November 2015

go pro

spaghetti and meatball from randolfi's p. 35

GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS (FLIP THE MAGAZINE OVER.)

S T L' S

7 old - s chool r ecipes ge t t he s t ar t r e a t men t

TO P

FISH AND CHIPS P. 42

ST. LOUIS’ INDEPENDENT CULINARY AUTHORITY

November 2015

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A M E R I C A' S B E ST S O U R

P. 25 SAUCEMAGAZINE.COM

A L E

R E V I E W

TWISTED RANCH P. 20 FREE, NOVEMBER 2015

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contents NOVEMBER 2015

editors' picks

31

MAKE THIS Warm garlic soup

9

by dee ryan

EAT THIS Steak frites at The Libertine

last course

11

MEALS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE Anthony Devoti of Five Bistro

44

STUFF TO DO by kristin schultz

13

46

HIT LIST 5 new restaurants to try this month

reviews 17

NEW AND NOTABLE J. McArthur's An American Kitchen

by michael renner

WHAT I DO Steven Fitzpatrick Smith of The Royale

by catherine klene

Features 32

20

7 AMERICAN CLASSICS YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO MAKE

Twisted Ranch

by matt berkley, heather hughes, rebecca koenig, meera nagarajan, dee ryan and lauren schumacker

POWER LUNCH by hilary hitchcock

42

23

NIGHTLIFE Manchester Public House

by matt berkley

SHORT LIST Fish and chips

by andrew barrett

J. McArthur's beet salad p. 17

dine & drink 25

A SEAT AT THE BAR Five experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake

COVER DETAILS

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

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

27

ELIXIR Never say never

by kristin schultz 28

VEGETIZE IT Tajine

by kellie hynes November 2015

On this month’s Sound Bites, Five Bistro chef-owner Anthony Devoti joins Sauce art director Meera Nagarajan to discuss what it truly means to run a farm-totable operation and how he developed relationships with local farmers who supply his restaurant. Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 KWMU’s Cityscape Friday, Nov. 13 at noon and 10 p.m.

(Flip the magazine over to read our Guide to the Holidays.)

Make all things festive and merry with our Guide to the Holidays. From Manhattan-inspired coffee cocktails to a make-ahead croissant French toast recipe, you'll find everything you need for a stress-free holiday brunch. Then hit the shops to find the perfect gift for the foodie in your life.

Photo by Emily Suzanne McDonald

Go Pro Classic spaghetti and meatballs get reinvented

by Randolfi's chef-owner Mike Randolph. Find this and other old-school recipes you need to know how to make on p. 32.

PHOTO BY GREG RANNELLS

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N O V E M B E R 2 015 • VO LUM E 15, ISSU E 11 It's not Thanksgiving without...

PUBLISHER ART DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL EDIBLE WEEKEND EDITOR STAFF WRITER CONTRIBUTING EDITORS FACT CHECKERS PROOFREADERS PRODUCTION DESIGNER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS The sides – especially mashed potatoes!

Roasted turkey, Wild Turkey and a political debate

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 ©2001-2015 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 The leftovers Meera Nagarajan sandwich: turkey, stuffing, cranberry Heather Hughes sauce and cream Catherine Klene cheese on a toasted Catherine Klene everything bagel.

Kristin Schultz Garrett Faulkner, Rosanne Toroian Rebecca Koenig, Kristin Schultz Emily Lowery, Kristin Schultz Michelle Volansky Jonathan Gayman, Ashley Gieseking, Elizabeth Maxson, Emily Suzanne McDonald, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky Vidhya Nagarajan Glenn Bardgett, Andrew Barrett, Matt Berkley, Hilary Hitchcock, Heather Hughes, Kellie Hynes, Jamie Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Cory King, Karen King, Catherine Klene, Rebecca Koenig, Anne Marie Lodholz, Dan Lodholz, Meera Nagarajan, Maggie Pearson, Spencer Pernikoff, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan, Kristin Schultz, Lauren Schumacker Rebecca Ryan Rebecca Ryan Allyson Mace Jill George, Angie Rosenberg Jill George Sophie Handler, Julia Keller

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 November 2015

November 2015

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editors' picks

EAT THIS

STEAK FRITES at THE LIBERTINE is corner bistro comfort. Flank steak is covered in an aromatic rub and seared for a charred outer crust and meltingly tender center. The stunner is served with twice-fried, hand-cut fries with a perfect crisptender bite. And the pièce de résistance? Teetering atop the meat, a quenelle of foie gras butter slowly melts while you PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

eat, coating each bite with savory decadence.

7927 FORSYTH BLVD., CLAYTON, 314.862.2999, LIBERTINESTL.COM

November 2015

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MEALS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE

ILLUSTRATION BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN

ANTHONY DEVOTI Many of us have vivid food memories, whether it’s a defining meal from childhood or a palate revelation from last week. Food contributes to who we are. For Five Bistro chef-owner Anthony Devoti, who recently launched J. Devoti Grocery, family meals and farm-raised ingredients left an indelible mark on his cooking.

Here, the three meals that changed his life and shaped his career. – Kristin Schultz

November 2015

1. Childhood Sunday Breakfasts A huge influence on my culinary life is coming home and cooking breakfast with Mom and Dad after church and watching Channel 9. First were Julia Child reruns, then Jacques Pépin and then Julia and Jacques. It was my introduction to cooking and cooking with family.

At breakfast, eggs were huge and everyone wanted a different style. My mom likes scrambled, my dad likes fried, I like poached, so we would play with that. Bacon, eggs, roasted potatoes, toast: a nice big family breakfast. The house smelled awesome. It set me on the food track. I went to the French Culinary Institute, where Jacques Pépin is a dean.

Watching the old Jacques Pépin TV shows really impacted my career. It set my direction: Cooking is cool. Cooking is fun.

It’s family-oriented.

2. Christmas Eve Ravioli My grandpa made ravioli every year for Christmas. It was the focal point. We had a big Italian family. Even now we do Christmas Eve at my house, and that’s what we have every year. It’s a dish that brings a memory of him. We were really close.

It’s a sausage and beef ravioli and a classic Italian gravy and cheese. I don’t know how much of a recipe there is. You do this, then you do this, then you do this, then you bake it. I could write one out, but it’s more of an old, Italian-eyeballed thing.

3. Zuni Café, San Francisco, 2004 I was working in Chesterfield, and I wanted to open my own restaurant. I felt frustrated with the quality and level of food. I split and moved to San Francisco with the sole intention of finding farm-to-table restaurants. I was there

a week and a half and walked by Zuni Café. I’d just read a Saveur Magazine with (former Zuni Café chef-owner) Judy Rodgers on the front.

So I went in. I worked there for a little over a year. It was exactly what I was looking for. …

It was like, “So-and-so brought tomatoes, and they will be on your dish tonight.”

The roasted chicken is an iconic dish at Zuni. Cutting into one, it’s so juicy, and the skin is crisp and it all came together. The technique was perfect – the way everything was cooked was perfect. And the food was rustic. It wasn’t eyedroppers and tweezers; it was real, proper, country French and Italian food. I wanted to bring that perfection back here. Judy Rodgers was a major influence on Five Bistro.

Five Bistro 5100 Daggett Ave., St. Louis, 314.773.5553, fivebistro.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 11

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hit list

5 new restaurants to try this month

Light & Mild bread at Union Loafers Cafe and Bread Bakery UNION LOAFERS CAFE AND BREAD BAKERY

PHOTO BY MEERA NAGARAJAN

After years of planning, renovating and baking, Ted Wilson and Sean Netzer have opened the highly anticipated Union Loafers in Botanical Heights. The cafe and bakery serves a small, rotating lunch menu of sandwiches, soups and salads along with artisanal loaves. Bite into the roasted pork sandwich, their take on a Cuban made with roast pork, country ham, Gruyere and house-made pickles piled high on Loafers’ ciabatta with house-made mustard and mayonnaise. Or try the smoked beet sandwich, also on ciabatta, which marries ruby sliced beets with Emmenthal cheese, hardboiled egg, house-fermented sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. The real dark horse is a delectable nut butter and housemade jam sandwich (almond butter and raspberry jam during our visit) on buttered Light & Mild country loaf; it’s a childhood staple all grown up. Go green with a Little Gem Salad tossed with house buttermilk dressing, pickled shallots, fine herbs and sourdough breadcrumbs, and don’t forget to pick up a full or half-loaf on your way out to savor artisanal bread all week long.

Union Loafers, 1629 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.6111, unionloafers.com November 2015

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hit oflist p. 2

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You don’t have to be an expert on Taiwanese cuisine to enjoy an authentic meal at Tai Ke. Start with an array of small plates, which are billed as side dishes and Taiwanese snacks. We swooned over the downy bao bun that holds a sliver of flavorful pork belly, and we devoured the link of red sausage on a curved bed of sticky rice that looks like a Taiwanese hot dog. Tai Ke also handles beef with aplomb – it’s incredibly tender in both the beef noodle soup (where you can cut your meat with a spoon), and spiced up with generous hits of black pepper in the sizzling beef entree over rice.

TAI KE

1

Lace up your boots and hike over to Retreat Gastropub in the Central West End for elevated pub food. Grab a seat at the concrete bar or cedar tables and benches lining the interior and tuck in to the substantial poutine with fried fingerling potatoes and cheese curds bathed in a rich mushroom demi-glace. Though you may want to inhale all the gravysoaked goodness, leave room for the Farmhouse Burger. Two smashed beef patties topped with house-made cheese sauce, candied bacon and a sunny egg, served on an English muffin-like bun from Companion. Be sure to grab a drink at the bar, which serves up a creative cocktail menu embroidered with house-made tinctures and shrubs. You can’t go wrong with the Fort Collins, a lively concoction of Bulldog gin, grapefruit and lemon juices, Amaro Averna, IPA syrup, a black pepper tincture and house vermouth.

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY AND MEERA NAGARAJAN

RETREAT GASTROPUB

2 N. Sarah St., St. Louis, 314.261.4497, retreatgastropub.com November 2015

Byrd & Barrel has come home to roost on Jefferson Avenue. This new South City eatery serves up pressure-fried chicken and indulgent fare. Choose from one of 50 canned beers and start your meal with the South Side Poutine: housemade tater tots coated in shreds of smoked chicken, mellow cheese curds and a choice of smoked mushroom or chicken gravy. Order a few juicy wings to share, but save room for the over-the-top Mother Clucker sandwich that piles a fried boneless thigh with caramelized onions, spicy pepper jelly, house-made Provel “Cheez-whiz” and Red Hot Riplets. If you manage to save room for a side, don’t miss the creamy Provel mac-n-cheese.

BYRD & BARREL

3422 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.875.9998, Facebook: Byrd & Barrel

4

8604 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.801.8894

Robata is the first of several anticipated ramen restaurants to open its doors in the St. Louis area. But before you slurp, peruse the numerous yakitori options and share the grilled shishito peppers, pork belly or bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms, all skewered and grilled to order. An array of sushi is available, too (Robata’s owners ran the nowshuttered Sekisui). The main event, though, is the ramen, which can be customized with a variety of noodle choices, broths and garnishes. We sunk our spoons into regular-cut noodles swimming in tonkotsu-style ramen, featuring rich pork broth topped with roast pork, green onions, a boiled egg, bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, pickled ginger and wood-ear mushrooms.

ROBATA OF MAPLEWOOD

3 1 Farmhouse Burger at Retreat Gastropub 2 Retreat Gastropub 3 Tonkotsu-style ramen at

5

Robata of Maplewood 4 Mother Clucker sandwich at Byrd & Barrel 5 The patio at Byrd & Barrel

7260 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9595, robatamaplewood.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 15

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reviews All Sauce reviews are conducted anonymously.

three springs farm strip steak at J. McArthur's

new and notable

J. McArthur’s An American Kitchen

BY MICHAEL RENNER | PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

N

aming restaurants after family members is a way to honor loved ones and let diners know that a place is personal. Co-owned by chef Ben McArthur, his father John McArthur (the restaurant’s namesake) and stepmother Kathleen Bibbins, J. McArthur’s An American Kitchen is personal.

new and notable J. MCARTHUR'S AN AMERICAN KITCHEN p. 17 / power lunch TWISTED RANCH p. 20 / nightlife MANCHESTER PUBLIC HOUSE p. 23 November 2015

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perfect for nice weather dining – while the back patio is still a cozy place to congregate around the fire pit.

reviews

McArthur sources locally, serving pork, beef, poultry, cheese and produce from a steady list of about 15 farms and purveyors. Emphasizing what he calls regional specialties with a twist, the menu trends toward sturdy staples like meatloaf (invigorated by the use of Missouri wagyu ground beef ). McArthur’s maxim could also be taken to mean – and this is more observation than criticism – rich and heavy, meat-and-potatoes fare.

NEW AND NOTABLE p. 2 of 2

Seared diver scallops are served on a pool of smoked corn bisque with roasted Brussels sprouts, corn, pea shoots and bacon.

In addition to meatloaf (served with mashed potatoes, fresh green beans and a wild mushroom demi-glace), there are a wagyu burger and changing cuts of Missouri beef and pork. One evening it was a rib-eye with sauteed kale and smoked Gouda potato gratin, all beautifully prepared and presented.

It’s a place you feel good in. The newly renovated Lindenwood Park space is warm, comfortable and as inviting as the

AT A GLANCE J. McArthur’s An American Kitchen

pop of a wine cork among friends. The covered front patio remains unchanged from its former life as 3500 Winehaus –

Where J. McArthur’s An American Kitchen, 3500 Watson Road, St. Louis, 314.353.9463, jmcarthurs.com

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Starter highlights include McArthur’s unusual take on chicken wings and tacos. The former were brined in rosebud-flower tea, tossed in a spicy-sweet glaze with charred onion tops and served with vinegary, crunchy cold chow-chow. The seemingly unnecessary Alabama white barbecue sauce served with it – why have two sauces? – actually provided a creamy, piquant counter balance (and perhaps a nod to McArthur’s time spent cooking in the Southeast). The latter had all the makings of a tasty taco: Three large, flash-fried but foldable tortillas held braised cubes of pork, pickled vegetables, chimichurri (which made the tacos a tad oily) and guacamole, topped with pea shoots and cilantro.

Don’t Miss Dishes Chicken wings, panseared scallops, any daily cut

Vibe Warm, comfortable and laid-back. Bring the neighbors.

McArthur’s “risotto” includes quotation marks on the menu because he uses pearl barley rather than traditional arborio rice.

An array of roasted vegetables made the dish vegetarian-friendly – tiny whole carrots, chewy mushrooms, pea shoots and smoked grape tomatoes. While the grain was cooked to the proper consistency, the dish suffered from a thin cream-based sauce. The acidic brightness of the tomatoes helped cut through the creaminess, but the vegetables were mounded atop the risotto rather than blended in to allow the flavors to marry.

There’s a daily fish special, but my favorite seafood entree was an order of diver scallops. In both presentation and combination of flavors, the dish is perfect for the season: Three plump mollusks seared in a cast-iron skillet arrived in a shallow pool of smoked corn bisque with roasted Brussels sprouts, corn, pea shoots and slivers of smoky bacon.

The wine list is surprisingly extensive with nearly 60 bottles, six of them sparkling. Sixteen wines by the glass cover most desires and food pairings. The bar itself sits a bit off the main dining room and with extended hours most evenings, seems like a welcome spot to watch a game or socialize with regulars.

Two of three fun, shareable desserts are made in-house, and the chocolate and cheese board includes Crown Candy chocolates and local cheeses. Rich panna cotta came in a little canning jar topped with sliced figs and apple gelée. On the side were two thick dried cranberry-pecan oatmeal cookies, chewy and alive with a hint of salt. Puffy, hot-from-the-fryer beignets come with a changing assortment of marmalades, which included strawberry and blueberry during my visits.

While some dishes need tightening up and the menu at J. McArthur’s doesn’t break any new ground, there are enough twists to keep me coming back for more. It takes moxie and talent to open your own restaurant, and McArthur has both. Dad should be proud.

Entree Prices $12 to $30

When Tue. and Wed. – 5 to 9 p.m.; Thu. to Sat. – 5 to 10 p.m.; Sun. brunch – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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reviews POWER LUNCH

Power Lunch

TWISTED RANCH

BY HILARY HITCHCOCK | PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH MAXSON

Twisted Ranch garnered national media attention for its unusual, ranch-themed concept when it opened this summer: a bar and grill with a twist – of ranch.

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RANCH ON THE SIDES Sandwiches come with one side, and the hand-cut fries were a standout: Coated with a house blend of ranch seasoning, they Twisted Ranch were the ideal 1730 S. Eighth St., St. combination of a Louis, 314.833.3450, crispy outside and twistedranch.com a fluffy interior.

For a healthier option, the side salad was pretty basic but fresh. The loaded potato salad was better than most – not too sweet or mustardy.

WELCOME TO THE RANCH Metal-topped tables and bar shelves made from pipes create a subtle industrial theme in the 50-seat restaurant. Better ventilation would improve the atmosphere considerably, since smoke from the kitchen often lingers. But service is friendly: Multiple staffers greeted us upon entry, and the servers worked as a team to keep things moving smoothly. We were in and out in about an hour.

THE RANCHES D’ÊTRE Of 17 house-made ranches [1], the most popular are cheesy bacon, Sriracha, roasted garlic and avocado. Always Sunny in Fetadelphia has sun-dried tomato and feta, and the Kemowasabi is wasabi and honeybased. We tried about half, and the double D (Dijon and Durkee sauce) and the garlic ranch were favorites. Part of the fun is trying multiple flavors, although it can be hard to distinguish among them after a while.

DIPS ON DIPS Starters are plentiful and heavy. The Buffalo chicken dip [3] could do with another dash of house-made Buffalo sauce – it needed the additional heat and vinegar tang – but was creamy and didn’t skimp on the chicken.

The baked dip came with corn chips, a sturdy alternative to the expected tortilla.

Loaded fresh-cut fries [2] were topped with what appeared to be cheese sauce (though the menu billed it melted cheddar), buttermilkbasil ranch, bacon and green onions. This tasty profligate dish came with a choice of two ranch sauces on the side, which was overkill since there was nary a naked fry to

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THE TAKEAWAY

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dip. Likewise, the loaded nachos with pepper jack cheese sauce and avocado ranch, were almost too messy to eat. It might do better as a dip with chips on the side.

The fried pickle chips had a perfectly crunchy ranch-seasoned panko coating, but they shouldn’t be tried without a dip or two (go for the Greek ranch), since unadorned they lacked the expected briny burst of pickle flavor. While there are tasty options, something lighter would be a welcome addition to the appetizer menu.

MAINS WITH RANGE Don’t be afraid of the mains; everything on the menu is not totally dominated by ranch sauce. The Ranched St. Louis Gerber worked particularly well: a hot

open-faced ham and Provel sandwich with garlic ranch on the bread instead of the usual garlic butter. The chicken ranch gyro overflowed with fresh tomato and cucumber and included just a hint of the advertised Greek ranch.

The stout half-pound garlic ranch burger arrived juicy with a nice, medium-pink center and topped with cheese, lettuce, onions and tomato. I chose a neutral American from the many cheese options to avoid distracting from the garlic ranch. Ranch smoked pulled pork was piled on a bun with barbecue ranch slaw. The saucy sandwich tasted more like barbecue than ranch and the slaw was a smart addition, cutting through the rich sweetness of the pork with a fresh crunch.

Adding lighter options would improve Twisted Ranch’s standing as a lunch spot.

The appetizers especially are best suited for bar hoppers looking for serious, hangoverpreventing food. Ordered at lunch, they pose the risk of an accidental afternoon office nap.

While Twisted Ranch doesn’t stand out much from other St. Louis bar and grills, it’s a fine place to stop in if you live or work in the area.

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nightlife

reviews

Manchester public house

NIGHTLIFE

BY MATT BERKLEY | PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

reasonable pints (all less than $7). Along with local favorites like Civil Life, outof-state and import brews like Scrimshaw and Bell’s regularly slide across the bar – frothy, full Manchester and never flat on Public House numerous visits.

6655 Manchester Ave., The hard liquor St. Louis, 314.899.9111, is adequate, but manchesterpublichouse.com lackluster cocktails are certainly not the draw here. I’ve had more satisfying Gin and Tonics out of my kitchen, but it’s hard to be disappointed in a bar that serves 16-ounce cans of Stag and Pabst Blue Ribbon for only $3.

Manchester’s food menu boasts meaty, smoked options and quirky little treats like Pork Wellington Bites.

Dogtown is St. Louis’ unofficial burger town, and the pub’s Hellraiser Burger, complete with fried jalapenos, Sriracha bacon and pepper jack cheese, stood up to any I’ve had in the neighborhood.

Another winner was the Scotch egg, a hard-boiled egg wrapped in fennel-heavy sausage and a feathery-light breading. It paired flawlessly with the accompanying dollop of grainy mustard sauce. The brisket nachos were also well worth the calories – homemade corn tortilla chips remained crispy even after being doused in a healthy portion of beef brisket, thick and smoky-sweet vegetarian chili and Chihuahua cheese.

T

he name Manchester Public House might bring to mind a kitschy, fauxBritish bar teeming with soccer paraphernalia, but it’s actually a stylish and reserved pub tucked away on the southern edge of Franz Park and Dogtown.

Though there’s a heavy Sunday brunch and NFL crowd, most nights Manchester Public House is full of casually dressed regulars blowing the froth off a few pints of Guinness while Motown and ’70s and ’80s pop hits fill the air. The tempo picks up on weekend nights when a decidedly younger crowd goes strong until closing at 1:30 a.m. For the most part though, Manchester remains an old-school, unpretentious corner pub.

November 2015

Belly up to the long wooden bar dominating the cozy, dark brick main room or relax in one of the deep leather booths lining the opposite wall. Those seeking a little more privacy can head to a handful of tables and a grand, old tufted leather chesterfield sofa facing a fireplace in the back room. The comfortable and inviting pub is complemented by a small patio with worn picnic tables where lonely burning cigars wait for their owners to return from the bar with freshened drinks.

It’s a pub, so stick with the beer. The menu features roughly 20 impressive pours in a wide range of styles. A tip of the cap to the management, which includes halfpint options (around $3) with already

ORDER IT: Manchester Public House

Snack on a Scotch egg, which is hard-boiled, wrapped in fennel-heavy sausage and a featherylight breading.

However, don’t expect anything special from the pulled pork quesadillas or fish tacos. The former are bland and disappointing, and the latter pull off the difficult task of being incredibly overseasoned and boring at the same time.

Minus a few hiccups, the appetizer- and sandwich-heavy menu makes a great pub meal or late-night snack, as the kitchen is open until 11:30 p.m. most nights.

Falling in line with the string of great new bars redefining Dogtown, Manchester Public House has a level of service and style embedded so deeply that everything seems effortless. It’s a solid neighborhood pub or casual date spot where a quick bite can turn into a long, enjoyable evening in a comfortable space.

From left, pints of Civil Life American brown ale and import brew Scrimshaw Pilsner.

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Check out Glenn Bardgett's pick for a Chilean white

dine

& drink

ILLUSTRATIONS BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN

A SEAT AT THE BAR / Five experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake It’s rare for me to discover a white wine grape I never knew existed, especially one grown on vines more than a century old. Yet I’ve just met sauvignon gris.

GLENN BARDGETT Only 300 cases of the Member of the Missouri Wine perfumed, weighty 2014 and Grape Board and wine Casa Silva Sauvignon director at Annie Gunn’s Gris were imported from Chile. A natural, more intense mutation of sauvignon blanc, the wine has enough flavor, nose and character to make it an exciting addition to St. Louis’ wine scene. At a scant $20, oysters Rockefeller never paired so well.

November 2015

Everything old is new again, including sloe gin, a British liqueur traditionally made with sloe berries (a small, tart cousin of plums) steeped in gin. The only true sloe gin available in Missouri is Hayman’s, which uses an aromatic London dry gin base.

TED AND JAMIE Those across the Mississippi KILGORE can look for Plymouth sloe gin, USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart which is excellent mixed with and co-owners/bartenders at Planter’s House club soda or simply served neat.

Try it out in a Sloe Gin Fizz, too, by combining 2 ounces sloe gin, 1 ounce fresh lemon juice, ¾ ounce simple syrup and 1 egg white. Shake vigorously with ice, fine-strain into a highball glass and top with club soda.

Every fall, American breweries compete for glory at The Great American Beer Festival in Denver, and several of this year’s winners are available in town, like CORY AND Firestone Walker’s Double KAREN KING Barrel Ale. The biscuity Co-owners at Side Project British pale ale with a Brewing and The Side hint of vanilla won gold Project Cellar in the ordinary or special bitter category. And don’t miss the lone St. Louis gold medalist, Perennial Savant Blanc, which won for American-style sour ales. Aged with chardonel grapes, it drinks like a sparkling wine. The 2015 batch debuts soon. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 25

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COCKTAILS

N E V E R S AY NEVER

BY K R I S T I N S C H U LT Z

Think gin tastes like a Christmas tree? Vowed never again after too many rum and cokes at your cousin’s wedding? Don’t let a bad experience keep you from enjoying the six base spirits – gin, vodka, brandy, tequila, whiskey and rum – in all their stirred and shaken glory. Reconsider what you swore off with these local concoctions.

Kentucky Coffee Whiskey is so much more than Jack and coke. This cocktail requires several posh tricks to assemble – including fire and an espresso machine – but it’s worth the wait. The resulting concoction has a briskly aromatic nose from the cinnamon and cayenne floated atop vanilla beanwhipped cream. Beneath the frothy crown is a heated blend of Buffalo Trace bourbon, cold-brew coffee and caramelized brown sugar. Small Batch Whiskey & Fare, 3001 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.380.2040, smallbatchstl.com

Kentucky Coffee at Small Batch Whiskey & Fare

Pine Revival Drinking bad gin is a little like licking the side of a spruce. But good gin mixed with the right ingredients may just convert you. Enter the Pine Revival, a vigorously shaken blend of Uncle Val’s fragrant botanical gin, Lillet Blanc, Clockwork Orange liqueur, lemon juice and cardamom bitters. Served in an absinthe-rinsed glass, it’s a sophisticated sip that is at once soft, piney, floral and dry. The Gin Room, 3200 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.771.3411, natashasginroom.com

PHOTO BY MEERA NAGARAJAN

Capirotazo Banish the memory of your tequila-shooting youth and embrace agave-spirited adulthood. Tres Agaves Reposado tequila’s warm vanilla notes get along famously with the assertive combo of Dumante espresso liqueur, Cocchi Barolo Chinato, a dash of allspice dram and Angostura bitters. The bar shakes it all up with a whole egg for a creamy, froth-topped finish. But the flavor train doesn’t stop there. A fresh black pepper garnish lingers on the palate to round out this elegant sipper. Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge, 1811 Pestalozzi St., St. Louis, 317.773.8646, frazersgoodeats.com

Backseat Freestyle You don’t need leather-bound books and a cigar collection to enjoy brandy. Taste’s seasonal cocktail November 2015

shakes up cranberry-infused cognac with an egg white, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup and whiskey barrel-aged bitters, garnished with a rosemary sprig. This creamy drink starts out spicy on the nose, and then warm cinnamon notes yield to a subtle cranberry tartness and cheery citrus finish.

Brandy is no longer just a stuffy libation for GreatUncle Archibald. Taste, 4584 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, 314.631.1200, tastebarstl.com

My Basic Girl Don’t give vodka the cold shoulder. Perhaps the most basic of the base spirits, vodka has few defining flavor notes, making it a blank canvas for bold, full flavors like pumpkin spice. London Vodka, StillJoy Vienna Roast liqueur and house-made pumpkin-spiced simple

syrup are shaken with ice and strained. With a crispy, delicate meringue cookie floating on top, it’s a fruity, spiced autumnal treat. It’s also off-menu, so order it by name. Element, 1419 Carroll St., St. Louis, 314.241.1674, elementstl.com

Rum Collins Sometimes, all it takes to erase the ghosts of rum and cokes past is a simple revision of a classic recipe. The rum Collins is a favorite in Puerto Rico, and it’s not hard to see why. The effervescent first sip, courtesy of fresh lemon juice and a club soda topper, mellows into a slightly sweet, vanilla-hinted finish from Don Q Anejo Puerto Rican rum and simple syrup. BC’s Kitchen, 11 Meadows Circle Drive No. 400, Lake St. Louis, 636.542.9090, billcardwell.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 27

VEGETIZE IT

Tajine

BY KELLIE HYNES | PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER

A

s anyone who admits to eating escargot knows, an elegant name transforms pedestrian food. It’s why “Champagne” is more appetizing than “rotten grape juice” and “tea time” is more socially acceptable than “afternoon Oreo bingeing.” So when my favorite carnivores (that is, my husband and three kiddos) rolled their eyes at the concept of a meatless autumn stew, I knew I didn’t need better ingredients. I needed better marketing.

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Tajine (tah-zheen) is a Moroccan stew cooked and served in a two-piece, earthenware dish which, conveniently, is also called a tajine. Traditional touajen (the fancy plural form of tajine) are slowcooked kaleidoscopes of meat or fish, vegetables, fruit and spices that warm all the senses. Hoping a vegetarian stew by another name would soften the hearts of my meat-loving family members, I visited Baida Moroccan Restaurant on South Grand Boulevard to learn the secrets of tajine cuisine.

Chef-owner Assia Meskine and her husband and co-owner, Abder Meskine, explained how the tajine’s conical lid is designed to return moisture to the meat in their bestselling chicken and lamb stews. The lid shape also enhances the flavors in their vegan tajine, which is made with generous hunks of zucchini, butternut squash, green peas, garbanzo beans, tomatoes and spices. As an aside, Abder mentioned that Moroccans historically called vegetarian touajen “Berber touajen” after the Berber people, who often couldn’t afford meat for their meals. This gave me pause – another reminder that on my side of the world, a plant-based diet is a privilege, not an economic necessity.

For my own vegetarian tajine, Assia advised cutting the vegetables into large chunks, so their texture didn’t disintegrate as they roasted in the tajine. She also suggested sauteing the vegetables in a skillet before roasting, since a clay pot will crack if it’s placed on a stovetop burner without a heat diffuser. The vessel can also crack if it’s

November 2015

placed in a preheated oven, so turn on the heat after the tajine is inside. In other words, this is the one time you can haphazardly chop your veggies, forget to turn on the oven and still do everything right.

I sauteed halved shallots and chunks of bell peppers with garlic and ginger, seasoning them with paprika, cayenne pepper and my new favorite spice mix, ras al-hanout. It’s a North African spice blend that smells like mulled cider on a sharp winter night. If you don’t want to buy a spice just for this recipe, you can approximate with dashes of ground cinnamon, cumin and cloves.

I poured the mixture into my tajine, added sweet potato and roasted the whole shebang. After 30 minutes, the shallots and peppers were roasted to al dente perfection, but my sweet potatoes were still hard as rocks. Assia suggested parboiling the potatoes for 10 minutes before adding them to the tajine, but I found that microwaving them in a little vegetable broth achieved the same result with less effort and more flavor.

In the end, my tajine was more than a meatless stew. It was a colorful, spicy-sweet and filling international experience.

SWEET POTATO TAJINE 8 SERVINGS

2 tsp. minced garlic 1 tsp. grated ginger 2 Tbsp. honey or brown sugar 2 tsp. ras al-hanout 1 tsp. turmeric ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper ¼ tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. paprika 1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, drained 1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed ½ cup pomegranate seeds 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 4 cups prepared couscous • Remove enough oven racks to make room for the covered tajine.

• Place the sweet potato chunks in a microwave-safe dish with ¼ cup vegetable broth. Cover and microwave on high until the potatoes begin to soften, approximately 4 minutes. Set aside.

• Melt the ghee in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and saute 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and saute 4 minutes, until the shallots and peppers start to brown. Lower the heat to medium, add the garlic and ginger and saute another 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the honey, ras alhanout, turmeric, cayenne pepper, salt and paprika, stirring to coat the vegetables evenly.

• Pour the vegetable mixture and any

pan drippings into an 11-inch tajine base. Layer the sweet potato chunks on top of the vegetables, followed by the tomatoes and garbanzo beans. Pour the remaining 1¼ cups vegetable broth over the top. Place the tajine lid on the base and slide the dish into the cold oven.

• Heat the oven to 300 degrees. Bake until the shallots and sweet potatoes are fork-tender, about 30 minutes.

• Serve in the tajine, garnished with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.

Serve with prepared couscous on the side.

Ready to board the Marrakesh Express to Moroccan cuisine? These will get you started.

11-inch terra-cotta tajine $20. World Market, 24 Brentwood Promenade Court, Brentwood, 314.918.7800; 238 THF Blvd., Chesterfield, 636.728.0011, worldmarket.com Ras al-hanout spice mix $3. Global Foods Market, 421 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.835.1112, globalfoodsmarket.com

1 lb. sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1½ cups vegetable broth, divided 2 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil 6 small shallots, peeled and halved crosswise 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks

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MAKE THIS WARM GARLIC SOUP ACTIVE TIME: 10 MINUTES

MAKE THIS This quick-to-make, comforting soup will fill your belly and protect you from any vampires hanging around after Halloween. Pour 3 cups chicken stock into a large, microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes. In a medium pot over medium-high heat, saute ½ cup minced yellow onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until translucent, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add 12 cloves chopped garlic (a heaping ½ cup) and saute 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add the warm broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 cup diced day-old bread, season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, cover and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat and use an immersion blender or work in batches in a blender to puree the soup until smooth. Garnish with chopped green onions. – Dee Ryan

Gild the lily: Make a quick herbinfused oil in a food processor using 1 part fresh herbs (try basil, oregano and parsley) to 2 parts olive oil. Puree until smooth and fine-strain through a coffee filter. Drizzle onto the soup before serving.

PHOTO BY GREG RANNELLS

If you enjoy Dee Ryan’s quick and easy recipes in Make This, don’t miss her online column, Just Five. Go to samg.bz/saucejust5 to find recipes that you can whip up in a jiffy and require just five key ingredients.

November 2015

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American Classics YOU SHOULD KNOW HOW TO MAKE

It’s time to revive some old-school American classics. If Grandma didn’t teach you right, keep reading for help from St. Louis pros. From Caesar salad to baked ham and mashed potatoes, these seven recipes will never go out of style.

MATT BERKLEY, HEATHER HUGHES, REBECCA KOENIG, MEERA NAGARAJAN, DEE RYAN AND LAUREN SCHUMACKER // PHOTOS BY GREG RANNELLS

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November 2015

1

classic old-fashioned

A classic Old-Fashioned is the granddaddy of whiskey cocktails. The simple, timehonored trio of whiskey, bitters and sugar is best complemented by the natural sweetness of cherry and fresh orange. Dustin Parres, corporate bar manager at Gamlin Whiskey House, contended that technique makes the Old-Fashioned so special – something often ignored by bartenders who slap the drink together using bottled juices and bland, mass-produced cherries. “If they aren’t breaking out a muddler, you know that they’re doing it wrong,” Parres said. Check out his take on the classic. – M.B.

R E C I P E O N P. 3 9

November 2015

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For a charred take on a Caesar salad, cut hearts of romaine in half lengthwise and drizzle with olive oil.

Briefly grill over high heat until the romaine just wilts and chars slightly. Serve whole, drizzled with Caesar salad dressing.

2

caesar salad R E C I P E O N P. 3 9

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Few salads are more iconic than Caesar. We turned to chef Kier Puckett at Mike Shannon’s Steaks & Seafood for his take on this steakhouse classic. Step one: Put down that bottled dressing. This umami-packed DIY version uses raw egg yolks, white anchovy fillets, roasted garlic and cold olive oil – Puckett’s secret to a thick, rich dressing. Step two: Give the emperor of salads a proper throne. Add the dressing to a nonreactive wooden or glass serving bowl, then toss with crisp romaine. Hail, Caesar! – L.S.

Natural Wood Salad Bowls, $125 to $150.

Narcise, narcise.net November 2015

3

spaghetti and

meatballs R E C I P E S O N P. 4 1

Randolfi’s chef-owner Mike Randolph makes light, airy meatballs loaded with flavor. Here, four tips from the pro for magical meatballs at home. – M.N.

Ditch the breadcrumbs. Airy meatballs start with high-quality bread. Cube a day-old artisanal loaf and soak it in buttermilk; this will help bind the mixture and keep it moist. Sturdy bread lends itself to a softer, fluffier meatball, and buttermilk is a great way to add acid to the meat, which means better flavor in the finished product.

Bigger is better. If you want a

light, soft texture, make a couple large meatballs instead of dozens of little ones. They’re less likely to dry out during cooking, and it’s less work for you.

You don’t boil a steak; don’t boil meatballs. The best way to

cook meatballs is to season well, sear, add a simple tomato puree and braise two to three hours in a 225-degree oven.

Don’t neglect the noodles.

Spaghetti and meatballs is mostly spaghetti. For a new take on the classic, toss al dente pasta in a pan with a generous glug of olive oil, your favorite herbs, a splash of pasta water and a sprinkle of Parmesan. It’s a great accompaniment to the meat and a simple alternative to the expected tomato sauce.

November 2015

Make ho-hum store-bought tomato sauce sing with help from Stellina chef-owner Jamey Tochtrop: Pour 3 cups dry red wine in a saucepan and add 6 cloves roughly chopped garlic, 2 roughly chopped large shallots, 1 small roughly chopped carrot and 6 to 8 thyme sprigs. Slowly reduce by half over low heat until thick and syrupy. Strain out the solids, then fold the desired amount into store-bought tomato sauce for added depth and complexity. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 35

4

baked

ham If your holiday isn’t complete without a beautiful glazed ham, call your butcher shop this year and place an order for uncooked country ham instead of a bagged, precooked option. They’re a bit more work, so we turned to Juniper chef-owner John Perkins to guide us through the days of soaking, baking and glazing to make a proper country ham worth the wait. – D.R.

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November 2015

If you prefer the ease of a precooked ham, look for brands like Frick’s Quality Meats, available at most area grocery stores. Be sure to score a precooked ham before you glaze and bake it.

country ham 101 Soak

Don’t freak out, but when you remove the ham from the packaging, it might have some mold on it. Like an aged cheese, a little mold is normal. Place the ham in a large pot (or new cooler) and cover it with cold water – it has to soak at least 24 to 48 hours. Change the water every eight hours or so to properly leach the salt from the ham. After 12 to 24 hours, remove it and scrape off any mold with a knife. Rinse the ham, place it back into the pot and cover with fresh water to soak another 24 hours, changing the water every eight hours.

Bake

After soaking, preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Rinse the ham thoroughly and place it on a rack in a roasting pan filled with 1 to 2 inches of water and 1 roughly chopped onion. Tent the ham tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes per pound until the internal temperature reaches 163 degrees. Let the ham rest at room temperature 1 hour, then remove as much of the skin as you can. Start at the hock (the small end) and trim away the tough outer skin, leaving as much fat as possible on the ham. (There is no need to score before you glaze since the skin has been removed.)

Glaze

Now it’s time to glaze. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, baste the ham with your preferred glaze (recipes on p. 41), and bake 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. Remove from oven and continue to baste as it cools.

Serve

Save that bone to add depth to a pot of greens or beans. Once completely cool, wrap the bone tightly in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of foil, then toss it in the freezer.

Bone-in, uncooked country ham ($4 per pound) is available at Kenrick’s Meat Market and Catering, 4324 Weber Road, St. Louis, 314.632.2440, kenricks.com.

November 2015

Ham is tastiest served slightly warm or at room temperature. To present the ham, first cut a slice from the bottom to make a flat base. Start about 2 inches from the hock and make a cut straight through to the bone. From there, make thin parallel cuts perpendicular to the bone. To release the slices, cut parallel along the bone from the small end. Wham, bam, thank you, ham.

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5

mashed potatoes and

gravy

6

Making your potatoes ahead of time? Hold them up to 4 hours in a slow cooker on low. Pour 2 tablespoons melted butter and Âź cup warm milk into the slow cooker insert before adding the mashed potatoes, then cover.

Stir well before serving.

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November 2015

Nothing says love like a big bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. Every family has its favorite rendition of this classic dish, and even the pros disagree about some things. Kevin Nashan, chef-owner of Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. and Sidney Street Cafe, prefers a rough mash of partially peeled, small red potatoes or fingerlings. Gerard Craft, chef-owner of the Niche Food Group, goes for a smooth puree of russet potatoes. Nashan seasons his water; Craft doesn’t. But lumpy or whipped, fingerlings or russets, milk or cream, there are some things all good mashers can agree upon. – D.R.

6 steps to the perfect mash Cut about 3 pounds potatoes (such as russet, fingerling or small red potatoes) into equal 1½ - to 2-inch cubes.

Place those spuds in a very large pot of cold water and give them room to dance with 1 inch of water above them.

Set the pot over medium-high heat.

Put a fork in it. Three pounds of potatoes cooked over medium-high take about 30 to 35 minutes. When a fork goes in easily or breaks the potato, drain immediately. If the potatoes fight back, continue to cook, checking every 5 minutes. Pay attention: Overcooked potatoes make a soupy mash.

Burn calories while you mash. The paddle attachment on a stand mixer works, but it is easy to go from perfection to glue when using appliances. Keep it old-school with a wire masher and leave some lumps, if you’re into that. If you like a silkysmooth texture, use a potato ricer.

Use about 1 stick melted butter and ½ cup milk, half-and-half or cream

for every 3 pounds potatoes. Always warm the butter and liquid before adding them.

Don’t be bland. Add salt and white pepper to taste – start with 1 teaspoon salt and a couple grinds of pepper and go from there. Other additions may include roasted garlic, creme fraiche or sour cream and, of course, cheese. Try mascarpone, goat cheese, cheddar or Parmesan. You can also add a little chicken or beef stock diluted in warm milk.

November 2015

ham gravy Traditionally, gravy is built from the pan drippings of roasted meat. So what do you do when baked ham, the drippings from which will be a sugary glaze, is on the menu? More importantly, how do you avoid lumpy gravy – a punishable crime in most homes? The trick is to start with a roux.

Nashan suggested making the roux with a fat-rich slice of precooked ham about the size of a matchbook.

Dice it up, then sear it in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon butter, then stir in 4 chopped fresh sage leaves and 1 tablespoon minced shallot. Cook 1 minute, stirring occasionally, then remove the ham and set aside. Stir in 3 more tablespoons butter until melted, then whisk in 6 tablespoons all-purpose flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. The roux should be the consistency of custard. If it’s thin, add a bit more flour.

To finish the gravy, whisk in ¼ cup room-temperature dry white wine.

The roux will likely seize a bit, so don’t worry if it rolls into a ball.

Stir in 1¼ cups room temperature pork stock, whisking constantly. As you whisk, the roux will turn into gravy in 3 to 5 minutes. For the smoothest gravy, pour it through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing solids with the back of a spoon, or for more texture, stir the reserved ham into gravy.

Pork stock ($6 per quart) is available at Truffles Butchery, 9202 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.567.9100, todayattruffles.com

recipes OLD-FASHIONED Courtesy of Gamlin Whiskey House’s Dustin Parres 1 SERVING

3 Luxardo maraschino cherries, divided 2 small orange slices, divided 1 Demerara sugar cube A few dashes Angostura bitters 2 oz. Henry McKenna bottled-in-bond bourbon ½ oz. Dolin Blanc vermouth

• In a pint glass or shaker, muddle together 2 cherries, 1 orange slice, the sugar cube and bitters. Pour in the bourbon and the vermouth. Add a few ice cubes, cover and shake.

Pour through a fine-mesh sieve into an Old-Fashioned glass, snifter or rocks glass filled with large ice cubes. Garnish with the remaining cherry and orange slice.

CAESAR SALAD Courtesy of Mike Shannon’s Steaks & Seafood’s Kier Puckett 4 SERVINGS 2 to 4 slices grilled baguette, plus more for serving 4 white anchovy fillets,* coarsely chopped 3 roasted garlic cloves 2 egg yolks ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. Dijon mustard Dash Worcestershire sauce ½ cup cold olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 6 heads romaine lettuce, chopped • In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the baguette slices to create about ⅓ cup breadcrumbs. Add the anchovy fillets, garlic, egg yolks, ParmigianoReggiano, lemon juice, mustard and Worcestershire and puree until well blended. With the machine running, add the oil in a slow stream to Continued on p. 41 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 39

7

chicken and

dumplings

Chris Vomund, Herbie’s Vintage ’72 executive chef, has taken traditional chicken and dumplings in some surprising flavor directions. Start with the classic recipe, then dream up your own flavor combinations or try one of Vomund’s ideas below. – R.K.

R E C I P E O N P. 4 1

Shake up the traditional chicken and dumplings and spike the broth with different flavors.

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miso + mushrooms

tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash + red wine

ginger + lemongrass

juniper + marjoram

November 2015

emulsify. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Pour the dressing into a serving bowl.

Add the romaine and toss to coat.

Serve with grilled baguette slices. *Available at Straub’s, 8262 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.725.2121, straubs.com

CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS Adapted from a recipe by Herbie’s Vintage ’72’s Chris Vomund 4 SERVINGS ¹∕³ cup olive oil 4 Tbsp. white wine vinegar, divided 2 lbs. boneless, skin-on chicken thighs* 2 Tbsp. butter 2 carrots, sliced 2 large celery ribs, sliced 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 small onion, diced 2 tsp. dried rosemary, divided 2 tsp. dried sage, divided 2 tsp. dried thyme, divided 2 cups dry white wine 6 cups chicken stock 2¹∕³ cups flour, divided, plus more for dusting 1½ tsp. kosher salt, divided ¾ cup water ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper • In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the olive oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Cook the chicken skinside down until browned and the fat renders, 10 to 15 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 5 minutes, then transfer to a cutting board. Pour all but 1 tablespoon pan drippings into a measuring cup. It should total about ¼ cup.

• Add the carrots, celery, garlic and onion to the Dutch oven over medium heat and cover, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon sage and 1 teaspoon thyme and stir about 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, November 2015

add the wine and the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar and boil 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and return to a boil, then decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer 30 minutes to reduce.

• Meanwhile, prepare the dumpling dough: On a clean work surface, combine 2 cups flour and 1 teaspoon salt with your hands. Gather the flour into a mound and make a well in the center. Slowly add the water, mixing with your hand until a dough starts to form. Knead the dough a few times to form a ball, but do not overwork.

• Lightly sprinkle the work surface and a rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough to 1∕8 - to ¼-inch thickness and sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, 1 teaspoon sage and 1 teaspoon thyme. Fold the dough in half, then roll out again to 1∕8 - to ¼-inch thickness. Use a sharp knife to slice the dough into 1½-inch pieces. Set aside.

• In a small saucepan over low heat, prepare a roux by whisking together the reserved ¼ cup pan drippings and the remaining ¹∕³ cup flour until well blended. Cook about 5 minutes, whisking frequently.

• Pour the roux into the Dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat.

Meanwhile, cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks. Stir in the chicken, pepper and the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, then add the dumpling dough to the stew, making sure the dough pieces don’t touch. Gently shake the Dutch oven to coat the dumplings in liquid. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 30 minutes, gently shaking the Dutch oven occasionally. *Ask your butcher to debone skin-on chicken thighs, but save the bones to make stock.

MEATBALLS Courtesy of Randolfi’s Mike Randolph 4 TO 6 SERVINGS 6 oz. artisanal day-old white bread, cut into ¼-inch cubes (about 3½ cups) 1½ cups buttermilk 1¼ lbs. ground lamb 1¼ lbs. ground pork 1 egg 2½ tsp. chopped fresh garlic

2 tsp. lemon zest 2 tsp. kosher salt 1¼ tsp. chopped fresh rosemary 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. red pepper flakes ¾ tsp. chopped fresh thyme ¾ tsp. fennel pollen* 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 14.5-oz. can whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, pureed Spaghetti with Herbs and Cheese (recipe follows) Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano • Preheat the oven to 225 degrees.

• In a large bowl, soak the bread in the buttermilk about 20 minutes.

Add ¼ pound lamb and ¼ pound pork to the bread mixture and mix until well incorporated. Add the remaining lamb, the remaining pork, the egg, garlic, lemon zest, salt, rosemary, black pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme and fennel pollen and mix well. Use your hands to form the meat mixture into baseball-sized meatballs, 6- to 8-ounces each.

• In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meatballs, turning every few minutes to sear all sides, about 10 minutes. Place the meatballs in a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish.

• Pour the tomato puree into the skillet over medium-high heat. Scrape any browned bits from the bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Pour the sauce over the meatballs.

• Bake 2 hours. Serve over spaghetti.

Garnish with Parmigiano-Reggiano. *Available at Larder & Cupboard, 7310 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.300.8995, larderandcupboard.com

SPAGHETTI WITH HERBS AND CHEESE Courtesy of Randolfi’s Mike Randolph 4 SERVINGS 1 lb. dried spaghetti ½ cup olive oil 4 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp. minced shallot 1 cup grated Parmesan 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley ½ tsp. red pepper flakes 4 tsp. lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

• Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente, 6 to 7 minutes. Reserve 2 cups pasta water, then drain the spaghetti and set aside.

• Return the pot to the stove over medium heat and add the oil. Add the garlic and shallot and cook 2 to 3 minutes, until translucent. Add the spaghetti, Parmesan, parsley, red pepper flakes and 1 cup pasta cooking water. Toss until the spaghetti is cooked to al dente and the sauce coats the pasta, about 5 minutes. Add more pasta cooking water as needed if the sauce is too thick. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

GINGER ALE HAM GLAZE Adapted from a recipe by Juniper’s John Perkins 1 CUP 1 cup Blenheim’s or Bruce Cost ginger ale ¼ cup brown sugar 2 Tbsp. sorghum or molasses 2 Tbsp. whole-grain Dijon mustard • In a saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients. Stirring occasionally, simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes.

COLA HAM GLAZE Adapted from a recipe by Dierberg’s School of Cooking’s Marianne Moore 1 CUP 1 cup brown sugar 1 cup cola ½ cup maple syrup 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 Tbsp. whole-grain mustard ½ tsp. ground cloves ½ tsp. ground ginger • In a saucepan over low heat, combine all ingredients. Stirring occasionally, simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 41

fish and chips

Nobody wants to go overboard after a few pints. Before waving the white flag at the bar, order fish and chips to help with those sea legs. Don’t waste time with second-rate renditions of this quintessential pub meal. Only hand-battered fish and house-made chips were shipshape enough to be declared the best in town.

– Andrew Barrett

Dressel’s Public House

Square One Brewery

Schlafly Tap Room

419 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.361.1060, dresselspublichouse.com

1727 Park Ave., St. Louis, 314.231.2537, squareonebrewery.com

2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.241.2337, schlafly.com/tap-room

Fresh haddock is beer-battered and paired with housemade American chips the Brits would call crisps. The fillet has just the right amount of batter and is equally delicious on its own, with malt vinegar or the classic house tartar sauce, which is smooth and tangy. You’ll want to savor every last crunchy chip, too. A slice of lemon and house-made pickles complete this coalition of flavors that can stand up to the stoutest beer.

Square One’s titanic chunk of grouper will fill you to the gunwales. It’s thick and meaty enough to cause pleasant fried chicken flashbacks and comes with bulky, crispy-yet-fluffy hand-cut fries. Be sure to sink both into the sweet, mustard seed-studded rémoulade. Pair this dish with the brewery’s Park Avenue pale ale or Bavarian weizen for a complete taste brigade.

Hefeweizen batter embraces fresh pollock and is accompanied by the familiar saltiness of classic, thincut fries. The pollock works best with a touch of malt vinegar and a spritz of lemon juice, but the house tartar sauce deserves a medal. Smooth with bold dill pickle flavor, the fry-friendly sauce is sure to please the legions. Choose an effervescent, bright beer for the best pairing, like the Schlafly TIPA.

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PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

SHORT LIST

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stuff to do:

NOVEMBER

BY KRISTIN SCHULTZ

Cranksgiving Nov. 8 – 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., City Museum, 750 N. 16th St., St. Louis, bworks.org/ cranksgiving Strap on a helmet, grab a backpack and get pedaling during this year’s Cranksgiving. Choose routes from 5 to 25 miles and cycle to participating grocery stores to buy canned goods and stock Food Outreach’s food pantry. Once you’ve finished your ride and dropped off your donations, refuel at the City Museum with eats from Local Harvest, Sugarfire Smoke House and Pie Oh My! Register online.

Cocktails and Conversation Nov. 20 – 7 to 8:30 p.m., Saint Louis Art Museum, 1 Government Drive, St. Louis, 314.721.0072, slam.org Cool jazz and sleek, midcentury modern design come together at the November installment of Cocktails and Conversation. Jazz St. Louis’ Phil Dunlap will lead an exploration of the connections between jazz and 1950s design.

Soak up the music and knowledge while sipping on classics like Manhattans, Tom Collins or sidecars from the cash bar. Tickets available online or in advance at the museum.

Farm Dinner Nov. 20, 21 and 28 – 6 to 9:30 p.m., Claverach Farm, 568 S. Lewis Road, Eureka, 636.938.7353, claverachfarm.com Sturdy winter greens, sweet root vegetables and roasted preserved tomatoes and peppers take center stage in

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Claverach Farm’s late-autumn farm dinners.

In the colder months, the barn doors close, and guests settle in for a three-hour meal featuring comforting seasonal fare with wine and beer, including the house dry rosé.

Reservations available online.

Schlafly Winter Market Nov. 21 – 8:30 a.m. to noon, 7260 Southwest Ave., Maplewood, 314.241.2337 x2, schlaflyfarmersmarket.com When the weather turns cold and gray, the farmers market at Schlafly Bottleworks moves inside. Fall squash, greens, meats, cheeses and sweets abound at the weekend version of the warm-weather favorite just in time for your Thanksgiving feast. Look for offerings from vendors like Kakao Chocolate, Ozark Forest Mushrooms, Baetje Farms and more, then grab brunch in the Bottleworks dining room.

Wine Diva Weekend Nov. 21 and 22 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., participating wineries, 800.398.1298, rdvwinetrail.com Pile your girlfriends in the car and head to Ste. Genevieve County for a weekend of Missouri vino and tasting plates. Drive the scenic, winding roads to Charleville, Chaumette, Sainte Genevieve, Twin Oaks, Cave Vineyard and Sand Creek wineries and taste a signature vintage paired with a savory or sweet snack.

Start at any participating winery and pick November 2015

up your commemorative wine glass. Tickets available online or by phone.

Edwardsville Gastro Tour Nov. 28 – noon to 4 p.m., Cleveland-Heath, 106 N. Main St., Edwardsville, stlculinarytours.com Taste the best of Edwardsville on this four-hour tour of area restaurants. ClevelandHeath will offer cocktails and appetizers to start the afternoon, followed by wood-fired pizza and craft beer at Peel. Hop next door to Mike Shannon’s Grill for wine, steak and crab cakes, and then swing back to Main Street for dessert and a digestif at Cleveland-Heath.

Tickets available online.

sponsored events Green Ball Nov. 6 – 7 to 11 p.m., Moonrise Hotel, 6177 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.577.5118, mobot.org/greenball It’s a party for the planet. Enjoy local eats from area vendors like Local Harvest, The Dam, Nathalie’s, Pint Size Bakery, La Vista CSA and The Wolf. An open bar will feature Boulevard beer and Noboleis wine, and Square One will be on hand with liquor samples. Show off your upcycled and sustainable fashion sense and enter the Green Fashion Contest. Tickets available online or by phone; proceeds benefit EarthWays Center of the Missouri Botanical Garden, which supports sustainability education.

Midtown Farmers Market Nov. 7 and 14 – 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 6655 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.913.6632, Facebook: Midtown Farmers Market Only two more regular markets remain in the season for Midtown Farmers Market. Don your scarf and scoop up fall produce and fresh loaves from Red Guitar Bread. Grab a bite from Hog Bitz, who will sell meaty sandwiches and pickles.

November 2015

Tower Grove Farmers Market Nov. 7 and 14 – 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, tgmarket.org Around 50 vendors will be on hand for the last two Tower Grove Farmers Markets of the outdoor season. Stock up on fall produce from vendors like Joe Ringhausen, Double Star Farms and Biver Farms.

Farmers Formal 2015 Nov. 14 – 6 to 10 p.m., The Sheet Metal Workers Grand Hall, 2319 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, earthdancefarms.org/farmers-formal Dance the night away at the Farmers Formal to support the EarthDance organic farm school in Ferguson. Chef Rex Hale of The Restaurant at The Cheshire and Russo’s Catering will use EarthDance Farm produce to create delicious eats, and the local chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier and students from the Ferguson-Florissant school district will present 50 pies for dessert in a Pie Parade. Tickets available online or at the door.

Whiskey in the Winter Nov. 20 – 7 to 10:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency Downtown – fourth floor ballroom, 315 Chestnut St., St. Louis, whiskeyinthewinter.com Keep winter’s chill at bay when you sip on more than 275 whiskeys and whiskeybased cocktails at Whiskey in the Winter.

This annual event features bourbon, rye, scotch, Irish, Tennessee, Canadian, Missouri, Japanese and other international whiskeys, as well as educational opportunities, guest speakers and food stations. Tickets available online.

Cheers to 35 Years Through January 2016, participating locations, operationfoodsearch.org Join Operation Food Search in celebrating 35 years of feeding hungry St. Louisans.

Now through January 2016, purchase a glass or bottle of OFS Wine at a participating restaurant or retailer. Take a selfie enjoying your selection, then post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with @OpFoodSearch or @SauceMag and #Cheersto35Years. A portion of the wine sale benefits OFS, and you’re entered in a drawing to win a case of wine. A full list of participating restaurants is available online. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 45

WHAT I DO

Steven Fitzpatrick Smith

Some bars lure in customers with trivia nights and live music. The Royale brings in thirsty patrons with public forums on local ballot initiatives and live debates between aldermanic candidates. (The killer cocktail list doesn’t hurt, either.)

Credit goes to owner Steven Fitzpatrick Smith, who took over the space 10 years ago. Smith explained how he created and sustained a local institution that invites public debate between established neighbors, college hipsters on a dime and maybe even your mom. – Catherine Klene

You describe The Royale as a “public house.” What does that mean? It’s a place where you can meet with your neighbors, and it’s an extension of civilized behavior. That’s something that gets me feeling very good about where I live: knowing that I can sit down with my neighbors and have conversations with them.

The building that houses The Royale has been a bar since before Prohibition. What was your vision when you took over in 2005? I wanted a place that was respectable enough that more people could go to it than just a particular niche of

the market. I wanted anybody to feel relatively comfortable here. I’ll see some kids that come in to drink, and then the next thing you know, they come in with their parents, and they’re like, “Look, this is where I hang out. It’s respectable. I’m not a ne’er-do-well.”

Why do you host public forums and debates? These are the kinds of things that I would go to. … I like (watching debates) at the library, but if I can get a drink and maybe a bite to eat, and I can convince three of my friends to go with me, that’s much more likely to happen at a bar than in the basement of a library. I enjoy watching the baseball games as much as anybody, but I still think there are other things we can talk about.

You also host events themed around history, like your Cuban Missile Crisis Party. I love history. When I do (this party), a lot of people learn about the Cuban Missile Crisis. And they got to dress up like it was 1962 and they got to have all that fun, but then they learned about something. I had some great teachers when I was younger, so I (see that as) an extension of what

I can do here. Not necessarily as intense; I’m not testing anybody. You can just come in, enjoy the drinks and check out who else is here.

Do you see these events as a public service? I’m trying to get people to think a little bit more. You want to think more about how to make things better and you have to talk about that with your neighbors. … Bettereducated votes lead to a better situation for everybody. We may not agree on everything – that’s certainly not the case. I’m not looking to necessarily sell them on one particular thing. … We all have our own views.

Ultimately, if more information is out there, the better informed we are, the better decisions we make, the better city we’ll have.

You are part-owner of Tick Tock Tavern and involved in local real estate and culinary tours. After 10 years, how involved are you in dayto-day operations? I’m the operator.

I close out receipts. … I fixed the basement doors, and I’m going to go on the roof later and patch part of it.

If anybody needs to be thrown out of here, I’m the guy. There’s nothing better than to be thrown out by the actual owner of the place. You’ve got to make it look easy. It’s actually a lot of work, but it’s the small touches. I rewired a bunch of lamps last night (to hang at the bar), and I don’t know if anyone is going to notice, but I love it.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING

The Royale Food & Spirits 3132 S. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, 314.772.3600, theroyale.com

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guide to the

holidays Holiday brunch croissant French toast casserole, p. 17

Guide to the Holidays 2015

FREE, GUIDE TO THE HOLIDAYS 2015

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THE STARTER KITCHEN

3. Culinary herb garden basket

Shopping for the budding young chef with her first kitchen? Don’t impulsively buy every knife, pan and gadget you see. Think of this as a beginner’s bucket list to food greatness. – Spencer Pernikoff

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science Say goodbye to The Joy of Cooking and hello to J. Kenji López-Alt’s nearly 1,000-page modern masterpiece. Not only is this tome packed with recipes, complete with step-by-step pictures, but it also explains why recipes and techniques work. This is a must-read for serious culinary scholars. $50. Left Bank Books, 399 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.367.6731, left-bank.com

4. Truffles Butchery classes

Barr-Co. Soap Clean hands are a necessity for good cooking, but which soap to choose? Barr-Co.’s locally made natural soaps smell wonderful, leave hands silky smooth and will remind guests how classy the cook is. $32. K. Hall Studio, 8416 Manchester Road, Brentwood, 314.963.3293, khalldesigns.com 2. Barr-Co. soap

Culinary Herb Garden Basket Growing herbs is even easier with a pre-seeded herb garden basket. It includes Genovese basil, chives, oregano, thyme and Italian parsley, plus three herb tools to add beautiful green garnish to any dish. $50. Larder & Cupboard, 7310 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.300.8995, larderandcupboard.com

Truffles Butchery Classes A two- to three-hour class with the expert butchers at Truffles is a win-win: Attendees learn the basics of meat management and take home half a hog. Does your burgeoning chef want to learn how to make sausages? Truffles can teach that, too. Classes can be tailored to any carnivore’s dreams. $150 per person.

Truffles Butchery, 9202 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.567.9100, todayattruffles.com

Facture Goods Cutting board Facture Goods, based out of Columbia, Missouri, makes musthave cutting boards that are both functional and beautiful.

Properly taken care of, these will last for years. $40. Winslow’s Home, 7213 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.725.7559, winslowshome.com 5. Facture Goods cutting board

1. The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science

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2. Wild rose liqueur

THE BOOZEHOUND

3. Scrappy’s assorted bitters

It’s science: People need to drink something. The wise ones, though, drink booze not just for sustenance, but also to improve their wit and their moves on the dance floor. Take the guesswork out of gifting things to the companion who always buys the next round.

– Maggie Pearson

Monthly Wine Club OK, we admit that wine seems to taste better when someone knowledgeable chooses it. The folks at The Vino Gallery will do that each month with a wine club membership. Fill out a brief wine survey about your friend’s tastes and preferences, and they set aside the bottles. Staying hydrated was never so easy. $35 and up. The Vino Gallery, 4701 McPherson Ave., St. Louis, 314.932.5665, thevinogallery.com

Wild rose liqueur This Mediterranean specialty is especially romantic when mixed with gin, lemon juice and simple syrup, or when added to a fresh batch of sangria. Don’t stop there, though; drizzle on fresh fruit salads, mix into homemade ice cream or boil with stewed fruit compotes for extra depth of flavor. $10 and up. Vom Fass, 7314 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.932.5262, vomfassusa.com

Scrappy’s assorted bitters A must for any cocktail enthusiast’s collection. Mix and match, choosing from flavors like celery, lavender and aromatic. $20. Randall’s Wine & Spirits, 1910 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis; 14201 Manchester Road, Manchester, shoprandalls.com

4. Cut-crystal decanter

Cut-crystal glass Remember those cut-crystal decanters your parents dusted off at parties, always full of mysterious, exciting liquids?

Bellbottoms may be out, but glassware never is. And unless Grandma’s attending the shindig, they don’t even have to fill it with crème de menthe.

Prices vary. Jon Paul Design & Collectables, 7014 Clayton Road, Clayton, 314.645.2722, jonpauldesigns.com

The Gentleman’s Companion If your Secret Santa likes pisco, get him a copy of the reissued The Gentleman’s Companion, Charles Henry Baker’s 1939 travelogue combining unconventional (and astonishingly un-PC) storytelling, food and cocktail recipes collected from the author’s travels. $10.

Available for order from Subterranean Books, 6275 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.862.6100, store.subbooks.com

5. The Gentleman’s Companion

1. Monthly wine club

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4. Microgreen microgarden 1. Cocoa and marshmallows

THE OBLIGATORY GIFT Your kid’s teacher. Your girlfriend’s dad. An office secret Santa.

There are plenty of people to whom you’re obligated to send a little holiday cheer. Not that it’s a problem – but what the heck do you buy for your roommate’s new boyfriend? Don’t sweat it. From boxes of meat to some light culinary reading, we’ve got you covered on giving generic gifts that are anything but. – Kristin Schultz

Cocoa and Marshmallows Warm their hearts and bellies with all the fixings for a perfect mug of hot cocoa. Choose from regular, milk chocolate, chai, Mexican or mint chocolate mix and pair it with a bag of pillowy vanilla bean marshmallows.

Cocoa: $6. Marshmallows: $4 to $5. Kakao Chocolate, multiple locations, kakaochocolate.com

2. Butcher’s box meat packs

Butcher’s Box Meat Packs Pasture-raised meat and houseground sausage are always winners. Let Bolyard’s select the meats for you, then choose from a Weekend Warrior Pack, with 3 pounds of breakfast and dinner cuts and a half-dozen farm-fresh eggs, or go big with Meat for the Week – 7 pounds of choice cuts plus pasta, sauce, six eggs and more. Weekend Warrior: $40; Meat for the Week: $100.

Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions, 2810 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314.647.2567, bolyardsmeat.com

Cooking Classes Send them back to school with gift certificates for classes at Kitchen Conservatory.

Instructors like Josh Galliano of Companion Baking, Qui Tran of Mai Lee and in-house kitchen pros conduct classes on everything from French pastry to pho. With diverse classes at all price points, there’s something for everyone. $40 and up. Kitchen Conservatory, 8021 Clayton Road, Richmond Heights, 314.862.2665, kitchenconservatory.com

Microgreen microgarden Pretty and purposeful, this countertop greenhouse from Infarm allows the culinary and curious alike to watch microgreens grow in two weeks or less, thanks to a transparent enclosure, agar-agar and seeds.

This reusable indoor garden will keep the planter’s thumb plenty green until the ground thaws. $28. Bowood Farms, 4605 Olive St., St. Louis, 314.454.6868, bowoodfarms.com 3. Cooking classes

Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix Acclaimed food writer and advocate Mark Bittman’s latest release, Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix: More Than 700 Simple Recipes and Techniques to Mix and Match for Endless Possibilities teaches them how to break the rules. Offering flexible ingredients and guidelines, Bittman’s book both educates the home cook and allows for creativity. $35. The Novel Neighbor, 7905 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.738.9384, thenovelneighbor.com

5. Mark Bittman’s Kitchen Matrix

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THE FOOD SNOB

5. Fruit bowl

3. Food snob apron

We get it. It’s intimidating to shop for the food snob. Check out these sure-to-please gift ideas for the fancy foodie who isn’t afraid to pick on your barware. Or your olive oil brand. Or your grandmother’s casserole recipe.

– Michael Renner

Caviar James Bond and the Russian czars may have enjoyed it, but the good stuff from the Caspian Sea is all but gone thanks to geopolitics, overfishing and other factors. However, this Sarasota, Florida-based producer farmraises black sturgeon from egg to fish using sustainable aquaculture methods. Pass the Champagne.

Platinum: $76; Reserve: $95.

Healthy Earth Black Opal Caviar, healthyearth.org

Artisanal Chocolate Not just any truffle will do.

Thankfully, there’s St. Louis chocolatier Sheila Kleinschmidt of Oh Sheila! Chocolates, who crafts truffles, caramels, bars and chocolate bacon as decadent as her retro dresses and 1940s hairdo. Rum chipotle truffles with smoked sea salt? Bacon, caramel and pecan chocolate clusters?

Oh, Sheila! Prices vary. Kind Soap Co., 20 Allen Ave., Webster Groves, 314.942.2024; ohsheila.com

Food snob apron Food snobs can’t hide who they are, so why fight it? Whether they’re picky about paella or coleslaw, there’s an apron screenprinted with every hoity-toity food or drink you can think of.

Comes in white, khaki or lemon.

He looks good in lemon. $24.

Cafe Press, cafepress.com

Age-your-own whiskey The food snob likes to be in control. St. Louis’ Still 630 makes DIY whiskey foolproof with its home whiskey-aging kit, complete with a tiny charred white oak barrel, high-proof unaged whiskey (corn, rye and barley mash bill) and two fancy tasting glasses. Here’s to you, Mr. Van Winkle. $139. Still 630 Distillery, 1000 S. Fourth St., St. Louis, 314.513.2275, still630.com

Fruit bowl This Espera Centerpiece bowlcum-colander design was inspired by “the behavior and the beautiful webbed form of the sea fan” (aka the sea fern – we looked it up). If that weren’t snobby enough, it’s made of hand-polished stainless steel or comes in a 24-karat gold version. No better way to serve your Ruby Roman grapes (aka the world’s most expensive grape – we looked that up, too). $350. Anna New York by RabLabs, rablabs.com

4. Age-yourown-whiskey

1. Caviar

2. Artisanal chocolate

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season’s brunchings

Shot on location at the residence of The Place Home owner-designer Emily Mitchell, theplacehome.com

Holiday brunch is the most wonderful time of the year. It breaks down barriers: between breakfast and lunch, sweet and savory, coffee and booze and, now, between host and guest. With make-ahead recipes and simple brunch staples, all you need to do is preheat the oven, put out the plates and enjoy a meal with people special enough to invite over before noon.

BY H E ATH E R H U G H E S , K E LLI E H Y N E S , JA M I E K I LG O R E , TE D K I LG O R E , C ATH E R I N E K LE N E , A N N E M A R I E LO D H O L Z , DA N LO D H O L Z , M E E R A N AG A R A JA N , M AG G I E PE A R S O N , S PE N C E R PE R N I KO FF A N D D E E RYA N // PH OTOS BY E M I LY SUZ A N N E M C D O N A LD

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Bacon for a Crowd Gone are the days when you slaved over a stovetop, dodging hot bacon grease. Save yourself the trouble and bake bacon in any quantity you like. In a large, rimmed baking pan lined with foil, arrange the bacon slices close together in a single layer. Place in a cold oven, then heat to 400 degrees. Bake 20 to 22 minutes for regular bacon and 26 to 28 minutes for thick-cut bacon. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate and serve. – M.N.

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MILK

PUNCH

1 CUP 3 WAYS Brew the perfect cup for brunch and customize it to your holiday stress level. – H.H.

recipe on p. 21

Level 1 You overslept. Get a move on and use your favorite pour-over setup to make a mug of Sump Coffee’s Costa Rica Las Lajas Perla Negra (25 grams coffee to 350 grams water). This balanced natural coffee has a hint of fruitiness that lets the brew stand on its own.

Level 2 Aunt Susan just showed up unannounced – with her four kids in tow. Add 1 ounce Maker’s Mark to that brewed coffee for a shot of stress relief, then slap on a smile and find some extra chairs.

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Level 3 Your helpful preschooler just dropped a dozen eggs on the floor.

Sometimes happy hour starts at 10 a.m. Use an electic mixer to beat ¼ cup heavy cream with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, then fold in 1 tablespoon Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth. Top your bourbon-spiked brew with a healthy dollop for a Manhattaninspired of peace.

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CROISSANT FRENCH TOAST

CASSEROLE recipe on p. 21

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BEST BRUNCH

BUYS

Complete your favorite hybrid meal with local picks that take brunch from standard to stellar.

Serve these at home or gift them to brunch hosts. – M.P.

Raw Missouri Honey Honey is the secret ingredient in many of our favorite brunch dishes.

Drizzle over roasted Brussels sprouts, mix with vinegar for salad dressings or dollop over bananas and yogurt.

Caruthersville, Missouri harvester Sam Crowe can hook you up with the good stuff. $12.

The Heirloom Room, 2116 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.772.8000, theheirloomroom.com

Bagels and Lox Few things in life outclass a good bagel and lox. Kohn’s Deli does it right with coldsmoked nova lox and thick, chewy bagels. Purchase enough for a platter (think three to four slices of lox per bagel) and serve with cream cheese, tomato, red onion, capers and lemon wedges.

Lox: $24 per pound; Bagels: $1 each. Kohn’s Kosher Meat and Deli, 10405 Olive St., Creve Coeur, 314.569.0727, kohnskosher.com

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Seasonal Oysters Oysters for brunch may seem odd in a landlocked state, but Bob’s Seafood brings them in fresh enough to transport you to the Pacific Northwest. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to offset that sea brine and pair with a stiff bloody mary. Price varies. Bob’s Seafood, 8660 Olive Blvd., Olivette, 314.993.4844, bobsseafoodstl.com

Lochhead Vanilla Extract The three-generationsold Lochhead vanilla extract recipe is made using a cold-extraction process. With a rich, smooth flavor, all your holiday sweets deserve a heavy pour. $11.

Available at Straub’s locations, straubs.com

314 Hot Sauce Eggs without hot sauce? Blasphemy. 314 Hot Sauce is perfectly proportioned to give any dish a kick without searing off tastebuds. $6. Sweet Boutique, 8115 Maryland Ave., Clayton, 314.932.1222, Facebook: Sweet Boutique STL

Geisert Farms Sausage Patties Not everyone loves bacon as much as Jim Gaffigan. Offer some variety with Geisert Farms sausage patties – which should be pan-

seared and finished in the oven. Pork from happy, pasture-raised pigs just tastes better. $8.

Freddie’s Market, 9052 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.968.1914, freddiesmarket.com Guide to the Holidays 2015

Have leftover croissants? Use them in the croissant French toast recipe on p. 21.

Keep kitchen-space invaders at bay with an array of local pastries to snack on before they sit down to brunch. Here, some of our favorite treats from around town. – H.H.

Croissant $3. Comet Coffee & Microbakery, 5708 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314.932.7770, cometcoffeestl.com

Savory scone $2.50. Pint Size Bakery, 3825 Watson Road, St. Louis, 314.645.7142, pintsizebakery.com

PASTRY

PERFECT

Orange lavender olive oil cake $4. 4 Seasons Bakery, 2012 Campus Drive, St. Charles, 314.288.9176, 4seasonsbakery.com

Big Mama vegan cinnamon roll $4. SweetArt, 2203 S. 39th St., St. Louis, 314.771.4278, sweetartstl.com

Smoked bacon-cheddarsweet corn muffin $3. La Patisserie Chouquette, 1626 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.932.7935, simonefaure.com

Pumpkin scone $2.50. Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop, 2201 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.932.5166, whiskstl.com

Cherry turnover $3.50. Winslow’s Home, 7213 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.725.7559, winslowshome.com Guide to the Holidays 2015

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MINI YOGURT CUPS Mini yogurt cups make a big impression.

The customizable, assembly-only treat is an ideal brunch appetizer. Fill 4-ounce jars or other cute glassware with about ¹∕³ cup of your favorite plain or vanilla yogurt. Top with crunchy granola and julienned pear. – H.H.

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RECIPES MILK PUNCH

Eggnog is for kids. This one-two boozy punch keeps things simple but allows for plenty of variation in flavor and character, depending on how you pick your poison. – T.K. and J.K. 5 SERVINGS 1¼ cups brandy, bourbon or dark rum 5 oz. dark simple syrup* 2 cups whole milk 5 oz. water Freshly grated nutmeg • Add the brandy, dark simple syrup, milk and water to a blender and blitz to combine. Refrigerate 4 hours, until chilled. Serve in a highball glass and top with nutmeg. *In a saucepan over high heat, bring equal parts brown sugar and water to a boil. Simmer until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

GRATIN DE NICOLE

Prepare this dish the night before, then pop it in the oven for easy brunch baking while you prepare your bloody mary. – M.P. 8 SERVINGS 1 lb. day-old good-quality white bread, cut into ½-inch cubes 4 eggs ¹∕³ cup flour 2¹∕³ cups whole milk 2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard ¼ tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper ¾ lb. bacon, diced ¼ lb. Gruyere cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

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Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

• Place the bread in a large mixing bowl. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and flour until smooth and thick. Whisk in the milk, parsley, mustard, salt and pepper, then pour over the bread. Let rest 15 minutes.

• In a skillet over medium heat, saute the bacon until lightly cooked but not crisp, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to paper towel-lined plate to drain.

• Add the bacon and cheese to the bread mixture and stir to combine.

Pour into the baking dish. Bake until crusty on top, 40 to 45 minutes.

CROISSANT FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

This spectacular but simple dish was inspired by a brunch at a charming bed-and-breakfast in Fulton, Missouri.

– A.L. and D.L. 8 SERVINGS 6 croissants ²∕³ cup orange marmalade 5 eggs 2 cups heavy cream, divided 1 tsp. vanilla extract, divided ½ tsp. almond extract ½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg ½ tsp. kosher salt 2 Tbsp. sugar 1 lb. strawberries, sliced Maple or strawberry syrup (optional) • Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray. Slice the croissants in half horizontally; arrange the bottom halves in the dish. Spread the marmalade on the cut sides of the croissants, then replace the top halves of the croissants.

• In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, 1 cup cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, almond extract, nutmeg and salt until combined. Pour the mixture evenly over the croissants. Wrap the dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the plastic wrap from the dish. Bake 25 minutes, until the egg mixture is set and the croissants are golden brown.

• Meanwhile, in a bowl, use a hand mixer to beat the remaining 1 cup cream, the remaining ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and the sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Serve the French toast with strawberries, whipped cream and maple syrup, if desired.

BLOODY MARY

Banish boring bloodies. This complex recipe lets you keep your Zing Zang, but adds four kinds of citrus, a couple hot sauces and even a splash of oatmeal stout. – H.H. Courtesy of Tick Tock Tavern’s Tyson Blanquart 4 SERVINGS 3 cups Zing Zang Bloody Mary Mix 6 oz. Deep Eddy Ruby Red Vodka* 4 oz. Schlafly Oatmeal Stout 3 oz. orange juice 4 oz. steak sauce 3 oz. Sriracha Juice of 2 limes, plus more for rimming Juice of 1 lemon 12 dashes celery salt 12 dashes Fee Bros. celery bitters 12 dashes Tabasco 8 dashes Worcestershire sauce Rim Shot bloody mary rimming salt 12 blue cheese-stuffed olives 4 lime wedges Freshly ground black pepper to taste

• In a large pitcher, add the Zing Zang, vodka, oatmeal stout, orange juice, steak sauce, Sriracha, lime juice, lemon juice, celery salt, bitters, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Stir vigorously 30 seconds. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes, until the mixture is chilled.

• Rim 4 pint glasses with lime juice and rimming salt and fill each one-third full with fresh ice. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into each glass. Garnish each with 3 olives and 1 lime wedge. Top with the freshly ground pepper. *Available at Randall’s Wine & Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com

WHITE CHEDDAR-BLUEBERRY FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE Sharp white cheddar cheese adds unexpected savory notes to a traditionally sweet breakfast treat. – C.K. Adapted from a recipe by Diane Bianco 12 SERVINGS 2 cups frozen wild blueberries ½ cup sugar ¼ cup water 2 Tbsp. maple syrup 1 Tbsp. orange zest ½ tsp. cinnamon 8 eggs ¾ cup milk ½ tsp. baking powder Pinch kosher salt Pinch freshly grated nutmeg 1 loaf day-old challah bread, torn into bite-sized pieces 1½ cups shredded white cheddar • In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 21

Hollandaise in a flash?

Yes, you can ‌ in a blender.

Recipe on p. 23.

BAKED

EGGS

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Guide to the Holidays 2015

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sugar, water and maple syrup.

Simmer 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently and smashing the berries with a spoon until they begin to break down. Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest and cinnamon. Set aside and let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

Grease a 9-by-13-inch casserole dish with nonstick spray; add the blueberry mixture and spread evenly.

Cover with the challah, then gently pour the egg mixture evenly over the bread. Sprinkle the top with the cheddar. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the plastic from the dish and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the custard is set.

Turn the broiler to high, then brown the top until the cheese is bubbly and golden, about 5 minutes.

BAKED EGGS

Baked eggs add a touch of simple elegance to any brunch table. Swap the spicy sausage for a pound of roasted mushrooms for a vegetarian option. – M.N. Adapted from a recipe by Giada De Laurentiis 8 SERVINGS 2 cups cubed, good-quality white bread 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1 lb. fiama sausage* or another spicy Italian sausage 1 medium onion, finely diced 1 10-oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained ½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more if desired ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more if desired ½ cup goat cheese 8 large eggs Chopped fresh chives, for garnish Blender Hollandaise (recipe follows) Sriracha • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

• Toss the bread with 1 tablespoon oil.

Arrange bread on a sheet pan in a single layer and bake until lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Set aside.

Guide to the Holidays 2015

• In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, warm the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, then add the sausage and onion. Saute until the onions are soft and the sausage is browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the spinach, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper and stir to combine.

• Spread the sausage mixture into a 9-by-13-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Crumble the goat cheese on top, arrange the bread cubes over the goat cheese and create 8 wells.

• Crack 1 egg into a ramekin to keep the yolk intact. Gently slide the egg into a well. Repeat with the remaining eggs. If desired, sprinkle the eggs with salt and pepper.

• Bake 10 to 15 minutes, until the egg whites are opaque and yolks are runny. Garnish with the chopped chives, drizzle with hollandaise and serve with Sriracha. *Available at Salume Beddu, 3467 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, 314.353.3100, salumebeddu.com

BLENDER HOLLANDAISE

Hollandaise in a flash? Yes, you can – no strenuous whisking required. For a thicker sauce, reduce or omit the water completely. – M.N. MAKES ¾ CUP 3 egg yolks 3 Tbsp. water 1½ Tbsp. lemon juice ¼ tsp. kosher salt ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (optional) 1 tsp. Sriracha (optional) 1 stick unsalted butter • In a blender, combine the egg yolks, water, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Add Dijon mustard or Sriracha, if desired.

• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter 3 to 5 minutes, until it begins to foam. Remove from heat.

• Place the lid on the blender, removing the center cap. With the blender running on medium speed, slowly pour the melted butter into the egg yolk mixture through the center to emulsify. Serve warm over Baked Eggs or eggs Benedict. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 23

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Guide to the Holidays 2015

Guide to the Holidays 2015

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