Sauce Magazine // May 2017

Margaritas: frozen or on the rocks?

MAY 2017 • VOLUME 17, ISSUE 5

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Heather Hughes

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Catherine Klene

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Mission Taco Joint's new frozen margarita

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Up - as it should be

Julia Calleo, Ashley Gieseking, Jonathan Gayman, Virginia Harold, Dave Moore, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky

Vidhya Nagarajan

Glenn Bardgett, Andrew Barrett, Matt Berkley, Shannon Cothran, Katie Herrera, Heather Hughes, Kellie Hynes, Jamie Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Catherine Klene, Rebecca Koenig, Meera Nagarajan, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan, Matt Sorrell

Allyson Mace

Angie Rosenberg

Isabella Espinoza

Amy Hyde

Amy Hyde

Unless I’m at the beach, definitely on the rocks

Elizabeth Bruchhauser, Sam Flaster

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.

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Sauce Magazine is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.

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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.

editors' picks

FARMTRUK’S BRISKET MAC combines the best of a backyard barbecue in one paper basket. Fat rigatoni noodles are drowned in cheddar cheese sauce, a generous handful of braised brisket and a drizzle of sweet chipotle barbecue. It’s all finished with a sprinkle of crushed Red Hot Riplets and fresh slivers of green onion. Best paired with sunglasses and a lawn chair on a warm day.

This month on Sound Bites managing editor

Heather Hughes joins Oriental Spoon owner

Tae Kim to discuss the local Korean food scene. And tune in to St. Louis Public Radio

KWMU 90.7 FM at the beginning of May for Sauce Hit List.

from top: jerk chicken at patois, the bar at polite society, chicken duet at polite society

PATOIS EATERY & SOCIAL LOUNGE

Goat is out and chicken is in at Patois Eatery & Social Lounge, the new restaurant and nightlife venue in the former Rustic Goat space. Start your meal with sweet, sticky corncakes slathered in rich honey butter, but resist the urge to order another round. You’ll need room for the jerk chicken, a tried-and-true recipe from Chicago-based Uncle Joe’s Jerk. Half a chicken is grilled until the skin is crisp and charred, then chopped into four pieces and served with a pungent jerk sauce packing allspice and a touch of sweet heat. Dig into the side of rice and peas, close your eyes and dream of Caribbean waters.

2617 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.2606, patoisstl.com

POLITE SOCIETY

Class up your nights at Polite Society, an elegant new eatery in Lafayette Square. Relax in one of two cozy, brick-walled dining rooms or pull up a seat at the bar under the massive shelving unit suspended from the ceiling by black metal pipes. Start your meal with thick slices of meaty portobello mushrooms, tempurabattered, fried and served with a poblano pepper coulis. For a richer starter, try the blackened Gulf shrimp served atop cheese grits with a lime crema. Save room for entrees like the Chicken Duet, featuring a roasted chicken breast and confit leg served atop a sweet-savory johnnycake, or indulge with five fat diver scallops, seared and served with lemon-pepper butter and seasonal veggies.

1923 Park Ave., St. Louis, 314.325.2553, politesocietystl.com

Walking into Sophie’s chandelierdrenched bar, you feel in on an elite secret. Hidden away on the second floor of the .ZACK building, this lavender and gold retreat is exactly what Grand Center needs: more cute, quiet places to grab a drink and a snack before a show. Try the bright, Aperol-heavy Ingenue from the short list of house cocktails or peruse the bar’s extensive collection of spirits. There’s also a short list of draft beers, and the wine list, managed by The Dark Room, is good down to the happy hour malbec.

LOUNGE & COCKTAIL CLUB

3224 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.533.0367, sophiesstl.com

SPICE OF INDIA

Spice of India, tucked away in a small strip mall on Page Avenue, is busy for a reason. Start with the street food ( chaat ) section of the menu and try the bhel puri , a crunchy mix of puffed rice, peanuts, chopped tomatoes, sweet tamarind chutney, a zippy mint chutney, onion and a sprinkle of cilantro to prepare your taste buds for an Indian meal. Next, order the butter chicken, where tender pieces of meat swim in a creamy tomato-based sauce flavored with chile powder, coriander and cumin. Order naan for dunking or try the puri , a puffy, South Indian fry bread made with wheat flour. The menu is huge, but for $9 you can try eight dishes in the daily lunch buffet.

10633 Page Ave., St. Louis County, 314.473.1803, spicestl.com

SOPHIE’S ARTIST

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY

rev iews

the blue duck

BY MICHAEL RENNER | PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

The signature sandwich at The Blue Duck is the DLT, as in cured, smoked duck breast, lettuce and tomato. There’s also a fried egg and a swipe of honey-chipotle mayonnaise, all between two slices of buttery, grilled house sourdough. The duck is only available on the popular sandwich, which raises the question of why a restaurant would go through the trouble of curing and smoking duck breast, let alone highlight the waterfowl in its moniker, only to feature it on one menu item? These were just a couple questions that popped up

scallops with bacon at the blue duck

over the course of several visits to the new Maplewood outpost of The Blue Duck.

Celebrated for its comfort food, peaceful riverfront view and day-trip distance, many St. Louisans know the original Washington, Missouri location as a good spot to grab a sandwich when exploring surrounding wine country or the historic downtown. (It is the Corn Cob Pipe Capitol of the World, after all.) Several popular menu items made the trip to Maplewood, but like the banana nut-coffee stout you brought back from that little brewery outside Portland, what seemed like a good idea in one place doesn’t always hold up elsewhere.

I’m talking about that DLT, where the problem wasn’t the quality of duck but using the meat in the first place. Duck can’t be cooked as crispy as bacon, so everything on the sandwich had a similar texture. And unlike pork,

curing and smoking masked the duck’s true flavor.

The classic burger proved much more satisfying than the signature sandwich. As expected from any upscale restaurant, the meat (in this case, chuck) was ground inhouse, and chargrilling brought out its bold beefiness. The dense half-pounder came fully loaded with crisp romaine lettuce, tomato, red onion, cheddar, house thick-cut smoked bacon and bread-and-butter pickles rather than dill, adding a pleasant sweetness. Bonus points for a potato bun strong enough to contain it all while still yielding softness.

Where the original Blue Duck conveys cozy relaxation with picture windows framing the Missouri River and woody ambiance, the Maplewood version stands in stark contrast. Located in a renovated, 4,200-square-foot portion of the former Monarch on the corner of Manchester

Road and Sutton Boulevard, it’s not exactly harsh, but not particularly inviting, either. Part of the problem is the gymnasium-sized space – brightly painted floating window frames (think Microsoft Windows logo) and a smattering of plant boxes look lost on the massive walls. Quaint touches like fresh flowers and mismatched salt-andpepper shakers evoke a down-home motif that seems incongruent with the generic contemporary-industrial design. One diner remarked that the decor felt like a Pinterest “decorate on a dollar” collection.

What The Blue Duck lacks in ambiance is made up for on the plate – so much so that it feels like overcompensation. There’s no question that executive chef Jordan Knight and his crew can cook. They use top-quality meats and produce, and nearly everything is made in house. But like the decor, the word that came up over several meals was “incongruent.”

I’m still trying to figure out the thinking behind my pork dinner-breakfast mashup, consisting of a grilled, thick and juicy bonein chop accentuated by a bourbon-mustard seed glaze, real baby carrots (not baby-cut), fried and smoked whole new potatoes (which seemed merely roasted) and an apple butter biscuit. Why add a separate plate of ham and shirred eggs to an otherwise fine dish? Did dinner really need help from breakfast?

Seared trout with fried Brussels sprouts was another example of genre-bending eclecticism. Two fresh, beautifully seared large fillets arrived swimming in a pool of butternut squash puree ringed with pastrami-spiced dashi. What again sounded well-conceived went sideways when the competing flavors of the sweet puree and warm-spiced broth overpowered the natural lightness of the fish. The dish was then pushed over the precipice of logic by the large trout rillette crostini crowning the plate.

The hanger steak and the scallops with bacon – both high-quality – suffered equally from an overabundance of overabundance. From the specks of cured egg yolk, fried pickled red onions and cauliflower cream in the steak dish to the jalapeno gremolata, Worcestershire-horseradish vinaigrette and ½-inch-thick bacon slices with the scallops, many ingredients either got in the way or added more to the description on the menu than taste on the plate.

The two crowd-pleasers, smoked fried hot chicken and the seasonal veggie entree, received high marks for not going overboard. Unlike the blistering Nashville version, The Blue Duck’s hot chicken had gentle heat from crunchy crushed Old Vienna Red Hot Riplets breading. Two boneless breasts on a slice of white bread alongside fried smoked potatoes, pickles and a pepper gravy were as down-home as Sunday supper, even though mine lacked the chowchow that was supposed to be part of the meal. The trove of deeply caramelized, raw and pickled vegetables making up the seasonal entree, including beets, greens and what appeared to be turnips and carrots, proved to be the most pleasant surprise with smatterings of orange zest and dollops of creme fraiche adding brightness and pungency.

Desserts like a smoked apple crumble cake and a German chocolate pie-of-theday reflected the restaurant’s emphasis on heartiness over daintiness. Both the cake and pie were balanced and not overly sweet, but any smokiness was subtle to the point of nonexistence in the apples and the pie’s thick crust lacked desirable flakiness.

Replicating the success of a popular restaurant in a quaint river town is risky business. Where the Washington restaurant keeps things relatively straightforward – no shirred eggs and ham on its pork platter; a BLT to complement the DLT – the Maplewood version feels like it’s trying too hard. Like a talented country kid trying to fit in, all The Blue Duck has to do to be great is be itself.

with fried brussels sprouts

edibles & xessentials

BY ANDREW BARRETT | PHOTOS BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY

No, recreational marijuana still isn’t legal in Missouri. Instead, Edibles & Essentials offers some highfalutin foods at its quaint South City storefront. Chef-owner Matt Borchardt peddles an ever-changing, eclectic menu, and he’s ready to discuss what new experiments he’s developed if you have any questions. Help yourself to a Blood Orange Pellegrino or Ski soda from the thoughtful selection of chilled drinks (you pay as you leave) and make your way out back to the covered patio with some of the following.

pepper tossed in a gritty sauce that made for an unexpected pleasure. The french fries were perfectly crisp, topped with shredded Grana Padano cheese and accompanied by garlic mayo and house-made smoked ketchup (best when combined). LUNCH

BANH MI TACOS

There are two permanent dishes at E&E, and rightly so. Both the banh mi tacos and fried ribs are end-of“Titanic” good. Never let go. Starting with a hearty corn tortilla, the tacos are piled with tender pork belly, a slaw with pickled Napa cabbage, carrots and onion and topped with hoisin mayo. Giant tacos often fall apart and can be hard to eat, but those tortillas were well up to the task of keeping the good stuff where it belonged. Not quite a banh mi and not quite a

taco, these in-betweeners scratch that itch only fusion food can reach.

FRIED RIBS

They had me at fried ribs. I foolishly never knew one could fry a rib. Breaded and individually fried, the large, cherry-smoked pork ribs were served with a creamy Alabama barbecue sauce that brought together the rich dish. Crispy outsides made it a little difficult to target all the meat on the bone, but

the search was well worth the effort. The contrast between the tender meat and crunchy exterior made for an immensely satisfying experience.

REUBEN

Full disclosure: I’m a sucker for a Reuben. But that means the sandwich has to really be something to impress. Edibles & Essentials’ corned beef was a sloppy delight, well-paired with tangy kraut, a sweet Thousand Island dressing and so much melted Swiss to glue it all together.

PO-TA-TOES

Boil ’em, mash ’em, stick ’em in a stew – E&E has conquered the tater game. Whether as french fries, home fries or in the potato salad, spuds were all masterfully prepared. The salad featured large cubes of potato with minimal additions of celery and bell

THE DOWNSIDE

The excellent potato salad gave me high hopes for the pasta salad, which weren’t met by the bland, overly al dente side. Same goes for the Reuben when compared to the cheesesteak, which might explain why it has since left the menu. The meat was unpleasantly chewy and the cheese added calories without flavor. But the E&E team is clearly experimenting with textures and tastes and is by and large very successful. I’m always happy to find more thoughtful, interesting options for lunch. It’s essential you give this one a try.

Edibles & Essentials

5815 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, 314.328.2300, ediblesandessentials.com

LUNCH RUSH

narwhal’s

BY MATT BERKLEY | PHOTOS BY DAVE MOORE

Narwhal’s Crafted Urban Ice, 3906 Laclede Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.8388, narwhalscrafted.com

stone’s throw from Saint Louis University on the formerly dilapidated, now up-andcoming corner of Laclede and Vandeventer avenues, it’s a popular watering hole for a younger demographic looking to embrace quality over quantity –meaning, you won’t see a lot of power drinkers or frat brothers downing shots of Jäger or SoCo and lime. Instead, casually clad groups of friends chill out on the back patio, which is already packed by 3 p.m. on a Saturday. But the main bar is likewise packed with middle-aged couples and friends, some local professional types in suits and ties. It’s a flip-flops and T-shirt type of place for sure, but also a great spot for an unconventional first date or parlay with old buddies.

If there’s a better way to while away a warm Saturday night than perched on a patio chair with a boozed-up frozen concoction, I don’t care what it is. Relaxation to the extreme is the scene at Narwhal’s Crafted Urban Ice, Midtown’s new upscale frozen cocktail bar. Here are a few reasons why it’s become an instant hit among local urban professionals and the university crowd.

The Booze Calling these gorgeous drinks slushies is an affront to their excellence. The slow-sipping Bourbon Slush and Black N’ Stormy frozen cocktails were as dangerously smooth as they were potent. Other winners included the Turbo Mojito, made with rum, lime juice, simple syrup, cucumber and mint, and the Pineapple Cilantro Margarita, a clever mix of gold and silver tequilas with

pineapple, triple sec, cilantro simple syrup and lime juice, topped with fresh cilantro and lime. If there’s a drink to mentally put you on the beach, this is it. First-timers are well advised to partake in the sample board, Flight of the Narwhal, which provides your choice of three more-thansufficient 7-ounce pours from the dozen or so options for $14. One simply isn’t enough. Samples are available by request, and servers are happy to help you make your selection. There’s also a full bar for more traditional drinkers, which features a typical draft selection of local brews, a small offering of bottled cocktails and even some barrel-aged drinks like the fantastic rye Manhattan, which utilizes RallyPoint Rye slow-aged in oak barrels with Carpano Antica vermouth and Angostura bitters.

The Crowd Make no mistake: Narwhal’s is primarily a college bar. Just a

The Space A nautical theme probably isn’t what you’d expect at a college bar in the Midwest. But somehow Narwhal’s makes the maritime decor work. The result is a clean, slick, imposing space awash in rich blues and turquoise with distressed beach planks, a shining mosaic backsplash and swooping nautical ropes hanging from the ceiling. The main bar houses a long row of frozen drink machines adjacent to a small selection of liquor bottles. The gorgeous back patio could easily have been ripped from a Cape Cod beachside tavern. There’s a mass of tall wooden benches and plastic chairs with multiple gathering spots – several of which perch next to flat-screen TVs, ideal for kicking back and enjoying a summer ballgame. An additional lounge with deep, curved leather couches and several long high-top tables serves as ample space for the overflow crowd.

Anyone familiar with the movie “Elf” knows that narwhal is actually the name of an arctic whale with a massive hornlike tusk protruding from its upper jaw. It’s commonly referred to as the unicorn of the sea. Bizarre and one-of-kind, it’s a fitting mascot for this exceptional, offbeat watering hole. While the joint may be kooky, I can’t recall another with so much energy and cheer. It’s the addition Midtown has needed for some time.

The Flight of the Narwhal features three frozen cocktails of your choice.

The slushie averse should order Narwhal’s barrelaged rye Manhattan NIGHTLIFE

dine & drink

A SEAT AT THE BAR /

Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake

TED AND JAMIE KILGORE

USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart and co-owners/bartenders at Planter’s House

Most Japanese whiskies have a distinct flavor profile similar to a light scotch, but the newly available Iwai Japanese Whisky has a bourbon quality along with scotch-like maltiness. Primarily made from corn and aged in used bourbon barrels, it’s also more available and affordable than other fine Japanese whiskies. A simple blend of Iwai and club soda is the perfect complement to light seafood dishes or your favorite sushi. $29. The Wine and Cheese Place, various locations, wineandcheeseplace.com

GLENN BARDGETT

Member of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and wine director at Annie Gunn’s

Developed in France but perfected in Missouri, chambourcin makes a world-class, local dry red. The Augusta Estate Bottled Chambourcin 2014 has a great acidity that makes food taste better. It made a stunning pair with steak tartare at a recent Dierbergs School of Cooking class. You’ll think you’re in the south of France for just $8.50 a bottle. Dierbergs, 1080 Lindemann Road, Des Peres, 314.238.0400, dierbergs.com

KATIE HERRERA

Co-founder of Femme Ferment and manager at The Side Project Cellar

I love fresh hops in the spring, and Firestone Walker is killing the game with two ever-changing, hop-focused series: Luponic Distortion and the new Leo v. Ursus Currently between releases, the former uses the same base beer but plays around with the hops for a unique taste every 90 days. Leo v. Ursus trends toward unfiltered, Imperial IPAs like the Fortem, out now. Remember: drink fresh! $15. Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, 314.781.2345, starrs1.com

iwai japanese whisky drinks like a light scotch.

DAIQUIRI GOALS

BY MATT SORRELL

Aside from the margarita, the humble daiquiri may be the most abused member of the classic cocktail pantheon. Quaffed on the regular by cultural giants like Ernest Hemingway and John F. Kennedy, the daiquiri has since been adulterated by commercial sour mixes and all manner of secondary flavors, whipped into sugary, frenetic frozen concoctions better suited to the carnival midway than the barroom.

The original is a study in simplicity with just three ingredients: rum, lime juice and sugar. Named for the town in Cuba where it was reportedly invented (or at least officially named) in the 19th century, it’s at once elegant and refreshing – at home being sipped at a swanky society affair or poolside by the pitcher.

DRINK THIS

Just because it’s light doesn’t mean it has to be flavorless. Try Plantation 3 Stars. $22. The Wine & Cheese Place, 7435 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.727.8788, wineandcheeseplace.com

This judicious balance of spirit, sugar and citrus also lends itself to subtle variations. Take the Hemingway, which adds grapefruit juice and a bit of maraschino liqueur to the mix (though Papa supposedly liked his with rum, lime and no sweetener whatsoever – not recommended). While the daiquiri was probably first made with light rum, switching to an aged version can give the drink newfound depth. Subbing a darker sugar like demerara can have a similar effect. And while the consistency of a daiquiri shouldn’t be that of an adult slushie, gently combining the base ingredients with crushed ice in a blender can yield deliciously frosty variants like the classic Daiquiri No. 4, created at the famous Havana watering hole (and Hemingway haunt), La Florida.

order a daiquiri at público, publicostl.com

TRADITIONAL DAIQUIRI

2 oz. rum

¾ oz. lime juice

¾ oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) Lime wheel for garnish

• Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a lime wheel.

HEMINGWAY DAIQUIRI

2 oz. rum

½ oz. grapefruit juice

½ oz. lime juice

¼ oz. maraschino liqueur

¼ oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) Cherry for garnish

• Combine all ingredients in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously, strain into a chilled cocktail glass and garnish with a cherry.

Learn more than you ever wanted to know about daiquiris and other Caribbean cocktails in Jeff Berry’s Potions of the Caribbean. $28. Intoxicology, 4321 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.3088, intoxicologystl.com

COCKTAILS

miso paste

BY KELLIE HYNES // PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

I drink coffee like a woman with three kids and a procrastination problem, which is why I spent 10 minutes coaxing my next cup’s water to precisely 205 degrees before writing this sentence. But there comes a time (2 a.m.) when motivation (insomnia) arises, and caffeine reduction becomes possible (necessary). So I’ve switched out my afternoon java for a mug of decaf green tea and miso paste. Miso tea is as warm and comforting as a latte, and surprisingly filling for a

beverage of around 45 calories. Now that miso paste is a regular guest in my refrigerator, and one-use specialty ingredients are against my efficient sensibilities, I wondered what else I could make with it. The answer, it turns out, was quite a lot.

A staple in Pacific cuisines and Japanese food in particular, miso is a thick paste made from soybeans fermented with a koji starter and a little brown rice or barley for color. It

tastes salty and savory, and feels rich and full-bodied without the heavy, slippery sensation of full-fat dairy.

White and yellow misos offer the mildest flavors; bold red and fierce brown rice misos make you stand up and pay attention. I suggest starting with a pale version and working your way into deeper colors.

Miso is fermented, so you can think of it as a party of probiotics, ready to confetti your gut and immune

system with good health. To reap all the benefits, add miso when your food isn’t being directly heated, since hot temperatures kill the happy little microbes. If it’s in a glaze or marinade, simply make a little extra and reapply after cooking to boost the flavor and friendly bacteria.

Miso soup was the first food that came to mind as I brainstormed recipes. Traditional miso soup is made with dashi, which is Japanese fish stock and seaweed. My fridge happened to be all out of fish stock and seaweed, but vegetable broth and kale worked just fine. I added a little tofu, green onions and a generous amount of miso, and it tasted surprisingly close to authentic for a St. Louis home kitchen. Misoglazed salmon is another go-to, but you can also miso-glaze vegetables. Deepen the flavor of asparagus, Brussels sprouts, carrots and other root vegetables by brushing them with equal parts oil, miso and honey before roasting.

Make old recipes new again by adding miso to your condiments, gravies and spreads. (Miso mayo, anyone?) If you’re a fan of salty-sweet combinations, drop a spoonful of miso in warm caramel and drizzle it over ice cream – or straight into your gob. The only real rule is to limit the amount of additional salt in recipes, because miso is a sodium bomb all by itself. Otherwise, options are almost limitless. The contemplation of which, ironically, keeps me awake at night.

Buy it

Westbrae Natural Mello White Miso: $6.50. Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 314.968.7744, wholefoodsmarket.com

Miso Tea

Brew a cup of green tea according to the package directions. Pour 1 4 cup of the hot, but not boiling tea into a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon miso paste until dissolved. Return the miso mixture to the remaining tea and stir in 1∕8 teaspoon ground ginger.

Miso Tuna Salad

In a medium bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons mayonnaise and 2 teaspoons miso paste. Stir in 6 ounces albacore tuna, 2 tablespoons diced celery, 2 tablespoons diced white onion and kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve in bibb lettuce leaves.

Spring Salad with Miso Vinaigrette

In a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine ½ cup sesame, olive or canola oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon miso paste and 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar. Secure lid and shake until emulsified. Taste and adjust ingredients if desired. Toss with spring mix lettuce.

Miso-Roasted Brussels Sprouts

In a large bowl, whisk together

2 tablespoons miso paste, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1 4 teaspoon kosher salt. Add 1 pound halved Brussels sprouts and toss until evenly coated. Roast at 425 degrees until browned, about 20 minutes.

Miso Veggie Dip

In a food processor, whip 1∕4 cup creme fraiche, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 tablespoon miso paste and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) to blend flavors. Serve with crudités.

Miso Corn on the Cob

Blend 4 tablespoons (½ stick) roomtemperature unsalted butter with 2 tablespoons miso to make David Chang’s miso butter. Rub the miso butter on ears of roasted corn.

Miso-Marinated Flank Steak

Combine ½ cup olive or sesame oil, 1 4 cup balsamic or rice wine vinegar, 1 4 cup miso paste, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon ground ginger, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Stir until the miso dissolves, then pour over flank steak in a large zip-top bag and refrigerate up to 24 hours. Grill the flank steak over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes on each side, or until desired doneness. Let rest 5 minutes before serving with a second batch of marinade for a sauce.

MAKE THIS

AREPAS

ACTIVE TIME: 15 MINUTES

Masarepa, the precooked corn flour this recipe needs, is available at most international groceries. $3. Global Foods Market, 421 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.835.1112, globalfoodsmarket.com

This tortilla-pancake lovechild can be sliced and filled or topped with just about anything. In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups warm water, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon kosher salt and stir until the salt dissolves. Gradually add 2 cups masarepa (arepa flour), stirring constantly 1 minute. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest 10 minutes. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions and shape into 5-inch patties, ½-inch thick. Heat a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over mediumhigh heat, brush lightly with vegetable oil, add 4 arepas and cook until golden brown with some charred spots, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Let cool on a wire rack and repeat with the remaining arepas. – Dee Ryan

THE TOPS

Nutella and crushed peanuts

Butter and agave

Guacamole and cojita cheese

Black beans and hot sauce

Carnitas or barbacoa

seoul food

eat your way through these 9 korean restaurants

BY SHANNON COTHRAN // PHOTOS BY VIRGINIA HAROLD

Korean dramas, or K-dramas, do one thing in particular better than American television: food. Extravagant, voyeuristic scenes show actors devouring perfectly styled dishes of sushi-like kimbap rolls filled with meat, vegetables and rice. When characters move to a new home, they eat platters of jjajangmyun noodles. Simmering stews are shown surrounded by endless tiny saucers of banchan side dishes. Hallyu, the wave of Korean culture, is still sweeping the globe, and it’s brought a craving for Korean food along with hunger-inducing K-dramas and catchy K-pop music. Fusion restaurants like Seoul Taco, Kimcheese and Kalbi Taco Shack have proliferated, but if you want to start with more traditional dishes worthy of a steamy K-drama close-up, try these nine places to hop on the Korean wave in St. Louis.

Asian Kitchen

8423 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.989.9377, asiankitchenstl.com

One meal in this unassuming strip mall gem and your favorite part of Korean food will become banchan An army of tiny dishes, banchan are like Korean condiments meant to flavor rice and aid digestion. There are hundreds of varieties, but you can get a good sampling at Asian Kitchen, which serves around 15 with each meal. Look for little dishes of the standard seaweed salad, sweet pickled daikon, fresh bean sprouts, ever-popular fish cakes and, of course, a variety of cabbage, radish and cucumber kimchi. A small scoop of potato salad is perfect for cooling your palate after a few bites of tempting gochujang zucchini. Black beans in a sweet syrup are extra crunchy, and cold slivers of fried seafood pancake have just the right balance of crispiness and chewiness.

Support your banchan habit with tteokguk, a filling, warming soup traditionally served at the new year. It’s made with a light, white broth full of chewy rice cake slices, thin strips of beef and green onions. Asian Kitchen’s reliable version offers deep flavor without strong spice. Or order the samgyeopsal (pork belly), which comes with house-made ssamjang, a marinated soybean paste dipping sauce. It looks like gray matter, but tastes like you died and went to umami heaven. Most Korean places serve ssamjang, but few prepare it as well as Asian Kitchen. The jap chae, a dish of glass noodles with marinated vegetables and beef in a sweet, light

brown sauce offers a nice approachable option for kids or those unfamiliar with Korean flavors.

Wudon BBQ Korean Restaurant

1261 Castillons Arcade Plaza, Creve Coeur, 314.628.1010, Facebook: Wudon BBQ Korean Restaurant

Wudon’s interior is slick and modern with classic diner chairs and a chalkboard-style barbecue mural spanning one wall. Barbecue at Wudon means fresh cuts you grill at the table, not rubbed and smoked for hours. Try the small beef and pork combo , and bring your friends – the menu claims this feeds two to three, but it’s closer to four. The meal comes with four different high-end cuts, along with fluffy and smooth scrambled steamed eggs, jjigae (choose between the tofu or soybean paste versions of the Korean stew), a savory seafood pancake (lightly fried with a perfect balance of fish and flour), plus the usual rice and banchan. The banchan are made daily and change often; cross your fingers that the crisp, fresh squashlike chayote that comes in a cold, sweet broth lands on your table.

Cook your meat by type, one at a time, to enjoy the full effect of the different flavors, like the soft, melt-in-yourmouth pork jowls. The beef marinade is sweetened with fruit juices instead of sugar or corn syrup, making for a clear, clean taste. After grilling, dip the meat

a customer enjoys korean barbecue at wudon

into an accompanying sauce, wrap in a lettuce leaf with rice and enjoy. Owner Mun Kyeong Kim recommended pairing the beef with salted sesame oil and the pork with the ssamjang sauce.

Beyond barbecue, Wudon offers two Korean dishes that are hard to find

in St. Louis: yangnyum chicken (aka Korean fried chicken) and gungjung tteokbokki . The other KFC is a ubiquitous trend elsewhere, but Wudon is one of the few places to try an authentic version of the gochujang-spiced, cornstarchbattered wings around town. Where

the more typical tteokbokki consists of savory cylinders of smashed shortgrain rice cakes smothered in a very spicy sauce, gungjung tteokbokki’s sauce is made with soy sauce instead of chile paste for a sweeter, savory version of the Korean street food favorite.

U-City Grill

U-City Grill is famous for three things: perfectly fried eggs, tasty gochujangladen Korean food at rock-bottom prices and brisk, no-nonsense service. The tiny, old-school diner is a oneman show with owner Hyo Bae taking orders, cooking, filling drinks and cashing out customers practically at the same time – which means he doesn’t have time for pleasantries. But that’s part of U-City Grill’s charm. Bae’s back may be turned as you pull up a stool and order your bulgogi bibimbap bowl from the short menu of Korean classics, but he makes every dish to order with fresh ingredients and flawless flattop timing.

Joo Joo Restaurant & Karaoke

12937 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, 314.469.1999, Facebook: Joo Joo Restaurant & Karaoke

This quirky mom-and-pop eatery with affordable, private karaoke rooms in the back is practically a shrine to Korean Cardinals player Seung Hwan Oh. Joo Joo’s somber owner, Sang Yim, is arguably Oh’s biggest fan, and he decked out his restaurant with framed fan art. You’ll find him sitting behind the front desk, watching baseball even while cashing out customers.

The crowning glory of Joo Joo’s menu is the kori gom tang, a savory bone marrow soup with flavor so dense it’s like liquid steak. The soup comes brimming with glass noodles, juicy chunks of beef and green onions in the rich traditional broth made with oxtail.

Other home runs are the odeng fish cake soup (a salty broth with rich ocean flavor stocked with chewy fish cakes); the omurice (a fried

1. pastries at kim’s bakery

2. patbingsu, a shaved ice dessert at joo joo restaurant & karaoke

3. seafood pancake at wudon

4. the bar at wudon 5. the dining room at joo joo 6. banchan surrounding a bowl of kori gom tang at joo joo 7. peach sake at wudon 8. korean barbecue prepared at the table at wudon

9. peanut butter cream pastry at kim’s bakery 10. pokeball and hello kitty cookies at kim’s bakery

11. the pastry case at kim’s bakery

rice omelet called “egg cover beef fried rice” on the menu); and the tteokbokki , which comes swimming in a sweet, spicy, salty, peppery, herbal, kick-in-the-face sauce with hard-boiled eggs and fish cakes.

To experience the full gamut of Korean cuisine, try patbingsu, one of Seoul’s most popular desserts. The shavedice treat comes stuffed with sweet red beans and topped with fruit and mochi. The sweet smashed adzuki beans start off creamy but have a rough finish on the tongue that pairs well with the fluffy shaved ice.

Seoul Garden

10678 St. Charles Rock Road, St. Ann, 314.429.4255, Facebook: Seoul Garden Korean Restaurant

Inside Seoul Garden, wooden panels and blinds block the outside world, and the air smells enticingly of pork and fermented bean paste.

Order the soy bean soup made from doenjang , a fermented soybean paste, that includes big chunks of tofu, zucchini and onions. Doenjang is like a cross between stinky cheese and miso soup; when melted into broth it becomes an addictive, comforting flavor. It arrives in a flash in a hot clay bowl on a wooden platter. Wait for the soup to stop boiling before digging in. Dip small spoonfuls of rice into the liquid and be sure to take gigantic bites. Korean foods often require you look like a chipmunk as you chew, since there are so many ingredients to include in each mouthful for the right balance of flavors. Or, try the intriguing cold buckwheat noodle soup with Asian pears – long, chewy homemade noodles in a cold, spicy broth topped with sweet, crisp fruit slivers.

Immensely popular in Korea, it’s only available in the warmer months.

Not feeling soup? Get the pork jjajangmyun, a noodle dish that Seoul Garden does right with a deliciously salty, thick sauce made from black bean paste and a nice balance of ground pork and tiny cubes of zucchini and onions.

K-Bop

314.884.8767, kbopstl.com, Twitter: @kbopstl

With a little help from an adorable rice bowl logo, this Korean street food truck has found success in St. Louis. K-Bop’s enormous paper cups come overflowing with your choice of chicken, beef, pork or tofu cooked in various ways and served over a hodgepodge of Korean goodness including both rice and jap chae noodles. The tofu katsu bop is a gastric delight: thick cubes of firm breaded tofu are flash-fried to order and smothered with sweet and spicy sauces. Add fried egg rolls, veggie spring rolls or mandu (fried Korean pot stickers) only if you skipped breakfast.

Oriental

Spoon

229 Harvard Drive, Edwardsville, 618.655.9633, orientalspoon.net

There is a special reason to make the drive to Edwardsville: Oriental Spoon’s pork donkatsu on curry Korean curries aren’t like Thai or Indian varieties – they’re more like a gravy. This one is golden, savory, thick and chock-full of potatoes and carrots. It’s topped with heavy, juicy cutlets of breaded and fried

pork. Finishing the plate will leave you feeling as though you just ate Thanksgiving dinner – incredibly satisfied and incapable of walking.

Yori

1637 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, 636.536.7778, Facebook: Yori Korean Restaurant

Yori is part of a suburban sprawl minimall in Chesterfield popular with daytime crowds. On a menu full of traditional favorites, the cheese kimchi stone bowl is a real standout. This jumbo dish of bibimbap is filled with sizzling, sticky white rice topped with stir-fried kimchi, mozzarella, a few greens drizzled with French dressing and a fried egg. It’s served with gochujang, but the kimchi provides enough heat to set you back a few Tums.

Kim’s Bakery

13357 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield, 314.523.1332, kimsbakerystl.com

Korean bakeries are special places. Pillowy-soft pastries are individually wrapped and displayed for you to peruse while you fill a basket with your favorites. Korean pastries are airy and not as sweet as most American baked goods. The bread, however, tastes like they used all they sugar they didn’t put in the pastries. Do not leave this world without trying Kim’s peanut butter cream pastry. Inside the soft, doughy hot dog bun-shaped shell floats a light, whipped, nutty buttercream-peanut butter filling. Korean bakeries also excel at the adorable factor, and Kim’s is no exception. Their teddy bear cakes and Hello Kitty cookies are almost too cute to eat. Almost.

COCKTAIL GARDEN

DRINK YOUR GREENS

While a summer spent sipping mojitos certainly wouldn’t be wasted, it’s worth considering the whole garden’s herbs while making cocktails. We talked to the experts at Bowood Farms, Cafe Osage and Planter’s House for tips on selecting and planting herbs, infusing liquors and mixing drinks. Here’s everything you need to know to grow your own cocktail garden.

BY REBECCA KOENIG // PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER

CHOOSE THEM

You can’t go wrong with a classic like mint. “Herbs can add a lot of freshness and brightness to a drink,” said Planter’s House bar manager Kate Kinsey. Rosemary has tea and pine notes, making it a good fit for holiday drinks and a nice pair with gin, Kinsey said. She uses sage, with its earthy, vegetal taste, in savory cocktails and particularly likes it with tequila. Kinsey also recommended thyme as a subtler substitute for mint.

Herb varietals can give cocktails a fun twist. Look for chocolate mint or orange mint and lemon basil or lime basil to use in place of the standard. Cafe Osage bar manager Paul Staples uses holy basil, which lends a savory peppery note and goes well with vodka and iced tea in an Ice Pick cocktail. He also said lemon verbena imparts a bright citrus flavor to cocktails and recommended using it to make simple syrup for a French 75. For something a little more adventurous, try scented geraniums, such as rose or apple. The latter can be turned into a liqueur and used in an apple martini.

“When you rub their leaves, they burst out with really fragrant aromas,” Staples said.

GROW THEM

Good news, botanical buffs: Herbs are easy to grow.

“They’re very forgiving plants,” said Bowood Farms sales associate Kathie Hoyer.

To grow your own indoor cocktail garden, plant rosemary, sage and thyme together in one pot, and mint and basil together in a separate pot. Basil will only live for one season, after

which mint will likely take over the entire planter. Set the planters in a south- or west-facing window, since herbs need full sun (ideally at least six hours a day).

The frequency with which you’ll need to water your plants will depend on the conditions in your house. Rosemary, sage and thyme should be watered about once a week; basil and mint, twice a week. One easy way to tell it’s time for more water is to pick up your pot. If it feels light, the soil is getting dry. But don’t let the plants sit in a saucer of water, which could lead them to rot. Hoyer said not to use fertilizer, since they can dampen herbs’ flavor.

“All herbs just love to be trimmed,” Hoyer said. “The more you use them, the better it is for the plant. It keeps the plant from getting weak and worn out.” So, keep those cocktails coming.

USE THEM

To easily incorporate fresh herbs into drinks, simply shake them in a cocktail shaker with the other ingredients and strain the finished product. Kinsey prefers that method to muddling, which can bring out less pleasant, grassy notes. Because vodka doesn’t have much of its own flavor, Staples recommended using it to experiment with all kinds of herbs. Alternatively, you can make herb simple syrups by boiling five parts water, then adding four parts sugar and ¾ cup fresh herbs. You can also make tinctures or extracts. They’re potent, Staples said, so a few drops should be all you need to add to a drink. And if you combine a tincture with cooled simple syrup, you’ll have an herbal liqueur

LIME BASIL SIMPLE SYRUP

Courtesy of Cafe Osage’s Paul Staples

ABOUT 3 CUPS

2½ cups water

2 cups sugar

¹∕³ cup packed fresh lime basil leaves

• In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved.

• Reduce the heat to low, add the lime basil and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain into a clean glass bottle. Store refrigerated in an airtight container 1 month.

ROSEMARY TINCTURE

Courtesy of Planter’s House’s Kate Kinsey

1 CUP

¼ cup fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from stems

½ cup high-proof (95-percent) neutral grain spirit like vodka or Everclear

½ cup water

• Combine the rosemary and spirit in a sterilized jar and infuse, covered, at room temperature 24 hours.

• Add the water and stir. Strain out the rosemary and store in dropper bottle or other airtight container up to 1 year at room temperature.

ROSEMARY LIQUEUR

Courtesy of Cafe Osage’s Paul Staples

ABOUT 2½ CUPS

1 cup fresh rosemary leaves, stripped from stems

High-proof (95-percent) neutral grain spirit like vodka or Everclear 1½ cups water 1½ cups sugar

• Place the rosemary in a sterilized jar and pour in the neutral spirit until the leaves are completely covered. Cover the jar with parchment paper, a coffee filter or a paper towel and secure with a rubber band. Infuse at room temperature 3 days to make a tincture, swirling the jar once a day.

• In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved to make a simple syrup. Let cool.

• Strain the tincture into the simple syrup and stir to combine. Store refrigerated in an airtight container 1 month.

EL PALMOITO

recipe on p. 41

TAKE ME WITH U

recipe on p. 41

COCKTAILS

EL PALOMITO

Courtesy of Planter’s House’s Kate Kinsey

1 SERVING

2 oz. Milagro Reposado tequila

¾ oz. pamplemousse liqueur

½ oz. Ancho Reyes chile liqueur

1 oz. lemon juice

4 or 5 fresh sage leaves, plus more for garnish Club soda, to finish

• Combine the tequila, pamplemousse liqueur, Ancho Reyes, lemon juice and sage leaves in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled Collins glass. Top with the club soda and garnish with sage.

RIGHT ON THYME

Courtesy of Planter’s House’s Kate Kinsey

1 SERVING

2 to 4 fresh thyme sprigs, divided

2 oz. 100-proof or higher rye or bourbon

½ oz. simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water)

2 to 3 dashes Angostura bitters

2 lemon twists

• Briefly hold 1 or 2 thyme sprigs over a flame until they start to smoke, then place in an ice-filled mixing pitcher. Add the rye, simple syrup and bitters. Express the lemon twist into the pitcher, then toss it in. Stir until diluted and chilled, about 30 seconds, then strain into an ice-filled rocks glass.

• Express the other lemon twist over the drink and, just before

serving, burn the remaining thyme sprigs to use as garnish.

BASIL LIME MARGARITA

Courtesy of Cafe Osage’s Paul Staples

1 SERVING

2 oz. tequila

1½ oz. lime juice

1 oz. Cointreau

1 oz. lime basil simple syrup (recipe on p. 39)

12 fresh lime basil leaves

Club soda to top Lime basil sprig and lime wedge, for garnish

• Combine the tequila, lime juice, Cointreau, simple syrup and lime basil leaves in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into an ice-filled glass.

• Top with the club soda. Garnish with the lime basil and lime.

TAKE ME WITH U

courtesy of Planter’s House’s Kate Kinsey

1 SERVING

1½ oz. Contratto Bianco

1 oz. Contratto Bitter

½ oz. lemon juice

1 or 2 droppers (1 barspoon) rosemary tincture (recipe on p. 39)

1 oz. dry sparkling white wine

Grapefruit twist and fresh rosemary sprig, for garnish

• Combine the Contratto Bianco, Contratto Bitter,

lemon juice and rosemary tincture in an ice-filled shaker. Shake vigorously, then strain into an ice-filled highball glass.

• Top with the wine and garnish with the grapefruit twist and rosemary.

REVOLUTION 76

Courtesy of Cafe Osage’s Paul Staples

1 SERVING

¾ oz. limoncello ¾ oz. rosemary liqueur (recipe on p. 39)

Dry sparkling white wine to top Lemon twist and fresh rosemary sprig for garnish

• Combine the limoncello and rosemary liqueur in an icefilled shaker. Shake vigorously and strain into a flute glass.

• Top with the wine and garnish with the lemon twist and rosemary.

Bowood Farms and Cafe Osage, 4605 Olive St., St. Louis, 314.454.6868, bowoodfarms.com

Planter’s House, 1000 Mississippi Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.2603, plantershousestl.com

stuff to do: MAY

BY MATT SORRELL

Food Truck Friday

May 12 – 4 to 8 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.8004, saucefoodtruckfriday.com

It’s back! Gather your friends, grab a picnic blanket and head to Tower Grove Park to kick off the sixth annual Food Truck Friday season. More than 20 trucks join the festivities, including Frankly Sausages, K-Bop, Seoul Taco and Vincent Van Doughnut. Sip local pours from Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Noboleis Vineyards while you enjoy live music from Steve Ewing. This year, save time and skip the line – buy Speed Passes online and pick them up at the Sauce tent!

Downtown Kirkwood Mayfest

May 13 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Downtown Kirkwood Business District, Kirkwood, 314.822.0084, downtownkirkwood.com

Take Mom out on the town during Mother’s Day weekend in Kirkwood. Festive happenings take place all day, including food and drink specials at participating restaurants like Kirkwood Station Brewing Co., Bar Louie, Billy G’s and more. Enjoy live music and entertainment and explore the Artists in Bloom Art Show & Sale at Kirkwood Station Plaza. A complete listing of events and participating vendors is available online.

Meat and Poultry Fabrication and Cookery

May 13 – 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., L’Ecole Culinaire, 9811 S. Forty Drive, Ladue, 314.587.2433, lecole.edu

Take the next step in your culinary education and delve into finer points of handling large cuts of meat and whole birds in this hands-on class. Get tips on butchering, breaking down and cooking

techniques for top butt beef, pork loin rack, whole chicken and duck. Register online.

The Hill

Wine Walk

May 13 – noon to 4 p.m., participating locations, St. Louis, ciaostl.com

Embark on a self-guided wine tasting excursion on The Hill. Sample vino from the portfolios of A. Bommarito Wines and Venezia Imports, plus food samples from participating venues including J. Viviano & Sons, DiGregorio’s Italian Market, Favazza’s, Amighetti’s Bakery & Café and Bertarelli Cutlery. Tickets available online.

South Grand International Dine Around

May 18 – 5 to 10 p.m., South Grand Boulevard, St. Louis, 314.772.5750, southgrand.org

Explore one of St. Louis’ most diverse neighborhoods during the International Dine Around. Each of your five tickets can be redeemed at nearly 20 restaurants like Guerrilla Street Food, The King & I, Sheesh and Meskerem for a special small plate, dessert or drink. Tickets available online or day-of at Ritz Park.

St. Louis Ribfest

May 26 – 5 to 10 p.m., May 26 and 27 – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., May 29 – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., JanuaryWabash Memorial Park, 501 N. Florissant Road, Ferguson, 314.625.3998, Facebook: STL Ribfest

Local barbecue favorites like Mi-Hungry Catering & BBQ, Capitalist Pig and Andrew’s Bayou Ribs, as well as national notables like Blazin’ Broncos from Florida, offer meaty wares for purchase at this four-day festival. Each day begins with an Army color guard and rocks on with smoked meats and live music. The event benefits veterans and the Nehemiah Program, which supports housing and business development in Ferguson and surrounding communities.

sponsored events

Restaurant Week on The Hill

May 1 to 7, participating locations, The Hill, St. Louis, restaurantweekonthehill.com

Indulge in an old favorite or try something new at Restaurant Week. From Anthonino’s Taverna to Mona’s, a dozen restaurants offer threecourse prix fixe menus starting at $25. Additional donations can be made to KidSmart St. Louis.

Wine & Dine With Sauce Magazine

May 5 – 6:30 to 9 p.m., Dierbergs, 1081 Lindemann Road, Des Peres, 314.238.0440, dierbergs.com/school Join the Sauce team for a cooking class and multicourse dinner featuring recipes from the Sauce archive.

Managing editor Heather Hughes and art director Meera Nagarajan team up with Dierbergs’ Marianne Moore and Annie Gunn’s wine director Glenn Bardgett, who pairs top-notch wines with the dishes. Tickets available online.

Laumeier Art Fair

May 12 – 6 to 10 p.m., May 13 – 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., May 14 – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Road, Sunset Hills, 314.615.5278, laumeier.org Head to Laumeier Sculpture Park on Mother’s Day weekend for its 30th annual art fair. Dig into food and beverages from Mission Taco Joint, 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Capitalist Pig while you enjoy live music, family activities and exhibitions from 150 national and local artists. Tickets available online and at the door.

denotes a sauce sponsored event

Spirited Sessions

May 17– 6 to 7:30 p.m., 8 to 9:30 p.m., The BHive at Brennan’s, 4659 Maryland Ave., St. Louis, Facebook: Spirited

Sessions

Natasha Bahrami and The Gin Room team join STLBarkeep’s Matt Longueville and Sauce’s Matt Sorrell at the next round of Spirited Sessions. An official Gin World event, this session details the finer points of gin varieties and gin-based cocktails. Tickets to both sessions available online.

Saucy Soirée

June 4 – 5 to 10 p.m., St. Louis Union Station, 1820 Market St., St. Louis, 314.772.8004, saucysoiree.com

The best foodie event of the year returns to Union Station – Sauce Magazine’s annual Readers’ Choice grand tasting party! Enjoy unlimited samples from more than 40 of St. Louis’ top restaurants, bars and shops, as well as music from Analog Thief. Then head lakeside for the after-party and rock out with cocktails and The Jeremiah Johnson Band. Tickets available online.

Picnic In The Park

June 4 – 4 to 7 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.4424, towergrovepark.org

Join the Friends of Tower Grove Park for an afternoon picnic near the Music Stand Pavilion. Grab your grub from a dozen food trucks like Doughboy’s Wood Fired Pizza and Wayno’s. Sip a pint of Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. beer while the kiddos enjoy a bubble bus, arts and crafts and live music at this free event.

Tyler Davis WHAT I DO

Tyler Davis is a details man. From crafting beautiful desserts as executive pastry chef at Element, to designing unique menus for weekly Purveyor’s Table pop-up dinners at Brennan’s, to singlehandedly managing his online dessert business, Alchemy Artisan Bakery, Davis aims his self-proclaimed Type A tendencies at confections as visually stunning as they are delicious. Here, the busy sweet tooth shared about finding his passion and making it happen.

– Meera Nagarajan

“Mom’s the strongest person I know. I didn’t have a father figure growing up – Mom was my mom and my dad. I fell into cooking because she couldn’t always be around to cook. When I was 9 or 10 I was like, ‘I don’t want to eat ramen noodles.’ I called her up and said, ‘How do you fry chicken?’ She was like, ‘Don’t burn down the house.’ She taught me over the phone and I made it.”

“She never bought us presents, but she would always ask what we wanted for our birthday meal and for me, that is the biggest way to show your love.”

“I went to school for cello. I wanted to be a classical musician. I love music, but when you start looking at grad school, auditions, and then you start to see the ratio of classical musicians that have jobs versus those that don’t have jobs and how difficult it is in that industry, I knew deep down inside I wasn’t passionate enough about that to take it to the next level.”

“My mind is always going. I like to start with an original thing and then mix and match it. We’ll have desserts on the spring menu like a cool version of an ice cream sandwich. It has taro ice cream with a matcha dacquoise and black sesame powder. It’s not your typical ice cream sandwich.”

“I started to cook on the side for a few friends to make a little extra money in college. … During that time, it was all experimentation, so anytime I would cook for my friends I was like, ‘Hey, I just saw this on Food Network – I want to try it.’ It definitely sparked a fire.

That was the time when all the really cool shows came out, like ‘Top Chef.’ I had never seen anything like that – if I’m in college, I’m not going to spend $60 to $70 going out to eat, but when you see stuff on ‘Top Chef’ you’re like, ‘What is that! This is amazing.’ I became a sponge. Anything that had to do with cooking, I was about it. I watched ‘Yan Can Cook.’ I watched anything with Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, Anthony Bourdain, ‘Top Chef’ – Bravo! You couldn’t take me away from Bravo.”

“Alinea was overwhelming. All the courses were phenomenal, but the dessert course stood out – it was a

chocolate dish. It had chocolate soil, chocolate rocks, chocolate creme brulee that was a liquid before and they poured it in a ring mold, took [it] off and it was already set and I was like, ‘I don’t even know what’s happening right now!’”

“You can’t be afraid to fail, because it’s going to happen. It’s definitely going to happen. One time I tried to bake – oh my God, it was horrible – this really, really cool pie crust. I wanted it to be cookie crust. I don’t know what I was thinking. … I ended up using baking soda instead of baking powder, and it completely went everywhere and flooded out the oven. But you can’t be afraid to try new things.”

PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING