January/February 2021

meet louie bar manager kaitlyn gibbs and the rest of our rising stars on p. 24

ONES

TO

WATCH

Jan/Feb 2021 saucemagazine.com B I SAUCE MAGAZINE I1 ST. LOUIS’ I N DE PE N DE NT C ULI NARY AUTHOR ITY // SAUC EMAGAZI N E.C OM // FR E E, JANUARY/FE RUARY 2021

These are challenging times for our friends in the food and beverage industry and Sauce is doing all we can to help. From keeping St. Louis updated on all the industry news through our continued editorial coverage to lending a helping hand to restaurants, bars and more through our Sauce Supports initiative.

Look up your favorite restaurants to see their current offerings on our Covid-19 Restaurant Guide - open dining rooms, curbside service, delivery, and more.

Visit saucemagazine.com/restaurant-guide.

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Jan/Feb 2021

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 • VOLUME 21, ISSUE 1 What’s your favorite cereal?

Allyson Mace Raisin Meera Nagarajan Bran Liz Wolfson Lauren Healey Honey Adam Rothbarth Bunches Lauren Healey of Oats Meera Nagarajan Michelle Volansky Jonathan Gayman, Virginia Harold, Izaiah Johnson, David Kovaluk, Meera Nagaraajan, Adam Rothbarth, Cheerios the OG Carmen Troesser CONTRIBUTING WRITERS James Boeckmann, Julie Cohen, Lauren Healey, Meera Nagarajan, Adam Rothbarth, Michelle Volansky, Liz Wolfson ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Allyson Mace ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Angie Rosenberg EVENTS COORDINATOR Amy Hyde LISTINGS EDITOR Amy Hyde INTERNS Blakely Gibeaut, Abie Groes, Madeline Heintz, Greta Nagy, Matthew Rockwell, Coooooooookie Adam Siddle Crisp PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR DIGITAL EDITOR STAFF WRITER EDIBLE WEEKEND EDITOR ART DIRECTOR SENIOR DESIGNER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

I hate cereal, especially the fruity kinds. It freaks me out.

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The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of all information or be responsible for omissions or errors.

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Our reviewers are never provided with complimentary food or drinks from the restaurants in exchange for favorable reviews, nor are their identities as reviewers made known during their visits.

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St. Louis, MO 63103 Jan/Feb 2021

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contents JA N UA RY/ F E B R UA RY 2 02 1

editors' picks

features

9 EAT THIS

21

OG Acai Bowl at Hello Juice & Smoothie

by lauren healey 10 HIT LIST 5 new places to try this month

by lauren healey, meera nagarajan and adam rothbarth 12 ELIXIR Hot, boozy drinks for every mood

by adam rothbarth 15 DRINK THIS

birria tacos p. 36

LOOKIN' LIKE A SNACK Snack aisle pro tips for the Asian market

by suzie craft 24

ONES TO WATCH Food and drink pros with promise

by julie cohen, lauren healey, adam rothbarth and liz wolfson 36

DRIP LIKE THIS

Juicy birria tacos, traditionally served with a cup of rich, meaty broth, are taking over our city.

by james boeckmann

Hot chocolate bombs

by liz wolfson

last bite

Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 FM this month when Sauce joins St. Louis on the Air.

40 WHAT I DO Chef and restaurateur Ben Poremba

by liz wolfson 42 LANDMARK Beffa's Bar & Restaurant

PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

by adam rothbarth

COVER DETAILS ONES TO WATCH Kaitlyn Gibbs is part of the new class of young rising stars in the St. Louis dining scene, p. 24 PHOTO BY IZAIAH JOHNSON

Jan/Feb 2021

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E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

Eat This

The OG Acai Bowl from Hello Juice & Smoothie proves that nutritious and delicious are not mutually exclusive. It starts with a sweet and creamy smoothie base composed of acai, blueberry, strawberry, banana and coconut milk. A generously portioned layer of cinnamon-laced granola is then topped with juicy blackberries and chunks of banana and strawberry, followed by a drizzle of local honey and a sprinkle of coconut flakes. Not only does this beautiful bowl taste great, it also makes you feel like a million bucks.

PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

Hello Juice & Smoothie 1000 S. Newstead Ave., St. Louis, 314.376.4135, hellojuiceandsmoothie.com

Jan/Feb 2021

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E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

5 new places to try this month

PHOTO BY MEERA NAGARAJAN

hit list

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BEAST SOUTHERN KITCHEN & BBQ

PIZZERIA DA GLORIA

Husband-and-wife duo Meggan and David Sandusky are at it again with their third Beast barbecue spot. Like the other restaurants in the group, the new location features a distinct menu of classic Southern dishes as well as St. Louis-style barbecue. Boudin balls, made with Beast’s housemade pork sausage, are stuffed with peppers and rice and served with a tangy remoulade. The massive chicken po’boy is served on sturdy baguette toasted with Creolespiced beef tallow and chunks of crunchy fried chicken thigh brined in buttermilk for 24 hours before frying. Both the seasoned fries and smooth pimento grits are welcome additions to any entree. If you can add the house-made pimento to any of the dishes, do it. Finish your meal with the downhome flavors of the not-too-sweet bourbon pecan pie with bittersweet chocolate baked inside.

Pizzaiolo Joe Kurowski’s new restaurant on the Hill is required eating for anybody seeking St. Louis’ next great slice. After studying at some of the best pizzerias of New York City and Naples, Italy, Kurowski returned home looking to create something of his own.

Choose from awesome wood-fired pies featuring delicious ingredient combos like Ezzo pepperoni and pickled jalapeno, roasted eggplant with garlic-chile oil, or mozzarella stretched in-house from curd atop tomato sauce. If that wasn’t enough, Pizzeria da Gloria’s new natural wine program is sure to offer some perfectly paired sips.

2024 Marconi Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.3734, pizzeriadagloria.com

1280 Columbia Center, Columbia, Illinois, 618.719.2384, beastsouthern.com

GOLDEN GROCER

PHOTOS BY ADAM ROTHBARTH

CLARA B'S KITCHEN TABLE This Belleville breakfast food truck is worth the hunt. The sausage biscuit, made with sausage from local butcher Kenrick’s Meats & Catering, features perfectly cooked eggs under a blanket of melty Swiss-American cheese on a housemade biscuit. The avocado toast is reminiscent of molletes, a Mexican open-faced sandwich. Cumin and jalapeno-spiced black beans, avocado, cheese, tomatoes and eggs atop a slice of house-made ciabatta made for a filling vegetarian plate. The tacos at just $3 each were a lighter option; we tried the chorizo and the black bean, which came on an all-butter tortilla from the popular Texas grocery chain, H-E-B. (If you know, you know.) Make sure to get the Reaper drizzle on the side – it’s a salsa made with sweet potato and carrot spiced with fermented Carolina Reaper chiles, which added bright acidity and a dash of heat.

724.252.7227, clarabs.com Jan/Feb 2021

top: bonci pizza from pizzeria da gloria; bottom: pepperoni pizza from pizzeria da gloria

A longtime Central West End natural foods store has moved into a larger space in Forest Park Southeast.

The expanded footprint allows for an expanded juice bar by Soular Smoothie & Juice and a cafe helmed

by Adina’s Vegan Cuisine. When we went, the rotating daily menu was Mexican-themed, so we indulged in piquant red sauce enchiladas, made with mushrooms and vegan cheese, warm orzo with Mexican spices, and a kale salad with zesty lemon-lime dressing. The sweet and earthy Chlorophyllian smoothie featured a shot of chlorophyll and greens powder blended with mango, strawberry, chia seeds, beet sugar and your choice of coconut water or almond milk. While you wait for your smoothie or juice, take a look around the retail part of the store and pick up some fresh produce, supplements, natural beauty products or even a hula hoop.

4501 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, 314.367.0405, goldengrocerstl.com

SONGBIRD If you love the Kitchen Kulture breakfast sandwich at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, you’ve got reason enough to visit Songbird, the new Forest Park Southeast spot from Mike Miller and Chris Meyer, the duo behind both Kitchen Kulture and brick-and-mortar Kounter Kulture.

The Combo, a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich served on buttery sourdough, builds on their breakfast sandwich’s cult status; it’s available with a recommended-but-optional honey drizzle. The menu also offers new breakfast ideas like a housemade rye biscuit made with Janie’s Mill rye flour and topped with their own cured lox, creme fraiche and dill. The sausage and egg biscuit elevates the familiar with a sprouted grain English muffin, local turkey sausage and brown butter aioli; each component gets the star treatment.

While you’re there, caffeinate with a beverage from the coffee menu, crafted just for them by Sump Coffee.

4476 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, 314.781.4344, songbirdstl.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 11

TURNING UP OR TURNING DOWN?

WHAT SHOULD I DRINK? Hot cocktails are definitely a vibe, but they don’t all provide the same experience.

There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right one, like time of day, level of health, spice preference and, of course, whether you’re trying to get cozy or turn up.

Luckily for you, we’ve put together a flow chart to help you find the right one to fit your mood. Then, make it yourself with a little bit of help from a couple of our favorite bartenders.

– Adam Rothbarth

TURN DOWN FOR WHAT?

NIGHTCAP MODE

IN THE MOOD FOR DESSERT?

SPIKED HOT CHOCOLATE

NO

ALWAYS

CHOCOLATE IT'S LATE

WHAT'S YOUR FLAVOR?

CARAMEL

CINNAMON WHAT TIME IS IT? BRUNCHTIME

HAPPY HOUR

NOPE FEELING FRUITY?

MULLED RED WINE

YES

START HERE MY BOO WHO ARE YOU WITH?

MY PALS

DO YOU HAVE A THING FOR HAY RIDES?

WHAT?

HOW'D YOU KNOW?!

SPIKED HOT CIDER

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Spiked Coffee

Courtesy of The Lucky Accomplice’s Wil Brawley 1 SERVING 5 to 6 oz. brewed coffee 1 oz. Moscatel sherry ½ oz. digestif such as Averna Amaro or Contratto Fernet

YOU MUST NOT BE FEELING WELL

• Brew coffee to taste; a light roast prepared using a French press is recommended but not required.

• Combine all ingredients in a mug to serve.

HOT TODDY

Note: The ratios of sherry and digestif can be inverted if stronger herbal notes are desired.

Hot Toddy

Courtesy of Chao Baan’s Andy Printy

HOT BUTTERED RUM

1 SERVING 4 to 5 oz. Big Heart Tea Co.’s Edith Grey (or your favorite Earl Grey tea), hot 1 oz. J. Rieger Kansas City whiskey ½ oz. Big O ginger liqueur ¼ oz. lemon juice 1 tsp. honey Lemon wheel and mint sprig, for garnish

DEFINITELY

NO

ARE YOU A WHISKEY DRINKER?

• Brew tea according to instructions. Combine hot tea, whiskey, ginger liqueur, lemon juice and honey in a mug.

Garnish with lemon wheel and mint sprig.

SPIKED COFFEE

Mulled Red Wine Courtesy of The Lucky Accomplice’s Wil Brawley 6 TO 8 SERVINGS

PANCAKES WHAT'S YOUR BRUNCH ORDER? Jan/Feb 2021

EGGS, TOAST, HASH BROWNS

3 allspice berries 2 cinnamon sticks, plus more for garnish 2 star anise pods, plus more for garnish 1 Tbsp. slivered almonds, plus more for garnish ½ Tbsp. peppercorn medley 1 bottle medium-bodied red wine (if possible look for something spicy and fruity, such as a grenache blend from the Rhone Valley)

4 oz. dark rum 2 oz. apple or other brandy ¼ cup honey Juice and peels of one large orange 1 red apple, sliced ½ cup dried figs Orange peels, for garnish • Toast the allspice, cinnamon, star anise, almonds and peppercorns in a skillet over medium-low heat until fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes • Combine the red wine, dark rum and honey in a pot or saucepan. Add the apple, figs, orange peels and juice, and warm until just simmering; do not allow to boil. Simmer until flavor has fully developed, about 1 to 2 hours.

• Strain off all the solids and serve hot. Garnish with a cinnamon stick, star anise pod, slivered almonds and/or orange peel, to taste.

Note: This recipe can easily be customized according to taste and what ingredients you have on hand; for example, light rum can be effectively substituted for dark, lemon peels and juice for orange, etc.

Hot Buttered Rum Courtesy of Chao Baan’s Andy Printy 1 SERVING 5 to 6 oz. very hot water 1½ oz. Duckett golden rhum 2 Tbsp. butter batter (recipe follows) Bay leaf or cinnamon stick, for garnish • Combine hot water, golden rhum and butter batter in a mug.

Stir until blended. Garnish with bay leaf or cinnamon stick.

Butter Batter

Courtesy of Chao Baan’s Andy Printy 4 SERVINGS

½ tsp. ground nutmeg ¹⁄8 tsp. ground clove Pinch of salt • Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and mix well for even distribution. Cover and refrigerate for 6 to 8 hours.

Spiked Hot Cider Courtesy of The Lucky Accomplice’s Wil Brawley 2 SERVINGS 4 oz. water 2 oz. Calvados (apple brandy) 2 oz. allspice dram ½ oz. honey 1 tsp. vanilla paste Lemon wedges, for garnish • Combine water, Calvados, allspice dram, honey and vanilla paste in a kettle or saucepan. Bring to a simmer.

Serve with a squeeze of lemon.

Spiked Hot Chocolate

Courtesy of Chao Baan’s Andy Printy 1 SERVING 6 to 8 oz. hot chocolate base (recipe follows) 1½ oz. Una Vida Blanco tequila Marshmallows, for garnish • Combine hot chocolate base and tequila in a mug. Garnish with marshmallows.

Hot Chocolate Base Courtesy of Chao Baan’s Andy Printy 4 SERVINGS 4 cups milk ½ cup chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips ¼ cup dark agave nectar 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped, or ¼ tsp. vanilla extract ¼ tsp. ground cayenne (optional)

1 stick room-temperature, unsalted butter • Place all ingredients in a pot ½ cup brown sugar or molasses on medium-low heat and whisk ¼ cup honey until melted and bound together. ½ tsp. ground cinnamon saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 13

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E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

drink This Hot chocolate bombs are blowing up this winter. Rich, colorful and interactive, they’re the perfect treat to perk up a cold, dark night. Drop one in your favorite mug, pour over hot milk and behold as the solid sphere transforms into a steaming, chocolate-y treat. With so many great local options available, why settle for a packet of powder when you can have da bomb?

clementine’s naughty and nice creamery’s decadent hot chocolate bombs are a perfect valentine’s day treat

PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

where to get it Bijoux Handcrafted Chocolates 13014 Manchester Road, Des Peres, 314.307.7303, bijouxchocolates.com

Jan/Feb 2021

Cupcake Fetish 2286 McKelvey Road, Maryland Heights, 314.628.1036, cupcakefetish4u.com

Celebrating Life Cake Boutique 13877 Manchester Road, Town and Country, 636.458.7727, celebratinglifecakes.com

Pangea 3245 Rue Royale, St. Charles, 636.757.3579, Facebook: Pangea

Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Creamery Various locations, clementinescreamery.com

STL Cake Pops 198 Tecumseh St., St. Charles, 636.328.3922, stlcakepops.com

The Novel Neighbor 7905 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.738.9384, thenovelneighbor.com

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PARTNER CONTENT

For the health of it

BY LAUREN HEALEY

A

new year has always been a great time to work toward a healthier lifestyle, but it’s even more important this year with the coronavirus pandemic still underway. The following St. Louis area businesses – both food- and fitnessrelated – are making reaching your goals easier than ever.

CITRA FITNESS & MOVEMENT No healthy lifestyle is complete without an exercise component, and Citra Fitness & Movement in Midtown is a great place to get started. Citra is the only local studio to offer both reformer Pilates and aerial yoga utilizing traditional yoga hammocks. Aerial yoga is a total body workout that allows you to stretch deeply, defy gravity, and hang freely in inverted poses with the support of aerial silks. Citra's Reformer Pilates classes are a unique blend of classical and high-intensity Pilates that focus on defining, lengthening and toning larger muscle groups while strengthening smaller stabilizing muscles. Both classes are offered safely in-studio with face masks and at reduced capacity, but there are also virtual options via the website with traditional yoga and Pilates-based mat classes.

2315 Locust St., Suite 13B, St. Louis, citrafitness.com

Jan/Feb 2021 May 2019

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PARTNER CONTENT

CRAZY BOWLS & WRAPS This 26-year-old locally owned family business has grown to 15 locations across the St. Louis area. There are options for every diet and dietary restriction, from keto, paleo and Whole 30 to gluten-free, plant-based, vegetarian and even vegan.

The new lifestyle menu has a simple online ordering system, as well as a customizable nutrition calculator. The menu offers an array of cuisines – from Tex-Mex to Mediterranean – in wraps or bowls that you can modify to your liking. Choose a bowl base of jasmine or brown rice, whole wheat noodles, quinoa or even low-carb options like cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. Then select a freshly prepared protein, from chicken and steak to tofu and falafel, and top with a wide selection of veggies. The salsa is also made fresh in-house daily.

Multiple locations, crazybowlsandwraps.com

FRESH GATHERINGS AT SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY Fresh Gatherings is a student-run cafe that is open to the public and located on SLU's Medical Campus. The cafe sources from local farmers and growers in Missouri and Illinois, including the urban teaching garden on the medical campus. It is open for breakfast and lunch with a coffee bar featuring Blueprint and Sump. Fan favorites include oat milk lattes, hummus bowls and baguettes, but there are also sandwiches, salads, soups, baked goods and more available. Fresh Gatherings exemplifies SLU’s Jesuit principle of "Cura Personalis" or development of the whole person. They believe in the value of good food to nourish the mind, body and spirit.

The leading program in nutrition and culinary arts allows students to combine their two passions into a career.

3404 Rutger St., St. Louis, freshgatheringscafe.com

LONA’S LIL EATS If you enjoy Asian soul food with a flare but want to indulge in a healthy manner, Lona’s Lil Eats’ homestyle meals are light yet satisfying and keep your body fueled all day long. There are plenty of vegan,

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preordered and packaged juice and water cleanses, wellness shots and “Be Well” bundles. Order online for curbside pickup and home delivery, or stop in the shop from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.

227 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.963. 0033, robustwinebar.com/clean-juicy

SAREFOOD

In addition to nutrition, exercise is crucial for a healthy lifestyle. vegetarian and gluten-free options, and customization is encouraged. Sauces – which range from sweet or savory to sour or spicy – provide full-bodied flavors, and any entree can be made into a salad if you’re trying to work more veggies into your diet. Plus, everything is made fresh with no preservatives or MSG. To up your antioxidant intake, complete your meal with the vast selection of teas, from green and white to oolong and black.

2199 California Ave., St. Louis, 314.925.1888, lonaslileats.com

PAN-ASIA SUPERMARKET Pan-Asia Supermarket is the largest Asian grocery store in Missouri with a wide assortment of healthy options. There are over 200 fresh Asian vegetables and fruits to choose from, as well as a selection of over 100 fresh meats and seafood plus live lobster, crab, tilapia and catfish, along with fresh zabiha halal meat. Choose from a large array of organic seasoning and spices, perfect to go with all the fresh

ingredients to make pho noodles, pad thai, lo mein and much more. And don’t miss out on the in-house cafe and bakery options. If you’re traveling west, check out the other branches of the supermarket in Overland Park, Kansas, and Omaha, Nebraska.

14246 Manchester Road, Manchester, 636.220.9999, panasiasupermarket.com

ROBUST WINE BAR The owners of Robust believe balance is the key to enjoying life’s indulgences, so they curated a line of wellness and better-for-you-beverages to help boost your immunity, reduce inflammation and support overall wellbeing. Along with a full list of “clean” wines that are not only good for the environment, but also better for your body, their new concept, Clean & Juicy, offers cold-pressed juices from Source Juicery, house-made, infused high-alkaline waters and bone broth from Butcher & Farmer. Beginning in January, jumpstart your wellness intentions with

SareFood.com is a unique dotcom delivering prepared meals to customers from local chefs. Unlike most other ready-meals companies, they don't force subscriptions on customers because they would like them to order when they want, whatever they want and from whichever local chef they like on the website.

Because there are multiple chefs on the website, customers can enjoy a variety of meals. Customers will find healthy, wholesome meals, keto and vegan meals, as well as American, Italian, Greek and Indian cuisines and more. You will find some well-known names on SareFood. com, such as Russo's, Valenti's, Callier's, Dino's, Hank's, Susie G's and others. By purchasing your meals, you support local chefs and help them stay in business. Get 15% off by using the coupon code LOCAL. 866.655.8945, sarefood.com

SOURCE JUICERY Finding healthy options outside the city can sometimes be a challenge, but Source Juicery lets you enjoy the convenience of clean eating on the go. And with the pandemic still surging, there’s never been a better time to focus on staying healthy.

Source offers a plethora of nutritious graband-go options, from cold-pressed juice and wellness shots to nut milks, smoothies, salads and breakfast staples like oats and parfaits. Try a one- to three-day juice cleanse with the option to add meal packs or protein packs like grilled chicken and power bites. All items are gluten-free, and there are many vegan options too. Source offers an easy online ordering system with curbside pickup or contactless home delivery to the Edwardsville area. Walk-in ordering is also welcome.

228 N. Main St., Edwardsville, 618.650.9080, sourcejuicery.com May 2019

Jan/Feb 2021

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SNACK LOOKIN' LIKE A

In the early ’90s, many Asian provisions were hard to come by, particularly in my hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah. I do recall a small Japanese market that I would visit with my mother on rare occasions, but its inventory was sparse and expensive. I took comfort in knowing that every year on my birthday, my grandfather, “Ojichan” (the Japanese term for grandfather), would send a large box of my favorite Japanese snacks all the way from Hokkaido, Japan. He continued this tradition well into my teen years, always including old favorites and new discoveries. Upon moving to St. Louis 16 years ago, I was pleasantly surprised at the array of Asian markets in my new hometown, like Global Foods Market in Kirkwood and “Asia row,” the series of markets along Olive Boulevard. Walking into an Asian market can be an intimidating experience, but snacks are an easy and fun way to dip your toes in the water of another culture’s cuisine. More importantly, if you are an inexperienced Asian snack eater, you don’t know what you’re missing. Here are a few of my favorites.

BY SUZIE CRAFT // PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

Jan/Feb 2021

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Calbee Shrimp Chips

This is an excellent alternative to chips, with lots of umami flavor and crunch. Its shrimp flavor is subtle – think shrimp tempura but in snack form. They were one of my childhood favorites and remain so now that I’m an adult. $2. Global Foods Market

Meiji Kinoko No Yama

Kinoko means “mushroom” and “yama” means mountain. This is one of my eldest child’s favorites, and it was one of my favorites growing up.

They are adorable little chocolate and cookie mushrooms, with the head of the mushroom made up of smooth chocolate and the base made of a crunchy cookie. Not too sweet, and they are perfect little bite-size portions. $4. United Provisions

Meiji Takenoko No Sato

This snack’s name translates to “bamboo village.” They’re also made by Meiji, the same chocolate company as Kinoko no Yamam, and there is age-old debate on which of the two is better. You will often find them shelved together. This snack is slightly different, with more cookie and less chocolate. The cookie is softer and more graham crackerlike. $3.50. United Provisions

Sanko Seika Sweet and Savoury Salad Rice Crackers

These rice crackers have the perfect balance of salty and sweet with a lot of crunch. Whenever I buy a package of these rice crackers, they are gone the next day. Once you try them, I guarantee you’ll head back to the market for more. $5. East Seoul Oriental Store

Lotte Choco Pie

My children and I have varying opinions about any given thing, but one thing we seem to agree on is the Choco Pie by Lotte. These chocolate marshmallow sandwiches are not too rich, not too dry, and have a nutty flavor that offsets the sweetness of the chocolate and marshmallow. $3.

Global Foods Market

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White Rabbit Creamy Candy

A rich, milk-flavored candy with a smooth, chewy texture. The candy itself comes wrapped in an edible rice wrapper. $2. Global Foods Market

Shirakiku Prepared Shredded Squid

This may be the least approachable snack on the list, but that shouldn’t stop you. Without being too fishy, this dried squid snack is surprisingly sweet with an excellent texture. You will often be able to choose between the standard and spicy flavors. I recommend both. $3. Global Foods Market

Morinaga Hi-Chew

My family believes Hi-Chew is the pinnacle of chewy candy texture. It is almost as chewy as gum but with a lot of flavor. Once you think it won’t dissolve, it does. Hi-Chew comes in many different flavors – our favorite is strawberry. $2. Global Foods Market

Meiji Yan Yan

Does anyone remember Dunk-ARoos from the ’90s? You’ll be able to throw back to that era but with perfectly textured chocolate and crunchy cookies. Choose your own adventure with this snack, or rather, choose how much chocolate you want in each bite. $1. United Provisions

East Seoul Oriental Store 8619 Olive

Blvd., St. Louis, 314.432.5590, Facebook: East Seoul Grocery Global Foods Market 421 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.835.1112, globalfoodstl.com Olive Supermarket 8041 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.997.5168, stlouissupermarket.com United Provisions 6241 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.833.5699, unitedprovisions.com

Suzie Craft is director of marketing and co-owner at Niche Food Group.

Jan/Feb 2021

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O N E S

T O

W A T C H

FOOD AND DRINK PROS WITH PROMISE

BY JULIE COHEN, LAUREN HEALEY, ADAM ROTHBARTH AND LIZ WOLFSON // PORTRAITS BY IZAIAH JOHNSON

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MADELINE

HISSONG KITCHEN MANAGER, KNEAD BAKEHOUSE // AGE: 34 // WHY WATCH HER: SHE ALWAYS LANDS ON HER FEET.

‘You work a crazy amount,’ is impressive to me,” said Matt Daughaday, executive chef of Juniper, adding that Hissong was working multiple jobs at the time. “That drive was definitely there.”

Madeline Hissong has been on a journey. Living a true 21st-century nomadic life, she cooked her way across the country for years, sometimes traveling alone, sometimes with friends. She went to Indiana, Seattle, and Portland, Oregon.

She cooked at a resort in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, at the lauded Vie in Chicago, and at The Kitchen in Ft. Collins, Colorado, a bistro owned

by Elon Musk’s brother.

When she started cooking, she found it to be an anchor during an otherwise totally unpredictable time in her life. “Cooking is unmatched adrenaline,” she said. “It’s a bit different than anything I’d ever done. I was just 22, just drifting around.”

Drifting led Hissong to St. Louis in 2014, where she enrolled in culinary school and started working at Brasserie, Pastaria and Sardella. Moving over to Juniper in 2018, where

In spite of the long hours and hard work, or perhaps spurred by it, she started to become more aware of her drinking, which she describes during that period as “heavily and every day.” Inspired in part by the story of Sean Brock, the hard-living, James Beard Award-winning chef who famously took a break from running his restaurants in 2017 to go to rehab, Hissong decided to make a change. “I did that classic cook thing,” she said: She left Juniper to get sober.

she served as sous chef, she became known for her work ethic and for making

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the Southern restaurant’s incredible bread baskets.

“Anybody I look at and think,

“I just want people to know that life doesn’t end if you have to make a change like that,” she explained, pointing out that her Juniper family was highly supportive of her choice.

“Not only did she deal with

it, she didn’t walk away from the thing she cared about in the process,” observed Daughaday. “I have not seen that out of anybody else.”

Hissong landed at Knead Bakehouse, where she now works as kitchen manager, focusing on savory dishes, sandwiches, jams and doughnuts. “It wasn’t necessarily that I wanted to be a baker,” she said. “But it checked all the boxes.” There, she’s found joy in perfecting her triple chocolatesourdough doughnut and her meatball sub, and looks forward to new projects, including running a solo hand-pie booth in the 2021 farmers market circuit.

Hissong’s roaming days might be behind her, but her sense of adventure definitely isn’t. “There’s a heartbeat here that’s so unique and special,” she said of St. Louis. “I love it here.” With a traveling pedigree like hers, that’s saying something. – A.R.

Jan/Feb 2021

Often the first to arrive at work and last to leave, Sidney Street Cafe sous chef José Miguel Venta is no stranger to hard work.

“I’m still trying to find that balance of being in the industry while also being a good father and husband and friend,” he said. Despite this balancing act and the mounting pressure of creating dishes that will be under much scrutiny, he continues to hone his craft and hopes to open his own spot one day. “I want to do something that benefits other people, not just my bank account,” he said.

Although it may be a few years before he’s able to realize his dream of becoming his own boss,

he’d eventually like to hire staff not easily employable elsewhere, like those with mental health issues, developmental disabilities or with a felony record. In the meantime, he’s aiming to turn out crowd-pleasing dishes at Sidney Street while ensuring morale stays high.

“If I’m part of a demoralizing work environment, then I’ve failed,” he said.

Venta moved from Puerto Rico in 2007 to attend Saint Louis University, where he studied social work, receiving his master’s in 2015. As an undergrad, he took his first job in a professional kitchen at one of the campus restaurants.

While he found professional cooking better suited to his

skill set – “the way my brain is wired, cooking fits,” he said – his studies left him with a strong urge to work with folks with unique challenges.

Though Puerto Rican flavors find their way into Venta’s cooking, he is more interested in executing those flavors using French or American culinary techniques than in reproducing authentic Puerto Rican dishes. “We really like his flavor profiles and how he seasons things,” said chef de cuisine Bob Zugmaier. “When he first started, he was quick to give us feedback on dishes. Now, if we want to come up with something new, his input is highly valued.”

Since joining the Sidney Street team about four years ago, “he’s pretty much been the glue,” Zugmaier said. “He’s one of the guys I’m always leaning on to make sure stuff gets done right and efficiently. ... When he does eventually open a restaurant, I imagine it’ll be a very successful venture due to his work ethic and his talents.”

Venta’s not one to sing his own praises – humility is part of what makes him who he is. “In my mind, I think, ‘I just like doing my job and putting out good food.’ At some point, the food will speak for itself. If I succeed in this industry, it’s because my food tastes good.” – L.H.

J O S É M I G U E L

V E N T A SOUS CHEF, SIDNEY STREET CAFE AGE: 31 WHY WATCH HIM: HE’S THE GLUE HOLDING THINGS TOGETHER AT ONE OF ST. LOUIS’ TOP RESTAURANTS.

Jan/Feb 2021

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A N D R E W CHEF, ORIGINAL J’S TEX-MEX // AGE: 28 // WHY WATCH HIM: HE’S THE CHICKEN MASTER .

Andrew Enrique Cisneros just wanted to have a good time. “I almost dropped out of high school,” he said. “I wanted to cook and party. I got into the industry because I wanted to party.” Born in St. Louis but visiting family in Peru often, where he enjoyed traditional dishes he could only get down there, Cisneros already had a connection to food he found meaningful.

He’d grown up fascinated by watching his mom and aunt cook, and many of his friends were already cooking for a living.

Cisneros did finish high school and went on to culinary school, during which he took a job at Jim Edmonds Steakhouse.

Then it was on to the St. Louis Club, where things started to get serious. The club’s esteemed chef, Pierre Chambrin, ran a kitchen of predominantly French cooks, so Cisneros spent his nights learning the Tournée cut and listening to his colleagues yell at each other in their own language.

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Next it was an executive chef position at The Copper Pig followed by an onslaught of finedining kitchen jobs: Ben Poremba’s Elaia, Mike Randolph’s Privado, Gerard Craft’s Dia’s Room at Cinder House. While at The Copper Pig, Cisneros started experimenting with pollo a la brasas, a Peruvian whole chicken dish served with steak fries and multiple dairy-based sauces. “I was obsessed with pollo a la brasas,” he said. “It’s the most consumed dish in Peru for every class.” When fate took him back to Randolph last spring, this time at Original J’s TexMex, the conditions were right for him to perfect his version of the dish.

He tested new ideas daily, making small changes in seasonings and the kind of beer he used. Though classic pollo a la brasas uses five ingredients (oregano, beer, lime, garlic and mirasol, a dried yellow chile pepper), Cisneros’ versions used as many

as 15 ingredients. “I was looking at it more like a science,” he explained.

He’d had this food many times in Peru, but because the dish’s secrets are so coveted, he’d never scored the perfect recipe. “Unless you’re in the family, you’ll never get the recipe,” he explained. Now, according to his family, who visit the restaurant often, both the chicken and its sauces are up to par. Former boss Ben Poremba agreed: “I think it’s delicious, it’s transportive, it’s authentic,” he said. “That chicken should be a staple forever.”

C I

By 28, Cisneros has already undergone a full cosmopolitan odyssey that’s taken him to a point where he can focus on his favorite dish and make it his own. By design, his pollo a la brasas delivers waves of deep flavor and tradition; if it brings him his own brick-and-mortar soon, which is his goal, that would also be great.

But for now, he’s figured out how to party in his own way. – A.R.

Jan/Feb 2021

E N R I Q U E

S N E R O S

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K AITLYN

G I B B BAR MANAGER, LOUIE // AGE: 23 // WHY WATCH THEM: THEY'RE THE REASON YOU GET DRUNK AT LOUIE.

It’s Saturday night at Louie, the dining room and patio are slammed, and Kaitlyn Gibbs is behind the bar.

Gibbs (who uses the pronoun “they”) gets an order for an espresso martini and quickly turn it around. A customer on the patio inhales the drink and immediately tells everybody around him that it’s the best espresso martini he’s ever had. People on the patio start ordering the cocktail; diners inside and at the bar, alerted by the steady stream flying by, start to request it as well. Before long, Gibbs had over 30 orders for the drink. “Every time I heard the ticket ring, I was like, ‘Oh my god,’” Gibbs explained – in addition to the cocktail’s multiple touches, they had

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to pull fresh espresso for each one. They were in the weeds.

It was almost like a Slumdog Millionaire kind of situation.

The bartender came up slinging coffee and building their palate at local cafes like Kaldi’s, Sump and Comet Coffee, spending their nights visiting restaurants to learn more about food and drink.

Their favorite place to eat was Louie, whose hospitality they found affecting. “I thought it was the coolest place to be. I still do,” Gibbs said.

“I was 20 at the time, and I’d never had anybody treat me that way.” When owner Matt McGuire offered them a bartending gig out of the blue, assuring them that they would fill in the gaps in their knowledge as they went

along, they were nervous to move away from coffee, but they took it. Three months later, the bar manager job was open, and McGuire offered it to them. “[Gibbs] has a great palate,” he said.

“And like all great makers of things, the work isn’t an impediment. The work is exhausting, and they’re not afraid of the work. I think our business needs more people like them.” Gibbs said yes to the opportunity, slowly gaining confidence and skill from a combination of exhaustive training, constant wine tastings and reading everything they possibly could.

At Louie, Gibbs has found a nurturing environment that empowers them to do

things they never thought they could do. Last summer, for example, McGuire came to them about the wine list.

“I think that I’m getting bored,” he said, asking them to help expand the restaurant’s repertoire of Italian classics into a broader, more adventurous list. Gibbs’ response? “Hell yeah.”

So when the night of the espresso martini came, Gibbs was ready. In a perfect storm moment, they coolly dominated a situation that would have destroyed most young bartenders. Since they had already put in the work, the equation that evening was simple: shots of espresso, perfect martini base, knowledge and grace under pressure. No problem. – A.R.

Jan/Feb 2021

S

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J U W A 32 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com

Jan/Feb 2021

Juwan Rice: A Life in 9 Courses *Menu subject to change at a moment’s notice due to global health, societal needs, climate, creativity, spontaneity and passion.

St. Louis’ stay-at-home orders, Juwan revisited his dormant JR’s Gourmet project, catering small events and private dinners.

Amuse-bouche Even as a teenage caterer, Rice already had business cards.

First main Fresh out of high school, Rice started at Bait (a Sauce Best New Restaurant in 2019). At Bait, he worked as pastry chef, but when the restaurant’s executive chef left, he stepped into the role of executive sous chef, manning the kitchen while also taking care of the restaurant’s food orders.

Second main As Covid concerns escalated, Rice launched Feeding the Frontline, a crowd-funded service project that enabled him to help feed the brave and exhausted frontline workers of St. Louis. With help from his mom and his church’s kitchen, he fed more than 2,000 health care workers hearty, healthy and home-cooked meals throughout spring and summer 2020.

Starter At Parkway North High School, he took every food-

Palate Cleanser When the pandemic started and Bait shut down during

Cheese course In October 2020, he participated in Chef Nico

Hors d’oeuvres Juwan Rice started making cookies and cupcakes for schoolmates and his mom’s coworkers, a project that turned into JR’s Gourmet, a catering business that he licensed at the age of 14.

N

related course available before moving on to South Technical Institute for his junior and senior years so he could learn more about the food industry, cook in a commercial kitchen and receive mentoring from chefs around St. Louis.

Shumpert’s Taste Buds dinner series as he transitioned back into curating intimate, Covid-friendly, fine-dining experiences with JR’s Gourmet.

Assorted desserts (coming in 2021) Rice has plans to purchase a 6,000-square-foot property in Tower Grove South that will involve commercial kitchen space for rent plus studio space for photographers.

He also wants to buy a food truck to have available for rent so chefs can do mobile pop-ups, something he sees as the pivot entrepreneurial chefs need right now.

Mignardise He’s turning 20 in August.

Seriously. – J.C.

CHEF-OWNER, JR'S GOURMET AGE: 19 WHY WATCH HIM: HE STARTED HIS FIRST BUSINESS AT 14.

R I C E Jan/Feb 2021

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JUSTIN

McMILLEN

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Jan/Feb 2021

DIRECTOR OF CULINARY OPERATIONS, NICHE FOOD GROUP AGE: 33 // WHY WATCH HIM: HE’S “THE TRUTH.”

A nickname like “the Truth” sounds like a superhero’s alter ego.

And indeed, there is something Clark Kent-ish about Justin McMillen, the director of culinary operations for Niche Food Group, whose former employers consistently describe as “humble” and “unpretentious.” McMillen was bequeathed the lofty moniker by his former boss at Overlook Farm, chef Tim Grandinetti. The two first met when McMillen came to extern with Grandinetti at St. Louis’ Renaissance Grand Hotel in 2007. Grandinetti was so impressed by McMillen’s talent and dedication that he tapped McMillen to help him reboot Overlook’s farmto-table dining program in 2010. For two years, the two lived and worked side by side on the farm with little to distract them besides “tapes of Anthony Bourdain’s and Dave Chappelle’s shows,” recalled Grandinetti.

Collaboration between Overlook and Sidney Street Cafe chef-owner Kevin Nashan on a dinner led to McMillen joining Nashan’s team in 2012. McMillen spent the next five-andhalf years working his way up to the role of chef de cuisine, which he took over when Chris Bolyard vacated the position. While some might be satisfied with the top gig at one of

Jan/Feb 2021

the city’s most esteemed restaurants, McMillen was eager to continue exploring.

A visit to Sidney Street by chef Kyle Connaughton led to an opportunity to relocate to California to help Connaughton open SingleThread, a Japaneseinspired restaurant and farm in Sonoma County.

The restaurant was awarded three Michelin stars during McMillen’s time there.

At SingleThread, the same patience and steadiness that prompted Grandinetti to nickname a young McMillen “the Truth” prompted Connaughton to put McMillen in charge of managing new staff and externs. “People who maybe had a little bit less experience felt really comfortable having him as their mentor … being led and guided by him,” Connaughton said.

Now back in St. Louis after three years away, McMillen is applying his leadership and culinary skills to the Niche Food Group’s diverse portfolio of restaurants, which encompasses Italian, French, Brazilian and American cuisines.

It’s a big job; it takes a skilled chef to serve as the connective thread between so many different kinds of restaurants. But Justin “the Truth” McMillen is clearly cut out for the task. We’re glad to have him back in town. – L.W.

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birria tacos from taco drip stl’s dipped tacos

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Jan/Feb 2021

by james boeckmann photos by carmen troesser lettering by vidhya nagarajan

Jan/Feb 2021

j u i c y b i r r i a ta c o s , t r a d i t i o n a l ly s e r v e d w i t h a c u p o f r i c h , m e at y b r o t h , a r e ta k i n g ov e r o u r c i t y. d i p, b a by, d i p !

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tacos la jefa’s owner heriberta amescua (center) eats birria tacos at home with granddaughter emily avila-guzman (left) and daughter liliana amezcua (right).

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Jan/Feb 2021

ailing from the state of Jalisco in Mexico and a bona fide institution in its capital Guadalajara, birria tacos are having a moment. Sometimes called “wet tacos,” they are traditionally served with a cup of consommé (for dunking, dipping and even drinking) made primarily with the drippings of the taco’s slow-cooked meat.

Birria is a tradition born humbly as a method for preparing unwanted goat meat, which tends to be tough with a strong taste. The solution: Slather the goat with a chile-based marinade before slow-cooking it for hours, turning the toughest cuts tender. The result is a rich and mouthwatering meal equally suited for service as a daily staple, hangover cure and family-gathering centerpiece.

The women of Tacos La Jefa serve their generations-old family recipe to long lines of diners from their space in Urban Eats’ communal Dutchtown kitchen. Their matriarch, inspiration and jefa (boss), Heriberta Amescua, has been making birria for the better part of a lifetime. She prefers using beef to goat due to the smell.

Birria is part of the family’s roots. “There was always birria for special family occasions, for birthday parties, weddings – family gatherings in big groups,” her daughter Liliana Amezcua said. Their tacos are simple but effective, with toothtender beef and a complex, aromatic consommé; both are well worth the wait.

At Lucha Authentic Mexican Food II in Grand Center, owner Catalina Valdez serves an Oaxacan variety of birria in which slow-cooked lamb is wrapped

get it!

Jan/Feb 2021

taco drip stl’s dipped taco’s owner stephanie boyd aka chef stef

inside agave leaves. The tacos come without the consommé sidecar, instead dripping with the fatty, red juice. “Welldone birria always has to have a good and natural salsa,” Valdez explained. Hers is sharp and fresh with a wisp of smoke to balance the lamb’s richness.

Elsewhere across town, traditional birria doubles as a platform for creative experimentation. At Original J’s TexMex in University City, brisket finds a brothy home inside a wet taco, where liberal use of the consommé highlights the brisket’s depth of flavor. Taco Drip STL’s Dipped Taco, posted up with a portable flattop and a cooler in a Florissant strip mall parking lot, readily sells out of their version, an extra-cheesy

Tacos La Jefa, 3301 Meramec St., St. Louis, Facebook: Tacos La Jefa STL

Taco Drip STL’s Dipped Taco, 11738 W. Florissant Ave., Florissant, 314.885.2911, Facebook: Taco Drip STL’s Dipped Taco

taco with a fried-crisp shell. It’s a gooey texture-bomb made for dunking.

You won’t find it listed on their GrubHub menu, but the Taco and Ice Cream Joint’s El Mojado is worth a trip. Melted cheese binds two tortillas that carry a juicy barbacoa filling. The spicy consommé makes for a punchy birria that could bounce any hangover.

“Heriberta always says that birria must be made with a lot of love,” Liliana Amezcua said of her mother. “We need to be happy, we need to make them with good attitude, and when we do we put that good attitude into the meat to share it.”

From the traditional to the original, St. Louis is feeling the love.

Lucha Authentic Mexican Food II, 522 N. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.282.0728, luchaii.com

Taco and Ice Cream Joint, 2738 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.224.5799, Facebook: The Taco & Ice Cream Joint

Original J’s TexMex, 7359 Forsyth Blvd., University City, 314.202.8335, originaljs.com

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L A S T B I T E // W H AT I D O

BEN POREMBA

little details – she doesn’t miss a detail when she opens the restaurant. And her presence on the floor is just calming and reassuring. People could be yelling at her and screaming at her and cussing at her, and she is just full of grace. I’m not.”

bengelina hospitality group, bengelina.com

CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR

“ W h e n I o p e n e d O l i o [in 2012]

and I was trying to basically cook Israeli food, that term didn’t exist at that time.

If it did, it only existed in the big cities. I think that I pioneered a little bit of that Israeli or Middle Eastern Revolution that is now everywhere. It’s ubiquitous.”

Chances are Ben Poremba has had a hand in at least one of your favorite local restaurants, and likely more than one. Co-founder of Salume Beddu, former executive chef at Winslow’s Home (now Winslow’s Table) and the now-closed Maryland House at Brennan’s, he is currently chef-owner of Bengelina Hospitality Group, which includes restaurants Olio and Elaia, as well as The Benevolent King, Nixta, La Patisserie Chouquette and specialty foods market and coffee shop AO&Co. Here, he talks about his professional and creative journey, where the restaurant industry is headed, and his great admiration for another local restaurateur, Zoe Robinson. – Liz Wolfson

“ T h e i d e a o f r e s ta u r a n t s i s c h a n g i n g . … It’s changing from this

all-encompassing operation to something a lot more focused and tighter. A lot of it is Covid-induced. But even before, we were trying to figure out … how to do what we do in a more efficient way. Restaurants [operate with] tiny margins; cash flow is everything. Covid accentuated all those underlying problems that we knew were there. [It’s] just forced us to stop and think about, how is it that even the most successful restaurants, when they close for three weeks, they’re completely out of money to pay vendors, completely out of cash reserves to pay their employees? It’s not sustainable.” “ I ’ m a lov e r o f q ua l i t y i n g r e d i e n t s , that’s the reason I

“ M y pa r e n t s e m b o d i e d t h e e s s e n c e o f h o s p i ta l i t y.

My dad [Jacob] was in business, and they traveled extensively. They’ve had friends from every continent in our little apartment in Israel, where I grew up. It just felt busy with guests all the time.”

“I remember my mom’s

appointments and table settings and, of course, the food. But it was more than the food: It was just the whole approach to hosting and entertaining. And that’s still the biggest inspiration for me.”

started with a family, and then from the family to a little catering business. When I decided that I wanted to do it for real, then it meant that I had to go and experience it – traveling in Europe and going back to Israel, and really not doing what most cooks or chefs do, which is spend a lot of time in kitchens and doing line work. I did that too, once I decided that’s really what I wanted to do. But I really did it from the perspective of almost like an anthropologist. The food culture was more important to me than the professional cooking culture.” “ M y t i t l e at t h e c o m pa n y

“ I s ta r t e d t o c o o k

[professionally] when I was in college. It

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[Bengelina Hospitality Group] is like the director of tiny details and the director

of big details. Tiny elements would mean that the toilet paper in our bathrooms is wrapped in ribbon, that a planter is being placed there, or that we’re using this font for that menu – all the little tiny little details that I think sum up an experience.

And then the big details: What’s our next restaurant? What’s our next strategy?

What do we wanna do here?” “ Z o e R o b i n s o n a n d I are good

“ W e r e c e n t ly o p e n e d a s t o r e that sells used home goods – we

friends, and she’s really inspired me. …

She is what I call the restaurateur par excellence. Her ability to greet people as soon as they come in is just unbelievable.

She’s really the stage designer. It’s what I aim to be. She’s the queen of

call it pre-loved goods – on Cherokee Street. It’s called the Commissary. It was supposed to be a commissary kitchen … and we decided, what the heck, let’s just sell a bunch of the stuff we have and … create another experience, right?”

Jan/Feb 2021

PHOTO BY VIRGINIA HAROLD

“ I ’ m a m a m a ’ s b o y; I’m the youngest of three. My mom [Rachel] was a professional caterer for many years and a culinary educator. I’m convinced that the cooking bug came from her.”

went to Italy and studied at the slow food university [University of Gastronomic Sciences]. I’ve started launching a lot of products, retail-able products. That’s the direction that I’m gonna go full force over the next couple of years or even the next couple decades. I have a local caviar line that we sell at our store [AO&Co.], batched cocktails that I do with Kevin Lemp at Four Hands brewery and 1220 [Artisan Spirits].

I’m doing a coffee from Colombia. … We’re doing canned seafood from Spain that’s gonna have my name on it. And other things: cigars with Kevin Brennan from Brennan’s – I’ve been a cigar smoker for years.”

Jan/Feb 2021

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L A S T B I T E // L A N D M A R K

BEFFA’S BAR & RESTAURANT

BY A DA M R OTH BA R TH

this place, I’d like to give it a try.” His mother asked him if he was crazy; his father was “all for it.” So Paul officially took over Beffa’s.

the dining room at beffa's bar & restaurant

Beffa’s Bar & Restaurant reopened in March 2020 after being closed for almost a decade, only to find an immediate and completely unexpected obstacle. “We had two awesome weeks, and then the pandemic hit,” said current owner Paul Beffa. Luckily, this hasn’t been their first time through the wringer.

Brothers Attilio and Anselmo Beffa, who had emigrated from Switzerland a few years prior, originally opened the restaurant as a saloon in 1898.

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When Prohibition hit in the 1930s, they started serving food in order to make ends meet. According to Paul, being able to adapt to big changes has been always one of the restaurant’s strong suits. “We’ve gone through countless historical events, and we’ve always prospered through them and come out on the other side even stronger,” he explained. “I like to call it ‘the Beffa mentality.’ We just keep on grinding.”

Paul’s father Michael Beffa ran the restaurant until 2011, when he decided

to retire. At that time, operating a restaurant wasn’t part of Paul’s plan. “I was too young and didn’t really know what I wanted to do in life, so I didn’t raise my hand and say I wanted to take over,” he said. Instead, Paul got his real estate license and planned to help look for new tenants for the building when the time came. But eventually, like his father and grandfather Attilio before him, he heard the siren’s call of industry life. “One day, I just sat down and started putting numbers to paper and thought, ‘Hey, if nobody bites on

Beffa’s has always been a familydriven kind of establishment – it’s one of the secrets behind their philosophy of customer service. “We pride ourselves on not only taking care of you – we also treat you like family,” Paul declared. “We welcome everybody in and just respect them and treat them like one of our own.”

From the Depression-era workers rolling through for a dependable lunch to the Saint Louis University students and Wells Fargo employees popping by on the weekend for apps and beer to offering online ordering and table service�during the pandemic , Beffa’s has pretty much been there through it all. If history has anything to teach us, it’s that the Covid era will simply be anothe� victim fo“the Beffa mentality” – not vice-versa.

2700 Olive St., St. Louis, 314.571.9367, beffas.com

Jan/Feb 2021

PHOTO BY DAVID KOVALUK

Now the restaurant, which was cafeteria-style until the pandemic paused that service model, serves a combination of classic, mid-century plates and timeless sandwiches like a pub burger and a Reuben, whose corned beef recipe dates back to the ’60s. In the old days, Paul said, Beffa’s was a hub for satisfying, homey lunches. “It was more homestyle recipes and comfort foods that you would see on a typical lunch menu,” he commented. Back then, his father could be found behind the line at lunchtime, carving up fresh roast beef, turkey and more to order.

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