holter, owner of your favorite bakery, made. by lia, p. 28
ST. LOUIS’ INDEPENDENT CULINARY AUTHORITY // SAUCEMAGAZINE.COM // FREE, JULY 2021 READERS' CHOICE
lia
2 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 3
What’s your favorite kind of french fry?
JULY 2021 • VOLUME 21, ISSUE 5
PUBLISHER
EXECUTIVE EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR
DIGITAL EDITOR
STAFF WRITER
EDIBLE WEEKEND EDITOR
ART DIRECTOR
SENIOR DESIGNER
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Allyson Mace
Meera Nagarajan
Liz Wolfson
Lauren Healey
Adam Rothbarth
Lauren Healey
Meera Nagarajan
Michelle Volansky
A steak fry; it's a lot of potato, I know. But I like most shapes — crinkle, waffle — except matchstick, that is not a french fry. I don’t know why it exists.
fries, preferably with steak fries
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Julia Calleo, Jonathan Gayman, Virginia Harold, Lauren Healey, Izaiah Johnson, David Kovaluk, Meera Nagarajan, Adam Rothbarth, Madison Saunders, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky
Lauren Healey, Meera Nagarajan, Adam Rothbarth, Matt Sorrell, Michelle Volansky, Liz Wolfson
ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE EVENTS COORDINATOR LISTINGS EDITOR INTERNS
As long as I'm dipping in mayo ketchup, I'm happy.
Allyson Mace
Angie Rosenberg
Amy Hyde
Amy Hyde
Sophia Daniels, Hannah Freiberg, Lilley Holloran, Blakely Gibeaut, Rin Hubbard,
I’m a big fan of crispy shoestring fries like Steak ’n Shake’s.
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 ©2001-2021– 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
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 $2.50 will apply.
Sauce Magazine is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.
cut
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.
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.
4 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021 SAUCE MAGAZINE subscriptions are available for home delivery NAME STREET ADDRESS CITY STATE ZIP SEND
SAUCE MAGAZINE – SUBSCRIPTIONS for a 12-month subscription 1826 Chouteau • St. Louis, MO 63103
A $30 CHECK TO:
Cheese
Crinkle
Sweet potato waffle fries
The fries at Taste
July 2021 JULY 2021 9 EAT THIS Black garlic cheese bread at Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria by meera nagarajan 10 HIT LIST 3 new places to try this month by lauren healey, michelle volansky and liz wolfson 13 DEATH OF A BACHELOR Blood & Sand bartender Jacob Smith's riffs on his favorite cocktail, the Old-Fashioned by matt sorrell 14 MEALS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE Beast Craft BBQ Co. and Beast Southern Kitchen & BBQ owner-pitmaster David Sandusky by meera nagarajan 42 WHAT I DO Chris "Mac" McKenzie of Mac’s Local Eats by liz wolfson 44 LANDMARK McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden by lauren healey editors' picks last bite 28 SWEET DREAMS Made. by Lia’s Lia Holter has been a baking competition champion, a brand ambassador and is now a successful business owner. Where will her dreams take her next? by adam rothbarth 32 SO FRESH, SO CLEAN Italian salads by adam rothbarth 34 10 REASONS Randall’s Wines & Spirits by adam rothbarth COVER DETAILS MADE. BY LIA Lia Holter, owner of your favorite bakery, Made. by Lia PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 FM this month when Sauce joins St. Louis on the Air. contents death of a bachelor at blood & sand, p. 13 features 18 READERS' CHOICE WINNERS Our full list of winners 25 BY THE NUMBERS Westport Social by lauren healey 26 PATIOS YOU LOVE by liz wolfson 36 WINNING SPIRIT by liz wolfson 38 LET’S GO BOWLING Dishes from your picks for the top ramen places in town by michelle volansky
6 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 7
8 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria, 9568 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.942.6555; 14171 Clayton Road, Town & Country, 636.220.3238, katiespizzaandpasta.com
The black garlic bread at Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria is an unfussy pizza-style dish with minimal but perfect ingredients. Fermented black garlic with its sweet and sour notes, sweet roasted garlic and pungent sliced fresh garlic, set against a backdrop of milky burrata and pizza dough speckled with pockets of air and charred crust, allow you to taste the allium’s full flavor spectrum. Pair it with a beautiful day and a chilled rosé for an ideal meal.
PHOTO BY IZAIAH JOHNSON E D I T O R S' PICKS
Eat
This
Readers’ Choice Favorite Restaurant (second, tied), Chef of the Year (second, Katie Collier), Favorite Pizza Place (second)
July 2021 E D I T O R S' PICKS hit list 3 new places to try this month
opposite page: the dining room at bolyard's meat & provisions; this page, clockwise from left: a charcuterie board at bolyard's meat & provisions; the bolyard's team, from left, jake rowan, ryan summercamp, faith beasley, owner chris bolyard, chef remi didry, manager bob komanetsky and zach cowee; from top, sliced pâté en croûte, a spring salad at bolyard's meat & provisions
BOLYARD'S MEAT & PROVISIONS
Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions has moved into larger digs down the street and now features an expanded menu with a range of creative offerings. Don’t be fooled by the butcher shop surroundings – the delightful spring salad comes with locally grown greens tossed generously in a preserved lemon dressing accompanied by grilled asparagus and sausage hush puppies atop a ’nduja hollandaise. The Pig Pen sandwich has tender pork char siu, sweet and sour cabbage, and just enough tangy gochujang mayo on a Companion Peacemaker roll. You can’t go wrong with the Bob’s Burger, which features two super-thin smash patties, pimento cheese, a fried green tomato and sweet tomato chutney. Both sandwiches pair well with the tallow fries and a side of the pungent black garlic aioli.
GATHER
2733 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314.647.2567, bolyardsmeat.com
Gather – A Neighborhood Cafe sees the cafe portion of Urban Fort Play (located next door) revamped as a cozy spot well suited for anyone looking for a place to catch up with a friend or linger over a book. The BLTE sandwich with crisp-but-not-greasy bacon, greens and an over-easy egg on toasted Union Loafers wheat bread dressed with tomato jam and garlic aioli was well-balanced, the tomato jam’s sweetness a welcome counterpoint to the salty bacon. A house-made buttermilk biscuit provided a tender (if slightly crumbly) bed for the biscuit sandwich’s freshly scrambled egg and grilled tomato draped with melted American cheese. A locally oriented drink menu includes espresso drinks made with Blueprint Coffee beans, cold brew from Living Room Coffee, and teas from Big Heart Tea Co., as well as alcoholic options like mimosas and canned cocktails from 1220 Spirits.
1854 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.376.4235, gathercafestl.com
BOARD
4123 Chippewa St., St. Louis, 314.899.9343, Facebook: TheDrawingBoardSTL THE DRAWING
Whether you’re stopping in for a bite or just chilling with friends around the pool table, The Drawing Board’s cozy, unpretentious vibes are what South City is made of. Fans of previous tenant Ryder’s Tavern’s smash burger can rest easy – it has a permanent home on the menu alongside other comfort foods courtesy of executive chef Alexa Camp. Gooey, arancini-style jambalaya balls with crispy panko breading were irresistible when dunked in tangy, house-made remoulade. The grilled cheese sandwich features a melty combo of goat cheese and white cheddar on classic toasted white bread. Loading it up with apple butter and bacon is a must.
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 11
PHOTOS BY MEERA NAGARAJAN
12 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
Readers’ Choice Bartender of the Year
Jacob Smith has been behind the bar at a unique array of spots, including The Curtain Call Lounge at The Fabulous Fox Theatre, Gamlin Whiskey House and Angad Arts Hotel, where working under Meredith Barry, he explored craft cocktails more deeply. Last September, he signed on at Blood & Sand, where his work has garnered him Sauce Readers’ Choice Bartender of the Year honors.
Whether he’s imbibing or working on a new creation, Smith most often looks to the venerable Old-Fashioned for refreshment and inspiration. According
to Smith, “It’s just a great template for creating a cocktail, a great place to start with lots of room for creativity.” Smith prefers his Old-Fashioneds with a rye whiskey base, especially the bonded sixyear rye from A.D. Laws, a boutique distillery in the Denver area that produces whiskeys made with grains cultivated in Colorado. He and his Blood & Sand cohorts like the spirit so much that the restaurant will be getting its own barrel, finished in Sauterne casks, this summer.
One of Smith’s favorite Old-Fashioned riffs is an off-the-menu tipple at Blood & Sand called Death of a Bachelor, created by his former co-worker, Dane Davis.
Death of a Bachelor Courtesy of Blood & Sand’s
Jacob Smith
2 oz. A.D. Laws San Luis Valley sixyear bonded rye
¼ oz. burnt orange syrup
¼ oz. cinnamon maple syrup
4 dashes house-made, cherry-vanillabourbon bitters
2 dashes Angostura bitters
2 dashes orange bitters
• Stir all ingredients with ice. Strain over a large ice cube in a rocks glass. Garnish with a burnt orange peel.
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 13
E D I T O R S' PICKS PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER
DEA T H OF A BA C HEL O R
MATT SORRELL // PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER
BY
DAVID SANDUSKY
Readers’ Choice Favorite New Restaurant
David Sandusky went from culinary school graduate and ministry school dropout to fine dining chef to barbecue titan. His fledgling barbecue empire of Beast restaurants is growing, and the latest, Beast Southern Kitchen & BBQ, is this year’s Readers’ Choice Favorite New Restaurant. “I just wanted to do some fun shit. Barbecue was a natural fit for a few reasons. One is: It’s competitive as shit, and I am competitive as shit,” Sandusky said of his career pivot. “I wanted to do something that hit people in the chest, something that met them at their dinner table and was part of their everyday life, not some pretentious meal you’re going to have once a year. It’s just not who I wanted to be or what I wanted to do at that point in my life.” Clearly, his intentions are landing, and diners are loving every bite. Here, Sandusky talks about three meals that changed his life. – Meera Nagarajan
Beef Stroganoff | 1986
The first dish that changed my life was my mother’s beef stroganoff, which was made with cream of mushroom soup. It blew my mind. I still try to mimic that from time to time without using cream of mushroom soup, and I’m not always successful. It became my favorite meal. It’s what she made me for my birthday. She showed me how to open the can without cutting my fingers off – stuff like that. (She used) like boullion cubes and finished it with sour cream. It was just the absolute worst recipe. I appreciate really good food in places where I’m not supposed to. I think it’s really easy to appreciate good things in a fine-dining restaurant; you appreciate where the ingredients came from, you appreciate how they’re being prepared. But there’s really something to be said for just doing stuff that tastes good and feels good. That’s why I got out of fine dining and into barbecue.
Bouillabaisse | 2001
I think there’s an attention to detail that my background brings to what I do that I learned from chef Phillip Paris. With him, good enough is never good enough – that’s what I learned. I would say that a dish that impacted me was his bouillabaisse. In particular, the way that he created it. It’s just a classic stew, but it’s a soulful dish. And the way that he built those flavors, it made me realize that flavoring things is more than just adding ingredients. There’s a way to bring up those flavors and bring them out for each dish in their highest form, and that’s the art. Also, that flavor comes from texture, and it’s
about surface area. You need the right surface area to achieve the textures that you need to achieve the flavors that you need.
Snoot | 2012
Smoki O’s snoot blew me away. It makes me a little sad –because I appreciate the roots of things. I appreciate the cultural aspect of it. I love to learn why and when and how it relates to people. I think we’ve forgotten a lot about where barbecue came from and what made it great. When I find great barbecue, it’s not in the place that someone told me to go; I have to dig for it myself. And typically I find it in holein-the wall places in the inner city. You don’t find [snoot] on a lot of menus in St. Louis anymore. It has this beautiful crunch. It has this awesome burnt bacon kind of quality to it. The texture is crazy because it’s crunchy, but then you have these bursts of fat. It’s just a one-of-a-kind thing and that’s my favorite barbecue cut, by far. I saw it (at Smoki O’s) and thought, “What the hell is this?” Because what they teach you about barbecue is ribs and pulled pork and brisket and chicken – you don’t get these off-cuts. Like, the reason why we do low and slow is because we’re taking terrible pieces of meat and making something good out of them, and that’s the whole reason barbecue exists.
Beast Butcher & Block 4156 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.944.6003, beastbbqstl.com; Beast Craft BBQ Co. 20 S. Belt W., Belleville, 618.257.9000, beastcraftbbq.com; Beast Southern Kitchen & BBQ 1280 Columbia Center, Columbia, 618.719.2384, beastsouthern.com
BY
14 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021 E D I T O R S' PICKS
MEALS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
ILLUSTRATION
VIDHYA NAGARAJAN
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 15
16 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 17
READERS' CHOICE WINNERS
Every year, we invite our readers to vote on their favorite local places to eat, drink and shop.
Despite a challenging period for businesses that had to constantly adapt during the pandemic, restaurants continue to prove that our city’s dining landscape is vibrant and varied. Though we said farewell to many beloved places, it’s exciting to finally celebrate a few wins.
Here are the winners of this year’s Sauce Readers’ Choice poll.
18 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021 18
your favorite places to eat
FAVORITE RESTAURANT
SUGARFIRE SMOKE HOUSE
Multiple locations, sugarfiresmokehouse.com
2nd: Grace Meat + Three (tie)
Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria
3rd: Olive + Oak
Honorable Mentions: Louie, Eleven Eleven Mississippi
CHEF OF THE YEAR
KEVIN MILFORD, SUGARFIRE SMOKE HOUSE
Multiple locations, sugarfiresmokehouse.com
2nd: Katie Collier, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria
3rd: Loryn Nalic, Balkan Treat Box
Honorable Mentions: Jessie Mendica, Olive + Oak; Ray Wiley, Beffa’s
FAVORITE PATIO
HENDEL’S
599 Rue St. Denis St., Florissant, 314.837.2304, hendelsrestaurant.com
2nd: McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden
3rd: Rockwell Beer Co.
Honorable Mentions: Vin De Set (tie) Boadway Oyster Bar, Billy G’s Kirkwood
FAVORITE CHICKEN WINGS
SYBERG’S
Multiple locations, sybergs.com
2nd: Sugarfire Smoke House
3rd: Grace Meat + Three
Honorable Mentions: St. Louis Wing Co., Three Kings Public House
FAVORITE
ROMANTIC SPOT
THE BOATHOUSE AT FOREST PARK
6101 Government Drive, St. Louis, 314.366.1555, boathousestl.com
2nd: Sidney Street Cafe
3rd: Vin De Set
Honorable Mentions: Louie, Olio
FAVORITE GHOST KITCHEN/POP-UP ELMWOOD PIZZA POP-UP (PIZZA CHAMP)
2704 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314.261.4708, elmwoodstl.com
2nd: Vegan Deli & Butcher by Chef Bertke
3rd: Wing Ding Dong
Honorable Mentions: Upper Crust, Shift
NEW RESTAURANT BEAST SOUTHERN KITCHEN & BBQ
1280 Columbia Center, Columbia, 314.944.6003, beastsouthern.com
2nd: The Lucky Accomplice
3rd: Perennial on Lockwood
Honorable Mentions: Winslow’s Table, The Parkmoor Drive-In
FAVORITE DINER
SOUTHWEST DINER
6803 Southwest Ave., St. Louis, 314.260.7244, southwestdinerstl.com
2nd: Uncle Bill’s Pancake and Dining
3rd: Olivette Diner
Honorable Mentions: Chris’ Pancake and Dining, City Diner
FAVORITE FOOD TRUCK
SEOUL TACO
Multiple locations, seoultaco.com
2nd: Mission Taco Truck (tie) Farmtruk
3rd: K-Bop
Honorable Mentions: Blues Fired Pizza, Truck Norris
FAVORITE DELI/ SANDWICH SHOP
GIOIA’S DELI
1934 Macklind Ave., St. Louis; 623 N. New Ballas Road, Creve Coeur, 314.776.9410, gioiasdeli.com
FAVORITE SUSHI SUSHI AI
Multiple locations, sushiaistlouis.com
2nd: Drunken Fish (tie) Wasabi Sushi Bar
3rd: Indo
Honorable Mentions: Café Mochi, Nippon Tei
FAVORITE STEAKHOUSE TUCKER’S PLACE
Multiple locations, tuckersplacestl.com
2nd: Annie Gunn’s
3rd: Kreis’ Restaurant
Honorable Mentions: Citizen Kane’s Steakhouse, Twisted Tree Steakhouse
FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE IMO’S
Multiple locations, imospizza.com
2nd: Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria
3rd: Pi Pizza
Honorable Mentions: Plank Road Pizza, Union Loafers Café and Bread Bakery
2nd: Blues City Deli
3rd: The Gramophone
Honorable Mentions: Mom’s Deli, Union Loafers Café and Bread Bakery
FAVORITE DOUGHNUT SHOP
OLD TOWN DONUT SHOP
508 New Florissant Road, Florissant, 314.831.0907, oldtowndonuts.com
2nd: Donut Drive-In
3rd: Strange Donuts
Honorable Mentions: World’s Fair Donuts, Pharaoh’s Donuts
FAVORITE BARBECUE SUGARFIRE SMOKE HOUSE
Multiple locations, sugarfiresmokehouse.com
2nd: Salt + Smoke
3rd: Pappy’s Smokehouse
Honorable Mentions: Beast Craft BBQ Co., Bogart’s Smokehouse (tie) The Shaved Duck
FAVORITE BRUNCH SHACK
Multiple locations, eatatshack.com
2nd: Rooster
3rd: Southwest Diner (tie) Egg Honorable Mentions: Brasserie By Niche, Polite Society (tie) Russell’s on Macklind
FAVORITE ITALIAN ZIA’S RESTAURANT
5256 Wilson Ave., St. Louis, 314.776.0020, zias.com
2nd: Cunetto House of Pasta
3rd: Anthonino’s Taverna
Honorable Mentions: Trattoria Marcella, Pastaria
FAVORITE CHINESE MAI LEE
8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood, 314.645.2835, maileestl.com
2nd: Lona’s Lil Eats
3rd: China King
Honorable Mentions: Lu Lu Seafood Restaurant, Old St. Louis Chop Suey
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 19
PHOTO BY VIRGINIA HAROLD
cheeseburger at mac's local eats, your favorite burger – turn to p. 42 for more
vegetarian dishes at lona’s lil eats, your favorite vegetarian/vegan restaurant
FAVORITE FRIED CHICKEN
GRACE MEAT + THREE
4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.533.2700, stlgrace.com
2nd: Hodak’s Restaurant
3rd: Southern (temporarily closed)
Honorable Mentions: King Edwards Fried Chicken, Porter’s Fried Chicken
FAVORITE FINE DINING SIDNEY STREET CAFÉ
2000 Sidney St., St. Louis, 314.771.5777, sidneystreetcafestl.com
2nd: Olive + Oak (tie) Eleven Eleven Mississippi
3rd: Tony’s
Honorable Mentions: Annie Gunn’s, Blood & Sand
FAVORITE BURGER
MAC’S LOCAL EATS
1821 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.393.7713, macslocaleats.com
2nd: Hi-Pointe Drive-In
3rd: Stacked STL Burger Bar
Honorable Mentions: O’Connell’s Pub, Carl’s Drive-In
FAVORITE FROZEN DESSERT
TED DREWES FROZEN CUSTARD
6726 Chippewa St., St. Louis, 314.481.2652; 4224 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.352.7376, teddrewes.com
2nd: Clementine’s Creamery
3rd: Fritz’s Frozen Custard
Honorable Mentions:
Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream, Ices Plain & Fancy
FAVORITE CAJUN/ CREOLE BROADWAY OYSTER BAR
736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314.621.8811, broadwayoysterbar.com
2nd: Sister Cities Cajun
3rd: Gulf Shores Restaurant
Honorable Mentions: Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen, Boogaloo, 909 Public House (tie)
FAVORITE INDIAN HOUSE OF INDIA
8501 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.567.6850, hoistl.com
3rd: Mi Ranchito
Honorable Mentions: Chava’s
Mexican Restaurant, El Burro
Loco
FAVORITE GREEK
OLYMPIA
KEBOB HOUSE
1543 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, 314.781.1299, olympiakebobandtavern.com
2nd: Spiro’s Restaurant
3rd: Michael’s Bar & Grill
Honorable Mentions: Anthonino’s Taverna, Soulard Gyro
FAVORITE MEDITERRANEAN/ MIDDLE EASTERN BALKAN TREAT BOX
8013 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.733.5700, balkantreatbox.com
2nd: Cafe Natasha’s
3rd: The Vine Cafe (tie) Sultan Mediterranean Cuisine
Honorable Mentions: Layla, Aya Sofia
FAVORITE SOUL FOOD/ SOUTHERN GRACE MEAT + THREE
2nd: Himalayan Yeti
3rd: India Palace
Honorable Mentions: Everest Cafe and Bar, Rasoi
FAVORITE KOREAN
SEOUL TACO
Multiple locations, seoultaco.com
2nd: Tiny Chef
3rd: Kimchi Guys (tie) Seoul
Garden Korean Restaurant
Honorable Mentions: K-Bop, Kim Cheese
FAVORITE TACOS MISSION TACO JOINT
Multiple locations, missiontacojoint.com
2nd: Taco Circus
3rd: Taco Buddha
Honorable Mentions: Seoul
Taco, Hacienda Mexican Restaurant
FAVORITE MEXICAN HACIENDA MEXICAN RESTAURANT
9748 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.962.7100, haciendastl.com
2nd: Rosalita’s Cantina
314.370.6970; 11423 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, 314.274.8046, nudohousestl.com
2nd: Robata Maplewood
3rd: Blue Ocean
Honorable Mentions: Ramen Tei, Nami Ramen
VEGETARIAN/VEGAN
LONA’S LIL EATS
2199 California Ave., St. Louis, 314.925.1888, lonaslileats.com
2nd: Lulu’s Local Eatery
3rd: Tree House Restaurant
Honorable Mentions: SweetArt Bakeshop & Cafe, Pizza Head (tie) Everest Cafe
FAVORITE SEAFOOD PEACEMAKER
LOBSTER & CRAB CO. 1831 Sidney St., St. Louis, 314.772.8858, peacemakerlobstercrab.com
2nd: Broadway Oyster Bar
3rd: Gulf Shores Restaurant Honorable Mentions: Yellowbelly, Indo
FAVORITE PAN-ASIAN/ASIAN FUSION
4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.533.2700, stlgrace.com
2nd: Southern (temporarily closed)
3rd: Juniper
Honorable Mentions: Sweetie
Pie’s Upper Crust, Jerk Soul
FAVORITE THAI KING AND I
3155 S. Grand Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.1777, kingandistl.com
2nd: Pearl Cafe
3rd: Thai Kitchen (tie) Chao Baan
Honorable Mentions: Fork & Stix, Pad Thai Kitchen
FAVORITE VIETNAMESE MAI LEE
8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood, 314.645.2835, maileestl.com
2nd: Pho Grand
3rd: Banh Mi So 1
Honorable Mentions: Lemongrass, Little Saigon Cafe
FAVORITE RAMEN NUDO HOUSE
6105 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis,
SEOUL TACO
Multiple locations, seoultaco.com
2nd: Indo (tie) Guerrilla Street Food
3rd: Copper Pig Honorable Mentions: Kitchen Kulture, The Bao your favorite places to drink
BARTENDER OF THE YEAR
JACOB SMITH, BLOOD & SAND
1500 St. Charles St., St Louis, 314.241.7263, bloodandsandstl.com
2nd: Terry Oliver, Frazer’s 3rd: James Nahm, 909 Public House
Honorable Mentions: Ted Kilgore, Planter’s House; Meredith Barry, Taste/La Verita Distilleria
20 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
PHOTO BY VIRGINIA HAROLD
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 21
22 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
frozen drinks at narwhal's crafted, your favorite place to get a cocktail
FAVORITE HAPPY HOUR THREE KINGS PUBLIC HOUSE
Multiple locations, threekingspub.com (tie)
SASHA’S ON SHAW
4069 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, 314.771.7274, sashaswinebar.com
2nd: Narwhal’s Crafted
3rd: Planter’s House* Honorable Mentions: Vin De Set, The Pat Connolly Tavern* (tie) Basso
*These happy hours are indefinitely on hiatus due to the pandemic.
FAVORITE COCKTAILS
NARWHAL’S CRAFTED
Multiple locations, narwhalscrafted.com
2nd: Planter’s House
3rd: Blood & Sand
Honorable Mentions: Frazer’s, Olive + Oak
FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP
KALDI’S COFFEE
Multiple locations, kaldiscoffee.com
2nd: The Mud House
3rd: Picasso’s Coffee House
Honorable Mentions: Park Avenue Coffee, Sump Coffee
FAVORITE BEER BAR THREE KINGS PUBLIC HOUSE
Multiple locations, threekingspub.com
2nd: The Side Project Cellar 3rd: International Tap House Honorable Mentions: Amsterdam Tavern, Chillax Tap & Co. (tie) Gezellig
FAVORITE BREWERY 4 HANDS BREWING CO.
1220 S. Eighth St., St. Louis, 314.436.1559, 4handsbrewery.com
2nd: Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. (tie) Schlafly
3rd: 2nd Shift Brewing Honorable Mentions: Rockwell Beer Co., Civil Life Brewing Co. (closed for expansion until September 2021)
FAVORITE GAMES BAR
WESTPORT SOCIAL
910 Westport Plaza, Maryland Heights, 314.548.2876, westportsocial-stl.com
FAVORITE LOCAL DISTILLERY SQUARE ONE BREWERY AND DISTILLERY
1727 Park Ave, St. Louis, 314.231.2537, squareonebrewery.com
2nd: Still 630 Distillery
3rd: 1220 Artisan Spirits (tie) Pinckney Bend Distillery
Honorable Mentions: Stumpy’s Spirits Distillery, Switchgrass Spirits Distillery
FAVORITE LOCAL WINERY
WILD SUN WINERY
4830 Pioneer Road, Hillsboro, 636.797.8686, wildsun.com
2nd: Grafton Winery & Brewhaus
2nd: 4 Hands Brewing Co.
3rd: The Silver Ballroom
Honorable Mentions: Pieces, Two Plumbers Brewery & Arcade
FAVORITE PUB
JOHN D. MCGURK’S
IRISH PUB & GARDEN
1200 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.766.8309, mcgurks.com
2nd: The Scottish Arms
3rd: Llywelyn’s Pub
Honorable Mentions: O’Connell’s Pub, Seamus McDaniel’s
FAVORITE SPORTS BAR
SYBERG’S
Multiple locations, sybergs.com
2nd: Amsterdam Tavern
3rd: The Post Sports Bar & Grill
Honorable Mentions: Tamm Avenue Bar, Joey B’s
FAVORITE WINE BAR
SASHA’S WINE BARS
706 DeMun Ave., St. Louis, 314.863.7274; 4069 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, 314.771.7274, sashaswinebar.com
2nd: Grafton Winery and Brewhaus
3rd: Cottleville Wine Seller
Honorable Mentions: Robust Wine Bar, 33 Wine Shop & Bar
FAVORITE CAKES/ PASTRIES
MADE. BY LIA
610 Rue St. Francis, Florissant, 314.551.2383, madebylia.com
2nd: Nathaniel Reid Bakery
3rd: Missouri Baking Co.
Honorable Mentions: La Patisserie Chouquette, Jilly’s Cupcake Bar
FAVORITE FARMERS MARKET SOULARD FARMERS MARKET
730 Carroll St, St. Louis, 314.622.4180, soulardmarket.com
2nd: Tower Grove Farmers’ Market
3rd: Kirkwood Farmers’ Market
Honorable Mentions:
3rd: Chandler Hill Vineyards Honorable Mentions: Cedar Lake Cellars Winery (tie) Montelle Winery, Chaumette Vineyards & Winery your
favorite places to shop
FAVORITE BUTCHER SHOP KENRICK’S MEAT MARKET
4324 Weber Road, St. Louis, 314.631.2440, kenricks.com
2nd: Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions 3rd: Mannino’s Market Honorable Mentions: Beast Butcher & Block, G&W Meats
FAVORITE BREAD UNION LOAFERS CAFÉ AND BREAD BAKERY
1629 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.6111, unionloafers.com
2nd: Companion Bakery
3rd: Missouri Baking Co.
Honorable Mentions: Vitale’s Bakery, Federhofer’s Bakery
Ferguson Farmers’ Market, Lake Saint Louis Farmers and Artist Market
FAVORITE LOCAL GROCERY SCHNUCKS
Multiple locations, schnucks.com
2nd: Dierbergs
3rd: Straub’s Honorable Mentions: Jay International Food Co., DiGregorio’s Italian Market
FAVORITE SPECIALTY SHOP CROWN CANDY KITCHEN
1401 St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, 314.621.9650, crowncandykitchen.net
2nd: Volpi Foods
3rd: Bob’s Seafood
Honorable Mentions: Parker’s Table, BeerSauce Shop
FAVORITE BOTTLE SHOP RANDALL’S WINES & SPIRITS
1910 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.865.0199, shoprandalls.com
2nd: The Wine and Cheese Place
3rd: Intoxicology
Honorable Mentions: Saint Louis Hop Shop, BeerSauce Shop
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 23
PHOTO BY IZAIAH JOHNSON
24 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
Westport Social, by the numbers
Westport Social has become a West County mainstay for a fun night out with friends and was voted Favorite Games Bar for good reason. Here’s what it takes to keep the drinks flowing and the balls rolling. – Lauren Healey
Readers’ Choice Favorite Games Bar 910 Westport Plaza, Maryland Heights, 314.548.2876, westportsocial-stl.com
13,500 square feet
9 classic games
1,205 ping pong balls lost
90,001 baskets made in hoops
4 years in business
20 TVs
1,406 times Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin’” has been sung on karaoke
24 items on the menu
219,000 wonton chips fried annually for nachos
11
Westport Social Mules sold daily
42 types of spirits available
20 beers on draft
19 trips to the ice machine a night
416 nights of live music
42 dancers (on average) a night for live music
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 25
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHARLIE PEPIN PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
PHOTO
DAVID KOVALUK
PATIOS YOU LOVE
Maybe it’s our warm climate, or maybe it’s St. Louis’ German forebears’ love of Biergartens – whatever the reason, our city loves eating and drinking outdoors. Here are some of your favorite patios to post up on.
Opposite page: Vin de Set Favorite Happy Hour (honorable mention), Favorite Patio (tie, honorable mention), Favorite Romantic Spot (third), 2017 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.8989, vindeset.com; this page, clockwise, from top left: Boathouse at Forest Park Favorite Romantic Spot (first), 6101 Government Drive, St. Louis, 314.366.1555, boathousestl.com, Rockwell Beer Co. Favorite Brewery (honorable mention), Favorite Patio (third), 1320 S. Vandeventer Ave., St. Louis, 314.256.1657, rockwellbeer.com; Broadway Oyster Bar Favorite Cajun/Creole (first), Favorite Patio (tie, honorable mention), Favorite Seafood (second), 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314.621.8811, broadwayoysterbar.com; Sasha’s On Shaw Favorite Happy Hour (tie, first), Favorite Wine Bar (first), 4069 Shaw Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.7274, sashaswinebar.com; Hendel’s Favorite Patio (first), 599 Rue St. Denis, Florissant, 314.837.2304, hendelsrestaurant.com; Billy G’s Kirkwood Favorite Patio (honorable mention), 131 W. Argonne Drive, Kirkwood, 314.984.8000, billygskirkwood.com
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 27
BOATHOUSE PHOTO SHOT BY RANDY ALLEN FOR FOREST PARK FOREVER; ROCKWELL PHOTOS BY DAVID KOVALUK; BROADWAY OYSTER BAR AND HENDEL'S PHOTOS BY LAUREN HEALEY; BILLY G'S PHOTO BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY
sweet drEAms
MADE. BY LIA’S LIA HOLTER HAS BEEN A BAKING COMPETITION CHAMPION, A BRAND AMBASSADOR AND IS NOW A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS OWNER. WHERE WILL HER DREAMS TAKE HER NEXT?
BY ADAM ROTHBARTH
BY ASHLEY GIESEKING
PHOTOS
When Lia Holter left for New York City in February 2014 to compete on TLC’s Next Great Baker, she didn’t know if she would be gone for two days or two months.
In fact, until that point, she hadn’t even expected to get on the plane. But after an intensive interview process involving personality questionnaires, an in-person conversation and even a cake-decorating challenge, she made the cut. Like most who are chosen to battle in a food competition show, nothing she’d done previously had prepared her for the experience. “They took away our phones, our laptops, basically anything to contact the outside world,” Holter explained. “We did 20-hour days. It was the most intense and grueling experience of my life.”
Throughout the competition, Holter faced challenges she’d never dealt with before. Though she’d perfected her lemon meringue tart recipe before going on the show, she wasn’t ready for the sheer pressure of having to do it live and while making more tarts than she’d ever made. “I had to make hundreds of them on the show, and it’s not something that’s easy to make,” she reflected. “I had like six hours to make two or three hundred of them. I had to juice every lemon.” After filming the episode, the judges asked her for the recipe. She had similar success with her peanut butter-chocolate cake, which was featured in People; she wasn’t so lucky with the 7-foot-tall seven-layer cake she made, which toppled over. “I remember that was a disaster,” she said, laughing. But despite that setback and many others, Holter won the season and was crowned a bona fide great baker.
But in St. Louis, Holter was already a great baker, having started many years earlier. It began with the Italian Christmas cookies she made with her family as a child. “The kitchen was my happy place from a very young age,” Holter said. “I loved to prep and cook and bake.” When she was old enough, it was jobs at Dairy Queen and Florissant hotspot Hendel’s, owned by her sister and brother-in-law, Christina and Nathan Bennett. At Hendel’s, she gained experience in a professional kitchen and started to think about what her career might look like. Since she was only 15 years old at the time, she was mostly waitressing and doing prep work like cracking eggs and cutting
produce, which helped perfect her knife skills. “Going into pastry school, I feel like I had a sense of what I was doing,” she said. She went to Forest Park Community College for an associate’s degree in baking and pastry arts and also earned a bachelor’s in business at Fontbonne University. At the same time, she worked in a cake shop, gaining experience as a wedding cake decorator. “I knew going in that I always wanted to have a job that I loved, and I love to bake, so that’s why I started off my career there,” she said. The foresight to study baking and business simultaneously would prove wise as she began looking toward crafting a brand of her own.
After college, Holter studied abroad in Italy, but she’s quick to point out that “studied abroad” should be in quotation marks. “I mostly just ate and drank too much,” she said with a chuckle. When she returned, she was motivated to begin a new chapter, which came in the form of a Facebook page in 2012 called Made. by Lia. “It was just an avenue for friends and family to order little cakes and macarons,” she reminisced. “I remember when I got my first 10 followers and I thought it was the coolest thing ever.” During that time, she went back to Hendel’s to work as a pastry chef. Two years later, she won Next Great Baker
“My little Facebook page boomed overnight,” Holter recalled. “I was working out of my tiny little apartment that had a half-size refrigerator. I had to use the top of my oven for all of my work. It was a crazy time, but very awesome, because people wanted to support me.” As she toiled in her small space trying to fill orders, dreaming of another break, she got a call from AB Mauri, the company that owns Fleischmann’s Yeast, asking if she wanted to be their brand ambassador. Soon after she accepted the role, the company opened a beautiful, state-of-the art baking facility in the Central West End’s Cortex Innovation Community and invited her to operate Made. by Lia out of it. She said yes. “I had all the space to take on quadruple the amount of orders and grow my wedding cake business,” she said. Eventually, it became so big that she and her husband Max Holter, whom she’d married in 2015, started thinking about getting their own spot. “Do I want to take on a crazy life change and open up my own storefront?” she asked herself. The answer was, of course, yes. When the building at 610 Rue St. Francois in Old Town Florissant became available, just down the street from her home, she jumped on it. Holter opened Made. by Lia there in August 2020.
Located on the same block as a small florist, a custom framing business, an appliance shop and the Citizens Bank of Florissant is Made. by Lia, a sleek, hip bakery
whose storefront looks like an ivory cake decorated with black typeface. If you’re a pastry head, the shop immediately seems like somewhere you’d want to hang out. Inside, it’s airy and bright, full of fair tones, sunlight and buoyant, sugary smells. There’s a wide range of beautifully displayed options at the counter, from a candy-sweet lemon poppy seed vegan doughnut and a brilliantly moist cinnamon sugar cake doughnut (also vegan), to a tender and savory cheddar-chive scone. The raspberry-almond galette, endlessly cute in its single-serving size, reveals a luscious, jammy center when broken apart. Everything here is delicate and purposeful but still somehow simple; and when you do finally order, the cashier wraps up your food with the delicate touch of a surgeon or a concert pianist, to the point where you almost feel nervous to open it. But when you do, you realize – if you haven’t already – that Made. by Lia is a very special place.
Holter’s philosophy starts with what’s printed under her name on the storefront: craft bakery. “Everything we do here is made from scratch,” she explained. “We do everything from your classic chocolate chip cookie to our vegan and gluten-free items. Scones, cupcakes. We make all of our jams, fillings, buttercreams, caramels and cakes from scratch.” And while classic bakery fare is her bread and butter, Made. by Lia puts a unique spin on things by giving vegan and gluten-free items a prominent spot on the menu. As most bakers know, those categories come with big challenges. “It’s about making sure it’s not too gummy or mushy,” Holter said, pointing out that her bakery uses a lot of flax eggs to avoid using too many substitutions, such as applesauce, which can ultimately dry out a pastry. “We do a cinnamon sugar doughnut that literally you would have no idea is vegan. That’s one of my proudest and favorite recipes I’ve developed. Flax keeps the moisture in.” It’s been a journey to perfect her dairy-free items, but Holter is committed to the path. “Not every recipe is a win,” she said of the research and development process. But as far as her menu goes, most of them are.
Showcasing vegan and gluten-free food isn’t about optics for Holter; rather, a conscious relationship with animal protein is a central part of her life.
“After I had my first kid – my daughter, Ella – I was nursing, and she was really fussy at the time,” Holter explained, adding that she also used to have stomach issues after eating. Her doctor suggested eliminating dairy. “Dairy was a huge part of my life. I ate so much yogurt and milk and cheese. I was like, ‘How am I going to do this? It’s going to be impossible!’” But she did do it, and she and her daughter immediately felt better. Now, Holter leans toward a whole food, plant-based diet. “I’ll still have ice cream, so I’m not 100% vegan, but I choose a plant-based lifestyle,” she said.
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 29
Holter’s family includes husband Max and children Ella and James, and as much as what they eat matters to her, how they eat is also immensely important. “I think that the kitchen should be the center of your home,” she declared. “Cooking and eating with your family, eating at the table, is kind of unheard of today. People will sit and watch TV or go to their separate rooms.” And though she’s clearly the baker and cook in the family, she’s already enlisting her young children to help out and encouraging them to
start developing the same skills she started out with so many years ago; now, 4-year-old Ella helps slice mushrooms during prep for dinner. “We eat together as a family, we cook together as a family,” she said. “It’s an important thing.”
Despite winning a national baking competition, launching a successful brand and starting her own already-beloved bakery, Holter has no plans to slow down anytime soon. “I’m a
huge dreamer,” she said. “It drives my husband crazy. He’s like, ‘You’ve already got your dream. You’ve already got your bakery.’” But she wants more. To start, her current bakery space is already maxed out, but she can see turning its 2,000-square-foot unfinished basement into a second baking facility one day. She’s also talked to a cookbook designer about launching a book series. “I’ve got so many different passions,” Holter said. “I’d love to have one on decorating
cakes, cooking, baking. I’ve always wanted to have something that would teach the at-home baker how to bake from scratch.” Judging from the demand her bakery’s already seen – in under a year, she’s grown from having one baker to eight, with about 15 employees total – people will show up for whatever she does next.
Just like with getting on the plane in 2014 to compete in TLC’s Next Great Baker , nobody
is more surprised by how things have turned out than Holter. “I’m blown away at how well everything’s going,” she said. “But nothing’s easy. I’m still learning every day what to do and what not to do. I feel like I know that this is what I’m meant to do and where I’m meant to be.” Still, sometimes, on those late nights following a 16- or 18-hour day, she finds herself longing for more harmony. Holter recalls mopping the floors of her bakery at midnight after some shifts, imagining
a time where she wouldn’t have to be mopping at that hour. “I’m still trying to find that good worklife, mom-life, life-life, boss-life balance,” she said. From the outside, at least, it seems like she’s got it under control.
Readers’ Choice Favorite Bakery Made. by Lia, 610 Rue St. Francois, Florissant, 314.551.2383, madebylia.com
So Fresh, So Clean
BY ADAM ROTHBARTH //
PHOTOS BY MADISON SAUNDERS
While the Italian salad is a popular dish in most St. Louis Italian restaurants, it’s not always clear what you’re getting when you order one. That’s because “Italian salad” doesn’t denote a specific group of ingredients as much as it points to a philosophy of preparing and serving light, palate-cleansing courses.
Italian salads boast an array of tasty greens and herbs, always impeccably fresh and clean, as well as a selection of enticing vegetables, often chosen based on what’s in season. The aim of the Italian salad is to showcase a tight assortment of luminous flavors, from salty olives and sour vinegars to earthy ingredients like chickpeas and tomatoes. According to Marcella Hazan, author of the indispensable Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, Italian dressing is simply “extra virgin olive oil, salt, and wine vinegar.” She goes on to share an old Italian proverb that’s a tip for the perfectly balanced salad: “For a good salad you need four persons: A judicious one for the salt, a prodigal one for the olive oil, a stingy one for the vinegar, and a patient one to toss it.”
Clearly, there are many ways to make a great Italian salad, and St. Louis’ eclectic group of Readers’ Choice winners in the Favorite Italian Restaurant category all put their own unique spin on the dish.
Even if you haven’t eaten at Zia’s Restaurant on the Hill, you’ve probably at least seen their sweet Italian vinegar and oil dressing at the grocery store or tried it at a dinner party – it’s a treasured local brand that’s been on shelves since 1996. With ingredients like red wine vinegar, olive oil, soybean oil, salt and a small amount of Parmesan cheese, Zia’s Italian dressing is also popular at the restaurant, where it tops multiple salads: The dinner salad has romaine and iceberg, diced
red peppers and blended Italian cheeses, while the Sicilian features the same ingredients but adds prosciutto, artichoke hearts and green olives.
According to owner Dennis Chiodini, in addition to their venerated dressing, Zia’s has a few other tricks that set its salad game apart. “One thing that we do that a lot of restaurants don’t do is that we keep our salad plates in the freezer. People love it because it’s so cold,” he pointed out. “And we still use romaine and iceberg lettuce, and that’s kind of old school. Everybody else goes mixed greens. A lot of people say, ‘Why don’t you try to use this lettuce or
Taverna, another staple on the Hill, offers an Italian salad with an artisan lettuce blend, pimentos, Sicilian olives, onions, artichoke hearts, pecorino Romano and red wine vinaigrette. At Trattoria Marcella in Lindenwood Park, the mista – Italian for “mixed” – is a punchy, homey take on a type of salad usually populated with a ton of fresh veggies; Marcella’s version features chopped romaine and iceberg, provolone, Parmesan, crispy artichoke heart leaves and red wine vinaigrette.
Pastaria offers a mixed greens salad with sliced pear, walnuts, goat cheese and red wine vinaigrette; its little gem chopped salad brings big, salty, funky flavors with chickpea, green olive, pistachio, pepperoni, oregano, pecorino and red wine vinaigrette. The popular Clayton restaurant also retails the dressing, which can be bought next door at Pastaria Deli & Wine or online.
that lettuce?’ We don’t try to do any trendy stuff.” In any case, if you order a salad at Zia’s, you’re getting an appetizing introduction into Sauce readers’ selection this year for their favorite Italian restaurant in St. Louis.
A few blocks away, at Cunetto House of Pasta, the insalata Italiana features a simple romaine and iceberg lettuce mix with wine vinegar and virgin olive oil, whereas the insalata Cunetto adds green onions, pimentos, prosciutto, Provel and Parmesan cheeses and housemade croutons to the lettuce base, and dresses it all with Cunetto’s house dressing. ItalianGreek restaurant Anthonino’s
As their menus show, these restaurants are all attempting to do their own thing while still honoring the Italian tradition of making fresh, approachable dishes that bring strong flavor and sync up nicely with the entrees they precede. The common denominator here, of course, is that the salads mentioned above don’t come from Italy, but from your favorite Italian spots right here in town.
Readers’ Choice Favorite Italian Zia’s Restaurant 5256 Wilson Ave., St. Louis, 314.776.0020, zias.com
Cunetto House of Pasta 5453 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, 314.781.1135, cunetto.com
Anthonino’s Taverna 2225 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, 314.773.4455, anthoninos.com
Trattoria Marcella 3600 Watson Road, St. Louis, 314.352.7706, trattoriamarchella.com
Pastaria 7734 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.862.6603, eatpastaria.com
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 33
salads at zia's, from top: the sicilian and the dinner salad
zia's on the hill
10 REASONS
TO BUY ALL YOUR BOOZE AT
RANDALL’S WINE & SPIRITS
You voted Randall’s Wine & Spirits your Favorite Bottle Shop. We love it too. Here’s why. – Adam Rothbarth
1. The variety is great. In one trip, you can find a really nice scotch, score a rare bourbon, restock your favorite mezcal, grab some dope craft beer for the weekend and snag a box or two of White Claw.
2. The prices are good. We all know the feeling of reaching for our favorite spirit or six-pack on the shelf, only to find that the spot we’ve stumbled into is selling it for considerably more than we’re used to. That doesn’t really happen here.
3. If you’re on your way to smash some drinks with the gang, you can also grab a couple bags of chips or candy to bring. That way, you’re covering all the food groups.
4. With three locations across St. Louis and one in Illinois, Randall’s is probably
convenient for you. There’s one near our office, which brings daily temptation; they’re also about to build a fifth location on the Hill. Pro tip: The Illinois Randall’s has beers that aren’t available in St. Louis, like Half Acre and Three Floyds.
5. The employees are knowledgeable. If you ask for a specific spirit, someone can usually tell you where it is, whether they have it (or why they don’t) and what people like about it.
6. Randall’s is for everyone. They respect the hard seltzer life, but also have top shelf rums and expertly curated French wines. You’ll never feel judged for buying whatever it is you desire, and we say this having recently bought Nonino Amaro and Bud Light Seltzer in the same order.
7. They want to help you become a more educated drinker. Randall’s has always offered classes and tastings on everything from local craft beer to scotch; the new location on the Hill is even going to have a dedicated whiskey room and a seminar space.
8. You can make it a one-stop shop if you’re having a party – they have soda and seltzer, disposable cups, glassware and even decorations. If it’s an outdoor party, don’t forget to peruse Randall’s selection of cigars.
9. If you’re one of those rare spirit chasers, pay attention to Randall’s social media or call in and ask about your favorite bottle – you may soon find yourself racing down Jefferson at 9:45 a.m. trying to snag the newest shipment of Blanton’s or WhistlePig. Or, sign up for their VIP program to be among the first to know about limited releases.
10. The employee picks are *chef’s kiss.* Randall’s website and Facebook page have weekly picks and deals from employees, meaning you’re getting an expert’s favorite bottles or cans at a great price.
Favorite Bottle Shop
Multiple locations, shoprandalls.com
34 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
PHOTOS BY ADAM ROTHBARTH
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 35
WINNING SPIRIT
With new players in the game and several award-winning spirits under its belt, St. Louis’ distillery scene shows no sign of slowing down. Here are six iconic bottles from your Favorite Local Distilleries. – Liz Wolfson
Switchgrass Spirits Rye Whiskey
Follow Brasserie by Niche’s bartenders’ example and use this bold, complex rye in a Sazerac; their recipe uses simple syrup made from raw sugar as well as Peychaud’s bitters.
Pinckney Bend
Distillery Hand Crafted American Gin
This award-winning gin features traditional flavors like juniper and coriander accented by cardamom, lavender and citrus.
Square One Brewery & Distillery JJ Neukomm
Malt Whiskey
Made using 100% malted barley, this whiskey uses similar ingredients to a scotch but is aged like a bourbon, making it a nice bridge between the two styles.
Still 630 RallyPoint
Straight Rye Whiskey
This smooth rye with notes of vanilla, oak and cinnamon serves as a great building block for any classic whiskey cocktail, from a Manhattan to a whiskey sour.
Stumpy’s Spirits Old Monroe Single Barrel Bourbon
Try this mellow bourbon in a cocktail with sharp flavors that highlight the spirit’s caramel and vanilla notes, like a blackberry mint julep.
1220 Spirits Blue Morpho Gin
Distilled with lavender, violet and citrus zest, this amethyst-hued gin will give your old gin and tonic a new lease on life.
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 37
Shroomed Out | Nudo House
Raise your eyebrows all you want when we tell you the MVP of the menu at Nudo House – your Readers’ Choice pick for Favorite Ramen – is the vegetarian Shroomed Out. The rich, creamy mushroom broth boasts layers of addictive umami flavor. Tender slices of king oyster mushroom, sweet, tangy strips of menma (bamboo shoots) and a golden, custardy ajitsuke tamago (ramen egg) truly deserve a chef’s kiss.
Tonkotsu | Ramen Tei
Tonkotsu has become the de facto mascot of American ramen, and Ramen Tei’s version is the platonic ideal of the style. Pork bones simmer for 48 hours, resulting in a milky, intensely savory broth. Perfectly charred chashu-style pork is arranged neatly floating alongside menma, scallion, roasted garlic-chile oil, ajitsuke tamago and a slice of nori (dried seaweed) for a picture-perfect bowl.
Roasted Black Garlic Tonkotsu | Nami Ramen
How can you possibly improve a bowl of tonkotsu?
Top that sucker with roasted black garlic oil. Nami Ramen’s irresistible take on the classic comes with tender, braised pork, minced onion, menma and bean sprouts.
Spicy Miso | Blue Ocean Restaurant
Sweating it out over a hot, spicy bowl of ramen in between gulps of ice-cold beer is one of life’s simple pleasures, and there’s no dish we’d rather perspire over than Blue Ocean Restaurant’s spicy miso. Fiery red broth is decked out with ground chile, slow-roasted pork belly, pickled ginger, scallions, naruto (fish cake) and menma with a final drizzle of hot chile oil.
Champon | Robata Maplewood
Diners love Robata’s build-ityour-way ramen menu, which has options to add everything from extra eggs to kimchi to whole pork gyoza to your soup, but we’re happy with the champon seafood ramen asis. Chewy chunks of scallop, shrimp and squid swim in the pleasantly light, salty pork broth with sautéed vegetables, bean sprouts and green onion piled on top.
Readers’ Choice
Favorite Ramen Nudo House 6105 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.370.6970; 11423 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, 314.274.8046, nudohousestl.com Ramen Tei 14027 Manchester Road, Ballwin, 636.386.8019, Facebook: Ramen Tei Nami Ramen 278 N. Skinker Blvd., St. Louis, 314.833.6264, namiramen.com Blue Ocean Restaurant 6335 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.726.6477, blueoceanstl.com Robata Maplewood 7260 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9595, robatamaplewood.com
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 39
YOUR PICKS FOR THE TOP RAMEN DISHES IN TOWN
BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY // PHOTO BY JULIA CALLEO
How to incorporate cannabis into your next backyard barbecue
BY LAUREN HEALEY
Summer has finally arrived and, with it, barbecue season. If you’re a medical marijuana patient, there’s never been a better time to learn how to incorporate cannabis into your next grilling session.
Swade Dispensary, with four locations currently open in the St. Louis area and one more in the works, will soon offer a new product perfect for those backyard barbecues. Later this summer, an alcoholfree, cannabis-infused beer called MOHI will launch in all Swade dispensaries.
Highly sessionable at 5 milligrams of THC per can, the MOHI brew is not only perfect for sipping while grilling, it’s also an inventive way to make your own THCinfused beer can chicken. “It tastes just like beer but won’t give you a hangover, and it will make for a really juicy chicken with a bit of the hoppy flavor,” said Jack Haddox, director of dispensary operations.
The chicken is cooked similarly to any beer can chicken recipe, but it’s crucial to keep the temperature at about 240 degrees. “That allows the THC to vaporize and infuse the chicken without overheating and destroying the THC,” Haddox said. “You can just pop the top on a can of the beer and then put it inside a whole chicken. I use a charcoal grill and keep it off direct heat, cooking for about four to six hours until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.”
Because MOHI contains just 5 milligrams of THC, it won’t make for a highly medicated chicken, but Haddox said you could easily up the dosage, if desired, by grinding cannabis flower and adding it to the beer before cooking the chicken. “If you have a gram of cannabis flower that’s labeled 20% THC, it equates to 200
milligrams of THC that would disperse throughout the chicken,” he explained.
It’s also easy to infuse barbecue sauce with THC using cannabis flower. “You first must decarboxylate the flower for at least 30 minutes in the oven (on 240 degrees) to activate the THC, then you can just grind it and add it to any barbecue sauce, which usually masks the herbal flavor,” Haddox said. “I’ve also cooked ribs like I normally would, but then top them with a cannabis-infused butter.”
To infuse butter, decarboxylate the cannabis as explained above, then mix with butter and simmer for two to three hours on low heat, then strain with a cheesecloth to separate the flower from the butter. Once you have infused butter, you can incorporate it into any recipe that calls for butter, such as cookies or brownies, though the lower the temperature it’s cooked in, the better so as not to burn off the THC.
THC and CBD mocktails are another great way to include cannabis at a barbecue. “The amend 1:1 tincture has a light minty flavor that pairs really well with a mojitoinspired mocktail for maximum relaxation and full vacation mode,” said Melissa Khan, director of marketing. "We don't recommend mixing THC with alcohol, so if you're imbibing in alcohol, it’s best to stick with CBD, like BeLeaf Life’s Oils. And if you're including THC in your barbecue, then mocktails are your best option.”
For more information, visit swadecannabis.com
This advertisement is intended only for Missouri medical marijuana patients.
40 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com
PHOTO
BY SUPERDOG CONTENT
PARTNER CONTENT
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 41
CHRIS ‘MAC’ MCKENZIE
OWNER, MAC’S LOCAL EATS
Readers’ Choice Favorite Burger Mac’s Local Eats relocated in September 2019 from its original spot inside Dogtown’s Tamm Avenue Bar to bigger facilities inside Bluewood Brewing in Benton Park. Instead of needing time to grow into the new digs, owner Chris “Mac” McKenzie quickly realized demand for his smash burgers was already outpacing what his newly expanded kitchen could keep up with. “We were here for two weeks and I said to my wife, ‘We just moved here. We need a bigger fucking boat,’” McKenzie recalled. Here, McKenzie talks about his ever-changing role at Mac’s and the whole animal philosophy behind Sauce Readers’ Choice Favorite Burger – Liz Wolfson
“(What I do) is different every day – that’s a big part of why it’s so fun. We like to say, from a restaurant point of view, we buy really high-quality raw materials and then get out of their way. We’re constantly trying to find these products that separate themselves from others.”
“The chicken that we get from Rustic Roots Farm over in Brighton, Illinois – we like Rustic Root because they use all organic feed for their chickens. I’m not saying you’re wrong if you don’t; I’m saying I think it’s better if they do. But I like them because they are literally committed to making the best damn egg or meat bird that they can. They’re spending a bunch of hardearned, expensive dollars to buy not just any old feed.”
“I tell my staff all the time, ‘Look, we don’t buy shitty tomatoes.’ We never have. Because the more shitty tomatoes you buy, the more shitty tomatoes they make. And we are not going to be part of that equation. I have yet to find a hothouse tomato in the middle of winter that is worth a damn.”
“I say it all the time: Local doesn’t mean good, it means close. You’ve got to remember that.”
“Our menu is a reflection of us harvesting a pig and a cow. We use all the beef for the burgers. We grind up the whole cow. The offal from the cow –the hearts and the livers – we have a few customers that buy them, or we turn them into dog treats.”
“And then we have cracklings on our menu, because we have pig skin, and we have boudin on our menu, which is an outlet for
the heart, the liver, kidneys, those spare parts of that pig. That’s what we do, all in an effort to be respectful of that animal and not waste it.”
“When we’re out of bacon, I try to get bacon from the two big farmers we use. But if they don’t have any, well, guess what? We’re out of fucking bacon.”
“Twice now, we’ve closed shop for a week and I took the staff to a boucherie (a traditional Cajun pig harvest) so that everybody could be part and witness the harvesting of some animals. We’re not just going to break down a side of pork or beef here. No, no, no. There’s a couple of steps that happen before we get to here. And it’s important that you see that shit, and to have an appreciation. And people cry, it’s very emotional, but it’s part of the story. And if you’re going to eat that meat, I think it’s important to see that stuff.”
“When we opened, it was like, sure, I could cook, I love to cook. I grew up with a mom who
was a scratch cook for five boys. … But when we opened, I did not work the line. I was the guy selling the food. I worked the window. I know the story. I know the relationships. I can tell you why we like this product or why this is good or the characteristics, whatever.”
“I enjoy working service, I enjoy talking to people, I enjoy feeding the guests. I tell guests all the time, ‘We feed you so we can eat.’ At its core, that is what we do. And everybody on our staff gets paid well, more than a living wage – as well they should, because they work hard, and it’s got to be fair.”
“It’s a constant effort to maintain balance. Just yesterday, a guy was like, ‘When are you going to open a bunch of restaurants? You could franchise!’ I was like, ‘No, we are not going to do that.’ I’m 51 and I’m ready to fucking sit down and be done, because operations is for young humans. … We got a spot and we don’t need another one.”
42 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
LAST BITE // WHAT I DO
PHOTOS BY VIRGINIA HAROLD
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 43
JOHN D. MCGURK’S IRISH PUB & GARDEN
BY LAUREN HEALEY
When John. D. McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden opened in 1978, it was just a one-room pub in a refurbished row house on the corner of Russell Boulevard and 12th Street in Soulard. Irish pubs were particularly popular in St. Louis at the time, and owner Jim Holloran and his family decided to go all out and feature live Irish music. “That’s what set them apart and made them a destination,” according to manager Christian Bailey, who has worked for the pub on and off in varying roles for over 20 years.
As its popularity grew, so did the need for more space, and McGurk’s –
voted 2021 Readers’ Choice Favorite Pub – expanded west three separate times, with the last expansion taking place about 25 years ago. The pub now comprises four renovated row houses. “Soulard was pretty inexpensive at the time, so they kept buying the row house next door, knocking down the walls between but leaving the overall structure,” Bailey said. “It’s exactly what you’d picture when you think Irish pub – lots of old woodwork and bricks.”
With the growth, the owners were able to transform the four former residential backyards into over 15,000
square feet of gorgeous outdoor dining space.“The music was the biggest draw in the beginning, but the garden became the biggest draw over time,” Bailey explained. “There are full-time gardeners that come in every day to maintain the landscaping. We’ve got mature trees, a ton of flowers, a koi pond, a fountain, a waterfall – it’s so beautiful and very unique for St. Louis.”
Although the ambiance and live music have been key in keeping patrons coming in over the years, so has the food. The traditional Irish fare and standard bar food offerings have not
changed much since opening, but the pub remains a popular spot for people to grab a bite for lunch, after work or before a big game. “We’ve got the Irish classics like bangers and mash, Gaelic stew, fish and chips,” he said. “But we’ve also got stuff like chicken sandwiches and potato skins.” Bailey’s favorite menu item is the burger: “The grill has been there since ’78, so that nice, seasoned old grill just makes burgers and steaks taste a lot better,” he explained.
For many years, the pub offered live music seven days a week, but had to take a hiatus due to the pandemic. Since reopening, there’s currently music four days a week, but Bailey expects it to ramp back up to seven soon. “We get musicians from out of town who often have a following,” he said. “And we have had an incredibly talented local band, Falling Fences, every Sunday since 2008, and they have a lot of regulars that come in just to see them.”
Continuing the themes of westward expansion and historic buildings, McGurk’s Public House opened in an old mercantile in O’Fallon, Missouri, in 1999. The location offered a similar vibe and menu as the original, but closed temporarily when the pandemic hit and has remained shuttered due to a staffing shortage. “Right now, 35% of our staff (in Soulard) is from the O’Fallon location, so we’re kind of in a pickle,” Bailey said. “As of now, it’s just a waiting game, but we’re hoping we might be able open by the end of summer.”
Readers’ Choice Favorite Pub and second place Favorite Patio 1200 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.776.8309, mcgurks.com
BY VIRGINIA
44 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
LAST BITE // LANDMARK
PHOTO
HAROLD
the patio at john d. mcgurk’s, your pick for second place favorite patio
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 45
46 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com July 2021
July 2021 saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 47