowd.

If you really like coffee, buy the bigger size. $19.99; Park Avenue Coffee, multiple locations, parkavenuecoffee.com

$39.99; Target, multiple locations, target.com

$29.95; Foundation Grounds, 7298 Manchester Road, Maplewood, foundationgrounds.com

Bodum Starbucks Exclusive 4-Cup Crema Press

BonJour 8-Cup Unbreakable French Press

PROS

PROS

The carafe housing and lid for this Starbucks-exclusive Bodum press, made from 30 percent postconsumer plastic, get green points galore and style points besides. They’re goodlooking. The glass carafe fits snugly in the plastic housing and doesn’t slip during the pour. And bonus points for a plunger that screws apart for cleaning and for the substantial metal base on the plunger.

A fine-mesh strainer in the lid at the pour spout does an excellent job catching errant grounds. The coffee poured from this BPA-free plastic carafe doesn’t taste any different from a cup from the glass counterparts tested, plus this carafe is not likely to shatter.

CONS

The plunger shaft wobbles on the push, plus the lid lacks visual or mechanical cues to line the strainer up with the spout. The grooved strainer allows some grounds to come through, and the coffee pours a bit more sediment-heavy than with other models. $16.95; Starbucks, multiple locations, starbucks.com

CONS

The push action of the plunger is a little stiff, even after multiple uses.

Sometimes it squeals on the descent, but not always. The plastic housing encasing the filter lacks heft too.

Sadly, the plunger rod and the plastic filter are permanently wedded to each other, which makes a thorough cleanup difficult. $19.99; Bed Bath & Beyond, multiple locations, bedbathandbeyond.com

Che

ck o pag ut e

What to look for : Ounces and cups. When manufacturers label French presses, the

Grounds for discussion. Cleaning the grounds out of carafes post-pour

serving size is pretty skimpy. Thirty-two-ounce carafes might claim to yield 8 cups of coffee, but by any measure, a 4-ounce cup of really good pressed coffee probably won’t satisfy. Convert ounces to coffee cup or mug capacity before the buy.

makes a pretty good mess, but the smooth taste is worth the effort.

Sometimes grounds from the carafe make it into the cup. If having coffee grounds on your tongue sets your teeth on edge, make sure the filter that covers the pour spout is made of fine mesh.

Plunger construction. Knobs, rods and filters and the pieces that keep the filter in place vary. Take a test plunge in the store to make sure the knob feels comfortable when you push down. Look for a hefty metal rod.

Filters and their supports, metal or plastic, should be sturdy. Choose a plunger that can be taken apart for cleaning to help remove any oily residue, which could affect taste.

Taste versus time. No question – all presses tested produced great

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coffee without a trace of bitterness, but if you choose a French press as your main coffee delivery system, be prepared to deal with timing, not just time. First the mechanics: Bring water to 198ºF to 211ºF, pour over the grounds in the carafe, stir, wait four minutes and press. Be ready to drink that coffee ASAP because it’s going to be cold before you know it.

5

Go beyond the cup 2! and make the delicious coffee-goat-cheese panna cotta in our Cooking With Coffee feature.

Experience Franco's Exceptional menu in its Stunning dining room. Since winning Best new Restaurant years ago, Franco has continued to receive Acclaim from the Wall Street Journal, N.Y. Times, and was again named one of St. Louis' Best Restaurants by St. Louis Magazine. Rediscover why you Fell in Love, with Franco!

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

39

menu options

hot, fresh Pizza at Home

Pizza from a cardboard box is a familiar guest at many dinner tables, but pizza at home can (and should) be so much better. A fresh-from-the-oven slice served with lightly dressed greens makes for a restaurant-quality meal by any standard.

Story and recipe by Lucy Schnuck Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

The key to great pizza is great crust, and this recipe is easy and fool-proof. We've dressed up our pie with figs and prosciutto, but remember that pizza is a blank canvas. Play around with any toppings you like to create a signature pizza at home.

Fig and Prosciutto Pizza with Mixed Greens Yield | 2 pizzas | Pizza 1½ packets active dry yeast 1 Tbsp sugar 1 cup warm water 3¼ cups all-purpose flour 1½ tsp kosher salt 2 Tbsp olive oil

cornmeal 1 small jar fig jam 1½ lbs Italian Fontina cheese, shredded or thinly sliced 20 thin slices prosciutto de Parma Mixed Greens 4 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp good-quality Dijon mustard 1 pinch kosher salt ¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 pinch sugar

½ cup white balsamic vinegar ½ cup grapeseed oil 8 cups mixed greens

| Preparation − Pizza | Place a pizza stone into a cool oven and set oven to 475ºF. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water. Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the flour and salt and stir to combine.

Once the yeast has become foamy, add it to the bowl along with the oil. Mix until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove dough from the bowl and place in a lightly oiled, medium-sized bowl. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place or a proofing oven until doubled in size.

When the dough has risen, place it on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough in half and lightly

punch down each half into a disc. Next, roll each disc into a relatively round circle. Using a fork, dock the dough throughout the center, leaving a

salt, pepper, sugar and balsamic. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking constantly. Adjust seasoning as needed and drizzle over mixed greens.

1-inch rim. If you have a pizza peel, sprinkle the peel with cornmeal to help the dough slide into the oven. If you do not have a peel, turn a cookie

JOIN US!

sheet upside down and sprinkle with cornmeal.

Par-bake each pizza crust for about 3 minutes.

RSVP:

Remove and allow to cool slightly.

schnuckscooks.com 314.909.1704

When the crusts are cooled, spread each with a generous layer of fig jam and divide Fontina and prosciutto between the two pizzas. Bake until crust is golden and cheese is bubbling.

Cool slightly before cutting.

| Preparation − Mixed Greens | In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, mustard,

chef’s tips :

m a k e th e m ea

○

l: Fig and Prosciutto Pi

zza Mixed Greens with W hite Balsamic Vinaigre tte ○ Frie d Prosciutto-Wrapped

Asparagus ○ Nute lla Panini ○

A Solid Crust. If your pizza crust is crisp and browned around the edges but soggy in the middle, that means the toppings cooked before the

crust did. Dock and par-bake pizza dough to create a crisp crust throughout that is evenly baked and supports the toppings.

Take It To The Edge. When adding sauces and toppings to pizza, be sure to distribute them evenly and place them as far out as a ½-inch from the

edge of the dough. If the toppings are concentrated in the center of the pizza, your slices will be heavy in the middle and dry around the edges.

LEA r n M ORE :

In this month’s cooking

class we’ll navigate the world of yeast dough.

Learn simple and valua ble baking techniques such as do cking and parbaking. We’ll whip up simple and tasty vinaigrettes in second s and show you how to make crispy fri ed asparagus without the breading and extra fat.

get hands-on: Join FEAST and Schnucks Cooks Cooking School on Wed., April 24, at 6pm to make the dishes in this month’s menu. Tickets are just $40 for a night of cooking, dining and wine.

RSVP at schnuckscooks.com.

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Historic Soulard Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant

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"To Eat Well is To Live Well" Since arriving in America from Belpasso, Italy, more than 30 years ago, Giuseppe Prezzvento has been serving up delicious food.

In October of 2006, Giuseppe and his wife, Grace, opened Trattoria Giuseppe, with his years of American eatery experience and his signature spaghetti sauce ready to impress the patrons. The entire Prezzavento family is a part of the restaurant: Giuseppe cooks, Grace serves as hostess and their sons, John Paul and Joe, can often be found working or enjoying the food.

Daily lunch and dinner specials available.

Giuseppe says, "Everything we do here comes from the heart."

Call now to book your Mother's Day Reservations!

Reservations Recomended, Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-10pm • Sunday Noon-9pm • Closed Monday

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

Open on Sundays too for Brunch or Dinner!

Turkish/Mediterranean food is a cross between Southern European, Greek and Middle Eastern cuisines.

Aya Sofia Restaurant and Wine Bar offers a large variety of cold and hot meze (small plates) that are intended to be shared and will complement any of our entrees,including delectable lamb, beef, chicken, and fresh seafood.

Lunch: Tues-Fri - Dinner: Tues-Sun - Sunday Brunch Happy Hour: Tues-Fri NIGHTLY DINNER SPECIALS AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE PARTIES AND CATERING Turkish Mediterranean Cuisine

Known for our meze (small plates) and excellent wine selection

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April 2013

41

Not so traditional, traditional logs...

We are the Premier Certified Weber Alliance Dealer.

We have a large selection of Rasmussen Gas Log Co. vented and vent-free Fireplace Systems.

We also feature the Chillbuster CoalFire™.

Enjoy the traditional look of a coal burning fireplace without the mess.

Check out our specials today.

FIREPLACE & GRILL CENTER GAS APPLIANCE SERVICE LLC

14224 Manchester Rd.• Manchester • 636.394.6100 • 2390 Centerline Industrial Dr. • St. Louis • 314.567.6260

Family owned and operated since 1967.

We sharpen • Knives • Garden tools • Scissors • Lawn mower blades

• Old fashion rotary mowers • And much much more

Wide selection of Wusthof Knives, Global Knives, Victorinox Knives, AllClad Pans, Capresso Coffee Makers, Atlas Pasta Machines, Emile Henry Bakeware, USA Pan Bakeware, Vic Firth Pepper Mills, and other World Class brands.

Great selection of High end Knives, Cookware, Kitchen tools and gadgets. Great Holiday specials.

Bertarelli Cutlery 1927 Marconi • Saint Louis 314.664.4005

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Teaching the Art of Living and Dying Well • Premier end of life care • Outstanding holistic caregivers • A peaceful transition

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All Things BBQ... from Grills to Rubs - Charcoal grills - Gas grills - Free standing smokers - Charcoal ovens & more - 20 kinds of smoking wood - Over 100 rubs & spices - Member of the St. Louis BBQ society - Organizer of the annual wildwood BBQ Bash

15053 Manchester Rd. • Ballwin, MO 63011• 636.256.6564 • stlouishomefires.com 42

feastSTL.com

April 2013

Sit’N Sleep...

5 Piece Living Room

Opens to a Full Size Bed

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April 2013

43

Chris Bork’s Chicory-Coffee-Smoked Scallops, White Sweet Potato and Caramelized White Chocolate Purée with Citrus Fennel Salad

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words are not good enough for Frank McGinty. To better prove a point, he gets up suddenly, almost midsentence, from our small table at Kayak’s Coffee. He returns moments later with a tin cup full of Sumatra Wahana Natural coffee grounds. He sticks his nose deep into the cup as he talks about sweet tones and light flavors in the coffee – his words come out nasally and bounce around inside the vessel.

“Coffee is not a flavor,” says McGinty, who is the director of marketing at Kaldi’s Coffee. “That would be like saying something has wine flavor. Most people know that wine is complex. The same is true for coffee.”

McGinty hands me the cup. I stick my nose inside and inhale deeply. And something I did not expect happens. I smell sweet, cherry-like aromas – it reminds me of the milk left over after you eat Fruity Pebbles. According to McGinty, the caramel-y, charred, bitter taste that most people call “coffee flavor” refers to a certain way that roasters have cooked the beans.

Tom Schmidt and Jon Dreja’s Coffee-Smoked Veal Sweetbreads with Country Gravy

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“With a lot of coffee, all you are tasting is what the roaster did,” says McGinty, who keeps sticking his nose back into the cup of grounds and taking deep breaths. “I could take a filet mignon and some hamburger meat and make it taste the same if I cook them long enough.”

Before McGinty was obsessively smelling coffee, you could find him in the kitchen. Locally, he was a chef and partner at Arthur Clay’s. A couple of years ago, after he joined Kaldi’s, his passion for coffee collided with his professional training in the kitchen. All of the complex flavors began pinging the latent chef within him. This resulted in coffee-based dinners – an entire menu with each dish featuring coffee as an ingredient. Everything from the hors d’oeuvres to dinner and dessert made with coffee: Coffee-Cured Duck Prosciutto and Quail Egg “Benedict” with Coffee-Truffle Hollandaise.

Missouri-Wild-Mushroom- and Hazelnut-Stuffed Coffee Ravioli with Blueberry Gastrique and Hazelnut Cream.

“The coffee dinners allowed me to fuse two passions of mine, and they also created a way for me to feature coffee as more than a flavor,” McGinty says. “If there was a recipe that called for blueberries, then I knew the coffee I could substitute in. Coffee is an approachable, palate-driven, green ingredient. More people need to know that.”

the sacred and complex fruit

To see what McGinty sees (or smell what he smells) when it comes to coffee, it helps to back up a bit. Maybe even to the beginning of our species. That’s because the place from which coffee originated, Ethiopia, also happens to be the place where homo sapiens originated (at least that is what the fossil record suggests).

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

47

Kevin Nashan’s Smoked Monkfish, Tortellini of Monkfish Liver, Ragout of Shellfish, Sump Coffee Dashi

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“The awful truth is that Americans have been treating coffee as a commodity, and our relationship with it was not always like that,” says Peter Giuliano, director of symposium for the Specialty Coffee Association of America. He recently traveled to Ethiopia and took part in a coffee ritual, a special ceremony that he says brings together the community much like a Japanese tea ritual. “There is an appreciation for coffee’s aromatic characteristics, and it has a sacred place within the [Ethiopian] culture.”

Giuliano describes the ritual, which involves the roasting of the beans, an open fire, burning of incense, mortar-andpestle grinding, brewing, and pouring. The lessons from the ritual are clear for Giuliano. “Coffee is something to savor and not swill, and it happens to be the most complex thing that we eat or drink on an almost-daily basis,” he says.

 

coffee: the first ingredient in food innovation

Those nuanced flavors within the coffee beans are what drive Scott Carey, owner of Sump Coffee. He roasts small batches of carefully sourced coffee each day. The coffee may have sweet tones or a chocolate aftertaste – all of it depends on the batch. There is nothing typical about the coffee experience at Sump. If you want an Americano, then you will be diplomatically redirected to try something new.

“According to Modernist Cuisine, there are something like 800 flavor compounds in coffee,” says Carey. “Wine has something like 300 or 400 compounds. So, when it comes to culinary applications, I would say: Why not coffee? It offers so many ways to get creative, and it offers a complex flavor.”

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April 2013

49

Frank McGinty’s Sumatra Wahana Natural Coffee-Goat Cheese Panna Cotta, Blueberry Gastrique and Spiced Pecans

According to Carey, McGinty and Giuliano, the factors that influence coffee’s complexity are much like the ones that sommeliers reference during a wine service: varietal, terroir (soil, site and climate), processing (the bean is separated from the fruit), roasting and finally brewing.

Carey’s approach to coffee service and his reverence for coffee’s natural qualities serve as direct inspiration for Kevin Nashan, chef and owner of Sidney Street Cafe. Nashan recently sourced some beans from Carey to create a dashi – a type of Japanese broth – with coffee.

“The flavors can be all over the place − from fruity to chocolaty and spicy to mineral-y or nutty,” says Nashan.

“There are as many adjectives to describe a crushed grape as a coffee bean. Cooking with coffee is about having fun and adding a nuanced taste. You don’t need to get weird with it to create something cool.”

While cooking with coffee may not need to be weird, my interview was the first time that Giuliano, a 25-year coffee industry veteran, had heard of it. “That sounds pretty novel,” he says. “Of course, as a coffee person, I can understand why.

I can taste blueberry or lemon flavors [in a cup of coffee]. But I’ve never heard of anybody intentionally doing that.”

To capitalize on this novelty and for a bit of fun, Feast challenged local chefs to craft unique dishes that use coffee as a major ingredient. Here is what they came up with.

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Inspired Food Culture

APRIL 2013

51

coffee recipes Chicory-Coffee-Smoked Scallops, White Sweet Potato and Caramelized White Chocolate Purée with Citrus Fennel Salad

By Chris Bork, Blood and Sand

“I started by trying to think of a coffee dish that had not been done,” says Bork. “Usually coffee is used as a rub [in cooking]. I started thinking of coffee dishes, and café sua da came to mind, which is chicory coffee and condensed milk. I remembered making this purée a few days ago and thought it would work naturally in the recipe.”

Serves | 4 | Scallops 1

12

cup Cafe du Monde coffee beans dry-pack U10 scallops

purÉe 8 oz white chocolate (30 percent cocoa)

2 lbs white sweet potatoes or regular sweet potatoes 1 cup vegetable stock ½ cup diced yellow onion 1 Tbsp butter salt and freshly ground black pepper Salad 1

1 3 1 2 3 3 3

grapefruit, segmented orange, segmented limes, segmented bulb fennel, thinly sliced Tbsp mirin Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil Tbsp chopped chives Tbsp chopped tarragon

| Preparation – Scallops | Soak the coffee beans in water for 1 hour. Drain the beans and pat dry. Place the scallops in your smoker. Put the coffee beans in as the smoking agent. Coldsmoke for 30 to 40 minutes. Ensure that this is a cold smoke. You do not want to cook the scallops.

| Preparation – Purée | Vacuum-seal the white chocolate and place in a pot of simmering water.

Cook until the chocolate takes on a caramel color (2 to 3 hours). Replenish water as needed. Once chocolate is caramelized, remove bag and chill in ice water. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Wrap the sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and place on a wire rack on a sheet tray. Bake for 1 hour or until soft and fully cooked. Remove skin from potatoes and discard. Have your vegetable stock hot. Sauté the onions in butter over medium heat until translucent. Add the sweet potato, season with salt and pepper, stir, and cook for 5 minutes.

Add your hot vegetable stock and simmer for

10 minutes. Remove chocolate from ice bath (it should be hard). Take the chocolate out of the bag and rough-chop it. Place the hot potato mix in a blender and purée until smooth. Add the white chocolate and purée until chocolate is melted and purée is smooth. Check seasoning.

| Preparation – Salad | Combine all ingredients in a bowl and let sit for 1 hour at room temperature.

| To Assemble | Preheat oven to 450°F. Season scallops with salt and pepper. Place a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil. When oil starts to smoke, add scallops. When the scallops start to brown nicely, place the pan in the oven. Do not flip the scallops.

| Preparation | Combine the milk, chilled coffee, sugar and salt and soak the sweetbreads in the mixture for at least 2 hours. Rinse sweetbreads and pat dry. Start your smoker and once the wood chips start smoking, toss the coffee beans onto them. Cold-smoke the sweetbreads for 1 hour. Let cool, peel away the membrane and break into bite-sized pieces. In a skillet, heat up the bacon grease and dredge the sweetbreads with the seasoned flour. Pan-fry them until golden-brown and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onions to the pan and sauté until translucent. Whisk in the cream and allow to reduce by half. Season the gravy with the salt and pepper. Place a toasted brioche slice on each of two plates and top with half of the sweetbreads. Drizzle with the country gravy and top with a fried egg.

Cook in oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove scallops from the pan and rest on a napkin or towel for 1 minute. Heat the purée and check seasoning.

Place three scallops on each plate with the purée and salad. Drizzle with olive oil if desired.

Sump Coffee Dashi

Coffee-Smoked Veal Sweetbreads with Country Gravy

Dashi is a Japanese stock made with kombu, which is edible kelp. It is lighter than meat stocks and gives a blast of umami to miso or udon noodle soup. At his restaurant, Nashan serves it with smoked monkfish (pictured on p. 48).

By Tom Schmidt and Jon Dreja, Franco

“I figured sweetbreads would be a good pairing with coffee since their richness is a nice contrast to the bitterness of the coffee,” says Schmidt. “Due to their mildness and ability to soak up their surrounding flavors, I chose to lightly cold-smoke them to keep the coffee from overpowering them. I started thinking about sauces and decided on a simple cream sauce to balance out the sweetbreads, at which point I started thinking about biscuits and gravy. I went with brioche due to its lightness and finished it with a pan-fried egg since a little more richness couldn’t hurt.”

Serves | 2 | 1 cup milk ½ cup fresh-brewed coffee, chilled 1 Tbsp sugar 1 Tbsp salt 12 oz veal sweetbreads ¼ cup coffee beans 2 Tbsp bacon grease ½ cup all-purpose flour, mixed with salt and pepper to taste 2 Tbsp finely diced onion 8 oz heavy cream salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 slices brioche bread, toasted 2 eggs, pan-fried

By Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe

Serves | 6 | 4 oz kelp (kombu) 1

quart cold water

1

lb monkfish bones, cleaned

¼ cup bonito flakes 5

oz Sump cold-drip coffee

1

tsp shiro-dashi

| Preparation | Soak the kelp in water for 10 hours. Add the monkfish bones and bonito flakes and simmer gently for an hour. Strain the liquid with a fine mesh strainer until it is as clear as possible.

Add the coffee and shiro-dashi. Serve warm.

Serves | 8 | Panna Cotta 3 cups cream

1 ½ 1

7

cup whole milk cup French press ground coffee envelope powdered gelatin, bloomed in 3 Tbsp water oz goat cheese

Blueberry Gastrique 2 cups blueberries

1 cup sherry vinegar 1 cup sugar 5 whole allspice salt and freshly ground black pepper Spiced Pecans ½ tsp kosher salt ¼ tsp cayenne ¼ tsp cinnamon ¼ tsp dried orange peel ¼ lb pecan halves 2 Tbsp unsalted butter 2 Tbsp light brown sugar 1 Tbsp dark brown sugar 1 Tbsp water

| Preparation − Panna Cotta | Gently heat the cream, milk and coffee in a saucepan. When hot, whisk in the bloomed gelatin. Whisk in the goat cheese until the mixture is smooth, strain through fine-mesh strainer and pour into eight 4-oz molds. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, preferably 12. | Preparation − Blueberry Gastrique | Combine all ingredients (minus salt and pepper) in small saucepot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once blueberries have begun to break down and sugar is dissolved, resulting in a syrupy consistency, pass through a fine-mesh strainer to remove all spice. Press firmly to break down blueberries further, resulting in a smooth, syrupy gastrique. Finish with salt and pepper as needed; add lime juice if necessary to brighten.

| Preparation − Spiced Pecans | Line a half

Sumatra Wahana Natural Coffee-Goat Cheese Panna Cotta, Blueberry Gastrique and Spiced Pecans

By Frank McGinty, Kaldi’s Coffee

“The inspiration for this dish was the unique blueberry tones we got in the natural processing of this coffee,” says McGinty. “The flavors, from the blueberries and allspice in the gastrique to the notes on the pecans, amplify what the coffee brings to the table. The food elements are mimicking and complementary to the natural coffee flavors.”

sheet pan with parchment paper and set aside.

Mix the salt, cayenne, cinnamon and orange peel together in a small bowl and set aside. Place the nuts in a 10-inch cast iron skillet and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes, until they just start to brown and smell toasted. Add the butter and stir until it melts.

Add the spice mixture and stir to combine. Once combined, add both sugars and water, stirring until the mixture thickens and coats the nuts, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the nuts to the prepared sheet pan and separate them with a fork or spatula. Allow the nuts to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storage.

TV

Cooking WITH Coffee!

Watch the April episode HERE!

ffee Rub with Co erloin Tend es: 6 Serv Pork utes min 12 Cook: minutes plus marinating Prep: 10

und coffee 2 tablespoons finely gro d black pepper un gro y shl 4 teaspoons fre brown sugar k dar 4 teaspoons Schnucks o gan ore d she cru on 1 teaspo iander 1 teaspoon ground cor t sal her kos on spo tea 1 Farm pork tenderloin 1 twin-pack Pride of the ds) (about 2 poun extra virgin olive oil b d rub ed. Divide 2 tablespoons Schnucks and salt until well blend sugar, oregano, coriander in each bag; seal bags and shake to coat wn bro , per pep ee, coff 1. In small bowl, mix bags. Place 1 tenderloin 2 large zip-tight plastic overnight. (about ¼ cup) between s at least 1 hour or up to loin der ten te era rig Ref . rub wing h wit each tenderloin tenderloins from bag, allo . sh pan with oil. Remove low bru t; mhea diu h me hig to t mhea diu over me wn all sides. Reduce bro to g 145°F. s nin 2. Preheat large grill pan che tur s, rea re ute atu min ok tenderloins 5 until internal temper excess rub to fall off. Co s 7 to 8 minutes longer or loin der ve. ten k ser to coo s and loin Cover pan loosely with foil g board; let stand 5 minutes. Thinly slice tender cuttin in.

Transfer tenderloins to 6 g carbohydrate, 0 g fiber, 34 g prote Each Serving: About 290 calories,

14 g total fat (4 g saturated), 105

mg cholesterol, 390 mg sodium,

Coffee is a rich, versatile spice that adds depth to any dish.

Use it and you’ll discover an array of subtle flavors in everything from a main-course meat to your favorite dessert.

Pump up the flavor with coffee!

Scan the QR code to watch it on your smartphone, or visit the Multimedia section of feastSTL.com.

For more delicious recipes, visit schnuckscooks.com!

Feast TV is brought to you with support from

You’ll find quick, easy recipes for appetizers, entrées, sides and desserts from Schnucks Cooks culinary experts.

©2013 Schnucks

Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

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GREAT

New Wine & New Food Is In The Spring Air! We couldn’t be more excited about introducing our many new culinary offerings to our daily menu at Chandler Hill. Chef Corey has pulled out the stops to feature fresh and exciting items. Plus, we have seven new delicious wines to pair them with.

Wine & Cigar Dinner Friday, April 5th - 7:00 p.m. - $69 per person

It’s the ideal way to see how great the Chandler Hill Wine Club is.

Don’t miss this magnificent evening of premier cigars paired with four select Chandler Hill wines along with four delectable courses including:

RESERVATIONS ARE NECESSARY. BE SURE TO CALL AND SAVE YOUR TABLE.

Wild mushroom arancini – w/Owner’s Reserve Pinot Noir or Chardonnay Skate wing w/lump crab, asparagus & fresh dill – w/Pinot Gris or Viognier � Grilled marinated flank steak with roasted fingerling potatoes and blue cheese fondue – w/Chandler Hill Norton or Diamond Mountain Cab � Dark Chocolate Pate with Raspberry Coulis – w/Chandler Hill Port � �

From tantalizing Vignoles to Viognier, or Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris, you’re sure to love these outstanding vintages – along with the exquisite views, vineyards, events and weekly music only at Chandler Hill!

Plus, over $35 worth of premium cigars paired with the wine & food.

See why we have been voted “Best Winery” in Sauce Magazine, Ladue News and St. Louis Magazine.

Prospective Wine Club Member Open House

SEATING IS LIMITED AND RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED!

Saturday, April 13th - 7:00 p.m. - Half Off $50.00 JUST $25.00 For anyone considering the great Chandler Hill Wine Club this is the evening for you! Tonight only enjoy discounts of 25% off everything plus music by the Dynamic J’s! � Chandler Burger with King Buck BBQ sauce / new Rose and Sangiovese � Mussels spicy tomato broth / new Vignoles / new Pinot Gris � Fresh Baked Pretzels w/whole grain mustard / new Viognier and Vignoles � Loaded Potato chips / new Norton / new Cab WWW .C HANDLER H ILL V INEYARDS . COM

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Pasta with local Italian Sausage red sauce topped with buffalo mozzarella / Sangio and Pinot Noir � And other great offerings �

APRIL Fri, April 5th - Bryan and Lola 6-9 p.m.

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Dynamic J’s 6-9 p.m.

Sun, April 14th - One Take Band 1-4 p.m.

Sat, April 20th - Scandaleros 1-4 p.m.

Sun, April 21st - Lucky Dan & Naked Mike 1-4 p.m.

Sat, April 27th - Crossfire 1-4 p.m.

Sun, April 28th - Downstereo 1-4 p.m.

596 Defiance Road Defiance, MO 63341 636.798.2675 Visit Us Online for Early Closings & More Special Events!

spring is in the wares

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Written by Brandi Wills

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photography by Jonathan Gayman

designed by Lisa Allen

Warmer weather on the way brings with it a host of fun and stylish table wares and kitchen accessories. Whether you’re spending a sunny spring morning baking away in the kitchen or planning your first al fresco dinner party of the year, these products set the scene for spring. Turn to p. 60 for expert entertaining tips from Kitchen Conservatory’s Anne Cori.

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| 1 | Owl spoon rest, $7; Pier 1 Imports, multiple locations, pier1.com | 2 | Fiestaware plates, assorted shapes and sizes, $4.95 to $10.95; Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.822.2440 | 3 | Bee measuring spoons, $3.99 each; World Market, multiple locations, worldmarket.com | 4 | Beehive measuring cup set, $12.99; World Market | 5 | Birch vase, $8.50; Garden Gate Shop, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., Botanical Heights, mobot.org | 6 | Chicks salt and pepper shakers, $16.95; Garden Gate Shop | 7 | Floral sugar spoons, $6 each; Garden Gate Shop

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| 1 | La Vie Boho set of six 4-inch dipping dishes, $39; Clay & Cotton, 159 W. Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, clayandcottonkirkwood.com | 2 | Essential dinnerware plate, $4.80; Pier 1 Imports, multiple locations, pier1.com | 3 | Dragonfly napkin rings, $4.95 each; Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.822.2440 | 4 | Assorted napkins, $3.95 to $4.95 each; Pier 1 Imports | 5 | Pastel flower bowls, $7.50 each; Garden Gate Shop, Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Blvd., Botanical Heights, mobot.org | 6 | Jute bird napkin rings, $3.95 each; Pier 1 Imports | 7 | Juliette hostess aprons, $24.95 each; Cornucopia

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| 1 | Dragonfly bottle stopper, $9.99; World Market, multiple locations, worldmarket. com | 2 | Cookie cutters, 95 cents each; Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.822.2440 | 3 | Spring floral plates, $6.99 each; World Market | 4 | Spring floral bowls, $6.99; World Market | 5 | Gianna Rose Atelier Lapin dans le Jardin soap, $21; Clay & Cotton, 159 W. Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, clayandcottonkirkwood.com | 6 | Assorted flower picks, $10.95; Pier 1 Imports, multiple locations, pier1.com | 7 | Black and Tan turtle bottle opener, $12.99; World Market

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APRIL 2013

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| 1 | Green swirl goblet, $12; Pier 1 Imports, multiple locations, pier1.com | 2 | Vintage flower tumbler, $5; Pier 1 Imports | 3 | Optic luster balloon glass, $3.99; Pier 1 Imports | 4 | Optic luster stemless wine glass, $2.99; Pier 1 Imports | 5 | Chubby bird salt and pepper shakers, $5; Pier 1 Imports | 6 | Owlet timer, $5.99; World Market, multiple locations, worldmarket.com | 7 | Green mini spatula, $9.95; Pier 1 Imports

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Entertaining with Ease: Dinner party tips from Anne Cori Plan a theme. Theme parties write a script and set a tone that is fun to follow. Celebrate seasonal fare or favorite foods by building a menu that spotlights a spring ingredient such as duck, oysters, lamb or asparagus. Or choose a cuisine theme, such as Spanish, Thai, Indonesian or Mediterranean. A theme or a holiday will put your guests in a festive mood.

Choose a guest list. Dinner parties are about gathering with friends and family, but always include a red ant − an unknown who can spice up the evening. Parties where everyone knows each other are predictable. Parties where

everyone is the same age mean that everyone talks about the same problems. But mix it up and you’ve got a party your guests will never forget.

Meeting new people is part of the pleasure.

Plan a menu that is easy on the cook. I allow myself one last-minute creation, but every other item is made ahead and ready to serve. Avoid any menu item that might turn you into a short-order cook (“Can I have my steak well-done?”). The question “What would you like to drink?” can destroy a host’s composure because a guest is bound to request the one beverage you don’t have. Your bar cannot possibly offer everything, so create theme-appropriate beverages and have them ready on a platter when guests arrive so you don’t spend the first 30 minutes of your party playing bartender.

Relax and put on a happy face.

Yes, things will go wrong and some food will not be perfect. Once I forgot to cook the entrée, so the cocktail hour ended up being two hours. No one seemed to mind. As Julia Child said, “No matter what happens in the kitchen, never apologize.” Apologies put a damper on the evening. Parties are more fun if the host sets the tone and does not take herself too seriously.

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Nuts and Bolts: • Count on a total of one bottle of wine per person and have a pound of ice per person.

• Abbondanza is the rule for most parties, but I find that too much food stifles conversation.

People feel compelled to eat what is on their plates. Serve small portions and the conversation will be much livelier. Count on four bites of appetizers, one cup of soup, 4 oz of protein and 6 oz of dessert per person.

• Clean the powder room before the party, but don’t fret about other dust bunnies; guests notice dirt only when they are by themselves.

• Potlucks are hard on the host because guests can bring odd foods that need valuable stove space. When asked what they should bring,

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I tell guests, “Please bring sparkling conversation.”

• Provide a written menu at the table; guests like to know whether they should save room for another course.

• If possible, preset the first course (and light the candles and pour the water) before inviting the guests into the dining room.

• Prearrange the salad on the salad plates and then use a squeeze bottle to apply the dressing at the time of service.

• Matched sets are overrated. If people are having a good time, they will never notice that the napkins are not a matched set.

Head to feastSTL.com for more great tips and a full spring dinner party menu from Anne Cori.

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

61

getting to the root of

bitters Written by Nicholas Kosevich and Ira Koplowitz, Bittercube photography by Jonathan Gayman

bitters

are the spice rack of the mixology world. When applied judiciously, they expose the diversity of aromas and flavors in a cocktail. Added to simple drinks as well as elaborate concoctions in a drop (literally a drop) or a dash (a shake or two of the bottle), bitters can set the tone for the entire drinking experience. Orange bitters in a gin gimlet create a bright, citrusy component that’s perfect for summer sipping. When winter rolls around, that same gimlet is given spicy warmth with a splash of curry bitters instead. Bitters balance the sweet and sour flavors in sours and fizzes and soften the bite of bourbon in Old Fashioneds and Manhattans. This flavor fixer-upper has moved out of the secret weapon category and into the spotlight in the past few years, with small-batch bitters producers lining the shelves of liquor stores with creative and proprietary blends.

a brief history of bitters

Bitters have a history that goes beyond flavoring cocktails. They got their start with apothecaries, who used various roots, barks and spices (which are the basis for bitters) as remedies. Bittering agents have historically been used to cleanse the body of toxins and as a way to boost immunity and help the body to digest food.

When mixed together, ingredients like roots, barks, flowers and spices have a bitter, pungent flavor and aroma. Oftentimes apothecaries, as well as monks, would extract these ingredients using high-proof spirits. An examination of the history of Chartreuse − a liqueur derived from 130 herbs and spices and developed by Carthusian monks in the 1700s in the foothills of the French Alps − explains how these ingredients came to be used in the modern cocktail. Originally Chartreuse was sold as a liquid remedy at 138 proof. Of course it didn’t take long for the general public to realize that when this medicinal tonic was mixed with sugar and water, an intoxicating beverage could be imbibed for pleasure. The monks followed suit with a sweeter, more mellow 110-proof iteration. In a way, Chartreuse was the first bottled cocktail. In 1806, the New York publication Balance and Columbian Repository answered the question “What is a cocktail?”

The answer: “A cocktail is a stimulating liquor composed of spirits of any kind, sugar, water and bitters.” Chartreuse is a cocktail by any standard of the early definition. But not all medicinal tonics or bitters were converted into liqueurs. Many stayed drastically more concentrated and were utilized by the drop or dash.

how bitters are made today

Bitters are a liquid extraction of seeds, herbs, barks, roots, flowers, leaves, and fruit or vegetables of various plants. Different companies employ different methods for

extraction. Some purchase already-extracted oils and tinctures and blend the ingredients, while others macerate natural ingredients to achieve extraction. Generally speaking, bitters are extracted with high-proof spirits. After extraction is complete, bitters are finished with different agents to bring the proof down. Teas, various types of sugars and syrups, juices, and even water can be added to high-proof bitters to bring them down to bottling proof.

shopping for bitters

A few standards that everyone should have in a home bar are Angostura bitters, Regan’s orange bitters and Peychaud’s bitters. Angostura is the most ubiquitous bitters company in the world.

Johann Siegert, a physician in Simon Bolivar’s army stationed in the town of Angostura, Venezuela, created the famed aromatic bitters to be used as a tonic. Angostura bitters are rich and full-bodied with notes of gentian and cinnamon. The recipe for Angostura bitters is so secret that only five people at any given time know it. The majority of people outside the cocktail world think Angostura bitters are the only bitters. This is far from the truth. In fact, during the heyday of the cocktail, dozens of types of bitters were used in cocktails, though only a few have survived. Besides Angostura, Peychaud’s bitters are the most popular and date to around 1830. They were invented by Antoine Peychaud, a Creole apothecary, and have a lighter body than that of Angostura with stronger floral notes. Regan’s orange bitters are a contemporary iteration with strong bitter orange flavor and an intense note of cardamom.

There are a number of other small-batch bitters companies that produce great high-quality products. Janet and Avery Glasser of Bitterman’s produced bitters in New York for a number of years and have recently moved production to New Orleans. On their growing product list is Xocolatl mole bitters, with deep chocolate and cinnamon notes. Bitter End, which hails from Santa Fe, N.M., produces a number of spicy bitters such as Memphis BBQ bitters, with smoky notes and chipotle pepper overtones.

At Bittercube, we make orange bitters that are citrus-forward with aromas of caramelized orange and toasted coriander and have a more natural flavor than most orange bitters. Our Jamaican #1 bitters have robust Jamaican spice overtones with hints of ginger and black pepper.

making bitters at home

A great way to start making bitters at home is to create a “Frankenstein plant” extraction.

Combine roots, barks, leaves, flowers and fruit from different plants to create these Frankenstein bitters. Below is a basic aromatic bitters recipe that can be expanded upon with various other ingredients.

Basic Aromatic Bitters Yield | 3½ cups |

2 cups 100-proof bourbon 2 cups neutral grain spirits ¼ cup raisins 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped clean peel of 1 lemon peel of 1 orange 1 tsp dried spearmint 2 cardamom pods 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp whole allspice 1 tsp whole cloves 1 tsp chamomile 1 whole nutmeg, crushed 2 star anise pods ½ tsp gentian root 1½ cups water ½ cup simple syrup

| Preparation | Combine all ingredients except the water and syrup in a glass jar with a sealable lid and shake vigorously once or twice a day for 2 weeks. Strain the liquid through cheesecloth and squeeze as much liquid out of the mash as possible. Strain again through cheesecloth, this time not applying pressure to the cloth so the sediment doesn’t escape.

To this liquid add the water and simple syrup.

Let mixture sit for 3 days to combine and let any sediment fall to the bottom of the jar. Strain out any sediment before using.

Inspired Food Culture

APRIL 2013

63

the not-so-simple life of

mike randolph

Written by Brandon Chuang photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Though you may not know it, there’s a good chance that at some point in time you’ve hated Mike Randolph.

On the weekends, the wait for brunch at his Clayton eatery Half & Half can hit nearly two hours. We wait because we love the donuts and the French toast and the cornbread and chorizo. We hate because there’s an inherent animalistic need in all humans to feel in control of our actions. But this is Mike Randolph’s superpower: He creates concepts and food that make people do seemingly stupid things, like wait 120 minutes to eat a 60-minute meal.

At times even Randolph doesn’t understand it, the rapacity with which people flock to his establishments, but it continues to happen. So Mike Randolph continues to forge on.

Suffice it to say it’s insanely difficult to open a restaurant. Assuming that you actually know what you’re doing − that you understand how to operate and balance your front-of-house staff with the back-of-house staff with the actual business side of health and building code compliance, paying utilities, and making payroll every two weeks − creating an appropriate concept for your restaurant is a monumental task. Some of the larger-scale restaurateurs even go so far as to commission focus groups and demographic studies to figure out what ideas have the best chance for success in a given market. Mike Randolph just does what he wants.

When talking with Randolph, you get a feeling sometimes that the guy is just winging it.

Obviously he knows what he’s doing, having received his training at the New England Culinary Institute and worked at restaurants such as the Michelin-starred Moto in Chicago. But when you sit down with him and actually dive into it − why he opened the restaurants he did − you’ll come to find that the answer is far simpler, and more ballsy, than you’d think.

“I just love Neapolitan pizza,” Randolph explains in his raspy voice about the reasoning behind the first restaurant he opened, The Good Pie. “I want

to make food that I like to eat.”

It sounds obvious, a chef wanting to make food that he wants to eat, but it’s especially true for Randolph. Sitting down with him over a few days, I quickly realized that Mike Randolph is literally opening restaurants for Mike Randolph.

The way he speaks about new restaurant concepts is the way a kid speaks when rattling off his wish list to Santa Claus: all excitement and desire with seemingly no concern for the how or why. When I ask him whether he really cares about making money, his answer comes quick and honest.

Every restaurant, every dish and concept, is a passion project.

“No. Almost to a fault, no.”

Every restaurant, every dish and concept, is a passion project for Mike Randolph. After he moved from Chicago to St. Louis to be closer to his wife’s family, his first and only intent was to open a breakfast/brunch place. He visited location after location, never finding, in his mind, the perfect location. Upon visiting the space where The Good Pie is located, on Olive Street near Saint Louis University, he realized it would be best suited for a pizzeria. So Mike Randolph opened a pizzeria.

“My mom was worried that I wouldn’t be able to stay focused after we opened,” Randolph says about the build-out for his Neapolitan pizzeria.

“I’m pretty ADHD, and she was right. I’ll always love making pizzas, but do I love making 200 pizzas a day? No. After a while it made me crazy.”

Randolph is a big believer in systems; you have to be if you’re as ADHD as he self-diagnoses.

After establishing a strong system of

operations and a seasoned staff at The Good Pie, now led by his executive chef, Ryan Skyles, Randolph was comfortable moving back to his original project and soon found the space he had envisioned for Half & Half.

If you’re one of the three people who have never been, Half & Half has become a sort of brunch mecca for St. Louisans on weekends. Checking my Facebook page on my second visit with Randolph, I’d come to find that eight of my friends had independently checked in at Half & Half earlier in the day. It shows how Randolph and his team at Half & Half have managed to, in a remarkably short period of time, reshape how St. Louis thinks about eating early.

“We’re not competing with other brunch or breakfast spots out there,” Randolph says about Half & Half’s approach. It’s a smart thing to say considering there are two or three other breakfast/brunch places within a two-block radius of the restaurant. “We’re not just making what the other guys are making.”

A quick glimpse at the Half & Half menu proves that. Brussels sprouts, not typically considered breakfast-y, are incorporated in several dishes on the menu. Fried chicken livers, tobacco onions and caper aïoli also make appearances alongside other not-so-common brunch entrées, like a banh mi-inspired hot dog. We often forget how weirdly delicious Randolph’s world at Half & Half actually is; that is, until we bring in out-of-towners who comment on the unlikely pairings of things like eggs and Brussels sprouts. Randolph himself will readily admit that he’s not reinventing the wheel: Brunch has been around for far longer than he has. But what he is doing is tweaking foods and ideas that are instantly recognizable and making it so that his Randolphian ideas come off not as oddities but as the norm.

If people didn’t recognize the unique way that Mike Randolph thinks, Medianoche solved all of that. Wanting to take advantage of the empty space that Half & Half leaves at night (being a breakfast and lunch spot, it’s open only until 2pm), Randolph opened up Medianoche, a Mexican-

DISHES PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Blueberry pancakes with blueberry butter and maple syrup; beet root tartare with ranch yolk

inspired evening concept, in the same location.

(His impetus for opening: “I love Mexican food.”)

While reviews for the restaurant-in-a-restaurant were good, business was not.

“It’s hard sometimes,” Randolph admits about his struggles with Medianoche. “Fighting preconceptions; people come in, and there’s all this great stuff on the menu, but they knew coming in that they wanted enchiladas. Or fish tacos with cheese. And free chips and dips. We didn’t have any of that.”

Randolph is not an idiot. He understands far better than most that to cook the food he wants to cook, he needs to make sure he has the money to light the stove he’s cooking it on. And while Half & Half made enough money to subsidize Medianoche, Randolph made the decision to shut it down after eight months. “Regardless of if we could afford to or not, it would’ve been ridiculous to stay open just to stay open,” he says.

Randolph didn’t always want to be a chef. As the

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Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

67

it takes time and precision to whip up some of the best food in St. Louis.

youngest of three boys in Cincinnati, he majored in political science at Ohio Wesleyan. His hope was to one day work on political campaigns.

“I love competition,” Randolph says. “I loved the idea of campaigns: the youth, the energy, the action. After college I did some internships in D.C., which is when I realized that politics isn’t what I wanted to do.”

He found that what he wanted to do was cook.

Having worked in restaurants since he was 16, beginning as a soda jerk in Michigan during his family’s summer vacations, Randolph enjoyed the hurried pace of the kitchen. There, he could still be competitive, still be challenged by others to improve and push himself, which is exactly what he wanted to do after closing Medianoche.

“I knew that we were stuck in a corner,” says Randolph. Though not unheard of in the food world, the idea of a restaurant that transforms into a completely different restaurant at night was, and still is, a novel concept. “I knew that

for us to be taken seriously, we had to redeem ourselves.”

Walking into Little Country Gentleman is a bit shocking at first − who knew that a little mood lighting could make all the difference? But then again, it’s not just the lighting. The staff at Randolph’s newest restaurant-in-a-restaurant concept, for his redemption, is completely different from the staff at Half & Half during the day. Instead of the blue-T-shirted individuals running around hurriedly (“it’s like the Apple store, isn’t it?” Randolph jokes), it’s a bunch of bow-tied, mustachioed men walking slowly but purposefully. The kitchen staff is also unhurried, which makes sense; it takes time and precision to whip up some of the best food in St. Louis.

It makes sense that Mike Randolph loves competition because the dude is built like a jock/ bully prototype. With broad shoulders and a tousled mop of coal-black hair, he’s an imposing figure − especially with that hoarse voice of his that sounds as if he’s been gargling rocks all day.

It’s only once you see that he’s quick with a smile and a laugh that you begin to not worry about getting thrown into a locker. And when I drop by on a Saturday afternoon, that’s exactly what he’s doing: smiling and thumbing through a book with his chef de cuisine, Dale Beauchamp. The two are conspiring on a kitchen remodel to better balance out the needs for both the insanity that is Half & Half (upward of 400 covers on a good morning) and the upscale experience of Little Country Gentleman (upward of 40 diners on a good night).

When I ask what book they’re looking over for inspiration, Randolph, without looking up, says it: “Alinea.”

You’d think he was joking about pulling inspiration from what many have argued is one of the best restaurants in the world, surrounded as he currently is by coffee and French toast, but he’s not. Randolph is dead serious when he says he wants to be the best restaurant in St. Louis.

“You have to have that mind-set that you can be

DISHES PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Burger and chips; “s’mores” – chocolate-almond cake, graham cracker ice cream and marshmallow

the best,” Randolph says during another visit, this time while we’re sitting at the dimly lit bar of what has turned into Little Country Gentleman. “There are flag bearers for our industry − the Gerards and Kevins − but there shouldn’t only be one or two.

There should be 10 chefs gunning for that flag. Yes, it takes people out of my dining room when they visit the other places, but it makes me better. It challenges me to get things done right so I know that they’ll visit other places but come back to my place in the end. If and when Michelin ever expands to rating St. Louis restaurants, I want to be ready.”

Admittedly, the whole day/night concept can get confusing at times. While I’m there one night, I hear one of Randolph’s staff members try to explain why she answered the phone with “Little Country Gentleman” when the caller was dialing the number for Half & Half. It’s hard for Randolph too. During a daily meeting with his kitchen staff, he opens the conversation up to new ideas for the always-evolving menu of American and Midwest fare. One of his cooks offers up the idea of smoking a whole pig.

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April 2013

69

He found that what he wanted to do was cook.

“We can do that,” says Randolph. “We keep saying we want to get a smoker, and I can get in another pig next week.” He then specifically addresses the cook who offered the suggestion: “If you want, I can take you out there so you can kill it yourself.”

At another point in the conversation, Beauchamp suggests changing another item on the menu, but this time Randolph meets the idea with hesitancy. “We can do it − it’s just that the profit margin on [that particular dish] is really good, and people love it. If you want to change it, it’s going to have to be really good.”

It’s evident when watching Randolph that he’s constantly at war with himself: the cook side, wanting to just do whatever the hell is good and awesome and fun, and the business side, the part that knows he has three restaurants, each with a full staff; two daughters; and a wife, who all need him to succeed. Currently the two sides are in harmony, the benefit of having a smoothly running machine at The Good Pie and a disguised food lab riding on the coattails of a brunch monster.

“It’s like living in your parents’ basement,” Randolph says about the relationship between Little

Country Gentleman and Half & Half. “Free cable, free rent; you can basically do what you want.”

But Randolph is always moving, always coming up with new ideas − the latest one being a fishand-chips shop or possibly a ramen shop. He has yet to do anything with either idea because for Randolph to create a new concept, he has to be able to obsess over it, to have the time to dive into whatever it is he wants to do next. If Mike Randolph is to open a ramen shop, then Mike Randolph needs to go to Japan and submerge himself into the culture of understanding what

it is that makes great ramen great. Not only that, but he’s currently shackled to a promise he made to his wife.

“When we opened up The Good Pie, I had my first daughter. My second daughter came within days of opening Half & Half. I was only able to open Medianoche and Little Country Gentleman because I convinced my wife that, technically, it wasn’t a ‘new’ restaurant.”

So for now Mike Randolph continues on his course of banging out food that he loves to eat. He’s

currently in the process of moving The Good Pie to its new location in The Loop, but aside from that it’s business as usual – making thousands of St. Louisans wait ungodly amounts of time for a chance at eating breakfast while slowly but deliberately building his assault on the throne for the best restaurant in St. Louis. It’s probably only a matter of time before he gets antsy with a new idea, but until then Mike Randolph will continue forging on.

DISHES PICTURED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Steak and

eggs – two sunny-side-up eggs, hanger steak, potatoes, hollandaise and tobacco onions; duck with späetzle, charred cabbage, mustard and rye

Half & Half/Little Country Gentleman 8135 Maryland Ave., Clayton 314.725.0719 halfandhalfstl.com; littlecountrygentleman.com

The Good Pie

3137 Olive St., Midtown 314.289.9391, thegoodpie.com

Inspired Food Culture

APRIL 2013

71

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AUTOMOTIVE

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TREES Trees Trimmed & Removed

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for more information Inspired Food Culture

April 2013

73

the last bite

Egg Cream

Photography by

Jonathan Gayman

Contributor: Barb Stefano, writer Sometimes a sweet sip of the past is just the thing to top off a midday meal. The egg cream, as described at Jennifer’s Pharmacy, contains neither eggs nor cream, but it does have a heaping helping of the 1930s nostalgic soda-jerk vibe that gives Jennifer’s its charm.

Fountainistas use only Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup, the brand favored by soda fountain purists, to create the concoction. Mixed with milk and carbonated water, it’s made to order and served with a frothy head. The cold sip of chocolaty sunshine is great paired with a Chicago dog or the braunschweiger sandwich, a hard-to-find treat in St. Louis lunch fare.

Jennifer’s Pharmacy & Soda Shoppe 30 N. Central Ave., Clayton 314.862.7400 jenniferspharmacy.com See more of Barb’s work at feastSTL.com, where she covers the local restaurant scene for our daily online news feed.

    

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