May 2014

Naomi hamamura a master of precision

In the Kitchen with the Cardinals' Chef p. 62 May 2014

RE V I EW

t h e u lt i m at e Pork Steak

Pitcher-Perfect

Margarita

Small Batch

p. 54

p. 29

p. 25 FREE, may 2014

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may 2 014 • VO LUM E 14, Issue 5 PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR ART DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL SPECIAL SECTIONs EDITOR contributing editor Fact checker PROOFREADER PRODUCTION DESIGNER EDIBLE WEEKEND WRITER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

What do you want for Mother's Day?

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS George Clooney (See page 32.), but I'll settle for an alphabetized spice drawer.

Events coordinator Listings manager ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Account Executives Advertising Accounts Coordinator interns

To place advertisements in Sauce Magazine contact the advertising department at 314.772.8004 or sales@ saucemagazine.com.

To carry Sauce Magazine at your store, restaurant, bar or place of business Contact Allyson Mace at 314.772.8004 or amace@saucemagazine.com.

All contents of Sauce Magazine are copyright ©2001-2014 by Bent Mind Creative Group, LLC. The Sauce name and logo are both registered to the publisher, Bent Mind Creative Group, LLC. Reproduction or other use, in

Allyson Mace Ligaya Figueras Meera Nagarajan Julie Cohen Catherine Klene For my baby to sleep Julie Cohen so my husband and Garrett Faulkner I can sip Scarpetta Rosa Heyman rosé on the balcony Emily Lowery Michelle Volansky Catherine Klene Jonathan Gayman, Ashley Gieseking, Elizabeth Jochum, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky Vidhya Nagarajan Glenn Bardgett, Matt Berkley, Julie Cohen, Garrett Faulkner, Ligaya Figueras, Kellie Hynes, Byron Kerman, Jamie Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Cory King, Catherine Klene, Meera Nagarajan, Matt Obermark, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan Rebecca Ryan Rebecca Ryan Allyson Mace A clean kitchen Rachel Gaertner, Jill George, and a steak more Jackie Wagner rare than medium Jill George Kate Essig, Brooke Hamroff

whole or in part, of the contents without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. While the information has been compiled carefully to ensure maximum accuracy at the time of publication, it is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change.

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

Additional copies may be obtained by providing a request at 314.772.8004 or via mail. Postage fee of $2 will apply.

editorial policies The Sauce Magazine mission is to provide St. Louis-area residents and visitors with unbiased, complete information on the area’s restaurant, bar and entertainment industry. Our editorial content is not influenced by who advertises with Sauce Magazine or saucemagazine.com.

Sauce Magazine is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.

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 May 2014

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contents may 2014

editors' picks 13

EAT THIS Fried chicken at Amigo Joe's

14

FIXATIONS 8 products on our shopping list

16

HIT LIST 4 new places to try this month

reviews 19

NEW AND NOTABLE Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria

by michael renner

Kup’s Egg pizza at Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria p. 19

COCKTAILS 29 May bouquet: Diablito's Flora margarita

by ligaya figueras

WHAT I DO

31 Horseplay

22

POWER LUNCH The Precinct

by matt obermark

Simon Lusky

by ligaya figueras

Features

by byron kerman

32

25

Vegan crepes

38

by kellie hynes

The Story of Hama

37

A chef whose actions speak louder than words

NIGHTLIFE Small Batch

by matt berkley

VEGETIZE IT

MAKE THIS Griddled asparagus

dine & drink Photo by jonathan gayman

62

by dee ryan

by julie cohen 50

Naomi Hamamura, chef at Wasabi downtown, arranges nigiri next to his ice carving. Story on page 38.

photo by greg rannells

Umami Boosters

last course

27

A SEAT AT THE BAR

by ligaya figueras

Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake

58

54

by glenn bardgett, cory king, and ted and jamie kilgore

by byron kerman

by catherine klene

May 2014

cover details Naomi Hamamura: a master of precision

STUFF TO DO

the ultimate pork steak

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letter from the editor

Ligaya Figueras (left) with Pat Shannon-VanMatre of Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood, who wears the jersey (right) that her father, Mike Shannon, wore in the 1964 World Series. She also sports his 1968 National League Championship ring (bottom right).

I fondly remember summers in the earlyto-mid ‘80s when my mom would drop off my older brother and me at the old Busch Stadium. We’d sit in the bleachers and watch Lonnie and Ozzie steal base after base. Whiteyball was exciting, but if the game was slow, there was always a quickwitted beer vendor, a snarky heckler or

The Wave to keep us entertained. Back at home, my mom would listen to Jack Buck and Mike Shannon call the game on the radio, then she’d hop in the car in the top of the ninth and be there by the final out.

No cell phone needed.

Times have changed and so has America’s pastime, but everyone who considers herself a part of Cardinal Nation has a Redbirds memory. Pat Shannon-VanMatre probably has more than most, considering she’s breathed baseball her whole life. Not only did she grow up watching her dad, No. 18, play for the Cards, but as co-owner of Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood, Pat continues the restaurant’s nearly

30-year legacy of being home base for pre- and postgame revelry.

Ballpark Village is the newest destination for Cardinals fans. The 120,000-squarefoot development adjacent to Busch Stadium offers a variety of eating, drinking and entertainment options, including Cardinals Nation, which houses a two-story restaurant and bar, Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, and the 330seat rooftop deck where Pat and I are sitting. Read more about the village and other new dining destinations in this month’s Hit List (p. 16).

While places like Mike Shannon’s and the venues at Ballpark Village give

us fans a place to fill up, deep inside Busch Stadium, a 25-year-old chef named Simon Lusky stays busy feeding Cardinals players. As Simon reveals in What I Do (p. 62), the most superstitious game on the planet includes more than a few culinary quirks. I hope his stories, along with the rest of this month’s issue, help you have a winner of a dining season.

Cheers,

Ligaya Figueras Executive editor

If you like to stay in the know about the local dining scene, don’t miss this month’s Sound Bites. Sauce executive editor Ligaya Figueras and art director Meera Nagarajan will give you the inside scoop on new and soon-toopen restaurants as well as culinary trends that are shaping plates around town. Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 KWMU’s Cityscape Friday, May 9 at noon and 10 p.m.

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photos by jonathan gayman

D

arrell Porter, Keith Hernandez, Tommy Herr, Ken Oberkfell, Ozzie Smith, Lonnie Smith, Willie McGee, Silent George ...

More than 30 years have passed since the 1982 St. Louis Cardinals won the World Series, but I can still recite the roster; I bet I’m not the only one.

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editors' picks

eat this

FRIED CHICKEN at a Mexican joint? If you’re eating off-the-menu habanero fried chicken at AMIGO JOE’S, we say, “Por supuesto.” Tear through its spicy, crispy skin to reveal insanely tender meat with a subtle kick. Add rice, refried beans

photo by carmen troesser

and a jumbo margarita, and you’ll wonder why all international diplomacy can’t be this flawless.

Amigo Joe’s, 5901 Southwest Ave., St. Louis, 314.645.1995, amigojoesstl.com

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Fixations We’ve been stuffing our faces with pasta, cheese, chips and chocolate while lying on the couch reading foodie lit. Here are the products that got us to this gluttonous state.

Patric 67 Percent Madagascar Dark Chocolate With layered flavors of plum, butter, berries and citrus, it’s easy to understand why this single-estate Madagascar dark chocolate won the Columbia-based chocolatier a silver medal at the World Final of the International Chocolate Awards. $9. Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 314.968.7744, wholefoodsmarket.com

Flory’s Truckle Dry, crumbly and delicious, this clothbound aged cheddar is made by Milton Creamery in Iowa using Jersey cow milk from the Flory family farm in Jamesport. $20 per pound. Parker’s Table, 7118 Oakland Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.645.2050, parkerstable.com

Provence, 1970 What happens when four American culinary greats hang out in Provence for a month? This book: “Provence, 1970,” a story told through M.F.K. Fisher’s detailed journals of her time with Julia Child, James Beard and Richard Olney and how they changed the way we eat. $26. Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.367.6731, left-bank.com

Tyrrells Worcester Sauce & Sundried Tomato English Chips You have to hand it to the Brits. They perfectly captured the sweet smoke of an American backyard barbecue in this addictive, crunchy crisp that puts a traditional barbecue chip to shame. $3.15.

Fields Foods, 1500 Lafayette Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.3276, fieldsfoods.com

Plastic flasks Fill these flasks with rum to mix with Coke at the baseball game or – if you’re anything like us – pre-batch a cocktail, serve over ice and make fellow sports fans jealous. $2.50 to $4. Randall’s Wines and Spirits, 1910 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.865.0199, shoprandalls.com

Pappardelle’s Orange Szechuan Linguine This pasta has striking color and a pronounced peppery bite. Cook it up when you want to impress dinner guests. $9.50 per pound. Ferguson Farmers Market, 20 S. Florissant Road, Ferguson, 314.324.4298, pappardellespasta.com

Rabbit Electra The art of wine snobbery includes owning this rechargeable electric gizmo to pull wine corks at the touch of a button. $45. Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine, 15860 Fountain Plaza Drive, Ellisville, 636.227.6800, veritasgateway.com

Doughnut zipper pouch bag The perfect clutch for those who are crazy about designer doughnuts. $5. Phoenix Rising, 6331 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.862.0609, shopphoenixrising.com

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hit list

4 new places to try this month

1

Ballpark Village 601 Clark Ave., St. Louis, 314.345.9481, stlballparkvillage.com

3 While house-made microbrews are on the The Tap – An horizon at The Tap – An American American Restaurant Restaurant & & Brewery, this new St. Brewery Charles venue boasts nearly 200 bottled 3803 Elm St., St. beers, another 18 on Charles, 636.724.4242, draft (many of them gotothetap.com local), plus tap handles for wine and cocktails.

Thirsty patrons can enjoy a round at the bar, which sports a 30-foot frost rail, or draw their own pints of beer at one of five self-service tap tables. If you’ve sworn off toasted ravioli, now’s the time to cheat. The Tap’s house-made T-ravs are larger than life and expertly cooked. Same goes for its Tap Cakes – a delectable mix of lobster, crab and smoked salmon – and no-frills French onion soup. The somewhat frenetic space is jammed with hovering flat-screen TVs and beer art on the walls, and even a hot sauce cart that avails diners to 150 bottles – some with a healthy kick, some downright dangerous.

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4

Three Flags Tavern 4940 Southwest Ave., St. Louis, 314.669.9222, threeflagstavern.com

Patrons of the former Harry’s Bar and Grill in the Southwest Garden neighborhood may not recognize their old haunt, now transformed into Three Flags Tavern. The menu pays tribute to the cuisines of Spain, France and the U.S., whose flags were raised on Three Flags Day, the tavern’s namesake. Choose a wine from the 18 by-theglass options to pair with your meal, which should include the cheesy, light-as-air lobster beignets. Continue your crustacean indulgence with a buttery Connecticut-style lobster roll in a house-made potato bun (the mayo-laced Maine style is also available), or savor the braised pork shank, swimming in the tavern’s take on posole.

2

The Salted Pig 731 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Frontenac, 314.738.9373, thesaltedpigstl.com

Michael Del Pietro, owner of four area Italian concepts, has moved past pasta. New Southern cuisine is the focus at The Salted Pig, whose menu includes small bites, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Start with an order of roasted Brussels sprouts, made sweet and spicy thanks to house-cured bacon and caramelized onions, all napped in a delicious sweet hot sauce. We licked our fingers clean after eating the fried chicken – crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside from a three-day bath in a buttermilk brine. Served in a 10-inch skillet, this half-chicken is easily a meal for two. In the mood for barbecue? You can’t go wrong with pitmaster Ken Dennison’s slab of ribs seasoned with a dry rub and slathered with a sweet house-made sauce. A minimalist design in the 175-seat space showcases beautiful repurposed wood – from low- and high-top tables to a bench spanning the length of the dining area to a statement wall of stacked timber.

May 2014

photos by michelle volansky

Ballpark Village boasts five distinct venues at which to dine (with more on the way) and even more places to grab a drink. In the atrium of this newly completed, 120,000-square-foot entertainment district, feast on a juicy Bacon Three Way Burger while you watch the ballgame on a 40-foot wide TV. Or head to Budweiser Brew House’s swanky rooftop deck or its Biergarten, complete with fireplace, communal tables and Adirondack chairs.

Wash down the Brew House’s fish and chips with a Goose Island Honker’s Ale. Feeling nostalgic? Outside at BuschII-Infield, located on the old Busch Stadium’s baseball diamond, the kids can play catch while you relax with a beer on the same ground where legends were made.

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reviews All Sauce reviews are conducted anonymously.

Black spaghetti at Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria

new and notable

Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria

by Michael Renner | Photos by Jonathan Gayman

T

hose familiar with Katie Lee’s previous restaurant – Katie’s Pizzeria Cafe in Clayton, with which she no longer has a business connection – will feel right at home in her new eponymous endeavor, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria. The young restaurateur has outfitted her new digs in a Rock Hill shopping plaza with the same eclectic eye toward the charmingly funky-

new and notable katie's pizza & Pasta osteria p. 19 / power lunch the precinct p. 22 / nightlife SMALL BATCH p. 25 May 2014

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reviews new and notable p. 2 of 2

kitchen – doubles the menu options, while osteria evokes more panache than anything called cafe ever could. The new Katie’s is further distinguished by the unusual – and successful – financing option the couple employed to help launch it, a crowdsourcing campaign that raised $43,000 in donations.

chic: mismatched tables and chairs, some scored from flea markets, some made by her fiance, artist and business partner Ted Collier; movies silently projected over the bar; and various sphere-shaped light fixtures hanging from the ceiling like glowing baubles. The space has a long open kitchen and two window-sized living wall planters that frame the custom-made bar. One of Collier’s abstract paintings hangs on the back wall. Vintage leather suitcases line the front window, as if to suggest that another trip is never far off for the travel-loving couple. Look for their framed travel photos and skydiving certificate behind the bar.

One more distinction: The pizzas are baked in a wood-fired oven. There are 15 pies, all 11 inches in diameter. At first glance they look Neapolitan, but these pies have a denser crust, which can only be described as Neapolitan-American (To be called Neapolitan, there are strict rules about the yeast, rolling and baking temperature.). The oven burns around 800 degrees, which is not quite hot enough to bake a true Neapolitan pie with its characteristic char in less than a minute.

If the décor doesn’t explicitly distinguish the new Katie’s from the old, the name does.

The addition of the word pasta – all sorts of shapes dry on little racks around the

AT A GLANCE Katie's Pizza & Pasta Osteria

Don’t Miss Dishes Black spaghetti, Kup’s Egg pizza, artichoke toasted ravioli

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Vibe Casual, loud and infectiously fun

If you like your pizza topped with hamburger and canned black olives, resist that craving because Katie’s is where you can get the Kup’s Egg pizza: extravirgin olive oil brushed on bare dough then layered with Salume Beddu’s fiama Katie Lee, sausage, fontina chef-owner of cheese, forest Katie's Pizza & mushrooms and fresh thyme, and Pasta Osteria then topped with an egg before the pizza hits the hot stone. The result was a delicious breakfast-for-dinner dish with the sunny side up egg enhancing the flavors of the sausage and cheese.

One night there was white clam pizza as the special, a delightful take on the Connecticut classic. Gremolada and breadcrumbs scattered over a mantle of fontina and chopped, briny clam meat added both brightness and additional texture. The best part? A whole littleneck clam, infused with the delicate smoke flavor from the oven, adorned each slice. Another pizza was topped with creamy burrata, a mild, soft cheese made from mozzarella and cream, which Lee sources from The Hill, and a simple sauce of San Marzano tomatoes, Salume Beddu’s excellent finocchiona salami and caramelized fennel. It was just the kind of pizza I could crave consistently.

from merely decent to decadent. But the torchio, torch-shaped and penne-sized, fell short; the noodles unraveled from too much time in hot water, a couple of whole sun-dried tomatoes missed the chopping knife and the overall flavor was surprisingly flat, given that oil-cured black olives and pesto were part of the dish.

Similar to the Clayton Katie’s, there’s house-made toasted ravioli stuffed with a mixture of artichoke hearts and red pepper, and served with a pesto dipping sauce.

Here, though, instead of Gorgonzola in the mixture, the plump, crispy pillows simply feature shaved Parmesan on top for a more relaxed, subtle flavor. An appetizer of fried artichoke hearts picked up its crispy edges not from a deep-fryer but from the oven, making the burnt leaves too tough to enjoy.

There is a section of the menu dedicated to nothing but burrata. I went with fig mostarda prosciutto and an ice cream scoop-sized portion of cheese. While I detected a hint of the characteristic mustard flavor in the fig mostarda, the predominant flavor reminded me more of a Fig Newton. Our server initially forgot the accompanying crostini, which was no big deal, but when it did arrive, I was surprised that it was actually a crostino.

It’s no fun sharing just one piece of toast.

To be sure, these pies were creative and flavorful, but I was disappointed with their crusts. The lower oven temperature means a longer bake time to cook the toppings, which also dries out the dough before the collar is crisp, resulting in too much cracker-crunch and brittleness and not enough tender chewiness. In short, no sweet spot.

While the beer selection covers local and regional bases well, the wine list suffers from the same limitation I’ve noticed elsewhere lately: $7 glasses of wine that I can find at most grocery stores.

Somebody, please thrill me with a house wine that’s both interesting and cheap.

What was thrilling, though, was the cherry pie. Tart cherries were balanced with a proper sweetness and the crust was flaky from top to bottom.

Nine pastas are available. Black spaghetti gets its name from the squid ink used to make the twisty, squiggly tentacles of pasta that came in a spicy white wine sauce topped with succulent bites of shrimp, mussels and clams. An accent of caviar added bracing salinity, elevating the dish

Despite the misses, Katie’s hits will bring me back, like that black seafood pasta and Kup’s Egg pizza – even with its overly crisp crust. Judging by the throngs packing the place on weekends, Kickstarter investors or otherwise, I’m not the only one taken with Katie’s vibrant conviviality.

Entree Prices $12 to $20

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

When Mon. to Thu. – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m, Fri. ­– 11 a.m. to midnight, Sat. ­– 10 a.m. to midnight, Sun. – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Brunch: Sat. and Sun. – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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reviews power lunch

Power Lunch

The Precinct

by Byron Kerman | photos by Elizabeth Jochum

[1]

The identity change from the space that was Jim Edmonds’ 15 Steakhouse to The Precinct has not been a smooth one. Most notably, the law-enforcement theme makes less sense since the St. Louis City Police Headquarters, scheduled to move nearby, continues to be delayed. The departure of The Precinct’s inaugural chef was an uh-oh moment, too. But now, with the help of new chef Ben Welch, the grub is respectable. The service, on the other hand, is far from ready for promotion to sergeant.

ignored. Silverware was eventually provided – after we stared at our food for some time. (The table next to ours endured the same treatment.) We received no plates to split appetizers and finally gave up and fetched them ourselves. Water was never refilled.

Adding insult to injury, The Precinct each time we did 1900 Locust St., manage to locate our St. Louis, 314.588.8899, server and essentially theprecinctstl.com beg for assistance, she rolled her eyes at the imposition. On the plus side, wet wipes for cleanup after eating ribs are available upon request.

Start Me Up Dense and chewy, the warm baked pretzels with a beer mustard and spicy cheese sauce tasted delicious [1]. A friend and I even saved the leftover sauce to slather on everything else we ordered. In the St. Louis of 2014, if a restaurant doesn’t have flatbreads on its appetizer menu, it risks being left behind.

The Precinct’s winning contribution to this trend stars wild mushrooms, asparagus, cherry tomatoes, dollops of goat cheese, a lemonporcini cream and a final layer of shredded fontina cheese. The plump veggies, warm cheeses, lemon notes and solid, doughy crust made for a creamy, crunchy and caramelized delight [2]. The hot wings, ordered with a decent Buffalo sauce, retained their succulent juices. Eight other sauces are also available for the wings, including the spicier and punnier Stop Resisting and Hot Pursuit.

The Takeaway With tasty appetizers, flatbreads and barbecue, the viands at The Precinct are worth the trip. Let’s hope management works out the bugs in service, which currently tends more bad cop than good.

Avenue 'Cue The Precinct has staked much of its cred on barbecue, and the quality of what’s coming from its smoker was impressive.

The smoked brisket was excellent [3], and the caramelized fat around the beef added a tasty touch. Truly, it needed no sauce, but the kitchen sent out three rather forgettable options: a sweet, St. Louis-style house sauce; a slightly spicier variant; and an Alabama white. The ribs had the pink, tender meat that results from a sure hand at the smoker, while the moist and smoky turkey was a surprise hit.

cooked to a questionable mushiness but salvaged by tasty bits of smoked pork in the slurry. The fries, sprinkled with kosher salt and white pepper, were crispy and worth the carbs. The red wine vinaigrette holding the pasta salad together was a tad too subtle. The Precinct has no dessert choices – adding a few might not be a bad idea.

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time. If you have an outstanding warrant, just “maintain” dude – you can get through this.

While you’re chilling out, have a drink; the pub offers free shuttles to and from Cardinals and Blues games. During games, the joint is hopping. Want to bring the kids? A Skee-Ball machine will keep them busy. so-so service, no service

Sandwiches and Sides The roasted cauliflower grilled cheese sandwich sounded inventive, but the cauliflower was crunchy and undercooked.

A side of barbecued baked beans was

[2]

The Atmos-fear The Precinct is clotted from floor to ceiling with police memorabilia, and the clientele may very well include a few cops at any given

Service at The Precinct was just OK on one visit and a carnival of apathy on the other. During the latter, we were encouraged to sit anywhere and then

[3] May 2014

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nightlife

reviews

Small Batch

nightlife

by Matt berkley | Photos by jonathan gayman

Step two: Woo them with attractive surroundings. Local restaurateurs and bar owners would do well to take a page out of this sophisticated space. Small Batch’s soaring ceiling, mezzanine seating and large windows and mirrors beautifully marry modern elegance with the aesthetic of a 1930s downtown cocktail lounge. It’s dark.

It’s loud. And it’s downright sexy with crowds of couples Small Batch and young singles 3001 Locust St., lost in laughter St. Louis, 314.380.2040, as they sip from smallbatchstl.com shining glasses of booze.

I

t’s hard not to dismiss a whiskey bar featuring entirely vegetarian fare as someone’s idea of a joke. A stout tumbler of bourbon and a medium-rare steak just seem to naturally work together.

Why break up such a happy pair?

But that kind of thinking is nowhere near my mind on a Saturday night at Small Batch, after quaffing a trio of whiskeys and many forkfuls of carbonara loaded with smoked mushrooms and roasted cauliflower.

A crazy idea stops being crazy when it actually works – even for the most dedicated carnivores.

How to please meat-lovers at a vegetarian joint?

Step one: Get them good and liquored up. Gin is great. Vodka can certainly make for a good night. But whiskey (in case you haven’t noticed) is having a bit of a moment – Small Batch being the Midtown epicenter of the rage. The first six pages of Small Batch’s menu are dedicated entirely to the brown stuff – the majority are bourbons,

May 2014

plus some Irish and Scottish varieties and homegrown heroes, StilL 630 and Pinckney Bend. Each bottle is whimsically described on the user-friendly menu. For example, Noah’s Mill, a 114.3-proof Kentucky bourbon is, according to the menu, “Redolent of jr. high swim team: chlorine & chewy chocolate granola bars.” With dozens of bottles to choose from, this place fosters kid-in-a-candy-store excitement for whiskey drinkers who seek pours from unfamiliar distilleries. Suggested move: Order a whiskey flight: a trio of short pours served with a dressing station of ice cubes and fresh water.

Cocktail-wise, whiskey fans should stick to tried-and-true standards like the House Manhattan, an Old-Fashioned or a Sazerac, all of which can be prepared with any whiskey from the menu. Whereas these are potent and true to form, other cocktails, such as the rickey or Sour Patch, are watered-down wastes of good liquor. Be warned that the bar staff moves a little slow during peak hours.

Step three: Draft a food menu of plates that are still recognizable for the meat-lover. This isn’t your soybased, birdseed salad bar. Patrons chow down on oversized bowls of house-made pasta like the pomodoro, featuring thick rigatoni noodles smothered in a robust roasted tomato sauce with Kalamata olives, crunchy walnuts, fresh basil and an Asiago-fontina cheese blend. Another standout was the buttery gnocchi mixed with pine nuts, arugula and oven-roasted tomatoes. Follow that up with a fresh tumbler of bourbon and a plate of bread pudding soaked in whiskey caramel sauce, and if your reluctant carnivores are still unsatisfied, they might be a lost cause.

order it: Small Batch

A whiskey flight includes a trio of pours served with a dressing station of ice cubes and water.

This is not to say Small Batch is without issues. The mushroom eggrolls with red wine fig sauce, along with the tofu green curry with snap peas, lacked both flavor and substance. While the whiskey and beer lists are stellar, the wine menu is sparse with by-the-glass options, which evidently haven’t been sampled by the servers, who proved clueless about what was available.

This lack of familiarity also held true for the whiskey. Unless you get a hold of one of the busy barkeeps, don’t expect much insight from the floor staff.

It’s easy to roll your eyes at Small Batch being little more than a pet project, but restaurateur Dave Bailey has something solid in the making. The space is enchanting; the kitchen excels in fresh pasta dishes; and the well-stocked bar is adept in making classic whiskey cocktails, which, although slow coming at times, prove worth the wait.

Dig into a hearty carbonara loaded with smoked mushrooms and roasted cauliflower.

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dine

& drink

Check out Glenn Bardgett's pick for a pinot gris

A Seat at the Bar

ILLUSTRATIONS BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN; photo by carmen troesser

Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake

Maldonado Vineyards is my most recent encounter with the growing number of Latino-owned wineries.

All five of the Maldonado wines that I tasted were exceptional, but I kept glenn bardgett returning for more Member of the Missouri Wine Maldonado Pinot Gris Los and Grape Board and wine Olivos 2012. We see very director at Annie Gunn’s few pinot gris grown in Napa Valley, but the quality of this wine may encourage other vintners to consider it. This $27 white tastes like a delicious fruit salad – French Anjou pears, Chinese Meyer lemons, Georgia peaches and the all-American Golden Delicious apple – and it’s even better when sipped outside on a perfect spring afternoon. Find it at Lukas Liquor.

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As long-time bartenders and cocktail geeks, we often imagine making our own spirits. Two of our bartender friends, Simon Ford and Jason Kosmas, have done exactly that with their spirits company, The 86 Co. Noise and Spirits. The 86 Co.’s ted and jamie portfolio includes Fords gin, kilgore Caña Brava rum, Tequila Cabeza USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart and Aylesbury Duck vodka. and co-owners/bartenders at Although designed specifically Planter’s House for use in cocktails, these spirits also taste great on their own.

Packaged in beautifully detailed liter bottles, each spirit offers fantastic flavor and quality at an approachable price point, so we’re happily enjoying the fruits of their labor. Can you say ultimate Long Island Iced Tea?

Since Cinco de Mayo is the day of salty libations, it’s the perfect time to try a beer that takes a shaker of salt. A Gose is a littleknown German style that was first brewed 1,000 years ago in the town of Goslar. Cloudy cory king yellow in color, twangy in taste Certified Cicerone, head brewer at Perennial Artisan and low in alcohol, this wheat beer is brewed with coriander Ales and founder of Side and salt. Originally brewed Project Brewing with saline water, salt is now added to the beer during the brewing process to replicate the traditional flavor profile. Souring bacteria also produces a lemon-citrus tartness that accentuates the refreshing quality of a Gose. For a classic example, look for the obscure but absolutely delicious Leipziger Gose at all The Wine and Cheese Place locations. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 27

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cocktails

May bouquet By ligaya figueras

It’s the month of the marg. You know you’re going to have more than one, so batch up this recipe for the tastiest margarita we’ve found lately. Diablitos’ Flora margarita is hyper-floral with notes of lavender, elderflower, hibiscus and roses; the extra effort required to infuse the tequila and make the syrup is well worth it. And, after following this three-step process, you’ll actually have earned that second glass.

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1

Photo by jonathan gayman

Lavender-infused tequila

Impress your Cinco de Mayo guests with this Orion pitcher. Crafted from recycled glass, the 1-liter carafe is mouthblown and hand-shaped

by Mexican artists. $12.50.

Ford Hotel Supply Co., 2204 N. Broadway, St. Louis, 314.231.8400, fordstl.com

step

2

step

3

Hibiscus syrup

Flora Margarita

Makes 1 cup

Courtesy of Diablitos’ Blake Riley

1.75 liter bottle silver tequila, preferably Hornitos Plata 1 ∕4 cup dried lavender flowers*

2 Tbsp. dried hibiscus flowers* 1 cup granulated sugar

4 servings

• Pour the tequila into a 2-liter container. Add the dried lavender flowers. Stir to combine. Let sit, covered, 4 to 6 hours.

• Using a funnel and fine-mesh strainer, strain the tequila back into its original bottle. Using a bar spoon, press the lavender to squeeze out any remaining tequila.

Discard the lavender. Cap the bottle and store indefinitely in liquor

• Add the dried hibiscus flowers to a tea ball. Steep in 1 cup hot water (just below boiling) 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea ball.

• In a medium-sized bowl, combine the hibiscus-flavored water with the sugar. Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.

Let cool. Syrup can be stored, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 month.

6 oz. lavender-infused tequila 2 oz. elderflower liqueur, such as St. Germain 2 oz. hibiscus syrup 3 oz. fresh lime juice 4 dashes rose water 3 oz. soda water (or substitute with Sprite for a sweeter margarita) 4 rose petals, garnish • To a pitcher, add the tequila, elderflower liqueur, hibiscus syrup, lime juice and rose water. Add ice and stir well. Add the soda water. Stir gently to combine.

• To serve, divide among 4 glasses. Float a rose petal in each glass to garnish.

*Dried lavender and hibiscus flowers are available at Cheryl’s Herbs, 7170A Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.645.2165, cherylsherbs.com

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cocktails

Horseplay

HORSERADISH SYRUP

The earthy notes and subtle heat of horseradish syrup lend unexpected zing to a refreshing riff on a Tom Collins.

By Matt Obermark

In a medium-sized pot on low heat, combine 4 ounces granulated sugar, 4 ounces cold water and 1 ounce peeled, grated fresh horseradish. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a heatproof, lidded container and refrigerate at least 3 hours. Fine-strain the syrup into a clean bottle and refrigerate. The syrup will keep up to 2 weeks.

It’s time again to dig up the pungent plant that has earned nearby Collinsville, Ill., a place on the map as horseradish capital of the world. Sure, you can enjoy this underutilized root in a sharp slaw or fiery mayo, but why not put it in the glass?

Bring on the heat in syrups, salts and one of our favorite spirits – gin.

Tom Collinsville 1 serving 2 oz. gin 1 oz. lemon juice ¾ oz. horseradish syrup 1 oz. club soda

HORSERADISH-INFUSED GIN

Infusing a spirit with horseradish is simple, and can bring unique flavors to tried-and-true cocktails like a Red Snapper, a gin variation of a bloody mary.

To a cocktail shaker, add the gin, lemon juice and horseradish syrup. Fill with ice. Shake and strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. Top with the club soda and stir gently.

Peel a 4-inch piece of horseradish root and slice into ¼-inch rounds. Insert the horseradish pieces into a 750-milliliter bottle of gin. Store the bottle away from light for 3 to 5 days, tasting the gin every couple days. The longer the infusion period, the more pronounced the horseradish flavor; if left too long, the gin will develop a bitter taste. Strain the gin into a clean container, discarding the horseradish.

Pour the gin back into the bottle.

HORSERADISH SALT

Salting the rim of the glass with spicy seasoning is an easy way to enliven a cocktail. Bright and citrusforward recipes like a margarita or Salty Dog work well with a horseradish-salt combination.

In a mortar, combine 2 parts Maldon sea salt flakes to 1 part peeled, grated fresh horseradish. Using a pestle, crush the salt and horseradish until they are finely ground. Store in a sealed container.

Red Snapper 1 serving

Photo by carmen troesser

2 oz. horseradish-infused gin 4 oz. tomato juice ½ oz. lemon juice 3 dashes Worcestershire sauce 2 to 3 dashes Tabasco or other hot sauce 2 pinches celery salt 2 pinches freshly ground black pepper Celery stalks, olives and pickled vegetables, for garnish Add all the ingredients except the garnish to the glass half of a cocktail shaker. Fill with ice. Gently roll – don’t shake – the drink between the glass and the metal half of the shaker. Strain into a Collins glass filled with ice. If desired, garnish with celery, olives and pickled vegetables.

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Salty Dog 1 serving

For a London Dry gin that will hold up in a variety of cocktails, pick up a bottle of valuepriced Broker’s.

2 oz. gin 4 oz. grapefruit juice Lime wedge, for rimming Horseradish salt, for rimming Lime wheel, for garnish Wipe the rim of a Collins glass with the lime wedge.

Dip the rim of the glass in the horseradish salt. Fill the glass with ice. Add the gin and grapefruit juice.

Stir briefly. Garnish with a lime wheel.

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vegetize it

Vegan crepes BY kellie hynes Photos by carmen troesser

M

other’s Day is special.

If we’re lucky, we celebrate in the loving embrace of our family. If we’re really lucky, we binge-watch “Law & Order” while George Clooney scrubs the tub and runs a load of whites.

Hungry for more vegetarian dishes? Go to samg.bz/saucemeatless every Monday to check out our Meatless Monday column, where you’ll find tasty vegetarian fare to make at home or order at area restaurants.

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My kids get a kick out of serving me breakfast in bed. I would hate for George to notice toast crumbs on the comforter, so this Mother’s Day, I’m asking for vegan crepes. Traditional crepes are made with tons of dairy and eggs. Delicious, but not so great if you’re watching your cholesterol. Or if you’re out of milk because you were taking selfies with George and forgot to go to the store.

Sweet, plant-based vanilla soy milk is an easy, yummy substitute for the whole milk in traditional crepes. But what could I use instead of eggs?

Research recipes suggested vegan margarine. I like the taste of Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks, and even non-vegans will appreciate that Earth Balance has roughly half the saturated fat of butter. Unfortunately, the crepes I made with melted Earth Balance were so oily as to be slimy.

Other recipes suggested vegetable oil, but that – no surprise – didn’t improve the texture. Some lowcholesterol dessert recipes substituted applesauce for oil. It worked like a dream here, resulting in crepes that were fluffy and fruity.

They were also really, really burnt. My beloved cast-iron skillets are naturally nonstick and conduct heat like George himself. But the paper-thin crepes singed as soon as the batter hit the pan.

Luckily, a few years ago, I bought an extravagant, pseudo-professional range, the kind with Louboutin-red knobs and a shiny, industrial-sized griddle with precision heat control. It’s overkill for my usual mac-n-cheese dinners, but it earned its keep by saving these crepes. I set the griddle to 350 degrees and cooked the crepes to golden-brown perfection. If you don’t have a griddle with a temperature setting, use a crepe pan or nonstick frying pan over medium heat and adjust the temperature until it’s just right. You’ll probably burn a few crepes at first, but don’t feel bad. They’re not mistakes … they’re research.

Crepes are essentially thin pancakes.

You can fill and roll them, a la breakfast cannoli, or fold them into a pocket and garnish with a topping. Fresh fruit and a sprinkle of powdered sugar will finish your crepes deliciously. But if you’re able to do a teensy bit more work, a sweet

cherry sauce transforms those crepes into the best dessert breakfast ever. If you have the time and patience to pit fresh cherries, do it. I vastly prefer to rip open a bag of frozen cherries and call it a day, especially on Mother’s Day. To transform the cherry juices into a sauce, you need a thickener. Cornstarch works just fine, but tapioca (It’s vegan!) makes the cooked cherries pretty and glossy.

The problem with tapioca is that sometimes those little white rocks don’t dissolve completely. To avoid chipping a tooth on your big day, use this trick: Muddle your tapioca granules and sugar first, then add them to the cherries.

Muddling is a fancy verb for mashing ingredients together, as in, “George, be a dear and muddle the mint and sugar for my julep.” Muddling the tapioca breaks it into even smaller pieces, which helps it dissolve. If you don’t have a muddler, pounding the tapioca and sugar with a mortar and pestle works just fine, too. In a pinch, throw the tapioca and sugar into a zip-close bag and beat it with a meat tenderizer or wine bottle.

This recipe works best if you assemble the ingredients the day before.

Refrigerating the batter overnight gives it time to thicken. And long fridge stay for the cherries gives them time to defrost.

Plus, doing most of the work the day before means you can sleep in – at least until your fan club climbs into your bed.

Vegan Crepes with Cherry Sauce 9 8-inch crepes 2 cups all-purpose flour 1½ cups vanilla soy milk 1½ cups water ½ cup applesauce 2 Tbsp. agave nectar 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract ½ tsp. kosher salt 2 Tbsp. sugar 2 tsp. instant tapioca* 24 oz. frozen dark sweet cherries (or substitute fresh cherries) 1 Tbsp. lemon juice Soy margarine for greasing the griddle

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1 cup fresh blueberries ¼ cup powdered sugar • Combine the flour, soy milk, water, applesauce, agave nectar, vanilla and salt in a blender. The batter will be very runny. Refrigerate the batter, covered, in the blender jar overnight, or for a minimum of 2 hours.

• In a small bowl, muddle the sugar and tapioca so that the tapioca grains break up into small granules.

Place frozen cherries in a large, non-reactive bowl and stir in the sugar mixture. Cover the cherries and refrigerate overnight. (If using fresh instead of frozen cherries, let the cherries and sugar mixture rest at room temperature 20 minutes instead of overnight.)

• The next day, remove the batter and the cherry mixture from the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature.

• In a heavy saucepan, heat the cherry mixture over medium heat until the juices start to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 5 minutes, or until the juices thicken, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice and set aside.

• Heat the griddle until it reaches 350 degrees, or heat a 9-inch (or larger) crepe pan or nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly grease the griddle or pan with soy margarine.

(The batter will have separated, so blend it again until it is well combined.) Pour batter, ½ cup at a time, onto the griddle or pan. If using a pan, tilt the pan with a circular motion so that the batter coats the surface evenly. Cook the crepe 1 minute, or until the underside is golden brown. Loosen with a spatula, then flip and cook the other side 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter, coating the griddle or pan with soy margarine as needed. Keep the crepes warm until ready to serve.

• To assemble, fold each crepe into fourths. Drizzle with cherry sauce and garnish with fresh blueberries and a sprinkle of powdered sugar. *Instant tapioca, also known as pearl tapioca or minute tapioca, can be found in the baking aisle at most supermarkets.

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MAKE THIS GRIDDLED ASPARAGUS

Boiled, steamed, grilled, roasted or raw, asparagus is a seasonal delight.

Try this rustic presentation that’s topped with a zingy compound butter inspired by a recipe from Deborah Madison’s latest cookbook Vegetable Literacy. Rinse and trim 1 bunch of thin asparagus spears. Toss with olive oil and salt. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, then add the asparagus in a single layer. When the spears begin to brown, use tongs to toss them until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon, 1 teaspoon lime zest and ½ teaspoon finely minced shallots. Use a fork to mash together the butter mixture. Add the asparagus to the bowl and toss to evenly coat with the butter. Serve immediately. – Dee Ryan

make this

active time: 5 minutes

photo by greg rannells

Head to Tower Grove Farmers Market on Saturday mornings to find local asparagus grown by Double Star Farms and Live Springs Berries & Produce.

Tgmarket.org

Everyone loves quick recipes, but when you’ve got the time, we’ve got The Weekend Project.

Go to samg.bz/sauceweekendproject where, this month, we’ll give you a lesson on making yogurt.

May 2014

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t h e st o r y o f

hama

A chef whose actions speak louder than words

story by julie cohen photos by greg rannells illustration by vidhya nagarajan

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CHAPTER 1

Dragon Against the cold, cobbled streets, a chainsaw roared like a weapon, but Naomi Hamamura wielded it like a paintbrush, stroking the 300-pound block of ice softly and deliberately.

Seemingly unaware of the crowd pressing in around him or even of the unforgiving lateJanuary chill, Hamamura set his chainsaw down just long enough to wring water from his thin cloth gloves. On his worktable rested a die grinder, household iron, hand broom, chisel and a pair of ski goggles. With these and two more hours, he would transform the icy behemoth into a willowy, winged fairy, his entry for the Master Carver competition at the annual Fête de Glacé in St. Charles.

Across the street earlier that day, Hamamura, called Hama or Hama-san by his friends and employees, also competed in the Monster Carver competition where, using a delicate system of melting and refreezing, he and a partner fused five blocks of ice totaling 1,500 pounds. The result was “Dragon & Moon,” a 7-foot-tall crescent moon rising out of an angry ocean, encircled by a serpentine dragon. On the other side of Main Street, Hamamura continued to carve his ice fairy under the afternoon shade, but now “Dragon & Moon” was thawing beneath the direct sun.

Ice carvings require patience and precision. If one section of a sculpture is finished too soon,

May 2014

Moon its details might melt before the entire piece is completed. To be truly exceptional, though, a master carver not only knows how to make finishing touches all at once; he also anticipates how the sculpture will look once the melting begins. Hamamura’s friend Gary Suarez, a personal chef and fellow ice carver, attested to Hamamura’s ability to see a sculpture’s future.

“His carvings melt perfectly,” Suarez said. “I’ve impressed myself with a couple of things I’ve done. I’d say my swan, because it took six hours (as) opposed to (Hama’s) 40 minutes, looked great. But three hours later, mine looked like a squirrel, and his still looked like a beautiful swan.”

To watch a masterpiece melt away while toiling over another work of art that will soon do the same seems like a Sisyphean punishment, but for Hamamura, his gray beard and black hat covered in ice chips, fingers numb, back aching from what would total more than eight hours of standing – these were the minutes he’d been waiting for. On any other day, he would have carved “Dragon & Moon” as part of his side catering and carving business, Chef De Art Catering, and would be off to his job as sushi chef of downtown’s Wasabi. But today, under the sun’s rays, water silently dripped from the dragon’s frozen fangs as more droplets shimmered from its rippling body, emerging from the swollen waves below. “Dragon & Moon” had come to life.

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CHAPTER 2

To the Exact Degree Hamamura was 20 years old and newly graduated from culinary school in Osaka, Japan, when he found his first cooking job at the nearby Royal Hotel. In 1970s Japan, the demand for ice carvings was growing exponentially.

Although Hamamura wanted to learn the art, the Royal Hotel, one of the country’s largest hotels, already had more than 50 capable carvers. So after his shifts were through, he simply watched. More than two years passed before he felt ready to create carvings of his own.

In this era of dive-right-in learning and accelerated coursework, learning through seemingly endless observation sounds like some sort of austere Jedi training, but this process is the foundation of Japanese culinary culture. Hamamura estimates that in Japan, nearly everyone working in a reputable restaurant or hotel can be considered professionally trained because the employees have been hired to become chefs but are working their way up the pecking order. Your waiter is most likely a culinary school graduate who, after two years, still isn’t allowed near the stove. When Hamamura worked at Royal Hotel, the hotel hired only once a year, and what an employee was hired to do was his job until the following year. However, when the 365 days were up, and he finally got to move from, for instance, soapy sink to saute, there were no explanations, no training and certainly no textbooks. It was up to him to have learned the next job

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during off hours. If he didn’t know how to saute perfectly on his first day, he was back to washing dishes.

During culinary school, Hamamura took courses in both French and traditional Japanese cuisine, but when he started his job, the hotel was in dire need of a baker. Anxious for the honor to wear his chef whites, Hamamura jumped at the chance. For an entire year, part of his job was to take the temperature of bread dough. Rather than treat the mundane task like a chore, Hamamura welcomed it as a challenge, sticking his finger in the dough every time he inserted the thermometer. Eventually, simply through how the dough felt to his finger, he could discern the temperature to the exact degree.

While this Japanese culinary training system is painfully slow, perhaps that is why the itamae, or sushi chef, is a better observer than anyone. From his position behind the bar, he can better discern his customer’s tastes and experience level.

If a customer orders sashimi to test the restaurant’s quality of fish, a sushi chef might grow interested. If the customer orders nigiri, an oblong-shaped, hand-pressed mound of rice topped with fish, and ignores the glob of green wasabi to the side, the chef’s attention will be piqued. And if the customer skips ordering all together and simply utters omakase, the sushi chef will be electrified. As Hamamura’s daughter Heidi Hamamura described, omakase means: “I trust you. Make me the best food you have.”

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CHAPTER 3

78

Grains of Rice In 1979, Hamamura arrived at Lambert International Airport in search of a placard with his name on it. “He looked like a gangster with his curly hair and mustache,” said Heidi Hamamura, laughing as she described pictures of her father at 26 years old. Unable to locate his ride and knowing little English, he found a phone book, carried it to a taxi and pointed: Robata of Japan.

After a year working at the now-defunct Japanese-style steakhouse, Hamamura moved on to a variety of jobs. He was chef d’arte at the Ritz-Carlton, shaping or carving everything from ice to sushi to watermelon to chocolate.

Later, he taught ice-carving courses at Forest Park Community College. In 1998, when a friend was looking to sell his business, Hamamura bought the Japanese restaurant Sansui in the Central West End. In 2010, Hamamura sold Sansui to some of his employees, who renamed it Kampai. By then, he also owned Sansui West in Glendale and was happy to have just one sushi bar to stand behind. Two years later, Sansui West was also bought, this time by local sushi chain Wasabi. For many St. Louis sushi eaters, this final sale signaled the end of an era, but their Camelotian memories live on.

Eric Kelly, former chef-partner of Scape American Bistro, remembers walking into Sansui West and being enchanted by the large photograph of Hamamura making sushi as Paul Bocuse stood beside him, his arm over Hama-san’s shoulder. “Paul Bocuse – the grandfather of chefs, absolutely the biggest influence in our craft throughout the world – there he was in a big, beautiful picture with Hama,” Kelly said.

Many of Hamamura’s closest friends met him at his sushi bar. “A relationship with a sushi chef is a lot like a bartender. You have to cultivate it,” said Dave Lowry, author of “The Connoisseur’s Guide to Sushi” and restaurant critic for St. Louis Magazine.

Lowry recalled Hamamura’s ura kondate, his unpublished menu-behind-the-menu, as being particularly impressive.

He also remembered the rice, perfectly seasoned and served at the right temperature. “Sushi has standards.

It’s about the rice,” Lowry said. “What comes on top is purely secondary. Hama and Nobu (Nobura Kidera, chefowner of Nobu’s) know how to make sushi rice.”

Gary Suarez, Hamamura’s longtime friend, felt Sansui West was his country club because not only did he always feel welcome, he also knew the meal was going to be the best thing he had that week. “He would May 2014

always hand me new things,” Suarez said, recounting the time Hamamura sent out a plate of horse mackerel tartare garnished with its bones. When Suarez finished, he left the bones on the plate, but for the next course those same bones came out again, this time deep-fried.

Then there were the apples. “When I would go into his restaurant in early October, if it was slow, he would be sitting there carving faces in apples, to shrink, so that by the time Halloween came around, he would have them hanging all over – a restaurant of shrunken heads,” Suarez said. “He didn’t need to spend time or money doing that, but he wanted to.”

Landlocked St. Louis took longer than the coasts to join the sushi craze, but by the mid-2000s, sushi in the Gateway City was ubiquitous – pre-packaged rolls were sold in grocery stores and shiny sushi lounges had popped up in every suburb. Yet what the sushi neophytes were actually craving were Americanized maki: rolls stuffed with cream cheese, covered in deepfried crunch, crisscrossed in colorful sauces that were then dunked in a slurry of wasabi and soy sauce; the actual fish inside was rendered all but undetectable.

Time and again, Hamamura’s admirers reverently spoke of his attention to ingredients and flawless execution.

But how long could one pursue perfection when more and more people were unwilling to notice?

From an economic standpoint, it made sense that the newer sushi bars were catering to the masses. “In Japanese restaurants in the U.S., there’s an opportunity to (take advantage of) the American’s understanding of what you’re serving,” Suarez said. “I could very easily go out and get salmon and slap it on rice and put it out.” But Hamamura didn’t do that. He sought the highest-grade fish, even though most of his clientele couldn’t tell the difference.

Suarez recalled Hamamura showing one of their friends how to make nigiri. He and the friend both packed a pile of rice and put them side by side. Then he had the friend count the grains. “(Hama’s) had 78 grains of rice, and (the other) one had 134 grains. They were the same size but just the understanding of how to pack it,” Suarez said. While many chefs densely pack their rolls with rice, leaving a scant amount of meat or vegetables within, Hama used less rice and more fish. “When you’re just shoving sushi in your face, you don’t really notice it until someone points it out. As I started touring around the country going to other Japanese restaurants, I realized that I was really spoiled. I realized that unless I was

spending a ridiculous amount for that sushi meal, I was getting inferior rice and inferior nori. People were not so concerned with putting the best product forward. Hama wasn’t one of these guys.”

After Wasabi bought Sansui West, Hamamura stayed on as its corporate chef, the assumption being that his job was to make the four existing Wasabis – five including the new acquisition – more like Sansui. He was also responsible for ensuring Wasabi’s products were consistent and for overseeing the company’s catering division. However, after less than a year, Hamamura was ready to leave. He moved to Prasino in St. Charles, the first Missouri location for the regional chain of ecofriendly restaurants. There he helped executive chef Tony Marchetto design the sushi menu. “He helped me learn the ins and outs – practices in rice and how to cut fish. I learned so much from him,” Marchetto said. A workhorse by nature, Hamamura enjoyed his new role at Prasino. But when Wasabi called last fall, offering him free rein over its flailing flagship location downtown, although hesitant, he had a hard time resisting the challenge. Today, it is the only Wasabi location offering a specials board. “We call it Hama’s test kitchen, where he can play around, try new recipes,” said Sarah Lee, regional operations manager of Wasabi.

While Hamamura’s last few years have been marked by change, he doesn’t view it with lassitude, but rather as an opportunity for him to grow and improve his craft. It’s experience where he also looks when forming his definition of umami, the Japanese word used to describe the nebulous fifth taste so central to Asian cuisine. For him, umami is more than a subjective savory flavor. One can’t grasp it without experience.

Consider the sea bream, tai in Japanese, which have the very best flavor during Japan’s season of cherry blossoms, Hamamura explained. While the advancing blooms signal the onset of warmer weather, starting in the south and moving up Japan’s archipelago through March, April and May, they also symbolize the evanescent nature of life. From steep cliffs and rocky faces to the banks of the rivers, pink bursts of extreme beauty envelop Japan. But in less than a week, the fragile flowers fall and won’t emerge again for another year. For Hamamura, even though tai tastes best during this season, one must eat it all year. Only that way can one appreciate its rich flavor, realize umami and understand that there is a season for everything before it vanishes. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 45

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CHAPTER 4

Sushi By the Boatload Hamamura’s hands fly into a frenzy and, seconds later, come to a halt, landing on tweezers he uses to place individual radish sprouts onto tsukidashi – a salad of sliced squid, cucumber, daikon radish and bright orange ovals of capelin tobiko.

Tonight I am eating omakase-style at Wasabi downtown, and Hamamura’s signature amuse-bouche is only the opening salvo.

For the first course, he sends avocado slices wrapped tightly into a ball. I pull the slices back, like petals from a tulip, to discover pink cubes of lightly smoked salmon sprinkled with capers. Hamamura considers the pre-smoked salmon that most sushi restaurants purchase too salty, so he brings in his own smoker and cold smokes it himself.

New plates arrive and are ushered away. By the fourth course, Hamamura has piled pieces of delicate horse mackerel on shiso leaves topped with scallions and freshly grated ginger.

The sixth course is skate wings in a sake brown butter sauce – another favorite inherited from Sansui. After a seventh course of nigiri, one of the pieces topped with a seared hunk of foie gras, I raise my hands in stuffed surrender.

After living in St. Louis for almost 35 years, there are certain things Hamamura will never understand, like why people drink miso soup with a spoon. (You might as well drink coffee with a spoon, he offers in comparison.) He’s been able to change some things. When he started his job downtown at Wasabi, the chef side of the sushi bar was too high for his liking. He insisted that the bar be remodeled so he could observe and interact with his diners at eye level.

But there are aspects of St. Louis sushi beyond Wasabi that Hamamura fears have become far too adulterated.

Eliot Harris, owner of the food truck Chop Shop STL and former sushi chef at Miso on Meramec, seconded sushi’s current plight. “Chefs like Hama, Kenji [associate of Harris

May 2014

and former Sansui chef] and myself aspire to open a sushi bar like Sidney Street or Niche without being a roll manufacturer all night long, but it’s pretty impossible in the St. Louis market. For people to be willing to pay the price to have excellent cuts of fish flown in fresh every day, it would take some sort of cult following.”

Still, Hamamura keeps his hands busy. On Monday nights at Wasabi, he makes sushi by the boatload, literally. Owing to the Monday happy hour special, the restaurant is packed and the phone rings endlessly with to-go orders. Atop miniature wooden Japanese boats and bridges Hamamura arranges pieces of sashimi fashioned in the shape of roses, an array of nigiri and every imaginable iteration of roll.

When I am there, Hamamura loads up another wooden boat.

The Japanese style of presenting rolls calls for laying the pieces on their sides and overlapping them in a line, like dominoes, so the contents of each piece can be admired. Even though the majority of the rolls he prepares quickly become Americanized by squirts of sauces and layers of crunch, he still carefully positions each piece, including the ones placed in the stacks of Styrofoam boxed to-go orders the servers quickly haul away.

Yet even on Monday nights, when his sushi bar becomes a discounted roll circus, Hamamura enjoys what he does, as he always has. Some people have a job and a hobby, but for him, ice sculpting and food are his hobbies. He hopes to do them until his body stops working. And there are always glimmers of light: the man eating solo at the end of the bar, quietly requesting more nigiri; the table of co-workers erupting with delight when a sushi-loaded ship arrives at their table; and Hamamura’s ability to retain his artistic license and use it, as with the crappie he caught the day before, which he fries, pickles and plates before silently sliding it my way.

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CHAPTER 5

where there is water Hamamura grew up smelling the Sea of Japan in the city of Hagi in the Yamaguchi prefecture. As a child, he was at the water’s edge every day, either fishing or daydreaming about one day captaining a great ocean liner. But in junior high, he was told he was partially colorblind and would never steer any such ship. Around that time, cruise boats were starting to arrive in the ports of Japan. Young Hamamura watched TV commercials for the ships, which always featured decadent buffets complete with elaborate ice carvings. It was then that he decided his next profession. As a chef, he could work on a cruise boat and travel the world.

By the time he graduated from culinary school, Japan’s cruise industry had all but vanished. Eventually his cooking did bring him across water, but nowhere near an ocean. So Hamamura has found solace in the next best thing: Sometimes for a weekend, and sometimes just for an afternoon, he drives an hour south to a lake owned by a friend, who like many, started as a customer.

Although he is often in the company of family and friends, at some point during his visit, Hamamura finds a moment to paddle out to the middle of the lake in the canoe he fashioned by hand. With only room for himself, his fishing pole and his tackle box, he will throw out his line and, eventually, rest his head back and fall asleep.

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Umami Boosters

By Ligaya Figueras | photo by elizabeth jochum From Adam Fleischman of Umami Burger to the makers of Taste No. 5 Umami Paste, everyone’s capitalizing on the umami craze these days. Also known as the “fifth taste,” this Japanese term describes foods that deliver a rounded savory sensation. The primary component of umami is glutamate, an amino acid found in all foods containing protein. Seaweed, mushrooms, soy, fish, meat, cheese, tomatoes and olives are all umami powerhouses (that pack an even bigger umami punch when fermented, cured, smoked, roasted or caramelized). And we can’t forget good ol’ monosodium glutamate, better known as MSG. Yes, this synthetic umami has been vilified, but get over it. Comprised of nothing more than water, sodium and glutamate, MSG gets the job done. “There’s nothing wrong with it,” said Qui Tran, chef-owner of Mai Lee, about MSG. “Asian people have been using it since the beginning of time.” Ready to reach that fifth taste? Start by grabbing the same brands area chefs trust to deliver the umami oomph they crave.

1 “Numi teas always have really smooth flavors. They’re not overly bitter. We use it to pickle watermelon rinds.

It’s the best bagged tea I’ve used.” – Matt Daughaday, executive chef, Taste

6

5

2

7

“I think grana is a great, catch-all kind of cheese.” – Brian Moxey, consultant chef, Strange Donuts

3

4 “I love it. When I worked at Roy’s (in Hawaii), we used it all the time. It has an extra egg in it. It’s richer.” – Justin Haifley, executive chef and coowner, Cucina Pazzo

1

2

Numi Gunpowder green tea

Momoya Nori Gohan Desuyo seaweed paste

$7. Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 314.968.7744, wholefoods.com

“Those shrimp pastes are an umami bomb. They are stinky bombs too! We use them for stocks. It really brings the flavor out.” – Qui Tran, chefowner, Mai Lee

$6.29. East East Oriental Grocery Store, 8619 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.432.5590

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4

5

6

7

Grana padano

Heinz tomato ketchup

Roland flat fillets of anchovies in olive oil

Por Kwan Pate de Crevette shrimp paste

Kewpie mayonnaise

$1.69. J. Viviano & Sons, 5139 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.5476, shopviviano.com

$5. Olive Supermarket, 8041 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.997.5168, stlouissupermarket.com

$11.29 per pound.

DiGregorio’s Market, 5200 Daggett Ave., St. Louis, 314.776.1062, digregoriofoods.com

With twice the acidity of the average ketchup, Heinz is the ultimate condiment for all-American umami.

$6. Global Foods Market, 421 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.835.1112, globalfoodsmarket.com

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the ultimate

pork steak There’s nothing like a St. Louis pork steak. No, really – try asking for it in other parts of the U.S., and you’ll baffle butchers who will likely point you toward a pork chop. But this Gateway City classic is not a chop; it’s a center cut of the shoulder, most commonly used for pulled pork. “They’re totally Midwest,” said Steven Weinmann, vice president of Kenrick’s Meats & Catering.

“We actually ship pork steaks to different parts of the country.”

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Yet, for every expat willing to fly in her beloved pork steak, there’s another St. Louisan who remembers gnawing on overcooked shoe leather that no amount of barbecue sauce could salvage. The key to juicy pork steak lies in the technique; just because it’s called steak doesn’t mean you should treat it like a sirloin. In fact, Jim LeGrand, co-owner of LeGrand’s Market & Catering, suggested thinking of it like beef shoulder, which you use for your favorite roasts. “This is the pot roast cut of a pig,” he said, explaining how this economical piece of meat must be rendered tender with low heat and patience.

Lucky for you, we put in the hours and combined our favorite flavors and techniques from local chefs and butchers to bring you the ultimate pork steak, so your future memories will be nothing but succulent. — Catherine Klene May 2014

The thickness The ideal thickness of a pork steak is 1½ inches. Never buy a cut thinner than ¾ inch. Since this cut is so inexpensive, you can afford to ride high on the hog.

the rub

Your pork steak should be this thick.

The cut Look for bone-in, center-cut steaks with visible marbling throughout the meat. Avoid pieces with a heavy fat collar around the outside, LeGrand advised, or have your butcher trim the excess.

The Method

the sauce

the meat

We adapted Marchetto’s house-made Fitz’s barbecue sauce by adding a touch more smoke and spice.

1 poblano pepper 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 Tbsp. minced ginger ½ Tbsp. smoked paprika Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 4 cups Dr. Pepper 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 1 cup ketchup • Char the poblano pepper over an open flame (ideally over applewood chips while you prepare your grill for the meat), until it is blackened.

Place the pepper in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam 10 minutes. When cool to the touch, peel and discard the skin. Remove the stem and seeds. Dice the pepper and set aside.

• In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium. Saute the shallots and pepper until the shallots are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper. Saute 1 minute, or until the vegetable mixture is very soft and bright red.

• To the pot, add the Dr. Pepper and apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then decrease heat to a simmer. Cook 20 minutes, until reduced by about one-third. Whisk in the ketchup and simmer another 5 minutes.

Reserve ¾ cup of sauce to cook with the pork steak.

• Use a fine-mesh sieve to strain the remaining sauce into a small sauce pot. Discard the solids, and return the pot to the stove.

Continue to reduce over medium-low heat until the sauce achieves desired consistency.

There are two general practices when it comes to cooking pork steaks: grilling or braising. But for a foolproof combination of smoky, soft meat swimming in sauce, the pros recommended both.

Soak a generous handful of applewood chips in water. Prepare a charcoal grill for low, indirect heat. Drain the wood chips and add to the coals. Once the chips begin to smoke, add the room temperature, dry-rubbed pork steak and cover. Smoke it for 1 hour, flipping halfway through.

If you really want a tender, flavorful powerhouse, you need to dry rub the pork steak, and let it soak up all that extra flavor. We’re in love with the sweet smoke of this simple, classic barbecue rub that Prasino’s executive chef Tony Marchetto uses on his mammoth pork steak.

In a medium bowl, whisk together ½ cup brown sugar, ½ tablespoon each of whole pink, black and white peppercorns, ¾ tablespoon smoked paprika, ½ tablespoon granulated garlic and ¼ tablespoon ground mustard. Use your hands to coat the pork steak with the rub, and then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Place the wrapped steak in a large zip-top bag and refrigerate overnight or at least 6 hours. Before grilling, unwrap the meat and let it come to room temperature. Is your pork steak as red as rib-eye? You did it right.

May 2014

Shortcut Making your own barbecue sauce is admirable, but if you’re short on time, there’s no shame in reaching for your favorite bottle.

We’re partial to Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce, which is cheap, widely available and just plain delicious.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Line a baking dish with enough heavyduty aluminum to hang over the sides for wrapping. Place the pork steak in the center of the foil. Pour the ¾ cup unstrained barbecue sauce on top of the pork steak. Completely seal the foil to create a packet. Place the baking dish in the oven. Bake 1 hour, until the meat is tender. Let the pork steak rest 5 minutes, and then slather it in barbecue sauce with reckless abandon.

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stuff to do:

this month

by Byron Kerman

Clayton Farmers Market Thursdays through October – 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Central Avenue between Forsyth Boulevard and Maryland Avenue, Clayton, 314.620.0576, claytonfarmersmarket.com Farmers markets are back, and not a moment too soon. The big changes at Clayton’s: The market has gone weekly, gone nightly and gone a touch closer to the city center. The market operates Thursday evenings, which means patrons can head there straight from work. Besides farm-fresh fare, look for cooking demos, beer samples and live entertainment.

Food Truck Friday May 9 – 4 to 8 p.m., Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, 314.772.8004, saucemagazine.com/foodtruckfriday.php More than 24 food trucks plan to park it at Sauce Magazine’s first Food Truck Friday of the season. This year sees an expanded beverage selection (There’s wine!) and the introduction of Speed Passes, which enable holders to use expedited lines for ordering and are available for purchase at the Sauce tent. Check out new trucks like Smoke N Motion and the mobile version of Pie Oh My! Come early and bring lawn chairs, blankets, kids and dogs.

May 17 – noon to 9 p.m., Sutton Boulevard at Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.781.8588, maplewood-chamber.com Plenty of flavor is packed into one day of deliciousness at this year’s Taste of Maplewood. Sample the goods and stick around for the celebrity judging, when winners will be announced in categories like Best Sweet Tooth, Best Unexpected Flavor and Best Cocktail. Live music, retail vendors, a beer and wine area and more await.

IndiHop May 17 – 1 to 6 p.m., Cherokee Street and The Grove, St. Louis, 314.304.0932, indihopstl.com We just love the minds that thought up IndiHop. For $15 to $20, you get a tasting glass, up to 50 samples of St. Louis craft beer, and access to shuttles that transport revelers between the party’s two neighborhoods: Cherokee Street and The Grove. The fun also includes musicians and street performers.

Olive Oil, Wine and World Cup Soccer

Pork Shop: A Downtown BBQ & Garage Sale

May 10 – 6 to 8 p.m., An Olive Ovation, 8829 Ladue Road, Ladue, 314.727.6464, extravirginoo.com

May 24 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.241.2337, schlafly.com

Spain, Italy, Greece and the U.S. produce olive oil and wine – and they’re participants in this year’s World Cup. To gear up for the occasion, certified sommeliers (and soccer experts) Joyce and Ken DeNeal join An Olive Ovation owner Marianne Prey for a unique tasting event. Enjoy each country’s wines and olive oils paired with small plates as you learn about the culinary and soccer traditions of each nation. Reservations required.

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Taste of Maplewood

More than 50 vendors want to make their trash your treasure at the annual Pork Shop event at the Schlafly Tap Room parking lot. Bargain hunt through nearly 1 acre of gently used gewgaws and gimcracks while enjoying sales of fresh beer, a pig roast and live music.

Denotes a sauce sponsored event May 2014

sponsored events

showcase their wares at Laumeier Sculpture Park. The culinary arts will also be on display with a tasting of Missouri wines, a presentation and tasting with Schlafly and a Sunday brunch by Whole Foods. Brunch tickets available online.

STL250 Celebration with Eclipse and the Moonrise Hotel Microfest Beer Festival May 2 - 6 to 10 p.m., and May 3 - noon to 4 p.m. and 6 to 10 p.m., Upper Muny parking lot, Forest Park, St. Louis, 314.227.7302, stlmicrofest.org Sample craft beers at one of three different sessions during the two-day festival. The weekend’s events also include live music, food and demos by brewers and chefs.

Proceeds benefit Lift For Life Gym. Tickets available online.

Give STL Day May 6, 314.588.8200, givestlday.org For 24 hours, one website lets St. Louisans donate to more than 500 St. Louis-area nonprofits, from those that fight disease and homelessness to those that celebrate the arts and education. People who donate on May 6 will be entered for prize drawings. A complete list of participating organizations can be found online.

Urbanaire

May 10 – 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., St. Louis City Hall, 1200 Market St., St. Louis, 314.862.4900, promoonline.org The annual party raises funds and awareness for PROMO, a Missouri nonprofit that advocates for LGBT equality. The night includes a VIP reception featuring food from Harvest, Hiro Asian Kitchen, Sugarfire Smokehouse and many more, followed by a party with a DJ and open bars. Tickets available online.

Art Fair at Laumeier May 9 – 6 to 10 p.m.; May 10 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; May 11 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Road, Sunset Hills, 314.615.5278, laumeier.org This Mother’s Day weekend, 150 artists May 2014

May 25 – 6 p.m. to midnight, Moonrise Hotel, 6177 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.726.2222, moonrisestl250.bpt.me Celebrate St. Louis’ birthday at a party featuring cocktails by the city’s top bartenders, a variety of brews, heavy hors d’oeuvres, live music, art demos, an appearance by the Budweiser Clydesdales and more. VIP drink tickets available online.

Tower Grove Picnic in the Park June 1 – 4 to 7 p.m., Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, 314.771.2679, towergrovepark.org Picnic with dozens of your closest friends on the grounds near the Piper Palm House in Tower Grove Park. The event features live music, art exhibits and a petting zoo.

Food trucks and Schlafly beer will keep you satiated.

Schlafly Farmers Market Wednesdays through October – 4 to 7 p.m., Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave., Maplewood, 314.241.2337 ext. 2, schlaflyfarmersmarket.com Wednesday evenings, part of the Schlafly Bottleworks parking lot transforms into a farmers market brimming with meat, eggs, produce, baked goods and more. New this season: cooking demos by local chefs every third Wednesday of the month.

Midtown Farmers Market Saturdays through November – 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 6655 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.913.6632, Facebook: Midtown Farmers Market The newest farmers market to hit the scene pops up in The Loop. Grab your tote bag each Saturday morning and stuff it with produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, pantry perks and more from local farmers and artisan food producers. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 59

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Simon Lusky, 25, is the first team chef and nutrition specialist for the St. Louis Cardinals. He’s also the founder of Athlete Eats, which began a handful of years ago as a business providing prepared meals for Cardinals, Rams and Blues players during the offseason. Athlete Eats has since expanded to local gyms and, most recently, added a cafe on Cherokee Street. Here, the Johnson & Wales graduate explains what it’s like to cook for the Cardinals.

How did you get your job? It was really good luck. There’s no website or job posting. I wanted to do something with sports. Dave Ellis is the biggest sports R&D guy in the country. The Cardinals were a team using him as a consultant. He was like, “The problem is the food. It’s just crap food around here.” He met our

Describe your typical day. I get here at 9 in the morning for a 7 o’clock game. I know what I’m going to make for first meal, second meal, third meal. (I’m really big into clipboards.)

The first meal I have to have out is by 12:30 p.m. BP meal is about two hours before the game starts – batting practice meal. It’s not so much a composed buffet. We do variations of bars – chili bars, slider bars.

What’s the post-game meal? That’s the big one. When that last out is called, we have guys that come straight from that field to eat. There’s no time clock for baseball. It gets dicey.

Three outs can be three minutes or 15 minutes. Rain delays are the worst.

Why? That’s two or three hours of unexpected eating. Then, it’s mayhem.

What’s the most popular item? The burger without a bun. Most of the time they want something plain Jane.

The big thing I turned them onto a couple of years ago was an egg on top. Then we kicked it up a notch and put some avocado under it. It was like an epiphany to them.

I see a bunch of hot sauces on the shelf. There are guys who are like, “I only like Cholula” or “I only like Sriracha.” We consolidated the sauces this year. It’s like, “Oh, he’s not here anymore. We can get rid of this one.”

Are you ever asked to make family recipes? Oh, yeah. José Oquendo taught me how Puerto Ricans make rice.

Any weird requests? You have guys that are superstitious, especially pitchers. Adam Wainwright has a routine. Exactly one hour before every game, we make him a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It has to be on white wheat bread. The peanut butter and jelly have to be mixed together.

It has to be strawberry jelly. It has to be cut into a square. And it has to be eaten with a perfectly ripe banana and a bag of Garden Salsa SunChips. I put it in a little lunchbox for him.

Do you cook for the team on the road? No, it’s the only sport where your competition feeds you. Baseball is also the only sport where the athletes pay for the food themselves, home and on the road.

What do you eat? I’m a big proponent of the 80-20 rule. I give myself stipulations for when I want to indulge: 80 percent “clean,” 20 percent “human.” You gotta give in every once in a while.

Do you play any sports? Hockey – ice and roller. I played baseball one year, and I was terrible.

– Ligaya Figueras

Athlete Eats, 2837 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.932.5566, athleteeats.com

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Photo by ashley gieseking

What I Do Simon Lusky

dean, met with Mo [Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak]. Mo was for it. It started as an internship.

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