June 2017 Feast Magazine

Inspired Local Food Culture | M i dw e st

feastmagazine.com |

june 2017

Microgreens sprout into big business on p. 92

Good to Grow %PG

lo ca l i n n ovato r s

r a r e c o r n va r i e t i e s c r o p u p

growing off the grid

FARM FORWARD

HEIRLOOM WHISKEY

PLANTED IN KC

feastSTL.com

%MO %YEAR

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june 2017

from the staff

68

the kings of corn

How two Missouri distillers have resurrected historic varieties of native corn to make exceptional American whiskeys

74

land lovers

81

growing innovations

92

Brooke Salvaggio and Dan Heryer have built an agricultural oasis mere miles from Kansas City’s urban center

Go behind the scenes at 23 farms and food-focused businesses to learn how agricultural innovators are making positive impacts in their communities.

seedlings of change

Through farming and culinary training, Gibron Jones’ HOSCO Foods empowers residents in St. Louis’ low-income communities to harvest healthy food

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from the PUBLIsher

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dIgItaL content

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feast tv

Farming’s future What’s online this month A look at food-focused charities

dIne

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on trend

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where we’re dInIng

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one on one

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one on one

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In season

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one on one

Activated charcoal Pizza Head, Freshwater, Tortilleria Perches Juan Antonio Ferreira of Casa Latina Tiffany Walker and Carla Kessell of Eat. Crepe. Love.

Carrots Matt McGuire of Louie

drInk

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on trend

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where we’re drInkIng

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one on one

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the mIx

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on the sheLf

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one on one

Arcade bars Hopcat, White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. Ryan and Lindsay Reel of Tapped Garden Cooler What to drink this month Michael J. Dean-Trago of Mi Rancho Tequila

shoP

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shoP here

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get thIs gadget

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one on one

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cULInary LIBrary

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artIsan ProdUcts

Di Olivas, Ruby’s Market A rapid peeler and a microgreens kit Lisa Govro of Big Heart Tea Co. Too Good to Waste: How to Eat Everything by Victoria Glass Tickle My Fancy Pickles, Reinneck Ranch Salsa Rose

cook

| 46 | | 48 | taBLe of contents Photo of Brooke saLvaggIo wIth sons Percy and soLomon at UrBavore (P. 74) By stUart heIdmann cover Photo of red rUssIan kaLe mIcrogreen at good LIfe growIng (P. 92) By jUdd demaLIne

heaLthy aPPetIte

Vegetable polenta mystery shoPPer

Culantro

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qUIck fIx

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sweet Ideas

Mapo tofu Pastry cream and fresh-fruit tart

Volume 8

| Issue 6 | June 2017

Vice President of niche Publishing, Publisher of feast Magazine

Catherine Neville, publisher@feastmagazine.com

sales

director of sales

Angie Henshaw, ahenshaw@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1298 account Manager

Jennifer Tilman, jtilman@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1205 sPecial Projects editor

Bethany Christo, bchristo@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1244

eDITORIal senior editor

Liz Miller, editor@feastmagazine.com Managing editor

Nancy Stiles, nstiles@feastmagazine.com digital editor

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

Jenny Vergara

In the Food Gives Back episode of Feast TV, I make poblano peppers stuffed with ground beef, black beans, tomatoes, onion and lots of cheese – an easy weeknight entrée that can be modified to accommodate a range of fillings. You’ll find this recipe, along with all of the others from the current season, on feastmagazine.com.

st. louis contributing editor

Mabel Suen editorial intern

Kaitlynn Martin fact checKer

Deborah Hirsch Proofreader

Christine Wilmes contributing Writers

Christy Augustin, Ettie Berneking, Sherrie Castellano, Gabrielle DeMichele, Pete Dulin, Natalie Gallagher, Mallory Gnaegy, April Fleming, Rose Hansen, Hilary Hedges, Brandon and Ryan Nickelson, Ana Pierce, Matt Seiter, Jenn Tosatto, Jessica Vaughn, Shannon Weber

aRT

art director

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com Production designer

Jacklyn Meyer, jmeyer@feastmagazine.com contributing PhotograPhers

Zach Bauman, Angela Bond, Sherrie Castellano, Judd Demaline, Jonathan Gayman, Stuart Heidmann, Anthony Jinson, Aaron Ottis, Anna Petrow, Ana Pierce, Jonathan Pollack, Elaine Rhode, Jennifer Silverberg, Mabel Suen, Cheryl Waller, Brad Zweerink

FeasT TV

producer: Catherine Neville production partner: Tybee Studios

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

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

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

All contents are copyright © 2010-2017 by Feast Magazine™.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited.

Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC

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publisher’s letter

W

hen you look out across a farmer’s verdant field or wander through a pasture filled with contented goats, you may just see a quiet, idyllic setting. I encourage you to look deeper. You’ll see that agriculture is an evolving industry: In rural and urban settings alike, innovation is paving the way toward a sustainable food future.

First, let’s nail down what sustainable means in this context. To farm sustainably means employing a balanced system that can continue on indefinitely. It does not mean, necessarily, that organic or biodynamic practices are being used. To produce food in a sustainable way means that we are working within a viable, resilient system that will allow us to continue to actively meet the needs of a growing society.

In our annual farming issue, we explore a number of ways that growers and producers are innovating sustainably. Take, for example, the couple who run Urbavore in Kansas City.

I included them in the urban farming episode of Feast TV and was deeply inspired by the way they’ve designed their farm. First, they took a 13.5-acre plot of land within city limits that had been sitting unused for decades: Tens of thousands of dollars were being spent per year to just mow the lot. Brooke and Dan rehabilitated the land (no small feat) and put water and power systems in place that allow the farm to be totally off the

grid. They don’t use any municipal resources to run their farm, and a piece of wasted land that was draining money to maintain is now producing tax revenue for the city.

Urbavore has produced more than $400,000 worth of food since its launch, feeding the city’s economy as well as its people. That is sustainability in action. Turn to p. 74 for writer Natalie Gallagher’s insightful profile.

There are many ways that food producers are innovating, from creating vertical growing systems that exponentially increase the amount of food that can be produced in a given space to resurrecting historic varieties of corn to make whiskey that tastes like it did before hybridized corn was introduced. This issue is filled with stories of people who are pushing our food system forward. We all have to eat – that will never change. And with an eye toward ensuring we create a sustainable future, tomorrow’s generations can be assured of continued access to healthy, delicious food.

Until next time,

Catherine Neville

06.17 stuart heidmann Kansas City, Photographer “As an advocate for organic farming and sustainable living, I was elated for the opportunity to shoot Urbavore farm. I ventured out on a bright Sunday morning and was greeted with big smiles from Brooke, Dan and their two sons. As we toured their 13.5-acre farm, we chatted about the many pros of sustainable farming, setting up a fully off-the-grid home and water system and how rewarding the whole experience has been for their family. They grow a variety of heirloom veggies, fruits, and herbs as well as raising chickens that help keep the bugs away. If you live in the Kansas City area, stop by their booth at the Brookside Farmers’ Market and show them your support! ” (Land Lovers, p. 74)

1727 Park Avenue St. Louis MO 63104 314-231-2537 Creating a Little Magic in Historic Lafayette Square

kaitlynn martin St. Louis, Writer “After working on this issue, I am intrigued by how much effort goes into the produce we often take for granted.

From vertical growing systems to combatting food insecurity, there’s so many ways we can get involved. For example, the Saint Louis Science Center’s GROW Exhibit now features soil monoliths from each of the 50 states.

These monoliths act as a soil’s fingerprint, unveiling how and why certain plants thrive in varying soil compositions and climates. I encourage readers to reach out and learn more about local farming; the journey food takes from farms to plates is one great adventure.” (Growing Innovation, p. 81)

aaron ottis

Fresh Air Fresh Food Fresh Beer Best Outdoor Dining

Columbia, Photographer “Visiting Pinckney Bend and Wood Hat distilleries for this issue was like reuniting with old friends.

[At Pinckney Bend,] Tom, Catlyn and I talked about vintage cameras while we worked. Turns out that Tom’s father was a publisher and quite good with a camera. I’ve photographed Gary at Wood Hat before, but this was a unique experience.

We drove out to the farm to mill some blue corn, meeting with Bill and his crew of workers and cows. Gary and I discussed how Prohibition-era laws still influence the whiskey market and what that means for craft distilleries like Wood Hat. It’s a nice reminder that each one of these whiskeys are made by a real person. My favorites are Pinckney Bend’s Heirloom Pipe Corn and Wood Hat’s Aged Blue Corn whiskey. But truthfully, it’s hard to go wrong! “ (The Kings of Corn, p. 68)

pete dulin Kansas City, Writer “ When I met Tom Ruggieri and Rebecca Graff of Fair Share Farm in Kearney, Missouri, I learned how they invested more than a dozen years developing an energy-efficient farm operation, integrating modern technology and time-tested farming techniques.

Tom and Rebecca have refined their practices, keep detailed records and closely observe each season’s crop production. Their environmentally sustainable methods have enriched the land. We shared a home-cooked dinner at their table after the tour, eating salad, eggs and soup made from farm-fresh ingredients. Over conversation, felt even more connected to the fields just beyond the kitchen door.” (Growing Innovation, p. 81)

Follow us!

Twitter: @SquareOneBrews Facebook: Square.One.Brewery.and.Distillery Instagram: SquareOneBrewery www.squareonebrewery.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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STL

City of Clayton MusiC + Wine festival Sat., June 10, 5 to 10pm; along North Brentwood Boulevard, downtown Clayton, Missouri; 314.727.8100; claytonmusicandwinefestival.com

Enjoy an elegant evening featuring music, wine and food in downtown Clayton, Missouri. The festival will feature musical performances including Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers and entertainment including a painting exhibit hosted by the Saint Louis Art Fair. Wine from local wineries and food from nearby restaurants are available for purchase.

06/10

sChnuCks Cooks: Mapo tofu

STL

Thu., June 15, 6 to 9pm; $45; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School; schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

06/15

In this class you’ll learn how to perfectly braise tofu in a spicy sauce. You’ll also learn how to make a refreshing papaya salad.

PHOTO BY JENNIFER SILVERBERG

STL

Feast tV taste & see: hand-Crafted Wines and Cheeses Fri., June 16, 7pm; $15; Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., St. Louis; feastmagazine.com/events

Imbibe in the local wine that is part of our region’s cultural history, and enjoy foods made with artisanal cheeses from the rolling hills of century-old Missouri and Illinois farms. The event kicks off with live music and will feature segments from Feast TV on two-story screens, interviews with local chefs and live cooking demos.

06/16

and check out upcoming taste & see eVents:

resCheduled: artisan Meats & sWeets Fri., June 30, 7pm; $15; Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., St. Louis; feastmagazine.com/events

experiMental kitChen Fri., July 21, 7pm; $15; Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., St. Louis; feastmagazine.com/events

urban farM to fork Fri., Aug. 18, 7pm; $15; Public Media Commons, 3653 Olive St., St. Louis; feastmagazine.com/events

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STL

st. louis Craft Beer Week

6-SHOW SEASON TICKET PACKAGE NOW ON SALE !

Fri., July 28 to Sat., Aug. 5; times, prices and locations vary; stlbeerweek.com

Celebrate the St. Louis craft-beer scene with nine days of events in the metro area. Talk to brewers, pair food with beer and meet other beer enthusiasts at events including the sixth-annual Firkin Fest, a barrel-aged blowout, sour beer-pairing dinner, brewery trivia night and a 5k run.

PHOTO BY ELAINE RHODE

STL

October 3-15, 2017

April 3-22, 2018

Jose Llana and Laura Michelle Kelly in Rodgers & Hammerstein’s The King and I. Photo by Matthew Murphy.

07/28

loufest Sat., Sept. 9 and Sun., Sept. 10, times vary; prices vary, start at $95; Forest Park, St. Louis; loufest.com

LouFest returns for its eighth and best year yet with the first wave of the 2017 lineup just announced: Weezer, Cage the Elephant, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats, Huey Lewis and the News and more. Get your tickets now for the amazing two-day festival in beautiful Forest Park, with over 30 bands and 50,000 attendees. Plus, check out the other on-site festivities including the Nosh Pit, Market Square, BrewFest, LouKidz, Mo Wine Trail, 1917 Cocktail Party and many more attractions for the whole family to enjoy.

Ana Villafañe and Original Broadway Company Photos: Matthew Murphy

November 7-19, 2017

Nov. 28 - Dec. 10, 2017

January 16-28, 2018

March 20 - April 1, 2018

09/09 Specials for SWAP ONE & Priority Purchase*

STL

taste of st. louis Fri., Sept. 15 to Sun., Sept. 17, times vary; free; Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veterans Place Drive, Chesterfield, Missouri; 314.534.2100; tastestl.com

Taste of St. Louis is the ultimate food experience. Free to the public, the three-day event returns for its 13th year with dozens of the region’s best restaurants on Restaurant Row, chef battle royales, live cooking demos, culinary showcases, artisan and art marketplaces, live music on the Concert Main Stage, Kids’ Kitchen area and much more.

December 14-17, 2017

09/15

February 23-25, 2018

December 27-31, 2017

March 2-4, 2018

February 2-4, 2018

March 16-18, 2018

FabulousFox.com/ Subscribe 314-535-1700 Fox Box Office *See website for details and

content advisories.

May 29- June 3, 2018 Limit 8 season tickets per household.

Shows, dates & times subject to change. Season tickets are non-refundable.

May 9-20, 2018

Inspired Local Food Culture

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this month on

feastmagazine.com

PhotograPhy by ana Pierce

PhotograPhy by mabeL Suen

the feed

we’re giving away a pair of tickets to the Summer Foodie chick event in Leawood, Kansas, on Sat., July 22. enjoy samples from restaurants, wineries, breweries and coffee roasters, and vote for your favorites. Just head to the Promotions section at feastmagazine.com for the details.

The owners of St. Louis’ beloved Fozzie’s Sandwich Emporium have opened a new concept, Humble Pie, which serves pizzas made from small-batch organic doughs, including a vegan Mexican-chocolate pie, salted caramelapple pie and vegan bánh mì pizza.

sGf Skully’s food truck has hit the streets in Springfield, Missouri, serving an innovative take on Asian cuisine.

Look for mushroom-tofu ramen, pork belly-scallion pancakes, red curry dry-rub wings and more.

St. Louis has no shortage of great tacos, from classic carnitas and al pastor to Korean-inspired bulgogi tacos. Fittingly, there’s even a pork steak taco. We’ve rounded up our eight favorite spots for tacos, from swanky new restaurants to classic taquerias, at feastmagazine.com.

PhotograPhy by anna Petrow

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

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KC The Sundry has renovated its Crossroads Arts District space, featuring a new 32-foot walnut bar in addition to a new bar service, brunch and happy hour (including small plates like a rotating charcuterie board).

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201 Montelle Drive • Augusta, MO 63332 • 888.595.WINE • www.Montelle.com Award-Winning Wines | Breathtaking Views | Exquisite Sunset Dinners | Live Music Weekends

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PHOTOgRAPHy by LAndOn vOndERSCHMIdT

PHOTOgRAPHy PROvIdEd by OPERATIOn bbq

When you think of charities focused on food, you most likely think of hunger relief organizations. Yes, food pantries are critical to the lives of the one in eight Americans who are food insecure, but food-focused charities play vital roles you may have never considered. In this episode, we meet people behind nonprofits that have a meaningful impact on the communities they serve. In the kitchen, host Cat Neville makes stuffed poblano peppers, a dish made with inexpensive staples typically found in food pantries.

New Roots for Refugees teaches those resettled in the Kansas City area how to build their own businesses through growing and marketing produce.

Host Cat Neville makes family-friendly stuffed poblanos, a weeknight dish that’s easy, quick and very tasty.

Launched in response to the 2011 Joplin tornado, Operation BBQ Relief is now a nationwide organization offering food to people displaced by disaster.

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

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

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With a focus on sustainability and great design, IKEA is your destination for affordable, innovative and high-quality kitchen products.

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

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

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

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Wednesdays at 7pm.

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

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

You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Thursdays at 7pm.

SUMMER AT THE LAKE IS HERE! f the lake o

ozarks

Feast TV airs in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8) Saturdays at noon and Mondays at 12:30pm.

!

N L AKE T V

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

R

PLAN YOU

EE IT ALL O S !

Y A W A T LAKE GE

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Lasagna

FESTA

$14

Includes house-made lasagna, salad and cannoli.

Available for Lunch and Dinner.

Limited Time Only!

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Exclusions may apply. Cash and mycash only. Cannot be combined with any other offers/coupons. Must be age 21 or older to gamble.

Gambling problem? Call 1-888-BETSOFF. Š2017 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

crĂŞpe escape

CrĂŞpes get creative at Eat. Crepe. Love. in Jefferson City, Missouri, on p. 20. photography by anthony jinson

activated

charcoal Written by Liz MiLLer

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PhotograPhy by jonathan gayMan

Despite its name, activated charcoal is different from the briquettes at the bottom of your kettle grill. The all-natural charcoal is made by burning a carbonaceous material such as coconut husks or bamboo at a high temperature, and is a purported detoxifier. Chefs and bartenders use a superfine powdered version to add inky color to dishes and drinks.

Clementine’s naughty and niCe Creamery ST. LOUIS. as St. Louis experienced record-breaking high temperatures

in February, Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery was gearing up to introduce five new ice cream flavors: blackberry-buttermilk; vegan beet-strawberry sorbet; vegan cashew-caramel; boozy b52, inspired by the cocktail, for Mardi gras; and black cherry ash made with activated charcoal. owner tamara Keefe heard that the ingredient was trending in cocktails during a trip to new york City and decided to experiment. Keefe infuses a superfine powdered organic food-grade coconut activated charcoal into the ice cream base, and then adds Fabbri amarena cherries imported from italy, plus cherry juice. the final product is a dark coal color and has a tart cherry flavor. “We had 200 people come into the shop the day we did our social media for the black cherry ash; people love it,” Keefe says. “they’re hesitant at first, but we encourage people to try all of the flavors and be adventurous, and when they try it, it’s like a revelation, because it tastes nothing like what they expected.”

Find the ice cream at Keefe’s shop in Lafayette Square or at her newly opened storefront in the DeMun neighborhood; she expects to open a third location in the Southampton neighborhood in September or october.

1637 S. 18th St., St. Louis, Missouri, clementinescreamery.com

CharCoal CoCktail → At The Rieger in Kansas City, bartender Julia Ohno has been serving a drink made with bamboo ash, which is ground from activated charcoal made with bamboo, since April.

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1924 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri, theriegerkc.com

UnBakery and JUicery KANsAs CitY. Before activated charcoal began appearing in dishes on brunch and dinner menus, it was popping up in cocktails and juice bars. At Unbakery and Juicery in Kansas City’s Brookside neighborhood, a powdered version is used to make Black Mylk (orange zest- and cardamom-flavored almond milk sweetened with wildflower honey and infused with activated charcoal) and H20 No. 2 water (alkaline water infused with activated charcoal, organic chlorella, turmeric and a hint of lime). Unbakery owner Robin Krause says both products have been a hit with customers, especially people seeking out detoxifying drinks. “Activated charcoal clears out toxins and cleans your body, but you also have to still feed your body during [a detox cleanse],” Krause says.

“So I wanted to do the almond milk – and we make our own almond milk in house – for the good fats; so you’re still doing a good detox with the activated charcoal, but you’re also feeding your body. You don’t get the foggy and uncomfortable feelings that can come with a detox.” She says there are plans to potentially add a smoothie made with activated charcoal soon, as well as a few snacks and dishes – perhaps a smoothie bowl or macrobiotic meal.

634 E. 63rd St., Kansas City, Missouri, unbakeryandjuicerykc.com

Hiro aSian kitcHen st. Louis. Bernie Lee loves experimenting with colorful dishes and plating

at his St. Louis restaurant, Hiro Asian Kitchen. Several years ago he debuted a brightly hued green-tea waffle topped with vanilla ice cream and vibrant fresh fruit on Hiro’s Sunday brunch menu; this winter, he went in the opposite direction with an onyx-colored waffle made with superfine bamboo activated charcoal. Lee says the ingredient adds not only color, but a different texture. “It’s got a little more bite to it; it’s spongier and chewier.”

The waffle is topped with housemade caramel sauce, honey maple syrup, caramel popcorn, seasonal fruit – raspberries were used when the dish first debuted – and a scoop of black cherry ash ice cream from Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery. Lee is good friends with Clementine’s owner, Tamara Keefe, and the two debuted their activated charcoal-infused dishes around the same time. He’s also playing with adding activated charcoal to cocktails and in place of squid ink in a seafood paella for the dinner menu.

“You get the black color but not the fishy flavor of squid ink, which people seem to either love or hate,” Lee says. “Last time I played with it in paella and rice porridge, which looks really cool.”

Serving Restaurants SINCE 1973

Authentic Local FAMILY

1405 Washington Ave., St. Louis, Missouri, hiroasiankitchen.com

Black lava Salt The name says it all: Black lava salt is infused with activated charcoal and harvested from lava found in Hawaii and Cyprus.

Like activated charcoal, the salt is believed to be a detoxifier, and due to its earthy, slightly smoky flavor and striking onyx color, it’s often used by chefs as a finishing salt.

Visit feastmagazine.com to learn more about black lava salt, including how to make black lava salt-and-pepper chicken wings with a spicy pineapple-mango dipping sauce at home.

www.oletyme.com 314.436.5010

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

Pizza head Story and photography by Mabel Suen

ST. LOUIS. Pizza Head recently opened on South grand boulevard in St. louis, featuring vegetarian and vegan new york-style pies and slices paired with canned beer and punk rock. the concept comes from Scott Sandler, the mastermind behind pizzeoli, the popular neapolitan-style pizzeria in Soulard. pizza head serves as a counterpart to pizzeoli’s artisan pies while paying homage to Sandler’s new Jersey roots. in the kitchen, an italian electric deck-oven set to 575ºF turns out 20-inch pies in only four and a half minutes. the housemade dough bakes into a foldable crust with some bite that’s a bit more on the crispy side, Sandler says. Choose from classic toppings paired with mozzarella and tomato sauce or go vegan with cashew cheese and meat-free sausage and pepperoni.

3196 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri, pizzaheadstl.com

FreshwaTer Written by Jenny Vergara

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photography by anna petroW

KANSAS CITY. at Freshwater in Midtown kansas City, chef-owner

Calvin davis will have you eating with your eyes first as artful plates come out of his kitchen. Whether sharing small plates with friends or enjoying an evening out for two, expect everything from your salad to your dessert to elevate fresh local ingredients into something magical. the dining room at the 48-seat restaurant is minimal and intimate, and the menu delivers a variety of plate sizes – including a special chef’s tasting menu – that highlight freshwater fish and vegetables, as well as locally raised beef, chicken and rabbit. order the smoked-trout small plate, which features a smoked-trout mousse topped with pickled celery ribbons and lavosh, dusted with cured egg yolk. be sure to peruse the wine list and enjoy a nice glass or bottle to complement your meal.

3711 Summit St., Kansas City, Missouri, freshwaterkc.com

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TorTilleria Perches Written by ettie berneking photography by brad zWeerink

SPRINGFIELD, MO. From housemade tortillas to soup bobbing with savory meatballs, there’s plenty to love at Tortilleria Perches in Springfield, Missouri. Since opening in 2005, the family-run restaurant has earned a top-shelf spot within Springfield’s tightly packed Mexican-food scene.

Fans were excited when mother-and-son team Maria and Jesus perches unveiled an expansion in February. the remodel boosted seating to 117 and allowed them to expand the menu and install a stand-alone bar, plus a selection of tequila and mezcal. With family connections in durango and Chihuahua, Mexico, the perches pride themselves

on serving authentic Mexican cuisine including chilaquiles, flautas, tamales and tacos, which come filled with your choice of meat: shredded beef or chicken with the flautas, pork or chicken with the tamales and a wider selection (including beef tongue, beef cheek, seasoned beef, ground beef or fish) with the other dishes. “a lot of what is on our menu is what we had growing up,” Jesus says. Soups, crafted under Maria’s watchful eye, change daily and are loaded with flavorful ingredients, tender meats and spoonfuls of hominy. one of Jesus’ favorite childhood dishes is the chicos tacos: five deep-fried rolled taquitos drowned in a rich tomato and red chile sauce.

1601 W. Sunshine St., Springfield, Missouri, tortilleriaperches.com

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q&A

juan antonio ferreira co-owner, casa latina Written by April Fleming

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photogrAphy by zAch bAumAn

SHAWNEE, KS. Casa Latina in Shawnee, Kansas, is the realization of a dream

for its five partners – Juan Antonio Ferreira, Alejandro ocampo, clemencia bedoya, rodrigo luna Queveda and marcela Quevedo. their goal was to create a restaurant that faithfully represented their home countries of colombia, mexico and peru. the result of their efforts is a lively, welcoming and music-filled restaurant where customers can enjoy peruvian ceviche alongside mexican street tacos, Venezuelan arepas and dozens of other satisfying latin American dishes. We caught up with co-owner Juan Antonio Ferreira to learn more about the restaurant’s development and what informs the menu at casa latina.

How did Casa Latina come about? Alejandro ocampo and i have been partners in different businesses for 10 years, including one restaurant in independence, missouri, named casa mexico. rodrigo luna Quevedo is a peruvian chef, and his family has restaurants in houston and miami.

When he arrived in the united States, he worked in his family restaurants and others as a chef.

Alejandro and i proposed that rodrigo and his wife, marcela, move to Kansas for us all to work together on a dream of a latin restaurant. While we were in this process, my friend and former client clemencia bedoya, who for many years worked in catering in colombia and the united States, visited my office to consult with me about how to start a restaurant. in that moment, clemencia, Alejandro and i started with this dream that became casa latina. rodrigo and marcela partnered officially with us a month later. What's your earliest memory of food? my earliest memory of food exactly was one little fried fish. my family lived in ecuador at the time, and i remember my father enjoying a plate. he gave a little of this fish, and i never forgot this moment. What are your favorite dishes at Casa Latina? i love the seafood. my favorite plates are the jalea mixta [peruvian fried seafood salad] and the ceviche and seafood soup; in peru it’s called parihuela, and in colombia it’s called cazuela de mariscos. my father loved seafood, and he taught me to love it, too. i travel to many countries, and my favorite dishes in each country are always the seafood. Why did you decide to open a restaurant in Shawnee? Shawnee is a beautiful, growing city. it’s also close to overland park and olathe, Kansas, where a lot of colombian and peruvian people live. the name casa latina says it all: [i want] people [to] eat like they’re at home, and remember the tastes of their home countries. Who’s in the kitchen? rodrigo luna Quevedo and clemencia bedoya. they learned to cook in peru and colombia [respectively]. We also have chef maria elena casa, who specializes in mexican cuisine. Why do you think it's important that people have access to food from their home countries? When anyone comes to the restaurant, always i ask, “how is the taste?” the answer sometimes is magic: Some people say they remember their mom’s food, or family food. And yesterday, one American client told me, “i went on an adventure today in my dinner.” that for me was fantastic; our restaurant is also for people who have never tried these kinds of food. hispanic culture is special. We always remember our past, our families, our friends and of course, our favorite foods.

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11200 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, Kansas, facebook.com/casalatinakc Inspired Local Food Culture

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q&A

tiffany walker & carla kessell owners, eat. crepe. love.

Written By Jessica Vaughn

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PhotograPhy By zach Bauman

JeFFeRSon CITY, Mo. spurred by their

own fondness of the French pastry, tiffany Walker and carla Kessell opened Eat. Crepe. Love., a mobile crêperie, late last summer. the crêpe cart houses two crêpe-makers from France, with which Kessell crafts both sweet and savory crêpes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. the pair’s home base is in Jefferson city, missouri, but the crêperie travels to festivals and events throughout mid-missouri on a part-time basis. the name, eat. crepe.

Love., embodies the positive energy the women hope to cultivate through their crêpes. “Food brings so much warmth and happiness to people,” Kessell says. “there’s too much negativity out there, so if we can just make people happy, that thrills us.”

Where do you get inspiration for your recipes? it really just comes from foods we like. We’re not picky eaters, and we love to try new things. one of the reasons i’m doing crêpes versus something else is because i can constantly change them out. i can try one thing, and if we feel like it didn’t work, at the next event we’ll do something different. and a crêpe lends itself to be sweet or savory, so your options are unlimited. –Carla Kessell What are some upcoming seasonal crêpes you’re excited about? one is a roasted strawberry with lemon ricotta. We’re [also] going to do a Korean beef bulgogi with mango, cabbage and a citrus-soy dressing. We’ll have another one called the super green, with all kinds of beautiful swiss chard and microgreens, asparagus, red chiles and lemon-ginger-tahini dressing. –C.K. How did you get started with the cart? We wanted something small – something a little more intimate than a food truck. one of carla’s drivers for sysco was driving through the country and saw this junkyard, and the guy had an old hot dog cart sitting out front. he called carla and said, “i think maybe i’ve found what you’ve been looking for.” so we bought it, got home and transformed it; we painted it, painted the awning, got it wrapped in wood and then we ordered the crêpe makers from France. i mean, we had it maybe not even two weeks and carla had already booked a festival for us. so it was either sink or swim that first festival, and we've never looked back. the cart turned out to be so much cooler than i had ever imagined. –Tiffany Walker What’s been the most rewarding part so far? i think for me, it’s that everybody loves the crêpes. and all these people want to tell me their stories about all the favorite crêpes they’ve had in their lives. i think because you don’t get to have them very often, so whatever that memory is, it just sort of resonates and they want to tell their story and share their experience. –T.W. making people happy with food – that just fulfills so many things for me. so for people to taste the crêpes and love them, that’s just great. –C.K. eatcrepelove.wordpress.com

Korean beef bulgogi crêpe with mango, cabbage and citrus-soy dressing

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KALDISCOFFEE.COM Inspired Local Food Culture

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in season: June through october

carrots Written by nancy StileS

Chefs use carrots for more than just salads. The bright orange root vegetables, in season from June through the fall, can be prepared in almost countless ways, adding an underlying sweetness to any dish.

The BruncheoneTTe JoPLin, Mo. Sweet potato fries are usually a healthy(ish) go-to side, but at The Bruncheonette in Joplin, Missouri, executive chef Sean Flanagan, who co-owns the restaurant with his wife, chas, serves up carrot fries alongside tuna burgers, pulled pork and smoked salmon sandwiches. Flanagan and his team julienne buckets of carrots at a time and store them in water; when it’s time to make the fries, they dust them in flour and flash fry them before serving. “We really do our best to be different and try to come up with something new,” Flanagan says. “they’re delicious and easy. We don’t have a lot of space here, so buckets of carrots take up less space than a freezer full of sweet potato fries.” the carrot fries are so good, in fact, that the kitchen simply seasons them with salt and pepper before sending them out – they don’t even need sauce. “Some people request ranch, but we don’t have that, so i’ll typically send out a side of hollandaise just in case,” Flanagan says. “but once people try them, most like them plain.”

424 N. Main St., Joplin, Missouri, thebruncheonette.net

il Bel lago creve coeur, Mo. the cannellone della casa has been on the menu at Il Bel Lago in creve coeur, Missouri, since it opened 13 years ago, but the recipe goes back even further. chef-owner Frank Gabriele picked it up during his days working for his father’s beloved St. louis restaurant, Giovanni’s. “Oh my gosh, we sell so many,” Gabriele says. “We have people come in just for [this]; they have cannellone every time they come in.” First he sears chunks of veal and then sautés them with carrots, onion and celery. after it’s cooked down a bit, the veal is deglazed with white wine and veal stock – “very important,” Gabriele says – and transferred to a big kettle to reduce. two to three hours later, he grinds the veal and vegetables and then adds eggs and Parmigiano-reggiano. the mixture is used to stuff egg crêpes (a lighter version of the traditional pasta dough-based crêpes), and everything is topped with a bolognese béchamel before it’s baked. “in this dish, the carrots bring a little sweetness, which goes really well with the veal and Parmigiano-reggiano,” Gabriele says. “Depending on what you’re cooking, carrots can really contribute nicely to almost any dish.”

11631 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, Missouri, bellagostl.com

rozzelle courT aT The nelson-aTkins MuseuM of arT Kansas citY. at the acclaimed restaurant inside Kansas city’s nelson-atkins Museum of art, Rozzelle Court, executive chef Jonathan Pye changes the menu daily, and he uses carrots often. recently, Pye did a carrot-miso reduction to complement an asian-influenced fish dish. Pye cooked down the carrots with miso, soy sauce and sugar, put the mixture into a Vitamix and served it under a cobia fillet with baby bok choy. “carrots just have a nice little sweetness, especially when you’re making demi-glace or something like that,” he says. “if you’re braising with red wine or Guinness or whatever, it turns it a little bitter so the carrots balance that a bit and give it a nice color, too – instead of a dark brown, it makes it a little more orange, so i like the color aspect of it.” Pye also enjoys using carrots in desserts: rozzelle court recently served a pineapple-ginger carrot cake garnished with candied carrots. “they make pretty good desserts if you put a little sugar in with them,” Pye says.

4525 Oak St., Kansas City, Missouri, nelson-atkins.org/rozzelle-court-restaurant

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matt mcguire chef-owner, louie

q&A

Written by Kaitlynn Martin

pHotoGrapHy by j. pollCK pHotoGrapHy

CLAYTon, Mo. this summer, Matt McGuire, the former service director at niche Food Group in the St. louis area, is set to open his new restaurant, Louie, in the DeMun neighborhood of Clayton, Missouri. not to be mistaken for a revival of his previous restaurant, King louie’s, louie will be more of a neighborhood venue, inspired by italian cuisine and hospitality – “the wonderful simplicity and the generosity,” McGuire says. With a wood-burning pizza oven from italy, louie will offer small plates, pizzas and larger entrées, and seat around 70.

Why open this restaurant now? i think if i had to pick one thing, i would say it’s the timing. My kids are getting older and are a good age for this, and in some ways that makes this easier. it just felt right, too. this space presenting itself at the time in my life seemed like a proper time to enter back into an independent business.

What will the atmosphere be like? Hopefully louie will be a lot more of a neighborhood restaurant, and a place that people will use more often. it’s not that i don’t want them to come here for their special occasions, but i also want it to be a place that doesn’t feel like they have to commit – they can come without any cause. Why open an Italian restaurant? i'm a Midwestern irish-Catholic kid from St. louis, so i'm not italian, but [what] i've been drawn to over my career has always been about italian food and wine. When i’m cooking or thinking about things i want to cook, the wines that are in my head are always italian. i read a quote by Miles Davis a while back, and he said something like, “Sometimes you have to be able to play a long time to be able to play like yourself.” i think a lot of times we go off to school, and we're surrounded by people who inspire us, and it takes a long time to build that into something that's truly your own. What drew you to the DeMun neighborhood? i like the feeling and the people, and i’m sure that has to do a lot with Washington University and folks that live around here. there’s certainly diversity and an openness to the neighborhood. it just feels nice. it’s a hard thing to put your finger on – it’s all sort of tied together.

What are you most excited about moving forward? i like creating memorable experiences for people. i still run into people that i met 10 years ago [at King louie's]. they say they came in, and i made them chicken noodle soup because they really wanted it and we didn’t have it. that’s the part of the business that brings out the shopkeeper in me. i’m just really excited and looking forward to opening, and the whole process of developing and bringing a team of people together. i really look forward to being a part of that again.

706 DeMun Ave., Clayton, Missouri

To stay up-to-date on local dining news and restaurant openings, visit feastmagazine.com.

Inspired Local Food Culture

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Regional RestauRant guide 3rd Chute Bar & Grill 220 W. Main St. Grafton, IL 618.786.8888

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

Cork & Barrel Chop House and Spirits 7337 Mexico Road St. Peters, MO 636.387.7030 corkandbarrel.com

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

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

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

The Corner Restaurant 4059 Broadway Kansas City, MO 816.931.4401 thecornerkc.com

Gallagher’s Restaurant 114 W. Mill St. Waterloo, IL 618.939.9933 gallagherswaterloo.com

21st Street Brewers Bar 2017 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.6969 21stbrew.com

Boundary 7036 Clayton Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.932.7818 boundary-stl.com

Delta Queen Port of Call 6035 Second St. Kimmswick, MO 636.223.7170 dqportofcall.com

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

Aerie’s Resort & Winery 800 Timber Ridge Drive Grafton, IL 618.786.7477 aeriesview.com

Cafe Natasha 3200 S. Grand Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.771.3411 cafenatasha.com

Drunken Fish multiple locations drunkenfish.com

Great Rivers Tap & Grill 3559-B College Ave. Alton, IL 618.462.1220 greatriverstapandgrill.com

Augusta Winery 5601 High St. Augusta, MO 636.228.4301 augustawinery.com

Castelli’s Restaurant at 255 3400 Fosterburg Road Alton, IL 618.462.4620 castellis255.com

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

The Grille at the Mansion 1680 Mansion Way O’Fallon, IL 618.624.0629 mansionsteakhouse.com

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

Charleville Brewing Co. & Tavern 2101 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.4677 charlevillevineyard.com

Eleven Eleven Mississippi 1111 Mississippi Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.9999 1111-m.com

Harvest Table Eatery & Miscellany 122 E. Fourth St. Hermann, MO 573.486.3463 harvesttablehermann.com

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

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

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

Helen Fitzgerald’s 3650 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.984.0026 helenfitzgeralds.com

Basso 7036 Clayton Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.932.7820 basso-stl.com

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

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

Herbie’s 8100 Maryland Ave. Clayton, MO 314.769.9595 herbies.com

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

Companion 2331 Schuetz Road 9781 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO | Ladue, MO 314.627.5262 | 314.218.2280 companionbaking.com

Fox & Hounds Tavern 6300 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO 314.647.7300 cheshirestl.com

Hermann Wurst Haus 234 E. First St. Hermann, MO 573.486.2266 hermannwursthaus.com

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

Molly Darcys 26 N. Meramec Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.863.8400 mollydarcyspub.com

Ramon’s El Dorado 1711 St. Louis Road Collinsville, IL 618.344.6435 ramonseldorado.net

Trattoria Giuseppe 5442 Old State Route 21 Imperial, MO 636.942.2405 trattoria-giuseppe.com

The Homesteader Cafe 100 E. Seventh St. #100 Kansas City, MO 816.474.8333 thehomesteadercafe.com

Mount Pleasant Estates 5634 High St. Augusta, MO 636.482.9463 mountpleasant.com

Range Free 110 Orr St. #101 Columbia, MO 573.777.9980 range-free.com

Twisted Tree Steakhouse 10701 Watson Road St. Louis, MO 314.394.3366 twistedtreesteakhouse.com

J.Fires’ Market Bistro 725 N. Market St. Waterloo, IL 618.939.7233 jfires.com

The Muddled Pig Gastropub 2733 Sutton Blvd.

Maplewood, MO 314.781.4607 themuddledpig.com

Righteous Pig Bar-B-Que 124 E. Main St. Belleville, IL 618.520.8817 righteouspigbbq.com

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

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

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

Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery 29725 Somerset Road Paola, KS 913.491.0038 somersetridge.com

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

Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria 9568 Manchester Road Rock Hill, MO 314.942.6555 katiespizzaandpasta.com

Olympia Kebob House & Taverna 1543 McCausland Ave. Richmond Heights, MO 314.781.1299 olympiakebobandtavern.com

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

Weber Grill Restaurant 1147 St. Louis Galleria St. St. Louis, MO 314.930.3838 webergrillrestaurant.com

King & I 3157 S. Grand Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.771.1777 kingandistl.com

One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar 119 N. Kirkwood Road Kirkwood, MO 314.821.4119 one19north.com

Square One Brewery and Distillery 1727 Park Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.231.2537 squareonebrewery.com

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

Porter’s Steakhouse 1000 Eastport Plaza Drive Collinsville, IL 618.345.2400 porterscollinsville.com

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

Kolache Factory multiple locations kolachefactory.com

PW Pizza 2017 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.7799 pwpizza.com

The Loading Dock 401 E. Front St. Grafton, IL 618.786.3494 graftonloadingdock.com

Q39 1000 W. 39th St. Kansas City, MO 816.255.3753 q39kc.com

We encourage you to visit any of these fine establishments as proud supporters of Feast Magazine.

From fine dining to fast casual to local wineries and breweries, there is an array of experiences to choose from, so support and eat local!

BY REGION: St. Louis

Summit Hickory Pit BBQ 1012 SE Blue Parkway Lee’s Summit, MO 816.246.4434 thesummithickorypitbbq.com

St. Charles County Kansas City Columbia, Missouri

Syberg’s multiple locations sybergs.com

Mid-Missouri and Southern Missouri Southern Illinois

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

The Rack House Kitchen Wine Whiskey 5065 State Highway N Cottleville, MO 636.244.0574 therackhousekww.com

Three Sixty 1 S. Broadway St. Louis, MO 314.241.8439 360-stl.com

Winery and Vineyard Brewery Inspired Local Food Culture

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hopped up

Sip craft beer with a side of "crack fries" at Hopcat in Kansas City on p. 30. photography by anna petrow

game on Written by natalie GallaGher

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PhotoGraPhy by judd demaline

The electronic zips, dings, bleeps and bloops of arcade games are making a comeback, and this time, there’s beer. Welcome to the arcade bar, where the nerdy middle schooler in you is welcome to hang out, grab a drink and finally dominate Donkey Kong.

e d a c ar bars? k CheC

out t

hes

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▶ Tapcade owners Adam Roberts and Brent Miller opened a second location in North Kansas City at the end of April. Unlike the original, the new location is ages 21 and up only. You’ll have plenty of time to work your way through the 62 taps with t tapcade nKC’s Skee Ball setup and 10 pinball machines. ▶ the neighbors beercade in Springfield, Illinois, features 13 vintage arcade games, including classics like Ms. Pac-Man and Donkey Kong. You’ll also find four pinball machines, pool and darts.

Head to Neighbors on a Thursday for vinyl night, when Pabst Blue Ribbon and pizza are on special. ▶ up-down in Kansas City is a two-level playground filled with about 40 arcade games, as well as pinball machines, Skee Ball, console games and even life-sized Jenga on the patio. Craft beer and cocktails are on offer. Up-Down’s owners recently announced plans for a second location in St. Louis’ Central West End.

sTarT bar ST. LOUIS. In Downtown St. Louis, Start Bar boasts an impressive 25 cabinet games, six pinball machines and three Skee Ball alleys, plus private lounges featuring consoles for Nintendo 64, Xbox or PlayStation4. “The theme when we opened [in July 2016] was late ‘90s and early 2000s,” says general manager Geo Guinn. But Killer Queen, a five-verses-five arcade strategy game that has amassed a devoted cult following since its debut in 2013, has necessitated a weekly Wednesday night tournament; Start Bar’s Killer Queen is one of fewer than 25 cabinets in the country. Just a block away from Busch Stadium, it's an ideal stop before or after Cardinals games, too. And if bottomless mimosas on Sundays don’t tempt you, then perhaps you’ll be swayed by Start Bar’s Sunday through Thursday night practice of “unlocked” games: You can play as much as you want for free. There’s a field outside for pingpong and beer pong, upwards of 80 cans of beers and four on tap, plus boozy slushies, milkshakes and ice pops, along with a food menu designed for snacking. “We try and give people something to do beyond the usual,” Guinn says.

1000 Spruce St., St. Louis, Missouri, startbarstl.com

Tapcade KANSAS CITY. In Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District, Tapcade is

a force to be reckoned with. There are around 40 games to choose from at any given time, the majority of which are arcade cabinet games; these are rotated frequently to ensure that the machines can be cleaned and maintained for longevity. There’s also a handful of rotating pinball machines and three different consoles. With 48 taps and 50 bottles and cans, the beer list spans several pages, with a heavy emphasis on local and craft brews. The food menu is a little more eclectic: you’ll have a hard time saying no to items like the 420 Melt Down, a burrito stuffed with steak, chicken, guacamole, french fries and Doritos. Kids who are tall enough to reach the consoles are also welcome until 8pm. “We’re family oriented – at least until 8pm, and after that, it’s more of a bar scene,” says manager Christina Sanchez.

“It’s nice, because the grown-ups can hang out and play the games they used to play when they were a kid with their kids.” Sanchez isn’t surprised by the rising popularity of the arcade bar phenomenon. “It’s not just arcades – a lot of nerdy stuff from the ‘80s and ‘90s is coming back,” Sanchez says. “People are interested in comic books and cult movies. That kind of thing is resurfacing because that’s what people in their thirties and forties grew up with, and now they’re all having kids, so it’s kind of natural to want to share that and bring it back.”

1701 McGee St., #200, Kansas City, Missouri, tapcadekc.com

Two plumbers brewery & arcade ST. CHARLES, MO. Sometimes the people who stop into Two Plumbers Brewery & Arcade in St. Charles, Missouri, couldn't care less about the bar’s 25 arcade cabinets and 11 pinball machines. They’re more interested in the 10 taps behind the bar, including two that belong to Two Plumbers’ house brews, which rotate as frequently as they sell out.

Owners Robert Schowengerdt and John Simon believe that it’s a good problem to have. “We’ve seen people from 21 years old up to retirees,” Schowengerdt says. “We’re surprised by how broad the demographic is.” Games at Two Plumbers all cost between 25 and 50 cents a play.

The most popular offerings tend to be the earlier issues: Time Crisis II, Ninja Turtles and Galaga. “We’re pretty much across the board.

We’ve even got some Japanese stuff, which is cool,” Schowengerdt says. “People miss the feeling of having something to occupy their time beyond their phone. And a lot of it is just nostalgia – people missing going to arcades, because that feeling is totally different from anything else.”

2236 1st Capitol Drive, St. Charles, Missouri, twoplumbers.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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

Hopcat Written by April Fleming photogrAphy by AnnA petroW

KANSAS CITY. the grand rapids, michigan-based HopCat may be a chain, but it knows Kansas City beer. thirty local craft beers and ciders – including brews from boulevard brewing Co., Free State brewing Co. and torn label brewing Co., among many others – get top billing on its stacked beer menu. in fact, on the top floor of its three-story space at the intersection of Westport road and broadway boulevard, which includes a roomy,

comfortable rooftop patio and adjacent cabana, local beer is all you can get. All 100 drafts are available in the ground-level space, as well, in addition to its bottled selection. the bar opened February 25, serving a range of comfort-food classics, including pizza, burgers and its signature “crack fries.” hopCat also introduced a new feature in April: Down in the basement, the colorful and retro-inspired tikiCat bar serves a variety of classic tiki and house cocktails.

401 Westport Road, Kansas City, Missouri, hopcat.com/kansas-city, tikicatkc.com

Kaldi’s coFFee Roasting co.

Story AnD photogrAphy by mAbel Suen

ST. lOUIS. Citygarden visitors can now get their drink fix on the sculpture park’s grounds in Downtown St. louis: Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. recently opened its doors in the scenic space formerly occupied by Death in the Afternoon. the new location features cocktails, cold-brew coffee, and an updated and expanded food menu (including a special brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays). guests can sip and savor a variety of Kaldi’s favorites inside the iconic glass structure, which offers sweeping views of the surrounding urban oasis. the brand’s signature coffee and tea products will also make their way into cocktails in refreshing drinks such as a moscow goat, which mimics the classic moscow mule with an added splash of cold brew. pair your beverage of choice with avocado toast or chai French toast, or opt for items such as coffee-roasted beet salad with goat cheese, pistachio, herbs, greens and maple-cider vinaigrette.

808 Chestnut St., St. Louis, Missouri, kaldiscoffee.com

WHite RoosteR FaRmHouse BReWeRy Written by KAitlynn mArtin

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photogrAphy by elAine rhoDe

SpArTA, Il. About two and a half years ago, michael Deutschmann, eric ogilvie and Chris Van horn started to seriously consider opening a brewery in their small town of Sparta, illinois, about 35 miles south of belleville. they’d been brewing mostly belgian-style farmhouse ales on ogilvie’s property, until finally, this march, they opened White Rooster Farmhouse Brewery with a 2,000-square-foot tasting room, brewhouse and cellar. its namesake is a friendly white rooster who lives on ogilvie’s property that used to hang around the brewers. Along with belgian brews, guests can expect porters, stouts, ipAs, sours and more. “What’s been most exciting is seeing it all come together,” Deutschmann says. “We’re just going to brew the beers that we like – that has been our thing this whole time.” in the coming months, small snack items such as meat, cheese and crackers will also be served in the tasting room.

113 W. Jackson St., Sparta, illinois, whiteroosterfarmhousebrewery.com

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ryan & lindsay reel

Food, wine

and Entertainment

co-owners, tapped in maplewood

q&A

WRITTeN By KAITLyNN MARTIN

PHOTOgRAPHy By j. POLLACK PHOTOgRAPHy

MAPLEWOOD, MO. Husband-and-wife team Ryan and Lindsay Reel host many family gatherings at their home; they’re known for spending hours in the kitchen and making tons of food. The Reels are excited to bring Tapped in Maplewood, a self-pour craft beer and wine bar, to the St. Louis area. At Tapped, customers can open a tab and receive an RFID bracelet that allows them to activate the taps and register their pours of craft beers and wines from the restaurant’s iPourIt tap-control system. Located in the former A Pizza Story space, Tapped opened in May, serving pizza and elevated bar fare.

Where did the idea for Tapped in Maplewood come from? Lindsay and I always wanted to do something with a restaurant, but there are so many out there that we wanted to make sure we had something unique. A couple years back, Lindsay was down in New Orleans for business, and she went to this place called the Wine Institute of New Orleans; they had a self-dispensing concept for wine set up. That kind of access for customers to be able to do something like that really piqued our interest. –Ryan Reel Why did you decide to open in Maplewood? We live in Richmond Heights, but we have lived in and around Maplewood for the past 10 years, and we love it. It’s definitely becoming a nice little walking main street, where there is a pretty big craft beer presence with Schlafly and Side Project. It was definitely on our radar to find something here. –R.R. How many kinds of beer and wine will be on tap? We have 48 self-pour taps at the restaurant: All of them, except for one, will be beer and wine. We’re partnering with The Living Room and Art House Coffee [Roasters in Maplewood] to have Bitt’s, a cold-press brew, which has turned out to be a staff favorite. To start off, it will be just beers local to Missouri and Illinois, but our plan is to expand outside the St. Louis area. There are great craft beers everywhere. We won’t be carrying your standards, though – it’s all about the smaller guy, the microbrewery, and to bring those different qualities and flavors into the restaurant. What kind of food can diners expect?

Pizza will be the bulk of the menu. We have the wood-fired pizza oven that was here for A Pizza Story. We have their dough recipe [too], which I’ve tweaked a bit and have added a pale ale into the recipe to bring together that food and beer concept. We will also have small plates – you’ll find toasted ravioli, but it’ll have a different kind of twist to it. What’s the atmosphere like? We aren’t trying to be that super-high-end restaurant, but we don’t want to be the casual bar either. We’re looking to be something in the middle, where you know you’re going to come and have some high-quality food, but you also know you’re going to relax and have a few drinks in a social atmosphere. –Lindsay Reel What are you most excited about? We really struggled with what we would do about tips, because it’s a self-serve concept, and we aren’t going to have waiters or waitresses (although host staff will bring ordered items to customers’ tables and help with the selection and pouring of beers and wines). If people decide to tip, we’re going to have a monthly charity for the donation of any gratuity. We talk with our employees each month and help them decide those charities. –L.R. 7278 Manchester Road, Maplewood, Missouri, facebook.com/tappedstl

     

6601 highway 94 south augusta, missouri 63332 636.482.8466 w w w. b a l d u c c i v i n e ya r d s . c o m

with an emphasis on soul food, friendly service and fast casual dining, southern delivers guests all the comforts of home in the heart of st. louis

Have Southern Cater your next event!

314.295.8220 for more information Hours of Operation Mon-Tues, Closed Wed-Sat, 11a-7p Sun, 11a-4p

3018 Olive, Saint Louis, MO 314.531.4668 / stlsouthern.com

#stayfried #stlsouthern

Inspired Local Food Culture

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StoRy And RECIpE by MAtt SEItER photogRAphy by JonAthAn gAyMAn

Garden Cooler SERVES | 1 |

CuCumber-Infused blanCo TequIla 3 cucumbers, peeled, rough dice ½ tsp kosher salt 1 bottle blanco tequila WaTermelon JuICe 2 cups diced watermelon 1 tsp granulated sugar ¼ cup water To serve 3 to 5 basil leaves, plus more for garnish 1½ oz cucumber-infused blanco tequila (recipe below) ½ oz fresh watermelon juice (recipe below) ½ oz simple syrup 2 oz Fentimans Tonic Water

| preparation – cucumber-infused blanco tequila | In a glass vessel able to hold at least 40 ounces, combine cucumbers and salt; toss to incorporate. Let mixture sit, 15 minutes, and then add tequila. Reserve empty bottle. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and allow to sit for 2 days. After 2 days, taste tequila; it can rest longer to intensify the cucumber flavor, if desired. Strain tequila through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth and store in original tequila bottle.

| preparation – watermelon juice | In a medium bowl, combine watermelon and sugar and toss until evenly incorporated. Allow to sit, 15 minutes. In a blender, combine watermelon mixture and water; pulse 4 to 6 times. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth. Squeeze any solids in cheesecloth to extract as much liquid as possible. Refrigerate and use within 2 days.

| to serve | In the bottom of a Collins glass, add basil leaves and tap gently with the flat side of a muddler. Fill glass with cracked ice and add infused tequila, watermelon juice and simple syrup. Stir, and top with more ice. Add tonic water, stir briefly, and garnish with basil. Serve.

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Garden Cooler about 20 years ago, the chef I worked under gave me a book to read: Culinary Artistry by andrew dornenburg and Karen Page. It detailed about every fruit, veggie, cheese, spice and flavor imaginable, and listed what ingredients pair well with it – and just as important, what doesn’t.

It helped me create sauces and fully composed dishes that were unique and hit all the senses. fast forward 10 years, and I used that same book to introduce new drinks behind the bar. I looked at bartending from a chef’s perspective; I was just working with more liquids than solids, and the vessels I used to serve people were glasses instead of plates. Taking notes from that book and knowing the flavor profiles of the spirits behind the bar, I’ve come up with some interesting combinations over the years. one that I always return to in the summer is watermelon-cucumber-basil. Here, those ingredients are used to make a garden-inspired cooler perfect for serving on hot June days.

Matt Seiter is co-founder of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG)’s St. Louis chapter, a member of the national board for the USBG’s MA program, author of The dive bar of Cocktail bars, bar manager at BC’s Kitchen, and a bar and restaurant consultant.

WINE

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on The shelf : june PIcks

michael j. dean-trego owner, mi rancho tequila

GrinDsTOne Valley Winery’s 2016 esTaTe ViGnOles written by Hilary Hedges

ProvenAnce: osborn, Missouri PAIrIngs: Grilled chicken • Smoked salmon • Angel food cake

Grindstone Valley Winery’s Vignoles is the perfect wine to enjoy with friends on the patio or at summer cookouts. it’s a very aromatic semisweet white wine packed with tropical-fruit flavors of pineapple and grapefruit. Made with estate-grown grapes, the wine is medium-bodied, smooth and refreshing. slightly sweet notes linger on the finish, making this a great option to pair with chicken, pork, fish or white-sauce pastas. you can find it at grindstone Valley’s tasting room in osborn, Missouri; at willow spring Mercantile in excelsior springs, Missouri; Hy-Vee stores in liberty, Missouri, and st. Joseph, Missouri; and the Clarksdale general store in Clarksdale, Missouri.

q&A

written by Jenny Vergara

|

PHotograPHy by angela bond

kAnsAs cITy, ks. Michael J. dean-trego started Mi Rancho

Tequila with his wife, guadalupe, in 2008, with the hope of leaving his six children, ages 4 to 24, a legacy that would tie them to the traditions and history of Mexico. raised in kansas City, kansas, the construction company principal (with his son, Hector dean) spent eight years researching and developing the recipe for his 100-percent blue agave tequila made in Jalisco, Mexico, before launching it in october 2016. available in liquor stores on both sides of the state line, you can also sample his tequila at kansas City-area restaurants such as teocali and taco republic.

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

BEER

CharleVille BreWinG CO. anD heaVy riff BreWinG CO.’s rye By niGhT written by ryan niCkelson

sTyle: black rye iPa PAIrIngs: Korean short ribs • Smoky Cheddar grilled cheese with

caramelized onions • Dark-chocolate caramels iPa is the king of craft when it comes to popular styles these days. because it’s not a pale ale, black iPas are a somewhat controversial variation of the style, but any concerns will be laid to rest with rye by night, a black rye iPa brewed collaboratively by Charleville Brewing Co. in ste. genevieve, Missouri, and Heavy Riff Brewing Co. in st. louis. aromatics of tropical fruit, spice and roast abound. the flavor is definitely iPa, with an intensely bitter beginning that transitions to delicately sweet malt, spice, citrus and pine by the time the sip hits the back of the palate. this is a fine example of a black rye iPa from two local breweries that’s definitely worth picking up this summer. charlevillevineyard.com/charleville-beer heavyriffbrewing.com

SPIRIT

Brothers Brandon and Ryan Nickelson are available to help with beer picks and pairing recommendations at their store, Craft Beer Cellar, a craft beer shop located at 8113 Maryland Ave. in Clayton, Missouri. To learn more, call 314.222.2444 or visit craftbeercellar.com/clayton.

Of The earTh farm DisTillery’s Grappa written by Jenn tosatto

ProvenAnce: rayville, Missouri (40% abV) Try IT: in a post-dinner espresso

in the hills of rayville, Missouri, you’ll find Of the Earth Farm Distillery. inspired by the italian spirit, of the earth’s grappa is distilled from the skins, stems and seeds left over from wine production of baltimore bend Vineyard’s norton grapes. what results is a beautiful and clean spirit. it begins with pleasing floral aromatics on the nose, and finishes with a delightful grassiness and subtle nuttiness on the palate. oftheearthfarm.com You can find Jenn running the bar at Mission Taco Joint's upcoming Kansas City location. She also loves donating her skills to many charity events around the city, as well as working private events.

Tell us about your tequilas. we make and bottle a silver, reposado and añejo tequila in Jalisco before bringing it back to the United states. our silver premium tequila is crystal clear; it smells like pear, quince, dill and lime, and finishes with a clean, smooth, fresh agave flavor. the reposado has been rested in american oak barrels for a minimum of six months and up to 14 months, depending on when it reaches optimum profile quality, giving it a light golden color. it smells of spiced citrus, apple and peach, with a spiced agave flavor. Finally, our añejo has been barrel-aged for over a year, making it the darkest of the three, with toffee, chocolate and brown sugar on the nose. it brings out a toasty butterscotch and honey flavor on the palate. As a relatively new tequila, how did you get the word out about Mi Rancho? the quality of Mi rancho’s tequila speaks for itself. we are a small start-up company from kansas City, kansas, competing for shelf space with multinational, multimillion-dollar producers, importers and distributors of tequila worldwide, and yet we are being recognized internationally and have won two different invitation-only awards that have helped increase the awareness and demand for our tequila. this spring in new york City, our Mi rancho añejo was named one of the 50 best añejo tequilas in the world, and we took home a double gold medal. our silver tequila was also recognized at last summer’s spirits international Prestige awards as one of the best silver/blanco tequilas by public choice, winning a platinum medal. right now, our tequila is being judged by a panel of spirit experts at the international taste & Quality institute in brussels, and we're hoping to come out on top again.

What’s your favorite way to drink Mi Rancho tequila? as someone who wants quality control over every aspect of the production of the Mi rancho tequila, i like to sample the Mi rancho silver at room temperature. it’s the most authentic of all the tequilas we make, and if it’s good, you know the reposado and añejo will be delicious, as well. What should people know about Mi Rancho? we make our handcrafted tequila the same way that it has been made in Mexico for centuries, with 100-percent blue agave. as a result, we end up with a craft tequila product that naturally has one of the lowest methanol contents of any tequila in the industry. that means if you drink Mi rancho tequila, you won’t have a hangover tomorrow. miranchotequila.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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brownie points

Head to Ruby’s Market, a new specialty store in Springfield, Missouri, for sweet treats and more on p. 40. photography by ana pierce

Di Olivas sTory and phoToGraphy by mabel sUen

st. louis. Fans of flavorful olive oils and vinegars have a new specialty shop to pick up prime products: In February, Di Olivas debuted its third location, in st. louis’ Central west end neighborhood. The olive oil- and balsamic vinegar-tasting emporium owned by proprietor robert palleja also has locations in west st. louis County and st. Charles, missouri. Guests are greeted with a warm staff introduction at the entrance, followed by a motion toward artfully arranged tables and shelves brimming with vinegars and olive oils ready for sampling. The specialty selection currently boasts 38 balsamic vinegars and 30 olive oils that rotate seasonally. “what makes us different from other vendors is that we source everything ourselves,” says executive chef and store manager Codey shaffer.

The best-selling balsamic is the 25 star premium balsamic, a condimental-style balsamic vinegar from modena, Italy, which has nearly three times the viscosity of other balsamics. around a dozen balsamic vinegars are flavored in-house, including the popular margaritaville. The best-selling olive oil is a Tuscan herb infusion made with roasted garlic, a hint of sun-dried tomato and four Italian herbs. oils come from all over the world, including spain, Italy, portugal, Greece and California. The shop also stocks a variety of sauces, private-label pizza sauce, pastas such as pici and squid-ink noodles, and popular items like black truffleflavored sea salt and a white truffle oil. “we’re very passionate about what we do,” shaffer says. “we’re always looking for something better and want to bring that to you, taking taste and nutrition all into account.”

115 N. Euclid Ave., Suite B, St. Louis, Missouri, diolivas.com

wrITTen by nanCy sTIles

dash go rapid peeler This fruit and vegetable peeler removes skin from your favorite produce without wasting any of the good stuff. The battery-powered peeler automatically shuts off when it’s done, and also comes with a peeling blade to remove any blemishes. It can also spiralize zucchini, carrots and even potatoes to make crispy shoestring fries.

For more information or to purchase the peeler, visit rapidpeeler.com. phoTo CoUrTesy rapId peeler

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uncommon goods microgreen kit Cultivating microgreens at home is a cinch with this window planter from Uncommon Goods. The planter is made of recycled steel and filled with a soil-free growing medium; it comes with two crops of seeds, a bamboo lid and directions for growing your own sprouts in just seven to 14 days. Choose from the spice kit, which includes Japanese mustard, daikon radish and edible chrysanthemum sprouts, or the veggie kit, with red cabbage, mini-carrot greens and Tom Thumb pea greens.

For more information or to purchase the kit, visit uncommongoods.com. phoTo CoUrTesy UnCommon Goods

Full Menu • Full Bar • Banquet rooMs • Dine-in • Carry-out

Dine-In or Carry-out!

Gift Certificates Available!!

3400 Fosterburg Road, Alton, IL 62002 618.462-4620, castellis255.com HOURS: TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY- 11AM - 9PM FRIDAY & SATURDAY - 11AM - 10PM, SUNDAY - 11AM - 9PM, MONDAY - CLOSED

Daily Acti vi ties from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Vendors & Craf te rs Great Homemade Food Scavenge r Hunt Li ve Ente rtainment

Heritage artisans will be on hand to demonstrate their various crafts, some with goods for sale. Other activities include rope making, wheat grinding, soap making, gourd art, games and more!

OkawvilleCC.com 618.243.5694 Inspired Local Food Culture

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stl

q&A

lisa govro owner, big heart tea co.

WRITTeN BY HeATHeR RISke

ST. LOUIS. Lisa Govro never intended for ReTrailer

Tea Co. to be a tea company. When she started selling tea out of a 1969 Wigwam Camper at farmers’ markets and street fairs around St. Louis in 2012, she envisioned it as a way to talk to people about small changes they could make to their everyday routine to improve their health and well-being – over a cup of tea, of course. But soon, Govro realized there was a niche in the market, and the rest is, as they say, history.

In March, Govro rebranded ReTrailer under the name Big Heart Tea Co., featuring an all-new look and an expanded team (including Feast’s Healthy Appetite columnist, Sherrie Castellano). You can purchase Big Heart Tea Co.’s teas online, and you’ll also find them on menus around the St. Louis area, including at The Mud House, Sardella, Vicia and Vista Ramen.

What’s your favorite tea from the line? Our most exciting new tea is our Cup of Sunshine Dust, which is a triple-pulverized tea blend that uses turmeric.

Turmeric is really the inspiration behind our company because of its amazing health benefits, including anti-inflammatory digestive support. We paired it with peppercorn, cinnamon and ginger to make it more of a chailike tea. There’s a lot of intentionality behind the blend – when you pair peppercorn with turmeric, it enhances the benefits of the curcumin in the turmeric and helps your body assimilate the [ingredient] a little better. How is Big Heart Tea Co. different from other tea companies?

Our teas are all-natural, so we don’t use any added flavor, and they’re all hand-blended and proprietary.

Our teas are super-fresh; they have more flavor and a lot more aroma because we blend them all in small batches on a weekly basis. Our chai, for example, has really hard, coarse spices. We grind those fresh before we blend, and when they go into the blend, they release essential oils, and that’s where the flavor comes from. How else can your teas be used? We want to make tea relevant again. What that means to us is giving people options for how they use tea in their life – whether it’s adding it to a smoothie, baking it into some pastries or using it as a rub on meat. Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery [in St. Louis] does a Cup of Sunshine ice cream, which is amazing. There’s also a beauty component – for example, you could take a really beautiful herbal bath with our Cup of Love, a rose tea. What’s next for Big Heart Tea Co.? For the past few months, we’ve been working on a single-origin iced-tea product that we’re sourcing directly from Malawi. The tea market can be pretty cloudy and not very transparent; it was really important to us to introduce an iced-tea product that was ethically sourced and ethically traded. We’re working hard to give people a better-quality option. bighearttea.com pHOTOGRApHY BY SHeRRIe CASTeLLANO

Too Good To WasTe: HoW To eaT everyTHinG WRITTeN BY kAITLYNN MARTIN

everyone knows the drill: going to the grocery store means unpacking your new haul and pushing last week’s forgotten leftovers to the back of the fridge. This routine is common in the ebb and flow of busy lives, but author, cook and food writer Victoria Glass wants to help readers get out of their ruts and find new ways to use food that would otherwise find a home in the garbage. In her new cookbook, Too Good to Waste: How to Eat Everything, Glass admits she is no saint when it comes to minimizing food waste, and she doesn’t expect readers to be, either. Instead, Glass provides practical ideas and recipes that can help fresh produce last longer, and give new life to items that you might be too quick to toss out. Recipes share what to do with excess bean pods (green-pea-pod gazpacho and broad-bean-pod fritters with Sriracha mayonnaise), how to give brown overripe bananas another chance (banana and rum-crème caramel), what to do with extra cooked rice (nutmeg rice tart) and how to make unexpected dishes from scraps (bone marrow toffee).

Glass aims to provide an inspiring approach to making the best with what you already have, and that’s exactly what this creative cookbook accomplishes.

By Victoria Glass penguinrandomhouse.com

TRY US FOR YOUR SPECIAL OCCASION! Chi Mangia Bene Vive Bene! ªT o Eat Well is to Live Wellº Proudly Serving Authentic Italian Food in a Family Atmosphere.

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Let Us Cater Your Special Occasion Try Our Party Pans For A Delicious Meal For Any Size Group Featuring Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Now selling our Signature Salad Dressing and Pasta Sauce.

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

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Make Father’s Day Delicious!

Show Dad just how special he really is this Father’s Day with vomFASS. Discover delightful and destinctive gifts as you explore our wide variety of premium products from all over the world. As always, you can sample any of our products before you buy to ensure that your gift will be perfect!

For the Best Dads in the World: • Rare Cask Aged Spirits for the Scotch and Whiskey Lover • Exquisite and Fun Liqueurs for Summer Cocktails • The Freshest Culinary Oils and Finest Balsamic Vinegars • NEW Mustards and Delectable Deli Items for the Gourmet • Boutique Wines for the Connoisseur

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JOIN US FOR SUNDAY BRUNCH OR DINNER! Enjoy Our Award Winning Breakfast Menu With Our Delicious Boozy Breakfast Cocktails & Chef Mehmet© s Whole Roasted Lamb.

Lunch: Tues-Fri :: Dinner: Tues-Sun :: Sunday Brunch Wine Flights: Tues-Wed :: Happy Hour: Tues-Fri Available for Private Parties and Catering

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

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Gallagher© s Restaurant Serving the best fried chicken, house-ground burgers and premium steaks for over a decade!

114 W. Mill St. • Waterloo, IL • 618.939.9933 • gallagherswaterloo.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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Ruby’s MaRket StOry anD PHOtOgraPHy by ana PierCe

SPRINGFIELD, MO. Ruby’s Market recently opened its doors in Springfield, Missouri, with a sign proclaiming it “Springfield’s healthiest grocery store.” throughout the aisles, tags identify a variety of product attributes, such as organic, kosher and vegan. the store contains a wide array of produce, which can be taken to the “chop shop,” where an employee will slice, dice, chop, and cut fruits and vegetables for a fee. the in-store bakery features fresh, gourmet chocolates from single-origin, fair-trade sources made daily. For those who crave pizza, ruby’s offers brick-oven-fired pizzas with fresh dough. with freshly flown-in seafood, 200-plus bulk items available by the pound and an in-store bar serving beer, wine and kombucha on tap, ruby’s selection of healthy offerings are living up to its tagline.

2843 E. Sunshine St., Springfield, Missouri, rubysmarket.com

artisan products tickle my fancy pickles ST. LOUIS. last summer, friends Helen Quaisi and Matt edwards, the founder of Mother of all beef (MOab) Provisions, started a partnership. Quaisi first met edwards through her husband, a MOab fan. the two got to talking about using Quaisi’s culinary skills and edwards’ knowledge of the food industry to create what they call “uncommon condiments.” their first product, Tickle My Fancy chipotle pickles, was an instant hit among family and friends. now the condiment company offers other flavors such as spicy garlic and deli-style pickles. in February, in partnership with Urban Chestnut brewing Co., a winged nut beer pickle was added. Find the pickles at several St. louis-area retailers including Dierbergs and Shop ’n’ Save.

ticklemyfancyfoods.com PHOtO COUrteSy tiCKle My FanCy

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written by Kaitlynn Martin

reinneck ranch salsa rose MASCOUTAH, IL. when James and Hope reinneck’s

daughter was born two months premature in 2008, James went to the family garden to destress. He ended up making a salsa that he brought back to the nurses, who responded in a way neither he nor Hope were expecting. “the nurses loved it and said, ‘Mr. reinneck, we really think you should try and get this in the grocery store, because it’s that good,’” Hope says. today, Reinneck Ranch Salsa rose, named after the reinnecks’ now 8-year-old daughter, is sold in more than 300 locations and 12 states.

James likes to describe the salsa as “a little sweet with a little heat that gets you at the end.” word about Salsa rose has reached the public primarily through demonstrations and tastings the reinnecks have held at grocery stores. “i just love hearing people say they’ve never tasted anything like Salsa rose before,” James says. “Once we put it out there, it has really been a dream come true for us to see how much people like our product. the support has just been awesome. we can’t be thankful enough.” Salsa rose is available in hot and mild and sold in 16- and 32-ounce jars. reinneckranch.com PHOtO COUrteSy reinneCK ranCH

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Enjoy June in Grafton, IL Waterpark River Boat Cruises Free Concerts July uly 1st Fireworks on the Riverfr Riverfront MoRe than 40 lodging options ✦ ✦ staY FoR a WeeKend ✦ ✦ UnliMited dining, danCing, and shopping! ✦ ✦ gRaFton has soMething FoR eVeRYone ✦ ✦

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Visit www.enjoygrafton.com for weekly events and schedules at the confluence of the rivers in

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Featuring a 5 Anchor Marina, Riverboat An Award Winning Seafood & Cajun Creole Menu, Features a Floating Rides, New Boat Rentals, A Floating Winery, Restaurant & Outdoor Deck & Bar A Gift Shop & the New “Rrrr Bar!” 215 Water St, www.graftonoysterbar.com • 618-786-3000 www.graftonharbor.net • 618-786-7678 Grafton, IL

Step across the street to the 3rd Chute Substation Home of the Wine Slushie!

Enjoy Great BBQ & Live Music!

202 W Main Grafton, IL 618-786-8888 Inspired Local Food Culture

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So ya all come down and help Kenny Rogeers and Dolly Pardon along with all your favorite country western singers, apprehend Tammy’s Killer.

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JUNE 10-24

super bowl

Upgrade polenta with fresh and colorful summer vegetables on p. 46. photography by Sherrie CaStellano

healthy appetite

vegetable Polenta story, recipe AND photogrAphy by sherrie cAstellANo

vegetable Polenta serVes | 2 |

3 1 1 ¼ ¹⁄₃

cups water tsp sea salt, plus more to taste cup medium-ground cornmeal cup unsalted butter cup grated pecorino Romano cheese freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp olive oil 1 medium white onion, small dice 4 minced garlic cloves 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar 1 cup zucchini or summer squash, small dice 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes ½ cup corn kernels 1 cup roughly chopped fresh spinach

| preparation | in a large saucepan over medium heat, bring water and salt to a boil. gradually add cornmeal, whisking continuously, until smooth. reduce heat to low and continue stirring until cornmeal has thickened but is still creamy, about 20 minutes.

Add butter and cheese, and stir until smooth. season with pepper and more salt, if desired. Keep warm. in a large sauté pan over low heat, heat oil. sweat onions and garlic in oil, 5 minutes. increase heat to medium and add thyme, vinegar, zucchini and squash; cook for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, corn and spinach and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper to taste. serve vegetables atop warm polenta.

%PG

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polenta is a favorite of mine, both to cook and eat. it’s incredibly easy and quick to make and it always results in a hearty and soul-satisfying meal. to start, polenta is actually a dish, not an ingredient: it’s a traditional northern-italian porridge made of boiled cornmeal. But once cooked, polenta can also be molded into solid shapes and crisped in the oven or on the grill; it’s a very versatile dish with a few different popular

preparations, and each can be made ahead of time. also, shopping for polenta can be a little confusing: packages labeled polenta usually contain medium or coarsely ground cornmeal, not prepared polenta. So if the bag of cornmeal doesn’t say polenta, but instead, medium-ground cornmeal, it’s fine to use in this recipe. i recommend straying from finely ground cornmeal or cornmeal flour, as it can yield an unfavorable, pastelike texture.

Sherrie Castellano is a former health coach turned food writer, photographer and pop-up chef based in St. Louis, Missouri. A collection of Sherrie’s recipes, stories and images can be found on her Saveur Blog Award-nominated website, With Food + Love. Sherrie is currently the marketing director for Midwest-based Big Heart Tea Co.

Missouri’s Restaurants serving up great food and opportunities in every community across the state we are an industry where an individual can begin with no experience, and no formal education, and reach the middle class and beyond.

Support your local restaurants.

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story and recipe by shannon weber photography by jennifer silverberg

Mojo-Marinated Flat iron Steak tacoS with culantro Slaw serves | 8 |

steAk ½

cup orange juice (from 1 large orange) ¼ cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons) ¹⁄₃ cup lime juice (from 2 to 3 limes) ½ cup pineapple juice ¹⁄₃ cup grapeseed oil 6 minced cloves garlic 1 medium serrano chile, finely diced 1 medium jalapeño, finely diced ¼ cup fresh oregano leaves ¹⁄₃ cup culantro leaves, thick stems discarded, sliced into thin ribbons 2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp black peppercorns 2 lbs flat iron steak

until very recently, i thought culantro was just the spanish way of pronouncing cilantro. i was very wrong: let’s discuss.

slAw ²⁄₃

cup sour cream or Greek yogurt juice of 2 to 3 limes 1¼ tsp ground cumin ½ tsp chile flakes kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 cups green cabbage, finely shredded 2 cups red cabbage, finely shredded ½ cup red onion, sliced into paper-thin rings ²⁄₃ cup culantro leaves, thick stems discarded, sliced into thin ribbons, plus more for serving 16 to 20 small flour tortillas, to serve

| preparation – steak | in a large bowl, whisk together first 5 ingredients. add next 7 ingredients; whisk to combine. lay steak inside a shallow baking dish and pour marinade over top, coating all sides. cover tightly and marinate for 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally to distribute marinade. bring steak to room temperature on countertop 30 minutes prior to grilling. | preparation – slaw | in a medium bowl, combine first 3 ingredients and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper and set aside. in a large bowl, toss together cabbages, onion and culantro. set aside.

| to serve | preheat oven to 300°f; heat grill to high and oil grates. wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in oven, 10 to 15 minutes. grill steak for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until medium-rare; remove and tent with foil to rest, 5 minutes. toss slaw with half of sour cream dressing, adding more as needed; season with salt and pepper. slice steak thinly against the grain and serve with warm tortillas and slaw.

mystery shopper

meet: Culantro What Is It? As it turns out, culantro and cilantro aren't anything alike. Culantro is something else entirely: an herb, yes, but different from what we’re used to. the leaves are long and slender, more like spiny petite romaine than ruffled, clover-shaped cilantro. Culantro is spicy while cilantro tends toward floral, and is used more in cooking, where cilantro is usually applied in small flourishes as a garnish. you’ll find it often in Caribbean, Cuban and south Asian cuisines, and it’s an essential building block in puerto rican-style sofrito – think mirepoix with spanish flair.

What do I do WIth It? pungent culantro leaves are ideal for infusing flavor into marinades and soup bases. they work particularly well in curries and Asian noodle dishes, especially if you’re averse to the soapier flavor of cilantro but crave an herbal note.

It’s used in Indian chutneys as an appetite stimulant, so whip up a summer chutney or salsa as part of an appetizer or small-plate spread. Citrus marinades get a kick out of culantro: throw in some garlic and chiles and use it with anything from steak and chicken to meatier fish such as swordfish and halibut.

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

oNlINe eXtrA

Kick your tacos up a notch with another layer of culantro: Quick-pickled red onions with culantro add welcome sourness to the summer favorite and balance the voluptuousness of the steak. If adding pickled onions to your tacos, skip the red onions in the slaw and keep everything else the same. Visit feastmagazine.com for the recipe.

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quick fix

mapo tofu story and recipe by Gabrielle deMichele photoGraphy by jennifer silverberG

Mapo Tofu You can purchase seasoned rice vinegar at most international markets and grocery stores. serves | 4 To 6 |

2 1 1 4 1 3 4 1 3 3 ¼ 2 2 1 2 6 1 ½

cups finely chopped fresh cilantro cup finely chopped fresh Thai basil cup finely chopped fresh mint Tbsp fish sauce tsp chile oil Tbsp grated fresh ginger grated garlic cloves juice of 3 limes Tbsp coconut sugar Tbsp seasoned rice vinegar lbs extra-firm tofu, sliced into 1-inch cubes cup grapeseed oil Tbsp Sichuan peppercorns serrano chiles, seeded and sliced cup cornstarch Tbsp toasted sesame oil cups cooked white rice cup scallions, cut on the bias in ¼-inch slices cup chopped macadamia nuts

| preparation | in a food processor, combine first 3 ingredients and pulse to combine. add next 7 ingredients and pulse to combine. set aside. fill a large saucepot over medium-high heat halfway with water; heat water until simmering. poach tofu cubes in simmering water for 10 minutes. carefully remove cubes using a spider strainer and set aside.

Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat until extremely hot. add oil and bring to temperature. add peppercorns and chiles and cook for 1 minute. drain peppercorns and serranos from oil; discard oil and reserve solids. in a large bowl, toss poached tofu cubes in cornstarch. add toasted sesame oil to wok and bring to temperature. add coated tofu to hot oil in wok in batches, cooking until golden, turning tofu carefully, 1 minute. add processed herb mixture to tofu and toss to combine. add reserved peppercorns and serrano chiles back to wok and toss to combine. remove wok from heat. portion tofu out over 4 to 6 plates of cooked white rice. Garnish each serving with chopped scallions and macadamia nuts. serve.

tofu is often an underappreciated ingredient; the slightly nutty yet bland flavor of the white, custardlike blocks of soy curd effortlessly absorb other flavors. in this vegetarian-friendly riff on mapo tofu, a traditional chinese dish also made with

minced pork or beef, extra-firm tofu is layered with a variety of flavors. sichuan peppercorns and serrano chiles add fiery heat, fish sauce imparts a rich umami bite and fresh cilantro, thai basil, and mint freshen and cool with floral flavors.

chef’s tip NEED fOR MiSE. it’s imperative to have all ingredients prepped and ready to cook when stir frying. slice and dice each ingredient and place in small bowls in the order they appear in the recipe, known in the culinary industry as mise en place.

the menu • Papaya Salad • Steamed Broccoli • Mapo Tofu • Rice Pudding Brûlée

LEaRN MORE. in this class you’ll learn how to perfectly braise

tofu in a spicy sauce. you’ll also learn how to make a refreshing papaya salad.

get hands-on: Join Feast magazine and schnucks Cooks Cooking school on thu., June 15, at 6pm at the des Peres, Missouri, location, to make the dishes in this month’s menu. tickets are just $45 for a night of cooking, dining and wine. RsVP at schnuckscooks.com or call 314.909.1704.

WATCH IT ON THESE NETWORKS

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Wednesdays at 7pm.

We© ve got all your grilling greats including fresh storemade brats and kabobs. Don’t forget all the fixings for tasty fun in the sun!

For delicious recipes and more, check out our “Grilling Hot Spot” Pinterest board.

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

You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Thursdays at 7pm.

Feast TV airs in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8) Saturdays at noon and Mondays at 12:30pm.

Check your local listings to watch Feast TV in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

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

©2017 Schnucks

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sweet ideas

Pastry Cream

story and recipe by christy augustin photography by cheryl Waller

Pastry Cream and Fresh Fruit tart Instead of discarding the vanilla bean pod once you’ve split and scraped it for this recipe, place it in a Mason jar with granulated sugar and you’ll have vanilla sugar in a month. yields | 1 tart

2 2 1 3 ¹⁄₃ 3 1 ½ 1

|

cups whole milk Tbsp plus ¾ cup granulated sugar, divided pinch kosher salt vanilla bean, split and scraped, or ½ tsp vanilla extract eggs cup cornstarch Tbsp cold unsalted butter 9-inch prebaked graham cracker pie crust or tart shell cup apricot jam, divided qt fresh berries and other fruit

| preparation | cover a shallow cookie sheet with plastic wrap; set aside. in a saucepot over low heat, combine milk, 2 tbsp sugar, salt and seeds of vanilla bean. (if using vanilla extract, reserve for later inclusion.) stir to dissolve salt and sugar. Keep over heat to reach a gentle simmer. in a heatproof bowl, whisk remaining sugar and eggs. continue whisking until eggs are a light lemony yellow. add cornstarch and combine to form a thick paste. as milk mixture comes to a gentle simmer, ladle half of it into egg mixture while whisking to temper eggs. pour entire warmed egg mix into saucepot, raise heat to medium and cook, whisking thoroughly, until mixture thickens and begins to bubble in center of pot, 1 to 2 minutes. turn off heat, add cold butter and stir until smooth. (add vanilla extract now, if using.) pour into prepared cookie sheet, wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 hours or up to 2 days.

| to serve | Whisk thickened custard until smooth. in the bottom of prebaked crust or tart shell, spread a thin layer of jam, about 5 tablespoons. top with pastry cream. add fresh berries and fruit. in the microwave, warm remaining apricot jam with 1 tablespoon water; stir to combine and brush fruit with jam mixture to seal in freshness and add a beautiful shine to tart. serve.

and Fresh Fruit tart Crème pâtissière sounds exotic and hard to make, but truthfully, it’s essentially French for pudding. the difference between pastry cream and pudding is only the thickness of the finished custard; both are set by a combination of eggs and cornstarch, the latter of which makes this recipe almost foolproof. once you master making pastry cream, you’ll find it addictively easy to use in many sweet treats. it’s the traditional filling for eclairs, excellent layered into a trifle and a favorite base for fresh fruit tarts. a few tips for success: don’t combine the sugar and eggs until the milk has started to heat. the sugar actually cooks the egg protein a bit if mixed together too soon. the best way to avoid the dreaded “pudding skin” from developing on top of the cream is to line a sheet tray with plastic wrap and pour the finished cream into it, wrapping it up entirely in a neat little package to chill.

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

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summer

entertaining guide

ideas for planning the perfect party

promotion COME PLAY WITH US!

Summer entertaining guide Summer is finally here. We’ve earned it all: the bounty of fresh vegetables and fruit, ice-cold glasses of something sweet on the patio, sunny days and longer nights by the bonfire or the lake.

Summer soirées seem effortless, but there’s more to planning your party than you might expect. Feast’s how-to guide will walk you through everything from fresh catering and décor ideas to party accessories, cool drinks and sweet desserts – no sweat!

Featured Content: • Summer Catering • Décor Ideas • Party Accessories

• Drinks & Cocktails • Sweet Treats • Tips for Summer Entertaining

Weekly SUMMER EVENTS...

Food Trucks • Weddings • Wine Tastings • Vineyard Tours • Craft Beers Potosi, MO • www.edg-clif.com

“Our food tells our story.”

Globally influenced

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Jefferson City, MO | 573.636.0023 | revelcatering@gmail.com | RevelJCMO.com

FIRE-GRILLED FESTIVITIES photography

by ©istock.com

edited by bethany christo designed by jacklyn meyer photography on cover: photography by ©istock.com/arinahabich, wmaster890, evgenyb, jenifoto, and oksix 56

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CATERING | DELIVERY | ON-SITE GRILLING

/kucherav an

d viewapart

photo credit: rebecca rademan

Feast Magazine’s

Whether you are planning a small office lunch or big backyard bash—no matter your party style—Weber is the perfect choice for your next event. We offer delicious party platters delivered to your door, or let our Grill Masters provide that extra sizzle with full-service catering and on-site grilling!

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summer catering From the grill to the garden, a summer get-together should center on fresh, festive food. Party themes are as endless as those summer nights, so if you want to keep your cool and save yourself some trouble, go through a local caterer or restaurant for creative culinary ideas. For your next outdoor

gathering, try themes like all the red, white and blue fixin’s; a seafood boil; a vintage county fair; a breezy poolside bash; an elevated picnic; a tropical Hawaiian paradise; grilled burgers and brats; a fried-chicken feast; or, of course, plating up all-American barbecue.

Fourth of July Patriotic parties are all about the red, white and blue and backyard cookout favorites. No holiday is complete without a festive beverage, like Patriotic Missile Poptails from Ces & Judy’s. The St. Louis caterer also recommends all-American classics like spiced-up corn on the cob and Kobe beef sliders and desserts like mini cherry pies and red velvet cupcakes with “firework” sprinkles.

314.991.6700, cesandjudys.com

photography by ©istock.com/tfoxfoto and bhofack2

Seafood Boil Roll up your sleeves for a bayou-inspired bash. Source superfresh seafood – shrimp, crawfish, lobster or a mix – and lay down the newspaper and napkins; things are going to get messy. Invite guests early to drink and mingle while watching the big pots filled with seafood, red potatoes and corn cobs boil, and serve low country and Creole sides like gumbo, hoppin’ john and savory andouille hush puppies.

photography courtesy ces & judy’s

County Fair

Pool Party

With county fair favorites like corn dogs, taffy, funnel cake, fried pickles and cheese curds – and even a cherry pie bake-off! – at your party, all you’ll be missing is the Ferris wheel. Challenge guests to game of ring toss to win a prize, and set up stations for face painting and balloon animals. Send everyone off with popcorn party favors on their way out.

No one wants to eat a heavy meal at a pool party, says Ann Marie Lemcke of The Art of Entertaining in Webster Groves, Missouri. She suggests sticking with light food that holds up well in the heat and splash zones, like Greek seven-layer dip, grilled veggies and fruit.

314.963.9899, theaofe.com

photography by ©istock.com/anidefor and bhofack2

photography courtesy the art of entertaining Inspired Local Food Culture

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promotion

more summer catering inspiration Hawaiian Luau Catch coastal vibes in the heart of the Midwest with a Hawaiian-inspired luau and pig roast. Revel Catering in Jefferson City, Missouri, sources a whole local pig to roast all day over a pit and uses the succulent, smoky pork in tacos as well as appetizers like skewers of housemade “spam” and pineapple or candied bacon.

573.636.0023, reveljcmo.com

photography by anna petrow

Picturesque Picnic Enhance a summer afternoon with fresh and creative twists on summer sandwiches and picnic classics using your favorite local foods. Woolly Rind cheese wedges by Green Dirt Farm in Weston, Missouri, take a smoked-ham sandwich with pickled green tomatoes to the next level, or a layer of its Fresh Plain cheese spread elevates a traditional PB&J. 816.386.2156, greendirtfarm.com

Burgers, Brats and Baseball Avoid a strikeout at your party with catering from Weber Grill Restaurant in Richmond Heights, Missouri, which brings its eponymous giant Weber charcoal kettles, as well as grill masters to man them, right to your own backyard. Baseball season begs for burgers and brats, but, in addition, Weber has grilled catering options like beer-can chicken, plank-grilled bourbon salmon and mouthwatering steaks.

314.930.3840, webergrillrestaurant.com

photography courtesy weber grill restaurant 58

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photography courtesy revel catering

Fried Chicken Feast Savor flavors of the South with a fried chicken picnic from Southern in St. Louis – pick up (or have dropped off) a mix of customizable chicken and fried catfish, deviled eggs with pimento cheese, vinegar slaw, greens, and banana pudding and apple cobbler for dessert.

314.531.4668, stlsouthern.com

photography courtesy southern

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barbecue catering On-Site Carving You’ll smell it before you see it: Beast Craft BBQ Co.’s catering offers the option for its magic-making pits to be displayed on-site.

Pitmasters can be on-hand to carve succulent meat including Texas pork belly, Duroc spare ribs and candied bacon specialties, as well as pit beans and mac ‘n’ cheese sides.

618.257.9000, beastcraftbbq.com

WINE&CHEESE ADVENTURE! cheese and charcuterie boards

~wine and cheese

photography by jonathan lorentzen, devon randolph

Championship Winning Barbecue is all about time and dedication, even with a large crowd. In Kansas City, Q39’s chef-driven, award-winning barbecue buffet includes options of 1 ½ or / 3 pounds of meat per person (think chipotle sausage, hickory-smoked brisket and apple-brined pulled pork), scratch-made sides and Q39 sauces.

816.255.3753 ext. 3, q39kc.com

pairings

~gourmet sandwiches ~homemade ice cream ~local small batch

delectables

1099 Welt Street, Weston, MO 64098 GREENDIRTFARM.COM/CREAMERY

photography courtesy q39

Party Packs If you’re hosting any size backyard party, the five different Party Packs at Righteous Pig Bar-B-Que in Belleville, Illinois, have all the goods in one bag.

Top-selling The Righteous Pig Pack features two slabs of ribs, 2 pounds of meat, 2 quarts of sides, eight buns and a bottle of sauce – and don’t forget the fresh vanilla lemonade and sweet tea.

618.520.8817, righteouspigbbq.com

A Delicious Way to Eat Different.

2604 S. Brentwood Blvd.

314-968-2253

photography courtesy righteous pig bar-b-que

Authentic Brick Pits At Summit Hickory Pit BBQ in Lee’s Summit, Missouri, succulent meat – from brisket and burnt ends to sausage and pork ribs – is slow-cooked over a bed of Ozark hickory wood in its authentic brick pits. Catering options include cheese and charcuterie “cutting boards,” sliders, wings, barbecue beans, mac ‘n’ cheese and more.

816.246.4434, thesummithickorypitbbq.com

Coming Soon To Manchester

Hours: Mon. – Sat. 6 A.M. – 2 P.M., Sun. 7 A.M. – 2 P.M. photography courtesy summit hickory pit bbq

Order online at KolacheFactoryToGo.com Franchises Available Inspired Local Food Culture

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promotion

dÉcor ideas A big summer-entertaining challenge is dealing with Mother Nature, like a penetrating sun, buzzing bugs and fickle weather conditions. The easiest way to ensure your gathering holds up to the elements is to plan ahead and choose a theme that can incorporate functionality with festivity, including country

chic, a festive Fourth or lakeside vibes. Think pretty glass domes to cover appetizers and to keep out creepy crawlers, filling metal tubs (or even a whole kiddie pool) with ice to keep drinks cool in high-noon heat and lighting up the night with candles or chic lanterns that also serve as bug repellents.

Country Chic Mixing informality and elegance, a country-chic theme can be created with rustic burlap runners, hay bale bench seating, sunflowers in Mason jars and watering cans, and bandanna napkins and linens.

photography by ©istock.com/svetl,dmytro loboda and queenmargo

Festive Fourth An Americana party theme works for Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and, really, everything in between. From apple pie to bottles of soda pop, hot dogs and plenty of American flags, this theme is always revolutionary.

photography by ©istock.com/mcrosno, millefloreimages and lewkmiller

At the Lake photography by ©istock.com/elenakor, alfexe and tmphoto98

Keep it nautical and nice with a seaside-inspired soirée. Shades of blue contrasted with white wicker evoke easy, beachy vibes. Decorate the table with seashells, starfish, thick knots of rope and decorative anchors.

Bring the Gingham A tisket, a tasket, pack your party in a chic picnic basket Wicker to wooden to woven, checkered to floral, picnic baskets come in all shapes, sizes and designs depending on what you’re packing. It’s an easy way to transport food and drinks to make your party mobile – or, a picnic makes a fun and whimsical backyard party theme. Stuff baskets with deli favorites like chicken salad, spring garden tortellini salad, mini caprese wraps and lobster rolls. Don’t forget drinks like a fizzy hibiscus cooler and desserts like skewers of angel food cake and strawberries.

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party accessories Creating an oasis is as much about the atmosphere as it is the aesthetics. Party accessories and gadgets should fit the theme but also serve a purpose, be it lighting up your table, dispensing drinks or looking stylish while grilling.

Twinkle Lights

Perfect Pitcher

As the summer sun sets, enhance the ethereal ambience with subtle ambient lighting like a string of lights, paper lanterns, candles or illuminated birdcages.

A big batch of sweet lemonade or a seasonal sangria can be premade and mixed in a pretty glass pitcher for guests to help themselves when their glass is empty. Plus, a spout dispenser can be a lot less messy than a punch bowl and a ladle.

photography by ©istock.com/rez-art and mqphoto

Dressed to Grill Grilling is messy – smoke billowing, sauces and marinades splashing – but there are plenty of stylish and witty aprons to match your ensemble or spark a conversation.

photography by ©istock.com/ronstik and shaiith

photography by ©istock.com/ridofranz and spfoto

Charcoal & wood

Smoked meats

Taste the Difference

Looking for an alternative option to cake?

Tipsy Goat offers customizable macarons for any occasion.

emily@tipsygoatstl.com | mallory@tipsygoatstl.com www.tipsygoatstl.com

Customizable, allergen-free

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Off-site catering available for large parties

For questions or to place an order, call 573-777-9980 Columbia, MO range-free.com

Downtown Belleville, IL | righteouspigbbq.com | 618-520-8817 Inspired Local Food Culture

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drinks & cocktails To strike the perfect balance of the greats – gin and tonic; tequila, triple sec and lime; wine and citrus juices – a summer drink must be equal parts refreshing and refreshingly boozy. Cocktails and backyard beers are a must for any party large or small, especially an outdoor one filled with mingling

Citron Arnie A play on an Arnold Palmer and great after a round of golf, the Citron Arnie combines iced tea, lemonade and Citron from Somerset Ridge Vineyard & Winery in Paola, Kansas, which is a blend of organic lemons, white wine and brandy.

913.491.0038, somersetridge.com

and lawn games rather than a structured dinner. Drinks like a Citron Arnie (an adult take on an Arnold Palmer), Blackberry-Lemonade Crush and That Good Good Margarita use ingredients from regional distillers and wineries, or pop a tab on a seasonal beer from a local craft brewery.

backyard beer guide 4 Hands Brewing Co.’s Contact High Contact High is a 5 percent hopped-up wheat ale with fresh orange zest from St. Louis’ 4 Hands Brewing Co. that’s a sure way to beat the heat this summer. A copious amount of Pacific Northwest hops are added to create a nice alternative for an IPA-drinker on those sunny days and long summer nights.

314.436.1559, 4handsbrewery.com

photography courtesy 4 hands brewing co.

photography courtesy somerset ridge vineyard & winery

Blackberry-Lemonade Crush Boost lemonade with blackberries, which add slightly tart and herbal tones to the summer staple.

Along with strawberry and raspberry notes from Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard’s rosé, blackberry schnapps and lemon zest, this cocktail will be your new summer crush.

573.438.4741, edg-clif.com

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.’s Urban Underdog Urban Underdog, St. Louis’ unexpected American lager from Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., epitomizes the idea of drinking lagers in the summertime. It’s the perfect complement to patio parties, baseball games, concerts, and anytime in the park or backyard. There’s never an “unexpected” occasion for the endlessly sessionable “dog beer.”

314.222.0143, urbanchestnut.com

photography courtesy urban chestnut brewing co.

White River Brewing Co.’s Spring Fed Ale

photography courtesy edg-clif farms & vineyard

Whether out on the river, hiking a nature trail or relaxing around a bonfire, Spring Fed Ale from White River Brewing Co. in Springfield, Missouri, is a “sen-sessionable” pairing. The house yeast adds a subtle fruity note, and the light, golden ale finishes dry and will leave you refreshed.

417.869.1366, whiteriverbrewingco.com

photography from facebook.com/whiteriverbrewing

signature cocktail That Good Good Margarita

Fire up your Margarita with That Good Good Agave, a habanero- and cilantro-infused agave from Square One Brewery and Distillery in St. Louis. The crisp cilantro aroma and potent habanero spice balance with sour mix, the orange juice provides a touch of sweetness, and Square One’s IPA brings a bitter, cooling element. Not into IPAs? Try a bit of grapefruit juice with your sour mix, or use a splash of Square One’s Session Porter. If you can’t handle the heat, opt for the distillery’s Agave Blue for a more classic Margarita.

Serves | 1 | salt ice 1½ oz That Good Good Agave ¾ oz Cointreau ¾ oz sour mix (or combine lemon, lime, orange and pineapple juices and sugar to taste) ½ oz orange juice ½ oz Square One IPA | Preparation | Rim a glass with salt. In a shaker tin with cubed ice, combine remaining ingredients; shake well. Pour over fresh cubed or crushed ice.

314.231.2537, squareonebrewery.com

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Cinder Block Brewery’s Northtown Native Named after the nickname of North Kansas City, Missouri, which Cinder Block Brewery calls home, Northtown Native is a light yet full-bodied session ale. Brewed at 5 percent ABV, the beer presents crispness up front with a malt backbone and hoppy finish from American Sterling hops.

816.298.6555, cinderblockbrewery.com

photography from twitter.com/cinderblockbrew

Piney River Brewing Co.’s River Access Ozarks Lager One of the newest beers off the canning line at Piney River Brewing Co.’s 80-acre farm and brewery in Bucyrus, Missouri, is made with Missouri summers in mind. The limited-release River Access Ozarks Lager is golden colored and malt forward, with a smooth and crisp finish, perfect for when you’re looking to head to the river for a quick dip, afternoon fishing or a float trip.

417.967.4001, pineyriverbrewing.com

photography courtesy piney river brewing co.

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sweet treats Nothing cools down a summer party better than something frozen, something sweet, something baked – or all the above. when the sun’s beating down and humidity runs thick, partygoers aren’t looking for something hot or heavy – but that doesn’t mean you can’t still indulge. try baked goods like kolache

(polish sweetened dough stuffed with sweet or savory fillings) or versatile pastries; frozen treats like a custard bar, ice cream drizzled with balsamic or authentic italian gelato; cocktail-inspired and seasonal macarons; or summer staples like s’mores. all-day paStrieS St. Louis-area bakery Companion recommends a pastry and bread tray for a taste of France that holds up well in the heat and works for breakfast, lunch and dessert. Think croissants (French, almond and pretzel), pain au chocolat and baguette slices.

Cookies are also easy to transport, like two of its gingersnaps sandwiched with whipped cream.

314.537.2285, companionbaking.com/catering

Sweet kolacheS Traditionally savory and sweet, kolaches are Czech pastries made of sweet bread that are stuffed or topped with fruity and indulgent flavors. They are easily transported and endlessly customizable.

The Kolache Factory, with locations in Missouri and Kansas, has four party trays featuring flavors like strawberry, apple and chocolate cream cheese. kolachefactory.com/catering

photography courtesy companion marGarita macaroNS Ooh la la! Light and colorful French macarons come in a range of seasonal flavors or can be hand-painted to fit your theme. In St. Louis, The Tipsy Goat offers summery options including Margarita, strawberry-mint, blackberry and lavender-lemonade.

314.604.4522, tipsygoatstl.com

photography courtesy kolache factory

a lotta Gelato You scream, I scream, we all scream… gelato!

Boost your bash with the milkier, richer Italian ice cream, especially the housemade gelato from Favazza’s on The Hill. The St. Louis Italian restaurant makes its gelato, sorbet, cannoli, tiramisu and other traditional desserts in-house and caters for a range of parties. Order its top-selling gelato flavors such as spumoni (chocolate, cherry and pistachio), stracciatella (chocolate shavings) and chocolate-hazelnut.

314.772.4454, favazzas.com

photo courtesy the tipsy goat S’moreS Bank on s’mores at your next bonfire: The perennial fave can be premade for easy serving at a larger party, or assemble all the ingredients beforehand for quick access, suggests Range Free gluten-free bakery in Columbia, Missouri.

573.777.9980, range-free.com

photography by jacklyn meyer

ice cream Social Keep your cool with an easy and hands-off ice cream social. Longtime St. Louis institution Ted Drewes offers customizable catering of its signature concretes. Show off staple flavors of the thick, frozen custard (Ted’s Famous Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate) with a topping bar of caramel, M&Ms, marshmallows, peaches, coconut, whipped cream and more.

314.481.2652, teddrewes.com

photography by instagram.com/druevoorhees and courtesy ted drewes

photography courtesy range free balSamic-baSed Incorporate an aged balsamic to your desserts to get that sweetness without added sugar.

Replace any oil in your dessert recipes with ultrapremium olive oil, like the ones at Olivino in St. Charles, Missouri, to enhance the flavor, texture and healthiness.

Use aged and white balsamics (like pineapple, peach and mango) to make tropical sorbet or drizzled over fruit.

636.757.5455, olivinotastingbar.myshopify.com

photography courtesy olivino Inspired Local Food Culture

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tips for summer entertaining

Fresh Summer Recipes

coming your way!

 Cue Guests In Make sure attendees are aware if the party is outside, as this will affect attire and preparations. Plus, then someone will be bound to bring backup bug spray!

 Don’t Neglect Neighbors Don’t forget to notify neighbors that they might experience some extra chatter, music and cars a week or so before your party – or just invite them to join.

 Mind the Menu Unless you’re hosting an evening party when it’s cooler, watch out for menu items that might not stand up the sun and high temps, like mayo, chocolate and Jell-O.

 Keep it Moving Preportion disposable silverware and tie with twine or ribbon so that guests can grab a bundle and go. Set them up in decorative Mason jars and vases to stay organized.

gourmet carry-out and catering for all events

 Refresh Divide and conquer: Don’t put the whole meal out at once, as fresh is best. Serve a portion at a time, and re-up only when food starts to run low.

 Raise the Bar

314-963-9899 | theaofe.com

Separate a beverage station from the food as a place for guests to mingle and refill. Set out cups, straws, stirrers, ice and, of course, your drinks of choice.

 Beat the Heat Account for guests being more thirsty than usual – indoors or out – and keep coolers and water dispensers stocked. Always plan for more rather than less.

e Ted Dr wes

 Keep Your Cool Avoid midday events when the sun seems to hit even the shadiest spots – especially between noon and 3pm. Opt for a brunch, early-evening mixer or dinner under the stars.

 Bugs Be Gone Insects love dusk for the same reasons we do. If you know you’ll be outside then, incorporate fans, repellents and citronella candles to keep uninvited pests at bay.

Great Frozen Custard!

Great Fun Anytime!

 Make A Play Green space and outdoors beg for lawn games. Get people moving with croquet, cornhole, horseshoes, beersbie (beer Frisbee), badminton and bocce ball.

 Back Up Bad Weather Scouts know best: Be prepared. Tents can combat most climate emergencies, and worst case, you’ve provided more shade. Have fans, sunscreen and extra water handy.

 Set the Mood There’s something about a soft candle glow or crackling bonfire that says summer, and no nighttime get-together should go without some form of natural lighting.

 Accept the Inevitable Sometimes the best-laid plans are no match for summer’ snafus: From bad weather to pesky bugs to sticky heat, some things you can’t control, and that’s OK. 64

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6726 Chippewa 314-481-2652 4224 South Grand 314-352-7376 OPEN SUMMER ONLY

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If I didn’t believe I was making the best bread every day,I’d do something else.

Carlos L., baker, 22-year Companion

FRESH DAILY | PRESERVATIVE FREE | ST. LOUIS BAKED

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VISIT COMPANIONBAKING.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU.

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twistedtreesteakhouse.com

Next door to Holiday Inn St. Louis SW Inspired Local Food Culture

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Hermann is

VisitHermann.com

Wine Country Destination!

the bank bar at schiller

davis meat processing

The Bank Bar at Schiller has a fashionable and eclectic atmosphere that’s inviting and warm – great for conversation with friends. Famous in Hermann for its Martini collection, The Bank bar also has an extensive list of fine liquors, craft beer and wine. Plus, it’s smoke-free and features a gorgeous outdoor patio garden. Celebrate your private event in style by renting Venue 115 or the entire bar.

Davis Meat Processing’s award-winning sausages, bratwurst, ham and bacons have received national, regional, state and local awards. Davis Meat Processing is located 1.5 miles off Interstate 70 on your way to Hermann, the Lake of the Ozarks or Kansas City. Stop by and see this family-owned processing facility that has been around for 32 years.

115 Schiller St. hermannlodging.com 573.486.1010

YOUR

39 Highway NN, Jonesburg, MO davismeat.com 636.488.5227

harvest table eatery & miscellany

swiss meat & sausage co.

Harvest Table Eatery & Miscellany is a gathering place. Stacey and Mary offer up from-scratch menus featuring locally raised meats, produce and products.

In addition to local and regional wines and beers and a selection of spirits, the amazing Bloody Mary bar on Sundays is a can’t-miss. Don’t forget to buy that unique gift in the storefront or purchase a piece of fine art off the wall.

Family owned and operated since 1969, Swiss Meat & Sausage Co. offers a unique shopping experience with daily free samples of its award-winning smoked meats and sausages. Swiss Meat produces more than 80 varieties of bratwurst, plus housemade summer sausages, bacons, snack sticks and more; be sure to bring your cooler to stock up! Grab a quick lunch at its on-site deli while you’re there, or call for any catered event.

122 E. Fourth St., Hermann, MO harvesttablehermann.com 573.486.3463

2056 S. Highway 19, Hermann, MO swissmeats.com 573.486.2086

city of hermann summer events  hermann motorcycle rally

wurst haus With some of the best wurst around, Hermann Wurst Haus is a premier meat and sausage shop and deli selling award-winning state, national, regional international award-winning selections.

Handcrafted in house by experienced “wurstmeisters,” the German market offers 44 flavors of bratwurst, 12 flavors of bacon, 10 flavors of summer sausage and more. Head to the deli for a taste of the goods in sandwiches like The Butcher Block Club with thinly sliced housemade German bologna, ham, smoked turkey breast and Wurst Haus bacon, piled high with melted Cheddar and Swiss cheese.

the hermann wine trail The Hermann Wine Trail meanders for 20 scenic miles along the Missouri River.

Along the way, seven charming familyowned wineries are open for tasting and tours; Adam Puchta, Bias, Dierberg Star Lane, Hermannhof, OakGlenn, Röbller and Stone Hill. Annual wine trail events; Berries & BarBQ, Holiday Fare, Say Cheese, Chocolate, and Wild Bacon.

150A Market St, Hermann, MO www.hermannwinetrail.com 800.932.8687

motorcycle riders and enthusiasts rally in hermann for an afternoon music, food and good times at the amphitheater.

June 10th

 berries & barbQ wine trail

luscious berries, savory barbQ and award winning wines make for a memorable summer weekend on the hermann wine trail. advance ticket purchase required; online www.hermannwinetrail.com or call 800-932-8687.

July 29 & 30

234 E 1st St, Hermann, MO 65041 www.hermannwursthaus.com 573.486.2266

City of Hermann, Missouri · 1902 Jefferson, Hermann MO 65041 · 573.486.5400

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 hermann wine & Jazz festival

hermann is teaming up with st. louis radio station hip 96.3 hd-3 to bring a great line-up of jazz performances to the amphitheater. grab a lawn chair or blanket and enjoy the show!

August 19th

 oktoberfest

held every weekend during the month of october, the hermann oktoberfest is an annual tradition for thousands of visitors, who enjoy a traditional german celebration amid spectacular fall colors in missouri’s most beautiful town.

October 1 - October 30

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the kings of corn

How two Missouri distillers have resurrected historic varieties of native corn to make exceptional American whiskeys

| 74 |

land lovers

Brooke Salvaggio and Dan Heryer have built an agricultural oasis mere miles from Kansas City’s urban center.

| 81 |

growing innovation

Go behind the scenes at 23 farms and food-focused businesses to learn how agricultural innovations are making positive impacts in their communities

| 92 |

seedlings of change

Through farming and culinary training, Gibron Jones’ HOSCO Foods empowers residents in St. Louis’ low-income communities to harvest healthy food pHOTO OF reD CABBAGe MiCrOGreenS (p. 92) By JuDD DeMALine

Written by nancy StileS photography by aaron ottiS

The wood-fired tank at Wood Hat Spirits in New Florence, Missouri, is hot – very hot. Specifically, 400ºF. Owner Gary Hinegardner throws about seven buckets of Missouri oak barrel-stave scraps into the tank – it looks like an oversized smoker – each day he’s distilling. The fire heats a paraffinbased food-grade oil; Hinegardner chose it specifically because it doesn’t boil until it hits 625°F. The oil then pumps through coils and heats Wood Hat’s 850-gallon still. Hinegardner likens the setup to the water that pumps through a car engine and radiator.

Today he’s distilling Montgomery County, a bourbon that follows a similar grain bill to leading commercial bourbons, with a bill of 65 percent corn to 35 percent wheat. It’s the only whiskey he makes with yellow No. 2 corn, “the only thing everybody grows out here in Montgomery County,” he says.

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Yellow No. 2 is also known as dent corn. You would recognize it easily; it’s used to make animal feed, ethanol, highfructose corn syrup, tortillas, taco shells and even plastic. It was first developed in 1846 by northern Illinois farmer James L. Reid, who won a prize for the variety at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago. (The corn is a hybrid between flint corn and a variety called Gordon Hopkins.)

Hybridization would become increasingly popular in the decades after Reid won his medal, as farmers were unable to resist the improved yields. In 1933, just 1 percent of all corn planted in the U.S. were hybrid varieties. By 1943, that number jumped to 78 percent.

Genetically modified (or GMO) corn was first commercialized in 1996 by Monsanto. Scientists pulled one or more proteins

from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis, a biological pesticide, and added it to corn. This reduced or eliminated the need for cornfields to be sprayed with pesticides, and again increased corn yields for farmers.

Today, 96.83 percent of corn grown in the U.S. is yellow No. 2, and the big four American distilleries – Jim Beam, Four Roses, Jack Daniels and Maker’s Mark – all use that same corn.

“In the distilling industry, [it’s like] we’re still stuck with Concord grapes; what would happen if the whole wine industry in this United States [only] used Concord grapes?,” Hinegardner says. “And that’s what happens in distilling – they all use yellow No. 2, ‘cause that’s what’s there. If you [want to] use a different corn, you gotta grow it.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: Gary Hinegardner throws a log into his wood-fired tank at Wood Hat Spirits in New Florence, Missouri.

ABOVE: Heirloom corn and the whiskey made with it at Wood Hat. Inspired Local Food Culture

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There are other variables [in whiskey] like water, rain quality, distillation technology, the distillers’ skill, barrel – but if you use the same approach across all the whiskeys you’re making, you can get a handle on how corn variety impacts flavor profile.”

At Wood Hat, Hinegardner takes what he likes to call a “red, white and blue approach.” He, in collaboration with local farmers, grows Blue Hopi, Bloody Butcher and three different varieties of local heirloom white corn; his flagship whiskey, All-American Corn Whiskey, is a blend of all six. He was already familiar with blue corn and its smooth flavor, so that became his jumping-off point. “[Blue Hopi corn has] a full body to it, but it’s short,” he says, meaning you don’t taste it in the middle or back of your palate.

“It’s kind of like eating an egg white when you haven’t gotten to the yolk yet. It’s nice, but it’s not very exciting.”

Hinegardner started looking into other heirloom corns, and found Bloody Butcher red, which is characterized by a peppery spice that reminds him of rye. During his first year of growing, in 2012, Hinegardner planted 3 acres of blue; by 2016 he had 15 aces of blue, 10 acres of red and 2½ acres of white, just short of 30 acres.

PICTURED ABOVE: Corn being processed at Pinckney Bend Distillery in New Haven, Missouri.

PICTURED BELOW: Corn is harvested and processed for Wood Hat Spirits.

Ralph Haynes first began experimenting with heirloom corn – that is, non-hybridized, open-pollinated varieties – because he wanted to know what Missouri whiskey tasted like in the 19th century.

As co-owner and director of sales and marketing at Pinckney Bend Distillery in New Haven, Missouri, he’s finely attuned to the history of the area. Legend has it that Meriwether Lewis and William Clark stopped near Washington, Missouri, and bought a bottle of whiskey in 1806.

“By late afternoon, they stopped at a settlement close to Saint Johns Creek and bought their first whiskey since leaving [on] the Voyage of Discovery,” Haynes says. “They complained bitterly about the price – $8 for two gallons – but no one complained about the quality.”

But what would that whiskey have tasted like? Yellow No. 2 corn hadn’t yet been created in 1806, so Haynes set out to find what corn was growing in Franklin County prior to the 1930s. The cobs and names are much more colorful than yellow No. 2: Wapsie Valley, Blue Hopi, Tennessee Red Cob, Boone County White, Ohio Blue Clarage, Bloody Butcher Red. Pinckney Bend currently has about 13 varieties of corn and corn whiskeys in various stages of development – propagating, growing, aging.

“I started out focusing on corns that were grown in the Ozarks,” Haynes says. “I found an article by an agriculture anthropologist named Brian C. Campbell. He mentioned some varieties that got me started – Tennessee Red Cob was one, Pencil Cob was one, Hickory Cane (sometimes called Hickory King) – was another.

I bought all the seed I could find in lots over five pounds, wherever it was advertised [in the country]. I ended up with about 80 pounds of Pencil Cob.” Pinckney Bend was able to start growing that variety immediately, because Haynes found enough seed; he had to grow a few rows of Tennessee Red Cob and Hickory Cane himself, though, to have the seeds to plant enough corn the next year so he could make a batch of whiskey. He also finds inspiration from a Missouri vertical yield study from 1906 through 1916 – he says it’s his current “bible” – which lists 50 varieties of corn found in the state.

“I began finding that there were a lot of old varieties like Old Possum Special [also known as Possum Walk Special] that were locally named and I just couldn’t locate,” Haynes says. “I began searching and reasoning that there were distilleries all over the place [in Missouri], and they bought corn from local people.

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“[Bloody Butcher corn] is just really flavorful. When you have a red corn distillate, it fills your mouth,” he says. “Blue [and red] corn are a good combination, because it’s smooth, it’s nice [at first], and the red corn comes in there with extra spice, more pepper – just fills out the palate. And both of ‘em are real smooth on the finish.”

Wood Hat, like Pinckney Bend, treats each of its whiskeys the same – distilling them under the same conditions and aging them for the same amount of time – to better illustrate the flavor differences in the corn varieties. Hinegardner ages whiskey for about 16 months, and mostly in 15-gallon barrels, which are much smaller than the 53-gallon industry standard.

The smaller barrels allow Hinegardner to age whiskey in a shorter amount of time. (In addition to his 15-gallon barrels, Hinegardner also uses 20- and 53-gallon sizes, but most of his spirits are aged in the small 15-gallon barrels.)

Hinegardner stores his barrels in shipping containers, which accentuate the variable temperatures throughout the year and accelerates the aging process.

“If you go to Scotland, nothing happens. It’s the same temperature all day, all week. It takes 10 to 12 years to make whiskey,” Hinegardner explains. “This room will get hot and cold every day, and that’s what makes whiskey. When the barometric pressure changes, it changes the pressure in the barrel and pushes the alcohol into the wood, and it comes back out [as the pressure changes again].”

Pinckney Bend keeps its barrels in a temperature-controlled aging room, but uses the same basic principles to age its whiskey. It also has the benefit of what Haynes and co-owner and master distiller Tom Anderson like to call “a seismic event every 40 minutes or so”: trains on the nearby Missouri Pacific Railroad rattle everything, shaking up the whiskey and giving it more nuance as it ages. (Such movement and vibration causes agitation and interaction between the whiskey and wood.)

“I really didn’t expect [the whiskeys] to be as different as they are,” Anderson admits. “But look at apples: They look different and they taste different. Why wouldn’t corn be the same way?

“Basically four [companies] make all the whiskey around [the U.S.], and they’re doing it in a big way. I’ll never talk down Kentucky bourbon; it’s a classic American product. But there are a lot of other things we can learn. If not, it’ll be gone. Ralph found some of these varieties in seed banks and repositories.

I think genetic diversity is really the thing that is most concerning. And in the end, people aren’t looking at these [corn] varieties for whiskey, and they should be.”

Of course, part of the reason more craft distilleries don’t use heirloom corn is that it’s very difficult. First, you have to find the seeds. Hinegardner bought his first blue-corn seed for $1,000 a bushel; yellow No. 2 currently goes for $3.49 per bushel. And more often than not, you’re going to have to grow and propagate it yourself. You also have to make sure it’s not contaminated by any cross pollination; both Haynes and Hinegardner hand-pick the ears of corn they want to plant and propagate.

“We’re really working toward a sense of terroir,” Haynes says, using a term most often applied to wine, “where the whiskey – the corn, in most cases, the barrel and the wood from which the barrel is made are all from a 60-mile radius. We’re that way on most of our whiskey products; it just took time to get there, because it’s expensive and we kind of bootstrapped this up from a pretty small thing. But we’re getting there.”

At Pinckney Bend, the whiskey made with Wapsie Valley – an heirloom variety that can be either dark red or dark yellow – has been its most popular, but there’s only one bottle left at the moment, and it’s part of Haynes’ private stash. So this year, all of the distillery’s unaged corn whiskeys were made with pipe corn sourced from Missouri Meerschaum Co., which makes corn-cob pipes nearby in Washington, Missouri (it’s also the world’s oldest and largest corn-cob pipe producer).

“This is the general flavor profile of whiskey as it comes off the still and is brought to drinking strength, which in this case is 83 proof,” Haynes says, sniffing a small glass of the pipe corn American Corn Whiskey. “It’s corn on the nose, corn on the palate.”

Anderson describes his favorite, the Wapsie Valley, as bourbon-esque (“It batted for older than it was,” Haynes says), while the Hickory Cane had a lighter body, more similar to Canadian whiskey.

“That’s one of the fun parts of pouring this for people – they don’t know what to expect,” Haynes laughs. “They’re used to tasting whiskey by brand and associating taste with a brand as opposed to a particular corn variety. It still astonishes me when I taste them side by side.”

Inspired Local Food Culture

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Hinegardner isn’t surprised that the Big Four haven’t gotten into heirloom corn; there’s no way these distilleries could get enough blue corn, for instance, to produce on that kind of a scale.

But as craft distillers creep in on the market share, slowly but surely, he expects them to take notice. Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, has committed to making a new bourbon from a different variety of heirloom corn each year; the company planted 18 acres of Boone County White corn in 2015 and harvested and distilled the bourbon in 2016. The small-batch estate bourbon is currently aging in barrels. Diageo, the British company that owns Tanqueray, Captain Morgan, Smirnoff, Guinness and Crown Royal, among others, has begun investing in small distilleries, as well. “[When I first started], people thought, ‘Oh no, Gary,’” he says. “One of my longtime friends in the industry said, ‘Don’t do it, Gary. That’s a mistake. The big boys are gonna eat your lunch.’ And they’re trying right now, they’re trying real hard.”

Haynes admits that at one point, he thought about positioning Pinckney Bend to attract the attention of Diageo, but he, Anderson and their third partner, Jerry Meyer, ultimately decided against it.

“We’re committed to what we’re doing; we don’t want someone else to determine the future of our brand,” Haynes says. “And each of us has a different objective, but we all generally agree that we’re having fun doing this, and we’re doing things that are important.”

Hinegardner worries about being priced out of business, but he thinks (and hopes) that regardless of price, there is still a market out there for interesting, unique, high-end and high-quality whiskey – not to mention one he promises won’t give you a hangover.

“America is ahead of the world in craft distilling, and Missouri distilleries have won our share of national and international awards, too,” Hinegardner says. “We have people from all over the world come to the American Distilling Institute conference, but it’s not like in the United States. We’re still the innovators. I think that’s just part of being American; we’re basically renegades anyway. We like options, and change, and we’re not afraid to step out there.

Americans do that sort of thing.”

For both Haynes and Anderson, reviving heirloom corn and exploring its history is one of the most rewarding things about their work.

“The world isn’t GMO. It came from somewhere. It has a history, it has a story and it has a flavor,” Haynes says. “And in a world where things are being homogenized, I like to think that we can still celebrate the difference.”

1101 Miller St., New Haven, Missouri, pinckneybend.com 489 Booneslick Road, New Florence, Missouri, woodhatspirits.com

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Cat Miller, distillery foreman at Pinckney Bend, grinding pipe corn at the distillery.

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WRITTen By nATAlIe GAllAGHeR PHOTOGRAPHy By STUART HeIDmAnn

Brooke Salvaggio sits on a folding chair in her living room, her hands rewrapping the patterned scarf around her hair as her 1-year-old toddler, Solomon, squirms in her lap, trying to grab the fabric. Rain pelts against the windowpanes, giving a soft, rhythmic soundtrack to Solomon’s giggles. Two pairs of muddy shoes – one belonging to Salvaggio, the other to her husband, Dan Heryer – sit just inside the doorway.

This is what most evenings at Urbavore farm look like, Salvaggio says, plus or minus the weather – and usually with the couple’s eldest son, Percy, who is nearing 6 (tonight he’s visiting his grandmother).

Beyond the house, vegetable plots, berry patches and orchards are sprawled over 13.5 acres. On the outer edge of the self-sustaining farm sits a quarter-acre pond.

“It seems romantic,” Salvaggio says. She’s right – Urbavore and the home she and Heryer have made for themselves exude a sort of centralized purpose and peace. But Salvaggio shakes her head.

“There’s nothing romantic about our lives,” she says.

That’s because, despite the picturesque living-room scene, most days at Urbavore are long and a little chaotic. Salvaggio and Heryer are up several hours before the sun, dressing the children, checking emails, feeding the chickens. Several mornings a week, at 8am, depending on the season, a handful of volunteers arrive to mulch, weed, hoe, prepare beds and plant.

“The grind is constant,” Salvaggio says. “We’re managing people, we’re managing children, we’re planting countless seeds, nurturing thousands of plants, and maintaining large orchard blocks. We have these massive priority lists, and we have to keep moving through them, because falling behind has real consequences for us. And you’re thrown curveballs from weather and things you can’t control, and you have to prepare for that. It’s a wild experience.”

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This hasn’t always been the life for Salvaggio and Heryer. Before Urbavore, Salvaggio ran the beloved Badseed Market, an urban farmers' market she started independently in 2007 in Kansas City's Crossroads Arts District. (The couple closed Badseed Market in February 2016 in anticipation of the birth of their second child.) The funky space was filled with colorful artwork and Salvaggio’s home-grown herbs and vegetables. Back then, her plot of land was significantly smaller: just the 2.5 acres surrounding her grandfather’s home in south Kansas City. She called it Badseed Farm.

“I was an art-school dropout,” Salvaggio says with a grin. “I had a bit of a rebel streak. I was a bad seed.”

That was Salvaggio’s first dive into urban agriculture. She met Heryer at a soil-science workshop the same year, and the two immediately hit it off.

Heryer began volunteering at Salvaggio’s farm, and their life together grew there until 2010, when Salvaggio’s neighbors, concerned about diminishing property values in the neighborhood, raised concerns about the burgeoning farm and its chickens and goats. The couple began searching for an opportunity to grow their production area and found the land that would eventually become Urbavore about 5 miles east of Country Club Plaza.

“The land had been slotted for some major development project or another for decades,” Salvaggio says, adding that the property had changed hands three times when she and Heryer first became interested in it. "It was eventually transferred to HEDFC [the Housing and Economic Development Financial Corp.] in the ’90s, and they owned it for about 20 years. In that time, HEDFC was paying around $20,000 a year just to keep the property mowed.”

Getting HEDFC to relinquish the deed, Salvaggio says, was no small feat. Heryer’s background in public policy and urban planning helped the couple navigate the labyrinthine legal process that finally allowed them to purchase the land. In 2011, the first year they farmed the property, Urbavore produced more than $40,000 worth of food; to date, the farm has produced in excess of $400,000.

“We always joke that Urbavore escaped these huge development projects and finally met its fate – to feed people,” Salvaggio says. “It’s a powerful example of how urban agriculture can be so viable. Although in retrospect, I can’t believe we managed to get this land.”

For Salvaggio and Heryer, Urbavore’s location was crucial.

They could have relocated to a rural area, escaped the political quagmire that is now part of Urbavore’s history and found land with relative ease. But for them, it was important to farm unused space and grow food a stone’s throw from Kansas City’s urban core.

“We wanted to grow things and feed people where people actually live,” Salvaggio says.

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There is nothing particularly easy about the way Salvaggio and Heryer go about farming at Urbavore. Their farm goes beyond organic standards; it’s a holistic ecosystem designed to not only optimize the growth of their produce but also foster the health of the soil and the surrounding community. Not using chemical pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers is just one way they practice sustainable farming.

In the seven years Salvaggio and Heryer have been farming at Urbavore, they haven’t once tilled the soil – a practice which has historically been widespread in large-scale vegetable production, where the soil might be tilled after every harvest in order to loosen the dirt and prepare it for new seeds. Tilling also helps control weed growth.

OPPOSITE PAGE: Brooke Salvaggio and Dan Heryer with their children, 5-year-old Percy, and 1-year-old Solomon, on the farm.

“Tilling uses machinery to loosen the soil, manage weeds and create an easy palette for planting,” Heryer says. “While tilling reduces labor, it also creates an environment completely opposed to plant health.

Tilling soil kills beneficial earthworms, fungi and bacteria, and destroys soil’s natural capacity for water retention and drainage.”

The benefits of no-till farming are extensive. The technique keeps the soil structure intact, and the constant application of straw, mulch and compost to undisturbed soil enhances organic matter, activates soil organisms and creates the ideal conditions for plant roots.

Bacteria and fungi (both the good and bad kinds) create a natural and holistic system, resulting in incredibly flavorful, nutrient-dense crops.

Compared to a farm where the land is tilled, Urbavore’s system uses far less energy and water, requires no machinery and benefits the environment by sequestering carbon in the soil.

“No-till is about looking at your soil as a living organism, and celebrating and enhancing the biology of soil,” Salvaggio says. “When you love the land, and it provides everything in your life like it does for us, it only makes sense to steward the land and preserve it and give back more than you’re taking.”

Salvaggio and Heryer recycle their household water, which gets used in aspects of their vegetable production, as well as for livestock and "holistic" orchard sprays, Salvaggio says.

“All the potable water for the farm is filtered from our pond through a chemical-free system,” Heryer says. “The system uses a slow sand filter and ultraviolet filtration to make sure the water is safe for drinking and washing vegetables. All the water that comes out of the house gets recycled through a similar engineered system so that we can reuse it for our plants and animals. Not a drop of water falls on the farm that doesn’t get used two or three times.”

Another contributor to the farm’s sustainable mission: At Urbavore, compost and manure replace traditional chemical fertilizers. A sizable compost receptacle sits at the farm’s entrance, and Urbavore’s

neighbors are encouraged to leave their waste there rather than throwing it out. “We’ve been composting here since 2011,” Heryer says. “We’re passionate about taking from the urban waste stream and actually recycling it so that we can grow food for the community.”

The farm’s citywide composting program is available to people throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. “Hundreds of area residents regularly leave food scraps and yard waste in the receptacle," Salvaggio says. The waste is composted in a long row at the back of the property, and is turned as often as Heryer can manage with the loader on his tractor. The compost is then applied to the orchards and vegetable fields. To date, Urbavore has diverted roughly 1,000 tons of waste from landfills.

Even the chickens get put to work with Urbavore’s pastured poultry program. Salvaggio and Heryer have two mobile chicken trailers, each holding about 100 chickens. The houses move around the farm every few weeks to provide the birds with fresh pasture or fallow fields to be fertilized. Once crops have been harvested, the chickens are let loose to eat pests and grubs and devour weeds and, in so doing, help prep the fields for the next planting.

Salvaggio and Heryer have wholly embraced living off the land at Urbavore. Heryer single-handedly built the majority of their house, which sits in the earth with concrete retaining walls. A foot of soil sits above the wood-framed roof, and the east and west walls are almost completely glass (allowing the family to watch the sun rise and set). There’s also a wood-burning cook-stove, and the farm’s water recycling system features again in the home’s composting toilet. Most of the building materials were sourced from recycled or sustainable sources: 100-year-old barn siding used for paneling; recycled lumber for the roof; ReWall, a product that presses together recycled and shredded Tetra Paks to form wallboard, in place of traditional drywall; 200-year-old bricks on the hearth reclaimed from the cobbled streets of Chicago and yellow bricks on the bathroom wall from old Milwaukee factory buildings. The couple used plant-based paints and stains for finishes, creating a nontoxic environment. All the electrical needs in the house and on the farm at large are powered by solar panels, which produce four times the energy they use.

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Each detail of the couple’s home was painstakingly planned, and materials were chosen not because they were cheap or easy, but because they are ethical and had a story behind them.

%PG

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It can be a little hard to tell where one crop ends and another begins at Urbavore. Salvaggio and Heryer have designed the farm that way. Strawberries and spinach are planted between rows of apple trees, and a blackberry patch is tucked behind a plot of asparagus. There are orchards of pear, peach, plum and cherry trees on the north side of the property. A hundred blueberry bushes have recently found a home in a wet field that once grew annual vegetables.

Urbavore’s three main vegetable fields are located in the rear of the farm; this spring, they contain garlic, onions, leeks, lettuce, potatoes, beets, carrots and kale. As the season progresses, summer crops will make their way into the rotation. Spring is also the height of egg season, when Urbavore’s chickens lay about 70 dozen eggs a week (as opposed to around 40 dozen a week the rest of the year).

“We try to have the most diversity that we can,” Salvaggio says.

“We started out as vegetable farmers with annual crops. It was a long-term dream to move into perennial crops – fruit trees, berries, asparagus. But perennials take multiple years to start producing, so we live off the income of our annual veggies while our orchards come into themselves.”

Growing fruit in the region, Salvaggio says, is no small feat due to threats from pests and diseases in a humid climate, and because they don't use chemical pesticides and herbicides.

The berries are easier to manage, but the couple has had to carefully plan for the 200 fruit trees they’re growing.

“We have mostly heirloom apple varieties – Haralson, Golden Russet, Winesap, Albemarle Pippin – and many more that we selected first for [flavor] and second for disease resistance,” Salvaggio says. “It’s insanely challenging to grow organic tree fruit here, so we’re learning as we go.”

Perhaps one of Urbavore’s greatest triumphs is that the income it’s garnered has come primarily from transactions between Salvaggio and Heryer and the people who buy their produce. Urbavore is committed to, and prioritizes, selling directly to consumers. Ninety percent of the farm’s products are sold at the Brookside Farmers’ Market. Any excess is sold to local restaurants and grocery stores including Eden Alley Café, Heirloom Bakery, Café Sebastienne and Terra Health & Wellness Market.

“There’s a personal element to growing food for people,” Heryer says. “I grew up going to farmers’ markets with my mother, and it was all about seeing different people and experiencing fresh food. It’s not even necessarily the same people every week, or that it’s this deep interaction – there’s a lot of meaning in those small, basic exchanges for me.”

Salvaggio also treasures the reactions that Urbavore’s produce receives. People are “freaking out” for the farm’s strawberries, she says happily, and she loves to hear about the recipes Urbavore’s vegetables will star in.

“Farming sort of saved me, as cheesy as it sounds,” Salvaggio says. “After I dropped out of art school, I was extremely unhappy and dissatisfied with consumer culture; I was trying to find my path.

"I started working on organic farms as a way to fund my shoestring travel budget, and there was something that made sense when I was getting my hands in the dirt. I felt like my existence had meaning, and that was a big moment for me. It means everything to me, to grow food and feed other people.” urbavorefarm.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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FROM Q TO YOU Q doesn’t just happen in a restaurant, it can happen anywhere. Get the same lip-smackin’, finger-lickin’, championship-quality barbeque to go with Q2Go, or sauce-up any event with Q39 catering.

Call 816-255-3753 (ext. 3) or visit Q39KC.COM ahead to order.

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EQUIPMENT & TEchNology

When we imagine where our food comes from, we tend to picture lush and colorful produce farms, ripe with fields of tomatoes and cucumbers. We envision cows in fields and chickens exploring fenced pastures. To varying degrees, the farms featured in the following pages meet that criteria – but they’re also growing biodiversity, technology, access to fresh and healthy food and opportunity in their communities in exciting and inspiring ways. Divided into five categories, each story focuses on a different flourishing aspect of our local agriculture industry.

Columbia Center for urban agriCulture

Columbia, mo.

The Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (CCUA) began in 2008 with a humble mission: To promote urban gardening and minimize food waste in Columbia, Missouri. A small group of students at the University of Missouri began composting dining-hall scraps from local community gardens. Today, the CCUA provides a range of hands-on experiences for anyone interested in learning how to grow their own food. At the 1.3-acre urban farm, volunteers and interns can dig in and learn about gardening. No matter their experience level, CCUA aims to link locals with fresh food.

In 2016, CCUA worked with 137 families, businesses and agencies to offer mentorship or build new gardens, and the Garden Pro program helps people start gardens custom-tailored to their needs. These might manifest in backyard raised beds or storefront edible landscapes. At Lucky’s Market, the Crates to Plates garden grows vegetables in portable milk crates, and that food is then donated to local hunger-relief organizations and educational groups. –Rose Hansen columbiaurbanag.org PhoTo CoUrTesy CCUA

Webb City farmerS’ market

Webb City, mo.

since opening in 2000, the Webb City Farmers’ Market has blossomed from just four vendors to 50.

About 35 percent of the market’s growers are hmong, and as a result, you’ll find produce including bok choy, lemongrass and bitter melons at vendor stalls. The hmong growers are first- and second-generation Americans whose parents or themselves fled Laos following the Vietnam War. Market master eileen Nichols saw that many of the farmers were struggling to grow common Midwest produce, so she developed a solution. In 2007, the market launched the hmong Grower education Program, which teaches farmers how to grow popular Midwest crops in Missouri’s climate. While hmong farmers learn how to keep tomato plants hydrated and fertilized and install high tunnels, for example, they’re teaching other farmers how to raise crops like bok choy. –Ettie Berneking webbcityfarmersmarket.com PhoTo by eILeeN NIChoLs

Saint louiS SCienCe Center’S groW exhibit

St. Louis The saint Louis science Center’s GroW exhibit presents a variety of educational demonstrations, classes and gardens ready to be explored by anyone interested in the vast world of agriculture. since opening in June 2016, the GroW exhibit, which is a little larger than an acre, has aimed to tell the story of our food’s journey from farm to fork, and to connect visitors to the science behind plants, animals and farming practices.

GroW introduced a new permanent installation this year that was previously housed at the smithsonian Institution: The All-America soil exhibit, which features soil monoliths for each of the 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., Guam and Puerto rico. exhibition manager Maddie earnest says the new installation is a key element of GroW; after all, soil is the foundation of all agriculture. she hopes the installation will provide visitors with a better sense of connection to the breadth of soil variety across the U.s. and demonstrate the differences in soil from region to region.

Also new this season are two gardens known as GroW’s “homegrown” areas, which will focus on flavors found in various cuisines. The Thai Garden, for example, will be home to maturing eggplants, lemongrass and Thai basil, while the salsa Verde Garden will grow tomatillos and poblano peppers. –Kaitlynn Martin slscgrow.squarespace.com PhoTo by J. PoLLACk PhoToGrAPhy

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Imbibe in the local wine that is part of our region’s cultural history and enjoy foods made with artisanal cheeses from the rolling hills of century-old Missouri and Illinois farms.  Live music  Segments from Feast TV  Interviews with local chefs

 Live demos  Food and drink samples

Taste & See with the Nine Network and Feast TV lets you go inside the show. Taste the food and meet the people responsible for creating the dishes and drinks. The unique format (and unique outdoor setting) intersperses segments from the show with live demonstrations and interviews, which are shown on the Public Media Common’s two-story screens.

Nathalie Pettus has owned 327-acre Overlook Farm, a working farm and event venue, for 16 years. Overlook has been in her family for much longer, though – since the 1890s. Cherries, especially sour cherries, are one of Pettus’ favorite things to grow on the farm, which also raises livestock and grows rhubarb, pears, apples, peaches, blackberries, red and black raspberries, blueberries and strawberries.

As a farmer, Pettus believes it’s vital to get to know her plants year after year.

For example, she only picks the blueberries herself – that way, she can inspect each berry for ripeness, as the flavor intensifies the longer the fruit stays on the vine. She describes them as her babies, adding that each plant may last for as many as 30 years, so she ensures each is treated very carefully. –K.M.

overLook farm

Clarksville, MO.

overlookfarmmo.com

HeartLand Harvest Garden at kansas City’s PoweLL Gardens

Kansas City Good Life GrowinG

St. Louis

In October 2014, Good Life Growing officially broke ground at 4057 evans Avenue in the Greater Ville neighborhood of St. Louis. The garden, founded with the goal of fighting food insecurity in the community, uses aquaponic, hydroponic, aeroponic and sustainable soil-growing systems. Now, almost three years since its founding, Good Life Growing has expanded its local partnerships and footprint. Last year, work was completed on a second farm lot at 3901 Labadie Avenue in the same neighborhood, and it’s now operational. Co-founder and chief executive officer James Forbes says Good Life’s goal is to be in the community, within walking distance of families who can benefit from the gardens; in turn, many people in the neighborhood have helped build up the farm.

Just as with the original location, produce grown at the Labadie property can be eaten or traded. Good Life Growing is working out details to allow its community gardeners to sell their food to distributors or potential customers through a grant with the u.S. department of Agriculture in partnership with Saint Louis university, Northside Community Housing, HOSCO Foods (turn to p. 92 for a profile of HOSCO), the Ville Collaborative, the Sweet Potato Project and Annie Malone Children and Family Services.

This season, about 64 different crops will be grown on both farms. Good Life Growing was recently given a 40,000-squarefoot building, a part of the former St. Louis Stamping Co.’s sixbuilding complex, by Justine Peterson Housing & reinvestment Corporation. The building and adjacent land will be used for both outdoor and indoor growing systems. –K.M.

Opened in 2009, the 12-acre Heartland Harvest Garden at Kansas City’s Powell Gardens was born out of a desire to educate visitors about the true life-cycle of food grown in Missouri – and around the world – and to show visitors that an edible garden can be aesthetically pleasing. The Heartland Harvest Garden and its horticulture staff teach that Missouri’s fertile soils, insects, native plants and weather patterns are part of a greater ecosystem that is deserving of our attention and protection.

The Heartland Harvest Garden is designed to be as much of a bounty for the eyes as for the palate and the mind. It has 12 separate components; each has a theme and an educational purpose. The Menu Garden, for example, features four plots of rotating, artfully planted seasonal vegetables intermingled with edible flowers, which either by deterring pests or aiding soil, help the crops grow.

Companion crops are planted throughout areas of the Heartland Harvest Garden – for pest control, pollination, providing habitat for beneficial creatures, maximizing use of space and to otherwise increase crop productivity. The Old Missouri Crops Garden, an area of the quilt gardens, features traditional foodstuffs such as winter wheat, canola, sunflowers, oats and sorghum. The Missouri Star Orchard features fruit trees as well as arbors that are home to ground and bush fruits. If that all wasn’t enough, the garden also features a row of 17 pecan trees along the fence behind the barn, and four cultivars: major pecan, kanza pecan, Lakota pecan and Colby pecan. –April Fleming

goodlifegrowing.com

powellgardens.org/visit/gardens/heartland-harvest-garden

PHOTO by Judd deMALINe

PHOTO COurTeSy POweLL GArdeNS

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Hamilton Farms and Hamilton aeroponic Farms

St. Louis

In 2013, St. Louis restaurateurs Paul and Wendy Hamilton planted leafy greens, peppers, tomatoes and more in their quarter-acre garden on the south side of Chouteau Avenue, across the street from their restaurants in Lafayette Square, including Vin de Set, Eleven Eleven Mississippi and PW Pizza. To supply their numerous restaurants year-round, the Hamiltons built a 1,500-square-foot smart greenhouse.

The greenhouse’s primary purpose is to grow leafy greens including Swiss chard, kale, lettuce and herbs in an aeroponic system, which sprays the roots of suspended plants with nutrients every 15 minutes. They’re sprayed in a way that allows the plant to get more oxygen to support growth and keeps the plants soilfree. The greenhouse is powered with a computerized monitoring system with cell service that tracks sunrise and sunset and then programs grow lights accordingly, tracks weather and humidity and adjusts vents and cooling and heating systems as needed.

The system has been producing at rates three to four times that of the outdoor garden, because of its ideal growing conditions and the vertical nature of the towers, Paul says, allowing more plants per square foot than in a typical horizontal orientation. –M.G.

eartHdance

Ferguson, MO.

vindeset.com PHoTo By J. PoLLACk PHoToGrAPHy

Nestled in Ferguson, Missouri, is 14-acre EarthDance, a working farm and organic-farm school. Molly rockamann started EarthDance in 2008, and began renting an acre of land the following spring to start the apprenticeship program. In 2012, she was able to purchase the farm.

Heirloom seed library

Springfield, MO.

At the Heirloom Seed Library in Springfield, Missouri, library patrons can head home with seed packets for rattlesnake pole beans, sugar snap peas, Cherokee purple tomatoes and more. Now in its third season – March 1 through August 1 – the library provides gardeners with a selection of heirloom seeds well-suited to southern Missouri’s climate. The seed library has taken root at the Library Station and Midtown Carnegie Branch Library, where rows of colorful seed packets and seed-saving education leaflets are shelved alongside cookbooks and gardening manuals. The seed library’s mission is to educate and inspire community members to save seeds. Card holders can “check out” four heirloom seed packets, and in return, the library hopes that gardeners will save the seeds and donate them back to the library. Heirloom seeds from the library have been planted at a nearby high school and in community gardens, and shared with neighborhood gardening groups. Gardening programs and workshops are hosted at the Springfield-Greene County Library throughout the year. The seed library has also offered outreach programs to local organizations, often with the support of the Greene County Master Gardeners. The library’s annual seed swap on the last Saturday of January – National Seed Swap Day – has boomed in attendance thanks to gardeners eager to share their seeds. –E.B. thelibrary.org/services/seedlibrary.cfm

After completing a full-time organic farming apprenticeship at the University of California-Santa Cruz’s Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems in 2005, rockamann knew she wanted to bring the concept to her hometown of St. Louis. Now in its ninth season, the Farm and Garden Apprenticeship provides EarthDance’s students a seed-to-market education, including seeding in a greenhouse, direct seeding, transplanting, weeding, trellising, and harvesting, as well as the business and marketing skills needed to sell produce to consumers.

Apprentices commit nine-and-a-half hours each week from mid-April through September. No prior farming or gardening experience is required to apply. Produce is sold at the Ferguson Farmers’ Market, where apprentices work alongside EarthDance’s farm manager to experience selling directly to customers. EarthDance’s produce is also sold to local restaurants and grocers, and apprentices take home a share of their yield each week. EarthDance hosts other organic farming and youth programs throughout the year, including a summer employment program for area teens. –K.M. earthdancefarms.org PHoTo By DEMoND MEEk

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St. LouiS MetroMarket

St. Louis

Food deserts, or communities lacking easy access to fresh and affordable food, are unfortunately not a new problem in America – but St. Louis MetroMarket, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is working to bring one solution to residents. Co-founders Colin Dowling, Tej Azad and Jeremy Goss (who is no longer with the organization) imagined building a farmers’ market inside a remodeled city bus, and with the help of community and business partnerships, they made it a reality. The bus hit the streets in December 2015, featuring more than a dozen bins brimming with produce. Shelves are filled with non-perishables; shoppers can also grab local eggs, cheese and meats from a refrigerated case. The market shares healthy recipes that incorporate its fresh ingredients, and partners with St. Louis-based Operation Food Search to host live cooking demos outside the bus.

You’ll find cabbage, radishes and collard greens poking out of the earth at Bohlen Family Farms in Perryville, Missouri, alongside white hakurei turnips from Japan; African Velvet sweet potatoes; and gai lan, also known as Chinese broccoli. Brothers David and Thomas Bohlen originally founded the farm as a small garden in a lot across the street from David’s home in Ferguson, Missouri, as a way to feed their families fresh produce at a low cost. Through constant research, the Bohlens learned more about growing fruits and vegetables, and teamed up with their neighbor, Louis Arman, for their first season vending at the Ferguson Farmers’ Market.

Four years ago, they met Clyde Bruckerhoff, who owns the land they currently farm in Perryville.

The process of farming Bruckerhoff’s land happened gradually; he treated the brothers like family, David says, and gave them the freedom to farm what they wanted. The Bohlens now grow some of their produce specifically for local chefs – the gai lan is destined for executive chef Rex Hale at Boundary in St. Louis. Other produce ends up on plates at Taco Circus, Kounter Kulture, Southern and Vicia. –L.M.

bohLen FaMiLy FarMS

Perryville, MO.

facebook.com/bohlenfarms PHOTO PROViDeD BY BOHLen FAMiLY FARMS

the urban FarMing guyS

Kansas City

Food is sourced from local farmers and producers and sold at cost to residents of the neighborhoods the market serves. The bus also accepts electronic benefit transfer cards through the federal Supplemental nutrition Assistance Program. When the market returned in May for the 2017 season, which runs through October, it announced that instead of parking in a vacant lot in the JeffVanderLou neighborhood, it would be stationed at the St. Louis Fire Department at 1421 Jefferson Avenue on Saturday mornings. Another change this season is a partnership with the city of Dellwood, the YMCA and a Healthy Schools, Healthy Communities grant, which will allow MetroMarket to park at the Dellwood Recreation Center from 3 to 6pm every Friday as part of its Fresh Fridays series. –L.M. stlmetromarket.com PHOTO BY MARCUS STABenOW FOR SHeLLBACK DeSiGn+BUiLD

in 2008, 20 families, including The Urban Farming Guys founder Jason Fields, picked up and moved from the suburbs of Kansas City to the city’s Lykins neighborhood, where crime rates are high and median incomes are low. The goal was to contribute to – instead of trying to control – the environment they were working in. Through social media and a string of YouTube videos showing their progress, The Urban Farming Guys crowdsourced money to purchase the abandoned lots in their new neighborhood. They transformed the previously unused land into vibrant urban gardens with raised beds and hoop houses that grow a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and herbs. The group also grows some herbs using aquaponics, raising tilapia and using the waste to fertilize crops. –J.V. theurbanfarmingguys.com PHOTO COURTeSY THe URBAn FARMinG GUYS

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Written by HeatHer riske

|

PHotograPHy by Judd demaline

ibron Jones’ résumé certainly doesn’t read like the typical farmer’s. After graduating from Kansas State University’s architecture program, the St. Louis native worked in animation, multimedia and financial securities in New York City. His work led him to co-found DDI Studios, a multimedia business where he offered website design and music video directing services. Through DDI, he would eventually work with Wu-Tang Clan, Wyclef Jean and Alicia Keys, to name a few, and the online platform he built for Wu-Tang generated $5 million in just six months.

Then, in 2007, he moved to a pumpkin farm in Austria.

For three years, Jones lived and worked on a 100-hectare (about 250-acre) pumpkin farm, where he learned to press pumpkin seeds into kürbiskernöl, or pumpkin-seed oil. But the move wasn’t as far-flung as it might sound; to some extent, it was a return to his roots. Jones started farming when he was just 6 years old.

His family owned a 20,000-square-foot

urban farm next to their four-family apartment building in St. Louis’ Walnut Park neighborhood, where they grew fruit, lettuce, tomatoes, cauliflower, radishes, squash and more. Although he didn’t think he’d ever pursue a career in the field, he says his family instilled the importance of farming in him from a young age.

During what was supposed to be a two-week trip home in May of 2010, Jones began working with Lincoln University in St. Louis to set up small farms and community gardens in the city. The experience piqued his interest, and he decided to return to his hometown permanently. He began farming on a rooftop garden atop a friend’s building at 1204 Washington Ave., where he experimented with different growing systems including hydroponics (growing plants in water), aeroponics (growing plants in the air) and aquaponics (hydroponic plants supplied with nutrients from fish waste). Jones would go on to build aquaponics systems in Kansas City with renowned urban farmer Will Allen

from Milwaukee’s Growing Power, and he also built an aquaponics system and consulted for the Saint Louis Science Center’s interactive agriculture exhibit, GROW, which opened last summer.

These different growing systems are the backbone of Jones’ HOSCO Foods (HOSCO is an acronym for Holistic Organic Sustainable Co-Operative). The non-profit umbrella company aims to provide its members with a complete farming skill set that will enable them to work in a variety of food-related fields, with the eventual goal of owning their own cooperative business.

HOSCO uses a variety of growing systems, including the aeroponics, hydroponics and aquaponics that Jones is so familiar with, as well as traditional soil growing (the majority of his crops are grown using aquaponics and hydroponics, though). Jones says he prefers to work with aquaponics, as the plants tend to grow much faster – the roots are continuously receiving oxygen from the filling and draining of the water and have full access to nutrients.

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The company specializes in growing more than 20 types of microgreens, which are exactly what they sound like: tiny, immature vegetable and herb greens.

They’re smaller than baby greens, but harvested later than sprouts. Not all of the seed varieties are necessarily grown at once, though; rather, HOSCO grows its microgreens based on what the market – or, in many cases, the chef – dictates.

Sunflower is by far HOSCO’s most popular microgreen; Jones likens it to eating a tiny, sweet plant that tastes exactly like a sunflower seed. Other popular microgreens include radish, kale, kohlrabi and popcorn shoots.

that’s super healthy, people love it, and there’s a little bit more work that goes into it because the baby plants require a lot more care than the adult plants.”

“We grow microgreens because you can sell them at a higher price, and it’s also a much more nutrient-dense food,” Jones says. “It’s in high demand by the chefs, as well as the public. We’re selling something

The company is now one of St. Louis’ largest microgreens producers, growing about 6,000 pounds annually. HOSCO’s microgreens are sold throughout the metro area and can be found in restaurants

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HOSCO grows its microgreens using a double-tray system, featuring a 10-by-20-inch mesh tray layered with a coconut husk or a feltlike material, depending on the plant. A layer of seeds is added on top, water is filled into the bottom tray – a standard 10-by-20-inch plastic tray – and then the top tray is fitted into the bottom tray. This acts as a wicking system, keeping the growing medium moist so the seeds can germinate.

and stores including Salt + Smoke, The Garden on Grand, Seedz Café, City Greens, Straub’s, Fields Foods and Green Bean Delivery. Chefs love them because they pack a punch of flavor into a tiny package, and Jones says he’s seen demand from consumers increase steadily over the past few years, as well, as microgreens become more readily available at farmers’ markets and grocery stores.

Cevin Lee has sourced HOSCO’s microgreens since opening The Garden on Grand last fall. The restaurant serves vibrant, vegetable-driven fare, and HOSCO’s non-GMO and organic microgreens fit with the restaurant’s commitment to using locally sourced ingredients. Lee says he also sees a huge difference in the quality of HOSCO’s microgreens. “[Jones] showed me his process, and it makes them perkier,

sweeter and fresher,” Lee says. The Garden on Grand uses HOSCO’s microgreens to garnish dishes such as pan-seared duck dumplings, coconut-fried rice and pistachio-encrusted roasted salmon. The restaurant also uses the company’s velvety sorbettos – including Thai coconut, peachmango and carrot-kiwi-berry colada – in cocktails and desserts.

Jones says he enjoys connecting with his customers and getting immediate feedback on his products – if he grows sunflower microgreens in a warmer environment and they don’t turn out as sweet, for instance, his chefs are going to let him know. “If I eat something that’s been transported across the United States and it doesn’t taste right, I can’t go to the farmer and give them that feedback,” he says. “They’re not getting the feedback that helps them develop a better quality

Jones teaching at Flance Early Learning Center in St. Louis

product. It goes back to knowing where your food comes from. Chefs find it important to know where food comes from, how it’s grown, what the environment is like, if you’re farming in a sustainable way, if you’re following good agricultural practices. Those things are important in terms of developing a safe and high-quality food system.”

HOSCO’s current farming operation is about 1 acre, which includes a small plot in north city near North Sarah Street, plus land owned by the Saint Louis Science Center and Saint Louis University (SLU).

Jones says HOSCO has essentially maxed out production; now, the time has come for the company to scale up. Jones is currently scouting for land – up to 28 acres – in and around St. Louis for a new farm. This will

allow the company to increase production enormously, growing a wider variety of vegetables and microgreens and raising fish for the aquaponics, and in turn, producing more value-added products to sell through St. Louis MetroMarket and local grocery stores.

Education has always been a cornerstone of HOSCO, going back to Jones’ return to St. Louis, when he partnered with Saint Louis Public Schools and taught 208 students, from pre-K to fifth grade, per week. In addition to growing, HOSCO hopes to empower the community through on-the-job training in agriculture, culinary skills and food production, processing, aggregation and distribution. “It’s one of those things that’s needed,” he says. “We need to produce more food here. We need

to produce something like 90 percent more food than what we’re doing now in the next 30 years. So, how do we do that? Well, you have to grow more growers. You have to teach other people to become growers.”

To that end, HOSCO operates two training programs for adults ages 18 and up: a 12-week apprenticeship through the Department of Labor, and a Workforce Investment Opportunity Act-based program (WIOA). The programs are both focused on agricultural and culinary training: how to grow food, bring it to market, sell it and generate income.

Jones teaches the farming side of the curriculum, while instructors from Saint Louis University’s Nutrition and Dietetics program initially provided the culinary training (HOSCO has since hired its own

chefs, and Jones is currently enrolled in a six-month vegan culinary program to learn that side of the curriculum, as well).

Students from the apprenticeship program move into On the Job Training, while the WIOA program sets students up to start their own business, find placement in a food-related business or work in one of HOSCO’s cooperatives. “Education is really the key to all of this, because if you’re not educated on how to grow food, you can’t grow food. If you’re not educated on how to cook food, you can’t cook food,” Jones says.

Dr. Mildred Mattfeldt-Beman, SLU nutrition and dietetics professor emerita, has worked on culinary and nutrition education programs with Jones for more than a decade. In 2004, her Garden to Table program at SLU won a three-year grant Inspired Local Food Culture

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from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), enabling the school to set up gardens to continue its hands-on farming and culinary education with students.

Dr. Mattfeldt-Beman says she’s always tried to include Jones in her projects because he’s so involved with local food.

She was immediately impressed by his cooperative framework, which engages its members through the entire process.

“The thing that impresses me the most is his genuine commitment to getting healthy food to the people who need it the most and doing it in ways that engage and support,” Dr. Mattfeldt-Beman says. “He approaches things in a cooperative – everybody is working and everybody is raising each other up as they try to address the issue.”

This July, along with Dr. Mattfeldt-Beman, HOSCO will embark on its biggest venture yet: the North City Food Hub at North Sarah Street in the Vandeventer neighborhood. SLU’s Nutrition and Dietetics department worked with Northside Community Housing Inc. to 96

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receive a $500,000 USDA grant for the project, which brings together HOSCO, Annie Malone Children & Family Services, the Ville Collaborative, Good Life Growing and the Sweet Potato Project.

Mattfeldt-Beman, the principal investigator on the project, describes the Hub as a full-service approach aimed at increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables and creating culinary and food-related jobs in north city.

“The problem with food insecurity is not food availability; it’s income,” she says. “So, we’re looking at ways that we can improve income through food and food production in that [area] to address food insecurity.”

The Hub will include culinary training, a food processing center, a grocery store, a business incubator program and a shared-use kitchen. The kitchen will allow members of HOSCO’s cooperative to process the food they’re growing and make value-added products – think pesto, sauces, soups and sandwiches – to sell through its grocery delivery service.

For instance, HOSCO plans to launch

Fruivetto, a sorbetto cooperative, this summer. The line of fruit and vegetable sorbets – many of which are available on the menu at The Garden on Grand – includes flavors such as beet-lime, peach and Tom & Berry, made with Sun Gold tomatoes and berries.

HOSCO’s grocery delivery service – which the expansion will help enable the company to launch – will operate within a 3- to 4-mile radius of North Sarah Street, in neighorboods such as Forest Park Southeast, Botanical Heights and The Ville, and many areas of north city with insufficient public transport. The membership fee will be income-based; those who make above a certain income will pay $125 per year, and those who make below the income level will be able to sign up for free. (People in the job-training program will automatically qualify as members.) The goal, Jones says, is to keep costs low so that people can afford to buy produce they might not normally be able to purchase.

“Where else can you say, ‘Hey, there’s this grocery store and I have a piece of it?’”

he says. “It would be great for us to go back to that local neighborhood mindset where we’re distributing food locally, we’re growing it locally and we’re packaging it locally. All of those things are really important if we’re going to battle this food system that has been taken off course over the past 50 years.”

Jones might not have wanted to take over the family farm all those years ago, but it’s clear that he was meant to grow – and a lot more than just pumpkins and microgreens.

Under his leadership, HOSCO has grown from a small microgreens operation to a cooperative of agricultural businesses that are addressing some of the most prevalent issues in St. Louis and cities across the country – namely, access to healthy food for those who need it most.

“I used to think, ‘We just grow vegetables and that’s it,” he says. “But now, it’s much more than that. We’ve focused our business on keying in on that supply chain – producing food, processing food and making sure it gets where it needs to go.” hoscofarms.com

bull’s blood beet cilantro sunflower mustard ruby red chard red radish pea shoots red kale red cabbage

Microgreens from City Farm STL LLC in St. Louis.

Aaron Stovall leads the bar program at Vista Ramen in St. Louis, inventing killer cocktails like the Chiller Whale, with rum, tiki bitters, lime juice and a blend of pineapple juice and miso. Your drink will likely be made by bartender Jessica Bremehr, though; hours before dinner service begins, Bremehr is brewing tea, grinding matcha powder and precisely measuring out ingredients for each drink. Before Vista, she bartended at Olio, where she developed a love for classic cocktails. Here, she shares some of her favorite spots to dine and drink around town. –Liz MiLLer

with Jessica Bremehr bartender,

vista ramen

lona’s lil eats

egg

the Whiskey ring

pizzeoli

taste

if you had one day to dedicate to dining out in toWn, Where Would you go and What Would you order?

I’d probably go to Egg for breakfast and get the hash and the peppered-vodka Bloody Marys.

I like poached eggs, so I’d get one over the hash. The food has a south-of-the-border flair, and I really like their take on breakfast; it’s different from a lot of other places.

For lunch I’d go to Lona’s Lil Eats and get the spicy cucumber salad with the No. 8: a wrap with jasmine rice, lemongrass pesto and pulled turkey in a giant piece of rice paper.

I could eat the spicy cucumber salad every day. For dinner I’d probably go to Banh Mi So #1. I order the No. 8 special, there, too. It comes with a fried spring roll with noodles and mung beans. I also like Pizzeoli a lot. I love their Neapolitan-style pizzas … or whatever Scott [Sandler, chef-owner] recommends. The crust is amazing; I love taking home leftovers and dipping the crust in other things from the condiment section of my refrigerator: Thai chile crisp sauce, Louisiana hot sauce, Mae Ploy sweet chile sauce…

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earthbound beer

the royale

What’s your favorite drink, and Where in st. louis are you ordering it?

I recently went to Taste and got a Kid Vicious, which is a tequila cocktail, but it was really spicy. I like tequila and I love to support Taste. At home I like to make Corpse Revivers for myself; I love the flavors of gin and citrus in it, and it’s a little herbal. I think The Royale makes the best Corpse Reviver in town, but to be fair, that’s the first place I had it.

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“I’m biased – even though I don’t work in the kitchen – but I think chef Chris Bork [at VIsta ] does an awesome job. I don’t know if many people know this, but most of the kitchen staff is female, and they’re all super hard workers.”

vista ramen

Who in the local restaurant scene inspires you?

Where do you go for a nightcap or late-night eats?

Who do you think is killing it in the kitchen right noW?

I really love everything that is happening at Earthbound Beer on Cherokee Street. I’m amazed by how they manage to brew out of what was once a tiny apartment. Their beers are super flavor-forward, so I try something new every time I go.

After work it’s almost always The Whiskey Ring, because it’s nearby, and after work I’m almost always on Cherokee [Street]. Sometimes I’ll go to shows at Blank Space or Foam; at Foam, through the windows, you can see what kind of show is happening, which is great. For late-night food: pizza by the slice from Master Pieza, or honestly a frozen pizza from Schnucks – I feel like it’s slim pickings for late-night food in town.

I’m biased – even though I don’t work in the kitchen – but I think chef Chris Bork [at Vista] does an awesome job. I don’t know if many people know this, but most of the kitchen staff is female, and they’re all super hard workers.

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