January 2018 Feast Magazine by Feast Magazine

NOW AVAILABLE NOW AVAILABLE

SAM ‘76

SAM ‘76 IS A PERFECT UNION OF LAGER AND SAM ‘76 IS AYOU PERFECT UNION OF LAGER AND ALE GIVING A CRAFT BEER WITH THE ALE GIVING YOU A CRAFT BEER WITH THE FLAVOR OF AN ALE AND THE REFRESHMENT FLAVOR OF FINISH AN ALEOF AND THE REFRESHMENT AND CRISP A LAGER. AND CRISP FINISH OF A LAGER. THE RESULT IS REVOLUTIONARY. THE RESULT IS REVOLUTIONARY.

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WORTH WORK THE

Sometimes waiting is the hardest part, and no one knows this better than Missouri winemakers. After the warmth of the summer has blended into the chill of fall and the harvest is complete, the next stage of the time-tested winemaking process begins. Now is the time when wine ages and evolves, developing character and complexity over months or years of careful devotion. It’s hard to wait, but when your goal is to craft high quality wine, it’s deﬁnitely time well spent. Missouri wines… worth the work. 4

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m i s s o u r i w i n e .o rg

january 2018

from the staff

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from the PUBLIsher

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dIgItaL content

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feast tv

Industry Innovation What’s online this month Truckin’

dIne

| 16 |

on trend

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where we’re dInIng

| 19 |

one on one

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one on one

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In season

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one on one

Local meal kits Empanada Madness, Soup Dumplings STL, NaCl + H20 Clark Grant of Hogshead Kansas City Tim Meinecke of Cafe Piazza Butternut squash Neil Gomme of London Calling Pasty Co.

drInk

tastemakers ‘18 In our annual Tastemakers issue, we share stories about the men and women who cook, create and curate the region’s top dining experiences.

| 28 |

on trend

| 29 |

one on one

| 30 |

where we’re drInkIng

| 31 |

one on one

| 32 |

the mIx

on the sheLf

Cascara

Rodney Beagle of Colony KC Hopskeller Brewing Co., Kaldi’s Coffee, The Pressed Penny Tavern Thao Truong of VietNam Style

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st. LoUIs

| 80 |

kansas cIty

| 33 |

| 88 |

sPrIngfIeLd

shoP

| 93 |

coLUmBIa

| 36 |

shoP here

| 36 |

get thIs gadget

| 38 |

one on one

| 38 |

cULInary LIBrary

| 40 |

shoP here

| 40 |

artIsan ProdUcts

Spiced Pear Mule What to drink this month

Civil Alchemy A portable veggie chopper and a citrus spiralizer Holly Cunningham of Nourish by Hollyberry Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables by Joshua McFadden The Sundry

Unbakery & Juicery juices and Red Lettered Goods tea towels

cook

| 44 |

| 46 |

cover Photo of samantha waeckerLe, Bar manager at mass st. fIsh hoUse In Lawrence, kansas, (P. 81) By zach BaUman

Cauliflower rice bowl with golden detox sauce mystery shoPPer

Bitter oranges

| 48 |

qUIck fIx

| 50 |

sweet Ideas

taBLe of contents Photo of sqUatters cafÉ In st. LoUIs (P. 71) By JackLyn meyer

heaLthy aPPetIte

Tomato soup with poached eggs, croutons and pancetta Semolina flatbread crackers

Volume 9 | Issue 1 | January 2018 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, st. louis region

Jennifer Tilman, jtilman@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1205 account Manager, Kansas city region

Pete Nicklin, pnicklin@feastmagazine.com, 785.431.8025 sPecial Projects editor

Bethany Christo, bchristo@feastmagazine.com, 314.475.1244

eDITORIal senior editor

Liz Miller, editor@feastmagazine.com Managing editor

Nancy Stiles, nstiles@feastmagazine.com digital editor

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

Jenny Vergara st. louis contributing editor

Mabel Suen editorial intern

Jackson Roman fact checKer

Danielle Lacey Proofreader

Erica Hunzinger contributing Writers

Christy Augustin, Ettie Berneking, Ren Bishop, Sherrie Castellano, Shanley Cox, Gabrielle DeMichele, April Fleming, Natalie Gallagher, Rose Hansen, Hilary Hedges, Kaitlyn McConnell, Lauren Miers, Brandon and Ryan Nickelson, Jenn Tosatto, Jessica Vaughn, Shannon Weber

aRT

art director

Alexandrea Povis, apovis@feastmagazine.com Production designer

Jacklyn Meyer, jmeyer@feastmagazine.com contributing PhotograPhers

Brandon Alms, Zach Bauman, Angela Bond, Justine Bursoni, Adam Caselman, Sherrie Castellano, Shanley Cox, Judd Demaline, April Fleming, Anthony Jinson, Sam O’Keefe, Aaron Ottis, Anna Petrow, Jennifer Silverberg , Sabrina Staires, Starboard & Port Creative, Mabel Suen, Brad Zweerink

FeasT TV

producer: Catherine Neville production partner: Tybee Studios

DIsTRIbUTIOn To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Thomas Norton for St. Louis, Jefferson City, Columbia, Rolla and Springfield at TNorton@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 © 2010-2018 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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Hit the road with me as I explore food trucks in the current episode of Feast TV. Check out the Springfield Food Truck Park, get a taste of Aussie meat pies in Kansas City and see how Guerrilla Street Food went from truck to brick-and-mortar restaurant in St. Louis.

publisher’s letter

f you need any evidence to convince you that our region is a hotbed of culinary creativity, just flip through this issue.

list comprises. A wealth of vibrant new places opened up this year, and we have a checklist of the best of the best for you here.

Every January we celebrate the people who are making waves in food and drink, and we’re kicking off 2018 with a roundup of people and places you need to know if you – like us – obsess over what’s going on in food. We’ve worked with the writers and editors in each of our coverage areas – St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Springfield – to identify the chefs, sommeliers, bartenders and restaurateurs who are defining what’s next in local food.

The culinary industry is in constant flux. As tastes change and trends emerge, restaurants and bars reflect that evolution. What we want to eat now is not what we craved five years ago, and it’s not what we’ll want five years from now. Food is something like fashion, particularly now when we dine out so frequently. The National Restaurant Association recently reported that our spending at restaurants is up 4.3 percent over last year, a sum topping $799 billion. It’s a huge industry, one that has a massive impact on our local economy, and one that’s increasingly competitive, pushing people to innovate in order to stand out from the ever-growing array of dining options.

Our roster of Rising Stars are food and drink pros who are on the cusp of the next wave of food trends. These are the folks you probably haven’t heard of – yet – but certainly will in the years to come. You’ll want to keep an eye on them as they develop in their culinary careers. Our list of Industry Innovators includes the men and women who have actively contributed to pushing the industry forward – these are the people who are creating concepts and developing dishes that inspire others and show our region what’s possible in the culinary field. Without innovation, any industry becomes stagnant, and our Innovators are the folks who are actively involved in the evolution of our restaurant and bar scene. Finally, we have our picks for 2017’s Best New Restaurants. You hardly need an explanation for what this

This issue of Feast is a reflection of how our region’s culinary industry is expanding and changing. Personally, I am inspired by the level of creativity found here, and hope that you’re equally proud of the quality of our local food-and-drink scene. Until next time,

Catherine Neville

01.18 judd demaline St. Louis, Photographer “For this month’s issue, I was assigned six portraits for the Tastemakers edition, and I knew I wanted them to be memorable. I spent three hours with Taylor Hamilton in the kitchen of Union Loafers watching him work and interacting with the other chefs before I ever took a photo. For Jen Epley and Alisha Blackwell-Calvert, two incredibly strong women, I told stories about my 4 year old and her zany antics to get them to smile, and within minutes, they were recounting their own stories. With Evy Swoboda, it was early and our morning coffee hadn’t quite kicked in, but that didn’t stop us from talking about our hometowns and our favorite pizza. Senada Grbic was absolutely hilarious! She told me her family history and we remarked about our children and their bizarre appetites. Finally, with Sara Trikenskas, I asked her to jump on the furniture at the Ritz. After a couple of photos, I showed her our results, and she replied, “Oh, you got all Wes Anderson-y!” and gave me a highfive. For the next two hours, we made the Ritz our playground.” (St. Louis Rising Stars, p. 71)

Cheers to a great

2017.

kaitlyn mcconnell Springfield, Missouri, Writer “I love learning about new cultures – and the stories behind awesome food – so I was very excited to get the chance to sit down and chat with Englishman Neil Gomme, who co-owns London Calling Pasty Co. in Springfield, Missouri. It wasn’t an introduction to the business, as I’ve long been a fan of London Calling. Deciding between its sweet and savory options is nearly impossible – although the traditional Oggie can’t be beat! Plus, ordering your food from a double-decker bus seems more like a mini jaunt to England than a lunch break. However, as much as I enjoy eating at the food truck, I’m excited about the company’s expansion to Battlefield Mall. Pasties are designed to be eaten on the go, so now I can get my shopping and pasty fixes at the same time! ” (One on One, p. 23)

pete dulin Kansas City, Writer “During our interview, Colony KC brewer Rodney Beagle’s enthusiasm for brewing underscored how he brings a creative, passionate approach to his craft. Beagle is largely self-taught, a craft-beer fan who picked up lessons from professional brewers, watched YouTube videos and honed his homebrewing recipes in his basement before debuting them publicly. His weekly beer releases offer unique takes on classic styles and demonstrate his growing skill. In our interview, Beagle discussed his newfound vocation with excitement and humility. He deftly shifted from talking shop to describing his latest inspirations: Art, a video game and flavor profiles from meals at local restaurants all spark ideas for new beers or beer names.” (One on One, p. 27)

Here’s to an even better

2018. #followthegoat

Inspired Local Food Culture

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ST. LOUIS’ KC

1/121/21

kanSaS ciTy reSTauranT Week Fri., Jan. 12 to Sun., Jan. 21; participating restaurants; kcrestaurantweek.com

Enjoy delicious multicourse menus and extraordinary values from Kansas City’s hottest restaurants. Best of all, 10 percent of each meal benefits local charities, including Kansas City Community Gardens.

AN EVENING OF SIPS AND BITES TO END CHILDHOOD HUNGER NOW

APRIL 23, 2018 612 NORTH 612 NORTH 2ND STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63102 For tickets and information, visit NoKidHungry.org/StLouis

STL

1/17

SchnuckS cookS: TomaTo Soup WiTh poached eggS, crouTonS and panceTTa Wed., Jan. 17, 6 to 9pm; $45; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School, 12332 Manchester Road, Des Peres, Missouri; 314.909.1704; nourish.schnucks.com/schnucks-cooks

In this class you’ll learn how to perfectly poach eggs. You’ll also learn how to enhance the flavor of roasted butternut squash with unexpected accents: lime and green chiles.

STL

1/261/28

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The ST. LouiS Food & Wine experience Fri., Jan. 26 to Sun., Jan. 28; prices vary; The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel, 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri; 314.968.4925; foodandwinestl.org

The St. Louis Food & Wine Experience, back in its 16th year, is a showcase of more than 900 of the finest vintages of domestic and international wines, as well as foods offered by Schnucks. Ticket options include general admission, VIP, The Premier Tasting and a Grand Cru Patron weekend package.

1/27

Frosty BrewFest & spirits Sat., Jan. 27, 2 to 6pm; $30 general admission, $60 VIP, $150 all-inclusive Frosty VIP; Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling, 13326 State Highway F, Ste. Genevieve, Missouri; 573.756.9463; crownvalleybrewery.com/frosty-brewfest

Head to Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, to sample fan favorites and seasonal offerings from local breweries and distilleries, as well as frosty festivities and live music. There will be a large fire pit and plenty of heaters (and beers and spirits!) to warm you up at the sixth-annual outdoor event.

STL

2/22

Dessert First Thu., Feb. 22, 6 to 9pm; $150; The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel, 212 Kingshighway Blvd., Central West End, St. Louis, Missouri; 314.592.2373; girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst

To commemorate Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri’s 100th anniversary, they’re skipping the birthday cake and celebrating with Girl Scout Cookie-inspired confections created by prominent St. Louis-area chefs. The evening begins with a cocktail hour where guests sample and vote for their favorites. A seated dinner follows a brief program recognizing the extraordinary achievements and contributions of three Legacy Builders and two Girl Scouts.

Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen

MetropolitanKC

Extra Virgin

Hogshead

Enjoy multi-course menus and extraordinary values from KC’s hottest restaurants. Best of all, 10 percent of each meal benefits local charities, including Kansas City Community Gardens. KCRestaurantWeek.com • #KCRW2018 Platinum Sponsors: The Kansas City Star, Kim Crawford Wines, Meiomi Coastal California Wines, Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Inspired Local Food Culture

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this month on

feastmagazine.com the feed

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

PHoToGRaPHy By LauREn MIERS

We’re giving away two general admission tickets to The St. Louis Food & Wine Experience at The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel on Jan. 26 to 28. Just head to the Promotions section at feastmagazine.com for all the details.

Thirty minutes outside Columbia, nestled in rural Missouri’s rolling hills, sits Blue Bell Farm. The farm recently wrapped up its 2017 farm-to-table dinners with a feast from St. Louis chef Gerard Craft.

BEST BRUNCHES

PHoToGRaPHy By MaBEL SuEn

Whether you’re looking for a place to take visiting family or a way to will yourself out of bed on a Saturday morning, Columbia, Missouri, has no shortage of brunch options. Head to feastmagazine.com for our picks.

Frankly Sausages has opened a brick-and-mortar location on Cherokee Street, where you’ll find sausages (including chicken, chile-verde, lamb and alligator) and hand-cut fries alongside shareable plates like chicken-liver crostini or butternut squash salad. Don’t miss the fries with warm Swiss raclette cheese.

PHOTO BY AArOn OTTIS

PHoToGRaPHy By anna PETRoW

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY

KC A familiar face has returned to Dolce Bakery in Prairie Village, Kansas. Pastry chef Amy Beeman (most recently of The Rieger) – who got her start at the bakery more than five years ago – is Dolce’s new brand ambassador.

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We’re giving away two VIP tickets to the Frosty Brewfest & Spirits festival at Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, on Sat., Jan. 27. Just head to the Promotions section at feastmagazine.com for all the details.

“My genuine interest in the people & neighborhoods of STL, & the experiences we share as a community guide me as your agent, partner & friend.” Making a MOVE in 2018? Let’s get started!

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Inspired Local Food Culture

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Food trucks are no longer a fad. They’re now a regular sight on our roads, in parks and in corporate parking lots, serving up inexpensive, quick and creative food from their mobile kitchens. What started as a way for chefs to offer mobile food has evolved, and in this episode of Feast TV, we’ll see how food trucks have adapted and expanded. From an urban food-truck park to a truck turned brick-and-mortar to one that prefers partnerships, today we’re exploring food on four wheels.

Kansas City-based Pie Hole offers stick-to-your-ribs Aussie meat pies from the back of a renovated pickup truck, much like you’d find on the streets of Melbourne.

In St. Louis, Guerrilla Street Food has evolved from one of the city’s first (and most popular) trucks to multiple restaurants serving chef-driven Filipino fare.

Down home flavor is what’s on order from Ozark Mountain Biscuit Co., where tender, flaky biscuits are piled high with everything from catfish to tempeh.

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

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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With a focus on sustainability and great design, IKEA is your destination for affordable, innovative and high-quality kitchen products.

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Kaldi’s Coffee is dedicated to creating a memorable coffee experience for customers and guests via sustainable practices and education.

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

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

In Kansas City, watch Feast TV on KCPT (Channel 19) Sundays at 8am and 6:30pm.

Happy new year! from your friends at photography by mabel suen

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Mondays at 9:30pm.

14 Beers on tap | Open 7 days Lunch, Dinner, Saturday & Sunday Brunch 2101 Chouteau Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103 | 314.241.4677

KMOS engage

educate

entertain

You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Saturdays at 10am.

IN 2018 I’M GOING TO MAKE A

RESOLUTION

TO HAVE MORE:

FAMILY TIME Feast TV airs in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8) Saturdays at noon and Mondays at 12:30pm.

BOATING

COMO 90 | CHARTER 197 MYLAKETV.COM | ROKU

GOLFING

RELAXING

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

SERVING LAKE OF THE OZARKS AND MISSOURI Inspired Local Food Culture

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JOIN US FOR THE LARGEST FOOD AND WINE EVENT IN THE MIDWEST

JANUARY 26–JANUARY 28 Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta Hotel

MORE THAN 900 WINES

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2018 7:00 PM–10:00 PM Enjoy the ultimate in wine tasting at The Premier Tasting—including a gourmet menu, complimentary Riedel wine glass, enticing silent auction.

SATURDAY, JAN. 27 & SUNDAY, JAN. 28 • 12:00 PM–5:00 PM VIP Reserve Room Admission

The VIP Reserve Room provides guests with a comfortable atmosphere to sample some of the highest caliber wines available in St. Louis. VIP guests enjoy all the benefits of general admission plus a selection of catered foods exclusive to the Reserve Room and a complimentary Riedel stem.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! BENEFITING

WITH MAJOR SUPPORT FROM

General Admission

Includes a full day of fun tasting freshly prepared foods, sampling wines from the world’s premier growing regions, wine glass & valet wine plate.

www.foodandwinestl.org • 314-968-4925 ADDITIONAL SPONSORSHIP PROVIDED BY

SPECIAL THANKS MICHAEL BRIGHTMAN’S WITH LOVE CATERING PRESENTED BY

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piazza party

Cafe Piazza gets into the pizza game in St. Louis on p. 20. photography by mabel suen

outside

the box Life can get hectic, but cooking dinner shouldn’t have to be. Written by Liz MiLLer | PhotograPhy by angeLa bond

national meal-kit subscription services like blue apron and hello fresh offer ingredient-and-recipe kits that take the grocery shopping and advanced prep work out of making fresh and fun meals at home. now, midwest companies are pioneering their own take on the model, offering local meal kits that source ingredients from area farmers and don’t require a weekly or monthly subscription.

This Southwest chorizo rice bowl recipe is from Happy Food Co.'s Chef's Selection menu.

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vero pizza & pasta ST. LOUIS. As chef and co-owner of two locations of Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria in the St. Louis area, Katie Collier was already well known for her fresh take on Italian fare when she and her family launched Vero Pizza & Pasta last year. Collier wanted to expand her business and reach customers beyond St. Louis, and the online meal-kit model seemed a natural solution. She knew the focus would be the same Neapolitan-style pizza dough and hand-extruded pasta made at her restaurants; the challenge was learning how to design and build the various meal kits. “[During R&D] we learned that people want options, so we allow them to create their own customizable kits,” Collier says. Vero also lets customers select the frequency of delivery and serving size of kits – whether for a two-person household, a big family or a large group. Flavors rotate every two weeks; past kits include cacio e pepe shells with broccoli rabe and fennel sausage, and taleggio pizza with Swiss chard and fennel pollen. “People love being able to learn how to stretch the pizza dough,” Collier says. “It’s hard the first couple of times, but once you get the hang of it, you get this incredible sense of pride.”

veropizzaandpasta.com

happy food co. OLATHE, KS. About four years ago, Jeff Glasco stopped at the

grocery store after work to pick up a few items to make his family a healthy dinner. While rushing through the store, he had a revelation. “Why can’t I just push a button on an app or website and get all of the ingredients I need, prepped and ready to cook a fresh meal instead of having to traverse the whole store?” Glasco recalls. He partnered with chef Kiersten Firquain, who was well connected with farmers in the Kansas City area through her farm-to-table school lunch program, Bistro Kids. Happy Food Co. debuted in 2016, offering three meal kit options: Simple, which focuses on familiar recipes like lemon-herb chicken; Chef’s Selection, which features more creative dishes like Sriracha poké lettuce wraps; and Family, with items like bison chili that serve four to six. Customers pick up the kits at more than 30 local grocery stores and other retail partners in the area, or at the company’s headquarters in Olathe, Kansas. “This is kind of extreme, but one customer said [it] saved their marriage,” Glasco says. “We’re trying to make the home-cook experience better.”

from the creator of

The MIXX

Opening Early 2018 the shops of

PRAIRIE VILLAGE CaffetteriaModernCafe.com

Wine and Chocolate are Aphrodisiacs. In case you needed a date night idea. Love, Handcrafted

gethappyfood.com

ruby’s market SPRINGFIELD, MO. Ruby’s Market made its debut in Springfield,

Missouri, this past March with a focus on health foods and the motto “good food for all.” Ruby’s offers specialized meal kits, which customers pick up from the store’s food hall. Kits range from vegan protein bowls to hearty skillet meals to those ready to simmer in a slow cooker. “It’s important that people feel confident about cooking for themselves,” says Amanda Boswell, who oversees meal-kit recipe development. No subscription is required, and you can pick up a bottle of wine or dessert at Ruby’s, too. The same holds true for recreating the meals; save the recipe card and you’ll find all the ingredients you need at the market. This winter, Boswell debuted a slow-cooker Mexican chicken chili as well as a cashew-chicken casserole, a nod to Springfield’s iconic dish. “I get a lot of comments from customers who say that they can stop in after their kid’s soccer game, throw together a meal quickly and feed their families a good meal with little effort,” Boswell says. “Our chicken quesadillas are very popular with families – kids love to help make them at home.”

32 Maryland Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63108

handcraftedbybissingers.com | (314) 367-7750 Photo by Abbie Takes Pictures

2843 E. Sunshine, Springfield, Missouri, rubysmarket.com 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.

naCl + H²o

Written by ettie berneKing | photography by sam o'Keefe

roLLA, mo. it was quite the cast, yet sue and matt banholzer

caught a big one when they opened NaCl + H20 (aka saltwater) last march in rolla, missouri. the fact that it was the only seafood restaurant in town didn’t scare them: instead, the couple dove full-force into their menu. items like crab cakes, shrimp po’ boys, fish and chips, and shrimp served over Cheddar grits peppered with bacon and mushrooms are all worth a try at the nautical-themed eatery. matt developed the from-scratch menu, including hand-ground burgers, house dressings and rubs made from a family recipe. the banholzers have stocked the menu with plenty of meat dishes, too, like rib-eye and lamb chops. 817 Pine St., Rolla, Missouri, naclh2orolla.com

EmpanaDa maDnESS Written by Jenny Vergara | photography by alistair tutton

KAnsAs city. With its flagship location celebrating its fourth anniversary last year, and a

number-one fan in Kansas City royals star catcher salvador perez, Empanada Madness has parlayed its success on southwest boulevard into a second location on state line road. owners marcial and patricia trujillo and their daughter, andrea hall, opened a colorful new outpost in the same shopping center that houses Jarocho south. empanada madness specializes in the unique dishes of Venezuela, peru and Colombia, although it's most known for its namesake fried-corn empanadas filled with potato, egg and queso fresco, shredded chicken or beef or ground beef. it offers a host of other south american dishes and snacks, as well: try the arepas filled with shredded beef, pork rinds, cheese, avocado and more, or the hallaca, Venezuelan “tamales” with cornmeal dough, chicken, pork, capers, raisins and olives. make a meal out of the bistec encebollado, an adobo chile-marinated steak served with rice and beans. to drink, choose from a selection of sodas, smoothies, horchata or aguas frescas. 13135 State Line Road, Kansas City, Missouri, empanadamadness.com

Soup DumplingS STl story and photography by mabel suen

university city, mo. the st. louis area recently got its first fast-casual restaurant completely dedicated to xiaolongbao, or Chinese soup dumplings. Soup Dumplings STL debuted in september, featuring steamedto-order bamboo baskets of miniature scratch-made buns filled with minced meat and hot broth. the concept comes from chef-owner lawrence Chen of private Kitchen, the acclaimed Chinese fine-dining restaurant that opened in the same plaza three years ago. Chen, who got his formative cooking experience in his native city of shanghai, says he hopes to bring authentic Chinese food to the area. each meal begins with a cup of chicken soup, topped with strips of egg and nori. dumplings come in orders of six, except for a popular crab and pork option, which comes in an order of eight; additional options include pork, beef or chicken. each delicate delight offers a bite-sized burst of warming, savory flavor.

8110 Olive Blvd., University City, Missouri, facebook.com/soupdumplingstl

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N eO O

q&A

clark grant

executive chef and partner, hogshead kansas city Written by Jenny Vergara | PhotograPhy by sabrina staires

KANSAS CITY. Hogshead Kansas City opened in november on Country Club Plaza. it's a first-time collaboration between shawn McClenny, owner of one block south entertainment district in overland Park, Kansas, and executive chef Clark grant, who was formerly an executive chef and partner with Capital grille in Chicago before moving to Kansas City in 2015 to work for its popular Plaza location. the two partners bonded over a mutual love of locally sourced, chef-driven comfort food, so when McClenny was ready to open his dream farm-to-table restaurant, grant was the chef he wanted as his business partner.

What sets Hogshead apart? We want to be known for serving upscale, locally sourced, chef-driven american comfort food, served in an energetic but totally casual atmosphere. everyone is welcome at our table, and there’s no dress code or reservations. We also want to be known as one of the best places on Country Club Plaza to sample a wide variety of local craft beers. We have 25 tap handles pouring beers from Crane brewing Co., Martin City brewing Co., torn Label brewing Co., KC bier Co. and, of course, boulevard brewing Co., just to name a few. Tell us about the menu.

Our cheeseburger has been popular, topped with thickcut Daily’s bacon, a farm egg, and KC Canning Co. hops pickles on a Farm to Market egg bun. our anytime

eggs benedict features poached eggs on broadway butcher shop chorizo cornbread with pork belly topped with roasted tomatillo hollandaise. People also can’t get enough of our fried pie à la mode with different fruit fillings that Turn to p. 84 change seasonally. What’s your favorite part of the to learn more restaurant? i’ve really enjoyed meeting the different about the menu people that request to sit at my 20-seat chef’s table; at Hogshead it’s a front-row seat into my kitchen. it’s like inviting Kansas City. people into my home every night. i like getting a chance to see what people are ordering and enjoying – it helps me to understand who our customers are and what they like eating. Tell us about your community initiatives. We’re excited to be participating in our first Kansas City restaurant Week [this month], and we’re also working on some fundraisers to support Kansas City’s own Child Protection Center (CPC). i’ll be defending my People’s Choice ribs title at CPC’s annual barbecue fundraiser, Cook for Courage, in May. Your restaurant is named after the hogshead barrels used to transport spirits. What kind of cocktails are you offering? We offer classic cocktails that are simple to prepare, made with local spirits like tom’s town Distilling Co. and J. rieger & Co. true to our name, we have a few barrel-aged cocktails available, and even a few barrel-aged beers that we play with using seasonal ingredients. We want the local aspect of our cocktail program to match the local food served in our restaurant. 4743 Pennsylvania Ave., Kansas City, Missouri, hogsheadkc.com

RISTORANTE (636) 949-9005

•

www.FratellisRistorante.com

ST LOUIS’ ULTIMATE SPORTS BAR Exceptional Food, Craft Beer & Spirits

Who Said a Sports Bar Can’t Have Amazing Food?

Grilled Shrimp & Crawfish Po’ Boy

B30+ Big HDTVs B3 Great Bars B Free Shuttle to all Home Games B Brunch Every Saturday & Sunday

2001 Menard (Corner of Menard & Allen) In the Heart of Soulard Facebook: fb.me/dukesinsoulard

Duke’s Crab Cakes Benedict

Inspired Local Food Culture

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On executive chef, cafe piazza

Written By Jackson roman | PhotograPhy By maBel suen

ST. LOUIS. tim meinecke has yet to turn 30, but for him, Cafe Piazza has been the realization of a dream nearly a decade and a half in the making. meinecke began his career in the food industry at 14, working as a busboy at Vito’s sicilian Pizzeria & ristorante in st. louis, and eventually worked his way into the kitchen. after graduating from the university of missouri with a degree in hotel and restaurant management, he spent two years running cafe 32 at lake of the ozarks, returning to st. louis to work at Vito’s during the winter months. his path came full circle when he returned to Vito’s as executive chef, a title he held for five years before opening cafe Piazza last fall with Vito’s owner Vito laFata iii. cafe Piazza and its adjacent fast-casual counterpart, cafe Piazza now, serve artisan pizza and other italian classics in st. louis’ Benton Park neighborhood.

What inspired the menu at Cafe Piazza? a lot of it comes from the idea of the piazza, which you can find in any italian town.

tim meinecke

n eO O

q&A People go to the piazza to eat and drink and hang out, so the food should be comforting and encourage that. i’ve been fixated on pizza since i was a kid watching the guys toss pizza dough in the kitchen at Vito’s, so that’s a huge part of who i am, and we brought that same dough over to cafe Piazza. a lot of the breakfast and brunch inspiration comes from my sous chef, michael stampfl; he spent several years at Benton Park cafe. our skill sets are pretty different, but they seem to mix well. What menu items are you particularly excited about? Definitely our breakfast pizzettas. they’re smaller, personal-size pizzas, and we’re really proud of how they’re turning out.

The Sunny Side Up pizza has a fried egg on top, and when you break the yolk and taste everything together, you’re really going to enjoy it. We also have a couple of breakfast calzones, as well as some dishes for our sunday brunch that we hope will keep people

on their toes. We’ve turned our house dough into a French toast crostini with some gelato, and it’s delicious! You source many ingredients locally. Why is that so important to you? We take the idea of being good neighbors really seriously. We want to build the city up and keep the money in the neighborhood to generate revenue for people around us as much as possible. the little guy needs a shot, so we like being able to buy our produce at soulard market, or make our Bloody mary with tony’s sweet heat, or use citizen kane’s seasoning. i’m a firm believer in the idea that we all succeed together, and nobody gets anywhere without help. What does Cafe Piazza bring to St. Louis? i think the fact that we’re a dual-concept restaurant, with the fast-casual side and the bar side, really gives us something special. if you just want to grab a quick meal on the way home from work, we’ve got you. if you have some time to kill, and you want to have a drink or two and some great food with a cool crowd and look at a beautiful ceiling mural full of st. louis history, we’ve got you too. 1900 Arsenal St., St. Louis, Missouri, cafepiazza.com

The Sunny Side Up pizza

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YOUR SOURCE FOR THE FINEST

Vietnamese & Chinese Restaurant

• Maine Lobsters • Jumbo Lump Crabmeat • Dry-Packed Scallops • Jumbo Shrimp • Smoked Salmon • Wide Selection of Oysters & Fish

A "FEAST" Favorite!

Thank You all Local Area Chefs for Making Us #1

Centennial Beer Festival A weeklong celebration of events highlighting the rich beer history of the Centennial Malt House and the St. Louis region. February 19 - 24

Located in the Meridian Shopping Center at Hanley & Eager Roads behind the Best Buy.

FREE PARKING IN THE METRO LINK GARAGE Tu-Th: 11am-9pm • Fr-Su 11am-10pm 8396 Musick Memorial Dr. • 314.645.2835 www.MaiLeeSTL.com

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Handcrafted American

NAVY STRENGTH GIN Fiery and complicated, this overproof expression of our American Gin is dangerously smooth at 114 proof.

The official guide to the festival will be inserted into February issue of Feast.

LIVE DANGEROUSLY. DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Distillery Tasting Room Open Everyday 12-6pm

pinckneybend.com

estival Beer F ial Guide l a i n n Cente b. 18 | 2018 Offic 3 - Fe Feb. 1

Your guid e to the centenn ial beer festival The Centennial Beer Festival welc plus an additiona ome l 45 domestic craft s more than 40 local and regio historic Schnaide nal breweries, and internatio nal breweries, r Brewery Malt and invites you House to explore to the more than 200 beers.

featuring:  FAQs

 Event Listings  Local St. Louis Brewery Trail  Regional Day Trip Ideas  Must-Try Festival Beers

Schedule of events mon. ST. LouiS BrewerS GuiLd Ann

feb. 13

tue.

feb. 14

uAL SuMMiT

6pm

VALenTine’S dAy Beer PAirinG AT 21ST STreeT BrewerS BAr

4pm to midnig

wed. yoGA Buzz

feb. 15

6:30 to 7:30pm

thu. BrewMASTerdinner FeATurinGMo

feb. 16

fri.

dern Brewery

6pm

FeSTiVAL TAST inG PLuS HoMeBre werS CoMPeTiTion

feb. 17 6 to 9pm

sat.

feb. 18

FeSTiVAL TAST inG PLuS ViP oPTi on

2 to 5pm | 6 to

9pm

check ou t centen nialbeer for ticke festival.c ts and mo om re inform ation

promotional opportunities for breweries Call 314-475-1298 for more information

Weddings • Special Events • Weekend Getaway Wine Tastings • Vineyard Tours • Craft Beers Potosi, MO • www.edg-clif.com Inspired Local Food Culture

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IN SEASON: JuNE THROugH JANuARY

ten

Butternut SquaSh Butternut squash is a perennial favorite thanks to its sweet flavor, vibrant hue and versatility. Chefs are warming up diners this season with everything from butternut squash purée to pickles.

LAWRENCE, KS. at the restaurant inside the eldridge Hotel,

Ten, in lawrence, Kansas, executive chef eric Fullem uses butternut squash from local Juniper Hill Farms. this winter, he’s pairing squash two ways with pan-seared scallops. First, the bulb – the part with the seeds – is puréed with vanilla to act as the foundation of the dish. He then toasts pumpkin seeds and hard italian chorizo with butternut squash to make a pan sauce, all before searing the scallops in the same pan. “Scallops are sweet, especially when cooked correctly,” Fullem says. “i tend to finish all my [seafood] dishes with some level of acid, but you need to have a balance of what’s good for the season. the butternut squash rounds it out with a little bit of natural fattiness on the palate.” Fullem also uses butternut squash in place of cream to finish risotto; he recently juiced a squash and cooked it down with apple cider to make a vegetarian sauce at a tasting dinner at the Jayhawk club. 701 Massachusetts St., Lawrence, Kansas, eldridgehotel.com/dining-service/ten

Written by nancy StileS

pangea ST. CHARLES, MO. chef-owner Jessie Gilroy opened Pangea in St. charles, Missouri, last fall after making a name for herself at Peacemaker lobster & crab co. and cucina Pazzo in St. louis. this winter, the fusion-focused restaurant is serving ricotta gnudi, little dumplings made with house ricotta. Gilroy pan-sears the gnudi in brown butter and serves it with roasted butternut squash tossed in Korean chile flakes, plus sautéed leeks and fresh herbs. “i think brown butter goes on anything,” she says. “the chile flakes with the squash is a nice pairing; it cuts through some of the richness of the gnudi and the butter, and the leeks are a nice pop of sweetness.” Gilroy suggests using leftover squash for soups, roasting, purées, or better yet, substitute it for some of the potato in gnocchi for a winter twist on the traditional dumplings. Pair Pangea’s rich gnudi with another indulgent dish: a bone-marrow tart with rosemary, preserved lemon and tomato jam.

3245 Rue Royale, St. Charles, Missouri, pangeaworldfusion.com

happy gillis café & hangout KANSAS CITY. “We like to pickle lots of things,” says Josh eans, co-owner of Happy Gillis Café & Hangout in Kansas city’s columbus Park neighborhood. that includes butternut squash. the line cook’s lunch 6.0 features squash that's peeled into ribbons and pickled. “i like pickled squash because it stays nice and crisp,” eans says. “it’s like a pickled carrot or any vegetable that’s kind of hearty: When you pickle it, it still retains a nice crunch and texture.” the sandwich also features warm pork terrine, walnut pesto and apple butter on farm bread. Squash shows up two ways on Happy Gillis’ seasonal vegetable and grain salad. the base is diced and roasted butternut squash with fresh apples, arugula and farro topped with pickled squash ribbons and pumpkin seeds. eans has been focused on running his other restaurant, columbus Park ramen, while his wife abbey-Jo and chef anakaren ibarra are running the kitchen at Happy Gillis, so eans says to keep an eye out for creative dishes from “the Gillis Girls.”

549 Gillis St., Kansas City, Missouri, happygillis.com

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new menu from

N EO O

q&A

now

available at

neil gomme

co-owner, london calling pasty co.

Peruvian Dining

in SpringField MO

Written by Kaitlyn Mcconnell | PhotograPhy by brad zWeerinK

SPRINGFIELD, MO. When englishman neil gomme moved across the pond in 2013, he brought the ozarks a dose of british flair by opening London Calling Pasty Co. along with his sister-in-law and chef, carrie Mitchell, in Springfield, Missouri. the restaurant is housed inside a double-decker bus and has served favorites from the United Kingdom ever since, spurring a cultlike following for its tasty and crusty pasties. gomme likens pasties to handheld pot pies with fillings like corned beef, steak or english cheddar. the traditional oggie pasty features pie crust stuffed with steak, onion, golden potatoes and rutabaga, while seasonal specials are a little more unconventional, like the thanksgiving pasty with roasted turkey breast, stuffing, buttery mashed potatoes, tart cranberry sauce and a side of guinness gravy. its success has led to a kiosk inside Price cutter, and the newest spot opened in late november inside battlefield Mall, which includes a british pub, retail space and outdoor patio.

best deals downtown! now open for lunch 7 days a week free parking/free shuttle to

all Blues home games 618 S. 7th St | 314-588-7313 stlpaddyos.com for more details

234 East Commercial St, Springfield, MO 417.868.8088 | www.cafecusco.com

Tell us about your pasties.

I would liken it to either a calzone or an empanada, but with a pie crust and a variety of different fillings; it’s a meal in itself. it’s a very sustaining product – hearty. the traditional pasty in england is the cornish pasty; that’s the original pasty that the miners back in the 1800s would consume. it’s got rutabaga in it, which is different. not many people use rutabaga in dishes [today], so it gives it kind of a unique flavor. How do you keep things authentically British in southwest Missouri? We cause our food distributor headaches getting ingredients for us at times. We get Stilton blue cheese from england, so it’s challenging to find a distributor, getting it through customs and all that. that goes for our drinks, like Fentimans, which is a british drink, and the imports and everything. We’ve got a number of things that come from the U.K. to make it authentic. What made you choose Battlefield Mall for your first brick-and-mortar? We knew it was a location where people are on foot. battlefield Mall still does really well, but it's in need of some fresh, new places and we felt our look and feel would be a good addition. What we’ve created in the mall is totally different than fast food. We created an experience. How so? this place has liquor, which is new to the mall. they haven’t had it in that food court area ever. there's a pub where people can sit inside. it’s british-themed as well; it’s that escape to a new place. it has an outdoor patio as well, so it’s going to create a different feel than just grabbing your food and leaving. We're also selling british-themed merchandise, like harry Potter and Doctor Who memorabilia.

Thursday, February 22, 2018

girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst

Taste Girl Scout Cookie-inspired desserts created by top local chefs and join Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri as we celebrate our 100th anniversary at Dessert First!

2018 Participating Restaurants 23 City Blocks Catering • Cielo at Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis The Chase Park Plaza • Clementine’s Creamery EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery • Edibles and Essentials Element Restaurant and Lounge • Kakao Chocolate • Kaldi’s Coffee L’École Culinaire • Mango Peruvian Cuisine • Piccione Pastry Ruth’s Chris Steak House • St. Louis Kolache • Strange Donuts The Tipsy Goat • Winslow’s Home

multiple locations, londoncallingpastycompany.com

Inspired Local Food Culture

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

Cafe Cusco 234 E. Commercial St. Springfield, MO 417.868.8088 cafecusco.com

Diablitos Cantina 4198 Manchester Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.535.9700 diablitoscantina.com

Helen Fitzgerald’s 3650 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 314.984.0026 helenfitzgeralds.com

Asian Cafe Bar & Grill 1260 Bryan Road O’Fallon, MO 636.272.4429 asiancafebg.com

Café Ventana 3919 W. Pine Blvd. St. Louis, MO 314.531.7500 cafeventana.com

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

Hendricks BBQ 1200 S. Main St. St. Charles, MO 636.724.8600 hendricksbbq.com

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

Caffetteria 25 on the Mall Prairie Village, KS 816.756.2300 caffetteriakc.com  Coming soon

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

Hidden Lake Winery 10580 Wellen Road Aviston, IL 618.228.9111 hiddenlakewinery.com

Basso 7036 Clayton Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.932.7820 basso-stl.com

Charleville Brewing Co. & Tavern SGF 2101 Chouteau Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.241.4677 charlevillebeer.com

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

House of Chow 2101 W. Broadway Columbia, MO 573.445.8800 houseofchow-como.com

Beast Craft BBQ Co. 20 S. Belt W Belleville, IL 618.257.9000 beastcraftbbq.com

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

Farm to You Market Cafe 5025 Old Highway 100 Washington, MO 844.682.2266 farmtoyoumarket.com

J.Fires’ Market Bistro 725 N. Market St. Waterloo, IL 618.939.7233 jfires.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fox & Hounds Tavern 6300 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO 314.647.7300 cheshirestl.com

King & I 3157 S. Grand Blvd. St. Louis, MO 314.771.1777 kingandistl.com

The Blue Owl 6116 Second St. Kimmswick, MO 636.464.3128 theblueowl.com

Crown Valley Brewing & Distilling 13326 State Highway F Ste. Genevieve, MO 573.756.9700 crownvalleybrewery.com

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

Klondike Café at Montelle Vineyard 201 Montelle Drive Augusta, MO 636.228.4464 montelle.com

Boundary 7036 Clayton Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.932.7818 boundary-stl.com

Delta Queen Port of Call 6035 Second St. Kimmswick, MO 636.223.7170 dqportofcall.com

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

LaChance Vineyards 12237 Peter Moore Lane De Soto, MO 636.586.2777 lachancevineyards.com

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SGF

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

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

We encourage you to visit any of these fine establishments as proud supporters of Feast Magazine. From fine dining to fast casual to wineries and breweries, there is an array of experiences to choose

The Mixx multiple locations mixxingitup.com

SqWires 1415 S. 18th St. St. Louis, MO 314.865.3522 sqwires.com

Molly Darcys 26 N. Meramec Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.863.8400 mollydarcyspub.com

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

from, so support and eat local!

BY REGION: St. Louis St. Charles County Kansas City

The Muddled Pig Gastropub 2733 Sutton Blvd. Maplewood, MO 314.781.4607 themuddledpig.com

Syberg’s multiple locations sybergs.com

Columbia, Missouri Springfield, Missouri

SGF

The Order at Hotel Vandivort 305 E. Walnut St. Springfield, MO 417.851.5299 theordersgf.com

Three Sixty 1 S. Broadway St. Louis, MO 314.241.8439 360-stl.com

Paddy O’s 618 S. Seventh St. St. Louis, MO 314.588.7313 stlpaddyos.com

Town Hall at Cedar Creek 1401 Olive Road New Haven, MO 636.432.8724 visitcedarcreek.com

Porter’s Steakhouse 1000 Eastport Plaza Drive Collinsville, IL 618.345.2400 porterscollinsville.com

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

Revel Kitchen 8388 Musick Memorial Drive Brentwood, MO 314.647.2222 eatrevelkitchen.com

Sanctuaria 4198 Manchester Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.535.9700 sanctuariastl.com

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

Weber Grill Restaurant 1147 St. Louis Galleria St. Richmond Heights, MO 314.930.3838 webergrillrestaurant.com

Mid-Missouri and Southern Missouri Southern Illinois Winery and Vineyard Brewery

Visit

Feastmagazine.com to view the regional restaurant guide and read more about some of the places listed here.

Stay up to date with the latest restaurant news by connecting with Feast: feastmag

@feastmag

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With Over 100 Years In The Business, Trust The Midwest’s Most Experienced Foodservice Company.

EQUIPMENT FURNITURE TABLETOP DESIGN 2 2 0 4 N o r t h B ro a d w a y St. Louis, MO 63102 314-231-8400 26

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1800 Westfall Drive Columbia, MO 65202 573-474-3708

morning joe

Kaldi's Coffee debuts expanded digs in Columbia, Missouri, on p. 30. photography by anthony jinson

cascara You’re probably familiar with coffee beans, but what about the fruit of the coffee cherry itself? WRITTen By HeATHeR RISke | PHoToGRAPHy By JuSTIne BuRSonI

in many coffee-growing countries, the coffee cherry’s outer skin – which elsewhere is often discarded after the green coffee bean is removed from the cherry – is dried and turned into CASCARA. the name translates literally to “husk,” “peel” or “skin” in spanish; cascara can be brewed hot or cold to make “coffee cherry tea.” just like with coffee, the flavor depends on the varietal, and now, local baristas, bartenders and brewers alike are using cascara to lend sweet, fruity notes to drinks.

WesTporT social

The Monarch cockTail Bar & lounge

Flying Machine coFFee

MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO. At Westport Social, the massive $5.5 million project that opened just outside of St. Louis in September, the food and drink menus are almost as much fun as the pingpong, darts, shuffleboard and karaoke lounge spread throughout the space. Developed by bar manager kyle Mathis, known for his work at Taste in the Central West end, the cocktail menu is full of riffs on classics, like the Collins, Mule and Daisy. The White Russian, for instance, combines vodka, almond milk, J. Rieger & Co. Caffé Amaro and cascara simple syrup. The syrup is made in house by steeping the cascara in hot water for five minutes before it’s strained and added into the sugar. Mathis says he’s played around with cascara in cocktails since first trying it at Sump Coffee in St. Louis a few years ago. “Cascara reminds me of a black tea with a lot of red-berry flavors,” he says. “Coffee and cocktails have so many things in common; I love integrating the two.” At Westport Social, Mathis says guests will frequently ask questions about ingredients they don’t recognize, and cascara is quite the conversation-starter.

cocktails, period. The bar director at The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge – the swanky new spot that opened in the West Plaza neighborhood in August – says he can even convince a vodka-lover to drink Scotch by using tea, a milk wash and a little bit of lemon juice. For the Wanderlust Julep served on the main bar menu last fall, he knew he wanted to use J. Rieger & Co.’s Caffé Amaro, but thought the coffee liqueur was a bit too bitter in that application. To soften the bitterness, he infused the amaro with cascara, which – when combined with Appleton Signature Rum, Château Arton Armagnac Fine Blanche, smoked Grand Marnier and Cinzano 1757 – made for one tasty drink. Although The Monarch doesn’t currently have any cascara drinks on the menu, Schulte says he’ll likely play around with it in future cocktails. “I’ve tasted cascara a couple of times and it’s crazy how varying in taste it can be,” he says. “It’s sort of about the terroir – locality really plays a big part and can change the flavor.”

Coffee in urbana, Illinois, is very different from the yemeni drink of the same name. Rather than the traditional preparation – in which the coffee husks are simply boiled with ginger and cinnamon – Flying Machine steeps a mix of cascara, ginger, cardamom and star anise in hot water, then tops the mixture with a little steamed milk and cinnamon. owner Josh Lucas says the end result is similar to the way the shop – which opened a second location last fall just a few miles west in Champaign – makes its house-blended chai latte. The flavor varies depending on the state of the cascara and the coffee varietal from which it comes, but he generally describes it as slightly sweet and woody. “If it’s really fresh, it will have a lot in common with a raisin – the same texture and smell,” he says. “But the drier they get, the more earthy they become.” Flying Machine has also used cascara in special iced teas, and Lucas plans to make a cascara shrub next summer. “It’s an easy thing to sell because every fifth guest will ask, ‘What’s Qishr?’” he says. “By the time we’ve described it, most people are interested.”

910 Westport Plaza Dr., Maryland Heights, Missouri, westportsocial-stl.com

4808 Roanoke Pkwy, Kansas City, Missouri, themonarchbar.com

208 W. Main St., Urbana, Illinois, flyingmachinecoffee.wordpress.com

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KANSAS CITY. Brock Schulte is a huge fan of using tea in

URBANA, IL. The Qishr drink served at Flying Machine

n eo o

q&A

rodney beagle head brewer, colony kc

Written by Pete Dulin | PhotograPhy by sabrina staires

north KAnSAS CItY, mo. When Colony KC opened as a coffeehouse and taproom in May 2016, owners Drew Cobb and Zach henderson had no plans for a brewery. but as bartender and barista rodney beagle built a following for his homebrewed beers, they decided to launch a nanobrewery and enlisted beagle as head brewer. since september 2017, Colony has steadily released a new beer on tap each week.

Tell us about your brewing background. i started homebrewing four-and-a-half years ago while working at big rip brewing Co. before then, i was a fanboy of craft beer. i borrowed [big rip co-owner] Kipp Feldt’s homebrewing equipment; gradually, i replaced his equipment with my own. i won multiple medals in homebrewing competitions within eight months, including a gold medal and best of show at Picnique belgique for my annabelle Peppercorn, a rye whiskey-smoked peppercorn saison, and a silver medal for royal gose. i was also a consultant at Calibration brewery. How did you transition from homebrewing to professional brewing? i built up enough equipment to practice making five to seven batches at a time, and trained myself to schedule batches. i also learned from big rip’s system and scheduling approach. releasing one new beer weekly keeps us relevant with fresh, new beers as we push the envelope with flavors and ideas. i find inspiration in different places, such as food flavor combinations and cocktails. What’s your biggest challenge as a nanobrewery? scheduling. i brew on a one-and-a-half-barrel system with a 12-barrel fermentation capacity. i make double- or triple-batches of a beer over 10- to 15-hour brew days. Volunteers from the Missouri Mashers homebrew group have been phenomenal help. the best way to open a brewery is to be prepared to hit the ground running. How are your beers different from other craft options? i have an arsenal of 100 recipes. i started writing recipes for fun, and brewed half of them. homebrewing fired something in me

to create. I consider myself an artist: While some create with paint and palette, my medium is beer. I manipulate physical objects into a palatable drink, and love to make a radical idea into a reality.

royal gose and Cream ale are two of my many homebrew recipes i’ve brewed for Colony KC. i brew on a small scale and the beers sell well – it’s a good problem to have. i try to keep a sour, a hoppy ale and a seasonal beer on tap. What are some upcoming Colony beers? i’m making a rainbow road series of sherbet-influenced berliner weisse beers inspired by Mario Kart. Made with fruit and lactose, the flavors will include raspberry, lime, orange and rainbow sherbet. look for a winter warmer aged in J. rieger & Co. whiskey barrels, plus Cinco Wheat ale, inspired by the flavors of guacamole, in early spring. 312 N. Armour Road, North Kansas City, Missouri, colonykc.com

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where we’re drinking Check out what we’re sipping at bars, restaurants, breweries, wineries and coffee shops. The Pressed Penny Tavern Written by jenny Vergara | photography by adaM CaseLMan

kAnsAs CIty. The Pressed Penny Tavern is a shiny new

70-seat restaurant and bar in Kansas City’s Westport neighborhood. the space, which formerly housed the standard pour, features a handsome bar, sidewalk seating and small outdoor patio. gordon roberts opened the bar in november, serving classy yet casual cocktails and small plates prepared by executive chef brian Mehl. roberts, a 17-year Kansas City bartending veteran, previously worked as bar manager for the district pour house + Kitchen in Waldo. at the pressed penny’s cozy bar, he keeps the tap handles packed with rotating local beers, curates a small wine list and offers an enticing cocktail menu including a traditional daiquiri, as well as the pendergast, a cocktail created by local bartender ryan Maybee, co-owner of the rieger and owner of Manifesto, and named for 1920s and '30s Kansas City political boss tom pendergast. 1511 Westport Road, Kansas City, Missouri, thepressedpennytavern.com

Kaldi’s Coffee Written by Lauren Miers | photography by anthony jinson

hoPsKeller Brewing Co. story and photography by MabeL suen

WAtERLOO, IL. Hopskeller Brewing Co. is back. the Waterloo, illinois-based craft brewery originally opened in october 2016, but was forced to shut its doors less than a month later due to a devastating fire. after nearly a year of renovations – including an expanded brewing system and a patio – the brewpub made a welcomed return, serving its english and american-style ales. head brewer and operating partner Matthew schweizer features a rotating set of easy-drinking beers behind the bar:

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Choose from options such as the flagship raspberry ale, a wheat beer with sweet yet tart qualities. additional offerings include the light and crisp english Mild ale as well as the illinois Common ale, a take on a classic Kentucky common ale. the beverage list also features regional spirits and wines from producers including pinckney bend distillery in new haven, Missouri, and starview Vineyards in Cobden, illinois, showing plenty of love for both sides of the river. 116 E. Third St., Waterloo, Illinois, hopskellerbrewing.com

COLUMBIA, MO. it’s out with the gold and in with the blue at Kaldi’s Coffee in Columbia, Missouri. after 10 years at the corner of ninth and Cherry streets, the café saw a total renovation of both the space and the menu. in the new café, the slate, chocolate and dark teal interior with pops of bright orange create a muted yet modern feel, and new origin-inspired art adorns the walls. the self-service coffee has been moved behind the bar, eliminating the round condiment island. the café’s kitchen also received a new flat-top grill, allowing for speedier service and menu flexibility. new twists on menu mainstays include a wheat berry and barley porridge, and an apple and brie salad. trendy avocado toast is another addition to the hearty breakfast offerings, alongside a selection of flatbreads. try the Firepot matcha-banana-peach smoothie, with matcha powder, chia seeds, soy milk and fruit, or the blueberry-almond with kale, almond butter and milk, blueberries and agave.

29 S. Ninth St. #1, Columbia, Missouri, kaldiscoffee.com

n eo o

q&A

unlimited mimosas

bloody marys

for $10 thao truong

*$10 unlimited Mimosa’s and Bloody Marys are available on Saturdays and Sundays during brunch hours.

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

co-owner, vietnam style

story and photography by Mabel suen

st. louis. When VietNam Style debuted in the delmar loop in october 2016, it introduced a fresh take on Vietnamese cuisine. here you'll find fun, flavorful items such as creamy avocado smoothies flecked with fresh berries, quail-egg stuffed fried cheese puffs and sizzling steak platters. husband-and-wife duo and saigon natives yun Vu and thao truong channel traditions and trends into their lively menu, which recently expanded to feature extensive bubble tea, mocktail and coffee offerings, including a new custom-made novelty for the st. louis area: pictures that you can drink. guests can print their own edible-ink designs on a sea salt milk foam, which is available on a selection of more than 50 refreshing made-to-order beverages.

What makes VietNam Style so unique? We do special items in a fun place for a younger generation. since we’re in the loop area, we have fun music and cool decorations. everyone can come hang out here, and the laid-back vibe makes it a good spot for students. We aim to bring youthful energy to st. louis’ asian-food scene. Why did you decide to add such an elaborate beverage program to your concept? a lot of customers came in and asked to have bubble tea and Vietnamese coffee, so we developed a new drink menu. We wanted to offer the sea salt milk foam since no shops here

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do it yet. We also developed a selfie

room so family and friends can gather together to take pictures and print them directly on top of their drinks. What’s your favorite bubble

tea flavor combination? My favorite bubble tea would be the nagasaki honey-green tea. It’s also the best-seller here. It’s great combined with the ai yu jelly with salted milk foam on top. It’s a nice blend of honey and green tea: It’s a little sweet but it also has a strong tea flavor. Tell us about your drink toppings. We recommend popping yogurt, basil seed and rainbow jelly for the fruity drinks. the basil seed is soft [on the] outside and crunchy in the middle; the popping yogurt is a little pearl with sweet-and-sour yogurt enclosed. We also have white boba, which is a little chewier and crunchier than black boba. What has the customer response been like? the café printer is very popular. a lot of students and families around the area have come to try it out and they're excited about it. I have some people printing their selfies and some people printing their whole family picture on it. some people even print their dog or cat on it. It’s very funny. some people like to print pokémon on it too – they can pretty much print anything. 6100 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri, facebook.com/vietnamstyleloop

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SToRy, REcIpE And phoToGRAphy by ShAnlEy cox

Spiced pear Mule SERVES | 1 | Spiced pear Simple Syrup 1 cup water 1 cup granulated sugar 1 tsp whole cloves 4 cinnamon sticks 1 tsp whole black peppercorns 1 anjou pear, sliced mule 1 batch spiced pear simple syrup (recipe below) 2 oz vodka juice of ½ lime ginger beer sprig fresh rosemary, for garnish slice anjou pear, for garnish

| preparation – spiced pear simple syrup | In a small saucepan over medium heat, heat water and sugar, stirring until sugar completely dissolves. Add cloves, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns and sliced pear; bring to a light boil. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour. Strain, and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

| preparation – mule | In a cocktail shaker with ice, combine simple syrup and vodka; shake vigorously. Strain into a copper mug, then add lime juice. Top with ginger beer, and fill remainder of mug with ice. Garnish with sliced pear and rosemary and serve.

Pro Tip: The syrup in this recipe can be repurposed as a coffee sweetener!

Spiced pear Mule pear and spice are a natural fit in this winter rendition of a classic Moscow Mule. Traditionally made with vodka and ginger beer, this version has a few seasonal additions, making it just the thing to cure the cold-weather blues. The recipe lives up to its name thanks to a “kick” of bold spices – peppercorn, cinnamon and clove – combined with Anjou pear in an aromatic simple syrup. After a squeeze of lime, and a generous splash of vodka and ginger beer, this Mule is ready to go. It’s that easy. And the flavor? Waves of warming spice are balanced by tart lime and pear. Go ahead and put this recipe on repeat. because winter’s far from over, and your spirits could use a lift. Shanley Cox is a writer and photographer and owner of Shanley Cox Creative, a Kansas City-based content studio.

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on The shelf : january PIcks

WINE

Stay up-to-date with all the latest restaurant news in your town by visiting The Feed.

Wild Sun Winery’S 2015 nOrtOn written by Hilary HedGes

Get instant access to all of the region’s best food and drink – including new restaurants, chef profiles, local events and more – at

Provenance: Hillsboro, Missouri PaIrIngs: Rib-eye • Spicy chili • Dark chocolate

Wild Sun Winery’s 2015 norton is bold, complex and balanced. Made from locally sourced grapes, the wine has a deep, rich color, which comes from seven days of skin contact during fermentation. it’s aged for 12 months in French oak barrels, giving it rich aromas of black fruit, leather and clove. it has a nice pop of acidity on the front – typical of wines produced from norton grapes – then balances out and finishes smooth. Flavors of blackberry, fig and black cherry are followed by notes of oak and spice with a smoky finish. wild sun winery’s wines are available at its tasting room, located on a 10-acre estate in Hillsboro, Missouri, about 40 miles southwest of st. louis.

feastmagazine.com/the-feed.

wildsunwinery.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.

BEER

E at f r E s h . E at l o c a l . E at h E a l t h y . E at r E v E l k i t c h E n .

narrOW GauGe BreWinG cO.’S dOuBle dry-hOpped fallen flaG written by ryan niCkelson

sTyle: northeastern iPa (7% abV) PaIrIngs: Mango-habanero Cheddar • St. Louis-style pizza •

red velvet cake Narrow Gauge Brewing Co., which takes its name from the west end narrow Gauge railroad that ran from st. louis to Florissant, Missouri, beginning in the 1870s, opened inside Cugino’s italian bar & Grill in Florissant in 2016. since then, brewer Jeff Hardesty has garnered a faithful following for his northeastern-style iPas. the double Dry-Hopped Fallen Flag, a hazy, juicy, hop-heavy beer with bright citrus and tropical aromas and flavors, is one of the brewery’s most popular. it’s a deliciously drinkable, citrus-forward beer with a zesty bitterness.

8388 musick memorial dr stl - mo 314-647-2222 w w w. e at r e v e l k i t c h e n .c o m

oz c a n 2 1 a n i big ipa

narrowgaugestl.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 in Clayton, Missouri, with an upcoming location in South City. To learn more, visit craftbeercellar.com/clayton.

SPIRIT

Stumpy’S SpiritS’ Old mOnrOe pecan pie flavOred WhiSkey written by Jenn tosatto

Provenance: Columbia, illinois (30% abV) Try IT: in a Hot toddy

Stumpy’s Spirits debuted in 2014 when rolla, Missouri, native adam stumpf founded the distillery after focusing on mostly beer in college. what makes the distillery special is its grain-to-glass method: Grains are grown on an eighth-generation farm, with water drawn from a fresh limestone well. the pecan pie-flavored whiskey blends unaged wheated whiskey, toasted pecans, and brown and white sugar. while it sounds cloyingly sweet, it’s actually quite balanced, with the toasted pecans taking center stage on the palate. stumpysspirits.com You can find Jenn Tosatto running the bar at Mission Taco Joint's Kansas City location. She also loves donating her skills to many charity events around the city, as well as working private events.

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well stocked

Find artisan food-and-drink products at Civil Alchemy in Webster Groves, Missouri, on p. 36. photography by mabel suen

Civil AlChemy Story and pHotograpHy By MaBel Suen

WEBSTER GROVES, MO. a modern-day general store recently opened its doors in Webster groves, Missouri. Civil Alchemy debuted in September, featuring lifestyle goods with a focus on quality and functionality. the selection of eclectic wares showcases several items designed in-house and crafted by local and national makers and artisans. the concept comes from founder Kelley Barr of K. Hall Studio. “We have a lot of inspired goods that are very useful all in one place,” Barr says. “We sell rugs, craft supplies, fresh flowers, kitchen [items]. you can also pick up a bottle of wine, pretzels and sausage. We do our own line of foods including jams and syrups, and have a real love for flowers and plants.” Specially made highlights include a floral house gin produced to Barr’s specifications by local distillery of defiance and candy bars produced by Kakao chocolate. the shop’s pantry also holds proprietary infused maple syrups, salsa and spreads. choose from items like spicy ipa mustard, habanero-cherry jelly, blueberry preserves and more. the vibrant assortment sits on shelves and tables stocked with carefully curated beverages, housekeeping products and kitchen wares.

nearly 30 different beers are available to grab and go alongside wine, spirits and mixers. the marketlike side of the store also stocks linens, trays, rolling pins, cookie cutters and Seedgeeks honey. in the adjacent section, visitors will find everything from clothing and jewelry to knives, blankets and stationery. a fresh flower bar also awaits at the front of the space – stocked via a partnership with urban Buds and Baisch and Skinner – providing a multitude of fresh and fragrant stems to build your own bouquet, as well as house arrangements. “We try to skip the idea of fad and fashion and go with things that are socially and environmentally sound,” Barr says. “it’s been a joy watching people become creative on their own terms. i like to see ourselves as a vehicle for their creativity and just have some tools available.” 8154 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, Missouri, civilalchemy.com

Written By nancy StileS

microplane veggie wedgie Healthy eating will be a snap in 2018 thanks to this tool from Microplane. Slice foods like carrots, cucumbers, zucchini, hard-boiled eggs and more into six perfectly portioned wedges without a knife or cutting board. Bring the gadget on the go for easy slicing at work or for a picnic spread. For more information or to purchase the Veggie Wedgie, visit us.microplane.com. pHoto courteSy Microplane

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chef’n lemon-aid citrus spiralizer this tool creates beautiful citrus spirals perfect for infusing water with fresh flavor or garnishing dishes or cocktails. the dishwasher-safe spiralizer is easy to use: Simply twist your citrus fruit and press down, just like you would with a traditional spiralizer. For more information or to purchase the spiralizer, visit chefn.com. pHoto courteSy cHef’n

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TICKETS ON SALE NOW

MARCH 14, 2018 @ ST. LOUIS SCIENCE CENTER

NEW VENUE

WITH MORE SPACE! Explore the Science Center after hours while tasting from 50 of the best restaurants in town featured in Ian Froeb’s STL100 List! ~ Live Music by DJ Nune SPONSORED BY

All trademarks are the property of their respective owners • EFFEN® Vodka, 100% neutral spirits distilled from wheat grain, 40% alc./vol. and Flavored Vodkas, Distilled from Grain, 37.5% alc./vol. © 2017 EFFEN Import Company, Chicago, IL • Jim Beam® Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 40% Alc./Vol. ©2017 James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY

Visit: stltoday.com/ourevents to buy your ticket!

Sun-Thur 11am-9pm Fri-SaT 11am-10pm CloSed 3pm-5pm mon-Fri

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

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THE POST-DISPATCH

TRIVIA NIGHT Test your knowledge of all things St. Louis at this one-of-a-kind St. Louis trivia night to help support 100 Neediest Cases.

FEBRUARY 8TH, 2018

@ PALLADIUM ST. LOUIS DOORS OPEN – 6 PM TRIVIA STARTS – 7 PM

SPACE IS LIMITED RESERVE YOUR TABLE NOW!

VISIT:

STLToday.com/ourevents Inspired Local Food Culture

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Beef ragout and cauliflower purée

Six SeaSonS: a new way with VegetableS WRItteN by JACksoN RoMAN

holly cunningham owner, nourish by hollyberry

N eO O

WARSON WOODS, MO. Nearly two decades ago, Holly Cunningham started Hollyberry

WRItteN by JACksoN RoMAN | pHotogRApHy by JACklyN MeyeR

q&A

as a corporate gift business. It’s since grown into an award-winning catering service with an ever-evolving business model. In 2015, Cunningham opened Nourish by Hollyberry, a catering to-go market in Warson Woods, Missouri – a move which proved so successful that Nourish expanded to include a prepared foods mealdelivery subscription service in 2016. Cunningham says her mission has expanded along with her business: As she found herself increasingly busy, she longed for simple solutions for a quality meal at home and more family time. Now, with Nourish at Home, she seeks to make those solutions a reality.

How has Nourish changed since you first opened the market? Well, the concept of our market has changed a bit, and it now includes sort of a catering to-go market where customers can pick up lunch and dinners to prepare at home. We also allow people to come in and make, for instance, their own party-platter kit, where they can choose a couple of dips and spreads, and we use our catering expertise to help them. We also now have more than 10 corporate partners, and we provide them with healthy meal options delivered right to their offices. What can we expect from Nourish’s menu this year? Right now we’re in our winter menu, which features 12 weeks of no-repeat meals – hearty, warm and cozy dishes like beef ragout and cauliflower purée, or a chicken and rice bake with butternut squash and dried cranberries. Come the beginning of March, we’ll be jumping into our spring/summer menu, so be on the lookout for that! What makes Nourish perfect for New Year’s resolutions? With our Hearty and Healthy track, every meal is around or fewer than 500 calories; we even have nutritional information available all the way down to Weight Watchers points. It’s geared toward families who want to eat healthy but also want to eat creatively, and don’t want to have chicken breast and steamed vegetables every day. It’s not just about weight loss either. Maybe your resolution is to spend more time with your family and sit down to a quality meal, or your goal is to go on more date nights with your spouse. We’re here to help you accomplish all those things, while also supporting local food and keeping your carbon footprint down in the process. What’s next for Hollyberry? We’re currently working on a refresh of our brand for next year. We really want to recommunicate what our business is about to the public, and make sure they understand the full scope of how we can be a resource for them in their lives. [Next year] will be our 20th year in business, so we’re working toward letting people know who we are today. nourishathome.com

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In a culinary world captivated by local produce and vegetable-forward cuisine, even experienced home cooks can find themselves feeling a bit behind the times. In his new cookbook, Six Seasons: A New Way With Vegetables, Joshua McFadden, executive chef and owner of Ava gene’s in portland, oregon, seeks to create a definitive guide to seasonal, vegetable-focused cooking. McFadden, a former disciple of pioneering farm-to-table chef Dan barber, breaks the year into six seasons rather than the traditional four, and provides recipes that showcase each vegetable during its peak season. some vegetables, like beets and turnips, are noted for their evolving characteristics between their “early” and “late” seasons, and McFadden thoroughly explains how to prepare and enjoy them at each point. For a perfect prelude to nearly any meal, begin with the kale salad that started It All, which shot McFadden to stardom and sparked a nationwide kale trend after a glowing write-up in The New York Times in 2007. then, try your hand at mushrooms, sausage and rigatoni, or the aptly named Celery Root, Cracked Wheat, and every-Fall-Vegetable-you-Can-Find Chowder for a hearty, cold-weather meal. By Joshua McFadden, artisanbooks.com

LOVE...TURKISH STYLE! EnjOY A SpEcIAL pREfIx VALEnTInE© S DInnER On wEDnESDAY, fEbRUARY 14TH In ST. LOUIS© Most RoMantic RestauRant. Lunch: Tues-fri - Dinner: Tues-Sun - Sunday brunch Happy Hour: Tues-fri Visit ayasofiacuisine.com for reservations. Turkish Mediterranean cuisine

6671 Chippewa Street • St. Louis • 314.645.9919 • ayasofiacuisine.com

TRY US FOR YOUR SPECIAL OCCASION! Chi Mangia Bene Vive Bene! ªT o Eat Well is to Live Wellº Proudly Serving Authentic Italian Food in a Family Atmosphere. Birthday, Graduation, Retirement, Corporate Parties! Let Us Cater Your Special Occasion Try Our Party Pans For A Delicious Meal For Any Size Group Featuring Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Now selling our Signature Salad Dressing and Pasta Sauce. Bottled with love by our family for your family. Reservations Recommended, Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-10pm • Sunday Noon-9pm • Closed Monday

5442 Old Hwy 21• Imperial • 636.942.2405 • trattoria-giuseppe.com

Now in the Central West End An Oil & Vinegar Emporium Help us to welcome our newest Extra Virgin Olive Oils...Including three big winners at the New York International Olive Oil Competition. Including oils from Italy, Spain, Sicily, Greece and California Shop with us for your gourmet salt, pasta and seasoning needs. Check Website for Class Availability • diolivas.com West County 118 West County Center St. Louis, MO 63131 (P) 314.909.1171

St. Charles 617 S Main St St Charles, MO 63301 (P) 636.724.8282

Central West End 115 N. Euclid between West Pine and Lindell

Inspired Local Food Culture

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The Sundry Written by jenny VerGara | PHotoGraPHy by anGeLa bond

KANSAS CitY. The Sundry owner ryan Wing has found a new home for his two-year-

old market, café and bar. in september, he moved the sundry from kansas City’s Crossroads arts district to the new Plexpod co-working space at Westport Commons. now, he caters not only to those who work in the popular new collaborative space, but also sells groceries, food and drinks to the surrounding neighborhoods. Plans are in place for CultivatekC to use Plexpod’s on-site green space as an urban farm, growing produce for the sundry. the café provides fresh, local food and beverages, serving breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch on sundays, in addition to prepared meals, a small on-site market and a full coffee and cocktail bar, plus craft fountain sodas, a curated beer list and wine. Grab local items from kC Canning Co., Zim’s sauces and boysGrow, or pick up housemade focaccia, soup and charcuterie.

300 E. 39th St., Kansas City, Missouri, thesundry.com

artisan products red lettered goods tea towels Written by HeatHer riske

become a morning-routine must in the increasingly trendy brookside neighborhood of kansas City. the menu features salads, bowls, broths, and “unbaked” goods, but the main attraction is the signature cold-pressed juice. Unbakery’s juices come in three categories: citrus, green and root. Citrus blends feature bright flavors and spices; one favorite includes red pepper, lemon, pineapple and coconut water. For green juice, think swiss chard, pineapple, spinach and pear; a best-selling root juice is ginger, turmeric, beet, carrot and apple. each juice comes in eco-friendly glass bottles with convenient ingredient lists – perfect for a post-gym pick-me-up.

St. louiS. Megan rohall wants to help people celebrate everyday moments, both big and small. she started hand-lettering about three years ago and designed wedding invitations for friends back home in texas exas before launching Red Lettered Goods last year, featuring prints, stationery, notepads and more. Her kitchen collection includes 100-percent cotton flour-sack towels screen-printed with recipes from local chefs and food bloggers. recipes include buttermilk biscuits from Mary bogacki of yolklore in Crestwood, Missouri; chocolate chip cookies from local blogger anna beck of Urban apron; and apple crumble pie from blogger (and Feast contributor) amanda Wilens of Feed Me With amanda. the newest addition to the collection features a recipe for brownies from kaylen Wissinger of Whisk: a sustainable bakeshop in st. Louis. you can find red Lettered Goods’ products in the st. Louis area at Lemon Gem kitchen Goods, Union studio, Paisley boutique and online.

unbakeryandjuicerykc.com

redletteredgoods.etsy.com

PHoto by anna PetroW

PHoto by jaCkLyn Meyer

unbakery & juicery juices

Written by jaCkson roMan

KANSAS CitY. since opening in january 2016, robin and danny krause’s Unbakery & Juicery has

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Bring this in for $10 off per person “Mayhem in Mayberry”

Welcome to the annual “Miss Mayberry”contest. YOU decide who will walk away with the crown as the contestants are chosen from the audience. They will be judged on beauty, poise, cookin' skills and a new category this year ± hog callin.’ Join Sheriff Andy, Deputy Blarney and Aint Bee for a night of merriment and murder in this interactive comedy mystery served with a 4-course meal to Die for! Call for reservations today at 314-533-9830 Coupon valid through January 31, 2018. Not valid for groups.

Bissell Mansion Dinner Theatre

4426 Randall Place • St. Louis • 314.533.9830 • bissellmansion.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

Since 1893

24 Hrs. A Day, 7 Days A Week Just east of 3400 S. Kingshighway We accept Discover, Visa, Mastercard and American Express

4821 Fairview Ave., St. Louis • 314.832.1555 • zollingerfurniture.com

201 8 Celebrating the Bicentennial of the property

New Year’s Eve

know as J.Fires’ and our 10th year in business!

JOIN US

For a special 4 course Dinner. -Appetizer, Salad, Entree and Dessert. Wine Parings available. Reservations Required. PeoPles ChoiCe Winner Sunday Brunch with Bottomless Mimosas Best outdoor Patio 2016 and Best and Bloody Mary’s 10-2 BrunCh 2017 Music on the patio - May thru October (weather permitting)

725 N. Market Street, Waterloo, Illinois 62298

618-939-7233 • www.jfires.com

Star Inspired Local Food Culture

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Inspired Local Food Culture | Midwest

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cauliflower power

Learn how to make healthy, hearty cauliflower rice with a flavorful golden detox sauce on p. 44. photography by Sherrie caStellano

healthy appetite

story, recipe AND photogrAphy by sherrie cAstellANo

Cauliflower riCe Bowl with Golden detox SauCe If desired, add a dollop of Greek yogurt to this dish for extra tanginess.

Cauliflower riCe Bowl With Golden detox Sauce

here we are again: A new year with new resolutions on our plate. if one of your 2018 goals is to incorporate more fresh veggies into your diet, this cauliflower rice bowl is about to be your new best friend. All you have to do is pulse cauliflower in a food processor to mimic the texture of actual rice, and then steam or sauté it. the sauce is the star of this meal, though. loaded with turmeric, ginger, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and apple cider vinegar, this golden-hued sauce is rich in detox-friendly ingredients – and it tastes really good, too.

serves | 4 | Golden detox Sauce

½ ½ 1 ½ 1 1 1 1 ¼ ½

cup unsalted cashews cup unsweetened almond milk tsp ground turmeric tsp ground ginger garlic clove Tbsp olive oil Tbsp lemon juice Tbsp apple cider vinegar tsp sea salt tsp freshly ground black pepper

cauliflower rice bowl 2 sweet potatoes, washed, peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces 2 Tbsp olive oil, divided 1 head cauliflower, washed and sliced into florets 2 cups cooked lentils or beans fresh parsley leaves, minced, for garnish green onions, diced, for garnish sea salt and freshly ground black pepper ¼ cup Greek yogurt (optional)

| preparation – golden detox sauce | in the bowl of a blender, add all ingredients and blend on high until smooth. set aside.

| preparation – cauliflower rice bowl | preheat oven to 450°F. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. in a large mixing bowl, combine sweet potatoes and 1 tablespoon olive oil and toss to coat. spread potatoes evenly on baking sheet. roast for 25 minutes or until browned. in the bowl of a food processor, add cauliflower florets and pulse until a ricelike appearance is achieved. in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm remaining olive oil. Add cauliflower rice and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender. evenly divide cauliflower rice among 4 serving bowls. top with cooked lentils, roasted sweet potatoes, golden detox sauce, parsley and green onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. top with a dollop of greek yogurt, if desired, and serve.

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july 2 0 1 6

Sherrie Castellano is a former health coach turned food writer, photographer and pop-up chef based in St. Louis. A collection of Sherrie's recipes, stories and images can be found on her Saveur Blog Award-nominated website, With Food + Love. Sherrie has created content for brands and publications including Absolut, better homes and gardens, Chobani, Driftless Magazine, Food52, LaCroix Sparkling Water, selF, Urban Outfitters and vegetarian times.

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Coming in the april issue Call 314-475-1298 for more information Inspired Local Food Culture

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mystery shopper

story and recipe by shannon weber photography by jennifer silverberg

meet:

Small-Batch Bitter Orange-ginger marmalade

Bitter Oranges

You’ll also need three lengths of cheesecloth, layered together; kitchen twine; and heatproof glass jars to make the marmalade. yields | 2 to 3 cups |

What Is It? bitter oranges are the wrinkly, virtually inedible love children of pomelos and mandarins – the original sour patch Kid. native to china but thrust into the mainstream once they arrived in spain a thousand years ago, the swiftly renamed seville orange sounded more enticing, but didn’t change its sour, palate-assaulting astringency. great for marinades and sauces? yes, but not for sweet applications until some resourceful soul determined that – due to a high amount of pectin in the seeds and skin – the fruit would be quite lovely mellowed with a little sugar.

1½

lbs bitter oranges (6 to 7), scrubbed and halved 1 medium lemon, scrubbed 2 cups water 3 cups granulated sugar 1 to 1½ Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated

| preparation | juice oranges over a strainer into a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. scrape fruit clean of membranes and add to seeds in strainer. slice orange and lemon skins into very thin strips and add to pot. add water and stir. place membranes and seeds in cheesecloth; gather into a bag and secure tightly with kitchen twine. tie bag to the handle of pot so bag is submerged but doesn’t sink. increase heat to medium-high and boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes, until peels are tender. remove from heat; set cheesecloth bag aside to cool slightly. place a small plate in the freezer. whisk sugar and ginger into juice mixture. squeeze cheesecloth bundle firmly over juice mixture to extract any remaining pectin; discard bundle. bring mixture to a boil again over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. boil until mixture thickens and sets, 10 to 30 minutes, checking at 10-minute intervals for doneness – marmalade should reach a temperature of 220°f on a candy thermometer. place a small amount of marmalade onto chilled plate; when mixture wrinkles slightly to the touch, marmalade is set. remove from heat and let cool slightly; pour into heatproof glass jars. seal tightly with a lid and refrigerate; marmalade will keep for several months.

| to serve | serve cool or at room temperature over sweet or savory breads and crackers, add to a charcuterie platter or melt into glazes or sauces.

What do I do WIth It? More than you think: bitter oranges are indeed bitter, so avoid comparing them to their sweet orange counterparts and you’re off to a good start. belgians use the peels to spice their witbier (white beer), scandinavians use it to add punch to pepparkaka. Make a spicy indian-style pickle with the peel, or a tart marinade, dressing or gastrique with the juice. whatever you do, do it soon, as bitter oranges are only available december through early february. scout the produce section of your favorite international market now for the sour citrus – you'll be happy you did. 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.

orange you glad the holidays are over?

3 Annual Scott Knopfel rd

ConneCt with

Rediscover the

Midwest

o n e p l at e at a t i m e Like Feast.

Memorial Dine-Out TuesDay, March 6, 2018 Dine out on March 6 and fund scholarships for area restaurant and hotel employees. The first two Scott Knopfel Memorial Dine-Out events were a terrific success. Scholarships have been awarded to 32 students. Help fund even more scholarships in 2018.

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Participating restaurants will make a donation based on the day’s sales. Help local restaurant and hotel employees with the cost of their education while dining out with family and friends. Scott Knopfel was a lifelong St. Louisan who touched many lives during his career in the restaurant and hotel industries. He died tragically in January of 2015.

More information and participating restaurants: MoRestaurants.org/scott-knopfel and MRA--314-576-27777 Inspired Local Food Culture

j a nu a ry 2 018

quick fix

6 1 8 1 2 ¼

slices pancetta or bacon tsp olive oil tsp unsalted butter, divided small onion, chopped 28-oz cans San Marzano tomatoes cup firmly packed brown sugar pinch red pepper flakes 1 bay leaf ¾ cup whole milk salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 6 slices bread, lightly toasted and cut into ¼-inch squares 6 eggs

| preparation | preheat oven to 375°f. prepare a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and place pancetta on sheet in flat rows. bake until crispy, about 10 to 12 minutes. set aside. in a large saucepan with a lid over medium heat, add oil and 1 teaspoon butter. add onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. add tomatoes and brown sugar and stir to combine. allow tomatoes to cook until sugar is dissolved. add red pepper flakes and bay leaf. cook for 15 minutes, remove pan from heat; remove and discard bay leaf. Using an immersion blender, purée soup until smooth. add milk and return pan to medium-low heat to cook for 5 minutes more. Gradually reduce heat until soup is at a low boil. season with salt and pepper to taste.

add eggs, one at a time, to warm soup. place lid on saucepan and cook for 4 minutes. carefully spoon 1 egg into 6 serving bowls, then ladle soup into bowls. divide croutons and pancetta over top of each bowl and serve.

chef’s tip POAcH cOAcH. the freshest eggs make the best poached

eggs, and bringing them to room temperature will ensure eggs are cooked to desired doneness. if you prefer poached eggs with harder yolks, increase your poaching time.

the Menu •Roasted Butternut Squash With Sweet Spices, Lime and Green Chile •Tomato Soup With Poached Eggs, Croutons and Pancetta •Stuffed Pork Loin With Fennel •Apple Upside-Down Cake In this class you’ll learn how to perfectly poach eggs. You’ll also learn how to enhance the flavor of roasted butternut squash with unexpected accents: lime and green chiles.

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In a separate skillet over medium-high heat, melt remaining butter until it foams. add bread cubes and toast, tossing occasionally, until bread is sizzling and takes on some color and all butter is absorbed. cover pan with lid and turn off heat.

long and chilly winter nights call for cooking comforting meals over a warm stove. Upgrade tomato soup and grilled cheese with this fun yet unfussy tomato soup, made richer and creamier by the addition of soft poached eggs and crispy pancetta. both toppings couldn’t be easier to make: the pancetta is quickly baked in the oven, and the eggs are poached directly in the hot soup as it cooks.

serves | 6 |

With Poached eggs, croutons and Pancetta

TomaTo Soup WiTh poached eggS, crouTonS and panceTTa

TomaTo Soup

story and recipe by Gabrielle deMichele photoGraphy by jennifer silverberG

WATCH IT ON THESE NETWORKS

In St. Louis, tune into the Nine Network (Channel 9) to watch Feast TV Mondays at 9:30pm.

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In Kansas City, watch Feast TV on KCPT (Channel 19) Sundays at 8am and 6:30pm.

You can watch Feast TV throughout mid-Missouri on KMOS (Channel 6) Saturdays at 10am.

Feast TV airs in the southern Illinois region on WSIU (Channel 8) Saturdays at noon and Mondays at 12:30pm.

Check your local listings to watch Feast TV in the Lake of the Ozarks area.

JAN. 27-28, 2018

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

THE CHASE PARK PLAZA ROYAL SONESTA HOTEL

To buy tickets, visit foodandwinestl.org

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sweet ideas

story and recipe by christy augustin photography by jacklyn meyer

Semolina Flatbread CraCkerS Use whatever seeds you prefer to make these crackers: poppy, sesame, hemp, flax, mustard or celery. The same goes for herbs – I like sage, rosemary or thyme (or all three!), but most any herb will complement the crackers. yields | 16 crackers |

¹⁄₃ cup cornmeal 1½ cups unbleached, all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling out dough 1¹⁄₃ cups durum flour (semolina) 1 Tbsp sea salt 2 to 3 Tbsp seeds 2 Tbsp finely minced fresh herbs 1 cup water ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

| preparation | in a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. add water and oil and stir to combine. lightly knead dough until smooth. cover in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for 30 minutes at room temperature. preheat oven to 450°F with a baking stone or upturned cookie sheet placed on the middle rack. divide dough into 8 pieces. generously dust a sheet of parchment paper with all-purpose flour and, using a rolling pin, roll out each piece of dough until very thin. place sheet of parchment paper with dough pieces onto preheated stone or cookie sheet. bake for 4 minutes, flip with tongs and finish baking until light golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes more. repeat with remaining dough sheets. store finished crackers in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Semolina Flatbread CraCkerS nothing improves a cheese or charcuterie board like homemade crackers. durum flour, or semolina, is a high-protein yellow wheat flour with a sweet, nutty flavor that's integral to all true italian pasta. the texture is wonderful when used in breads and also makes great polenta. the flavor lends itself particularly well to these crackers, which i like making with plenty of seeds and fresh herbs. the simplicity of a sesame-seed cracker, for example, calls for fresh thyme, while poppy and flax seeds pair well with rosemary, and hemp seeds with sage. or omit the seeds altogether in favor of freshly ground pepper and a grated dry cheese like asiago. 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. Learn more at pintsizebakery.com.

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Keep your plates clean with these healthy choices 4

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2. Revel Kitchen

st. louis, Kansas citY and coluMBia, MissouRi

Revel Kitchen’s philosophy is simple: healthy foods, healthy portions, real food, real fast. The fast-casual St. Louis-area restaurant is more than just healthy eats and drinks – owners Simon Lusky and Angelica Sotomayor Lusky strive to provide the highest quality locally sourced ingredients. Along with raw cold-pressed juices, natural fruit smoothies and on-tap kombucha, Revel offers hearty eats such as build-your-owl protein bowls, gluten-free wraps and an Asian-style loaded omelet with locally made tofu and a full serving of vegetables. eatrevelkitchen.com

Known for its complex cups of coffee made with beans sourced directly from some of the world’s best coffee regions, Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Co. has robust breakfast and lunch menus to complement its beverages. Fresh, healthy breakfast options include loaded avocado toast, crustless quiche, chai-spiced overnight oats and multigrain porridge. For lunch, try a light sandwich, wrap or flatbread or salads like the apple and Brie with turkey, dried cranberries and sunflower seeds with herb vinaigrette. kaldiscoffee.com

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The fast-casual Nourish Café + Market in Columbia, Missouri, serves non-GMO, nutrient-rich fare that is free of gluten, soy, corn, hydrogenated oils and refined sugars. The from-scratch kitchen plates breakfast and lunch dishes full of high-quality superfood ingredients that are sourced locally and 100-percent composted. Try favorites including coconut-matcha smoothies; hearty bowls packed with fresh veggies and organic protein; vibrant salads, sandwiches and wraps; and a selection of breakfast and weekend brunch items. nourishcafemarket.com

Inspired by farmers’ markets and the fresh-food culture, Jo Marie Scaglia conceptualized The Mixx when she realized there was a void for healthy, fast-casual cuisine in Kansas City and Overland Park, Kansas. Since 2005, her one-of-a-kind culinary creations have been a hit. Choose from hearty quinoa bowls, colorful soups, innovative salads, wraps and sandwiches – or customize your own to fit your taste and diet. Visit the Hawthorne location’s fresh-pressed juice bar for refreshing smoothies, wellness shots and kombucha on tap. mixxingitup.com

Based in California, Café Gratitude’s Kansas City location is the only one located out of state but shares the same West Coast health-focused mentality. Selections from the menu of breakfast items, starters, sandwiches, wraps and entrées, as well as juice and meal plans, are an easy way to start the day on the right foot. The 100-percent organic café serves plant-based dishes that support sustainability of the local community and planet. Try the lasagna rolls stuffed with cashew mozzarella, spinach, basil and pasta with a side of local roasted heirloom tomatoes. cafegratitudekc.com

Inspired Local Food Culture

j a nu a ry 2 018

Where happily ever after begins. Whether your style is traditional or trendy, SqWires event staff will make sure all your needs are met for your wedding, reception, shower, engagement party, or rehearsal dinner.

1415 S. 18th St, St. Louis, MO 63104 314-865-3522 sqwires.com Photo by Eichar Photography

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2018

wedding guide a feast-forward guide

to the big day Make the most of your magical moment with Feast’s second-annual wedding guide. Turn the page for inspiration on custom-catering options, trendy cakes and elegant desserts, one-of-a-kind ideas for your bachelor and bachelorette parties and rehearsal dinners, and finding your fairy-tale venue and reception space. edited by bethany christo

photography by ©istock.com/thesaltypeanut

photography courtesy featured businesses

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photography by white-klump photography

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dazzling and delicious one-of-a-kind cuisine

The above-and-beyond mentality at Ces & Judy’s Catering has established it as one of the top wedding caterers in the St. Louis area. Ces & Judy’s will be the exclusive caterer of the St. Louis-area’s newest premier event venue coming in May 2018, The Venue at Maison du Lac in Catawissa, Missouri. If you’ve found your fairy-tale venue, the catering team can also serve you wherever you choose to say “I do.” Ces & Judy’s Catering feastmagazine.com

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catering Fuel your party with these customized eats and treats

1. Weber Grill Restaurant in Richmond Heights, Missouri, offers full-service catering – including on-site grilling of kebabs, Angus burgers and more – through Weber on Wheels (WOW). No matter your party style, from a small backyard bash to a big elegant celebration, WOW has a package to wow guests. 2. Specializing in brunch, dinner and dessert, Spiced Just Right serves customized event menus both on- and off-site throughout the St. Louis area with dishes like New Orleans-style corn bisque with andouille and crawfish or risotto-stuffed arancini with smoked garlic aÏoli and tomato sauce. 3. Beast Craft BBQ Co. in Belleville, Illinois, caters its award-winning ‘cue – and also much more. Table setup options include a hog-head or crusty brisket display, rustic wood chafers and greenery, and catering can be priced from à la carte to per person.

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j a nu a ry 2 018

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take the cake

photography by ©istock.com/picsale

Whether you go with a traditional, unusual or trendy design, a wedding cake should always reflect the style and preference of the couple. Come prepared with inspirational photos and ideas of what you like, but keep an open mind about creative and unique options presented by the bakery or pastry chef. Aside from the tiered centerpiece, groom’s cakes, dessert bars and sweet party favors are some up-and-coming, out-of-the-box options.

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St. Louis’ Newest Paint Studio Perfect for bridal showers, bachelorette birthd and more! parties,, birthdays Classes start at $35/person, includes 11x10 canvas and paint supplies. Kid’s canvas sizes available, too.

Award winning

Delicious small bites and alcoholic / nonalcoholic beverages available for purchase.

boutique bakery,

Custom Cakes, Desserts specializing in

and

Visit www.nakedcanvasstudios.com for class schedules

French Macarons

1626 Tower Grove Ave | St Louis, MO | 314-932-7935 | www.simonefaure.com

The Wedding Cake is the centerpiece of the wedding. No matter the size or shape our skilled bakers and cake artisans focus on every detail to ensure a memorable and beautiful experience. The Blue Owl Bakery provides the perfect options to fit your wedding day! From artistic custom wedding cakes to grand dessert buffets, we can provide something delicious that perfectly fits your wedding style. 314-779-9939 Lcostello@theblueowlbakery.com theblueowlbakery.com

Call 314-403-1020 to book today! Mention this ad & receive 15% off your first booking 18 Fee Fee Rd. Maryland Heights, MO A sister company of

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twisted tree steakhouse & seafood

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experienec spirits from mid-missouri’s premier craft distillery locally made spirits well crafted cocktails

open tuesday - saturday 4:00 pm - 10:00 pm 210 St. James Street, Suite D Columbia, MO 65201 (573) 777-6768

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ity C s a s Kan f o t Bes e h ce t n e i r e p x E Winter Blues Package raphaelkc.com/WinterBlues

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purchase of $25 or more

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NothingBundtCakes.com

Expires 5/31/18. Coupon must be presented at time of purchase. $5 off $25 before tax. Valid only at the bakeries listed. Valid only on baked goods; not valid on retail items. No cash value. Coupon may not be reproduced, transferred or sold. Internet distribution strictly prohibited. Must mention when ordering by phone. Not valid on online orders. Must be claimed in bakery during normal business hours. Not valid with any other offer.

Winter

Romantic Getaway Inspired Cuisine & Celebration Packages

chazontheplaza.com/Menus

Classic Kansas City Restaurant & Lounge Live KC Jazz Nightly & Weekend Jazz Brunch

Cool Cocktails & Hot Jazz Nightly chazontheplaza.com/AboutUs

St. Louis’ premier wedding reception facility providing an authentic Italian wedding experience Accommodates up to 500 guests / Catering by Favazza’s

3 additional rooms including an outdoor patio with fireplace also available at Favazza’s for private parties. Wedding Inquiries: 314-772-4454 / info@favazzas.com

325 Ward Parkway I Country Club Plaza I 816.756.3800 I raphaelkc.com 58

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2300 Edwards Street, St. Louis, MO Roseofthehill.com

5201 Southwest Street, St. Louis, MO Favazzas.com

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Cakes & Desserts Traditional and trendy treats

1. The French-inspired La Patisserie Chouquette in St. Louis sells chic and sleek custom cakes and desserts (think petit fours, floral macarons and marbled shortbread), as well as favors, grooms cakes and gluten-free options. 2. The Blue Owl Bakery in House Springs, Missouri, is known for its award-winning pies and masterful cake centerpieces, but it also offers a variety of other wedding dessert options including edible guest favors, cupcake displays and dessert buffets. 3. Nothing Bundt Cakes’ three St. Louis-area locations offer a unique alternative to the traditional wedding cake, along with many other sweet treats for engagement parties, bridal showers and rehearsal dinners. The handcrafted Bundt cakes are available in four sizes in 10 delicious flavors, plus its signature cream-cheese frosting.

Inspired Local Food Culture

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a hidden gem in the heart of kansas city

The Raphael Hotel is a historic, boutique hotel with luxurious accommodations and Euro-style charm overlooking Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza. Its Plaza View Room is a dedicated venue space ideal for intimate rehearsal dinners and celebratory brunches for up to 40 guests. Enjoy a menu prepared and served by the award-winning culinary team of the hotel’s signature restaurant, Chaz on the Plaza. The Raphael Hotel

feastmagazine.com

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Voted Best Wine Store Selection

Make your memories in our intimate quaint atmosphere! Rehearsal Dinners • Wedding Showers Receptions • Catered Events

Call today to save your day!

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Sizzling celebrationS

Please Call Ashley Deiters-Event Coordinator for more information or a tour of the winery for your special day! Visit us online to view our upcoming events!

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Winery•Dining•event Center•Cabin rentals

10580 Wellen Rd | Aviston, IL 62216 | 618-228-9111

Wedding ReheaRsals Receptions & BRunches From cocktail parties to fire-grilled menus, our private dining rooms and off-site catering services are the perfect way to celebrate. St. Louis

WebergrillRestaurant.com 314.930.3838

wine | spirits Beer | Cheese | gifts 1701 Baltimore Ave. Kansas City, MO 64108 info@cellarratwine.com 816-221-9463

You’ve just made a lifetime decision that requires trust and expertise. Intimate gathering or gala celebration, Sheraton Westport Plaza and Westport Chalet Hotel offers next to perfect wedding venues. Our professional wedding planning and banquet teams, with twenty years of experience and dedication,

Dinners Friday and Saturday evenings from 5pm-8pm Lunches served Wednesday through Sunday 11am-4pm booking weddings for 2018 and 2019

will create the wedding you imagine with delivery you can trust. 191 & 900 Westport Plaza | St. Louis, MO | 314.212.2110 | SheratonWesport.com

WINERY HOURS:

Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday – 11am-6pm Friday and Saturday – 11am-8pm

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Book your Special Day at Bella Vino

636-724-3434

OPENING SPRING 2018

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325 S Main St, Saint CharleS, MO 63301

WEDDINGS • CEREMONIES • EVENTS FOR INFO & VENUE RENDERINGS VISIT: B I T. LY/ T H E V E N U E AT M D L

CATERED EXCLUSIVELY BY WWW.CESANDJUDYS.COM 314-991-6700

St. Louis’ Premier Home Accent & Gift Store for the home | for the body | for the memories

Your Mariposa Destination for the “Special Day” and every day! m ariposa

our world is still made by hand

Your Special Day We shut down The Mansion for your day. You and your guests will have the place to yourself, from morning until midnight.

We have our weddings in the front yard (under the archway by the fountain), or in a tent with beautiful lighting, the choice is yours. We can do a traditional reception (appetizers, guest’s choice of beef, chicken, seafood or vegetarian dish, a salad, vegetable, starch, bread, soft drinks and cake cutting) or something more catered to your style. Our executive chef worked at Disney World, he was in charge of the Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Magic Kingdom, Royal Floridian and the annual wine and cheese festival. He can do pretty much anything you can imagine with food.

Private Events Include

Private events at the mansion are something to be remembered forever. Events can include anything that you would like and are fully customizable. From the bar to the food, anything you can dream of, we can do.

Birthday Parties • Anniversaries • Retirement Parties Corporate Events • Chef’s Tables

Experience a hidden gem in O’Fallon, Illinois at an 1850’s Italianate Mansion Only 20 Minutes from St Louis, Via Highway 64 East.

Enjoy fine dining by Executive Chef Jerry Conway and enjoy a tour!

Book a Celebration, Special Event or a Private Party today!

1680 Mansion Way, O© Fallon, IL 62269

(618) 624-0629

Mariposa “Remember this Day” Frame, $69 127 E. Argonne Dr. | Kirkwood, MO | christophersgifts.com | 314-909-0202

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Make Your Reservations Today!

www.thegrilleatthemansion.com

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rehearsal dinners & Bachelorette & Bachelor Parties What to sip and serve before the big day

1. Along with crafting complex artisan spirits, DogMaster Distillery creates complementary cocktails at its Columbia, Missouri, tasting room. At your bachelorette party, owner Van Hawxby recommends the colorful and festive Wedding Cake Martini – made with DogMaster vodka, coconut and vanilla syrups, and sprinkles. 2. Twisted Tree, from the Syberg and Abbadessa families, can host intimate gatherings in St. Louis, including engagement celebrations, showers and rehearsal dinners for parties of six to 45 guests – outdoor patio lounges are also available. 3. Hidden Lake Winery in Aviston, Illinois, has four scenic spaces for your wedding events. The Barrel Room, with breathtaking views overlooking the vineyard grounds, fits 20 to 80 guests for your rehearsal dinner. 4. The quaint atmosphere at Delta Queen Port of Call in Kimmswick, Missouri, offers rustic riverside charm for your rehearsal dinner, bridal shower, bachelorette or bachelor party and more. 5. Chef’s Shoppe in Edwardsville, Illinois, offers gourmet popcorn to match any bridal shower or wedding theme. Choose from flavors like “corn”-fetti, beer (spicy Cheddar with herbs and spices) and black pepper-sea salt-Parmesan if you’re planning a colorful popcorn bar. 4.

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casual elegance within a verdant vineyard

With French-country charm and Tuscan vibes, LaChance Vineyards in De Soto, Missouri, offers a backdrop for your wedding full of gorgeous sunsets, acres of budding vines, romantic fountains and open green spaces. Just 30 minutes from South County in St. Louis, LaChance can accommodate weddings of all sizes. LaChance Vineyards

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Venues & reception Picture-perfect places to celebrate your love

1. Hotel Vandivort’s Cornerstone Room and Vandivort Ballroom offer stunning Downtown views, sleek and modern design, plenty of natural light, cutting-edge multimedia, and flexible seating and catering options in Springfield, Missouri. 2. Located west of St. Louis in New Haven, Missouri, The Barn at Cedar Creek can accommodate up to 300 guests. Cedar Creek offers everything from ceremonies to reception venues, as well as overnight lodging for 125 guests. 3. Situated lakeside, The Venue at Maison du Lac offers a scenic escape with a modern design that is sure to leave a lasting impression. Located in Catawissa, Missouri, and coming May 2018, The Venue seats 300 guests, as well as an updated bridal suite with options for lakeside, indoor and outdoor ceremonies. 4. Rose of the Hill in St. Louis’ historic Italian neighborhood is full of old-world elegance and can accommodate up to 500 people with plenty of parking. Its sister restaurant, Favazza’s on The Hill, caters authentic Italian cuisine in the romantic, private space.

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Venues & reception Picture-perfect places to celebrate your love

5. Toast to happily ever after and dance the night away in the 500-seat Arch View Ballroom in the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, which features wonderful views of the Arch and St. Louis skyline from floor-to-ceiling windows. Located steps away from Busch Stadium, it’s perfect for guests who want to get married at the stadium and host their reception or book a wedding block at the hotel. 6. Edg-Clif Farms & Vineyard is an authentic, vintage farm in Potosi, Missouri. The pavilion, garden and fields provide a charming and rustic wedding setting among romantic gardens and a thriving, family-owned vineyard and winery. 7. The acres of grapes at LaChance Vineyards are just one of the perks of hosting a wedding or reception at the De Soto, Missouri, winery, along with an impeccable wine list, a farm-to-table full-service kitchen and plenty of venue options for weddings of any size. 8. Located in the historic and charming Lafayette Square neighborhood in St. Louis, SqWires’ event spaces are set in a picture-perfect renovation of an old Victorian building.

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2018 wedding guide directory StL Arch View Ballroom at Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark 1 S. Broadway St. Louis, MO 314.421.1776 hilton.com iL

Beast Craft BBQ Co. 20 S. Belt W Belleville, IL 618.257.9000 beastcraftbbq.com

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

Hidden Lake Winery 10580 Wellen Road Aviston, IL 618.228.9111 hiddenlakewinery.com

The Raphael Hotel 25 Ward Parkway Kansas City, MO 816.756.3800 raphaelkc.com

stl Rose of The Hill 2300 Edwards St. St. Louis, MO 314.772.6003 roseofthehill.com

Mo The Blue Owl 6116 Second St. Kimmswick, MO 636.464.3128 theblueowl.com

sgf Hotel Vandivort 305 E. Walnut St. Springfield, MO 417.832.1515 hotelvandivort.com

stl Spiced Just Right 14 Fee Fee Road Maryland Heights, MO 314.266.8884 sidengo.com/spicedjustright

Mo Cedar Creek 1401 Olive Road New Haven, MO 855.778.7222 cedarcreekcenter.com

mo LaChance Vineyards 12237 Peter Moore Lane De Soto, MO 636.586.2777 lachancevineyards.com

stl SqWires 1415 S. 18th St. St. Louis, MO 314.865.3522 sqwires.com

StL Ces & Judy’s Catering 10405 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO 314.991.6700 cesandjudys.com

stl La Patisserie Chouquette 1626 Tower Grove Ave. St. Louis, MO 314.932.7935 simonefaure.com

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

Chef’s Shoppe 2320 Troy Road Edwardsville, IL 618.659.9840 chefsshoppe.com

stl Nothing Bundt Cakes – Brentwood 9040 Manchester Road St. Louis, MO 314.942.3535 nothingbundtcakes.com

Mo The Venue at Maison du Lac 2603 Wild Plum Valley Road Catawissa, MO 314.991.6700 cesandjudys.com/landing-page

Mo Delta Queen Port of Call 6035 Second St. Kimmswick, MO 636.223.7170 dqportofcall.com

stl Nothing Bundt Cakes – Chesterfield 159 Lamp and Lantern Village Chesterfield, MO 636.220.6087 nothingbundtcakes.com

stl Weber Grill Restaurant and Weber on Wheels 1147 St. Louis Galleria St. Richmond Heights, MO 314.930.3838 webergrillrestaurant.com

como DogMaster Distillery

Nothing Bundt Cakes – Fairview Heights 5915 N. Illinois St. Fairview Heights, IL 618.416.8002 nothingbundtcakes.com

210 St. James St., Suite D Columbia, MO 573.777.6768 dogmasterdistillery.com

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“AN ANTIDOTE TO THE COMMON FILM FESTIVAL.” - Steven Zeitchik Los Angeles Times

FILM FEST MARCH 1-4, 2018 / COLUMBIA, MO / TRUEFALSE.ORG

PASSES NOW ON SALE Inspired Local Food Culture

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7 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . s t . lo u i s 80 ............... kansas city 88 ............... springfield 9 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . c o lu m b i a

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every year in our annual tastemakers issue we say that there’s never been as much creativity or energy in the local restaurant scene as there is right now – and every year it’s true. That’s because the volume of talent and innovation we see year after year only continues to grow and flourish. The Midwest is teeming with highly skilled and creative chefs, sommeliers, mixologists and hospitality professionals, and it’s our pleasure to share the following Tastemakers whose boundary-pushing work caught our attention this year. Some of these men and women have just started making their mark on the industry; they are this year’s Rising Stars. In the coming years, you’re likely to see the same faces helming our region’s next crop of game-changing restaurants and bars. We’re also shining a spotlight on Industry Innovators: the professionals who are actively involved in defining what it means to eat and drink in our region. Much of that forward movement is also reflected in our list of Best New Restaurants of 2017, a roundup of the can’t-miss spots that have opened in the past year.

we ' re lucky to live , eat and drink in the midwest , where there is always something new and exciting to savor . Written by ren bishop, April Fleming, nAtAlie gAllAgher, rose hAnsen, liz miller, heAther riske, JAckson romAn, nAncy stiles, JessicA e. VAughn And Jenny A. VergArA

EDIToR’s noTE: Our editorial team selected this year’s Best New Restaurants from those that opened between December 2016 and November 2017. PICTURED: Evy Swoboda, chef de cuisine at Pastaria in Clayton, Missouri. PhoTo by jUDD DEmalInE

%PG 70

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6 more exciting restaurant openings are already in the works for 2018. Visit feastmagazine.com for lists of the most-anticipated spots slated to open in 2018.

Rising Star t ay lor H a m i lton

W d-duck Pork-an let cassou

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squatters café

St. Louis diners will have to wait a little bit longer to dine at Bulrush, the foraging-focused fine-dining restaurant from James Beard-nominated chef Rob Connoley, but in the meantime, a taste of his locally sourced cooking is available at Squatters Café. Located inside the KDHX building in Grand Center, the casual restaurant serves an affordable breakfast and lunch menu throughout the week. Nearly everything on the menu is made in house, including yogurt, pickles and pecan milk, and Connoley strives to produce as little waste as possible (even the disposable containers are made from sorghum grass). The menu is sprinkled with fun surprises – beets in a salad are hollowed out and stuffed with lemon curd and a goat-cheese Bavarian cream, for instance, while the pork-and-duck cassoulet is garnished with a small duck-soup dumpling that, when cut into, spills into the rest of the dish. Connoley even makes yogurt fun with touches like butterscotch mousse and white chocolate cups filled with huckleberry sauce. –Heather Riske

It’s oK to call Taylor Hamilton obsessive. In fact, he says that’s what attracted him to working at Union Loafers in the first place. Hamilton got to know co-owner Ted Wilson while working as the pizzaiolo at mike Randolph’s celebrated Randolfi’s and says the two share similar philosophies when it comes to pizza. That means doing the same thing every day – and scrutinizing every last detail – yet accepting that you’ll never fully master the process. pizzas at the Botanical Heights bakery and sandwich shop, which are served for dinner only, are similar in technique to Neapolitan pies yet baked longer and at a lower temperature. That lengthier time period means there’s more opportunity for things to go wrong, but pushing the pizzas to the edge of the bake results in a deep-red, crispy, caramelized crust. Hamilton, who got his start working in a small Springfield, missouri, franchise pizzeria at 16, has worked primarily with pizza over the years, including stints at Dewey’s pizza, Guido's pizzeria & Tapas and Sasha’s Wine Bar, and says he enjoys the niche nature of the job. Now, he’s excited to see where he can take the pizza at Loafers – and even if the menu doesn’t look too different from one day to the next, you can bet he’s obsessing over every detail. –H.R. unionloafers.com

squatterscafe.com pHoTo By JaCKLyN meyeR

industry innovator

Photo by judd deMaline

mike ike Randolph isn’t afraid of change. over the years, he’s ended pop ups at the height of their popularity and transformed beloved restaurants into entirely new concepts. maybe that’s why, when he shuttered his acclaimed Italian restaurant, Randolfi’s, in September, it felt more like a beginning. enter PriVado, a weekend-only “culinary idea house,” inspired by his Diversion dinner series and housed in the former Randolfi’s space in the Delmar Loop. With privado, which debuted in october, Randolph wants to provide a more playful fine-dining experience. make a reservation for the tasting menu and upon arrival you’re greeted with sparkling wine at the bar. The first of 12 to 15 courses is displayed at the pass as Randolph explains the dish. menus only hint at what’s to come – you’ll know the theme of the third course is “poached,” for instance, and will include lobster, duck liver and avocado. What follows, though, are delightful surprises: you were anticipating the liver, but not that it would be grated over plates tableside. No reservations? The bar serves an a la carte menu and welcomes walk-ins. –Liz Miller privadostl.com

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Rising Star L oga n e Ly

Bánh mì pho dip

At Square1 Project, Logan Ely’s Delmar Loop underground supper club, creativity is driven as much by vision as necessity. The 12-seat space (in a secret retail location) debuted in March with Friday and Sunday services offering 12 to 14 courses with beverage pairings. When Ely first returned to St. Louis after cooking in Chicago, New York, Napa Valley, Houston, Hong Kong and Copenhagen, he wasn’t sure something like Square1 would even work in his hometown; luckily, he found that people were excited to check out his concept. The menu, which changes a little each service and drastically every few weeks, is vegetableheavy, with a bit of seafood and meat used sparingly – think beef fat or dried pig heart. The space literally has no kitchen; Ely and his team cook with a toaster oven, an induction burner and two pots. The minimal equipment – plus a reasonable $60-per-person price tag, including drink pairings – pushes Ely’s creativity. However, he hopes to soon have a permanent space for Square1 Project, with a real kitchen, a set menu, additional staff and a little bit of money to spend – things he says he’s surprised to have made it this far without. For a recent dish, Ely fermented green tomatoes for two weeks and cooked them for another four months until they were black; they were blended with fresh, ripe tomatoes for an umami broth. This was paired with a warm cow’s milk curd – made to order using milk from Double Star Farms – and topped with snap peas, black lime peels and preserved winter cress. –Nancy Stiles

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The bánh mì pho dip at Nudo House was inspired by customers at owner Qui Tran’s mother’s restaurant, Mai Lee. The family noticed that some regulars would order a bánh mì sandwich and a bowl of pho and dip the sandwich in the richly spiced broth like it was au jus. So when it came time to develop the full menu for Nudo, which opened in Creve Coeur, Missouri, this summer, executive chef Marie-Anne Velasco knew she needed to give the people what they wanted. The sandwich is a standout, but ramen is the star. Velasco says she's most proud of the stocks; the pork and chicken stocks, for example, are made with just pork or chicken bones and water and simmered for 20 hours until almost a creamy, milky consistency. The stock in the pork tonkotsu ramen is so rich with flavor that it could serve as a soul-satisfying meal on its own. That is, if not for the marinated and braised pork belly, soft-boiled egg and noodles swimming in the bowl. –L.M. nudostl.com

pHoTo by MAbeL SueN

industry innovator

twitter.com/square1_project

PHoTo bY j.PoLLACK PHoTogrAPHY

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nudo house

Natasha bahrami didn’t set out to make St. Louis home to the largest gin festival in the world, but that’s exactly what she’s done. Growing up in the restaurant industry – her parents opened Café Natasha – taught bahrami how to be an entrepreneur, but she wasn’t sure of her path until a gin Martini sent her “down a rabbit hole” while living in Washington, D.C. Gin was beginning to garner more national attention, and bahrami was fascinated by the range of flavor profiles available. eager to share her newfound knowledge with her hometown, she moved back to St. Louis and opened THE giN rooM inside Café Natasha in 2014. Today the bar features more than 65 gins, including locally produced options and infusions and five housemade tonics in flavors like calamansi-mint and strawberry-pepper. If you’re new to gin (or think you’re not a fan), bahrami recommends ordering either the gin and tonic flight or the straight-up gin flight, which both spotlight the different flavors and nuances of various gins – dry, warm spice, floral, citrus, piney or barrel-aged. Just ask for “The Gin Girl,” bahrami’s preferred nickname, and she’ll help you find your favorite. In 2015, she hosted the first Gin Festival at Café Natasha, a small celebration featuring tastings and distiller talks. A year later she hosted Gin Week and Gin Fest, the largest gin festival in the u.S. Gin Week featured more than 50 local bars and restaurants and was capped off with Gin Fest, where 70-plus gins were available for tasting. Last year bahrami tackled her most ambitious project yet: Ginworld Gin Week, which expanded the educational platform and festival from St. Louis to New orleans; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; and oxfordshire, england. –L.M. natashasginroom.com

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|best n ew pig & pickle

Small plates weren't fan favorites for chef Ryan Lewis at his Springfield, Illinois, restaurant, Driftwood Cocktail & Eatery, but dishes like carrots with honeycomb, whipped goat cheese and smoky pepitas; charred octopus; and chile-rubbed pork belly with sorghum-Coke syrup have already won him praise in St. Louis. Last fall, Lewis retooled his concept and opened Pig & Pickle in the Skinker-DeBaliviere neighborhood. The restaurant serves small plates with a fine-dining touch, and Lewis strives to source as much as possible from Missouri and Illinois producers. Diners will notice that the dishes have a bit of a Southern accent, too; the house burger is topped with pimento cheese, for example, and the fried shrimp and chips are served with an Old Bay-malt vinegar aïoli. Driftwood’s signature pretzel-crusted cheese curds and fried chicken ‘n’ biscuit made the move, too – and you need only order them to discover why. –H.R.

with pork, Blackened shrimp to grits cream and pimen chipotle-tomato

pigandpickleeatery.com PhOTO By MaBEL SuEn

Rising Star s a r a t r i k e nsk a s

Sara Trikenskas is, in her words, a chocolate pusher. On an average night at The RitzCarlton, St. Louis in Clayton, Missouri, it’s not uncommon to see her handing out pieces of a new black licorice chocolate bar for everyone in the kitchen to try. The lead pastry chef first fell in love with chocolate during a stint at the nationally acclaimed Patric Chocolate while in college in Columbia, Missouri, and has judged the chocolate category at the national Good Food Awards for the past two years. Trikenskas, who has worked at The Ritz for around four years, makes all of the restaurant’s French macarons and ice cream (the toasted oatmeal flavor is a recent favorite). Last fall, she combined the two for a spin on one of her favorite desserts since childhood: spumoni. The dish featured scoops of chocolate, cherry and pistachio ice cream served with a dark stout cake filled with cherry ganache, a pistachio macaron and cherry compote. At the end of the day, though, her true passion is artisan chocolate. Early this year, Trikenskas plans to start hosting chocolate pop-up events around St. Louis. Through tastings and education, she hopes to help customers understand where chocolate comes from, and why a $14 craft chocolate bar is better – including why it tastes better – than commodity chocolate. –H.R.

ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/st-louis

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grace meat + three

Rick Lewis cooks from the heart. Perhaps that’s because his mom, Sharon Lewis, taught him how to cook – at his behest – at the tender age of 5. Or maybe it’s because his first time leading a kitchen was at Quincy Street Bistro, owned by his in-laws, Mike and Sue Enright. So it’s no surprise that you can taste the love and care put into every bite at Grace Meat + Three, the restaurant he and wife, Elisa, opened in The Grove in September. Drawing on the traditional Southern meat-and-three model, Grace offers diners a choice of a main course (St. Louis-style Duroc pork ribs, cornmeal-fried Mississippi catfish, a sweet tea-brined turkey leg or Rick’s Famous Fried Chicken, made legend during his tenure at Southern) and sides (Cracklin’ Cornbread, bourbon-whipped sweet potatoes, slow-cooked butter beans, mac ‘n’ cheese), plus plenty of hearty starters, sandwiches, daily specials and desserts. Lewis is likely to drop by your table to say hello and ask how everything’s tasting – and that comes from the heart, too. –L.M. stlgrace.com

PhOTO By MaBEL SuEn

yle uis-st St. Lo pork ribs Duroc Inspired Local Food Culture

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PhOTO by judd dEMALinE

Rising Star

Vegan pie

s e na da G r bic

Senada Grbic jokes that she became a chef because as a kid, if she wanted to spend time with her parents, it was always in the kitchen of their family restaurant, Grbic, which opened in 2002. Her parents, Sulejman and Ermina Grbic, were both born in Bosnia; Sulejman was a butcher by trade who immigrated to the u.S. in 1974. He met Ermina, who had just graduated from culinary school, on a trip home, and she joined him in St. Louis in 1981. Growing up, when Senada and her two siblings, Ermin and Erna, would ask their mom for the tacos, pizza and chicken nuggets their friends would talk about at school, Ermina would oblige – but with her own spin. Tacos were filled with freshly ground veal seasoned with Vegeta, a spice blend popular in Bosnia, and chicken schnitzel replaced nuggets. after Senada graduated from culinary school in Chicago (she came home every weekend to work at Grbic), she spent 15 years working alongside her mother. The family purchased beloved St. Louis institution Lemmons several years ago, and reopened it as Lemmons by Grbic in may with Senada at the helm. For a few months, Senada was the only chef, prep cook, line cook, dishwasher – what she says her mom calls having “octopus arms” – but as the daughter of entrepreneurs, she knew the tiring work was well worth it. Her menu at Lemmons features personal takes on american pub fare, including chicken-fried schnitzel, cevapi (sausage) flatbread and smoked chicken wings glazed in a sauce made with Rakia, a popular European brandy. Senada still stops in Grbic to spend time with her parents, but now they can visit her in a kitchen of her very own. –L.M.

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Pizza Head chef-owner Scott Sandler first entered the St. Louis restaurant scene in 2014 with his acclaimed Neapolitan-style vegetarian pizzeria, Pizzeoli. He ventured into New York-style slices last year at Pizza Head in the South Grand Dining District. Running two restaurants began to take its toll, though, and Sandler sold Pizzeoli to focus on Pizza Head. Step into the punk-infused space and order a massive 20-inch pizza or order by the slice. Pizzas are cooked in an Italian deck oven, which bakes the pies in just five minutes. The sausage and pepperoni are vegan, yet it's unlikely you'll notice. Sandler also offers handy meal options, like two slices with a pint of Stag, Busch or Pabst for $7.95; you can also get housemade vegan cashew cheese or the popular white pizza with an olive oil, garlic and ricotta base. Dough is made with high-gluten flour, which allows the crispy, foldable crust to hold up to many toppings. Daily specials are also available, like spinach-artichoke with garlic, olive oil, mozzarella and Parmesan. Pizza Head also hosts small concerts while a Sex Pistols-inspired Queen Elizabeth II portrait looks on approvingly. –N.S.

lemmonsrestaurant.com

www.pizzaheadstl.com PHoTo BY maBEL SuEN

industry innovator

Just a year after a devastating car accident left

photo by judd demaline

ConfluenCe KombuCha chef-owner William Pauley

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recovering in the hospital, he’s putting out one of the most creative menus in St. Louis. Where else are you going to find pancakes made with chickpea flour, celery, dill, cumin and caraway, poppy and celery seeds? along with chef Chris Krzysik, Pauley cooks vegetable-forward dishes on a tabletop griddle behind the counter of his 12-seat restaurant and kombucha bar in The Grove. Pauley is mostly self-taught – he started in the industry as a dishwasher – but working under Chris Bork, then chef at Blood & Sand, inspired him to experiment with food. You’ll find tomatoes topped with sherry crumble, black garlic paste, baby arugula, fennel pollen, soft cheese and dehydrated bread, and Japanese nukazuke, or fruits and vegetables fermented with rice bran and served with beet mousse, coconut yogurt, pear butter and flaxseed chips. Fermentation and pickling are key to Pauley’s menu, which is heavily inspired by his travels. Look for ingredients like missouri pawpaw, aronia berries and Citra hops. –N.S. confluencekombucha.com

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indust ry innovator

When sommelier Aleks Jovanovic first arrived at truffles in Ladue, Missouri, seven years ago, the restaurant was in the process of transforming from a French-inspired bistro to one with an Italian influence, before eventually settling into a more contemporary American approach. With each development, Jovanovic worked closely with his assistant Brandon Gibbons as well the owners, the Cella family, who are wine collectors themselves, to create an award-winning wine list. Last summer, Truffles was one of 50 restaurants in North America and 112 worldwide to win a coveted Jury Prize in The World of Fine Wine’s World’s Best Wine Lists; judges noted its comprehensive breadth as well as “some lovely original touches.” As general manager and wine director, Jovanovic hosts a free, informal wine tasting at 5pm each Thursday, but he’s known to give impromptu tastings if you aren’t sure where to start. His extensive list – around 12,000 bottles and 1,800 labels – changes daily, and is more than triple the size it was when Truffles first launched its wine program. He estimates he tastes up to 100 wines a week, and works to include small producers, indigenous grapes and more unusual varietals. –N.S. todayattruffles.com

Stuffed pide

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balkan treat box

It takes a seriously dedicated chef to cook with a wood-fired oven aboard a food truck. Enter Loryn Feliciano-Nalic, who hit the road with Balkan Treat Box last spring with her husband, Edo. The truck serves up the “fire-roasted flavors of the Balkans,” and Feliciano-Nalic says the oven – which customers can peek into while ordering – was a no-brainer when it came to making sure her recipes were as authentic as possible. On first glance, the menu might sound simple. There are only a handful of dishes on offer, but the spit-roasted chicken döner kebab is shaved to order, the wood-fired bread, somun, is baked on the truck daily, and dollops of spicy ajvar (a roasted red-pepper relish) are spooned over stuffed pide (a Turkish flatbread). Feliciano-Nalic says Balkan Treat Box was a labor of love, and you’ll be able to taste it in every bite. –H.R. balkantreatbox.com

PHOTO By JACkLyN MEyEr

Rising Star H ei di H a m a m ur a

photo courtesy of Guerrilla street food

heidi hamamura knows sushi. she grew up cooking alongside her father, local sushi legend Naomi hamamura, and still helps him cater events. instead of culinary school, hamamura began cooking at her father’s now-shuttered sansui Japanese restaurant, and then under some of the best chefs in st. louis: andy huang at hiro asian Kitchen, Jamey tochtrop at stellina, Ben Grupe at elaia and olio and now Brian hardesty at Guerrilla street food (Gsf), among others. hamamura will serve as executive chef at Gsf’s upcoming delmar loop location. her impressive résumé – everything from Japanese to italian to filipino – gives her an edge. hamamura grew up making sushi (she says it’s her go-to comfort food) but also thinks st. louis could use more inexpensive Japanese street food. that’s part of the approach at Gsf: fresh, high-quality and thoughtful food that’s also affordable. the ingredients are never frozen; Gsf doesn’t even have a freezer. it’s that level of quality that has hamamura hoping to be with the restaurant for years to come. –N.S. guerrillastreetfood.com

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Rising Star J e n e pley

Jen Epley admits she wasn’t always a wine connoisseur. But gigs at Five Bistro and Elaia and Olio in St. Louis led her to trade light beer and Relax Riesling for Hefeweizens and bonedry Australian Riesling. As beverage director at Vicia, she’s put together an inventive program alongside co-owner Tara Gallina to complement the adventurous food menu. As far as spirits, the aim is to introduce guests to something familiar yet crafted on a smaller scale, like George Dickel whiskey instead of Jim Beam. Epley keeps her bartenders in constant communication with chef Michael Gallina so they can incorporate kitchen scraps or other unusual items in Vicia’s cocktails. For example, apple cores from pastry chef Summer Wright’s apple tatin are soaked in vinegar and simple syrup to make a shrub. For wine, Tara balances Epley’s more unexpected picks with classic selections, and they’re careful to consider a variety of price points, as well as the overall vision for Vicia when putting together the wine list. This means Epley thinks about a winery’s practices, sustainability, soil and production before considering whether to feature it. For those interested in learning more about wine, Epley suggests The Wine Folly and its accompanying website. She also advises meeting up with friends and blind-tasting various types of the same wine varietals; it’ll help you understand single varietals and their terroir. Most of all, her philosophy is simply that wine should be enjoyed. –N.S.

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polite society

like home french café & pastry

The team at Polite Society has some big names on their résumés: Scape American Bistro, Lücha and Eleven Eleven Mississippi, to name a few; the eclectic Lafayette Square eatery is owned by longtime friends Brian Schmitz and Jonathan Schoen. The 3,000-square-foot-space is decorated with antique and vintage items, including a card catalog from St. Louis Public Library, and features exposed brick and copper-tin ceilings. Executive chef Thomas Futrell serves a menu of appetizers, small plates, cheese and charcuterie boards along with soups, salads and larger entrées. Start with some light bites like confit chicken wings with Rick's Schezwan Sauce, Cajun aïoli, hot honey mustard and pickled carrot-celery slaw. Creative takes on familiar items include the Peking duck breast with gnocchi, fennel confit, heirloom winter squash and red wine-aronia berry reduction. The bar program is just as creative thanks to beverage director Travis Hebrank; try the Kind of Blue with Uncle Val's Peppered Gin, a blueberry-blackberry simple syrup, Creme Yvette and smoked vodka. Polite Society also boasts an extensive wine list and around 30 beers. Stop in for weekend brunch to indulge in items like osso bucco hash. –N.S.

Tucked inside a tiny corner shop in Grand Center, Like Home French Café & Pastry provides an authentic taste of France – minus the airfare. Clémence Pereur, who owns the shop with her mother, Christine, originally hails from Condé-Sainte-Libiaire, France, and decided to return to St. Louis to open her own place after working as the assistant pastry chef at the Saint Louis Club from 2014 to 2015. The pastry case will likely be the first thing to catch your eye; it’s loaded with a rotating selection of decadent sweets like chocolate-almond croissants, éclairs, hazelnut choux and, of course, colorful macarons in flavors like pistachio, Earl Grey and praline. Don’t overlook the savory menu, though: Lunch fare like salmon tartines, croque madames and quiches will transport you straight to a Parisian bistro. no matter which you choose, you’ll be glad to have Pereur back in town. –H.R.

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Rising Star e v y s woboda

Most teenagers get after-school jobs to save up for a car, but Evy Swoboda was more interested in buying a food truck. As a child, she relished family vacations to places like China, India, Turkey and Spain mostly for the food: She found the range of ingredients, flavors and cooking techniques fascinating and exhilarating. Swoboda never did get that food truck, but the summer after high school, she landed a job at The Lodge at the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Missouri. In the fall, she moved to Columbia to attend the University of Missouri, where she worked in the kitchen at the alumni center. Swoboda soon graduated to 44 Stone Public House, where she was “the grill girl” for several years. When she was ready to move back home, her sous chef connected her with Brian Moxey, then executive chef at Gerard Craft’s Pastaria. In five years, she went from staging at the restaurant to chef de cuisine. Craft even sent her on a trip to Rome, Bologna and Venice to experience regional Italian food firsthand. She now helps direct the menu alongside Ashley Shelton, executive chef at both Pastaria and its sister restaurant, Sardella. This fall, Swoboda debuted dishes like a turnip-radish giardiniera with farro and a peppercorn aïoli and spinach lasagna with mushroom Bolognese. Eventually, she sees herself leading a kitchen as executive chef – hopefully, she says, at a future location of Pastaria. –L.M.

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industry innovator

At Mike Johnson and Christina Fitzgerald’s Hi-Pointe Drive-In, off-the-menu selections garner the most attention. In addition to crispy smash burgers, the team of mad scientists at Hi-Pointe come up with some of the most indulgent (and enormous) specials in town. One recent creation, the Big Bambino, topped two patties with salami, mortadella, pepperoni, Fontina cheese, arugula and pesto mayo. The classic Hi-Pointe burger takes after the famous patty at Johnson’s other venture, Sugarfire Smoke House, although the blend is slightly different. The restaurant often collaborates with other local producers; the Taco Burger, with taco seasoning, Cool Ranch Doritos, Chili Cheese Fritos, American cheese, lettuce and avocado ranch is topped with Mission Taco Joint sauce. Another special, the Colonel Sanders, was made with Code 3 Spices to benefit The BackStoppers, while the house chicken burger is seasoned with Code 3 Grunt Rub. Save some room for Belgian frites, white Cheddar mac ‘n’ cheese or a boozy milkshake. –N.S.

Ask any St. louis chef their favorite spots to dine when they’re off the clock, and Vista Ramen will likely be on the shortlist. The Cherokee Street noodle shop is widely considered one of the most exciting new restaurants to open in St. louis in the past few years, and chef-owner Chris Bork continues to turn out some of the most innovative food in town. Bork first made a name for himself as executive chef of the members-only Blood & Sand, and at Vista, he does ramen – and just about everything else – his own way. you won’t find a strict take on the traditional Japanese soup; rather, the creative liberties the chef takes make for some truly delicious food. Take the pozole ramen, a south-of-the-border spin that nods to the many taquerias in the neighborhood. But the seasonally inspired small plates are perhaps where Bork best shows his chops in thoughtful dishes like pork ribs gilded in crab caramel; fried Brussels sprouts with green romesco, strawberry and Thai basil; or delicata squash empanadas with apple-miso butter. even the restaurant’s weekend brunch menu eschews the classic Benedicts and waffles in favor of creative takes on familiar, comforting dishes like grits with a smoked-shrimp XO sauce, furikake, chile oil and poached eggs; or matcha pancakes drizzled with sweetened condensed milk and elderberry compote. This fall, Bork rolled out a new concept, Mothership, just down the street at earthbound Beer. Most items are made in a smoker, and the menu combines the experimental nature of the brewery with Bork’s Asian-inspired cooking in dishes like smoked chicken chili with pickled daikon and cornbread with gochujang-honey butter. no matter the location, Bork’s food is some of the most thought-provoking – and delicious – in town. –H.R.

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Grass-fed grain-finished beef patty

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Rising Star

M a r i e -a n n e v e l a sco in 2001, fresh out of culinary school in her hometown of montreal, marie-anne Velasco landed high-profile jobs with acclaimed chefs Claude Pelltier and Rick tramonto in Chicago. she’d learned fundamental skills and techniques in culinary school, but those early restaurant gigs, she says, taught her discipline and respect for quality ingredients. she wanted to offer young cooks the same invaluable mentoring when she accepted a chef instructor position at now-shuttered Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary arts in st. Louis. in her free time, she loved grabbing bowls of pho at mai Lee, Lee tran’s popular Vietnamese restaurant. Velasco would sit at the bar and chat with Qui, tran’s son who managed the front of house, about life. their friendship eventually turned into a business partnership, as he was eager to open his own restaurant: a ramen shop called nudo House. Over the course of a two-year R&D process, he and Velasco refined their concept and menu and hosted a string of pop ups, gaining help from world-renowned ramen chef shigetoshi nakamura along the way. When nudo opened in Creve Coeur, missouri, in august, it featured four types of ramen as well as pho, cold apps, sandwiches and sides, but it’s the ramen stocks that make Velasco most proud. made of just bones (pork, chicken or beef) and water, the stocks simmer for hours and hours until thick, rich and velvety. Velasco says the highest compliment is when the flavor leaves guests speechless – proof that respect for quality ingredients and discipline do indeed pay off. –L.M nudostl.com

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'18 Porridge bread tartine with squash sofrito

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viciA

Vicia isn’t just serving some of the most inventive, visually striking and downright delicious dishes in St. Louis – it’s also broadening the conversation about vegetable-forward cuisine. Easily the most hyped restaurant of the year, Michael and Tara Gallina’s first restaurant opened in the Central West End in March after more than a year of pop-up dinners and quickly garnered raves both locally and nationally (from Eater, Bon Appétit and Esquire, to name a few). Vicia is helping spread the meaning of “vegetable-forward” dining: Namely, that vegetables can – and should – be the star of the show. The restaurant also proves that a highly seasonal, technical and creative meal doesn’t have to be pretentious – from an extravagant 15-course tasting menu down to an $8 cup of cauliflower soup sprinkled with popcorn powder for a casual lunch. Although the Gallinas have only been working in St. Louis for two years, they're already leaving a lasting imprint on the dining scene.–H.R.

Rising Star

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A lish A B l Ackw e l l -c A lv ert Alisha Blackwell-Calvert has been working in fine dining since she was 21, but what really sparked her interest in wine was terroir. She became fascinated by how the same grape, grown in three different places, could result in such different flavors. Today, as beverage director at Reeds American Table in Maplewood, Missouri, Blackwell-Calvert has assembled an eclectic array of wines from all over the world; she works with as many as 15 to 20 distributors to sample unusual bottles and hand-picks wines based on the current menu from chef-owner Matthew Daughaday. Reeds has a lot of regular customers, too, so Blackwell-Calvert takes special care to find new wines in flavor profiles she knows guests are already comfortable with; even if you visit weekly, she’ll always have something different in your style. Currently, look for sparkling wines from southern England – not as crazy as it sounds. Blackwell-Calvert calls herself a total science nerd – especially with regard to the effects of climate change on the world’s vineyards – and thanks to warmer temperatures, the sparkling wines coming out of southern England are mimicking some of the flavor profiles you find in French Champagne at a less-expensive price point. –N.S. reedsamericantable.com

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industr y innovator

e pepe Cacio corino, pe with ground y h s e fr l pepper black ched egg poa and a

|best n ew tavernonna italian kitchen

Tavernonna Italian Kitchen opened in February as part of a stunning $20 million renovation to the Hotel Phillips in downtown Kansas City – and both the restaurant and the remodel have taken the historic art deco hotel straight into the 21st century. Tavernonna was developed by Chicagobased DMK Restaurants, with the project led by industry veteran David Morton (of Morton's Steakhouse fame) and five-time James Beard nominee Michael Kornick. Together, with executive chef Bryant Wigger, the team created an approachable Italian-inspired menu focused on fresh, local ingredients. Start your meal with the comforting Nonna’s Meatballs and the wild arugula salad with orange suprêmes and shaved fennel while you peruse the wine list. Then move on to pasta dishes like spicy spaghetti all’Amatriciana, brisket meatballs with black currants and Roman gnocchi, or ravioli with goat cheese, tomato fondutta and mint pesto. –Jenny A. Vergara

Katee McLean wants you to know that Scandinavian food is really good, even if you have reservations about sill (pickled herring) or surströmming (fermented herring) or lutefisk (dried fish rehydrated with rye). Those are just a few of the Swedish dishes McLean grew up eating, along with potato pancakes and Swedish meatballs. To McLean, Scandinavian cuisine is all about comfort, and yet there are more than a few surprise flavors to excite the adventurous palate. McLean opened her popular Kansas City restaurant, KRoKSTRoM KluBB & MARKeT, with her husband and general manager, Josh Rogers, on Valentine’s Day in 2016. Krokstrom serves dual purposes for McLean: First, she aims to pay homage to her heritage (her paternal great-great-great-grandfather arrived in the U.S. in the early 1860s). Second, she considers her menu an opportunity to bring an element of diversity to the local dining scene. every menu item is rooted in Scandinavian tradition or culture in some fashion, and some are even modified from old family recipes. Right now, McLean is focused on bringing Sweden’s fika culture – a daily coffee-and-sweets break – to life at the restaurant with a wide array of pastries, desserts and her Swedish egg coffee (also known as “church basement coffee”). She’s started hosting regular pop-up dinners featuring guest chefs in an effort to share her space, create opportunities for other cooks in the industry and expand the community – an idea, she says, that also has Scandinavian roots. –Natalie Gallagher klubbkrokstrom.com

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Rising Star s pe ncer k n i pper

Kansas City native Spencer Knipper got his start in restaurant kitchens at an early age. At just 16 years old, he began working as a cook at the Delaware Café in River Market before moving to The American, then helmed by chefs Debbie Gold and Alex Pope. In the decade since, Knipper attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, and landed positions in several of Kansas City’s other acclaimed kitchens, including Bluestem, Port Fonda and Stock Hill, where he's now co-executive chef with Kelly Conwell. Knipper is well respected by his peers for his detail-oriented nature, careful mise en place and refined palate. His cooking style is inspired by a range of influences, including mentor Colby Garrelts, chef-owner of Bluestem. Knipper also spent a year and a half immersed in the low-country flavors of South Carolina at the Inn at Palmetto Bluff – an experience that continues to inspire his work at Stock Hill. There, his dishes are marked by bold yet simple and nostalgic flavors, like an appetizer of tortelli filled with creamy roasted pumpkin garnished with a savory pepita granola, shaved Parmesan and fried sage. –April Fleming stockhillkc.com

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parkway social kitchen

Everything about Parkway Social Kitchen is stylishly understated and yet totally familiar. Zach Marten and Bret Springs of Back Napkin Restaurant Group collaborated with Trident Restaurant Group on the new hot spot on Country Club Plaza, which opened in September. Sam Hefter, former executive chef of now-shuttered Houston’s, is running the kitchen, and diners will be delighted to see a few of his staples from Houston’s on the new menu, including the beloved prime-rib sandwich. Try the wood-fired baby-back ribs slathered in housemade barbecue sauce and served with dill coleslaw and fries, or the house burger with Tillamook Cheddar, Bibb lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on housemade brioche. The restaurant's lower level houses a spirited cocktail lounge offering live music, while the upstairs features a handsome bar – the perfect place to wind down with a dirty Martini or a glass of wine. –J.A.V. parkwaysocialkitchen.com

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Rising Star

s a m a nt h a w a eck er le

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mission taco joint

Brothers adam and jason Tilford were met with a line out the door when their St. Louis-based Mexi-Cali restaurant, Mission Taco joint, opened in Kansas City's Crossroads arts District in august. Mission specializes in fresh Baja-inspired street tacos, burritos and tortas along with a refreshing list of craft cocktails from Feast contributor jenn Tosatto, known for her work at The Rieger and Q39. The casual, colorful and convivial restaurant serves tacos filled with your choice of fish, shrimp, pork, soy chorizo, portobello mushroom, beef brisket, carne asada, barbecue duck or habanero chicken. Sharable starters and sides include street corn served off the cob or chips and salsa, queso or guacamole to enjoy with a Margarita, Tiki cocktail or local beer. –J.A.V.

Don’t confuse Samantha waeckerle’s youth with inexperience: The 25-year-old bar manager has a clear vision for what she’d like to accomplish at Mass Street Fish House in Lawrence, Kansas. Her staff studies wine together weekly and workshops cocktails regularly. Her bartenders have varied interests and specialties, and each one brings something unique to the restaurant – which is why waeckerle isn’t shy about sharing credit, either. To her, all ideas are equal, and facilitating an equitable environment for creativity among her staff is essential. The bar program is designed to complement the fresh seafood served at the restaurant – think blackened catfish po’boys, tuna poké, shrimp and grits and oysters – but even classic pairings are reinvented with clever nuance. The Harvest Moon, for example, riffs on a Dark and Stormy, replacing rum with old overholt Rye and adding apple cider and black walnut bitters to complement the ginger beer and lime juice. waeckerle is a Kansas City native who first moved to Lawrence for college, and says she stayed because of the incredible opportunity for growth in the local restaurant industry. Eventually, waeckerle hopes to open a natural-wine-focused bar of her own, although she’s determined to be an eternal student of the restaurant and beverage industry that she’s come to love. –N.G. massfishhouse.com

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Three Little Pigg burrito with a ies side of street corn

Rising Star D i na b utter f i e l D

Brisket grilled cheese

As acclaimed chef Michael Corvino prepared to open his new restaurant in the Crossroads Arts District early last year, he knew that he needed high-caliber talent at his side in the kitchen. one of the first names that came to mind was Dina Butterfield, with whom Corvino had worked at the rosewood Mansion at Turtle Creek, a fine-dining destination in Dallas. Butterfield joined Corvino Supper Club & Tasting room before it opened and has risen up the ranks to chef de cuisine. Born and raised in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Butterfield has traveled and lived abroad extensively – from Brussels to Mexico City to San Francisco (where she attended the Instituto Gastronómico Corbuse). There’s little she can’t do with her wealth of experience: She crafts home-style Mexican specialties for staff meals that leave her co-workers gushing, and bao buns filled with barbecued short ribs marinated in gochujang, soy sauce and koji are one of her specialties.–A.F.

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ej's urban eatery

Chef John C. Smith and his business partner, Erik Gaucher, opened their homage to Southern cuisine in August in the West Bottoms. EJ’s Urban Eatery serves iconic dishes inspired by fare from Virginia to Texas and everywhere in between. The restaurant, which currently serves lunch and a happy hour menu during the week and brunch on the weekends (with future dinner plans), follows the classic Southern meat-and-three concept: You order one protein and three sides. Try Smith’s espresso-rubbed smoked brisket with white barbecue sauce, blackened catfish, breakfast ribs with red-eye hollandaise or fried chicken. Pair your main course with sides like mac ‘n’ cheese, squash casserole, potatoes and pan gravy or braised greens, and you’re in for a hearty and delicious meal. Treat yourself to white chocolate bread pudding or lemon meringue pie for dessert, or if it’s past quitting time, a beer or refreshing Southern-style cocktail. –J.A.V.

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Aaron Prater has experienced an unusual path to success – even in an industry with few conventional paths. Prater was raised in the rich food culture of new orleans before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. he then pursued a career in the food and beverage industry, which included graduating from the hospitality and Culinary program at Johnson county community college in overland Park, Kansas, and working as general manager at Delaware Café with chefs Joe West and Spencer Knipper. he opened specialty food shop and café The Sundry in Kansas City in 2015, yet sold his stake of the business just two years later to teach at his alma mater. As a chef instructor, Prater guides students in their coursework as well as mentors them in the school's elite Chef Apprenticeship program, which places students in the city’s finest kitchens. Prater’s specialty is teaching modern cooking techniques, even working with local machinists to fabricate equipment to push the boundaries of molecular gastronomy. he balances that forward-thinking approach with reverence for traditional technique, and strives to keep improving through research and travel. –A.F. jccc.edu

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Rising Star C h r is G oode

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Spurred by the early loss of his grandmother, Ruby Jean, at the age of 61, and a transformational viewing of the documentary Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead, Chris Goode re-evaluated his relationship with food. Just a few years later, Goode, a former Missouri State University football player, channeled his sincere passion for healthy eating and natural entrepreneurial spirit into Ruby Jean’s Juicery. The juice bar and café currently has two locations in Kansas City and one in Springfield, Missouri, with two additional Kansas City-area locations set to open this spring, plus another in Oklahoma. Ruby Jean’s offers housemade cold-pressed juices, smoothies, vegan and gluten-free entrées, and grab-and-go salads and snacks. Goode is mindful about expanding his business to areas that are generally lacking in healthy options, too, including Troost Avenue in Kansas City. He says he grew up in what's now known as a food desert, and feels that his grandmother may have lived longer if she had made even subtle changes to her diet. He now strives to share education about nutrition and access to healthy food with people in communities across the Midwest. From a simple glass of lemonade with honey and mint to a fresh salmon salad, his passion for healthy eating shows in every menu item at Ruby Jean's. –A.F. rubyjeansjuicery.com

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Rising Star

Eggs Benedict

t h eresi a o ta

At The Monarch Cocktail Bar & Lounge, executive chef Theresia ota’s kitchen features only an induction burner, a FryDaddy and what she jokingly refers to as an easy-Bake oven. it’s not quite the setup she was used to as executive chef at Jax Fish House & oyster Bar just next door on Country Club Plaza, but ota’s not complaining. The focus at The Monarch is the cocktail program, which is why she has such a small operation. Her solution? Focus the menu almost entirely around small plates and hors d’oeuvres so that diners barely have time to set their drinks down. Some dishes are familiar yet playful – think fancy pigs-in-blankets, grilled-cheese skewers with tomato soup for dipping and roasted bone marrow with caramelized onions and brûléed cheese – a play on the flavors of French onion soup. other dishes, like the Autumn Lobster roll made with rice paper and filled with Korean pear, pickled butternut squash, avocado, dates and cashew-curry dip, show off ota’s creativity and command of seafood. Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, ota has worked in restaurants across the U.S. yet Kansas City, she says, offers her something special: a warm, welcoming and supportive chef community. it’s those qualities that ota looked for when building and staffing her kitchen at The Monarch. –N.G.

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hogshead kansas city

From the start, Hogshead Kansas City partners Clark Grant and Shawn McClenny bonded over a mutual love of good food made from locally sourced ingredients. The two have now brought their shared appreciation for quality food and drink to Country Club Plaza with the opening of Hogshead, which debuted in November. Named for the wooden barrels used to transport beer, wine and spirits, Hogshead offers a dedicated selection of local spirits on its cocktail menu, plus 25 local brews on tap, including those from Crane Brewing Co., Boulevard Brewing Co., KC Bier Co. and Martin City Brewing Co. Grant oversees the kitchen, putting out dishes like eggs Benedict with chorizo cornbread, poached eggs, pork belly and roasted tomatillo hollandaise. The Hogshead cheeseburger, which won Best in Show and Best Food at the Plaza Art Fair in September, is also a must-try. –J.A.V.

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Michael Smith is a storied name in Kansas City. The James Beard Award-winning chef has helmed his eponymous fine-dining restaurant in the Crossroads Arts District for a decade, and its more casual next-door sister eatery, extra Virgin, has been a mainstay for almost as long. it’s safe to say that he’s one of Kansas City’s old guard, and it would be easy for his menu to be predictable at this point – yet Smith stays sharp. When Michael SMith ReStauRant celebrated its 10th anniversary in August, he announced a one-year “sabbatical” wherein he would reinvent the restaurant and transform the menu into a haven for traditional, elegant italian comfort food. Smith is calling the year-long experiment Finding Guido, an homage to the Michelin-starred Guido ristorante in italy’s Piedmont region, where – after a tumultuous journey – Smith had one of his most memorable dining experiences. His newfound inspiration manifests powerfully in the menu at Michael Smith, which features no fewer than nine housemade pastas, including an exquisite pistachio spaccatelli with chanterelle mushrooms and sweetbreads. For Smith, the joy of cooking hasn't worn off – and if the beautiful plates he sends out aren’t evidence enough, one needs only to take a glance around the dining room. often you'll spot Smith talking animatedly to guests about the stories behind his dishes. –N.G. michaelsmithkc.com

industry innovator

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Caitlin CorCoran Spicy fried pickle fries

|besT n ew sully + hank's

Sully + Hank’s in Lawrence, Kansas, has turned a former gas station into one of the most popular dining destinations in town. Chef-owner Brad Walters’ restaurant opened in August next door to his Italian-inspired spot, Basil Leaf. The space has been totally transformed, including the addition of an impressive outdoor patio. Sully + Hank’s serves familiar, affordable and comforting fare. The menu features a few salads and a long list of sandwiches, plus hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers and bierocks, soft yeast-raised rolls filled with beef, pork, bison, onion, cabbage, horseradish, Worcestershire, beef stock and herbs in a special seasoning. About 80 beers are available to pair with menu items like Pig & A Biscuit, which serves smoked pulled pork, jerked barbecue sauce, coleslaw and a cheese blend on a green chile-roasted garlic buttermilk biscuit dusted with pork rind crunchies. –J.A.V. facebook.com/basilleafcafeks

In just three years, Caitlin Corcoran, general manager and partner at Ça Va, has turned the comfortably elegant Westport Champagne bar from a cozy, in-the-know secret into one of Kansas City’s most popular hangouts. Even The New York Times has taken notice, praising its lovely and unpretentious approach. On any given night, you’ll see Corcoran wearing every hat in the establishment – greeting customers, pouring sparkling wine, running food and making up meat and cheese boards – all while maintaining Ça Va’s celebratory vibe. She's particularly fond of cracking open natural wines and educating customers about the nuances in winemaking, as well as promoting wines made by female winemakers. Education is key to Corcoran's approach; last summer she earned her certified sommelier distinction after acing the level two exam, which requires students to pass blind tasting, theory and service components. Her commitment to developing her wine knowledge extends beyond Ça Va: She's a core member and founder of Gang of Pour, a group of local wine and beverage experts that meets twice monthly to discuss industry topics, like theory knowledge, hospitality concerns and, of course, further learning about wine and spirits. For Corcoran, the learning process never stops, and the Kansas City bar scene is all the better for it. –A.F. cavakc.com

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Rising Star T om T a bon e

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chef carlos Falcon raised the bar for seafood in Kansas city when he opened Jarocho pescados y mariscos in Kansas city, Kansas, in 2014. at its second location just over the missouri border in Kansas city, Jarocho South continues to dazzle, in part due to the work of sous chef tom tabone. tabone graduated from the culinary Institute of america in new york city in 2013 and then spent several years cooking in traditional French, Italian and asian restaurants there, experiences reflected in his plates at Jarocho. one of his recent dishes, an artful, citrusy octopus carpaccio, is plated as a thin disc topped with paper-thin wafers of jalapeño, scallions and dollops of smoked tomato purée, aguachile negra and chimichurri. It looks and tastes like nothing else you'll find in town. of all his influences, outside of Falcon, tabone credits chef Waldy malouf at the now-shuttered beacon in new york for truly pushing his creativity and arranging meaningful stages for him. For now, tabone plans to continue honing his craft at Jarocho while keeping an eye toward working special events and pop ups in Kansas city. –A.F. jarochokc.com

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Crab fried rice wi th Asian pear, serra no pepper, XO, wilted shiso and basil

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corvino supper club & tasting room

With the opening of stylish Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room in the Crossroads Arts District last spring, Michael and Christina Corvino redefined “dinner and a show.” Feeling social? Head to the main dining room, which features live music and sharable plates like whipped chicken liver, fried chicken ssam and XO fried rice and an expertly curated wine list by assistant general manager, beverage director and sommelier Ross Jackson. If you’re more in the mood for a burger, opt for the house signature made with garlic aïoli, charred onion, pickles and Muenster cheese. Or, if you prefer, watch chef Michael and his team prepare a dozen of his picture-perfect plates in the intimate 18-seat tasting room (with a prix fixe price tag). Order a bottle of wine or cocktails to accompany your selections or simply ask for the optional wine pairings developed by Jackson. –J.A.V. corvino.com

Rising Star

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Beet toast with rye bread, split peas, yogurt and quinoa

PHOTO By ZACH BAUMAN

Does Andrew Olsen sleep? We’ve got to believe he does, but the way his calendar reads, it’s hard to fathom: As Bluestem’s bar manager for two and a half years, he spent at least four nights a week crafting cocktails in the lounge at Colby and Megan Garrelts’ lauded restaurant. When Olsen’s not stirring and shaking drinks, he’s representing the J. Rieger & Co. portfolio, which includes Kansas City Whiskey, Midwestern Premium Vodka, Caffè Amaro and Midwestern Dry Gin. This side hustle encompasses anything involving brand advocacy and education, including visiting accounts, training staff on product and hosting brand dinners. Olsen also consults for other bar programs, lending his expertise to Blind Box BBQ, Nomads Coffee and Cocktails and Doughnut Lounge. And then there’s the occasional competition – most recently he was a national finalist in the 2016 Woodford Reserve Manhattan Experience and Cocktail Competition. His efforts haven’t gone unrecognized: Last year Zagat named him to its first-ever 30 Under 30 national list of stars redefining the hospitality industry. Now as bar manager at Rye on Country Club Plaza, the second location for the Garrelts’ casual Southern-inspired restaurant, which opened in November, Olsen’s job hasn’t changed much – except in volume. The fast-paced environment suits him, he says, and after nearly three years with the Garrelts, he’s excited to see where the company takes him next. –N.G.

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industry inn ovators

lAwRence beeR co.

The newest addition to the growing Warehouse Arts District dining scene in Lawrence, Kansas, is Lawrence Beer Co. The 150-seat brewery, beer hall and restaurant opened on the first floor of the former SeedCo building in September and includes a large outdoor patio. Executive chef Ken Baker leads the kitchen and Sam McClain, who has brewed for both Half Acre Beer Co. in Chicago and Boulevard Brewing Co., is heading up the brewery. Lawrence Beer Co. offers 10 beers on tap, from saisons to stouts, all meant to pair with a comforting mix of small plates, salads, sandwiches and entrées. Order the black-eyed pea hummus or charcuterie plate to start, then consider splitting the chicken schnitzel with apple, horseradish, braised cabbage and Béarnaise sauce on a brioche bun, or try the slow-roasted porchetta with smoked apple butter for the table. –J.A.V. lawrencebeerco.com

pHOTO BY ApRIL FLEMING

Rising Star R e m y A y esh

remy ayesh was a student-athlete, and she’s grateful for the discipline and drive it instilled in her at a young age. It’s those attributes that have made her a success in the kitchen. a native of Wichita, Kansas, ayesh attended (and later taught at) the French culinary Institute in new york city before moving to chicago. there, she managed restaurants including rootstock and Spiaggia, helped open the lunatic, the lover & the poet and led the kitchen at lauded bar and restaurant pops for champagne. In December 2016, she relocated once more, this time to Kansas city to helm the oliver on country club plaza, yet less than a year later, her talents were called upon by another prestigious spot: café Sebastienne at the Kemper museum of contemporary art. In august 2017, ayesh became executive chef. one of her chief concerns was honoring the legacy of former long-time chef Jennifer maloney, who died suddenly eight months prior. She’s continued maloney’s commitment to supporting small farms and sourcing local ingredients. today, guests will find a dinner menu that changes every week and a lunch menu that changes every four weeks. there are a few common threads: ayesh leans toward classic european recipes, emphasizing fresh pastas and fish. She describes her flavors as old world and rustic, yet interprets them in refined and artful ways on the plate. –N.G. kemperart.org/cafe

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photo by zach bauman

theantlerroomkc.com

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the antler room marks a full-circle journey for husband-and-wife team Nick and Leslie Goellner. After graduating from the French Culinary School in New York City, Nick, a Stillwell, Kansas, native, worked at Allegretti in New York and Robert Morris Inn on Chesapeake Bay before returning to Kansas City to work as the sous chef at The Rieger. That's where he met Leslie, who was working as the restaurant's general manager. From there, the two took their talents to San Francisco before Nick landed a prestigious internship at chef René Redzepi’s world-renowned Noma in Copenhagen. In August 2015, the pair returned home to develop their own restaurant, The Antler Room, which debuted in the Hospital Hill neighborhood in October 2016. The cozy, stylish restaurant is the sum of the Goellners’ experiences and vision. The eclectic and frequently changing menu is designed around small plates, with the idea that guests can try a little of a lot – which is, incidentally, how the Goellners describe their day-to-day. Nick runs the kitchen and Leslie is the front-of-house and bar manager, yet both emphasize collaboration. They consult each other on food-and-drink pairings, and Nick shares creative credit on the menu with his two sous chefs, Nick Chiaro and Andrew Heimburger. The vision seems to be working: In the year The Antler Room opened, the restaurant has garnered national acclaim from the likes of Bon Appétit, which named it one of 50 finalists for best new restaurants in the country. –N.G.

lost signal brewing

Springfield, Missouri, is in the midst of a craft-beer renaissance, and Lost Signal Brewing is the latest to put its own spin on suds. The brewery’s constantly changing taps feature seasonal beers and playful riffs on classic styles. Missouri-grown smoked pecans are the star of the robust Smoked Pecan Porter, while the Atomic Wedgie is an American-meets-English amber ale made with raspberry and blackberry purée and peanut butter. Beers are meant to pair with Lost Signal’s low-and-slow, Texas-style barbecue. Try the spicy loaded barbecue nachos featuring your choice of pulled pork, chicken or brisket with jalapeños and diced tomatoes on a bed of housemade tortilla chips and topped with beer-laced queso fresco. Or just opt for the brisket or pulled pork straight up, paired with hearty sides such as mac ‘n’ cheese made with a rich ale cheese sauce or bacon-jalapeño cornbread. –Ren Bishop lostsignalbrewing.com

PhOTO cOurTESy Of LOST SignAL BrEWing

industry innovator

Where Dylan fox ox goes, his fans follow. he kicked off his career with splashy showings at Barley Wheat and rye Social house before moving to The Order inside hotel Vandivort, where he slings creative drinks to complement the kitchen’s seasonally driven fare. fox also incorporates seasonal ingredients sourced from local farms in his cocktails; last summer, he introduced the humdinger, made with local sour apples and sage. for The Order’s winter cocktail list, the farmer Mel, named after Melissa Millsap of urban roots farm and Millsap farm, employs a housemade ginger simple syrup, fresh carrot juice and applejack infused with local apple juice. Although he’s always game for something new, his signatures, like an Old fashioned served in a smoked glass, have earned permanent placement on The Order’s list. fox’s ultimate goal is to help evolve the cocktail scene in Springfield, and so far, that goal is quickly becoming a reality. –Rose Hansen theordersgf.com

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K ati e b a K er

Katie Baker is on track to wrap up her culinary arts degree this spring, but she’s not waiting until then to dive into the local food scene. This month, she’s unveiling The gracious Plate, a meal-kit company focused on easy-to-make recipes and locally sourced ingredients. Baker is sourcing many of her ingredients from Blue heron farm in nearby Marshfield, Missouri, (and using scratch-made ingredients like bone broth made by Baker herself). She’ll also develop custom menus for clients with dietary restrictions, something close to home for her due to her husband’s own challenges with gluten and dairy. Before launching The gracious Plate, Baker honed her craft at The Order in Springfield under executive chef Zach White. The skills she sharpened there propelled her to success for a second time at the state-level Skills uSA culinary competition, and this year, she qualified for nationals, too. –R.H.

phOTO by sTarbOard & pOrT creaTive

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oaded Spicy l nachos ue barbec

Rising Star

'18 industry innovator

ili l a J Mike and FaMily

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the press coffee & juice bar

Alice Oh believes in bright and colorful whole foods, and that’s exactly what she serves at The Press Coffee & Juice Bar. With a focus on clean eating and local ingredients, The Press serves a variety of freshpressed juices and lemonades infused with spices or housemade immunity elixirs. If you’re more apt to start your day with a caffeine boost, order the maple macchiato made with pure maple syrup paired with a housemade raw cacao brownie. Heartier options abound, as well, including a grilled cheese, and the chicken and waffle sandwich made with fresh, local chicken. If you’re in need of a detox, Oh has you covered: The Press sells her Formula 5 Juice, which is packed with nutrients. –R.B. facebook.com/the-press-coffee-juice-bar-736344893182413

As owners of Flame steakhouse and Touch restaurant in springfield, the Jalili family has built a trusted reputation around their name. In 2015, Mike and Billy Jalili, along with their wives, Casey and sara, added Black Sheep BurgerS & ShakeS, a burger joint in downtown springfield, to that well-regarded list. The restaurant grew so popular that in consecutive years they opened two more area locations. While the menu varies slightly at each spot, the trademarks are towering burgers and decadent milkshakes made with Andy’s Frozen Custard. Compared to other Jalili restaurants, Black sheep is more casual and family-friendly, although hardly the outlier its name implies. Here, patrons can roll up their sleeves and eat with their hands – and with over-the-top items like the hunky Cowboy Carl, piled sky-high with onion rings, you might also need a bib. recently, the Jalilis have appealed to their loyal customer base to contribute to a greater good: First through a partnership with the Humane society of southwest Missouri on events like Patties for Pups, as well as by donning black-eye stickers to raise awareness about domestic violence for local nonprofit Harmony House. Whether you pop in for a burger, to support a good cause, or both, expect a line – it’s worth the wait to join the herd. –R.H. blaaacksheep.com

PHOTOs By BrAd zWeerInk

Rising Star Drake tillman

phOTO By BranDOn SIMMOneau

chefs Drake Tillman and hansel herschend debuted their first canvas pop-up dinner in October 2016 with a vegetable-forward tasting menu – a national trend, to be sure, but not one that had yet made its way to Springfield. Menus at canvas are dictated by the seasons, with ingredients sourced from local Millsap Farm, urban roots Farm, green Thicket and more. last summer, cucumbers found a second life as sorbet, and this winter, spiralized beets were paired with cured duck shavings. Other menus have featured lichen or foamed pea purée, and often the food looks almost too pretty to eat. The pop ups are currently on a winter hiatus, although Tillman is still cooking for private clients under the canvas umbrella. In the meantime, the duo is seeking a permanent home for their next venture, Indie, where herschend will manage the front of house and Tillman will helm the kitchen. Once Indie opens, Tillman aims to share a more approachable menu that still highlights his eye-catching plating. With Indie, the pair say they'll remain committed to the local food scene – and possibly even break ground on a farm of their own. –R.H. canvasmissouri.com

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s e a n k i l li ngswort h

Pastor Sean Killingsworth boasts a salsa-lover’s heart: As a kid, he even ate salsa by the bowlful. From 2007 to 2012, he lived in Las Vegas, and during that time he mastered pico de gallo thanks to a Mexican family in his congregation. When demand for his homemade salsa could no longer be met out of the trunk of his car, he took it as a sign from above. in 2015, he opened Grove Salsa Co. in downtown Springfield, which churns out nine salsas made with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers. Flavors include mild, medium, mangohabanero, cilantro-lime, tequila-lime, Grandma’s Recipe, hot verde and mild verde. The salsa is now available in four states: Arkansas, oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri, where it’s sold in Springfield, Branson, Columbia and Kansas City. Fans in Springfield and Branson can find the salsa in 125 retailers, including Price Cutter, hy-Vee, harter house and Mama Jean’s stores and – Killingsworth’s personal favorite – the Farmers Market of the ozarks. he enjoys meeting his customers in person and sharing how his products are made. To Killingsworth, that connection helps build community, which is the bottom line he's most concerned about. –R.H.

phoTo by branDon aLms

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Rising Star

Shroom ramen b N 'Fu owl

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skully's food truck

Almost permanently parked outside of White River Brewing Co., Skully’s Food Truck is bringing the heat to C-Street. The onyx-colored food truck parks just behind the brewery, but its spicy Asian-inspired flavors are worth the extra steps. The truck is known for two entrées: bowls of ramen and wings, serving two types of each. Wings can be ordered hot or not; the hot is made with a blackened chile sauce and paired with cooling basil-mint ranch or lemongrass-blue cheese dressing. For less heat, opt for the dry-rubbed red curry wings. As for the slurp-worthy ramen bowls, if you’re a fan of smoke and spice, try the Pork on Pork with tonkotsu broth, crispy pork belly and smoked pork shoulder, chile oil, noodles and fresh and pickled veggies. The other bowl, Shroom N’Fu, pairs smoked tofu with shiitake mushrooms, noodles, kombu, fresh and pickled veggies and herb oil. –R.B. skullysfoodtruck.com

PhoTo By ANA PieRCe

industry innovator

When Colleen Sundlie first explored a Middle eastern market in 2005, she had no clue she’d stumble into a booming business venture. At the time, she’d quit her job to care for her newborn son, henry, and support her husband at his university post in the United Arab emirates. With her baby strapped in a sling, she indulged in the foods of her new home: hummus, shawarma, baba ghanoush and more. everywhere she turned, she kept seeing dates – plump, gleaming and radically different from the sad supermarket version she was familiar with. She was already substituting honey for refined sugar, and date syrup offered a more complex and luxurious flavor boost to everything from oatmeal and pancakes to salad dressings and sweets. Before returning to the U.S., she stuffed suitcases with jars of date syrup. As her consumption grew, commercial production became inevitable. After many rounds of R&D, she launched The DaTe LaDy in Springfield in 2012. Last May, Sundlie’s date syrup was a finalist in the dessert sauce, topping and syrup category of the Specialty Food Association’s Sofi Awards, and the syrup is sold across the U.S. it’s a sweet end to an inspiring first chapter, and Sundlie’s only just begun. –R.H. ilovedatelady.com

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Rising Star B r a n de n B e nt ley

as a kid, branden bentley loved making thanksgiving dinner with his family. still, he spent early adulthood far from the kitchen, working in construction, hvac and refrigeration. he eventually followed his childhood dream and went to culinary school; the bet paid off when he was recruited to lead vespa Kitchen last June. the restaurant’s zippy name belies its commitment to from-scratch cooking: bentley’s two-man crew grinds fresh sausage, bakes biscuits and makes pickles in-house. vespa’s black-and-white interior oozes diner vibes, but bentley’s menu is hardly what you’ll find at a greasy spoon. Waffles get upgraded with sorghum and topped with sriracha-brined fried chicken and cashew sauce, and the traditional chicken biscuit reaches new heights with agave-buttermilk biscuits and chorizo gravy. on Fridays, bentley even hosts Chopped-style cooking classes, where guests receive a basket of mystery ingredients and must prep a four-course meal in vespa's kitchen. –R.H.

photo by starboard & port creative

www.metropolitan-grill.com

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industry innovator

\ Riverside Inn fried chicken

|best n ew queen city wine dive

Located on Park Central Square, Queen City Wine Dive provides an accessible dip into a wide array of wine. Owned by Ozark, Missouri, native Micah Pope, the wine bar and restaurant specializes in wines from across the globe and dishes meant to pair with the selection. Steamed mussels come bathed in a spicy coconut curry, and creamy mac ‘n’ cheese gets an extra layer of richness from duck confit. But locals are lining up for one item in particular: the Riverside Inn fried chicken. Made famous at Riverside Inn in Ozark, the chicken has been deeply missed since the hotel shuttered in 2009. Pope got his start in the restaurant industry in the hotel’s kitchen, and his love for the original recipe shines through in the version at Queen City. Grab a seat at one of the restaurant’s communal tables and dine on nostalgia paired with a glass of off-dry Riesling from Washington state or a dry rosé from France. –R.B. facebook.com/queencitywinedive

Joshua Widner is king of cocktails in Springfield – and now also Bentonville, arkansas. In just four short years, he’s opened four different bar concepts and is now embarking on a new pursuit: teaching other industry entrepreneurs the ins and outs of how to build a successful cocktail program. Juggling Cherry PiCker

PaCkage x Fare , golden girl rum Club and two locations of SCotCh & Soda (one in Springfield

and one in Bentonville) might make it seem like he never sleeps, but craft cocktails are his passion – and who needs sleep when you have that to fuel you? at Scotch & Soda, Widner serves a cocktail list that reflects 120 years of classic american tipples right up to Prohibition. On the patio at Cherry Picker Package x Fare, patrons can sip espresso or a quality glass of wine. and at the cheerful Golden Girl Rum Club, you’ll find sunshine in a glass with tiki-inspired drinks like the Brazillionaire or trini Dat Boi. Widner’s energetic approach and investment in his hometown have revived Springfield’s bar scene and moved the city toward a fresher, hipper identity. –R.H. thescotchandsoda.com

PhOtOS By ana PIeRCe

Rising Star t i ngti ng L i u

tingting liu’s first foray into the food scene was a partnership with Finnet Falig on hula hawaiian kitchen. last august, after months of serving tuna poké and Spam-filled sushi rolls at hula, liu ventured out on her own to open a ramen shop, omo Japanese Soul Food. liu, who originally hails from China, got her first taste of ramen in high school while on a family vacation in Japan. today, a piping-hot bowl of ramen still stirs the same feelings of comfort and warmth as it did for her so many years ago, and liu aims to share that soulful experience with her customers. after months of eating her way through top ramen shops across the u.S., liu developed a menu at omo that allows customers to build their own bowls, starting with a broth base and then your choice of noodles and protein. the best-seller is the classic tonkotsu pork broth with chashu – thinly sliced, marinated braised pork belly. other traditional Japanese comfort foods on offer include okonomiyaki, a savory pancake stuffed with cabbage and meat, and takoyaki, bitesized dough balls filled with calamari. –R.H. facebook.com/omo-japanese-soul-food-1907678472838615

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Photo by brandon almS

Rising Star b rya n m a n ess

Voodo

o pizza

Ozark Mountain biscuit Co. has become one of Columbia’s most-loved food trucks for its savory biscuit sandwiches. The man inside the bright yellow truck, bryan Maness, hails from northeast Arkansas and makes food with a decidedly Southern accent. The boss hog, for instance, has quickly become a signature: an open-faced biscuit topped with simmered collard greens, juicy pulled pork, velvety sawmill gravy and a fried egg, housemade Arkan-sauce and crispy fried onions. The chicken-fried chicken is another staple, with the same greens and gravy paired with buttermilk-brined fried chicken and a soft egg, fried green tomatoes with crispy bacon or tempeh, pimento cheese and arugula. Maness sources ingredients locally as much as possible and has forged strong relationships with area farmers. The truck has gained a following outside of Columbia, as well, for its annual travels to music festivals like bonnaroo. And most importantly, Maness cooks from the heart – after all, without that extra bit of love, is it really Southern cooking? –Jessica E. Vaughn

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ozarkmountainbiscuits.com

manzo's wood-fired pizza

Columbia, Missouri, has no shortage of quality pizza joints, which makes the warm welcome for Manzo’s Wood-Fired Pizza, which hit the streets in October 2016, all the more impressive. The truck (or more accurately, trailer, which owner Aaron Jurgensmeyer thought would prove more dependable) is equipped with a large, wood-fired oven capable of cranking out crispy 12-inch pizzas in under five minutes. The menu, created by chef and general manager Aaron Saeler, features six pizzas, two sandwiches, a build-your-own Manzoni (similar to a calzone) and a rotating array of daily specials. Manzo’s takes full advantage of the mobility of a food truck, making lunch and dinner stops at varying locations across Columbia, including the University of Missouri’s Speakers Circle. An updated schedule for the coming days can generally be found on Manzo’s Facebook page so that dedicated fans know precisely when and where to line up. –Jackson Roman manzospizzas.com

PhOTO by AArOn OTTiS

industry innovator

Mark sulltrop

photo by aaron ottis

Mark Sulltrop, executive chef and owner of 44 Canteen in Columbia, has focused the restaurant’s menu around a variety of street tacos inspired by his world travels. Although some of the taco names might sound familiar, like the Philly cheesesteak, the ingredients are likely to surprise, with iPA-marinated sirloin steak, queso, miso-grilled onions, roasted poblanos, Valentina butter sauce, sharp Cheddar and jalapeños in a flour tortilla. Then there’s the spicy Sloppy José, with house chicken chorizo, smoked chile sauce, pickled red onion, avocado and queso fresco in a corn tortilla, as well as the fish taco with shaved cabbage, mojo vinaigrette, lime aïoli, seasoned and pan-seared tilapia, avocado, pickled red onion and cilantro in a flour tortilla. As owner of Columbia's 44 Stone Public house, Sulltrop also offers eight burgers and sandwiches developed through the same global lens: bite into the green-chile patty melt for proof. –J.E.V. 44canteen.com

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Rising Star

a m a n da e l liott

amanda elliott believes that food should be the centerpiece of any celebration. this philosophy stems from her world travels and fascination with different cultures and exotic flavors, which also laid the foundation for her love of cooking. after a successful stint in New York city running her catering and communal dining venture, rustic Supper, elliott found herself back in her hometown of columbia. She joined Peachtree catering co. in 2017, and working alongside executive chef and owner Benjamin hamrah, she’s infusing new spice and personality into the company’s menus and offerings. Peachtree is her “day job,” but her underlying passion is still rustic Supper; visit her website for recipes like cumin lamb-boiled dumplings with aleppo pepper-chile oil and traditional eastern european bierocks stuffed with ground beef, cabbage and onion. although her food draws from a range of global influences, she’s heavily inspired by Middle eastern, asian and Mediterranean flavors, in dishes such as pork belly-burnt end bao with roasted sweet corn-poblano slaw, soy-braised potato salad, as well as flash-fried cauliflower with salmon roe, herbed labneh, sunflower shoots and sumac. –J.E.V.

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harold's doughnuts

Donut-lovers in Columbia who rejoiced when Harold’s Doughnuts opened in 2015 now have twice as many reasons to celebrate. A second location opened at 204 E. Nifong Blvd. in November, and locals can’t get enough of the new glazed goodness. Owners Michael and Karli Urban, whose backgrounds are in technology and medicine, respectively, first discovered an unexpected love for making donuts after trying out a recipe from a cookbook at home. After just three short years, their business has become a beloved Columbia staple for its fresh and adventurous approach. The Nifong location’s menu mirrors the one served downtown, featuring classics like original glazed and chocolate long john, plus creative takes like the popular white chocolate-red velvet and chocolate-peanut butter cake, as well as bakery items like cinnamon rolls and kolache. –J.R.

rusticsupper.com

haroldsdoughnuts.com pHOTO COUrTEsy Of HArOlD's DOUgHNUTs

industry innovator

PhOtO BY aarON OttiS

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Barred Owl Butcher & taBle feels as if it’s been rooted in Columbia for many years, although the restaurant and butcher shop just celebrated its first anniversary in October. Co-executive chef Ben parks and his team have crafted a dining experience that follows a simple tenet: “limited waste bearing flavorful taste.” The dinner menu, which is unsurprisingly informed by a whole-animal butchery philosophy, changes daily and features charcuterie and cheese boards, shareable small and large plates and sandwiches. Try the fried head cheese with pickled mustard seeds, pickled peppers, chile oil and a sunny-side up egg, or the occasionally offered turkey molé street tacos with onion, cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice in corn tortillas. parks opened the butcher shop in July, offering cuts both familiar and lesser known. He features more of the unusual ones in lunch menu items and appetizers, including the much-loved fried head cheese, and he’s eager to share tips with customers for how to cook with off-cuts at home. Barred Owl’s approach is simple and time-honored, and yet thoroughly unique in town – no wonder it feels as if it’s always been there. –J.E.V. barredowlbutcher.com

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Just as spring brings renewal to the Katy Trail each year, new life was breathed into a timeworn café in Rocheport, Missouri, last year. After months of renovating every inch of the building’s interior and exterior, owners Brandon and Whitney Vair christened their new trailside eatery Meriwether Cafe & Bike Shop, named for explorer Meriwether Lewis. Inside the colorful café, patrons can dine on scratch-made meals Tuesday through Sunday. Try the Toast Hug, a hearty breakfast sandwich with a fried egg, Show Me Farms’ bacon and Cheddar tucked between two slices of housemade toast, or the smoked brisket hash. Brandon often greets you tableside, checking in to make sure you're enjoying your visit. Meriwether is a charming respite from the trail, to be sure, but it’s the soulful food and service that really reenergizes you for the journey ahead. –J.E.V.

Chef Liz Huff has seemingly made the impossible possible at Catalpa, her 30-seat restaurant in tiny Arrow Rock, Missouri. In the past several years, she’s been serving seasonal, from-scratch dishes that have won her acclaim from Rural Missouri magazine to npR. She serves dinner every Friday and Saturday evening from inside a scale replica of the nearby historic home once occupied by local painter George Caleb Bingham, with additional summer hours, as well as dinners in December to coincide with Arrow Rock’s Lyceum Theatre performances. Huff describes her dishes as seasonal comfort food with a global influence. Roasted wild duckling, for instance, comes with a rhubarb-ginger sauce on top of roasted-pear risotto with toasted walnuts and edible flowers. Huff also collaborates often with Columbia, Missouri, brewery Logboat Brewing Co.; she can’t actually taste the beers, as she’s been sober for 10 years, so she pairs them by aroma – making her creations all the more impressive. Last spring, she used Logboat beers to create six different sauces for a beer-pairing dinner at Catalpa, including a peanut-coriander-ginger “miracle sauce” made with Logboat’s Shiphead ginger wheat beer. Huff also cooks everything on a Himalayan salt block – that is, the entire grill is made of Himalayan salt blocks, which seasons food as it cooks. Even if you’re hundreds of miles from Arrow Rock, you won’t regret the trip. –Nancy Stiles

meriwethercafeandbikeshop.com

catalparestaurant.com

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meriwether cafe & bike shop

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Rising Star k i m ber D e a n

pHoTo By AARon oTTIS

the health-food focus at Nourish Café & Market is intensely personal for head chef and co-owner Kimber Dean. In October, Dean celebrated 10 years of sobriety after a two-year battle with drug addiction that she says could have taken her life. Once clean, she began seeking out dietary changes due to health-related issues – and found her calling in the process. Years later, with successful catering and cookbook-writing experience under her belt, Dean had a conversation with friend and business partner Kalle leMone that led to the opening of Nourish in Columbia. Dean has created a menu free of gluten, soy, corn and processed sugar at the café, instead focusing on mostly organic and locally sourced fruits and vegetables. Nourish is a labor of love for Dean, and that’s evident in the cold-pressed juices and smoothies made with housemade almond milk, plus the salads, sandwiches and zucchini noodle and cauliflower rice bowls on offer. Dean says one of her greatest passions is helping customers enjoy alternate versions of dishes they’ve missed due to diet restrictions. With a second cookbook and a series of cooking videos on the way, that's exactly what she's doing. –J.R. nourishcafemarket.com

Inspired Local Food Culture

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Rising Star M e lissa P oe l li ng

For Melissa Poelling, baking isn’t a solo sport. She got her start as the pastry chef at Harold’s Doughnuts in Columbia, and applies a collaborative spirit to her work – one that seeps into everything she bakes. She draws her creative inspiration from those around her; the first thing she does when developing a new recipe is ask the person – whoever it may be – standing next to her what they like in a dessert. Since last July, she’s been working with the team at 44 Canteen, where she’s experimenting with a variety of sweets. There’s the Love Child, as she calls it – a combination of a sweet corn cake, gooey butter cake and chess pie – and the lightly savory sweet potato cheesecake. Not all of her creations are so unfamiliar, though: Case in point, her peanut butter-chocolate cake. She’ll leave Columbia this summer to join her husband in the Kansas City area, where her presence in the pastry community will, without a doubt, continue to impress and surprise. –J.E.V.

photo by aaron ottis

44canteen.com

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'18

industry innovator dan dethrow

Columbia's first sushi burrito joint, I Am Sushi Burrito, opened in August, and the trendy concept focused on burrito-sized sushi rolls quickly captured attention. Owner Kwang Yoo got his first taste of a sushi burrito in Los Angeles and knew immediately that students at the University of Missouri would devour the dish. I Am Sushi Burrito’s fast-casual concept allows guests to build their own sushi burrito, poké bowl, salad or tacos. Customers then choose from several fish or other protein options, more than 30 toppings and 10 sauces to complete their meal. Time will tell if the sushi burrito trend has staying power, but if I Am Sushi Burrito’s traffic is any indication, it’s more than on a roll. –J.R.

FLYOver is well known in Columbia for its creative riffs on Midwestern flavors: Often its artful plates steal the spotlight, but behind the bar, beverage director Dan Dethrow also keeps the cocktail menu fresh and inventive. Common kitchen tools are often used to create new and enticing tipples, like using a vacuum sealer to speed up the infusion of Earl Grey tea. The menu balances more modern drinks with classics, but always with a little (and local) twist. Order an Old Fashioned and it’ll come with J. rieger & Co. Kansas City Whiskey and a house syrup made with Amaro, Luxardo cherry juice and brown sugar – among other top-secret ingredients. You’ll also see Dethrow’s influence in his version of a French 75, made with Cognac infused with juniper berries and local lavender. Cocktails are complemented by a well-curated selection of wine, beer and non-alcoholic mixed drinks, but perhaps the most interesting (and trendy) addition as of late is the gin and tonic series, which offers three distinct takes – one botanical, one piney, one zesty – on the standard cocktail. –J.E.V.

iamsushiburrito.com

flyovercomo.com

|Best n ew i Am sushi Burrito

|Best n ew eAt. crepe. love.

Crêpes are now offered on-the-go in Jefferson City, Missouri, and Columbia thanks to food cart Eat. Crepe. Love. Formerly a hot-dog stand, the cart is equipped with a trendy rustic exterior and two crêpe makers, which chef Carla Kessell uses to create her sweet and savory offerings. The menu changes with the seasons; this summer, The Farmer was filled with ripe, red tomatoes and fresh asparagus, and in the fall and winter, roasted butternut squash took its place. Year-round customer favorites include the jalapeño popper and Turtle cheesecake. The venture is a part-time gig for Kessell and her partner, Tiff Walker, so be sure to catch the crêpes when the cart rolls by. –J.E.V. facebook.com/eatcrepelovemo

phOTO BY AnThOnY JInSOn

phOTO BY AArOn OTTIS

Rising Star A A ron B A rtA

Chris McD’s signature surf and turf has been a fixture in Columbia for the better part of three decades. The well-regarded restaurant is now helmed by chef Aaron Barta, who joined the kitchen last January. A native of Ithaca, New York, Barta previously worked at Hawk’s Landing Steakhouse & Grille in the Orlando World Center Marriott and Ovation Bistro, both in Orlando, Florida, as well as Cornell University in Ithaca. Barta wanted to make the move to be closer to family, and when he learned that the storied Columbia restaurant was hiring, he jumped right in. His daily specials aim to showcase the freshest ingredients in familiar steakhouse dishes accented with creative flourishes – an approach that owner and original head chef Chris McDonnell says is working out quite nicely. One such past special featured smoked duck with polenta and blackberry demi-glace. McDonnell takes a mostly hands-off role in the kitchen these days, save for occasionally dropping in to work the expo window. Barta relishes that creative freedom; he wants to make the menu his own while upholding the high standard set by McDonnell. If Barta's reception so far is any indication, he's succeeding. –J.R.

pHOTO BY AArON OTTIS

n our-ow Build-y urrito sushi b

Korean beef bulgogi crêpe

chrismcds.com

Inspired Local Food Culture

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Elaia and Olio head bartender Nika Marble always has a few irons in the fire. In addition to running the bar program at Ben Poremba’s popular sister restaurants, she’s an accomplished visual artist, a classically trained violinist and pianist and half of improvisational jazz outfit The Marble/Wall Duo. At Elaia and Olio, Marble reimagines classic cocktails with new and unexpected twists. Her creativity has yielded a challenging yet inviting spread of bright and botanical offerings to complement the bold flavors of executive chef Ben Grupe’s menu. –Jackson Roman

with Nika Marble head bartender,

elaia and olio

imagine you have one entire day to dedicate to dining out in st. louis. Where Would you grab breakfast, lunch and dinner, and What Would you be ordering?

the mud house bÁnh mì so #1

If I’m having breakfast, I definitely love The Mud House, and I’m ordering the Mud Slinger with roasted potatoes, vegetarian black-bean chili, Cheddar, red onion and two sunny-side up eggs on top of toast. If I’m just getting coffee, I’m going to Comet Coffee for a pour-over or a dirty chai latte – but their pastry game is so good, too! For lunch I’m going to Bánh Mì So #1; the mung bean spring rolls are a perfect crunchy textural delight and the meatless beef pho and bánh mì are wonderful. For dinner, I’m a huge fan of Nixta, but I’ve also really been enjoying Vista Ramen lately, too.

nixta

Who or What do you believe is a hidden gem in the st. louis food scene?

vista ramen

comet coffee

They’re a bit outside St. Louis, in Ava, Illinois, but I have to shout out Scratch Brewing Co. When I moved here from Portland, [Oregon], people were asking me how I was surviving, and I snapped back about all the great places I was finding. One of them was this place with beers made from hand-foraged ingredients in this space with strange art everywhere. Scratch really brews some beautiful and unique beers.

taste

meskerem ethiopian restaurant

scratch breWing co.

What’s your favorite drink, and Where in st. louis are you ordering it?

PHOTOgRAPHy COuRTESy INSTAgRAM uSERS

I love a good old-fashioned Corpse Reviver No. 2 – it’s something that I end up judging all bartenders on. It’s a very simple drink, but it’s deceptively easy to mess up. Drew Lucido makes a killer one at Taste.

What’s currently your favorite meal at a local restaurant? jay’s international

What’s your go-to specialty market, grocer or farmers’ market – and What are you buying there?

“The feast for two, vegetarian-style, at MeskereM eThiopian resTauranT – it’s so damn good! everything is so delicious, and there’s something really visceral and fun about the experience of eating with your hands.” 98

feastmagazine.com

The feast for two, vegetarian-style, at Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant – it’s so damn good! Everything is so delicious, and there’s something really visceral and fun about the experience of eating with your hands.

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I’m going to Jay’s International and I’m picking up every herb, spice, Asian root vegetable or mysterious substance I can get my hands on. I’m usually picking up kaffir lime because I love making Thai food at home and stocking my spice cupboard.

Inspired Local Food Culture

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FISH

In January, lighten up with cheery seafood dishes! For our delicious recipes, pick up Simply Schnucks Magazine in-store soon or visit schnucks.com/simplyschnucks.

1 Tuna steak on kale salad

2 skinny shrimP and Zoodles

3 fish tacos

4 schnucks salmon burger

5 Bakedd Whitefish

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