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Good Ice uses a high-tech, multi-step process to create the perfect ice. | VIRGINIA HAROLD Jordan Goodman is on a mission to bring St. Louis Good Ice. | VIRGINIA HAROLD
[DRINK NEWS]
Ice of Life
Good Ice is helping St. Louis bartenders create the perfect cocktail
Written by CHERYL BAEHR
Jordan Goodman will never forget the moment he fell in love with cutting ice. He was working at Narwhal’s Crafted — his first bartending gig — and was asked one day to hand cut about cubes for the wee ’s service. It was a small operation, nothing more than an Igloo cooler, a rectangle of ice and a lowtech chiseling device. However, the moment he cut into the frozen bloc , he was hoo ed.
“There was something so satisfying about the process — the nice crack you get when you cut into it, then the look of it when you see it in a cocktail,” Goodman says. “You ask for a Sazerac, and you get this beautiful ice cube in it. The presentation and care each step of the way is appreciated by the guest. People could feel the attention going into it and felt like we were taking care of them every step of the way.”
Now, Goodman is making it his life’s wor to bring that elevated beverage experience to St. ouis cocktail enthusiasts with Good Ice, the artisan ice company he founded in . sing a multi step process that results in perfectly clear, geometric custom ice, Goodman and his business partner, yle illespie, are nailing down an often overlooked, yet essential, component of the beverage experience.
If you’ve had a drin at a y iger, Olive Oa , the uc y ccomplice or O+O Pizza, chances are good that you have experienced Goodman and Gillespie’s handiwor . Since early , oodman has been steadily developing a following among local bartenders and restaurateurs who’ve been eager to explore ways to elevate their establishment’s drin experience. Goodman sensed ice could have this power when he first began cutting at Narwhal’s his hunch was confirmed while bartending at the Clover and the Bee when he developed a regular following who watched him at work.
“It became a spectacle,” oodman says. “People were coming in for happy hour to watch it, and it developed this cult following around ebster roves . People started asking for it at Olive + Oak, so I started doing it for them as well. It piqued my interest that there is demand for this and that people love it. hat was the light bulb moment when I wondered what would happen if I pursued it.” oodman began researching custom ice companies and, finding only a couple around the country, set out to forge his own path in the nascent industry. He asked respected industry professionals, such as his Olive + Oak colleagues Charlie Martin and Morgaine Segura, as well as Tim Wiggins of Retreat astropub, ellowbelly and a y iger. ll were in agreement If he launched an ice business, they would use his product. oodman and his mom, Debbie, put some money together and launched Good Ice in January , pic ing up new customers by word of mouth as he honed his craft. When the world shut down in March of that year, Goodman took the time to perfect his skills and grow his business slowly. y that summer, he’d gotten enough experience under his belt that he was ready when things blew up following an Instagram post from uc y ccomplice that depicted one of his cubes. he ice in uestion, a watermelon cube, went St. ouis viral on social media, and Goodman was inundated with business. s he’s observed, all it takes is for someone to see the product, and they are sold.
“ here has been so much attention to the visual of glassware and garnishes because we live in a visual world,” Goodman says. “Bartenders will think, ‘I’ve done all this wor why not put most beautiful ice in my cocktail?’ This ice is a technical tool for a bartender, and it’s also visually a stunning product that gets people to order more and feel like they are getting a better product overall.”
Goodman underscores that Good Ice is not simply a visually stunning product. s bartenders loo to create the best version of a drin they can possibly ma e, ice becomes an essential building bloc . cube or sphere made by oodman or illespie begins with filtered water, which is then passed into a machine that uses a process called directional freezing. This removes any remaining impurities and air bubbles, resulting in a perfectly pure ice crystal that has no taste and melts slower, which means a guest can enjoy their cocktails as intended for a longer time.
“ e’ve tin ered with just about everything there is to tinker with as bar professionals,” oodman says. “The more control you have, the more you can make sure you are giving someone an excellent product. It allows you to create a comprehensive experience. o be able to give that or receive that as a customer is truly amazing.” oodman has been thrilled with the reception of Good Ice and sees the sky as the limit. Though the company started out with just shapes, a brand new machine and application — one used by only five places in the entire world — is allowing him and illespie to experiment with logos, custom designs and even ice sculptures. He says that the running joke around the shop is that he is willing to take on any project, even if he has no idea how he is going to make it happen — and he’d like to keep it that way.
“The wild thing for me is that this is uncharted territory,” Goodman says. “But I haven’t had to say no yet.” n
Twisted Ranch is heading to the former Bar Louie space in the Central West End. | MABEL SUEN
[FOOD NEWS]
Window Dressing
Twisted Ranch will move to CWE’s Bar Louie space
Written by SARAH FENSKE
Twisted Ranch is the on the move — again.
St. Louis’ infamous ranchdressing-themed restaurant will be moving into the former home of Bar Louie in the Central West End, according to paperwor filed with the city’s building department. Restaurateurs im ayden and had llen confirmed to St. Louis Magazine that they plan to close their current location in Soulard. ar ouie abruptly shuttered the Central West End space in anuary , just two months before O ID 1 caused many, many other restaurants to do the same thing temporarily and un ). The location was one of 38 to be closed across the U.S. as the chain filed for a hapter 11 ban ruptcy reorganization. s for wisted anch, the eatery opened on South Eighth Street in Soulard in 15, but soon decamped for a place on South Seventh with a bigger kitchen. While the restaurant initially earned national headlines — and plenty of local handwringing — for its ranch obsession, it’s found a place in the local dining scene by offering bar grub with a heavy ranch accent in a family friendly atmosphere. The fact it’s about to take over a , s uare foot space in a relatively pricey neighborhood suggests business must be good.
One small wrinkle: The restaurateurs need approval from the city’s oard of djustment before they can move in. he city’s building commissioner denied their re uest for an occupancy permit, and they’ll appeal the denial at a meeting ednesday, December 1 . ity spo esman Nic Dunne notes the denial was procedural; the way the city’s oning code is written, commercial operations need designated parking, even ones in highly wal able areas like the Central West End. The usual course is to get a denial and then get an exception from the board — which we surmise is all but certain in this case.
The restaurant told St. Louis Magazine it plans to open in early 3. n
[FOOD NEWS]
Mint Condition
Andy Cohen’s ice cream returns to Clementine’s for a good cause
Written by MONICA OBRADOVIC
Andy Cohen has his own flavor of ice cream, and it’s for a good cause.
The homegrown talk-show star and Clementine’s Ice Cream have partnered for the second year in a row to donate a portion of sales of a special “Peppermint Andy” flavor to a local nonprofit.
Fifty percent of the ice cream’s sales will go to Doorways, an organization in St. Louis that provides affordable housing to people living with HIV/AIDS. Last year, Cohen’s partnership with Clementine’s raised $12,000 for Doorways.
“My mom has been heavily involved with Doorways since I came out of the closet in 1989, and I love supporting them any chance I get,” Cohen said in a statement.
Peppermint Andy was created by Cohen and Clementine’s staff. It features crushed peppermint candies and dark chocolate flakes.
The ice cream is available now at all six Clementine’s locations and online for nationwide shipping. n
Alcohol and Altruism
Drink some beers to help some animals with Raise a Pint for Pets
Written by DANIEL HILL
This holiday season, pet-loving St. Louis drunks are once again afforded a unique opportunity to spread joy in the world simply by doing what comes naturally: drinking beer.
That’s thanks to Raise a Pint for Pets, the annual booze-based charity campaign that aims to help out our furry friends in animal shelters.
For the sixth year in a row, Urban Chestnut has teamed up with Purina to merge alcoholism with altruism. Purina is donating $5 to local shelters for every 15-pack of Urban Underdog sold.
This year’s campaign comes with a twist, in the form of new 12-ounce “pup cans” that have been rolled out for the occasion. (As Urban Underdog fans know, the brews are normally sold as 16-ouncers.)
“We’ve been looking for the right opportunity to introduce our first 12-ounce can, and the Raise a Pint for Pets campaign was the perfect time to do this,” David Wolfe, co-owner and cofounder of Urban Chestnut, says in a press release. “Fans of our beers have always supported this campaign, and we’re excited to bring our first-ever 15-pack to help shelter pets in St. Louis.”
The money will be donated to the IMPETUS Coalition, a group of 20 area nonprofits who focus on caring for pets and finding them forever homes. Participating groups include the APA Adoption Center, St. Louis Feral Cat Outreach, Tenth Life Cat Rescue and more.
To date, the Raise a Pint for Pets campaign has raised more than $250,000. It runs through Tuesday, January 31. n
Drink some beer, and help some animals. It’s a win-win! | VIA URBAN CHESTNUT BREWING COMPANY
Andy Cohen’s “Peppermint Andy” flavor is back at Clementine’s. | COURTESY JULIE LALLY
Let Them Eat Local
e Armory St. Louis combines local eats and indoor fun
Written by CHERYL BAEHR
On Friday, December 16, the reimagined Armory St. Louis will open to the public, promising a multi-faceted entertainment experience unlike anything the area has seen. The culmination of a six-year redevelopment effort, the new Armory will be the largest indoor entertainment attraction in St. Louis, boasting 250,000 square feet of space for recreation, live music, one of the largest video screens in the city, and the St. Louis Tennis Hall of Fame, making it the place in town to gather and play.
And it will have a culinary program to match.
“When I was approached by [Armory developer] Jake Miller, he was telling me about the venue, the games, the state-of-theart televisions, and then he said something that really hit home: He wanted to make this St. Louis,” says St. Louis Armory executive chef Brandon Powell. “We talked about the menu and how we could make things that are not overly complicated but things that involve the highest-quality ingredients made the right way. We also wanted to tie in to the area by making local brands a part of what we do. From there, we just worked it through and know that we want to execute at a level that we can make sure we deliver for St. Louis like we know St. Louis will deliver for us.”
A St. Louis native, Powell comes to the Armory following an 18year career with Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in the Los Angeles area and Maestro’s Steakhouse in Beverly Hills. Though he’d tossed around the idea of coming back home to be closer to his family, he was determined to do so only for the right opportunity. That came calling in the form of Miller’s job offer to lead the culinary operations for the Armory, which will consist of both a fast-casual, order-fromphone component for drop-in patrons and an immense catering outfit that will be able to accommodate up to 600 guests.
Powell is up for the challenge and is excited to show that highquality, from-scratch cooking can be done on such a large scale. With the exception of bread and French fries, everything will be cooked in house, and he is especially proud of how well he has been able to incorporate beloved local brands into the Armory’s food offerings. Icons such as Pappy’s barbecue sauces and coleslaw, G&W Sausage and Meats bratwursts, Louisa’s toasted ravioli and City Scoops ice cream will all be found on the venue’s menu.
As much as he and his team have focused on the quality of the food they are serving, Powell has put equal emphasis on the diner’s experience. This includes a seamless ordering and delivery process whereby guests order from their phones and pick up at a window when alerted. Powell is also mindful that the rmory is, first and foremost, a recreation space, so he has designed menu items to be easy to handle for those walking around and using the venue’s facilities.
“We want people to be able to participate in what we are offering around the venue, so we’ve made things easy to pick up and enjoy,” Powell says. “You can pick up your plate, take a bite of your food and carry it with you. We want people to be able to play and interact with the games.”
As for those games, the Armory’s director of marketing, Ali Lamb, notes that the space contains over three football fields’ worth of recreation activities, such as cornhole, horseshoes, badminton and putting greens — low-key, fun entertainment options that are meant to mimic the feel of a house party.
“What we love about this venue is that it is a place to play, gather and relax,” says Lamb. “We talk extensively about this being like a living room or a house party. You take that kind of vibe but multiply it by a thousand.”
Like Powell, Lamb is excited not only for the Armory itself but for the buzz it’s generating around the entire Midtown corridor. Coupled with City Foundry, CITYPARK and several other developments in the area, she believes the area is primed to be a top destination for the entire region — and she and her colleagues are happy that the Armory is a piece of that puzzle.
“We felt that what Midtown needed, first and foremost, was an entertainment hub that will drive traffic,” amb says. “St. ouisans need a place to play, gather and enjoy in the Midtown area, and I feel like we’ve accomplished that with this. I can’t wait to stand on the rooftop of the Armory three to five years from now and see what the area looks like.” n
e Armory is a 250,000 square foot recreation and entertainment venue. | COURTESY ARMORY ST. LOUIS
