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with Matthew Fuller / cO-owner, stl TOASTED How did you get started in the food business? I worked in some restaurants early in my career, but I’ve been a musician for most of my life. Cooking has always been my passion, and I’ve always found that it’s kind of therapeutic. When COVID hit, I was making music and had all of 2020 booked with music shows across the U.S. When that didn’t work out, I started thinking of business ideas around food. Back in 2014, I thought it would be interesting
Must-Try Toasted Ravioli at STL Toasted
to have a food truck around toasted ravioli. I circled back to the idea in April 2020, and the business has taken off through multiple collaborations with others in the industry. What made you want to open an entire business centered on toasted ravioli in the first place? T-ravs are a quintessential St. Louis food, but I found that if someone from out of town asks 10 different people, ‘Where should I try toasted ravioli?,’ they’ll get a lot of different answers because everyone has their favorite place. With STL Toasted, I wanted to explore them as the main
gooey butter ravioli features
lemon zest- and honey-infused dough stuffed with a thin layer of gooey butter cake and blackberry syrup, then topped with powdered sugar and blackberry syrup.
course – not just an appetizer. What was appealing about City Foundry STL and the food hall model? When we started doing popups, I imagined that we would eventually partner with a brewery or maybe with a bar or other restaurant. We really love the idea of the Foundry and the diversity of vendors that are there. With 19 different vendors, it’s also a great opportunity for us to collaborate with other people. And it’s my dream goal to get to a point where, as much as possible, most of our ingredients are sourced from St. Louis-area businesses. How do you see the dish as a vehicle to explore Written by amanda bretz / photos by judd demaline
different flavors, including both savory and sweet
three-cheese ravioli consists of Parmigiano-Reggiano, mozzarella and ricotta cheese blended with herbs and served with marinara.
options? It’s the perfect vehicle for anything you
When it comes to the St. Louis food scene, there are a few
want to do. I love the process of coming up with the different types of filling, and I know that virtually
dishes that are considered a “can’t-miss” to anyone visiting from
anything stuffed inside a ravioli will be delicious.
out of town – and toasted ravioli ranks high on that list. With
How do you differentiate the dishes beyond just
STL Toasted, a local husband-and-wife duo are reimagining one
the filling? Each ravioli starts with fresh-made
of the city’s most iconic foods with creative fillings, doughs and
dough and each has its own twist. The Buffalo
breadings. For more than a year, owners Matthew Fuller and
in the dough, and the gooey butter cake ravioli
chicken ravioli gets some Frank’s Red Hot sauce
Brittany Abernathy have hosted pop-up events around town and
includes lemon zest in the dough. We also use
collaborated with other St. Louis food businesses like Graffiti
ravioli is sprinkled with a graham cracker breading.
Grub food truck and Bella’s Frozen Yogurt to share their creative T-ravs with diners. They’ve gained a significant following along
different breadings – for instance, the s’mores Each ravioli comes with a unique dipping sauce that complements the flavors inside the pasta.
the way, which led STL Toasted to recently put down roots with
3700 Forest Park Ave. (inside City Foundry STL
its own stall at City Foundry STL Food Hall in Midtown.
Food Hall), St. Louis, Missouri, facebook.com/ stltoasted
andouille sausage ravioli
was born from a collaboration with Cajun-inspired food truck Graffiti Grub. It’s filled with andouille sausage and creamy grits, topped with Cajunspiced breadcrumbs and served with remoulade sauce.