February 2017 Feast Magazine

Inspired Local Food Culture | M i dw e st

feastmagazine.com |

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P. 58

DESSERT FOR BREAKFAST P. 74

CAKE DECORATING P. 83

NAThANIEl REID BAKERY

P. 67

ChRISTOphER ElBOw ChOCOlATES

Now

OPEN

Savor authentic Italian fare just like “nonna” used to make.

From classic favorites like wood-fired Margherita pizza and house-made pasta, to seasonal desserts like slow-churned gelato, Cibare is a little taste of Italy right in St. Louis.

888.578.7289 | rivercity.com Must be age 21 or older to gamble. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-BETSOFF. ©2016 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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at the

Saturday, February 11 th • 7– 11pm • Featuring 80+ Beer Tastings • 5 Tasting Plates

• Science Demonstrations • Live Music: Miss Jubilee and the Humdingers

Join Starlite Events at the Saint Louis Science Center on February 11th for a beer-tasting event for your brain. Learn about the chemistry and science behind the entire beer brewing and bottling process. This total sensory experience will let you: • Be hands-on with beer brewing’s most popular ingredients

• Experience molecular gastronomy with your favorite beer

• Discover the buoyancy of beer

• See beer ingredients under the microscope

Tickets on sale now!

$45 Members, $55 non-Members or $60 at the door the day of the event.

Ticket includes entertainment, five tasting plates, beer tastings, parking and more! slsc.org • 314.289.4400 SPONSORED IN PART BY:

Inspired Local Food Culture

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february 2017 58

dessert first

six bakers and pastry chefs share breakfast-appropriate pastry recipes to start your day with a little – or a lot of – sweetness.

from the staff

|6|

from the PUBLIsher

The sweets issue

| 10 |

dIgItaL content

What’s online this month

67 74 83

choc-art

christopher elbow’s artful chocolate jewels, colorful pâte de fruit and delicate caramels are almost too pretty to eat.

| 12 |

A look at the breakfast episode

dIne

| 16 |

take the cake

ace your cakes by tackling the trendiest decorating designs with tips and tricks from the region’s top pastry pros.

on trend

Funfetti

| 18 |

where we’re dInIng

Trago Bar and Tapas, Hi-Pointe Drive-In, Crushed Red

| 20 |

one on one

Tyler Davis of Element and Alchemy Artisan Bakery

refined sugar

In a nondescript strip mall in kirkwood, missouri, one of the country’s most acclaimed pastry chefs, nathaniel reid, is producing world-class pastries, breads, confections and more.

feast tv

| 22 |

In season

Dates

drInk

| 28 |

on trend

Chocolate bitters

| 30 |

where we’re drInkIng

Mauhaus Cat Cafe and Lounge, Lifted Spirits, White Mule Distillery

| 32 |

the mIx

Modern Apple Martini

shoP

| 36 |

get thIs gadget

A pastry decorating set and a cake-pop maker

| 38 |

one on one

Erin Wiles of Seed Sprout Spoon

| 40 |

artIsan ProdUcts

The Tipsy Goat macarons and Cedar Street Toffee

cook

| 44 |

heaLthy aPPetIte

Tea-infused dark chocolate bark with cinnamon and rose

| 48 |

mystery shoPPer

Barberries

| 50 |

qUIck fIx

Spaghetti alla carbonara with cheesy garlic bread

| 52 |

sweet Ideas

Caramel sauce three ways TABLE OF CONTENTS PHOTO OF MACARONS, CRISPy PEARLS AND CHOCOLATE FROM NATHANIEL REID BAkERy IN kIRkWOOD, MISSOuRI, (P. 83) By JENNIFER SILvERBERG

Volume 8

| Issue 2 | February 2017

Vice President of niche Publishing, Publisher of feast Magazine

Catherine Neville, publisher@feastmagazine.com

sales

director of sales

Angie Henshaw, ahenshaw@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1298 account Manager

Jennifer Tilman, jtilman@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1205 sPecial Projects editor

Bethany Christo, bchristo@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1244

eDITORIal senior editor

Liz Miller, editor@feastmagazine.com Managing editor

I had the honor (and absolute pleasure) of hosting culinary superstar Ina Garten when she visited the Peabody Opera House in January. She graciously asked me to bring the Feast team backstage after the event, and needless to say, there were smiles all around. (Pictured from left, production designer Jacklyn Meyer, senior editor Liz Miller, publisher Catherine Neville, editorial intern Kaitlynn Martin, managing editor Nancy Stiles and digital editor Heather Riske.)

Nancy Stiles, nstiles@feastmagazine.com digital editor

Heather Riske, web@feastmagazine.com Kansas city contributing editor

Jenny Vergara

publisher’s letter

st. louis contributing editor

a wonderful complement to the chocolate’s complexity. Each one of Elbow’s confections is similarly surprising. The fresh lemon bonbon is the essence of lemon. The bananas Foster a tiny ode to the classic dessert. Turn to p. 67 for Natalie Gallagher’s feature on Christopher Elbow and his growing company.

Mabel Suen editorial intern

Kaitlynn Martin fact checKer

Lindsay Toler Proofreader

Christine Wilmes contributing Writers

Christy Augustin, Sherrie Castellano, Gabrielle DeMichele, April Fleming, Natalie Gallagher, Mallory Gnaegy, Rose Hansen, Hilary Hedges, Kevin Korinek, Lauren Miers, Brandon and Ryan Nickelson, Ana Pierce, Matt Seiter, Matt Sorrell, Shannon Weber

aRT

art director

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com Production designer

Jacklyn Meyer, jmeyer@feastmagazine.com contributing PhotograPhers

Zach Bauman, Angela C. Bond, Justine Bursoni, Sherrie Castellano, Judd Demaline, Jonathan Gayman, Rose Hansen, William Hess, Aaron Ottis, Anna Petrow, Ana Pierce, Jonathan Pollack, Jennifer Silverberg, Jessica Spencer, Mabel Suen, Cheryl Waller, Brad Zweerink

FeasT TV

producer: Catherine Neville production partner: Tybee Studios

COnTaCT Us Feast Media, 8811 Ladue Road, Suite D, Ladue, MO 63124 314.475.1244, feastmagazine.com

DIsTRIbUTIOn To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Jeff Moore for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at jmoore@post-dispatch.com and Jason Green for Kansas City at distribution@pds-kc.com.

Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned.

All contents are copyright © 2010-2017 by Feast Magazine™.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited.

Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC

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F

ebruary is an odd month. It’s right at the tail end of winter, cold and cloudy.

Spring is right around the corner, but not quite within reach. Maybe that’s why it’s the shortest month of the year. We want to hurry up and settle into March, when at least there is a promise of thaw, as the equinox ushers in a new season. This time of year calls for a little something sweet to brighten up the days, so here at Feast, we decided to dedicate our February issue to the joys of sugar.

Chocolate is an undisputed way to chase away the winter blues, and at Christopher Elbow Chocolates in Kansas City, it is crafted into shining jewels. When I shot the chocolate episode of Feast TV last year, I had a chance to visit Christopher Elbow and see first-hand how his perfect and perfectly delicious bonbons are made. When I tasted the rosemary-infused caramel encased in expertly tempered dark chocolate, it was something of a revelation. The unexpected, yet spot-on flavor is classic Christopher Elbow. Clean, herbal rosemary may seem like an odd match for dark chocolate, but it’s

I walked away similarly impressed and inspired when I visited Nathaniel Reid Bakery to shoot a piece for the upcoming season of Feast TV. I’ve followed Nathaniel’s career for a number of years, and when I heard that he and his wife, Lee Lee, were opening a bakery in Kirkwood, Missouri, I gave a little cheer.

Nathaniel is one of the best pastry chefs in the country and he chose to come home, be close to family and open his own shop, and the entire St. Louis area is better for it.

Tucked away in a strip mall, he has a team of bakers and pastry chefs creating a range of world-class sweets that rival any others I’ve had. Digital editor Heather Riske had the opportunity to spend time with Nathaniel and her in-depth look at his work begins on p. 83.

You’ll find sweet stuff sprinkled throughout this issue, as well, from a One on One with Tyler Davis of Element and Alchemy Artisan Bakery to a Funfetti-themed On Trend to a look at Cedar Street Toffee. I hope this issue sweetens up those last few days of winter as we all eagerly anticipate the freshness of spring.

Until next time,

Catherine Neville

02.17 jennifer silverberg St. Louis, Photographer “Walking into Nathaniel Reid Bakery for the first time is a wondrous experience. The case runs almost the length of the modest shop and is filled with beautifully, deliciously designed desserts. I may have had a bit of an internal Veruca Salt moment when I approached said case… you know the one… the unrepentant whine in your head that says, “I want it now.” Photographing the cakes, croissants, macarons and more at the bakery was blissful. Nathaniel’s attention to detail with each handcrafted dessert is clearly evident, and in turn, made my job a breeze. It was such fun arranging each item to photograph, hoping to enhance the color and form. Doing the shoot in the back of the bakery, with smells from the ovens, made the shoot even better if that’s possible. And, I’ll admit… I was back there the next day, but not for work.” (Refined Sugar, p. 83)

kevin korinek St. Louis, Writer Kevin Korinek is a freelance journalist and photographer with a passion for making homemade pie. This month for Feast, Kevin highlights Alton, Illinois, native Holly Neeley and Flights Coffee & Waffles – a mobile, vintage camper that serves St. Louis and the Metro East. What Kevin enjoyed most about this story was getting to know Holly and learning what really makes her tick: hard work and creativity.

“She’s really lit from within. The fact that she attended one of the most prestigious coffee schools in the country and spent time in Belgium learning how to make Liège waffles really shows her devotion to her craft. She has an optimistic intention to bring creative people together in an incredibly unique space. This thing is primed to go everywhere, and trust me – it will be everywhere.” (One on One, p. 33)

Experience the ALL NEW

Real Estate Listings New Home Communities Latest Décor Trends Home Tips and Advice

in the Friday and Sunday Post-Dispatch

rose hansen Neosho, Missouri, Writer “I found the Arcadia Academy and Thee Abbey Kitchen by pure chance a few years ago. After spending the day at Elephant Rocks, I set off down the road in search of dinner.

That part of the state had terrible cell phone reception back then, which meant I couldn’t just hop onto Yelp and find the best diner in town. Thee Abbey Kitchen felt like found treasure. I knew from the moment I walked into that restaurant that it was special and had a story worth telling.

It was fun spending time with Kathryn Rouse and learning more about how the restaurant came to fruition. The Ozarks are full of quiet surprises. Thee Abbey Kitchen is definitely one of my favorite hidden gems.” (One on One, p. 23)

brad zweerink Springfield, Missouri, Photographer “I like working on location for food shoots (and everything else) because the lighting and environment help inspire and guide the direction of the photo. For the blueberry crostata at Market House Café & Bake Shop in Ozark, Missouri, I took advantage of the huge front windows and very soft light for the pictures. Owner Barbara Heinrichs-Hardy provided me with a half-dozen crostatas to work with, an array of dishware and other odds and ends to help stage the picture. We shot this the day after New Year’s Day, when the café (and all of downtown Ozark) was shut down so I didn’t have to worry about getting in anyone’s way, which is always a concern when on location. Altogether, the shoot was as good as I could have hoped for!” (Dessert First, p. 58)

STLtoday.com/homes

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STL

Science on Tap Sat., Feb. 11, 7 to 11pm; $45 to $60; Saint Louis Science Center, 5050 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, Missouri; 314.289.4400; slsc.org/science-on-tap

Learn about the chemistry and science behind the beer-brewing and -bottling processes during a beer-tasting event for your brain. The third-annual Science on Tap will feature tastings of more than 80 different local beers, catered food, science demonstrations, live music and more. Enhance your experience and learn more about the beer-making (and -drinking) process through demos and hands-on activities.

02/11

STL

cenTennial Beer FeSTival Mon., Feb 13 to Sat., Feb. 18, times vary by event; prices vary; Moulin Events & Meetings and the historic Schnaider Brewery Malt House, 2017 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, Missouri; 314.621.1996; centennialbeerfestival.com

Now in its ninth year, the Centennial Beer Festival welcomes more than 35 local and regional breweries, plus an additional 45 craft and international breweries, and invites you to the historic Schnaider Brewery Malt House to explore more than 200 beers. Events include a five-course brewmasters’ dinner with Modern Brewery and three beer-sampling slots on Friday and Saturday. VIP tickets are available for Saturday.

02/13

STL

SchnuckS cookS: SpagheTTi alla carBonara WiTh cheeSy garlic Bread Wed., Feb. 15, 6 to 9pm; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School; $45; schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

In this class, you’ll learn how to make spaghetti alla carbonara and cheesy garlic bread, a quick and easy weeknight meal, as well as a gorgeous and salty-sweet butterscotch budino made with sea salt and olive oil.

02/15

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02/23

STL

desserT FirsT Thu., Feb. 23, 6 to 9pm; $150; The Chase Park Plaza, Khorassan Ballroom, 212 Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri; girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst

Saturday

Dessert First challenges local chefs to create delectable and innovative desserts incorporating Girl Scout cookies. Because every challenge needs a prize, guests and a panel of celebrity judges will vote for their favorite dessert during cocktail hour.

This year is particularly significant, as it marks the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies and will feature the introduction of a new flavor.

KC

presents Wall Ball, an exciting evening of live artistry and delicious treats.

Engaging an eclectic mix of artists, collectors, and admirers, this annual event features amazing art at unreal prices through a unique silent auction.

Waldo Week

Sponsored by

Sat., Feb. 25 to Fri., Mar. 3; participating locations; 816.523.5553; waldomo.com

$35 General Admission $60 VIP includes beer/wine and full bar

Majorette

7150 Manchester Rd.• Maplewood, MO 63143

For more info: 314-865-0060 Purchase tickets online www.artscopestl.org/wallball

The first-ever Waldo Week is a weeklong celebration of one of Kansas City’s oldest neighborhoods. From Gregory Boulevard to 85th Street and Holmes Road to State Line, participating Waldo restaurants, stores and services are offering 25 percent off if you mention Waldo Week. A complete list of participating merchants is at waldomo.com.

COMO

7-11 pm•40 artists

True/False Film FesT Thu., March 2 to Sun., March 5; prices vary; locations vary in downtown Columbia, Missouri; 573.442.8783; truefalse.org

True/False Film Fest returns to downtown Columbia, Missouri, March 2 to 5. True/False is a transformative four-day celebration featuring all-new nonfiction films, plus music, art, parties, and some of the best food and drink mid-Missouri has to offer.

03/02

STL

Wall Ball 2017 Sat., March 4, 7 to 11pm; $35 general admission, $60 VIP; Majorette, 7150 Manchester Road, Maplewood, Missouri, 314.865.0060;

03/04

artscopestl.org/wallball

Live-art extravaganza Wall Ball returns to highlight the creative process of top artists in the St. Louis area. The dazzling party held at Majorette includes a unique silent-auction format for you to bid on the works in progress, and an open bar is included in VIP admission.

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this month on

feastmagazine.com

feastmag

@feastmag

feastmag

@feastmag

feastmagazine

PhotograPhy by love tree StuDioS

the feed

We’re giving away a romantic four-course meal for two, valued at $60, from the art of entertaining in St. louis! Just head to the Promotions section at feastmagazine.com for the details.

also on the feed...

mid-mo Harold’s Doughnuts employee Carly Love opened CoMo Confectionary, a new cake-catering outlet, in Columbia, Missouri, last fall. Love’s small-batch cupcakes and cakes are simple yet elegant, including trendy naked cakes.

PhotograPhy by Mabel Suen

PhotograPhy by Pete Dulin

When the temperatures start to drop, nothing warms you up faster than a piping-hot cup of hot cocoa. This winter, cozy up at one of these St. Louis spots with a cup of earthy matcha hot chocolate or spicy Mexican hot chocolate.

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KC The highly awaited Brewery Emperial opened its doors in Kansas City in late December, serving a handful of craft brews in addition to a wood-fired menu from chef-owner Ted Habiger. Pair chorizo-black bean meatballs or a falafel burger with the brewery’s crisp, refreshing Kölsch.

St. Louis’ first board-game café, Pieces: The St. Louis Board Game Bar & Café, debuted in Soulard in late December, featuring a library of more than 500 board games, a full bar and a food menu featuring poké bowls and shareable appetizers like housemade wonton chips, Filipino lumpia and nachos. feastmagazine.com

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FARM & FOREST RAMEN

Now Accepting Reservations 636-387-7030

CHOP HOUSE CHICKEN WINGS

Inspired Local Food Culture

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TV

It’s the most important meal of the day! Watch as bagels are crafted by hand at Legacy Bagelry, a tiny artisan shop in Springfield, Missouri. You’ll also visit Stanton Bros. Eggs, the country’s largest free-range egg operation near Columbia. Plus, we take you to Indiana to meet one of the country’s leading producers of maple syrup at Burton’s Maplewood Farm. And, back in the kitchen, host Cat Neville uses that syrup in Chambourcin-maple syrup braised short ribs with brown-butter egg noodles.

At Springfield, Missouri’s Legacy Bagelry, the bagels are properly boiled and then baked for a perfectly crisp-chewy texture.

In southern Indiana, Burton’s Maplewood Farm is crafting some of the country’s best maple syrup on land that’s been in his family for generations.

Burgers for breakfast? Yes! At Town Topic in Kansas City, hamburgers have been griddled and served with onions on steamed buns for over 75 years.

feast tv is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors:

Missouri Wines

Whole Foods Market

l’ école culinaire

the raphael hotel

Missouri Wines supports the more than 125 wineries operating in the state and is focused on promoting the industry’s growth and vitality.

Feast TV is proud to feature Whole Foods Market’s 365 Everyday Value line of products. Pick up ingredients at Whole Foods locations in the St. Louis area.

In St. Louis and Kansas City, L’Ecole Culinaire offers high-quality culinary education from basic culinary skills to careers in management.

The Raphael Hotel is Feast’s official hotel, offering luxury accommodations and dining near Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

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Romance has its place Kansas City’s most romantic boutique hotel & restaurant

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Wednesdays at 7pm.

In Kansas City, watch Feast TV on KCPT (Channel 19).

Celebrate your special love, reserve one of our three unique romance packages at raphaelkc.com/romance or memorable dinner for two at chazontheplaza.com.

Historic Hotels of America

325 Ward Parkway I Country Club Plaza I 816.756.3800

raphaelkc.com chazontheplaza.com

BRING YOUR DATE

TO THE LAKE

You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Thursdays at 7pm.

Find your new favorite Valentine’s getaway at the Lake of the Ozarks.

Feast TV airs in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8).

Check mylaketv.com to watch Feast TV in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

Inspired Local Food Culture

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NOW OPEN

The Far East just got a lot closer.

St. Louis’ newest Asian restaurant invites you to take a unique culinary excursion through a continent of exceptional dishes.

ONE AMERISTAR BLVD ST. CHARLES, MO 63301 | 636.949.7777 |

AMERISTAR .COM

Must be 21 or older to gamble. Exclusions may apply. Gambling problem? Call 1-888-BETSOFF. ©2016 Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. All rights reserved.

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cheesecake boss

Element pastry chef Tyler Davis expands with Alchemy Artisan Bakery in St. Louis on p. 20. photography by judd demaline

fun fetti Written by HeatHer riske

No ‘90s birthday party was complete without Funfetti. Now, pastry chefs across the country are elevating the classic childhood treat in items like Funfetti croissants, biscotti and – yes – even wedding cakes.

Pillsbury first released the white cake mix featuring rainbow sprinkles in the batter in 1989; today, the multicolored treat is having a major resurgence in even the most high-end bakeries. Milk Bar pastry chef Christina Tosi is often credited with reviving Funfetti; much like her cereal milk soft-serve, the New York City shop’s best-selling birthday cake (pictured left) evokes a wave of nostalgia.

sasha's baking co.

KANSAS CITY. in Downtown kansas City, european-style bakery Sasha’s Baking Co. brings a little bit of “new-world flair” to old-world pastry traditions. the shop’s bakery cases are lined with traditional treats like flaky croissants, gooey cinnamon rolls and puffy French gougères, but its Funfetti-infused treats best embody the bakery’s playful spirit. Chef and kitchen manager Julie steele has used Funfetti in everything from cake pops and French macarons to classic breakfast sweets like cinnamon rolls and bear claws. “We started working with Funfetti because it grabs kids’ attention, but it’s also popular with many adults who are kids at heart,” she says. “it’s colorful, festive and attracts people.” sasha’s also frequently receives requests for Funfetti in its custom cakes and cake pops. steele hopes to add a Funfetti croissant to the shop’s offerings soon, inspired by a few bakeries she’s seen on instagram. this month, look for the Funfetti bomb, which features Funfetti mousse and a white Funfetti cake dome topped with rainbow sprinkles.

816.474.9935, sashasbakingco.com PHoto by angela C. bonD

pastaria CLAYTON, MO. You can celebrate your

birthday any day of the year at Gerard Craft’s Pastaria in Clayton, Missouri, where Funfetti birthday cake has earned a permanent spot on the ever-changing dessert menu.

Mathew Rice, executive pastry chef for Niche Food Group (which also includes Sardella, Brasserie by Niche, Taste and Porano Pasta), developed the original recipe and began revamping it when he returned to St. Louis last summer following stints at The Publican and The Girl and The Goat in Chicago. The vanilla-buttermilk cake features rainbow sprinkles in the batter and an old-fashioned ONLINE EXTRA buttercream frosting recipe from Rice’s Visit feastmagazine.com mother. A sprinkling of confetti shortbread for a recipe for Funfetti crumble on top gives the cake a sweet, salty semifreddo developed by flavor and added crunch. You can also grab a Mathew Rice of Pastaria pint of birthday-cake gelato featuring chunks of and Amanda Wilens of food and recipe blog sprinkle cake mixed in, from Pastaria’s rotating Feed Me With Amanda. gelato case. “I think it plays into the whimsy factor and nostalgia,” Rice says. “If you ask five local pastry chefs, three of them are going to tell you that their favorite cake growing up was boxed Funfetti cake.

Everybody just loves it.”

Come see our newest location at the Gerhart Lofts.

314.862.6603, pastariastl.com PhoTo BY jACkLYN MEYER

The Gerhart building, located just blocks from Kaldi’s Coffee’s Roastery, dates back to 1897 and is on the National Register

elle's patisserie SPRINGFIELD, MO. Elle Feldman is not afraid of color. Elle’s

Patisserie, her Springfield, Missouri, bakery, which specializes in chocolate truffles, French pastries and ice cream, is even painted a striking shade of lilac. “We’re always looking for something really unique, colorful, fun and whimsical,” Feldman says. “We like to make bright, beautiful things that taste amazing.” That’s how she stumbled upon the recipe for confetti sugar cookies, which feature rainbow sprinkles mixed into the batter; the same sprinkles also lend an extra pop of color to Elle’s traditional French macarons. But the unicorn bark – a spin on the shop’s traditional chocolate-ganache bark – might be Feldman’s most colorful treat yet. It features a combination of colored white chocolate – pink, purple, blue, green, yellow and orange – swirled together with a layer of truffle ganache inside. To add a little texture and even more color, Feldman throws some edible confetti, stars and glitter on top. “It’s kind of an explosion of color,” she says with a laugh.

of Historic Places. The cafe features our full espresso & food menus with a few new updates, including cold brew on tap.

3900 Laclede Ave. Suite 1 St. Louis, MO 63110 KALDISCOFFEE.COM

417.832.2171, ellespatisserie.com PhoTo BY ANA PIERCE Inspired Local Food Culture

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where we’re dining From new restaurants to renewed menus, our staff and contributors share their picks for where we’re dining this month.

CrusHed red Written by Lauren Miers

573.442.0016, crushed-red.com

TV

Check out Crushed Red on Feast TV at feastmagazine.com.

Hi-poinTe drive-in Written by nanCy stiLes

|

photography by JaCKLyn Meyer

ST. LOUIS. regulars at Mike Johnson’s sugarfire smoke house

know how good the burger is, but Johnson believes he’s made it even better at his latest restaurant, Hi-Pointe Drive-In. the burger, sandwich and shake joint opened in January behind the iconic hi-pointe theater. Don’t miss the taco burger, a taco-seasoned patty made with crushed Cool ranch Doritos and Chili Cheese Fritos, seared and topped with american cheese, lettuce and Mission taco Joint sauce. in addition to beef, turkey and veggie burgers, hi-pointe’s menu features sandwiches like a salmon banh mi, a hot salami made with salume beddu genoa and soppressata and the abaconing, with smoky Wenneman Meat Market’s bacon, bacon-fat aïoli, collard greens, white Cheddar and a bacon bits-fried tomato. Longtime sugarfire chef adam pritchett is hi-pointe’s chef de cuisine, while pastry chef Carolyn Downs serves a selection of hand pies, whoopie pies and cookies. Look for a rotating milkshake collaboration with strange Donuts, too – the first on offer was a spiced pear-gooey butter flavor.

314.349.2720, hipointedrivein.com

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Trago Bar and Tapas Written by Jenny Vergara photography by anna petroW

KANSAS CITY. Finding a locally owned restaurant

near the Liberty triangle that delivers the flavor, personality and warmth that Trago Bar and Tapas does is worth celebrating. owner Kandi Kerns opened the doors to her first restaurant in october, serving a tapas menu that focuses on the dishes she learned to cook from her grandmother and celebrates the cuisines of spain, guatemala and Mexico. Chef

ryan nesbitt works with Kerns to plate these comforting dishes in sophisticated ways. start with the shrimp ceviche served on a bed of fresh guacamole, and then try the street tacos, pan-seared shrimp in a garlic sauce or patatas fritas. order a traditional paella for the table with either seafood, chicken or vegetables for one of the most traditional spanish house specialties. the large bar and lounge is as colorful as the drink menu; order from the mostly spanish wine list or enjoy a glass of sangria.

816.429.8950, tragokc.com

photography by aaron ottis

COLUMBIA, MO. Crushed Red, a st. Louis-based fast-casual concept centered on chopped salads and handmade, oblong pizzas, opened in Columbia, Missouri’s broadway bluffs this fall. order at either the hot food or salad counter; stay and sip on a selection of wines and local beers or take your meal with you on the go. try the big island pizza – signature Crushed red sauce, pineapple, prosciutto, onions, cheese and cilantro on a hand-stretched crust – or create your own by choosing from more than 20 toppings. you can also craft a chopped salad from a selection of vegetables, cheeses, beans, proteins, fruits and dressings; try one of Crushed red’s signatures, like the Farmer’s Market with roasted turkey breast, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, apples and cranberries with field greens and honey mustard.

on

ne

n eo o

jonathan justus chef-owner, justus drugstore

q&A

Written by natalie gallagher

Who said a Sports Bar can’t have Amazing Food?

kAnsAs city. Farm-to-table and nose-to-tail cooking guide chef-owner Jonathan

photography by zach bauman

Justus at Justus Drugstore in Smithville, missouri. the spot is known for its complex dishes and hyperlocal ingredients. Fresh off a James beard award nomination for best chef: midwest, Justus was tapped this winter to reboot the menu at Tannin Wine Bar & Kitchen, a lunch-and-dinner spot in Kansas city’s crossroads arts District. it’s a departure from the intricate plates he’s known for at the Drugstore; tannin’s new menu is just a precursor to what diners will be able to enjoy at his highly anticipated restaurant, black Dirt, slated to open in Kansas city in September.

How did you get started in the industry? i first started cooking while living in the south of France in 1997. i took a job under the table as a cook at a classic French restaurant. it was my first kitchen job – i’d spent my life previous to that in mostly solitary positions as a bike messenger and a painter. When i got to the kitchen, there was this collaborative atmosphere that i hadn’t been around for a very, very long time, and i realized that i didn’t like spending time alone. i liked being on a team. it wasn’t until i got to the south of France, to that kitchen, that i saw these beautifully composed dishes. that [food] has stood the test of time because it works. i started looking at dishes as a composition, and that left an impression on me. When we opened Justus Drugstore [in 2007], we were trying to do food that was about where we are geographically, in the midwest. We wanted to do upscale, but no seafood – there’s no sea. it was also important for us to use the whole animal and the whole plant and do our part to reduce the carbon footprint. i didn’t want to waste things. What is one of your earliest memories of cooking? i was 4 years old and one of my oldest siblings was home from grad school. i was in the kitchen, and i had a fold-out step stool, and i would use it to reach the stove. i was cooking bacon and eggs and my sister came and saw me and grabbed me off the stool.

She got my mom, and my mom said, “oh, he does that every morning!” What was the development process like for Tannin’s new menu? i think tannin has a great reputation, and the wine program is modern and exciting – one of the best in the city. they needed a menu that matched. they needed something that was more than new; they need a recapturing of their kitchen. i was brought on to consult and create a new menu, and also to find a new executive chef. i ended up calling up one of the former sous chefs from Justus, pablo muñoz-Sevilla. i spent weeks evaluating every menu item, introducing sketches of dishes and then tossing out and refining those dishes. my dishes at the Drugstore are complex, and it was refreshing for me to work on dishes that were maybe not as complex. there’s an idea that simple is not as good, but... doing simple, elegant dishes was fun, and it’s actually a lot closer to what i’ll be doing at black Dirt. Tell us more about your plans for Black Dirt. We signed everything for the location at [51 main] at the end of the november, and we plan to open in September [2017]. this is not going to be white tablecloth, and it’s not going to be as complex as the food at Justus, but it’s going to be more of an upscale neighborhood restaurant. there’s going to be a huge bar with a library ladder for the liquor. at Justus, we culture our own vinegars and make our own vermouths, and black Dirt won’t be that kind of restaurant, partly because i need to distinguish between what we do at the two places. mostly, i’m really excited. there was a period where i didn’t think black Dirt was going to happen and i had given up on it, so this is bizarre and almost fairytale-ish.

IN THE HEART OF SOULARD 2001 MENARD 314-833-6686 www.dukesinsoulard fb.me/dukesinsoulard

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tyler davis

pastry chef, element; owner, alchemy artisan bakery

q&A

Written By nancy stiles

|

PhotograPhy By judd demaline

ST. LoUIS. tyler davis began cooking six years ago, when he ran a catering business out of his dorm room while studying musical performance. that led to a job at the crossing in clayton, missouri, which led to a job at demun oyster Bar in demun, which led to an offer from executive chef josh charles at Element in st. louis’ lafayette square neighborhood. davis began as a savory chef, but has spent the past two years perfecting his sweets skills; his composed and creative desserts are the perfect complement to charles’ picture perfect savory plates. you can also catch davis’ from-scratch cheesecake and dessert business, Alchemy Artisan Bakery, online at alchemybakery.com.

What’s the philosophy behind your food? i definitely like for things to look nice. i think food should be sexy; people eat with their eyes first. i usually do three or four flavors and pair them together, starting with a base. so if it was chocolate, i would begin with white chocolate or dark chocolate, and expound upon that by asking, what flavors go with that? cardamom, orange zest, blood orange, honey – what kind of herbs and aromatics? i also like to play with textures, so there’s always going to be something super crunchy in it, and like to play with temperatures, too. if you get a warm dessert, there’s going to be some cold components – i just think it makes things interesting. Tell us about Alchemy Artisan Bakery. it’s all housemade: i make graham crackers [and] i make cream cheese with a cream-cheese starter, because i don’t really like to go out and buy processed anything. i’m very conscious of what goes in my body and i want it to be the same way with other people’s bodies. i want to differentiate my cheesecakes from everybody else’s by making them 100-percent housemade, so everyone knows exactly what goes into it. i think the quality of the cheesecakes is three times as good as a normal cheesecake would be. Where do you see yourself in five or 10 years? i would ideally like to have my own bakery, expand alchemy artisan Bakery and do more bakery items: more cakes, cupcakes, muffins, maybe expand into wedding cakes – i’ve done a few of them, but they’re very, very nerve-wracking! Plus, [i’d like to do] consulting and pop-up dinners. i’ve been doing pop-up dinners down at Brennan’s. i like chef positions, but i also like the freedom to be able to come and go as i please. When it comes to being the chef, it’s very difficult to have a good life balance. i’m thinking about my [physical] health and my mental health – it’s very difficult.

With pop ups, running a bakery and consulting, it

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gives me freedom. Tell us about your partnership with Josh Charles. he actually gave me full creative freedom to pretty much do whatever i wanted to. i saw what he was doing there, and he let me know what his vision was, so i took that and ran with it. i love element because it’s like a culinary think tank. We’re all chefs – we all have been executive chefs or sous chefs at some point in time at our own respective places, so we trust each other. We trust each other’s judgment; we trust each other when coming up with flavor combinations. that’s why i joined up with josh – because i knew i would have creative freedom.

314.241.1674, elementstl.com 314.757.0605, alchemybakery.com

cozy up with our

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2620 S Glenstone Ave, Springfield, MO 65804 (417) 864-6994 farmersgastropub.com

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in season: september through march

dates Written by nancy StileS

Dates are common in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines – no surprise, as they thrive in arid climates. In the U.S., dates are grown in California and Arizona, but local chefs are using them as a natural sweetener with everything from cheese to duck and pork. pesto LaWrence, Ks. chef-owner tK Peterson calls Merchants Pub & Plate in lawrence,

Kansas, “a humble farm-to-table restaurant,” but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t get his hands on harder-to-find ingredients. Peterson, who owns the restaurant with his wife, emily, is reviving a dish that was on the inaugural menu in 2013: lentil-fennel-duck sausage with a large raviolo made with duck-leg confit and black garlic-Medjool date pesto, finished with a sweet-and-sour orange sauce. On the bar menu, Peterson stuffs dates with local Green Dirt Farm fresh nettle cheese and serves them on a bed of bacon jam with a bit of apple-cider gastrique over top. “With flavors like duck and bacon, there’s going to be a lot of umami flavors; you need something to balance the palate. the dates work well as a natural sweetener," Peterson says.

785.843.4111, merchantsonmass.com

baked brie st. Louis. bethany budde, owner of SqWires Restaurant & Annex in St. louis’

lafayette Square neighborhood, put her baked brie appetizer on the menu more than 10 years ago as a fall-and-winter dish. but when she retired it in the spring, SqWires got a flood of emails lamenting its loss; it's now a permanent fixture. a wedge of rind-on brie in a small iron skillet is topped with chopped Medjool dates, golden raisins, toasted pecans and dried figs, all tossed in maple syrup. the brie is heated under a Salamander – a fancy broiler – until the cheese starts to ooze out of the rind. budde suggests making the dish at home, too: "Don’t overcook it, because if you do, it’s just going to be a big pile of goo.” SqWires is debuting new items this year thanks to new executive chef Derek craig, but the baked brie is one dish he won’t be tweaking.

314.865.3522, sqwires.com

couscous coLumbia, mo. the stuffed mushroom is one of the only vegetarian dishes at

Glenn’s Cafe in columbia, Missouri, so it stays on the menu year round. a jumbo portobello mushroom cap is stuffed with olive tapenade and herbed goat cheese and drizzled with a balsamic glaze. it’s served on a bed of couscous, which executive chef chris Pender steams with chopped dates before adding toasted almonds and parsley. “the mushroom with the olive tapenade and herbed goat cheese is really savory, so i wanted something kind of sweet to balance it out,” Pender says. “then i use a balsamic glaze to bring it all together.” the stuffed mushroom has been on the menu since the first year Glenn’s cafe opened in the tiger Hotel in 2013. “We took it off for a while, and the customers asked for it back!” Pender laughs. “i don’t use [dates] much, but they’re a really good way to add sweetness, fiber and good texture.”

573.447.7100, glennscafe.com

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cheF’s tip TK Peterson at Merchants Pub & Plate in Lawrence, Kansas, recommends chopping dates and throwing them in a tomato sauce.

“That’s really flavorful – they can be the source for a really nice sweet component,” he says.

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q&A

katherine rouse owner, thee abbey kitchen

story and photography by rose hansen

ARCADIA, Mo. From the parking lot,

Thee Abbey Kitchen in arcadia, Missouri, doesn’t look like a restaurant that wants to be found. the slouching banner and a modest “open� sign in a window make it easy to miss – but what a shame it would be if you did. It’s housed in the arcadia academy, a massive 1846 complex whose history includes a Civil War hospital, a school, a convent and a bed and breakfast. today’s patrons eat in the academy’s original dining rooms, just as the nuns and schoolgirls did during the early 1900s. once seated, you’ll find that food this good – like the pork-tenderloin sandwich on a housemade French baguette or cinnamon rolls the size of cantaloupes – doesn’t need frills. When owner Katherine rouse bought the restaurant from her mother in 2011, she had no plans to change its personality. thee abbey Kitchen isn’t sleek or trendy, but there’s something admirable in its earnestness – it’s not shy about playing its worthy hand.

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Where does the name come from? “thee� is god, our deity, “abbey� is a safe place and “Kitchen� is for family. When you say restaurant, it sounds so formal. but a kitchen – that’s home.

How did the restaurant start?

My mom had followed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints gospel principles to keep a two-year supply of food storage. she had tons of winter wheat stored away, big five-gallon buckets of honey, salt, sugar, powdered milk and all these other basic essentials. When we moved here in 1999, my mom didn’t have enough money. We got an antique mall going, but that wasn’t bringing in much. With people coming in for the antique mall, she figured she could grind some wheat for baking and sell some food. First, we got famous for the cinnamon rolls. then, people would get a loaf of bread and say, “oh man, I wish I had soup to dunk this bread in,â€? so she took real potatoes and celery and onions, chopped them up, made a roux, and started making soup. It just built up bigger and bigger. Do you still grind your own wheat? yes. Cooking from scratch still matters because I’m following in my mom’s footsteps, and that’s a huge reputation to live up to. plus, it’s better and it’s fresher. About those cinnamon rolls‌ they’ve become famous over the years. It’s just a little niche that we’ve ended up in. our cinnamon rolls are truly made from scratch and it takes a good three to four hours from the first crack of the egg in the bowl to the time they come out of the oven. and they’re the size of a dinner plate. they’re not exotic, but they’re huge, and that’s fun.

573.546.4249, arcadiavalleyacademy.com

4059 Broadway | Kansas City, Missouri 64111 | 816-931-4401 | thecornerkc.com

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Regional RestauRant guide We encourage you to visit any of these fine establishments as proud supporters of Feast Magazine. From fine dining to fast casual to local wineries, there is an array of experiences to choose from, so support and eat local!

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4 Hands Brewing Co. 1220 S. Eighth St. St. Louis, MO 314.436.1559 4handsbrewery.com

Drunken Fish multiple locations drunkenfish.com

Herbie’s 8100 Maryland Ave. Clayton, MO 314.769.9595 herbies.com

PW Pizza 2017 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.7799 pwpizza.com

Aya Sofia 6671 Chippewa St. St. Louis, MO 314.645.9919 ayasofiacuisine.com

Duke’s 2001 Menard St. St. Louis, MO 314.833.6686 dukesinsoulard.com

The Homesteader Cafe 100 E. Seventh St. #100 Kansas City, MO 816.474.8333 thehomesteadercafe.com

Ramon’s El Dorado 1711 St. Louis Road Collinsville, IL 618.344.6435 ramonseldorado.net

Bella Vino Wine Bar & Tapas 325 S. Main St. St. Charles, MO 636.724.3434 bellavinowinebarstl.com

Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard 10035 Edg-Clif Drive Potosi, MO 573.438.4741 edg-clif.com

Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. multiple locations kaldiscoffee.com

Schlafly Tap Room and Schlafly Bottleworks 2100 Locust St. | 7260 Southwest Ave. St. Louis, MO | Maplewood, MO 314.241.2337 schlafly.com

Best Regards Bakery & Café 6759 W. 119th St. Overland Park, KS 913.912.7238 makethemsmile.com

Eleven Eleven Mississippi 1111 Mississippi Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.9999 1111-m.com

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

Stone Hill Winery 1110 Stone Hill Highway Hermann, MO 573.486.2221 stonehillwinery.com

Bissell Mansion Restaurant & Dinner Theatre 4426 Randall Place St. Louis, MO 314.533.9830 bissellmansiontheatre.com

Farmers Gastropub 2620 S. Glenstone Ave. Springfield, MO 417.864.6994 farmersgastropub.com

King & I 3157 S. Grand Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.771.1777 kingandistl.com

Syberg’s multiple locations sybergs.com

Castelli’s Restaurant at 255 3400 Fosterburg Road Alton, IL 618.462.4620 castellis255.com

Favazza’s 5201 Southwest Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.772.4454 favazzas.com

Klondike Café at Montelle Vineyard 201 Montelle Dr. at MO Hwy 94 Augusta, MO 636.228.4464 montelle.com

Trattoria Giuseppe 5442 Old State Route 21 Imperial, MO 636.942.2405 trattoria-giuseppe.com

Chaz on the Plaza at the Raphael Hotel 325 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 816.802.2152 raphaelkc.com

Fratelli’s Ristorante 2061 Zumbehl Road St. Charles, MO 636.949.9005 fratellisristorante.com

La Cosecha Coffee Roasters 7360 Manchester Road Maplewood, MO 314.440.0337 lacosechacoffee.com

Twisted Tree Steakhouse 10701 Watson Road St. Louis, MO 314.394.3366 twistedtreesteakhouse.com

Cleveland-Heath 106 N. Main St. Edwardsville, IL 618.307.4830 clevelandheath.com

Gallagher’s Restaurant 114 W. Mill St. Waterloo, IL 618.939.9933 gallagherswaterloo.com

Mai Lee 8396 Musick Memorial Drive Brentwood, MO 314.645.2835 maileestl.com

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. 3229 Washington Ave. 4465 Manchester Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.222.0143 urbanchestnut.com

Cork & Barrel Chop House and Spirits 7337 Mexico Road St. Peters, MO 636.387.7030 corkandbarrel.com  Coming soon

The Grille at the Mansion 1680 Mansion Way O’Fallon, IL 618.624.0629 mansionsteakhouse.com

The Muddled Pig Gastropub 2733 Sutton Blvd.

Maplewood, MO 314.781.4607 themuddledpig.com

Vin de Set 2017 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.8989 vindeset.com

The Corner Restaurant 4059 Broadway Kansas City, MO 816.931.4401 thecornerkc.com

Helen Fitzgerald’s 3650 S. Lindbergh Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 314.984.0026 helenfitzgeralds.com

Olympia Kebob House & Taverna 1543 McCausland Ave. Richmond Heights, MO 314.781.1299 olympiakebobandtavern.com

The Wood Cask 10332 Manchester Road Kirkwood, MO 314.858.1085 thewoodcask.com

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the new season TV is coming in april The new season of Feast TV is set to debut in April, with 13 fresh episodes airing on PBS across the region. This season we explore urban farming, the dairy industry, food trucks, artisan bread, distilling, local wine, foraging, pop-up dining and more.

Since August, producer and host Cat Neville and the show’s intrepid crew have been on the road, gathering stories of the best in local food and drink, so watch your local PBS station for listings and turn to feastmagazine.com for episodes online.

feast tv is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors: missouRi Wines Missouri Wines supports the more than 125 wineries operating in the state and is focused on promoting the industry’s growth and vitality.

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Kaldi’s Coffee specializes in sustainably sourcing and roasting the finest coffees in the world, with locations in St. Louis, Columbia, Kansas City and Atlanta.

Ole Tyme Produce provides some of the finest produce in the St. Louis region, serving a variety of customers from restaurants, hotels, food service companies and catering companies.

The Raphael Hotel is Feast’s official hotel, offering luxury accommodations and dining near Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.

watch feast tv on these networks Inspired Local Food Culture

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flights of fancy

Flights Coffee & Waffles in Alton, Illinois, takes breakfast on the road on p. 33. photography by logan slusser

chocolate

bitters

Written by natalie GallaGher

|

PhotoGraPhy by j. Pollack PhotoGraPhy

Bitters can trace their history back to ancient Egypt, but they became widely popular in the 1820s with the invention of Angostura bitters as a medical elixir. These days, bitters are more popular as a cocktail ingredient than a stomach remedy: Chocolate bitters have become a popular cocktail ingredient for the discerning mixologist thanks to their combination of sweet and acerbic.

six more spots to

Sip ChoColate BitterS

▶ you can find Fee brothers aztec chocolate bitters in various cocktails on the menu at 715 restaurant in lawrence, kansas. the list changes frequently, so next time you find yourself on Mass street, stop in and see what’s new.

▶ bar manager berto santoro has made kansas city’s extra VirGin an ingredient paradise. you can find extra Virgin’s housemade chocolate bitters and bitterman’s xocolatl Molé bitters in cocktails featuring whiskey, tequila and dark rum.

▶ the winter cocktail menu at the libertine in clayton, Missouri, features housemade chocolate bitters in its Menacing reputation & reason. the drink, developed by beverage director ben bauer, mixes chocolate bitters with tequila ocho plata, yellow chartreuse, olorosso sherry and pimento dram.

tequila and chocolate LAWRENCE, KS. “Like a good rug will tie a room together, bitters

are used to elevate and finish a drink,” says Ryan Pope, owner of The Bourgeois Pig in Lawrence, Kansas. “They shouldn’t overpower a drink, and that can be tough when you’re using chocolate bitters, which are especially strong.” At The Pig, as it’s affectionately called, Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters are incorporated into a coffee-inspired cocktail. This month, they’ll also be featured in a new cocktail with hot pepper-infused reposado tequila. “The Aztec Chocolate Bitters have cacao beans, spices and peppers, so I usually feel like they work really well with reposado or añejo tequilas,” Pope says. “The way we look at it, a little bitters goes a long way. They should accentuate the flavors that are already tucked into a recipe.”

785.843.1001, facebook.com/thebourgeoispig

orange-molé KANSAS CITY. One of No. 22 Bitters owner Julie Ohno’s creations is orange-molé bitters made with orange peel, cacao nibs, ancho chile, cloves, cinnamon sticks and allspice. “I [also] use gentian as the bittering agent – it’s just a very bitter herb – plus over-proofed whiskey,” says Ohno, who also bartends at The Rieger in Kansas City. “I feel like a lot of people don’t know this, but bitters are actually a highly concentrated alcohol. Their potent flavor and alcohol content is why most drink recipes call for just a dash or two.” At The Rieger, her orange-molé bitters were previously used in a tequila-and-chocolate Martini. Ohno encourages anyone who loves Old Fashioneds and Manhattans to try subbing in her chocolate bitters for a different, warmer profile.

“I find that the chocolate and spice notes really highlight the whiskey and bourbon characteristics,” she says. At the moment, Ohno is only selling No. 22 Bitters to local restaurants and bars, but she hopes to begin selling to the public by the end of 2017.

816.471.2177, theriegerkc.com

spicy WEBSTER GROVES, MO. Chelsea Little will take chocolate however

she can get her hands on it. During her stint as a bartender at Olive + Oak in Webster Groves, Missouri, Fee Brothers Aztec Chocolate Bitters frequently found their way into her cocktails.

Take, for example, the No. 48, which previously appeared on the cocktail list. “It’s a rye whiskey-based cocktail with curaçao, amaro, orange and allspice,” Little says. “We put a little of the chocolate bitters in there, and it rounds everything out at the end and makes it wholesome.” Little considers bitters to be “the finishing touch” to any cocktail recipe; it’s the salt and pepper, so to speak, that can make or break the drink. “At Olive + Oak, we base everything off flavors and how they’re going to pair with one another,” she says of her time at the restaurant’s bar. “We want to throw things together unexpectedly without going over the top. I like to think that just about any ingredient has a place.” Is there a recipe that doesn’t invite chocolate bitters? “Well, I guess chocolate bitters might not be great in a dirty Martini,” Little says with a laugh, “but who am I to say? I’ve never tried it, and it might be delicious.”

314.736.1370, oliveandoakstl.com

▶ At BLuesTeM in Kansas City, put your faith in Andrew Olsen. If you want a little booze with your chocolate, he’ll use his imagination – and The Bitter Truth Xocolatl Molé Bitters – to make your wish come true.

▶ PLANTeR’s HOuse in st.

Louis uses scrappy’s Chocolate Bitters in its Bitter Tears cocktail, which also features Cardamaro and Old Gran-Dad BIB Bourbon.

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where we’re drinking Check out what we’re sipping at bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries and coffee shops. lifteD spirits Written by Jenny Vergara photography by anna petroW

KANSAS CITY. Michael Stuckey, Kyle Claypool and darren

Unruh opened Lifted Spirits, a distillery, tasting room and event space, in Kansas City in december. the 10,000-square-foot, two-story red brick building was transformed into a rustic, farmhouse-style space that feels right at home in the Crossroads arts district. take a distillery tour and then belly up to the tasting-room bar to sample Lifted Spirits in a cocktail created by bartender Jason dowd. although the team plans to eventually distill absinthe and whiskey, at the moment, you can sample its vodka made from 100-percent Kansas wheat and a bright, floral gin with a punch of citrus. try the Crossroads Sour, a signature hot-pink drink made with gin, housemade blackberry syrup, lime juice, Cointreau and both orange and angostura bitters. For the purist, there’s the classic gimlet, made with gin, fresh-squeezed lime juice and a housemade lime cordial garnished with a lime wheel.

816.866.1734, liftedspiritskc.com

Mauhaus Cat Cafe anD lounge Story and photography

by MabeL SUen

MAPLEWOOD, MO. at the first-ever cat café in the St. Louis area, Mauhaus Cat Cafe and Lounge, guests can get their caffeine fix in the company of fluffy, adoptable feline friends. the concept opened in Maplewood, Missouri, in november in a sunny, kitty-filled corner space that’s bound to bring a smile to each visitor’s face. a set of double doors separates the cats’ quarters from the café, where a variety of refreshments await to enjoy on either side. beverages include espresso drinks, Vietnamese iced coffee, thai tea and local La Cosecha Coffee roasters coffee. another highlight is the Mauhaus no. 6 – a catnip tea created in partnership with nearby traveling tea. housemade food offerings change daily and include sweet and savory items such as curried squash hummus, vegan babka, Kitty Cakes (tiny cupcakes) and samosas. reserve a spot online to cut down on the wait time for this unique experience – a purrfect way to spend a day.

314.384.2287, mauhauscafe.com

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White Mule Distillery Story and photography by roSe hanSen

PURDY, MO. For backwoods booze without the kick, try White Mule Distillery in purdy,

Missouri. Master distiller Joe “Fred” owens has created a product with a finish so smooth, you’ll be surprised it’s moonshine. owner gary grantham starts visitors in the smokehouse, where corn mash is smoked over local hickory, before moving into the distillery, which sources water from an on-site spring. tours finish in the cozy tasting room, where patrons can sip the distillery’s main line, Mountain Maid, named for the infamous barry County clairvoyant Jean Wallace. White Mule distillery sits on 25 rolling acres in the rural ozarks; grantham lives in the log cabin next to the tasting room, fetching ice from the family kitchen when the bar runs low. all the grain used for mash is sourced from area farmers, and White Mule donates 10 percent of its profits to rural schools. the company’s ultimate goals are to create a quality grain-to-glass experience that supports local agriculture, creates jobs and promotes regional tourism.

417.454.5142, ozarkwhisky.com

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tyler beckett

visit our coffee Bar and roastery

founder, hugo tea co.

q&A

Don’t drink coffee, enjoy it!

Written by bethany Christo

kAnsAs city. Hugo Tea Co. founder tyler beckett started his artisan-tea company in 2012 in Kansas City, selling a range of certified-organic black, white and green teas, as well as iced teas and herbal teas including mint and berry-rooibos. recently, hugo collaborated with local shatto Milk Co. to make a chai milk, and with raytown, Missouri’s Crane brewing Co. on a tea Weiss. Loose-leaf tea is also available in single-serve tea sachets. hugo tea can be purchased online and at more than 100 retailers including grocery stores such as hy-Vee, hen house and Price Choppers in the Kansas City area; the Coffee ethic in springfield, Missouri; and United Provisions in the st. Louis area.

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325 S Main St, Saint CharleS, MO 63301

PhotoGraPhy by zaCh baUMan

(636) 724-3434 How has the tea scene changed since you started Hugo? the bulk of the U.s. hot-tea market is people buying tea for some sort of health benefit – weight loss, for a cold, to help you sleep. in 2012, we were going for the exact opposite market, which is the craft, or luxury, tea side. Unlike coffee or beer, it’s always irritated me that you’re expected to drink tea for some explicit benefit, rather than seeing it as this craft beverage that can be enjoyed on its own and that’s been around for thousands of years. For example, four years ago, we wouldn’t have named a tea by its origin, like you see with coffee, [but] we’re starting to see [it] now. What misconceptions about tea do you hear often? We always get asked if we grow our tea. People will tell us all the time that their favorite tea comes from england; they’re understanding that england has a strong tea culture, but they don’t realize that england buys its tea from the same places we do. People also don’t know the difference between herbal tea and true tea. true tea comes from the tea plant, a species native to asia but now cultivated in a few other places: english breakfast tea from india, green tea from China, white tea – even Lipton iced tea is a black tea that comes from india and sri Lanka. it all comes from the same plant from a select few locations, processed many different ways. herbal tea, on the other hand, comes from every other single plant on planet earth that you can steep in water and make a drink out of. Why is organic certification important to you? the organic certification is the single best, most rigorously enforced product-quality testing for our category. the certification isn’t a perfect system, but it means there is an extra pair of eyes on the farm when we aren’t there – and we’re there every harvest – providing another step of legitimacy. Plus, tea farms are typically on mountainous terrains that tend to wind through villages. the people living around the farm often co-use the land, so it’s important to ensure the farm and its surrounding environment are clean and free from chemicals and pesticides because so many other people would be affected by them.

What’s your best-selling tea? Grey Line, our version of earl Grey, uses our 100-year black tea from China as a base – which is our other top-seller – with bergamot oil, which we buy directly from a very small farm in italy, massaged into the leaves by hand. the tea base has a warm, malty, smoky, well-rounded flavor that balances the bright punch of bergamot oil.

www.bellavinOwinebarStl.COM

816.832.4311, hugotea.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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Modern Apple MArtini Story and recipe by Matt Seiter photography by Jonathan gayMan

Modern Apple MArtini I recommend Calvados-Berneroy Fine or Calvados Boulard Grand Solage for the Calvados in this apple Martini.

SerVeS | 1 |

Granny Smith apple Juice (Yields 5 ounces)

4 oz cold water 1 tsp lemon juice 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and cubed

FreSh apple GarniSh 4 oz cold water 1 tsp lemon juice 1 Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced modern apple martini 1½ oz Calvados ¾ oz fresh Granny Smith apple juice (recipe below) ½ oz simple syrup ¼ oz fresh lemon juice fresh apple garnish (recipe below)

| preparation – granny smith apple juice | in a medium bowl, mix water and lemon juice. place apple in mixture immediately after coring and cubing so it doesn’t have time to brown. Let sit in liquid for 5 minutes. pour mixture into a blender and purée. pass mixture through a fine-mesh strainer or cheesecloth; bottle and use immediately.

| preparation – fresh apple garnish | prepare a medium plastic container with cold water and lemon juice. as soon as possible, place fresh apple slices in mixture to avoid browning. Keep container refrigerated. garnishes will keep for 2 days.

| preparation – modern apple martini | combine all ingredients except garnish in a cocktail shaker. add ice, shake, and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. garnish with 3 slices fresh apple garnish, fanned and perched on rim of glass. Serve.

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the apple Martini was supposedly concocted at a Fourth of July barbecue for employees of a Los angeles restaurant in 1996, by a bartender named adam. originally called adam’s apple Martini, it was a simple mix of equal parts Ketel one Vodka and deKuyper pucker Sour apple Schnapps imitation Liqueur. it wasn’t the most sophisticated creation, but it hit the market at the very beginning of the craft cocktail craze, which has swept the nation in full force over the last decade. the apple Martini has grown up in the past 20 years – as a matter of fact, it turns 21 in 2017.

a modern apple Martini should incorporate fresh apples as well as spirits and liqueurs made with apples, such as calvados, a French brandy made from apple cider. the core flavor profile of an apple Martini is sweet with enough sour to almost balance it. although we know the original recipe was equal parts vodka and a green-tinted, apple-flavored liqueur, allow me to introduce you to a modern version made with fresh ingredients and a much more mature flavor.

Matt Seiter is co-founder of the United States Bartenders’ Guild (USBG)’s St. Louis chapter, a member of the national board for the USBG’s MA program, author of the dive bar of cocktail bars, bar manager at BC’s Kitchen, and a bar and restaurant consultant.

WINE

lEs BourgEois VinEyarDs’ 2015 BruT rosé ProvenAnce: rocheport, Missouri PAIrIngs: Halibut • Spicy Thai dishes • Roasted pork loin

this méthode champenoise sparkling wine is made from locally grown St. Vincent grapes and most of the process is done by hand. the wine is aged sur lie for nine months before it’s filtered and bottled, giving it a rich and complex flavor. with méthode champenoise, each bottle becomes its own little fermentation tank; more yeast is added to each one, producing those beautiful bubbles through a second fermentation. the result is a crisp and dry sparkling wine with fresh cherry, strawberry and stone-fruit characteristics. Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ previous vintage was awarded a Medal of excellence at the 2015 Jefferson Cup invitational. although most les bourgeois wines are distributed across the state, you’ll have to visit the winery in rocheport, Missouri, to pick up a bottle of the brut rosé, which hits shelves Feb. 1.

800.690.1830, missouriwine.com Hilary Hedges is a former newsie whose passion for wine led her out of the newsroom and into the cellar. She is currently director of sales and marketing and assistant winemaker at Amigoni Urban Winery in Kansas City.

roCk BriDgE BrEwing Co.’s opTion #2 written by brandon niCKelSon

sTyle: imperial Milk Stout (9.2% abV) PAIrIngs: Mexican molé • Barbecue

i rarely find a beer that i consider to be a game changer, but Rock Bridge Brewing Co.’s option #2 is just that. based in Columbia, Missouri, rock bridge is a small-batch brewery churning out iPas and saisons, so option #2 is a massive break from the norm. Clocking in at 9.2 percent abV, this rich and full-bodied imperial milk stout features a blend of hazelnut and vanilla coffee. it’s smooth, delicious, sweet and nutty. never have i ever fallen so immediately in love with a beer; option #2 is an instant classic. rockbridgebrewery.com Brothers Brandon and Ryan Nickelson are available to help with beer picks and pairing recommendations at their store, Craft Beer Cellar, a craft beer shop located at 8113 Maryland Ave. in Clayton, Missouri. To learn more, call 314.222.2444 or visit craftbeercellar.com/clayton.

SPIRIT

holly neely owner, flights coffee & waffles

written by Hilary HedGeS

BEER

n eo o

ne

on

on The shelf : februAry PIcks

Tom’s Town DisTilling Co.’s mCElroy’s CorrupTion gin written by Matt Sorrell

ProvenAnce: Kansas City (45% abV) Try IT: with a bit of citrus, bubbles and a dash of grapefruit bitters in a

variation on a Collins

816.541.2400, toms-town.com When he’s not writing, Matt Sorrell can be found slinging drinks at Planter’s House in St. Louis’ Lafayette Square or bartending at events around town with his wife, Beth, for their company, Cocktails Are Go.

written by KeVin KorineK

AlTon, Il. Flights Coffee & Waffles is about to take off. this month,

owner Holly neely will take her newly redesigned camper on the road and begin serving belgian liège-style waffles, plus handcrafted espressos and lattes from a rare la Marzocco espresso machine. neely, who spent time in belgium and Portland, oregon, to learn two different trades for this endeavor, says coffee is all about experience and making connections.

What’s your philosophy when it comes to coffee? i studied at the american barista & Coffee School in Portland and it was the best money i ever spent. i’ve worked in coffee [shops] before but was never fully trained or educated like i was there. it was such an amazing experience to learn about all of the hands that go into the process. whatever i’m making, whether it’s a batch brew or a hand brew or an espresso, it’s all a method – i don’t just push a button. i’m highly involved in the grind, the temperature and the yield. i weigh all of those things to try and produce the best cup of coffee you’re going to get. Portland connected me to all of those different pieces and made me fall more in love with that process. it was a game changer. How did you acquire your espresso machine? i pitched my camper concept to a la Marzocco representative and he contacted me that evening and said they would love me to have the machine and would even feature the camper on their blog, just to show people where these machines are going because they’re really phenomenal. la Marzocco is a trusted, longtime espresso company; they’re built over in italy and their machines are beautiful and simple. you do all the work yourself and control all the variants. Mine is only a single-group head [as opposed to a larger machine] but it’s dolled up. the designer did amazing work and added brass accents. it’s only one of five in the world. What do you look for in a great cup of coffee? i feel like i’ve become more of an espresso person lately, but usually i tend to prefer pour-over coffee because you get to see what area it’s from, how it was grown, what elevation, how it was processed, was it from a machine or not – there are so many things that go into it. i like to enjoy it at home and take my time.

What is it about this industry that excites you? it’s much like wine or beer – you can enjoy it by yourself, but coffee has this special something that gathers people and cultivates experience and provides life and motivation. there’s just something that happens organically over coffee. i’ve always been drawn to that culture of people, and the coffee industry is really just a people industry when you get down to it. you’re creating an atmosphere where people can come together and enjoy it.

PHotoGraPHy by loGan SluSSer

named after Kansas City’s Prohibition-era city manager, Henry Mcelroy, who was known for his fondness for graft and vice, this spirit is described as an “elaborate and cunning gin,” in keeping with its namesake’s penchant for backroom deals. the gin is produced by Tom’s Town Distilling Co., downtown Kansas City’s first legal distillery since Prohibition, and named after another corrupt city official from the dry days, tom Pendergast. light on the nose, Corruption Gin is redolent of candied citrus peel, along with the requisite juniper; the citrus is also refreshing on the palate.

q&A

facebook.com/flightscoffee Inspired Local Food Culture

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made in the middle

Mid Coast Modern puts local products front and center in Kansas City on p. 36. photography by angela c. bond

Mid Coast Modern WriTTen By Jenny VergArA

|

PhoTogrAPhy By AngelA c.Bond

KANSAS CITY. When Matt Bramlette was laid off from his job in advertising, he decided

to leave the corporate world behind and open Mid Coast Modern. The retail store highlights products that have both style and function, usually with a kansas city theme. At the beginning of this year Mid coast Modern moved to a new storefront in the Westport neighborhod in the former Mills record co. space, outfitted with a variety of locally themed T-shirts, art prints, jewelry and housemade goods. notable is Bramlette’s collection of bar and novelty drink items; look for tea towels with the Missouri state bird hand drawn by local tattoo artist Ben comes and hand-printed by seven sisters handmade in kansas city, a canvas-covered flask printed with kansas city neighborhoods, and a handsome Boulevard Brewing co.-branded wooden six-pack tote with a bottle opener from Tallgrass Brewing co.

816.699.4506, midcoastmodernkc.com

WriTTen By nAncy sTiles

ateco pastry bag decorating set Put your cake-decorating skills to good use (turn to p. 74 for tips) with this classic pastry-decorating set from Ateco, which has been in business since 1905. The set includes two sizes of nylon bags, plus stainless steel round, open-star, scalloped, basket-weave, petal and leaf tips.

babycakes cake-pop maker Make your favorite cake pops at home in just minutes with this easy-to-use tool. Bake 12 cake pops or donut holes at a time; the cake-pop maker also comes with 50 cake-pop sticks, a cake-pop stand and a fork to remove the cake pops, plus recipes including apple cider, red velvet and maraschino cherry.

For more information or to purchase the decorating set, visit atecousa.com.

For more information or to purchase the cake-pop maker, visit thebabycakesshop.com.

PhoTo courTesy ATeco

PhoTo courTesy BABycAkes

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on

ne

n eo o

stl

q&A

erin wiles

co-owner, seed sprout spoon Written By HeatHer riske

|

pHotograpHy By cHeryl Waller

st. louis. last summer, local Harvest catering in st. louis quietly became

Seed Sprout Spoon. longtime manager erin Wiles officially took over the catering, special-events and prepared-foods company last fall. as its name implies, seed sprout spoon stays true to local Harvest’s mission of sourcing locally in all aspects of its business – including the resurrection of local Harvest’s much-loved brunch, which will be reintroduced on sun., Feb. 12 and continue each week at its tower grove south storefront. seed sprout spoon items are also sold at nearby local Harvest grocery.

How did Local Harvest Catering transition into Seed Sprout Spoon? i’ve worked at local Harvest since 2011; i started out as a server, then café manager and i took over the catering arm in 2013. When i purchased this end of the business in 2016, what i had in mind was a catering and event-focused business with some prepared foods. in June, i brought on Brendan kirby [most recently of the civil life] not only as our chef but also as a business partner.

We first worked together at Mangia italiano in 2006, and i’m super lucky to have him. We’re still doing the same kind of business we’d been doing as local Harvest catering, but we rebranded for a fresh start. How is Seed Sprout Spoon different from other catering companies? local Harvest was one of the first food businesses in the city to focus on local foods, so we have very deep connections with sourcing locally as much as possible. our efforts in sustainability also make us really different from other catering companies. catered events are super wasteful as far as the amount of garbage and food that gets thrown away. We compost at all of our off-site events and also recycle; even if recycling is not available at the venue we’re working at, we’ll recycle it at our place. We usually have less than one bag of trash at all of our events. our style of presentation also sets us apart: We focus on the appearance of the food [to] reflect the quality and the freshness. We upcycle all of our serving pieces including vintage silver trays, porcelain and wooden crates. What are some of the most popular items on the catering menu?

people really love our fresh lasagna, which we make in a few different styles using noodles from Midwest pasta on cherokee street. the vegetarian style features three different cheeses, a rustic tomato sauce made in house and seasonal vegetables like ozark Forest Mushrooms, spinach, zucchini or squash. it’s not your typical wedding lasagna; it’s fresh, light and very tasty. the most popular wedding dish is the whole-roasted Buttonwood Farm chicken. at most weddings, you’ll probably see a chicken breast, but we do whole pieces butchered in house.

What prepared foods do you sell at Local Harvest Grocery? our ready-to-eat dishes include classic local Harvest café sandwich and wrap recipes. We do a wrap version of the Blt as well as a farmers’ market salad, vegan chili and a hummus plate. ready-to-heat dishes are individual-sized entrées you can pick up and take home. they change from week to week, but we’ve done spaghetti and meatballs; chicken wings; and local Harvest’s popular superfood-quinoa salad with kale, blueberries, beets and carrots. We also have some pantry items like vegetable and sustainably raised chicken stocks. seedsproutspoon.com

Fun Food, Happy People, Great Drinks!

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Saturdays 10-1 106 N. Main St. • Edwardsville 618.307.4830 • clevelandheath.com Mon-Fri 11:00-close, Sat 10:00-close Offering Saturday brunch • First Come - First Serve (No reservations) We Do Not Take Reservations

Stay at our vineyard cottage this Spring!

HISTORIC MISSOURI COUNTRY WINERY

Sweet & Simple: DeSSert for two written by Kaitlynn Martin

anyone with a sweet tooth can relate: you’ve baked a whole batch of warm, ooey-gooey brownies. and really, you just need one. but you go for two, and then before you know it, the pan is nothing but a dusting of crumbs. you can’t just bake a dozen, eat one and throw the rest away, and it’s not realistic to rid all sweets from your life. what to do? that’s where Christina lane’s new cookbook, Sweet & Simple: Dessert for Two comes in. lane, who lives in St. louis, takes on the delicious challenge of making small-batch recipes for beloved sweets and treats in her third cookbook. it’s is divided into sections by cooking equipment: mini baking sheet, classic loaf pan, muffin pan, ramekins, 6-inch round cake pan and 8-by-8-inch cake pan. each section offers smaller versions of classics like chocolate chip-peanut butter cookies, lemon bars and banana cake. but lane also explores the not-so-usual sweet concoctions of berry crostini, vegan chocolate sorbet and homemade Ding Dongs. almost all of the recipes yield two to eight servings, so there’s really no reason to deprive yourself of sweet cravings – just make two to share (or not).

Wine Tasting & Tours • Craft Beers • Special Events Potosi, MO • www.edg-clif.com

By Christina Lane dessertfortwo.com

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Sugar MoMMa’S TradiTional TreaTS STOry ANd PhOTOGrAPhy By MABeL SueN

ST. LOUIS. For baked goods that harken back to scratch-made American classics, look no further than Sugar Momma’s Traditional Treats. The sweets shop, which opened in the east delmar Loop last summer, offers delightful desserts to sate saccharine cravings. “I started off baking for fun and donated cakes to churches and things of that sort. It blossomed from there,” says owner Stephanie White, who got the Sugar Momma moniker from her grandkids. “So many people were asking for my caramel cake and homemade turtles. A lot of people like old-fashioned cakes.” The 1,550-square-foot space takes on a retro-American theme to complement its home-style goodies.

Black-and-white checkered tile underlies sky-blue stools in the window to match the walls, with an old-fashioned gas pump amidst displays filled with chips, candy and assorted snacks.

Ice cream is also available by the scoop, including a black walnut flavor. From a cooler, guests can grab individually sized desserts such as lemon cakes, strawberry shortcakes, German chocolate cakes, red velvet cakes and hand-dipped chocolate-covered strawberries. Some of White’s specialties include banana split pudding, pecan pie and 7-up pound cake – a favorite of her father’s from the days when their family owned a banquet hall.

Many of White’s creations begin with a fluffy, scratch-made cake base topped with decadent frosting. her turtle cake, for instance, features chocolate cake, caramel icing and pecans.

Whole cakes are available to order – just leave a message on the shop’s answering machine anytime or stop by to see the rotating selection. “They’re homemade items, made with love,” White says. “Come on in – you never know what you might find.”

314.449.1390, facebook.com/sugarmommatreats

artisan products

WrITTeN By BeThANy ChrISTO

cedar street toffee

the tipsy goat macarons

OVERLAND PARK, KS. Cedar Street Toffee evokes nostalgia – both because of the treat’s centuries-old origins and the company’s own history and mission. Founded by Teresa Spiess and Andrea Johnson in Overland Park, Kansas, Cedar Street Toffee aims to transport you “to a time when front doors were left open, children ran freely and your neighbors were your great friends.” Neighbors actually inspired the company, after one left a gift of toffee on their doorsteps, prompting the pair to perfect their own recipe – a melt-in-your-mouth buttery toffee with whole almonds double-coated in chocolate and dusted with crushed walnuts. The toffee is available in ¼-, ½- and 1-pound boxes, sold online and at Foo’s Fabulous Café in Leawood, Kansas.

ST. LOUIS. The delicate, slightly crunchy shells of The Tipsy Goat’s macarons are traditional, yet the chewy insides are filled with creative flavor combinations dreamed up by co-founders Mallory Newbern and mily Lamb. Take its signature The Tipsy Goat macaron, made with emily Montelle Winery Chambourcin and semisweet chocolate ganache, or the Chubby hubby, ubby, filled with chocolate ganache spiked with Schlafly Beer’s Oatmeal Stout and peanut butter buttercream between two pretzel-topped shells. This month, Tipsy Goat is exploring seasonal flavors like chocolate-covered strawberry (a strawberry buttercream macaron with a strawberry-jam center, all dipped in chocolate), dark chocolate-raspberry and espresso-lavender. The Tipsy Goat’s macarons can be ordered online and picked up at its commissary inside the Carondelet Bakery incubator in St. Louis, or keep an eye out for monthly pop ups at the bakery on social media, including a Valentine’s day-themed event on Sun., Feb. 12.

913.548.8314, cedarstreettoffee.com PhOTO COurTeSy CedAr STreeT TOFFee

314.660.4576, tipsygoatstl.com PhOTOGrAPhy By JACKLyN Meyer

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promotion BissinGer’s Handcrafted cHocolatier Valentine’s Day Collection, $28 (6.3 ounces), $45 (1 pound) bissinger’s heart boxes are brimming with handcrafted classics to make your valentine swoon. bissingers.com

decadent dinner on tHe plaza chaz on the plaza is featuring a romantic dinner for two feb. 10 to 14. listen to live music while you indulge in special menu items including a dry-aged porterhouse with butter-poached lobster medallions. the raphael hotel is offering three romance packages, as well. chazontheplaza.com, raphaelkc.com

Valentine’s day Guide local gifts for your sweetheart and romantic day trips to celebrate your love cHristopHer’s Chocolate-Strawberry Lip Gloss, $17 this strawberry-scented lip balm is an adorably packaged gift that’s as sweet and luxurious as the chocolate-covered treat we all love.

314.909.0202, christophersgifts.com

romantic niGHt on tHe Hill

Historic Hotel stay

celebrate love at favazza’s in st. louis, with specials including steak amore topped with shrimp and crab and its popular linguine pescatore.

the valentine’s day package at the original springs hotel in okawville, illinois, includes mineral baths, swedish massages and more.

618.243.5458, theoriginalspringshotel.com

314.772.4454, favazzas.com

Wine country GetaWay

a Valentine’s day

GiVeaWay!

spend a weekend in the vineyard cottage at edg-clif winery reconnecting with nature and drinking wine.

from The Art of Entertaining

573.438.4741, edg-clif.com

Romantic Dinner for Two: enter to win a $60 meal for two that will make you fall in love at first bite! enjoy four prepared courses including beef tenderloin medallions with sautéed shrimp and cupid’s triple-chocolate seduction cake with raspberry sauce.

314.963.9899, theaofe.com

Best reGards Bakery & café Sweets for Your Sweet Gift Box, $25 to $75 give the gift of assorted goodies in Kansas city including chocolate-truffle gooey butter cake, chocolate éclairs and pecan sticky buns. order by sun., feb. 11.

913.912.7238, www.makethemsmile.com

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bark with bite

Sweeten up snack time with tea-infused chocolate bark on p. 44. photography by sherrie castellano

healthy appetite

story, recipe AND photogrAphy by sherrie cAstellANo

Tea-Infused dark ChoColaTe Bark wITh CInnamon and rose Dried rose petals and loose-leaf hibiscus tea can be purchased at most specialty grocery stores. yielDs | 12 to 18 pieces |

1 7 ½ ¹⁄₈ 1

tsp loose-leaf hibiscus tea oz 70-percent dark chocolate tsp ground cinnamon tsp sea salt Tbsp dried rose petals

| preparation | lightly grind tea using a mortar and pestle; set aside. in a double boiler over low heat, heat chocolate until about half is melted. remove from heat and continue to stir until all chocolate is melted. stir in cinnamon and salt. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and smooth chocolate into a rectangle roughly 8-inches-by-10inches. sprinkle crushed tea and dried rose petals on top. transfer tray to freezer until set (but not hard), about 25 minutes. remove and cut bark into squares or triangles using a sharp knife. transfer chocolate bark back into freezer for 2 hours or until hardened. serve.

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tea-infused dark chocolate bark with Cinnamon and Rose in winter, when days are shorter and cold and winds are blustering, it’s important to savor simple pleasures that brighten our days and lift our spirits. it doesn’t matter if you’re single or coupled up – or if you love or hate Valentine’s Day – this tea-infused dark chocolate bark is exactly what you need this month.

the bark is made with dark chocolate, the most indulgent of all superfoods, which is packed with anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. the bark is then enhanced with black tea, cinnamon and dried rose petals, which add wintry, romantic flavors and aromas. share this chocolate bark with your partner, family or friends – or save it all for yourself.

Sherrie Castellano is a health coach, photographer and private chef based in St. Louis. She writes and photographs the seasonally inspired vegetarian and gluten-free blog With Food + Love. She has contributed work to Driftless Magazine, Vegetarian times, go gluten-Free Magazine, Food52 and Urban Outfitters, among others. You can find her hanging with her aviation-enthusiast husband, sipping Earl Grey tea, green juice and/or bourbon.

r u o y t Treatheart in Swee

n o w ac c epti n g r es ervati o n s f o r

Valentine’s Day 2.14.17

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entury y in a c eral a t s g in h a min a relax Enjoy ind wit tic dinner w n u a tel, old ho take in a rom urant. ta d s n e r a , spa oom R r e il Bo at the

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mystery shopper

Meet: BarBerries story and recipe by shannon weber photography by jennifer silverberg

BarBerry-Farro Salad serves | 4 |

1 3 ½ 1 ½ ½ ½ ¼ ½ ¹⁄₃ ½ 4 to 5

cup farro cups unsalted chicken or vegetable stock tsp kosher salt tsp granulated sugar cup dried barberries zest of 1 lemon juice of 2 lemons tsp ground cumin tsp chile flakes cup olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper cup pistachios, dry-toasted, roughly chopped (to serve) cup fresh mint leaves, chopped into thin ribbons (to serve) cup fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped (to serve) scallions, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced into rings (to serve)

| preparation | rinse farro in a mesh strainer; add to large saucepan with stock and salt. bring to a boil and cook until tender but not mushy, 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. transfer to strainer to drain excess liquid; rinse with cold water and set aside to cool. while farro is cooking, heat 1 cup cold water just to a boil in small saucepan. turn off heat, stir in sugar and add barberries; set aside to plump and rehydrate, 15 minutes. strain and set aside. in a small 8-ounce lidded glass jar, add lemon zest and juice, ground cumin, chile flakes and olive oil; screw lid on jar and shake vigorously until emulsified. season with salt and pepper to taste and refrigerate.

| to serve | transfer cooked farro to a large bowl; add plumped barberries, pistachios, mint, parsley and scallions and toss to incorporate. add half of lemon vinaigrette; toss to coat and season to taste with salt and pepper. add more vinaigrette as needed. divide onto plates and serve.

Raise the bar(berry) on your dried fruit game this winter.

What Is It? Barberries are the tiny, crimson-hued fruit of the berberis vulgaris shrub, native to europe, North africa and West asia. If you look carefully, you can find the bushes scattered across cooler areas of the U.s., especially in the Northeast. they look like oblong, half-sized cranberries yet have twice the tartness. particularly resilient to cold, the little scarlet berries adorn branches in winter, providing snacks to those daring enough to reach them.

In the midwest, most of us only have access to the dried version – not a bad deal, considering the lemony-sour berries can be difficult to snag due to the prickly branches which protect them from birds and humans alike. snag the dried sort at your nearest middle eastern market or international grocery store.

What Do I Do WIth It? Dried barberries are incredibly versatile, especially if

you’re partial to astringent notes in your cooking. popular in their native regions, you’ll find the berries in all sorts of dishes, from stews and tagines to zereshk polow, a persian dish of saffron-simmered barberries and rice that accompanies chicken. Break up the monotony of raisins and cranberries this winter by replacing them with sharply sour barberries in trail mix, oatmeal, strudels and other fruitfilled pastries. Deploy barberries in savory winter stews to break up heavy flavors and add unexpected brightness, or scatter them over roasted vegetables like squash and Brussels sprouts. they’re a must for grain salads, too, and pair exceptionally well with the roundness of farro in this recipe. the combination of hearty grain, fresh herbs, crunchy pistachios, pucker-inducing barberries and a lemon vinaigrette will brighten up the coldest winter day. the berries are loaded with antioxidants, antimicrobials and vitamin C, so you’ll be doing your body good at the same time. eat the salad solo as a lunch main, or pair it with roasted chicken, salmon or braised lamb shanks for dinner.

Shannon Weber is the creator, author and photographer behind the award-winning blog aperiodictableblog.com, and her work has appeared on websites such as Bon Appétit, Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. She is a self-taught baker and cook who believes that the words “I can’t” should never apply to food preparation and that curiosity can lead to wonderful things, in both the kitchen and life.

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quick fix

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Cheesy GarliC Bread

story and recipes by Gabrielle deMichele photoGraphy by jennifer silverberG

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with CheeSy garliC bread serves | 4 TO 6 |

GarLic Bread 1 stick unsalted butter 3 garlic cloves, smashed ½ tsp granulated garlic 1 soft baguette, sliced in half lengthwise and into 2-inch pieces 1 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano SPaGhetti aLLa carBOnara 2 large eggs 4 large eggs yolks ½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano ½ cup grated pecorino Romano 2 Tbsp salt 1 lb spaghetti 1 tsp grapeseed oil 12 oz uncured bacon, cut into lardons freshly ground black pepper

| preparation – garlic bread | preheat broiler. in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat, add butter, garlic and granulated garlic and heat until garlic starts to cook. remove pan from heat and let sit 1 minute. dip sliced side of bread into butter mixture and place onto a baking sheet garlic-side up. repeat and then sprinkle cheese over each slice. slide baking sheet under broiler and heat until bread is golden and cheese is melted.

Keep warm until ready to serve.

| preparation – spaghetti alla carbonara | in a large mixing bowl, beat eggs and egg yolks together, stir in both cheeses and set aside. in a stockpot with a lid over high heat, add enough cold water so only 1 inch remains at the top and cover with lid.

When water comes to a rolling boil, remove lid and add salt and pasta; cook according to package directions. stir occasionally. When pasta is al dente, remove a cupful of pasta water from stockpot. drain pasta into a colander. in a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add oil. add bacon to hot oil and sauté until it has rendered off some fat and slightly crisped, about 6 to 8 minutes. add drained pasta to sauté pan and toss with bacon; turn off heat. add egg-cheese mixture and toss until pasta is coated and cheese melts into a creamy sauce. if sauce is too thick, add a little pasta water until sauce is creamy. season with pepper and serve immediately with warm garlic bread.

The history of spaghetti alla carbonara is obscure: Some say it was invented during World War ii, when American soldiers asked an italian chef to make a pasta dish with bacon and eggs. (carbonara literally translates to bacon and egg in italian.)

Other reports claim that carbonara was created for coal miners. Whatever its origin, spaghetti alla carbonara with a side of homemade cheesy garlic bread is a quick and easy meal you should add to your weeknight dinner repertoire.

chef’s tip uSE YOuR NOODLE. While italians classically pair a cut of pasta to a particular sauce, feel free to use a linguine or thin fettuccine noodle in this dish instead of spaghetti.

the menu • Pear, Gorgonzola and Balsamic Vinegar Bruschetta • Marinated Broccoli Salad • Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Cheesy Garlic Bread • Butterscotch Budino with Sea Salt and Olive Oil

Learn MOre. in this class, you’ll learn how to make spaghetti alla carbonara and cheesy garlic bread, a quick and easy weeknight meal, as well as a gorgeous and salty-sweet butterscotch budino made with sea salt and olive oil.

get hands-on: Join Feast Magazine and schnucks Cooks Cooking school on Wed., Feb. 15 at 6pm at the des Peres, Missouri, location, to make the dishes in this month’s menu. tickets are just $45 for a night of cooking, dining and wine. RsVP at schnuckscooks.com or call 314.909.1704.

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sweet ideas

Caramel SauCe Three WayS story and recipes by christy augustin photography by cheryl Waller

Basic caramel sauce For salted caramel, use a high-quality sea salt instead of kosher salt and increase measurement to 1 tablespoon. yields | 1½ pints |

2 1 ¾ 6 1½ 1 2

cups plus 2 Tbsp granulated sugar Tbsp corn syrup cup water Tbsp unsalted butter cups heavy cream tsp kosher salt tsp vanilla extract

| preparation | in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, corn syrup and water. cook to a deep amber color. remove from heat and add butter, stirring until melted, followed by cream. Finish with salt and vanilla. let cool completely at room temperature before storing or serving.

Brown Butter-Balsamic caramel sauce Try adding your favorite whiskey in place of the balsamic vinegar. yields | 1½ pints |

3 2 1 ¾ 1¼ 1 3

Tbsp unsalted butter cups granulated sugar Tbsp corn syrup cup water cups heavy cream tsp kosher salt Tbsp balsamic vinegar

| preparation | in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, melt butter until it sizzles. stir constantly until butter begins to foam and turns a nutty brown. immediately pour into a heatproof container, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan. set aside to cool. prepare caramel sauce as in recipe above, substituting vinegar for vanilla and browned butter for unsalted butter.

Peanut Butter caramel sauce Try using almond or sunflower butter or Nutella in place of peanut butter. yields | 1½ pints |

2 1 ¾ 1¼ ¼ ½ 2

cups granulated sugar Tbsp corn syrup cup water cups heavy cream cup smooth peanut butter tsp kosher salt tsp vanilla extract

| preparation | prepare caramel as in basic caramel sauce recipe above, but add peanut butter after cream to keep fat from separating.

caramelized sugar adds complex flavor to any dish – so much so that i can’t imagine a world where it doesn’t exist. i like to think that hundreds of years ago a pastry chef must have mistakenly overcooked sugar, and not wanting to waste it, happened upon one of the best things ever: caramel. as you cook sugar, it goes through all of the stages of candy making – soft ball, hard crack and eventually caramel. the sugar’s makeup changes as it cooks and changes color. a light golden shade will result in a sweeter caramel sauce than will a dark, deep amber. i prefer my caramel cooked to a dark copper, but be careful, as burnt sugar is quite bitter. sugar begins to caramelize at 320ºF and doesn’t burn until around 350ºF, so you have some wiggle room. to avoid recrystallization in your caramel sauce, follow these easy tips: top your saucepot with a lid during the beginning of cooking

to let steam wash down the sides, ridding them of sugar granules; once the mixture begins to boil, stir the edges of the pot to liquefy any remaining sugar; and don’t agitate the liquid during the cooking process. When you add the heavy cream, go slowly to avoid splattering yourself with blistering caramel, and if you find a few bits of hard caramel after adding it, just simmer sauce on a very low heat, stirring, until they melt.

Make sure to use a heatproof spatula or wooden spoon, as regular plastic will melt at these high temperatures. caramel sauce keeps for weeks in the refrigerator and only takes an hour at room temperature to come back to a pourable consistency. this is the best recipe to use on ice cream or as a gift for your sweetheart… you can basically drizzle it on anything sweet and i can almost guarantee that no one will argue otherwise.

Christy Augustin has had a lifelong love affair with all things sweet. After working as a pastry chef in New Orleans and St. Louis, she opened Pint Size Bakery & Coffee in St. Louis’ Lindenwood Park in 2012. She calls herself the baker of all things good and evil. See more at pintsizebakery.com.

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Now in the Central West End An Oil & Vinegar Emporium Di Olivas brings you about 2 dozen of the world' s freshest olive oils and about 2 dozen varieties of balsamic vinegar.

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Celebrate Valentine’s Day “ o n t h e h i l l” 5201 southwest avenue reservations: 314-772-4454 favazzas.com

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Gallagher© s Restaurant Serving the best fried chicken, house-ground burgers and premium steaks for over a decade!

• 2016 Voted #1 BEST BURGER - by St. Louis Magazine Readers • 2016 Ian Froeb's Selected STL Top 100 Restaurant in St. Louis • 2015 & 2016 Voted #1 BEST FRIED CHICKEN

by St. Louis Post-Dispatch & RFT Readers 114 W. Mill St. • Waterloo, IL • 618.939.9933 • gallagherswaterloo.com

Furniture Repaired, Furniture Refinished 5 Year Workmanship Guarantee Quality Craftsmanship • Refinishing • Reupholstery Antique Restoration Repair • Custom Made Draperies Custom Made Furniture • New Furniture • Antiques Monday - Friday 8am - 4:30pm Appointments & Service Available 24 Hrs. A Day, 7 Days A Week

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Just east of 3400 S. Kingshighway We accept Discover, Visa, Mastercard and American Express

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Join Us For Valentine' s Day Chi Mangia Bene Vive Bene! "to eat Well is to live Well" Proudly serving authentic italian Food in a Family atmosphere.

Party Pans to Go! MaKe yoUr Valentine' s reserVation early! need to feed a crowd? try our party pans for a delicious meal for any size group!

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Giuseppe and the Prezzavento Family

reservations recommended, Hours of operation: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-10pm • Sunday Noon-9pm • Closed Monday

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Love is in the Air, Share your love with US X-Rated Mimosas: 2 for $7. $3 Appetizers Free Lava Cake for Couples.

Lunch Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11:00am - 2:30pm Saturday - Sunday 11:00am - 3:00pm Dinner Hours: Tuesday - Thursday & Sunday 4:00pm - 9:30pm Friday - Saturday 4:00pm - 10:00pm

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A Big Easy Murder Interactive Comedy Murder Mystery It' s Nawlins' ! The Big Easy! Bitsy Jones is getting her crew together to plan their float for the Mardi Gnis Parade! Carlos Violincello, the well known mobster and concert violinist, is paying for everything. What can go wrong? Plenty! No wonder Bitsy ends up DEAD! The pirates, John Lafeet and his wench, Anne Bonny, try to figure out “whodunit.” Play your part. Join us and with your help, we can fmd out who committed the Big Easy Murder.

Make your reservations now by calling 314-533-9830 Bring this ad in for $10.00 off per person Valid through February 2017. Not valid with groups or Valentine' s Day

Bissell Mansion Dinner Theatre

4426 Randall Place • St. Louis • 314.533.9830 • bissellmansion.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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You be the Judge February 23, 2017 The Chase Park Plaza

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

invites you to the sweetest event of the year!

Join us at Dessert First as we taste the fare of local chefs challenged to create delectable desserts using Girl Scout Cookies. This year will feature a new variety, Girl Scout S’mores.

All proceeds from the event will support our leadership development programs for girls.

Tickets start at $150 girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst

Presenting Sponsor

Legacy Sponsor

Participating Restaurants 23 City Blocks Catering Bailey’s Chocolate Bar The Chase Park Plaza Clementine’s Creamery Companion Edibles and Essentials Element Restaurant & Lounge Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis

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refined sugar

Six bakers and pastry chefs share breakfast-appropriate pastry recipes to start your day with a little – or a lot of – sweetness.

Christopher Elbow’s artful chocolate jewels, colorful pâte de fruit and delicate caramels are almost too pretty to eat Ace your cakes by tackling the trendiest decorating designs with tips and tricks from the region’s top pastry pros.

In a nondescript strip mall in Kirkwood, Missouri, one of the country’s most acclaimed pastry chefs, Nathaniel Reid, is producing world-class pastries, breads, confections and more.

photo of tRufflES fIllEd wIth lEMoN MARMAlAdE ANd whItE-ChoColAtE gANAChE fRoM ChRIStophER Elbow (p. 67) by wIllIAM hESS

Butterscotch-oatmeal scones from Sasha's Baking Co. in Kansas City.

Photo by anna Petrow

Six bakers and pastry chefs share breakfast-appropriate pastry recipes to start your day with a little – or a lot of – sweetness.

Written by Liz MiLLer and nancy StiLeS

there’s a reason we traditionally cap off dinner with a strong cup of coffee and dessert.

With varying sweet, bitter and bright flavors, coffee cuts the richness of sweets for a balanced and indulgent last bite. the same holds for the first meal of the day: Pair a piping-hot cup of coffee with an oatmeal scone studded with pockets of melted butterscotch chips, or a cinnamon morning bun flavored with cloves and orange zest and coated in caramelized sugar. either purchased at your favorite bakery or made at home, the following six breakfast-appropriate pastries are a sweet way to start your day.

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Lemon Curd P o P Ta r T L e T s

By Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop

Kaylen Wissinger loves playing with flavor combinations and experimenting with whimsical takes on cakes and pastries, cookies and brownies, handpies and cupcakes… the list goes on. At her St. Louis bakery, Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop, Wissinger whips up a variety of creative breakfast pastries, including bacon-blue cheese scones, snickerdoodle quickbread, and Duffins, a donut-muffin hybrid filled with locally made raspberry jam.

One of Whisk’s most popular menu items is its pop tartlets, Wissinger’s from-scratch take on everyone’s favorite childhood toaster pastry. Pop tartlets are regularly offered in cherry, apple-cinnamon and lemon curd flavors, as well as rotating favorites like triple chocolate, apple pie and mixed berry. Wissinger’s favorite is lemon curd, because, as she says, “It’s nice and bright, and essentially a smack of sunshine in your mouth.”

Pop tartlets are made with what she describes as a “heartier pie crust” to ensure the handheld treats are durable, yet still slightly flaky. The dough is frozen until stiff and then rolled out into rectangles. Filling is dolloped on one side of the dough, and topped with the other piece of dough. The edges are then crimped closed before the tartlets are baked. For the lemon-curd filling, Wissinger combines melted butter, eggs, lemon juice and zest on the stove and refrigerates it before filling the tartlets.

Wissinger says she struggles to keep the pop tartlets in stock daily, as they are somewhat involved to prepare, and regular customers know to drop in early. She suggests stopping by on weekends for the most robust selection of pastries and treats, including the Duffins, which aren’t offered during the week.

“I love when people come in and they get a huge box of stuff and say, ‘This isn’t all for me,'" Wissinger says. "My stock answer is always, ‘I’m not judging you – I ate four cookies for breakfast.’” –L.M. 314.932.5166, whiskstl.com PhOTO By j. POLLAcK PhOTOgrAPhy

Visit feastmagazine.com for Wissinger’s recipe for Duffins, her signature donut-muffin hybrid.

Recipe By kaylen WissingeR, co-oWneR, Whisk: a sustainaBle Bakeshop yields | 10 |

Filling (Yields about 1 cup) ½ cup fresh lemon juice 2 tsp lemon zest ½ cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes Pastry Dough 2 cups all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for flouring work surface 2 Tbsp granulated sugar ½ tsp salt 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes, divided 2 eggs, divided (one for egg wash) 2 Tbsp milk glaze

2 1

Tbsp fresh lemon juice cup sifted powdered sugar

| preparation – filling | in a 2-quart heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat, whisk together lemon juice and zest, sugar and eggs. stir in butter and cook, whisking frequently, until curd is thick enough to hold soft peak and bubbles begin to appear on surface, about 6 minutes. transfer lemon curd to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface of the curd, and chill for 1 hour.

B u t t e r s co t ch- oa t m e a l s con e s

By Sasha’s Baking Co. the menu at sasha’s Baking co. in kansas city changes frequently – both with the seasons and at the whim of its creative team of bakers. the butterscotch-oatmeal scone has been on the menu for almost three years, outlasting many other breakfast pastries thanks to customer demand.

“We always have two different kinds of scones, but butterscotch-oatmeal is always one of the two, and the other one changes seasonally,” says owner Jackie kincaid habiger. “people love them; all around it’s one of our most popular things.” kincaid habiger says the scones, which are made daily, begin with a slightly sweet, biscuit-like dough. Butterscotch chips are added for their addictive, salty-sweet flavor, and oats lend a chewy texture. the dough is then transferred to a sheet pan, rolled out into a large square, cut into pieces and baked. “the butterscotch chips melt really well and create little pockets of goodness in the scones,” she says. sasha’s serves a range of european-inspired pastries, including other popular menu items like chocolate croissants, danishes, cinnamon rolls, muffins and cookies, and to kincaid habiger, the indulgent treats are early-morning favorites for one reason: “the best part of having a sweet treat for breakfast is that it feels like you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing – it’s wrong but it feels so right.” –L.M. 816.474.9935, sashasbakingco.com photo By anna petRoW

| preparation – pastry dough | in the bowl of a food processor or blender, layer 1 cup flour and then sugar, salt and ½ cup butter, and then remaining flour and butter. pulse until mixture resembles coarse sand or small pebbles. add 1 egg and milk and pulse until combined and formed into a ball that pulls away from walls of bowl or blender. tightly wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. | preparation – glaze | in a bowl, whisk lemon juice into powdered sugar until smooth and set aside.

| assembly | Remove dough from refrigerator and let sit for 30 minutes. preheat oven to 325°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. divide dough into 4 pieces. on a flour-dusted work surface, roll dough out to ¹⁄8-inch thickness and use a pastry cutter or knife to cut dough into 3-by-4-inch rectangles. Repeat with remaining dough until you have an even number of rectangles. transfer half of rectangles to prepared baking sheet. in a small bowl, beat remaining egg. using a pastry brush, brush each rectangle on baking sheet with egg wash. spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon curd on top of each egg-washed rectangle and then cover each with rectangles from work surface, sealing filling in between. gently press the top layer into the bottom layer and press out any air bubbles. using a fork, crimp down edges and prick the top of each tartlet with fork twice to allow steam to release during baking. Bake for 15 minutes; rotate and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more. allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before glazing. using an offset spatula, spread glaze onto tartlets. allow glaze to harden for 15 minutes and then serve.

Recipe couRtesy sasha’s Baking co. yields | 8 to 12 scones |

2 ¼ 2 2 ½ 1 ¾ 12 2¼

cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flouring work surface cup rolled oats Tbsp baking powder tsp salt cup brown sugar egg cup milk Tbsp unsalted butter, cubed and chilled cups butterscotch chips egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp water)

| preparation | in a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder, salt and brown sugar, and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. in a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together egg and milk and place in refrigerator. in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cut chilled butter into chilled flour mixture. slowly add chilled wet ingredients and combine. Mix in butterscotch chips, cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes. preheat oven to 350ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. lightly flour a work surface and roll out dough to about 1-inch thickness. cut into 3-by-4½-inch triangles. using a pastry brush, brush the top of triangles with egg wash, transfer to prepared baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. serve warm.

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Cinnamon morning Buns

By 1900 Barker – Bakery and Café

lemon-cream-filled croissants, apple turnovers and fig-almond rolls are just a few of the pastries served seasonally at 1900 barker – bakery and café in lawrence, kansas; each is made with light, airy and incredibly flaky layered dough. about a year ago, the bakery added cinnamon morning buns made with orange zest and cloves to the menu; co-owner taylor petrehn says the pastry has since become the top-selling item in the case. “it was developed out of necessity for us to have a sort of nostalgic cinnamon roll-type pastry. everyone and their mother craves a cinnamon roll when they go to a bakery, but we didn’t want to have a cinnamon roll with the traditional bread dough and icing on top.

What we’re known for is really flaky pastries, so we made a really flaky cinnamon roll.” the morning buns get their flakiness from croissant dough, which is sweetened with sugar and then baked in a metal ring that’s covered with butter and sugar. the ingredients caramelize as the buns bake, creating a crisp, thin layer of medium-dark caramel around the outside of each. “and then on the inside it’s light and airy with lots of distinct layers and flavors of orange zest, clove, cinnamon and sugar,” petrehn says. many of the flavor combinations used in 1900 barker’s breads, desserts and pastries are nontraditional – think rosemary-sorghum pie, fingerling potato-shishito pepper-cheese ciabatta and a spinach-fennel-salami tart. for the morning bun, petrehn says the goal was to blend the classic flavors of cinnamon, orange and cloves for a familiar and comforting breakfast pastry. “it’s gotta make you happy if you eat it right away in the morning, and i think that’s what this does.” –L.M. 785.424.7609, 1900barker.com photo by anna petroW

croissant dough recipe adapted from nancy silverton's morning bun recipe courtesy 1900 barker – bakery and café

You will need a ruler, pastry brush and two kitchen towels (not made of terry cloth) to make croissant dough. For a quicker substitute, store-bought puff pastry dough or croissant dough can be used in its place. yields | 12 morning buns |

Croissant Dough (Yields about 2¾ pounds) 1½ cups whole milk, heated to between 105°F to 110°F ¼ cup light brown sugar 1 Tbsp plus ¼ tsp active dry yeast 3¾ to 4½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, divided 1 Tbsp kosher salt 3 sticks cold, unsalted butter morning buns ¹⁄₃ cup dark brown sugar 1 tsp orange zest 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon ¹⁄8 tsp ground cloves ½ tsp sea salt 1 lb croissant dough (recipe below) or puff pastry 2 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, plus more for buttering pan ½ cup granulated sugar

| preparation – croissant dough | in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, stir together warm milk, light brown sugar and yeast and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. add 3¾ cups flour and salt and mix with dough hook at low speed until dough is smooth and very soft, about 7 minutes. transfer dough to a work surface and knead by hand for 2 minutes, adding more flour as necessary, a little at a time, to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. form dough into a roughly 1½-inch-thick rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill until cold, about 1 hour. after dough has chilled, arrange sticks of butter horizontally, their sides touching, on a work surface. pound butter with a rolling pin to soften slightly (butter should be malleable but still cold). scrape butter into a block and place on a kitchen towel, then cover with other towel. pound and roll out on both sides until butter forms a uniform 8-by-5-inch rectangle. Wrap in towels and chill while rolling out dough. remove dough from refrigerator. unwrap and roll out on a lightly floured surface, dusting with flour as necessary and lifting and stretching dough (especially in corners), into a 16-by-10-inch rectangle. arrange dough with short side nearest you. put butter in center of dough so that long sides of butter are parallel to short sides of dough. fold as you would a letter: bottom third of dough over butter, then top third down over dough. brush off excess flour. turn dough so the short side is nearest you, then flatten dough slightly by pressing down horizontally with rolling pin across dough at regular intervals, making uniform impressions. roll out dough into a 15-by-10-inch rectangle, rolling just to – but not over – ends. brush off any excess flour. fold in thirds like a letter, as above, stretching corners to square off dough, forming a 10-by-5-inch rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill, 1 hour. make 3 more folds like a letter, chilling dough 1 hour after each fold, for a total of 4 folds. (if butter oozes out while rolling, sprinkle with flour to prevent sticking.) Wrap dough tightly in plastic wrap and chill, 8 hours.

| preparation – morning buns | preheat oven to 375°f. in a large mixing bowl, combine dark brown sugar, orange zest, spices and salt. roll croissant dough out to 17-by-7-inches long with ¼-inch thickness. brush a thin layer of melted butter over croissant dough, about 2 tablespoons. evenly sprinkle brown sugar mixture over croissant dough. roll width-wide into a log. butter a large muffin tin liberally and dust each mold with granulated sugar. portion the log of dough into 12 evenly sized pieces and place inside muffin tin. allow dough to proof for 2 to 3 hours or until doubled in size. to proof overnight, place in refrigerator. bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown. allow to cool slightly and then remove from tin. serve upside down while still warm.

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Lemon-ButtermiLk Cake with ButtermiLk GLaze

Full Menu • Full Bar • Banquet rooMs • Dine-in • Carry-out

By Russell’s on Macklind and Russell's Fenton

Dine-In or Carry-out!

Before Russell Ping could open his first bakery-café, Russell’s Fenton, in Fenton, Missouri, he needed to perfect his white cake recipe.

“White cake is probably the cake we had the most trial and error with in the beginning,” Ping says. “After testing out different types of cakes, the lemon-buttermilk cake turned out to be the most consistent; the buttermilk and lemon cuts the heaviness of everything else and balances it. It’s a different texture than other white cakes you’ll find at bakeries around town.”

The versatile cake is now featured in a few different ways at the Fenton flagship, and his second bakery-café, Russell’s on Macklind, in St. Louis. The recipe is used to make cakes, pound cakes, coffeecakes and other breakfast pastries.

“For breakfast, we’ll put fresh berries on top, or in the fall, a streusel or glaze – really anything can be mixed into it,” he says, adding that spices and dried fruit are popular in fall and winter. Other flavor combinations include triple berry (cranberry, blueberry and blackberry), toasted coconut with chocolate ganache, and lemon zest with buttermilk glaze. –L.M. 636.343.8900 (Fenton); 314.553.9994 (Macklind), russellscafe.com PhOTO By j. POLLAck PhOTOgRAPhy

RecIPe By RuSSeLL PIng, OWneR, RuSSeLL’S On MAckLInd yIeLdS | 1 9-inch round cake |

Glaze 1 lb powdered sugar ¼ tsp kosher salt juice of 1 lemon zest of 2 lemons ¼ cup buttermilk, plus more as needed cake 1 1 12 1 ½ ½ 2 2 1

lb unsalted butter lb plus 12 ounces granulated sugar eggs tsp vanilla extract tsp salt tsp baking soda cups buttermilk, divided Tbsp lemon juice Tbsp lemon zest

| preparation – glaze | In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk until desired consistency is achieved, adding more buttermilk as needed to thin glaze. Set aside.

| preparation – cake | Preheat oven to 325°F.

In the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Add eggs, a few at a time, and continue to beat until creamy and light; add vanilla and combine.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Mix ¹⁄₃ of dry ingredients into wet, and then add 1 cup buttermilk. Add lemon juice and zest and continue to mix dry and wet until everything is incorporated, about 30 seconds; don’t overmix.

Add remaining buttermilk. Once all ingredients are incorporated, replace paddle attachment with whisk attachment and whip batter on high for 30 to 45 seconds.

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Pour batter into a 9-inch round cake pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cake has risen; a gilded, thin, brown crust forms on top; and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cake cool to room temperature and drizzle glaze over top. Serve.

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Kringla

By B+B Boulangerie

b+b boulangerie opened in springfield, Missouri, last year as butcher + baker, serving house-cured meats, sweets, freshly baked bread, croissant cinnamon rolls and more. owner Katie Kring had been baking out of the pint-sized shop on pickwick ave. under the name KatieMade bakery for several years before opening as butcher + baker with butcher aden watson. in november, Kring reorganized the tiny space to focus on her baked goods and sweets – including the iced cookies, housemade marshmallows and rustic breads that originally earned her a cult following at local farmers’ markets. you can also find specialties like scandinavian seed bread, éclairs, maple-granola bread, asiago-onion sourdough and gorgonzola-cherry bread. Kring teaches baking classes in the space, as well, which routinely sell out. “we’re pretty well-known for our award-winning bavarian pretzels, so it’s nice to have a sweet version in the shop,” Kring says of her breakfast-ready kringla, or sweet pretzels. they’re a traditional scandinavian pastry dating back to the 13th century; denmark still uses a crown-topped kringla as the official symbol for bakeries. Kring’s kringla is topped with a buttermilk glaze and slivered almonds. she also recommends using nutella, cream-cheese frosting or “whatever else you have on hand.” “i got a version of the dough recipe from another baker years ago, for other applications, but i’ve modified it since then,” Kring says of her kringla. “i love using it to make the pretzels. and of course, as a Kring myself, how could i not be drawn to kringla?” –N.S. 417.315.8602, facebook.com/butcherplusbaker pHoto by bRad zweeRinK

Recipe by Katie KRing, owneR, b+b boulangeRie

To make the pretzels, Kring says the warm water should be “July-swimming-pool warm, not hot-tub warm.”

She also suggests storing active dry yeast in your refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to use it, and instructs readers to, “Please throw away any yeast that’s been in your cupboard for more than two months!” yields | 9 kringla |

1 1 4 6 1 3 3 6½

package active dry yeast cup plus 1 Tbsp warm water tsp kosher salt Tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated sugar egg Tbsp plus 1 tsp nonfat dry milk powder, sifted cups plus 2 Tbsp unbleached, unbromated bread flour Tbsp unsalted butter, cold, cut into ¼-inch slices powdered sugar (to serve) buttermilk (to serve) slivered almonds (to serve)

| preparation | in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add yeast, water, salt, sugar, egg and milk powder. add bread flour and mix until all ingredients are incorporated, 3 to 4 minutes. add sliced butter, a few pieces at a time, and mix until completely dissolved, 10 to 15 minutes. dough should be smooth, shiny and not stick to the sides of bowl. transfer to greased bowl and refrigerate overnight.

cut dough into 4-ounce strips – not squares. err slightly on the larger side and trim down to 4 ounces if needed.

Roll strips to 28 to 30 inches long; they’ll shrink back a bit. place on a large sheet tray, cover gently with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 3 hours or up to 3 days. preheat oven to 350°F and prepare a baking sheet with greased parchment paper. twist each strip into a pretzel by taking one strip and overlapping it over another, about 4 inches from either end. you should have a shape that looks like an X with a teardrop as its bottom half. take two ends and twist them one more time. Holding them apart, bring both ends down to touch the bottom of the teardrop. this should flip the twist in the center and create a pretzel shape. twist remaining strips into pretzels and place on prepared baking sheet. place the sheet in a warm place until pretzels don’t bounce back when poked with a finger, about 30 minutes. bake until light golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.

| to serve | in a small bowl, whisk together just enough powdered sugar and buttermilk to make a thick but pourable glaze. drizzle over pretzels immediately after baking. top with slivered almonds and serve.

BlueBerry C r os tata

By Market House Café & Bake Shop Everything at Barbara Heinrichs-Hardy’s Market House Café & Bake Shop in Ozark, Missouri, is made from scratch, from potato salad, eggs Benedict and porchetta sandwiches to mini apple pies, Hummingbird cake and Amish white bread.

Heinrichs-Hardy, a retired nurse, opened the cozy café in July 2014 after a nearly two-year renovation. (She even managed to snag a recipe for Market House’s beloved Amish white bread from Amish men who were doing construction work on the space.)

Among the flaky pastries available daily, the blueberry crostata is a favorite. The treat is made with a housemade pastry crust, blueberry filling and a simple lemon glaze. “I think it’s such a luxurious dessert,’ she says.

“The richness of the cream-cheese pastry and the gentle flavor of the blueberries accentuated with the lemon drizzle are perfect pairings. It doesn’t get much better.”

Blueberries are boiled and puréed, and then cornstarch and sugar are added, with some whole blueberries tossed in for good measure. After the pastry dough has chilled, she stuffs each crostata with the sweet filling, folding the dough over the sides. After baking, a glaze of lemon juice and powdered sugar is drizzled over the still-warm crostata before it’s placed in the bakery case.

“It can be a long process due to the dough cooling, [but] one nice thing is, they freeze very well,” she says. “Then pull out how many you want [and bake]. Our customers love them – it’s a house favorite.” –N.S. 417.551.4370, facebook.com/ markethousecafeandbakeshop

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celebrity chef Tyler Florence Introduces a new 10-PIece LIne of Branded cookware rECIPE By BArBArA HEInrICHS-HArdy, OwnEr, MArkET HOuSE CAfé & BAkE SHOP yIEldS | 10 crostatas |

Glaze juice of 1 lemon plus 1 tsp lemon juice 1 cup powdered sugar Pastry crust 1 lb unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 lb plus 4 oz all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling dough 1 lb cream cheese, cut into 1-inch pieces FillinG 6 oz water, divided 2 pints fresh blueberries, divided zest of 1 lemon ¼ cup cornstarch ¼ cup granulated sugar crostata 4 Tbsp heavy cream ¼ cup raw sugar

| preparation – glaze | In a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar and set aside.

10 3¼-ounce balls, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

| preparation – filling | In a saucepan, combine 4 ounces water, 1¼ cups blueberries and lemon zest. Bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes. In a small bowl, combine remaining water, cornstarch and sugar. Stir into berry mixture; it will thicken. Purée using an immersion blender; stir in remaining berries. Transfer to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

It’s the most durable and easy to use cookware I’ve ever had, and I think they’re stunning.

| preparation – crostata | roll out chilled dough balls into 5-inch circles. (If dough is crumbly, sprinkle with water.) wrap discs in plastic wrap and chill for another hour. remove chilled dough discs from refrigerator and pour ¹⁄₃ cup berry mixture into the center of each disc. Pull dough up around edges and mold outer edges of dough in an overlapping fashion. double wrap with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours.

o Made t f’s e h c the Ions t a Ic sPecIf

| preparation – pastry crust | In the bowl of a food processor, combine butter and flour; toss to coat. Pulse for 1 minute.

Add cream cheese to mixture and pulse for another minute. Butter and cream cheese should be pea-sized. If dough is dry, add some water. divide dough into

Preheat oven to 375°f; prepare a sheet pan with parchment paper. Place frozen crostatas on sheet. using a pastry brush, brush cream on dough and sprinkle with sugar. Bake until lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. drizzle glaze over top and serve.

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Christopher elbow’s artful ChoColate jewels, Colorful pâte de fruit and deliCate Caramels are almost too pretty to eat.

Written by natalie GallaGher PhotoGraPhy by William hess

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It’s a brisk morning in the thick of the winter holiday season, and the Christopher Elbow chocolate shop in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District has only just opened. Already there’s a small swarm of people peering into the glass cases, consulting in low tones.

The excitement and interest around those cases suggests tantalizing objects fashioned out of, say, gold and diamonds.

Because Christopher Elbow’s delicate, precise chocolate molds resemble precious gemstones, this isn’t much of a stretch.

They are arranged in careful rows: bright yellow truffles filled with lemon marmalade and white chocolate ganache; strawberrybalsamic caramels shaped like garnets; flat whiskey-pecan chocolates printed with white and tan stripes.

There’s a touch of whimsy to Christopher Elbow’s designs, but the eponymous creator is no Willy Wonka. He cuts a serious figure in his white chef’s coat and square-framed glasses, and stoically introduces himself, simply, as “Chris.” If he’s feeling any pressure from the mounting holiday orders, he doesn’t show it. After 13 years in business, he’s more or less accustomed to the frenzied demand for his product.

“I started in a 400-square foot room above a restaurant, and the business side was new to me,” Elbow says. “I had no idea where I would end up, and from day one, our problem has been keeping up with the demand. Every season, we turn away business.”

It wasn’t until Elbow’s tenure as pastry chef at The American in 2001 that he lit upon his true calling. At the end of the meal, he would send out chocolates – beautifully crafted little treats that he quickly became well known for.

“That’s where I discovered that this was my passion,” he says. “When I left The American to do chocolate on my own [in 2003], I found that the hardest thing to do was scale production. As a pastry chef, I would make only 50 or 60 pieces at a time, but as a chocolate manufacturer, that wouldn’t work.”

Elbow’s chocolate business has continued to grow year after year, yet scaling production is still a challenge he contends with. He’s constantly researching equipment and production methods, hunting for ways to increase output. Some recipes can be optimized for large-scale production and bigger, better technologies, but more than a few of Elbow’s creations – the multi-layered bonbons, anything that involves white chocolate – are so delicate that they will most likely always need to be made by hand.

Elbow is careful about overusing machines in his work. His chocolates are special, after all, because of their artisanal, hand-crafted nature; he believes over-simplifying the work is akin to cutting out the heart of his business.

And despite two flagship Christopher Elbow stores – one in Kansas City, another in San Francisco – as well as a 5,000-square-foot

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shipping warehouse in Kansas City (which keeps his products stocked at more than 40 retailers around the country), Elbow’s core values haven’t changed.

“From the beginning, Chris wanted to make the finest confections that he possibly could,” says Ethan Taylor, Elbow’s operations manager. “That’s always first and foremost.

We don’t cut corners when it comes to production or ingredients. We’re all about consistency and fantastic products – if we don’t have that, our customers won’t come back.”

Taylor has been with Christopher Elbow since 2006. When the boss is gone – and, thanks to Elbow’s frequent travels, that’s fairly often – Taylor is his man on the ground. He’s the quality control expert and the person Elbow trusts to maintain and execute his vision.

“What I’ve learned from Chris is attention to detail and uncompromising standards,” Taylor says. “If it’s not right, it’s not right. If you taste it and it doesn’t knock your socks off, then that’s not the final recipe. Yes, 13 years in, we’re able to do some larger-scale things that we weren’t able to do before, but the quality hasn’t changed at all.”

Taylor is not underselling that attention to detail. Behind the glass walls at Elbow’s Kansas City shop, employees move with purpose, wearing white chef’s coats, brown aprons, and light brown ball caps. They exude the same energy that Elbow himself seems to embody: every gesture necessary, every step premeditated. When you’re working at the Christopher Elbow level, where a single piece of chocolate costs upwards of $3, such precision is crucial.

Elbow’s chocolates are produced, for the most part, in batches of 1,500, and take two to three days from start to finish. During peak seasons, Christopher Elbow produces upwards of 100,000 pieces a week.

Strawberry-balsamic caramels made with fresh strawberries and aged balsamic vinegar.

Production begins with tempering the chocolate and pouring it, for the most part, into Elbow’s famous molds. For anyone wondering how on earth Elbow gets the delicate silver patterns on the pearly cerulean drops of coconut caramels: Colored cocoa butter is spray-painted (and sometimes splatter-painted, as with the Fleur de Sel caramel) into the molds before the chocolate goes in. Once the insides of the molds have been painted, the shells are cast with tempered chocolate. Then the filling is deposited into the shells. After the filling has set (generally overnight), another layer of tempered chocolate is poured over the filling to seal the piece completely. After the chocolate sets, another layer is poured over the bottom to seal it all together.

For the flat-top ganache chocolates, like the raspberry (a pâte de fruit base topped with dark chocolate-raspberry ganache) and the Champagne (milk-chocolate ganache blended with Champagne), the designs are applied using a transfer sheet – a sheet

of acetate – that features the design silkscreened on it with colored cocoa butter.

There’s a good amount of science in the execution of Elbow’s artful pieces, but it’s the preliminary ideation that he delights in.

“The development process typically starts with the flavor first, and that drives the shape and the texture of what’s inside,” he says. “Some flavors and ingredients lend themselves to being a caramel, and some are better suited for a ganache. For the most part, we like to have the outside look like the featured ingredient – for example, raspberry will be a red design.”

Elbow’s ganache, in particular, deserves special recognition. He takes a classically French approach to the slab chocolates – which are among his signature creations – as opposed to the more modern liquid molds. Elbow’s ganache pieces skew traditional in flavor, too, offering a completely different experience from the gleaming caramels and truffles.

“It’s all a balancing act between the flavor and what we’re doing with the chocolate,” Elbow says. “One flavor can’t overpower the other, and we approach everything with that balance in mind. One of the things I’ve learned over the years is less is more.

Trying to put six flavors or ingredients into a ganache doesn’t work… you lose a lot of the flavors. A ganache should be simple: It’s chocolate-cream and butter, and whatever flavor you’re putting in.”

Like his mentor, Taylor also believes in preparing enticing flavors to delight the refined palate – but he insists that all Christopher Elbow recipes have a rhyme and a rhythm.

“We don’t do things just to be different or to be strange,” he says. “It’s just finding complementary flavor profiles. Some people thought putting rosemary and chocolate together was strange, but those flavors really work together and that’s been a signature piece for us. We don’t do things just to push the boundary.”

Elbow’s path to chocolate wasn’t always clear. Before he left The American, he was having doubts about his future in the culinary industry. He was getting burnt out on the restaurant business, he says, and applied to architecture school. Elbow laughs a bit at the lucky way things have turned out, but it’s not a stretch to find an architectural influence in his products.

PICTURED ABOVE: Colored cocoa butter is spray-painted

into molds before chocolate is added. Once the insides of the molds have been painted, the shells are cast with tempered chocolate. The filling is then deposited into each shell. Once the filling has set, another layer of tempered chocolate is poured over the filling to seal the piece completely.

PICTURED RIghT: Elbow’s latest chocolate-bar design.

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“A lot of our inspiration comes from architecture and art and design,” he says.

“I look at a lot of different things for sources of inspiration. We have a new chocolate bar that is influenced by modern architecture.

That’s one of the things I love about chocolate: It can be manipulated to make a lot of things.”

This latest design was released last month: a chocolate bar with graceful lines in varying weights cut across for a pattern

that’s not quite symmetrical, but definitely not random. It’s exquisite in the way only Christopher Elbow chocolate can be.

“When I remember our early chocolates, they look different – not as refined,” Elbow admits. “They were still colorful, though, and right from the start, that’s what I was excited about: the fact that you could do things like this with chocolate. Over the years, our look has gotten more sophisticated and elegant.

Today, we have more of a point of view than we have had in the past.”

Valrhona is one of the foremost luxury chocolate manufacturers in the world.

On expensive cruise lines, it’s the bedtime chocolate left on fluffy pillows. The company even has its own school in France, École du Grand Chocolat, and a second stateside outpost in New York, École Valrhona Brooklyn. Nearly a century after renowned pastry chef Albéric Guironnet founded the company in 1922, Valrhona stands as a universal touchstone of excellence in chocolate.

It’s no surprise, then, that Valrhona was Elbow’s first choice when it came to picking his chocolate supplier. (The company sends Elbow raw chocolate as discs, or fèves, or in blocks.) But he didn’t have Valrhona’s name recognition in mind.

“One of the main things we focus on is where our chocolate comes from,” Elbow says.

“Valrhona provides exceptional quality, and they can do that in part because they work directly with farmers and plantations.

Learning about where our beans come from, from a social responsibility aspect and from a flavor aspect, is so important to us.”

Valrhona’s commitment to environmental sustainability can be measured by the long-term partnerships it has with bean suppliers in nearly a dozen countries. The company is dedicated to reducing its water and energy consumption, and projects that all its product packaging will be eco-friendly by 2020.

When it comes to the non-chocolate ingredients – the fruits and spices that inform so many of his recipes – Elbow says that those, too, are carefully chosen.

“We try to be as local as possible,” Elbow says, “but obviously, passion fruits don’t grow here, and we rely on other sources to get those [for our passion fruit caramel].

We try to get as much as we can from the farmers’ market, though. It’s not hard to find great ingredients [in Kansas City].”

Champagne-milk chocolate ganache blended with Champagne.

Raspberry pâte de fruit topped with dark chocolate-raspberry ganache.

Elbow likes to do local collaborations, too: His chocolate-coffee bean blend comes from The Roasterie in Kansas City, and he’s been partnering with Boulevard Brewing Co. since 2011 on the recipe for the brewery’s annual limited-edition Chocolate Ale. “We don’t ever stop searching for the best ingredients, for people who are doing it

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right, and I think that’s been a key to our success,” Elbow says. “We don’t ever settle.

We’re always looking for new suppliers and ingredients. We’re constantly trying to make our product better, which makes it seem like our job is never done.”

Today, Elbow’s product line extends beyond the pretty bonbons and chocolates inside the glass case. His 17 candy bars run a range from dark to darkest to daring (the No. 6 Dark Rocks features dark chocolate and popping candy). There are tins of drinking chocolate, packages of sugar crystal-coated pâte de fruits, and bundles of chocolate-covered almonds stocking the shelves around his Kansas City shop.

Elbow hasn’t limited his ventures to chocolate, either: In 2010 he opened the artisanal ice cream shop Glacé in Kansas City; a second location followed a year later in Leawood, Kansas.

But the next phase of Elbow’s business is a grand one indeed. In September, he’ll celebrate the 10-year anniversary of his shop in the Crossroads. While the location has served him well, there’s no denying that his business has, at last, outgrown the space.

Within the next two years, Elbow hopes to combine his Kansas City brick-and-mortar shop and the warehouse facility under one state-of-the-art roof.

“It’s still new for me… I don’t have a manufacturing background, so I’m spending a lot of time traveling and looking at other facilities and equipment,” he says. “Hopefully we’ll have a new space open by 2019.”

His goal is to move deeper into a research and development role; the new facility will include a test kitchen and a laboratory. “[In the winter,] I’m here from 7am to 7pm, seven days a week, and in the summer, I shift my focus to Glacé,” Elbow says. “And in the [spring and fall] shoulder seasons, I spend more time than I would like in my office working on logistics and operations.

Ultimately, I’d like to be creating new products and developing new flavors most of the time, and that’s where I’m trying to get the business oriented.”

Elbow is the studious type: There is something measured in his gaze and composure that suggests a small room filled with whiteboards and sketchbooks would be ideal for him. He says he’s exhausted, but he doesn’t look it. Rather, he appears hyper-focused.

Bright yellow truffles filled with lemon marmalade and white chocolate ganache.

“Going forward, I’m going to be very methodical about how we grow,” he says.

“We have a lot of options on how we can continue to grow the business, so it’s just about determining how to grow while maintaining the integrity and quality of our product. That is the most important thing to me.”

816.842.1300, elbowchocolates.com

ace your cakes by tackling the trendiest decorating designs with tiPs and tricks from the region’s toP Pastry Pros t this point, you’ve probably mastered applying store-bought frosting to your favorite white cake. Perhaps you’ve piped pretty-looking cupcakes with from-scratch buttercream. Or maybe you’re already an ace at decorating cakes and you’re seeking inspiration for your next design.

Even if your only hands-on experience with cake is shoveling a piece in your mouth, don’t despair.

The following tips and tricks from pastry pros won’t instantly unlock your talent and produce made-from-scratch, competition-worthy tiers or perfectly piped icing on your first attempt. The art of cake decorating is no piece of cake – it takes time and experience. With a little practice, though, someday soon you might give Buddy Valastro a run for his Cake Boss money. Now go and get piping!

Naked cakes have either no frosting or what decorators call the crumb coat. This is the first layer of icing you apply to all frosted cakes because it catches and seals in all the crumbs. However, this dressed-down look is the trend du jour in wedding and specialty cakes right now. Lia Weber, owner of Made. By Lia in St. Louis and season-four winner of TLC’s Next Big Baker, says naked cakes are her most popular design.

“Everything is getting simple, classy and elegant – that’s what a naked cake is,” she says.

Weber likes to start at the top of a chilled cake, using an offset spatula to apply an even layer of icing before moving to the sides. Scraping into her bowl of icing with the spatula, she applies icing on the cake, shimmying it around the side, smoothing it as she applies.

“It’s OK if it’s a little thicker because you’ll take some away [in the next step],” she says.

She then dips in for more icing, and repeats the process until the cake is covered. Then, she uses a wider icing smoother or scraper, holds it in place with the edge vertically against the cake. She spins her rotating cake turntable clockwise with her scraper angled to the right and moves all the way around the cake in one motion, “kind of like a squeegee on a window,” she says. Then she smooths the top again, and chills it before adding a drip or other decorative elements. Weber usually applies fresh flowers, greenery or fruit. Lately, she likes to use edible gold dust to sprinkle on blackberries or gold-leaf flakes on cakes.

“Being unique and creative with garnishes is important… put your own creative spin on it!” she says.

314.518.3565, madebylia.com PHOTOS BY SHErrIE CASTELLANO

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Written by Mallory GnaeGy

before you beGin

PrePare your cake

To begin, we’ll stick to a basic round cake with a few layers. If you feel called to try a different architecture such as a skinny, 5-foot tower like those trending at weddings, then feel free to adapt our instructions to whatever you envision. Many of the cake decorators we spoke with like to draw their designs first.

Begin by dividing your favorite cake recipe into two 6- to 9-inch round pans and bake per instructions. You might need to adjust the quantities of our recipes depending on what size you make. The next step is to level and torte (torte means to cut a layer in half). Torting isn’t 100-percent necessary here – but leveling is. If you’ve never done this, watch a few YouTube videos first. To make the cake even, trim off the dome of the cake using a long, serrated knife or cake leveler.

Assemble your cake on a rotating cake turntable after it’s completely cool (or even chilled in the refrigerator) and apply whatever filling recipe you desire (find a great recipe for raspberry jam on the next page). Try to stick to a filling ratio that’s one-half the layer height (i.e. if your layer is 1-inch, keep your filler a ½ inch).

You’ll need a few helpful and important tools to master the cake-decorating trends featured in the following pages – and if you think you can skirt by without them, just remember that a cake decorator is only as good as the tools he or she uses. A few necessary tools include a rotating cake turntable, an offset spatula, a rolling pin, and a piping bag and tips, but we’ll suggest a few others throughout.

▼ Salted-Caramel drip Recipe by Lia WebeR, oWneR, Made. by Lia

Weber says it’s hard to mess up a naked cake, but if you have any areas you’re not proud of, you could add a drip or ganache. yieLds | Enough to drip onE 8-inch layEr cakE |

1 ½ 2 3 1 ½ 2

cup granulated sugar tsp coarse salt tsp honey Tbsp water cup heavy cream Tbsp unsalted butter tsp bourbon (optional)

| preparation | in a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine sugar, salt, honey and water. cook until sugar dissolves and turns dark amber in color. Remove from heat, and add heavy cream, butter and bourbon, if using, a little at a time as you constantly whisk. increase heat to medium and cook until temperature registers 235ºF to 240ºF on a candy thermometer. Let cool. caramel should be pourable – if it seems too thick, warm it in the microwave for 30 seconds or until it reaches a thinner consistency. drip or pour caramel over sides and top of chilled naked cake, using a measuring cup with a spout or a spoon to make individual drips over sides. place back in refrigerator to let caramel set, about 20 minutes.

▼ raSpberry Jam Recipe by Lia WebeR, oWneR, Made. by Lia

If you’re filling your cake, Weber suggests making a pool of icing by applying a border along the edge of the cake with icing and putting the filling inside of the rim, being sure not to over fill it. “I use an ice-cream scoop and scoop it in," she says. "For an 8-inch cake, I use about three scoops of filling and then use an offset spatula to smooth it out.” Weber says the following raspberry jam is the perfect filling for an almond or lemon cake. yieLds | Enough to fill onE 8-inch 3-layEr cakE |

12 1 to 1½

oz fresh or frozen raspberries cups granulated sugar zest and juice from ½ lemon

| preparation | in a saucepan over medium-low heat, heat raspberries until they lose their shape, about 3 to 5 minutes. add sugar and lemon zest and juice and simmer. stir occasionally so raspberries don’t burn on bottom. continue to cook until liquid reduces and mixture begins to thicken, about 15 minutes. Let cool over an ice bath or in the refrigerator before using.

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Katie Veile, owner of Kaked by Katie in St. Louis, loves the possibilities that fondant offers. “I know a lot of people wish fondant would go away,” she says. “But you can't do a lot of things on a buttercream cake that you can do on fondant.”

One such trend is basic white cake with fabric-inspired textures like lace applique and ruffles. “There’s a variety of ruffles you can do – super frilly and girly or messier and more pleated,” Veile says.

To make fondant ruffles, you’ll start with a fondant covering (see recipe on p. 80) and then use gum paste – also known as sugar paste – that has matured in a cool environment for 24 hours (and then is brought up to room temperature).

“Gum paste hardens extremely well, so it creates awesome ruffles that can hold shape, whereas fondant is a soft paste that doesn’t harden,” Veile explains.

For this technique, you’ll need a hand-cranked or electric pasta maker, a foam baking mat and a cake balling tool (a wand with a rotating metal ball on each end).

First, knead and roll gum paste into a log shape and then roll it completely flat and very thin. You’ll feed this through the pasta machine starting at its biggest setting (Veile’s KitchenAid mixer pasta attachment setting is eight), then roll it through each lower setting (seven, six, five, etc.) without skipping a number, until you get down to your desired fineness (Veile likes a three on her KitchenAid, but numbers vary from machine to machine, and some count up rather than down).

“It depends how delicate you want your ruffles to look – the smaller, the more ornate,” she says. Next, you will make strips about one-inch wide and place them on your foam mat. You’ll use the balling tool and roll out one edge of the strip (not the middle, not both edges).

“This is the part that will come out from the cake and make the ruffled look,” she says. Beginning at the top of the side of the cake, you’ll apply the ruffled strips to your cake using a little egg white as glue, which you apply to the back where you didn’t roll the strip out. (You can also use Tylose powder to act as glue for your ruffles – see the accompanying recipe to learn how.) Be sure to apply the second ruffle halfway up the first ruffle so you’re masking the line, and continue this as you move down the cake. If your ruffles are very thin, Veile recommends using toothpicks or little pieces of tissue to help set each ruffle in place. “When you start your ruffles, you don’t want to start where the cake edge starts, you want to go slightly above it,” Veile says. kakedbykatie.com phOTOS BY SherrIe cASTeLLANO

▼ Gum Paste recIpe BY KATIe VeILe, OWNer, KAKed BY KATIe

The easiest way to mess up gum paste is by not adding a slow, steady stream of powdered sugar. When you’re kneading the paste, you want to make sure it’s not sticky – if it is, gradually add more powdered sugar and shortening.

YIeLdS | Yields 2 pounds |

4 2 12 2 to 3

fresh egg whites lbs sifted powdered sugar, plus more for work surface tsp Tylose powder tsp vegetable shortening

| preparation | In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add egg whites. Mix on high for 10 seconds to break up egg whites. Turn mixer to lowest speed, and in a slow, steady stream, add powdered sugar. Mixture will start to resemble a soft royal icing.

Turn mixer speed to medium for about 3 minutes. When mixture reaches soft-peak stage, turn to low speed and sprinkle in Tylose powder. return mixture to high speed for a few seconds until it has thickened. Transfer mixture from bowl onto a clean work surface that has been sprinkled with powdered sugar.

With shortening on your hands, knead paste while adding just enough powdered sugar to form a soft but sticky dough. Mature gum paste in refrigerator for 24 hours before using.

In the past few years, ombré – a color that gradually transitions from one shade to another – has made its way from the runways to being a hair-color trend, and now it's inspiring cake designs. Sugar Leaf Bakery and Café in Branson, Missouri, sees ombré’s popularity increasing every year for both fondant and buttercream.

Amanda Stout is the cake consultant at Sugar Leaf, and she’s also the eldest daughter of bakery owners Todd and Lori Jensen. “I think [ombré] is a fun way to add a different element to a cake without having to add a lot of work or cost,” Stout says. “It’s something [you] can use to add a pop of color and not be over the top.”

Her family uses ombré in several ways: a one-tier accent of ombré fondant ruffles, flat-iced ombré stucco across an entire cake and ombré rosettes decorated in edible glitter and pearls, to name a few.

Ombré can be as easy or difficult as the technique you use. To keep it as simple as possible, pipe buttercream around the entire circumference of the base in one continuous motion to meet where you started – this is the first layer. Then on top of the first layer, repeat this same motion and pipe the entire circumference for a second layer. Continue to stack the layers on top of each other all the way up the cake. (Feel free to apply the trend to any piping technique you’re comfortable deploying.)

You can begin with either your darkest color in one piping bag and gradually add white to it to lighten the icing, or

you can separate varying icing colors in separate bags. Any time you’re piping icing, it’s best to fill your bag only half full or less. And be sure to add color slowly as, “adding too much color can get you into trouble because it changes the consistency of the icing,” Stout says. “Once you get the colors right, it’s pretty easy from there; the fun thing about ombré cakes is that they don’t have to be perfect.”

If you’re using three colors, switch the color every third of the cake, or for five, every fifth – and so on. You can also start at the top or on the sides of the cake, but make sure to devise a plan prior to piping your icing so the top edge transitions color nicely into the top color.

417.336.6618, sugarleaftreats.com pHOTOS BY JeSSICA KennOn SpenCer

▼ Buttercream Recipe by AmAndA Stout, cAke conSultAnt, SugAR leAf bAkeRy And cAfé

“When switching colors, [start] right on top of the last color and don’t leave space so you can see the cake through the crumb coat,” Stout says. yieldS | enOugH FOr A 6-InCH CAKe |

1 3 to 4 ¼ 1 4 to 6

cup unsalted butter cups powdered sugar tsp salt Tbsp vanilla extract Tbsp whole milk

| preparation | in a large mixing bowl, add butter and cream it using a wooden spoon or hand-held electric mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar and salt and mix thoroughly. Add vanilla, and then slowly add milk until icing reaches your desired consistency.

Kaya Tate, owner of Hopscotch: Cakes & Confections in Champaign, Illinois, prefers classical-looking desserts influenced by 1950s style. “I don’t do cakes that look like Legos or Ms. PacMan,” she says with a laugh. “I only do cakes that look like cakes.”

She thinks the resurgence of simple buttercream designs started in the industry just a few years ago. “It’s an homage to old-fashioned cakes that were just pretty without having to have all the bells and whistles,” she says.

After you’ve applied a crumb-coat layer and chilled your cake, attach a 1M Wilton decorating tip to your piping bag (you can use smaller ones, but this is what Tate recommends for cupcakes or large rosettes). Tate likes to start at the top left and move diagonally across the top – she says left-handed people should try the opposite. To pipe a rosette, begin piping at the center of where you want the flower to be and spiral around that point. When you’re happy with the diameter, stop squeezing as you pull the tip away from the flower, then flick your wrist to tuck the edge under the last swirl. Continue to add rosettes, piping over the previous swirl instead of around it: “A lot of people try to do a perfect [flat] circle, but it’s more of a cone shape,” she says.

“If you aren’t a great buttercream piper, you could pipe a ton of rosettes of different sizes and colors on a sheet of parchment paper, freeze them and then place it on the cake,” Tate suggests. Any ugly mess-ups can go directly back into your mixer, where you can reconstitute them and try again. hopscotchcakes.com PHoToS by juSTIne burSonI

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▼ Salted-Caramel ButterCream Recipe by Kaya TaTe, owneR, HopscoTcH: caKes & confecTions

“The cake absolutely has to be 100-percent chilled… There’s no way to skip this process,” Tate says. She also recommends piping with buttercream that’s a little colder than room temperature – but not too cold or it will break off. If you want to add color, use gel food coloring that you apply into the bag or directly to the buttercream. You can use either liquid gel or gel paste, which are concentrated versions of the liquid food coloring you'll find at the grocery store.

Liquid food colorings, as opposed to gel, are full of water, can change a recipe’s consistency and are the thinnest and weakest type of coloring. You can find liquid gel and gel paste food color online or at cake decorating stores. yields | Enough for a 6-inch cakE |

2 2 ¼ 1 1 3 2 ½ 8

cups granulated cane sugar Tbsp water cup heavy cream Tbsp sea salt tsp vanilla extract large egg yolks tsp cornstarch cup whole milk, divided oz room-temperature unsalted butter

| preparation | before making caramel, prepare an ice bath to cool your saucepan after caramel cooks. in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, add sugar and water, stirring with a metal spoon until sugar has dissolved, approximately 10 minutes. increase heat to medium-high and cook to a golden caramel. don’t stir it at this point. The syrup will first start to caramelize at the edge of the pan. once this happens, you can gently swish the pan around to achieve an even color. always take caramel off heat a little before you think it’s done, as it continues to cook even after it's off of heat. once you’re happy with the caramel’s color, reduce heat to medium and carefully drizzle in heavy cream, salt and vanilla while stirring. caramel will bubble and pop, so be careful and add a little bit at a time. Reduce heat to low, stop whisking and allow to cook for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat and dunk bottom of pan into prepared ice bath. once it starts to cool and thicken, remove pan from ice bath. There is no need to fully cool caramel; you just need to stop the cooking process so it doesn’t become too dark. in a medium-sized bowl, whisk together egg yolks, cornstarch and 3 tablespoons milk until mixture is foamy and smooth. add remaining milk to caramel in saucepan. place saucepan with caramel over low heat, whisking to dissolve caramel into milk. once caramel has dissolved, increase heat to medium-high and scald milk mixture. once the first bubbles appear, remove pan from heat and carefully pour hot milk mixture into egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously to keep eggs from scrambling. once mixture has cooled, beat room-temperature butter in a mixing bowl until it’s smooth, fluffy and lightened in color, about 2 minutes. The lighter the butter, the fluffier the buttercream will be. add cooled mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing well after each addition. once all of mixture has been added, mix for another few minutes until buttercream is thick, smooth and creamy. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To use buttercream that has been refrigerated or frozen, first reconstitute it by mixing it once again.

▼ Fondant Recipe by Shannon bond, owneR, Shannon bond cake deSign

“This will change people’s minds on what a typical fondant tastes like. It’s not gummy… It just dissolves in your mouth.

Fondant tastes much better from scratch than when it’s store-bought,” Bond says. yieldS | 4 pounds fondant |

½ 2 1 2 2 ½ 1 3

cup heavy cream Tbsp unflavored gelatin cup corn syrup Tbsp unsalted butter Tbsp food-grade glycerin tsp almond extract dash salt lbs sifted powdered sugar, divided (plus more for work surface) vegetable oil

| preparation | in a 2-cup measuring cup, add cream and gelatin and stir to combine. let bloom, approximately 5 minutes.

Microwave 45 seconds and then stir. if it’s not yet liquid, heat for another 15 seconds. in a glass bowl, add corn syrup, butter, glycerin, almond extract and salt. add gelatin mixture and stir. Microwave on high for 2 minutes or until butter is almost melted. Stir again, and then let cool until lukewarm, 30 to 60 minutes. in the bowl of stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, lightly grease a large mixing bowl and add 2 pounds powdered sugar. Strain lukewarm mixture through a mesh sieve into powdered sugar. Mix with dough hook on low and slowly add remaining powdered sugar. when mixture gets very thick, turn it out onto a powdered-sugar coated work surface and continue to knead in powdered sugar by hand until smooth. (you might need to adjust the amount of powdered sugar to suit your climate and needs.) dough should be soft; it will stiffen slightly overnight. coat in a layer of vegetable oil, double-wrap in plastic wrap and place in a zip-close bag to rest overnight. let rest 24 hours before using. if sealed and stored in a cool, dry place out of sunlight, fondant can stay good for approximately 6 weeks. if fondant gets hard, microwave it in 10-second increments until it’s a little warm, then re-knead. you can add gel paste food coloring or powdered food coloring before or after the resting period.

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Painted fondant has limitless possibilities – it’s just like a blank canvas. This is one reason Shannon Bond, owner of Shannon Bond Cake Design in Olathe, Kansas, thinks painted fondant is so popular because of how much you can personalize it. She’s painted cakes with very abstract and modern designs and others featuring details of the French countryside.

Inspired Local Food Culture | Midwest

“I don’t see it as a trend that’s going to disappear,” she says.

Having experience with watercolor painting helps, but you don’t necessarily need to be good at painting to find success with this decorating trend. You will need a variety of medium-grade paint brushes, gel-paste food coloring and vodka to thin it down.

Bond recommends using a food-safe pencil to trace your design first.

While your crumb-coated cake is chilling, you can roll out your room-temperature fondant. (You might need to knead it out first to soften it.) Roll it out on a flat surface covered in powdered sugar in the same shape as the cake you’re trying to cover until it’s ¹⁄₈-inch thick. It should be big enough to blanket the top and sides with a few inches leftover. Gently cover your cake with the fondant and press it onto the top and sides, lifting the skirt as you smooth downward. Remove any air bubbles by pricking them with a sterilized sewing needle. It’s best to paint on dry fondant: “I like to let it rest overnight,” Bond says.

After it’s dry, Bond says you can either paint directly on the side of the cake or onto sheets or applique of fondant that you attach after you’ve painted them. Depending on the design you’re trying to paint, she recommends cutting templates and marking the side of the cake with a toothpick, then outlining and filling in the colors.

“If you have scrap pieces of fondant after you’ve rolled it out, you can practice on that first to get a feel for the food coloring and the amount of liquid in it," Bond says.

To make your paint, simply add a few drops of vodka at a time to the gel-paste food coloring. The more alcohol you add, the lighter color you’ll achieve. If the color starts getting darker as you’re painting, add a little more vodka – it dries quickly.

The easiest way to get this trend right is to take your time and experiment. But, as Bond says, “if you make a mistake, you can use vodka to wipe it off the fondant.”

913.307.6214, sbcakedesign.com PHOTO BY SHANNON BOND

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Now that you’ve learned everything you need to conquer decorating your next cake, all that’s left is to practice. To help boost your confidence, keep in mind that our pros were all too ashamed of the first cakes they ever decorated to share any photos with us.

!

“I was terrible,” Katie Veile of Kaked by Katie says with a laugh. “One of the first cakes I did was a gender reveal for a friend and I won’t even show it to people.”

Their advice? The same old clichés you hear about any hobby: nothing happens overnight, practice makes perfect, be persistent. If you do make cakes you’re proud to share as a result of this story, be sure to tag us at @feastmag and share any tips you learned along the way.

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In a nondescript strip mall in Kirkwood, Missouri, one of the country’s most acclaimed pastry chefs, Nathaniel Reid, is producing world-class pastries, breads, confections and more Written by HeatHer riske PHotograPHy by jennifer silverberg

A

few years ago, nathaniel reid and his wife, lee lee, were walking down the street in new orleans when the scent of brown sugar, butter and pecans stopped them in their tracks. it was an aroma that, today, he still describes as levitating. the pair immediately went to buy some of the classic new orleans pralines they had just smelled and reid instantly fell in love with the flavor and fragrance of the sugary, creamy pecan candies. He wondered how, as a classically trained pastry chef, he might translate that experience into a cake, embodying the spirit that he had in that moment into one single, delectable bite. reid’s amber tart – now a signature item at his st. louis-area bakery – evokes those

very same pralines from that day on the street in new orleans. the tart features a perfect dome of caramel mousse with a layer of pecan caramel resting on top of a shortbread-like sablé breton, surrounded by a ring of gilded caramelized pecans. in 2013, the amber tart was featured alongside creations by 37 other pastry chefs from around the world in The New Pâtissiers by Dessert Professional – the same magazine that recognized reid as one of the top 10 pastry chefs in america the year prior. it’s not an easy task for a pastry chef to transform one confection into something else entirely – a confection into a cake, say, or a savory dish into a pastry – but nathaniel reid is no ordinary pastry chef.

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PICTURED ABOVE: Amber Tart with pecan caramel, sablé breton, caramel mousse and caramelized pecans PICTURED CENTER: Assorted macarons PICTURED FAR RIGHT: Twice-baked almond croissant

It took 15 years for Nathaniel Reid to open a bakery of his own, but his résumé during that time reads like a laundry list of some of the country’s best pastry programs and confection companies. A native of Farmington, Missouri, Reid studied hotel and restaurant management with a minor in biological science at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, where he worked at local restaurants including Chris McD’s. After graduating, he moved to Paris – with $500 to his name – to attend the renowned Le Cordon Bleu. Despite receiving diplomas in both culinary and pastry arts, Reid says it was here that he realized he wanted to pursue a career in pastry; he soon moved back to the U.S. and began working at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Las Vegas. The chef who hired him at the time had just won the World Pastry Championship, so, as Reid admits, it was a pretty nice gig to land right out of culinary school.

About a year and a half into his tenure at the Ritz, Reid received an offer to help open a new Las Vegas venture – the eponymous restaurant of the world-famous French chef Joël Robuchon, who holds more Michelin stars than any other chef in the world and was once named “chef of the century” by the French restaurant guide Gault Millau. Reid worked as assistant pastry chef at Joël Robuchon restaurant, which holds three Michelin stars, and also helped open L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon restaurant, which holds one Michelin star.

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Reid realized pretty early in his career that he preferred working in hotels to traditional restaurant kitchens, where a chef typically focuses exclusively on plated desserts. He preferred the freedom of a hotel kitchen, where he might send out a plated dessert one minute, a breakfast pastry the next and even a chocolate showpiece for his childhood idol Magic Johnson’s 51st birthday.

“It’s a mix of all those different avenues in one place,” he says. “I like to do a lot of different things and I did my training in all sorts of different avenues. Doing plated desserts got kind of repetitive.”

Reid continued to expand his pastry repertoire over the years during stints at hotels and confectionaries in California and Florida. He also racked up numerous prestigious awards: In 2009, as a member of Team U.S.A., he placed third at the International Patisserie Grand Prixe pastry competition in Tokyo, and the next year, he was selected as winner of the U.S. Pastry Competition and named Pastry Chef of the Year in New York City.

But despite earning so many accolades and receiving job offers around the world, including in Japan and Dubai, Reid was looking for something more. He credits his wife, Lee Lee – also an

“ I always wanted to live here; I just didn’t know, with what I do, if it would be possible or not. Sure enough, it was a great place for us to come back to.”

experienced pastry chef – with encouraging him to move back to Missouri. “I just got tired,” he says. “You live this nomadic chef life and move where the work is. After a while, my wife and I wanted to be around family. I always wanted to live here; I just didn’t know, with what I do, if it would be possible or not. Sure enough, it was a great place for us to come back to.”

In 2013, the couple returned to St. Louis, where Reid worked as executive pastry chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton, Missouri. He left the hotel after about a year and a half to consult for national bakeries and chocolate companies, including luxury French chocolate brand Valrhona.

Always in the back of his mind, though, was his lifelong dream of opening a bakery of his own.

In early August last year, Reid and Lee Lee opened the doors to Nathaniel Reid Bakery in a small and unassuming strip mall in Kirkwood, Missouri. The space itself is nothing flashy – with the help of his father, Denny, a retired carpenter, Reid redesigned and constructed the 1,900-square-foot space, which was formerly home to a clothing store and office.

Inside, the bakery features a small retail area with a few seats and a pastry case loaded with everything from flaky croissants and sandwiches made with freshly baked brioche to brightly

colored French macarons and gourmet pies and tarts. That’s part of the beauty of Nathaniel Reid Bakery: You can order a world-class pastry that wouldn’t feel out of place at one of the country’s best restaurants or hotels, or a croissant, or a simple – yet delicious – ham and cheese sandwich on a baguette. While browsing the treats, guests can watch Reid’s team at work in the kitchen, which is visible through a large window directly behind the pastry case.

“In most restaurants and hotels, you don’t see any people; you just have a number attached to what you’re making,” Reid says, waving to a few customers through the window. “Here, there’s definitely a more intimate and engaging setting where you can see the guests, talk to them and see the kids’ faces light up when they see the macarons.”

He and Lee Lee make an effort to recognize faces (“Back so soon?” Lee Lee quips to a returning customer one afternoon) and get to know their customers beyond their order numbers. Although Lee Lee’s role has changed drastically from what the couple originally envisioned – two weeks after opening Nathaniel Reid Bakery, the couple welcomed their first child – she’s still a regular fixture in the shop. These days, Reid usually arrives at the bakery around 6:30am and leaves at 10pm, while Lee Lee balances time between home and Inspired Local Food Culture

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“Here, there’s definitely a more intimate and engaging setting where you can see the guests, talk to them and see the kids’ faces light up when they see the macarons.”

the bakery. As someone who grew up around her family’s bakery-café business, she’s quite a natural at managing the front of house.

“Getting to know what our customers enjoy most and seeing their reaction when they enjoy something from the bakery is a wonderful feeling,” she says. “We pride ourselves on getting to know them and calling them by name – having that interaction with our customers is very important to us.”

And if you ask Reid about his favorite items at the shop, Lee Lee’s chocolate-chip cookies will almost certainly make the cut. He loves them so much that at home, Lee Lee leaves a log of cookie dough in the freezer at all times so he can cut off a slice, stick it in the oven and have a freshly baked cookie whenever the mood strikes.

Like the cookies, many of the items at the bakery look familiar, if only with a slight twist.

Twice-baked almond croissants are cut in half, stuffed with housemade almond crème, rum syrup and chocolate, topped with almonds and then baked again. This past Christmas, Reid transformed fruitcake, the butt of so many holiday jokes, into a surprisingly decadent treat.

The cake took him seven years to perfect; he soaks apricots, cherries and prunes in rum and candies the lemon and orange peel himself.

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Reid credits his background in science with giving him the skills to rework classic pastries rather than repeating the same tried-and-true recipes. While at the Ritz-Carlton, for instance, his twist on baked Alaska featured a delicate almond cake layered with strawberry sorbet, a white-chocolate yuzu (Japanese citrus fruit) ice cream and lightly caramelized meringue. “When you have knowledge, you create pastries,” he says. “When you don’t, you just repeat pastries – you look for recipes. I’m not interested in doing that as much as creating my own thing.”

Take the bakery’s quiches, which include the classic quiche Lorraine with smoked bacon, caramelized onion and Gruyère; as well as rotating vegetarian options like four-cheese and mushroom. Instead of using traditional pie dough – which is often dry and crumbly – Reid makes his own puff pastry for the quiche shells. “For me, it was, ‘Why do I have to use that?’ I know that’s what a quiche is, but I’m going to do something different,” he says.

“It’s a labor of love, of course – [puff pastry] takes a lot more time and money to make than pie dough – but I think the result speaks for itself and separates it from another product.

It’s worth the time.”

And as technically impressive as Reid’s work is, it’s also truly beautiful. There’s a precision and science involved in his more refined desserts, and his creative plating enhances

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Look for Nathaniel Reid Bakery in the 2017 season of Feast TV debuting in April .

the most traditional pastries and desserts to give them a fresh edge. The bakery’s apricot-yogurt pound cake shows how Reid is capable of elevating the appearance of even the most rustic desserts: The layered yogurt cake features an apricot-passion fruit filling, with delicate white-chocolate discs and pieces of dried apricot on top.

“The idea is for it to always look very craveable and have a familiarity to it even though it can look like something you’ve never seen before,” Reid says. “Especially here – it’s a pastry shop, so the menu is the showcase. You see everything before you’re going to buy it.”

Just to the left of that pastry case, shelves are stacked with housemade Madagascar hazelnut feuilletine chocolate bars, pineapple-vanilla jam – perfect for spreading on a flaky, freshly baked croissant – and raspberry-vanilla bean meringues.

Available in white, milk and dark chocolate, the shop’s Crispy Pearls are chocolate-covered cereal bites perfect for topping ice cream, cake and hot chocolate. Not items traditionally made in-house at most bakeries, these grab-and-go offerings reflect Reid’s range of skills.

(In the future, he hopes to expand the lineup of chocolate items and spreads, experiment

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with new breads for sandwiches and, in the off season, begin teaching small classes at the shop.)

But despite the level of care and precision that goes into each item, Reid insists that the bakery is an approachable neighborhood spot. Although the sweets and baked goods are high-end, their price tags surely aren’t – even the luxurious mini cakes, including the Amber and the Jarmo (a pistachio cake with housemade pistachio cream and fresh berries), are a steal at less than $6 apiece. Reid laughs as he recalls one customer who visited the bakery for the first time for breakfast, returned for lunch and then brought his two daughters with him for dinner – all in the same day.

“I love the tradition of pastry,” he says. “There are a lot of things that take us back to our childhood or holidays and celebrations, and those moments that impact our memories.

If you can find that and bring somebody back to their youth or their childhood or a special moment in life – there’s nothing better than that.”

314.858.1019, chefnathanielreid.com

“When you have knowledge, you create pastries,” he says.

“When you don’t, you just repeat pastries – you look for recipes. I’m not interested in doing that as much as creating my own thing.”

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Turn to p. 83 to learn more about Nathaniel Reid Bakery

share a slice This month, we’re celebrating the sweets issue with what else?

Cake! We asked to see the cakes you’re making and buying – from delicate patisserie creations to those homemade with love – by using the hashtag #feastgram.

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| 1 | kc local eats @kclocaleats Rumchata cake, because you always have to #treatyoself @avenues_bistro @kcrestaurantweek #dessertforlunch | 2 | spencer pernikoff @whiskeyandsoba The Jarmo at @nathanielreidbakery: pistachio cake, berry gelée, fresh berries and a pistachio cream.

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| 3 | jackie price @jackieprice711 Cake coming soon to @risecoffeestl! It’s gonna be real pretty. | 4 | josh charles @chefjoshcharles If only I could make this German chocolate cake fit my macros every day.

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| 5 | angela c. bond @foodstoryphotography Sugar rush! (at McLain’s Bakery) | 6 | nourish at home @nourishathome Treat yourself to a cheat day: Our gooey butter cake is worth it!

|5| Get the recipe for this cake at feastmagazine.com

| 7 | julia calleo @mylavenderblues I won’t go into any accomplishments as I had a Bundt-ton more failures this last year; however, I made it through (with the help of you guys, whiskey, carbs, friends and family) .

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| 8 | hopscotch: cakes & confections @hopscotchcakes This beauty is in the case now! Layers of vanilla-bean rosettes on top of vanilla-bean cake layers. | 9 | amanda wilens

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@feedme_withamanda Today is my dear friend @mathewsweet’s birthday! I can’t wait to celebrate with you soon!

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| 10 | como confectionary @comoconfectionary Digging this geode birthday cake we made for one of our rock star friends, @amy_j0!

Want to see your photos in the March issue of Feast?

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Say cheese! Next month, we’re celebrating the dairy issue with local cheese. We want to see the different styles of artisan cheese you’re devouring, from bloomy rinds to hard Cheddars and Parmesans to fresh goat cheese and fromage blanc. To submit your photos for consideration, simply include the hashtag #feastgram and tag @feastmag on your Instagram photos beginning Wed., Feb. 1.

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