OUR ENDURING L OV E FO R T H E H I L L AND WHY G E N E R AT I O N S CALL IT HOME REVIEW
L’A C A D I A N E P. 19 ST. LOUIS’ INDEPENDENT CULINARY AUTHORITY August 2018
MEALS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
YES WE CAN
J I M
W I N E
F I A L A P. 10
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What’s your favorite place to eat on The Hill?
AUGUST 2018 • VOLUME 18, ISSUE 8
PUBLISHER ART DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL STAFF WRITER EDIBLE WEEKEND EDITOR PROOFREADER SENIOR DESIGNER ASSOCIATE EDITOR CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Missouri Baking Co. chocolate drops are my favorite thing to eat on The Hill.
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Allyson Mace Meera Nagarajan I love Anthony Devoti’s Heather Hughes food, so, J. Devoti Trattoria. Catherine Klene Matt Sorrell Catherine Klene Megan Gilmore Michelle Volansky Lauren Healey Julia Calleo, Jonathan Gayman, Izaiah Johnson, David Kovaluk, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky Vidhya Nagarajan Natalie Archer, Sam Balmer, Glenn Bardgett, Lauren Healey, Katie Herrera, Heather Hughes, Jamie Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Catherine Klene, Meera Nagarajan, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan, Matt Sorrell, Carmen Troesser, Stephanie Zeilenga Allyson Mace Matt Bartosz, Angie Rosenberg Amy Hyde Sometimes my taste buds say to me, Amy Hyde “Charlie Gitto’s toasted Natalie Archer, Sam ravioli and a bottle of Balmer, Nora Nebbiolo." Chappin-Eppert, Quinn Wilson
whole or in part, of the contents without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. While the information has been compiled carefully to ensure maximum accuracy at the time of publication, it is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change. The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of all information or be responsible for omissions or errors. Additional copies may be obtained by providing a request at 314.772.8004 or via mail. Postage fee of $2.50 will apply. Sauce Magazine is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.
EDITORIAL POLICIES The Sauce Magazine mission is to provide St. Louis-area residents and visitors with unbiased, complete information on the area’s restaurant, bar and entertainment industry. Our editorial content is not influenced by who advertises with Sauce Magazine or saucemagazine.com. Our reviewers are never provided with complimentary food or drinks from the restaurants in exchange for favorable reviews, nor are their identities as reviewers made known during their visits.
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St. Louis, MO 63103 August 2018
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chicken and waffle at l'acadiane p. 19
contents AUGUST 2018
editors' picks 9 E AT THIS Mary's Special at Adriana’s on The Hill by heather hughes
10
M E A L S T H AT CHANGED MY LIFE Jim Fiala
by meera nagarajan 13
HIT LIST 5 places to try this month
by lauren healey, heather hughes, catherine klene, meera nagarajan and matt sorrell
dine & drink 25 A SE AT AT THE BAR Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake
by glenn bardgett, katie herrera, and ted and jamie kilgore
reviews
28 ELIXIR
19 N E W AN D NOTABLE
by glenn bardgett
Can Do
23
NIGHTLIFE Firecracker Pizza & Beer
by stephanie zeilenga
last course 48 STUFF TO DO by natalie archer and sam balmer 50 WHAT I D O
PHOTO BY IZAIAH JOHNSON
features 30
FRESH FISH
L’Acadiane
by michael renner
COVER DETAILS
Inigo Gondra
by dee ryan 35
KING OF THE HILL by heather hughes 39
FACES OF THE HILL by carmen troesser
Faces of The Hill Monsignor Vince Bommarito has celebrated Mass and cooked for parishioners at St. Ambrose Catholic Church for nearly 20 consecutive years. Learn more about him and other faces of The Hill on p. 39. PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER
Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 FM this month when Sauce joins St. Louis on the Air to discuss the must-try new restaurants on the monthly Hit List.
by catherine klene
August 2018
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e d i t o r s' p i c k s
EAT THIS If you start with soft and toasty Italian garlic cheese bread, you can’t go wrong. MARY’S SPECIAL at ADRIANA’S ON THE HILL takes that solid, sesame seed-studded foundation and adds juicy, tender, hot roast beef for a beautifully simple, indulgent sandwich with no need for jus. Be like the Sauce team and add house-made giardiniera to spice it PHOTO BY JULIA CALLEO
up. This sandwich is another reason The Hill will never go out of style.
ADRIANA’S ON THE HILL, 5101 SHAW AVE., ST. LOUIS, 314.773.3833, ADRIANASONTHEHILL.COM
August 2018
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MEALS THAT CHANGED MY LIFE
JIM FIALA
Jim Fiala has been around the world, tasting and learning as a diner and a chef. Lesson one: If you see something you’ve never heard of on a menu, order it. Lesson two: If you’re running a restaurant, take the time and effort to treat people well – this is the hospitality business, after all. His restaurants, The Crossing and Acero, are beloved staples in the local dining scene. Here, three meals Fiala shared while traveling with his wife, Melissa Fiala, that changed his life. – Meera Nagarajan
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Cal Sagristà, Peralada, Spain, 2012 “We went up to the Costa Brava for a couple days, this small town called Peralada. We were just walking around. I was like, ‘That looks like a cool restaurant, let’s go there.’ It was packed for lunch – we thought this must be the right place. I saw a shrimp carpaccio and thought. ‘I gotta get that.’ I mean, we don’t do shrimp carpaccio in St. Louis. It was those red shrimp just pounded out super thin on a plate and six or seven pieces of sea salt – that was it. … You know, Italian food is simple, but this was simpler. I didn’t think you could get simpler than Italy. It was perfect.”
L’Arpège, Paris, France, 1999 “I remember the good and the bad. My wife, Melissa, was pregnant and we went to Paris. Daniel [Boulud], who was my chef in New York, told me, ‘You gotta go to L’Arpège. [Chef Alain Passard]’s killing it.’ We walk in the door and say we have a reservation for Fiala, and they’re like, ‘Oh, you canceled that today.’ And I was like, ‘No, I was on an airplane. What, am I calling you from the plane and canceling a reservation? It didn’t happen.’ They’re like, ‘Sorry, we don’t have a table for you.’ We walked out and started walking down the street in the rain looking at restaurants. Nobody else was busy, it was dark and I was just like, ‘Screw this, we’re going back.’ I went back and was like, ‘We made a reservation, we had a reservation, I want my reservation.’ I’m like, ‘She’s pregnant, are you gonna kick her out in the rain? Just throw her in the street and make her walk home, pregnant?’ He’s like, ‘Uh … I have a table for you right over here.’ Then we had an amazing meal, from start to finish. But I started thinking – how do I treat people? How should I treat people when they walk in and they don’t have a reservation, or I think they canceled? If I can’t get you a table here, can I call the place across the street? ‘I know a great restaurant, they’ll take care of you,’ or something. You have to figure out how to take care of people.”
Acero, 7266 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.644.1790, acero-stl.com The Crossing, 7823 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.721.7375, thecrossing-stl.com
August 2018
ILLUSTRATION BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN
L’Auberge du Vieux Puits, Fontjoncouse, France, 2012 “We’re driving around in the mountains, and I say, ‘There’s a three-star restaurant down here – let’s go.’ We order this elaborate meal, and … you’re just blown away by every bite. Then they came out with the cheese course. They brought the cart by and there were 80 cheeses – 80 cheeses! They cut eight or nine pieces and told us what they were. I started working my way, and I got to No. 6. … It stopped me in my tracks, that one cheese. My wife looked at me and said, ‘Are you tearing up?’ And I said, ‘I don’t want to say I am, but I’ve never had a cheese like this in my life!’ I asked, and they said it’s from a small farmer in the Pyrenees. He comes down once every two weeks with it. I have no idea what the name of that cheese was. It was just perfect, unmatched by any I’ve ever had in my life. Someday, I’m going back, and I’m going to find that cheese.”
August 2018
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hit list
5 new places to try this month
lola jean's giveback coffee
LOLA JEAN'S GIVEBACK COFFEE
You’ll never want to leave Lola Jean’s bright, sunny interior. Huge windows let natural light stream in, illuminating hanging plants, plush couches and a lemon-themed mural sure to please any Beyoncé fan. Classic espresso drinks and cold brew on tap are made with Kaldi’s coffee beans, and you can spike any beverage with house-made syrups. Keep it familiar with vanilla or try more interesting flavors like ginger-clove-maple in a loose-leaf teas or chai lattes. Sister restaurant and neighbor Russell’s on Macklind provides the pastries like savory scones flecked with herbs, cheese and garlic and sweet treats like soft chocolate chip cookies — the ideal partner for a cortado. And since all proceeds benefit local nonprofits, you’ll feel even better about purchasing that extra cookie.
PHOTO BY MEERA NAGARAJAN
Lola Jean’s Giveback Coffee, 5400 Nottingham Ave., St. Louis, lolajeanscoffee.com
August 2018
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The second location of Blueprint Coffee is an old service station complete with a wall of garage doors opening to Watson Road. The breezy indoor/outdoor setup includes a partially shaded back patio and a long list of refreshing draft beverages from nitro cold brew and iced teas to rotating infused sparkling waters and house shrubs. (Get the lovely strawberry-basil if it’s available.) All the standard pour-over and espresso drinks are available, but don’t miss the sweet-tart house tonic with espresso. The cozy neighborhood spot is already bustling, and the owners plan to expand hours and start a short food menu beyond its current handful of pastries soon.
BLUEPRINT COFFEE
pizzas at peel wood fired pizza peel wood fired pizza
living room sunset at living room
4206 Watson Road, St. Louis, 314.266.6808, blueprintcoffee.com
Illinoisans have PEEL WOOD long sung FIRED PIZZA the praises of Peel Wood Fired Pizza in Edwardsville and O’Fallon, and now Missourians can finally taste what all the fuss is about. Don’t miss exclusive dishes like the Creole shrimp and asparagus pizza, made with a rich CreoleParmesan cream sauce and tender marinated shrimp. The kitchen uses those wood-fired ovens for more than just pies. A starter of smoky, tendercrisp wood-fired cauliflower is the perfect vehicle for harissa aioli. Find that aioli atop the nutty, roasty bulgar wheat paella featuring slices of merguez sausage and braised lamb shoulder. If paella and pizza seem like heavy lifting, lighten things up with the rainbow carrot salad – colorful carrot ribbons, arugula, toasted almonds, raisins, sunflower seeds and goat cheese are all dressed with coriander vinaigrette.
8029 Dale Ave., Richmond Heights, 314.448.1015, vitalitybowls.com
208 S. Meramec Ave., Clayton, 314.696.2515, peelpizza.com
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LIVING ROOM/ CRAFT BEER CELLAR
St. Louis loves its coffee and beer, and two local favorites in both arenas have teamed up. Living Room Southampton and Craft Beer Cellar South City split an airy former service station on the corner of Chippewa Street and Sulphur Avenue, complete with garage door windows. During the morning and early afternoon, Living Room serves up a solid coffee and tea menu with some interesting specialty drinks like the Sunset, made with blood orange soda and espresso. A small snacks menu with pastries like scones and biscuits is also available. The bar then transitions to beer exclusively, with 15 taps currently including the hard-tofind Perennial Artisan Ales Apricot Gose. Customers can also peruse the plentiful selection of bottles in the adjacent retail area.
5760 Chippewa St., St. Louis, 314.222.0333, craftbeercellar.com, livingroomstl.com
August 2018
PHOTOS BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY
The first VITALITY BOWLS Missouri SUPERFOOD CAFE location of Vitality Bowls Superfood Cafe is stepping up the wellness game. Along with the quintessential fruits and veggies (strawberries, bananas, kale, spinach), the cafe also features a variety of ingredients you’re unlikely to find at most restaurants, including pitaya (dragon fruit), camu camu (an Amazonian berry), graviola (soursop) and acerola (Barbados cherry). With viscosity closer to smoothie than concrete, the Immunity Bowl features a delectable blend of acerola, raw ginger, kale, camu camu, mango, bee pollen and more. The cafe eschews fillers like ice, frozen yogurt, added sugars and artificial preservatives in its mission to deliver antioxidant-rich sustenance. Healthy and delicious? That’s a combo we’re delighted to scoop up.
August 2018
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SPONSORED CONTENT
St. Andrew’s senior living communities offer upscale, restaurant-style dining B Y L AU R E N H E A L E Y
The quality of food in the St. Andrew’s family compares to restaurants, hotels and country clubs, according to Charles White, corporate culinary coordinator for St. Andrew’s. Utilizing several area farms, St. Andrew’s uses 80 to 90 percent fresh, local produce when in season, and frozen ingredients are avoided whenever possible. Cape Albeon, which has a beautiful dining room overlooking a lake, even harvests its own honey each year. With a focus on heart-healthy options avoiding processed foods and saturated fats, St. Andrew’s caters to any specific dietary needs, like lowsodium and gluten-free diets, as well as allergies. Featuring linen table service, full seasonal menus
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and restaurant-style options aplenty, these are no run-of-the-mill buffet lines. “If we are serving something they don’t want, they can always order whatever they’d like,” White said. Brooking Park, The Willows and Cape Albeon cook to order all meals, which can even be delivered to residential apartments via room service. Brooking Park favorites include prime rib, apricot barbecue salmon, bacon-wrapped pork loin and tiramisu. Standout dishes popular with residents at The Willows and Cape Albeon include pan-seared halibut, bourbon salmon, grilled strip loin, and ossobuco, as well as a multitude of from-scratch desserts, including crème brulée and caramel apple pecan ice cream. “They love the ice cream so much we had to source it out to Serendipity to feed a crowd of 200,” White said.
Top: The grilled strip loin on Dauphinoise potatoes with sautéed green beans topped with caramelized port wine onions is a popular menu item at The Willows. Bottom: St. Andrew’s residents enjoy white-linen service and restaurant-style, heart-healthy meals.
TOP PHOTO BY LAUREN HEALEY, BOTTOM COURTESY ST. ANDREW’S
Dining in retirement communities is markedly different from just a few years ago, a trend in senior dining made evident at Cape Albeon in Valley Park and at Brooking Park and The Willows in Chesterfield. These communities in the St. Andrew’s Resources for Seniors System offer highquality, locally sourced food and restaurant-style fare from classically trained chefs.
The Willows also has a wine cellar with periodic tasting events and a recently added coffee bar, complete with a barista and all the typical café offerings available at major coffee shop chains. In addition to the superior quality of healthy, upscale dining options, St. Andrew’s boasts a team of longtime, classically trained chefs and employees. “Most of our chefs come from country clubs, so they know how to cook classically,” White said. For more information, visit www.standrews1.com. August 2018
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reviews All Sauce reviews are conducted anonymously.
the chicken and waffle at l'acadiane
NE W A ND N OTA B L E
l’acadiane BY MICHAEL RENNER | PHOTOS BY IZ AIAH JONSHON
Dav e B a i l e y ’ s mini empire of r e stau r a n t s weaves through the city of St. Louis like a golden thread, tying together diverse culinary experiences ranging from pizza and burgers (Hugo’s Pizzeria, Baileys’ Range) to beer and whiskey (Bridge Tap House, Small Batch). If that weren’t exhausting enough, there are also two locations of his eclectic breakfast eatery, Rooster, a full-service catering operation (The Fifth Wheel) and two events spaces (Willow and Slate). It all started 14 years ago with a fun idea in a quaint Lafayette Square spot known as Baileys’ Chocolate Bar. Last summer, Bailey announced he was revamping the popular bar and moving it to the building’s upstairs lounge. In its place, Bailey introduced L’Acadiane, the now 9-month-old Cajun-inspired restaurant named
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insignificant and the mustard-yellow squiggles of garlic dressing crosshatching the dish added little excitement.
reviews
Cubed, blanched and deepfried to crispy fluffiness, the Brabant potatoes (aka Louisiana fries) served with L’Acadiane’s version of steak frites made sense, but missed the crucial step of what makes potatoes Brabant: a toss in garlic butter sauce just before serving. The flatiron steak was cooked perfectly medium-rare with a beautiful char, but lacked any hint of the citrus marinade listed on the menu.
NEW AND NOTABLE p. 2 of 2
With both meals, I was searching for flavor. What flavor I did find was vague – that is, until the chicken and waffle arrived. A breast, deep-fried and craggy atop a dense, savory cornbread waffle, was crowned with a dollop of honey butter and splashed with a pleasantly spicy cayenne pepper sauce. Maple syrup served on the side helped the dish achieve just the right hit of sweet heat. the dining room at l'acadiane
for Louisiana’s Acadiana region settled by 18th century French-Canadian exiles. Technically, New Orleans isn’t part of the region, but the newly designed space feels like a NOLA hideaway, oozing with sophistication and romance. An endless loop of Louis and Ella’s bouncy duets, Billie’s trenchant vocals, Coleman Hawkins’ sultry tenor and Miles’ evocative soundtrack from an old French film enhances the relaxed mood like a soothing salve. The front bar, bright and cheery with lots of greenery and natural light, provides an attractive spot to pop in for a drink or a full meal. The cocktails are boozy and well-made, with witty names like A Hurricane in Tornado Alley, made with aged rum and fresh juices, and the Sazerac Ménage à Trois that incorporates absinthe three ways: as a glass
AT A GLANCE l’acadiane
August 2018
rinse, in ice cubes and as an ingredient in the rock candy sugar. The wine list is small and French, the draft beer all local. There’s a cozy alcove for eight off to the side for semi-private dining. Around the corner, past the dramatic wall-sized map showcasing the inexorable Mississippi River link between the Gateway City and Big Easy, a narrow hall opens into the beautiful dining room, aglow with the warm light of stylish fixtures enhanced by a wall of framed mirrors. L’Acadiane’s gorgeous design is decidedly more Garden District grace than Bourbon Street party, which is why over the course of several visits, I was surprised by how nonplussed I felt, not about the menu – a good lineup of po’boys, shareable plates and entrees – but its execution.
Where 1915 Park Ave., St. Louis, 314.875.0108, lacadiane. com
Don’tMiss Dishes Chicken and waffle
A bowl of gumbo and plate of crispy-onthe-outside-fluffy-on-the-inside hominy hushpuppies made a nice meal, even if the latter lacked savoriness. L’Acadiane’s gumbo is Creole style, meaning thick with okra, tomatoes and the holy trinity, loaded with shrimp, scallops and andouille sausage providing gentle heat.
A po’boy called Blackened Acadian Redfish, for instance, was more sauteed than pan-fried to the characteristic brownblack crust. The hot link po’boy, topped with fontina, roasted red peppers and onion, had all the expected heat and flavor of the traditional Southern sausage (made off-premise in the company’s commissary), but was dry; the accompanying cup of French dip-style gumbo broth helped.
There were two desserts available during my visits: beignets with raspberry sauce and whiskey caramel baked Alaska. Opting for the former, I found nothing light and fritter-like about these dense, bready balls of fried dough.
Larger plates were more Southern-inspired than Cajun or Creole, though that line blurred years ago. Missouri catfish stuffed with crabmeat looked promising atop poblano grits, but failed to impress. The fried fish, a tad too tough and underseasoned, had a muddier-than-usual taste for catfish, overpowering the purpose of a crabmeat filling. The grits, while creamy, were clumpy in spots, the poblano slivers
Vibe Stylish, casual Garden District charm in our own French Quarter
To be clear, as lackluster as some dishes were, nothing I ate was bad, nor was the kitchen incompetent. But with a place as handsome and well-conceived as L’Acadiane, what’s on the plate should be as inspiring as the decor. It’s what makes other Bailey ventures golden.
Entree Prices $15 to $19
When Wed. and Thu. – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 to 10 p.m.; Fri. – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 to 11 p.m.; Sat. – 5 to 11 p.m.; Sun. – 5 to 10 p.m.
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reviews NIGHTLIFE
which use ingredients like spentgrain syrup and reductions made from local craft beers. The Munich Sour is a take on a whiskey sour featuring bourbon, lemon and bitters. Spent-grain syrup adds a subtle malty Firecracker flavor while Pizza & Beer aquafaba, a 4130 Manchester thickening Road, St. Louis, agent made 314.534.2666, from the firecrackerpizza.com liquid garbanzo beans soak in, adds a smooth counterbalance to the citrus pucker.
NIGHTLIFE
firecracker pizza & beer BY STEPHANIE ZEILENGA | PHOTOS BY DAVID KOVALUK
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tarting with the exterior mural of a fierce black cat, Firecracker Pizza & Beer isn’t afraid to show off its explosive personality. The famous photo of Johnny Cash flipping the bird, glassware that says “F*ck Yeah!” and punkinspired merch add a fun dose of irreverence to the urbanmodern interior. It’s slick, as if poised for franchising,
O R D E R T H I S August 2018
but not overly so – a worthy sister bar to Atomic Cowboy, owner Chip Schloss’ other establishment, across the street. The space is roomy enough to accommodate a late-night crowd, but still intimate enough to encourage lingering, aided by energetic tunes that should kick up nostalgia for anyone who grew up in the ’90s and early
2000s. Patrons can also browse through a crate of records supplied by Music Record Shop – if you buy something, Firecracker will spin it for you. If you’re wondering if Firecracker is more obsessed with pints or pies, the answer is both. The bar features 66 taps, including a diversity of styles from lagers to IPAs, stouts and sours. All of the bartenders are cicerones (sommeliers for beer) or are pursuing certification, and will happily provide guidance or pour samples to help you navigate the wealth of options. The beer mania carries over into the signature cocktails,
The Shiva’s Revenge is topped with curry hummus, eggplant, roasted potato and cauliflower with mint and tamarind chutneys.
Also of note was the Hopical Storm, a light and summery gin-based concoction that includes 4 Hands Incarnation IPA, ginger liqueur, citrus, bitters and spent-grain syrup. All the cocktails I tried avoided the common sin of oversweetening – these are drinks made for those who enjoy complexity and bitterness. In addition to beer and cocktails, a small selection of wine is available, also on tap. In the words of one of its T-shirts, Firecracker is a “Pie or Die” place. The rectangular pizzas come out quickly on metal trays. The crispy, chewy dough includes the special addition of malt extract and is lightly brushed with a chili oil before baking. Unique toppings include pastrami, sauerkraut, roasted
eggplant and a cucumber-carrot slaw, and nearly everything is made in house. Doug Weerts, formerly of Pi Pizzeria, created an assortment of signature pizzas that befits Firecracker’s name with familiar combinations revved up. The Jalapeno Bidness, for example, isn’t your average pineapple and ham pie. This version has spicy chorizo, pineapple relish and jalapeno for a spicy-sweet combination that makes it nearly impossible to say no to just one more slice. The Shiva’s Revenge is basically an Indian samosa pizza, topped with curry hummus, eggplant, roasted potato and cauliflower with mint and tamarind chutneys. All the ones I tried had the proper pizza ratio dialed in – enough toppings to get a little of everything in each bite, but not so much that it was a hazard to eat. If you’re an extreme heat-seeker, any pizza can be doctored up with a visit to Firecracker’s hot sauce bar. The appetizers are also solid, especially the Screamin’ Mimis (smoked boneless chicken thighs seared with sweet chili oil) and the Zippity Do Das, a roasted veggie dish with basil, red sauce and red pepper coulis. Killer pies, an impressive beer list and a cheeky attitude make Firecracker Pizza & Beer a worthy addition to The Grove’s after-dark hangouts.
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dine
& drink
the elk cove estate pinot noir rosé carries notes of strawberries and cherries.
ILLUSTRATIONS BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN
A SEAT AT THE BAR / Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake Clocking in at 108 proof, Paranubes Oaxaca Rum is a funky, unaged white spirit rich with banana, guava, lemongrass, lime, baking spice, fresh-cut grass and a touch of slate. It’s robust for sipping, but we like it in the TED AND JAMIE Airmail cocktail. In an ice-filled KILGORE shaker, combine 1½ ounces USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart rum with ¾ ounce lemon and co-owners/bartenders at Planter’s House juice and ¾ ounce honey syrup (equal parts honey and water). Shake vigorously, strain into a cocktail glass and top with 1 ounce chilled Champagne. 1-liter: $40. Intoxicology, 4321 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.3088, intoxicologystl.com August 2018
Rosé is the red wine of summer, perfect for those outdoor grilling sessions. Great pinks give the flavors of reds without the drying tannins – like the 2017 GLENN BARDGETT Elk Cove Estate Pinot Member of the Missouri Wine Noir Rosé, which features and Grape Board and wine hints of strawberries director at Annie Gunn’s and cherries balanced by laser-focused, bright acidity. Rosés are highly visual, and this has amazing red and orange hues reminiscent of a sunset after a storm. Pink is not a compromise. $17. Schnucks, 12332 Manchester Road, Des Peres, 314.965.3094, schnucks.com
Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. has mastered lagers, and the latest in singlehop experiments for this Euro-centric beer house is gorgeous. The Trailnet 30 Pilsner is a collaborative brew with Trailnet, an active KATIE HERRERA lifestyle organization, for its Director of beer at STL 30th anniversary. It features Barkeep and account manager at Craft Republic a clean, bready Pilsner malt backbone that bolsters the vibrant tropical fruit-driven hop character from Callista hops. This crisp beer is a perfect classic style with a trendy twist. Draft. Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., multiple locations, 314.222.0143, urbanchestnut.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 25
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WINE
CAN DO BY GLENN BARDGETT
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Cans are more convenient than bottles. They’re light, portable, easy to open, easy to recycle and take up less space in a cooler – exactly what you need for float trips, picnics, hiking, camping and sipping on your deck or by the pool. Just be careful – the standard beer can size is actually half a wine bottle. The smaller sized cans, 187 and 250 milliliters, are closer to a large glass or two. Blends seem to be more popular than single varietals, but there is something for everyone. Check your retailers’ shelves and do a tasting. Don’t be skeptical – pop some tops.
Scarpetta Frico Frizzante Fizzy, fresh and clean, this Italian sparkling makes for great prosecco-style sipping. 4-pack 187-milliliter cans: $11. Wine & Cheese Place, 9755 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.962.8150, wineandcheeseplace.com Sans Sauvignon Blanc This wine is made for grown-ups. It’s very varietally correct. 1 can: $10. Wine & Cheese Place, 9755
Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.962.8150, wineandcheeseplace.com Butternut Chardonnay Butternut is a solid chardonnay with no oak – just aluminum. 1 can: $8. Randall’s Wines & Spirits, 1910 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.865.0199, shoprandalls.com Joe to Go Rosé This pretty pinot noirbased rosé was my
favorite from the Joe to Go series. 1 can: $7. Dierbergs, 1080 Lindemann Road, Des Peres, 314.238.0400, dierbergs.com Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir Try this juicy, balanced can chilled. It offers pinot cherry flavors and an attractive color. 1 can: $6. The Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com
August 2018
PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN
We are experiencing a meteoric rise in the popularity of serious canned wines. Early offerings were often sweet, but 2018 brings us quality usually found in traditional glass. Like screw tops, aluminum packaging is just the latest change for wine consumers, so don’t fear that missing cork. A wood cork does nothing for the majority of wines, which are consumed very soon after purchase. (I even have doubts as to the benefit of long-term aging with a cork. A natural cork is a sponge, risking cork taint, which will ruin a wine.)
August 2018
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F R E S H
T R O U T
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G R I L L E D M U S S E L S
No one will ever mistake our town for the seafood capital of the nation, but there’s much more to seafood in St. Louis than Lenten Friday fish fries. Don’t be intimidated –- try these quick, easy dishes at home.
F I S H These seafood recipes have us hook, line and sinker.
August 2018
B Y D E E R Y A N // P H O T O S B Y C A R M E N T R O E S S E R
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G A R L I C S H R I M P
Bob’s Seafood is the place in St. Louis to get fish. Can’t make it to Bob’s? Opt for Whole Foods Market or Lucky’s Market. Bob’s Seafood, 8660 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.993.4844, bobsseafoodstlouis.com
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GRILLED MUSSELS WITH RED CURRY Keep that grill fired up and keep your kitchen clean. Fair warning: There’s no guarantee you’ll keep your shirt clean. 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 5.6-oz. can unsweetened coconut milk ½ cup vegetable broth ¼ cup lime juice 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. red curry paste 1 Tbsp. sesame oil 1 to 2 lbs. fresh mussels, rinsed and scrubbed Chopped cilantro, green onion, and/or basil, for garnish Naan or rice, for serving • Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for medium-high, indirect heat. • In a bowl, whisk the coconut milk, vegetable broth, lime juice, brown sugar, red curry paste and sesame oil, then pour into a disposable aluminum pan. Add the mussels and toss to coat. • Cover the pan tightly with foil and grill 7 to 10 minutes. • Remove the pan from heat, dispose of any mussels that did not open, and toss in the cilantro, green onion and basil. Serve immediately with naan or rice.
GAMBAS AL AJILLO This shrimp dish might be the simplest, most flavorful thing you make all summer. It can be made inside on the stovetop over medium-high heat, but grilling in a cast-iron skillet is ideal so you can toast slices of bread to soak up each and every drop of the delicious sauce. 4 TO 6 SERVINGS
1 baguette ¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided ¼ cup butter 1 lb. (26 to 30) tail-on, small shrimp, peeled and deveined ½ cup fresh chopped garlic 10 cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
August 2018
¼ cup lemon juice 1 tsp. red pepper flakes 2 Tbsp. fresh, chopped oregano, basil or marjoram Kosher salt, to taste • Prepare a gas or charcoal grill for high, direct heat. • Cut the baguette in thirds and slice each third in half, lengthwise. Drizzle the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil and set aside. • Place a large cast-iron skillet over the hottest part of the grill and add the remaining ¼ cup olive oil and the butter. When the oil and butter are melted, add the shrimp, garlic and tomatoes, and saute 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from scorching. • When the shrimp are almost done and look opaque, remove from heat and add the lemon juice and red pepper flakes. Toss well. • Grill the bread cut side down 1 minute. • Add the oregano and salt to the skillet and serve with the grilled bread.
CEVICHE This dish is “cooked” by the acid in citrus, so do not skimp on quality – tell the fishmonger you’re making ceviche, and get the freshest, prettiest fish you can, like grouper, halibut, snapper, sole, flounder or sea bass. Have fun with the recipe – try adding peppers, radish, green onion, jicama or beets. 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS
½ lb. fresh boneless, white-fleshed ocean fish with the bloodline removed, cut into ½- to ¾-inch cubes 2 to 3 Tbsp. orange juice 1 to 2 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. lime juice 1 tsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. agave ½ tsp. red pepper flakes ½ avocado, ½-inch diced ¼ cup fresh corn 3 Tbsp. finely diced red onion 2 sprigs cilantro or 3 basil leaves, torn
1 Tbsp. finely diced jalapeno Plantain or taro chips, for serving • Place the diced fish in a large glass bowl and set aside. • In another bowl, mix the orange and lime juice, cumin, salt, agave and red pepper flakes and pour over the fish, tossing to fully coat. Refrigerate and let marinate until the fish is completely opaque, 20 to 30 minutes (no longer than 1 hour). • Drain the fish and toss with the avocado, corn, onion, cilantro and jalapeno. Serve immediately with the chips.
T R O U T E N PA P I L L O T E WITH FENNEL If you can wrap a birthday present, you can cook fish in parchment. Don’t get hung up on making pretty packets, and if a stapler comes out, we won’t tell. 2 SERVINGS
2 ½-lb. deboned trout, butterflied 2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 8 sprigs thyme, divided 2 sprigs rosemary, divided 2 tsp. butter, cubed 1½ cups very thinly sliced fennel, divided ½ cup very thinly sliced red onion, divided 8 thin slices Meyer lemon or 6 slices lemon and 2 slices orange 2 tsp. capers, for garnish • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. • Drizzle the inside of each trout with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season with salt and pepper, and place 4 sprigs thyme and 1 sprig rosemary in each. Dot 1 teaspoon butter in each, then close the trout. • Toss the fennel and onion with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper. • Cut 2 15-by-15-inch squares parchment paper. Place half the fennel and onion in the middle of each piece, and place 1 trout on top
of each mound. Lay the lemons on top of the trout. • Seal the packet by bringing together the edges of the parchment parallel to the length of the fish, and fold them down again and again until the fold rests against the fish. Take the open ends and twist or fold them under the packet. • Place both packets on a baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Place each packet on a serving plate, cut them open, sprinkle capers on top and serve.
SALMON MARBELLA Adapted from “The Silver Palate Cookbook” Salmon is easily accessible, and smart shoppers know to stock up on the frozen fish, since most you’ll find in St. Louis markets has been frozen and thawed anyway. Don’t spend a lot of time overthinking the ingredients; take a leap of faith, and you will be rewarded with a glorious, decadent dinner. 3 TO 4 SERVINGS
¹∕³ cup chopped prunes ¹∕³ cup olive or neutral oil ¹∕³ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup chopped manzanilla olives 1 Tbsp. capers with liquid 1 Tbsp. dried oregano 1 tsp. garlic powder 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 lb. boneless, skinless salmon fillet ½ cup dry white wine ¼ cup brown sugar • In a large zip-top bag, mix together the prunes, olive oil, red wine vinegar, olives, capers, oregano, garlic powder and pepper. Add the salmon, seal and refrigerate 1 hour. • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Remove salmon from refrigerator and let sit 15 minutes. Coat a baking dish with cooking spray. • Pour the contents of the bag into the baking dish. Add the wine to the dish and sprinkle the salmon with brown sugar. Bake 30 to 35 minutes and serve.
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KING
OF THE
HILL
How St. Louis’ favorite Italian neighborhood raised Alex Donley B Y H E A T H E R H U G H E S // P H O T O S B Y I Z A I A H J O H N S O N
August 2018
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hen Alex Donley graduated from high school, his girlfriend’s parents wanted to take them out to Cunetto House of Pasta to celebrate. When the wait was exorbitant, Donley had a better idea. He conspiratorially told the group to follow him out of the restaurant, and led them up Macklind Avenue to Gian-Tony’s Ristorante. “We went through the kitchen at GianTony’s, and I was like, ‘Tony, can you get us a four-top?’” he said. “I felt like such a big shot. And of course it was the
Donley’s mom and co-owner, Cathy Donley, took over Gioia’s in 1980. “Everyone owes my mom a favor,” Donley said. She was smart enough to focus on what set the little Italian grocery on the corner of Daggett and Macklind avenues apart – house-made hot salami sandwiches – and turned the place into a deli. Almost 40 years later, the Donleys are still making original owner Challie Gioia’s hot salami recipe. St. Louisans line up for lunch where Hill residents shopped for groceries 100 years ago. Order the Spicy Daggett sandwich, Donley said, and everything you’re eating is made
can trust?’ She was very good about making sure I made my own mistakes.” Now Donley has a rule: “If I don’t have the business owner’s personal cellphone number, then I won’t do business with them,” he said. “If my bread gets messed up, I can call Chuck Fazio and yell at him. Every vendor I have is a personal friend, and they will pick up my call. Can’t call Sysco.” Rather than stifling Donley’s ambition – a drive fueled by boundless enthusiasm that invites others in instead of taking them down – the rules of The Hill have shaped Gioia’s growth.
Bringing up a failed business venture, he’s still cheerfully energetic. “Literally, I could stare at home plate while selling sandwiches,” he said, leaning in. “Only the Cardinals could make me break that rule.” Donley pulled the new, potentially incredibly lucrative, Busch Stadium location after one (opening) day of business. He said the stadium didn’t care enough about service. “Here, it’s everything. I’ll give you the store if you’re unhappy. … Now I know. It’s my product, my brand. I’m in charge of it and no one else.”
from left: charlie gitto’s on the hill, the donley family at gelato di riso, a worker at gelato di riso
left: mama toscano’s ravioli, top: owner john digregorio at marconi bakery
greatest meal ever because Tony made it for us, and he knew I was trying to impress my high school sweetheart. We sat down, and they had appetizers for us we didn’t even order.” That girlfriend’s name is now Amanda Donley – she’s his wife and business partner. Alex Donley is connected. The 32-yearold, rosy-cheeked Irish co-owner of Gioia’s Deli was adopted by The Hill at a young age. He grew up in his family’s restaurant across the street from GianTony’s and has known chef-owner Tony Catarinicchia his whole life. “He looks like Mario from the Mario Bros.,” Donley said. “He’s 68 years old and still in the kitchen every day. He still debones the veal himself – does all that.” These days, Alex and Amanda bring their three kids (the fourth is on the way) to GianTony’s every Christmas Eve.
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within two blocks – the hot salami and giardiniera at Gioia’s, the coppa and capicolla at Volpi Foods and the bread at Fazio’s Bakery. In 2017, the deli received a James Beard America’s Classics award, reserved for family-owned restaurants at least 10 years old that reflect the character of their communities.
In 2014, Donley launched a food truck. He made sure to talk to Zia’s on the Hill owner Dennis Chiodini first, since he had experience with a truck. “He really helped me get the lay of the land – helped me with build out and everything,” Donley said. As vendors or as peers, The Hill supports The Hill.
When he bought into Gioia’s with his mom, Donley still had a lot to learn about the family business – not how things were done on The Hill, but why. “I was very cocksure,” he said. “I was like, ‘Mom, we’re gonna price stuff out, I’m going to get you the lowest price on everything, and I’m gonna make my salary within the first month.’
n 2016, Donley opened a second location of the deli downtown. Earlier in 2018, he opened a third in Creve Coeur. “It makes it harder now that we’re growing so much,” he said. Gioia’s supports a lot of business in St. Louis, but could they open in Kansas City or Chicago? Donley seemed interested but wary. “I’d have to change my values a little bit, and I don’t want to do that,” he said. “I’ve been offered, and I say no to everybody. I should have said no to Busch Stadium. … That was a very expensive lesson.”
“And I did,” Donley said. “But I went with the big guys. Within six months, the prices were back up, and I ruined relationships. My mom was like, ‘Are you ready to go back to the people we
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It was again The Hill community that saw Donley through this, probably the biggest disappointment of his professional life. First, John and Frank DiGregorio of DiGregorio’s Italian Market helped him produce the extra hot salami he needed for the venture. The DiGregorios make salsiccia sausage (the best in St. Louis, according to Donley), so they knew what they were doing. “And it was not even a question of money,” Donley said. “It was just, ‘Let us help you get where you need to be.’” When he broke the deal with the stadium and had no idea what to do with the surplus, the DiGregorios offered to keep it frozen for him to use as needed. “Nobody else would ever do that. They’d be like, ‘Where’s my money?’” To Donley, the DiGregorios represent what makes The Hill The Hill. They live, work, raise their families and August 2018
spend their money there. John and Frank live next door to each other. They took over the shop from their mother, Dora DiGregorio (she’s the one always sitting behind the counter when you walk in), and their sons all work in the business. When Marconi Bakery was going to close, John bought it and kept on the original owner to bake the bread. He buys properties in the neighborhood simply to ensure they’re well maintained. Monsignor Vince Bommarito, the priest at St. Ambrose Catholic Church, does the same thing, according to Donley.
taking a loss because we don’t want it to become an eyesore and make all the other property values go down.” While you can’t help wondering what this kind of entrenched investment does for those outside the community – how does someone new move into the neighborhood or get in on the established group’s support? – Donley’s love for and obvious trust in The Hill are contagious. He’s incorrigibly open, an unreserved talker who doesn’t seem to bullshit even as he vigorously promotes the neighborhood.
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onley partially attributes the commitment of these chefowners to the fact that they all own their buildings. “When the sidewalk’s cracked, you don’t call your landlord, you fix it,” he said. It’s what makes The Hill restaurant culture different than other food neighborhoods in St. Louis. Beyond that, like the DiGregorios, Hill restaurateurs have bought into more than their own businesses. Donley bragged on how often these chefs eat at each other’s restaurants. They’re invested in each other.
They can walk home from Gian-Tony’s after Christmas Eve dinner and to St. Ambrose for Mass. They walk to Gelato Di Riso with their kids at least once a week – and owner Larry Fuse Jr.’s daughters are their babysitters. The Hill is where they want their kids to grow up.
Walking on The Hill with Donley is exactly what you might expect. His
“It’s how it should be,” Donley said. “It’s how it used to be.”
because Alex and Amanda have kids, they don’t find the immersion claustrophobic at all. “This is so special,” he said. “Me and Amanda travel a lot, and there’s nothing like this. I love coming back to this.”
left: marconi bakery, bottom: frank, dora and gina digregorio at digregorio’s, right: digregorio’s market
top: digregorio’s, right: gioia’s deli coowner alex donley
He knows everyone and will help people looking to sell their homes connect with buyers. “He’s literally the boss of The Hill,” Donley said. “It sounds Mafioso, but he’s a super positive force.” Milo’s Bocce Garden owner Joe Vollmer is a similar story. “He’s our alderman, and every morning he walks the whole Hill,” Donley said. “It’s like, come on – that is why The Hill is so great! Our alderman is walking the streets every morning and listening to everybody.” Vollmer also works the bar at Milo’s. “So if you have a problem, you can go to the bar and yell at him,” Donley said. “This community is important to us. We are going to make sure to preserve it by buying up property that’s just sitting there vacant and either improving it and trying to get good people in it, or just sitting on it and August 2018
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ike any good honorary Italian, if you ask Donley about his favorite places to eat (he loves Anthonino’s pasta and that they accommodate his rambunctious children), he’ll start talking about the owners’ families. Ask him about people on The Hill, and he’ll start talking food. “Do you ever notice that restaurants get to a point where the owner’s not in the kitchen anymore?” he asked. “At The Hill, they’re still in the kitchen cooking.” He launched into a litany of names: Anthony Scarato at Anthonino’s, Larry Fuse Jr. at Lorenzo’s, Tony Catarinicchia at Gian-Tony’s, Adriana Fazio at Adriana’s, Dominic Consolino at Amighetti’s, Miguel Carretero at Guido’s, Mark Favazza at Favazza’s. “What Mark’s doing is serving 600 to 700 people a day, and it’s him!” Donley said. “He can’t work the room because he’s on the range.”
smile never takes a break, and you can’t go a block without running into someone he knows – you’ll get caught chatting about St. Ambrose School, recent health problems, the crappy weather or the insufficient pickles on a recent sandwich order at Gioia’s. Volpi owner Armando Pasetti warned Donley before he bought a house there. “If you live on The Hill, you are always at work.” And he admits it did feel a little too close – everyone in other people’s business – when he was younger. Particularly the time he lit a fire in the alley behind Lilly Avenue as a kid. “I ran away back to the deli and I was like, ‘No one will know.’ My mom knew before I got back – and Lilly is one block over! She screamed at me in front of all the customers. I was so embarrassed.” Now that his alley fire days are over, Donley doesn’t feel that way. Especially
EXPLOR E THE HILL Adriana’s on The Hill, adrianasonthehill.com Amighetti’s, amighettis.com Anthonino’s Taverna, anthoninos.com Cunetto House of Pasta, cunetto.com DiGregorio’s Italian Market, digregoriofoods.com Favazza’s, favazzas.com Gelato Di Riso, gelatodiriso.com Gian-Tony’s Ristorante, gian-tonys.com Gioia’s Deli, gioiasdeli.com Guido’s Pizzeria & Tapas, guidosstl.com Lorenzo’s Trattoria, lorenzostrattoria.com Marconi Bakery, marconibakery.com Milo’s Bocci Garden, milosbocchegarden.com St. Ambrose Catholic Church, stambroseonthehill.com Volpi Foods, volpifoods.com saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 37
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faces off
THE HILL STORIES AND PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER
Garagiola, Yogi Berra. All those guys worked there as waiters from time to time. There was just a super buzz in that area. As boys, we’d go up there and hold the door for customers, and they’d give us a nickel. Then we’d get an order of french fries and sit across the street and watch.” “People not from The Hill see the value of being on The Hill,” he says, looking in the direction of the new Piazza Imo, scheduled to be completed this year equipped with fountains and imported Italian marble. “They’re buying properties and tearing them down and building new ones. People are recognizing the value of the neighborhood and they’re coming.”
R IC H LoRvsso
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he childhood home of Rich LoRusso, owner of LoRusso’s Cucina, was a half block from Ruggeri’s Restaurant. “Back in the day, it was the St. Louis hotspot,” he says. “It was the neighborhood of Mickey Garagiola, Joe
Sitting in the dining room at LoRusso’s, he talks of his grandmother and eats panzanella salad made with tomatoes from his garden. “She would bake her bread and trade it for produce, and that was just how you did things. It’s a close community. And the church, the church was the center of everything. It was our universe.” He puts down his fork, grabs a spoon and digs into a half-cut watermelon. “The memories here just built you.”
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Ben & Gloria
G A MBA RO G
loria and Ben Gambaro, both 94, have known each other their whole lives and still banter like sixth graders flirting over math homework. “God must’ve punished me by making me take care of him for 68 years,” Gloria teases. Punishment for avoiding dates with Yogi Berra, apparently. “He used to always ask me out, and I’d say, ‘OK, Yogi.’ And then when he’d come to the house, I’d say, ‘I have a headache, Yogi. Let’s just stay home and play cards.’” “Remember Joe?” Ben beams back at her. “He had the gift of gab.” “He’d pick up my books every day and walk me home from school,” Gloria says of her former suitor. “He was the perfect gentleman.” She turns away from Ben to say, low enough for him to miss it, “Isn’t he handsome? He was always such a handsome man. Pals forever.”
Their forever is a treasure trove of Hill stories. Ben’s father started as a partner with the Missouri Baking Co. in 1924, after prominent St. Louis restaurateur Joe Garavelli asked him to leave Italy and make bread for him. However, shortly after the bakery opened, when Ben was only 4, his mother became ill, and the family moved back to Italy for four years. “When we went back to Italy, people there said, ‘Here come the Americans,’” he recounts. “When we came back, they said, ‘Here come the Italians.’” Ben and Gloria were married in 1949 at St. Ambrose Catholic Church with the bridesmaids wearing dresses Gloria made herself. “I wanted to make my wedding dress, too, but they said that was bad luck,” she says. She continued sewing for people while Ben went to work at the bakery every day. For a while, they lived with
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three children in two rooms rented from a local gambler. “He’d charge us $25 a month for rent, utilities, everything,” Gloria says. When No. 4 came along, they moved into a house with three bedrooms. Then two more children came. “I told my husband, I think we need to get a bigger house. So every Sunday, that was his only day off from the bakery, we’d go out and look. On the third Sunday, the children said, ‘We’re sick and tired of this! We like where we’re living, and we want to stay there.’ So I said, ‘That’s it! We’re gonna make the best of it.’” They’ve been in the home ever since. Nightly family dinners took place around a small, round dining table, a wedding present they still use today. The kids knew to run home when they heard the factory whistles go off on Marconi Avenue at 4:30 p.m. – you could hear them throughout the entire neighborhood. If they didn’t make it home by 5 p.m., the kids would be in big trouble. “That was the only time Ben saw the children,” Gloria says. “He worked hard his whole life.” All six children also worked in the bakery growing up, although Ben and Gloria didn’t want them to stay. “I only went to grade school, and I wanted my children to have an education,” she says. “I sent them to high school and college.” Those educations have paid off. The bakery is going strong with the fourth generation working there now.
August 2018
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JOE
Barbaglia
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ome people call him Mayor Joe Barbaglia. Considering everything he does for the neighborhood, it’s hard to imagine he actually owns his own business and has time to work there. His office at Southwest Auto Parts is papered with photos of his beloved daughter Nina Barbaglia, Monsignor Vince Bommarito, police officers and firefighters, parades and others who make up the fabric of his life lived on The Hill. A native, Barbaglia heads up The Hill’s Easter egg hunt, the soapbox derby, the fireworks at Sublette Park, the Christmas lights on Marconi Avenue, the Columbus Day parade, the St. Ambrose golf tournament and the Giro Della Montagna, an annual bike race in the Gateway Cup series. But his biggest claim to fame may be the product of his time working on the Giro: The Dogaloni. “We had this hot dog, and we had cannelloni dough – rolled the hot dog in the dough, breaded and deep fried them and served them on a stick. When we bring ’em out there, people love ’em. We sold about 600 at the race, and we kept making them for the next five years. People still ask for them.” It only makes sense that Barbaglia would dream up such a successful Hill novelty. He praises the area at every opportunity. “It’s probably the best neighborhood you could grow up in in your life. It’s like being in a small town, so tight-knit with family and friends. The volunteers here are over-the-top.
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If you have $10 or $1,000, everybody pitches in and makes things happen. That’s what it’s all about … helping each other and not worrying about what’s in it for me.” He admits, however, that The Hill hasn’t always been perfectly harmonious. The long-time rivalry between the Sicilians and the Lombards was strong when his parents met. “My dad was Lombard; my mom was Sicilian. Back then a Sicilian didn’t marry a Lombard. But it was OK
because my dad was the kind of person who would help anybody. I remember he’d go over to an older lady’s house and help her fix things. She’d try to pay him and he’d say, ‘Just say a prayer for me.’ He’d fix it all.” Being the product of a union between the Lombards and the Sicilians made Barbaglia a human bridge between northerners, southerners and nonItalians alike. Perhaps none of his rituals speaks that more clearly than the bread.
“I go to Vitale’s every Friday, and they give me loaves of bread. I take them to Milo’s, and regular people all break bread and hand it around. And it’s hot – so hot you can barely touch it. When you break it open, it fills the place with smells. People come from as far away as Arnold for it. Things like this, there’s nothing like it. It’s something you can’t purchase. You can purchase a new car, a new house, but you can’t purchase what we have. It’s not available like that. It’s something you gain over the years – trust in people.”
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wenty-six-year-old Nina Barbaglia sits in sawdust in her home on Sublette Avenue. She positions herself near a window that faces south, the direction of her father Joe Barbaglia’s house. “He’s the most generous person I know,” she says. “It doesn’t get better than him.” So this is where she sits when she needs to think. The teacher bought the duplex recently. She’s renovating the south side for herself and renting the other. Barbaglia remembers walking home from St. Ambrose School with a pack of 12 friends. “We had a route where we’d drop everybody off – me and Regina Savio were always the last ones. And now, she bought a house right around the corner from mine.” At a time in her life when a lot of her friends are moving around the country, choosing school districts and moving to the suburbs, she’s staying put – at least for now.
their family here or somebody’s life ended here gives a whole meaning to the house.” Here on The Hill, people stay. “I lived in my dad’s house my whole life. My dad moved straight from his parents’ house into that house. So thinking of moving was terrifying. I couldn’t even think about moving away to college because my grandma was older, and I didn’t want to miss a single minute.” Her grandmother did pass away last year, and she carries a picture of her in her purse. “Sometimes I feel a lot like her. Like an old Italian lady trapped in a young body.”
Nina
BARBAGLIA
“I can talk about school districts being the most important thing when I have kids someday, but is it the most important? Or is it being close to family and close to everything, you know? That’s a hard decision. “In the suburbs, you get the big house and the good school, but you don’t get the meaning of the house you’re living in. You don’t know who’s living next door to you. Who lived there before? There’s so much history around here. It’s good to know that other people had family and happy memories in this house, and I can personally talk to those people. To know that somebody started
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tepping into the St. Ambrose Catholic Church rectory, that center of The Hill universe, you could just as easily be stepping off an Italian piazza into a high-end antique shop, one with gold-framed landscape paintings, ornate sculptures, dark-stained furniture and a faint but welcoming smell of olives and cologne. With a quick gesture of his hand, Monsignor Vince Bommarito welcomes you into his residence behind the church, where he will undoubtedly lead you into the dining room. Bommarito celebrated his first Mass here more than 40 years ago. He’s left the parish and come back a few times, but his latest stint is 19 years and counting. Over the last 35 years, he’s raised money for the Italian Open, a children’s charity, by auctioning off dinners in his home. Eight to 10 people sit around the table as the monsignor serves course after course of his Sicilian specialties.
get center cuts. After that, we have salads and cookies from Missouri bakery or Vitale’s. That’s a typical dinner here.”
Monsignor
V I N C E B O M M A R I T O
“We start out with a number of appetizers. We usually have a shrimp or fish dish. I always make a frittata with spinach and asparagus. Then we’ll have various cheeses and salamis and some fried mushrooms. Then we’ll make a pasta dish, and for the main course, we’ll make chicken marsala and we’ll roast spiedini. The only place to get spiedini meat in St. Louis is DiGregorio’s. They do it special, and I always
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He attributes his skill to his mother. “You know, Sicilian mothers cook all the time, and the kitchen is the big place where everybody hangs,” he says. “You just watch your mother cook, and you learn to cook from watching her. Then you might break out and do your own thing.” But doing his own thing doesn’t mean straying far. “I don’t use cream in my sauces. I’m Sicilian.” He prefers shopping and cooking at home to going out for dinner. “I love to go to stores because I sit and talk to people,” he says. But he still frequents restaurants on The Hill. “If I want liver and onions, I go to Lorenzo’s. If I’m in the mood for pizza, I go to Favazza’s – because he’s developed a pizza dough that’s very, very good. It took him two years to develop this dough. Then if I want calamari, I’ll go to Charlie Gitto’s. Don’t ask me what my favorite restaurant is. I don’t have a favorite because they’re all so good.” Monsignor Bommarito sits at the center of this universe, seemingly content with knowing he nourishes people in more than one way at his table. “You have to understand The Hill. The Hill doesn’t understand you; you understand The Hill. We’re blessed here.”
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f you spend any time on The Hill, you’re likely to run into Joe DeGregorio on the street – a stack of business cards in his hand, newspaper clippings and brochures tucked under his arm, and a carryout box in his other hand. He’s a walking, talking atlas, encyclopedia and advertisement of The Hill, able to rattle off the menu and address of every deli and restaurant. Today he’s lunching at Milo’s. Looking around, he can pick out half the people in the room. Some he went to school with, others are cousins. “My childhood here, for a typical American, was not typical,” he says. “We watched the ‘Howdy Doody Show,’ played cowboys and Indians and battle – did all the things American kids did in the 1950s and ’60s.” What made his childhood less typical for a city kid was The Dump – the dumping grounds for the 1904 World’s Fair and hospitals in the area, conveniently located within 50 yards of his home. It was his friends’ playground where they’d chase rabbits, catch pigeons, make bows and arrows – never thinking it was out of the norm. He was the oldest of seven children. “What was important to us was the sense of family, the Catholic faith and, my golly, the food. The food – looking back, it was the highlight of my youth.” His father worked two jobs, one as the mailman on The Hill and the second as a waiter. He had a 30-minute break for dinner at 4:45
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p.m., and the children were expected to be there for it. “We’d see him off to the restaurant at 5:15. It was a standing rule to do that. Mom would make all the traditional Italian food with a Sicilian slant to it but not pizza. Pizza wasn’t that paramount in the United States yet.” After school, DeGregorio left The Hill and worked around the world as a federal agent. He retired in 2005 and decided to return to his roots. “Here I am, retired and having my Dustin Hoffman ‘[The] Graduate’ movie moment. Which, for us baby boomers, means it’s summertime, I just retired and what the hell am I going to do with the rest of my life?” He decided to help his father with The Hill
tours that he’d led for about 25 years. He’s since added culinary elements like ravioli-making demonstrations, as well as bocce lessons, concerts at the church and visits to an artisanal salami factory. He talks extensively about the very important distinction between the Lombards and the Sicilians. “They’re totally different cultures, totally different people and totally different culinary styles. The Lombards are heavy on cream and butter dishes, cheeses, salamis, polenta and even some German-like rabbit stews. Sicilian food is more Mediterranean-style food, more seafood and pork-based.” He admits he’s eaten at every restaurant on The Hill, which at his latest count is 28. “There’s a tremendous variety of
Italian food here. If you’re in the mood for good oldfashioned slop-it-down 1950s American-Italian food, you go to Rigazzi’s. That’s John Goodman’s favorite place. If you want some haute cuisine, you go to Dominic’s. That’s Tony Bennett’s favorite place. Or Giovanni’s, Oprah’s favorite place. If you want some casual Italian food, you go to Milo’s. If you want to go to the northern Italian genre, Lorenzo’s – tremendous rice dishes. Gian-Tony’s has the best and most authentic Southern-style Italian in the city.”
Joe
DeGREGORIO
Lunch is over, and he packs up his salad in a to-go box. He tucks his brochures under his arm, grabs his business cards, offers a farewell gesture to the room, and heads across the street to Gelato Di Riso.
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stuff to do:
AUGUST
BY NATALIE ARCHER AND SAM BALMER St. Louis Veg Fest Aug. 4 – 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., World’s Fair Pavilion, Forest Park, St. Louis, 314.384.8774, start4animals.org Get your veg on at this all-vegan festival. Vendors sell everything from cruelty-free cosmetics and clothing to home goods. While you learn about vegan lifestyle practices, snack on plantbased food for purchase from more than 15 local restaurants like Seedz Cafe, Frida’s and upcoming 1956 Utah.
Maison Noir Wine Dinner Aug. 15 – 6:30 p.m., Annie Gunn’s, 16806 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield, 636.532.7684, Facebook: The Smokehouse Market and Annie Gunn’s Enjoy a taste of the Pacific Northwest in the Midwest at a fivecourse wine dinner with Maison Noir Wines. Owner and winemaker Andre Hueston pairs his Oregon wines with local plates from Annie Gunn’s chef Lou Rook III, like heritage pork belly with local cherry barbecue sauce served with a 2013 pinot noir. Reservations available by phone.
The Great Muslim Food Festival Aug. 12 – 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., World’s Fair Pavilion, Forest Park, St. Louis, 636.207.8882, greatmuslimfoodfest.com Get to know St. Louis’ diverse Muslim community through dishes from all over the world cooked by professional chefs and talented home cooks. Try dishes like falafel, biryani, shawarma, kebabs and more, while you enjoy live entertainment, cultural demonstrations and a kids zone.
sponsored events Art Hill Film Series Aug. 3 – 6 to 11 p.m., Art Hill in Forest Park, 1 Fine Arts Drive, St. Louis, slam.org/filmseries Head to Art Hill for the final film in the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Art Hill Film Series starting at 9 p.m. Get there early for a Food Truck Fest featuring a dozen trucks like Farmtruk, Vincent Van
Gin and Croquet Summer Bash Aug. 19 – 2 to 6 p.m., Blackburn Park, 421 Edgar Road, Webster Groves, eventbrite.com Don your favorite summer whites and brush up on your croquet etiquette. Gin World hosts this boozy afternoon party featuring more than 50 gins that enhance curated Gin and Tonic pairings along with other gin-to-cocktail pairings. There is also plenty of cold water and kiddie pools to beat the heat. Tickets available online.
Doughnut and Seoul Taco. The series wraps up with “The NeverEnding Story.”
Food Truck Friday Aug. 10 – 4 to 8 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.8004, saucefoodtruckfriday.com More than 20 trucks join the festivities, including Cha Cha Chow, Harvest Xpress and St. Louis Kolache. Sip local pours from Urban Chestnut Brewing
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Co., 4 Hands Brewing Co., Noboleis Vineyards and Brick River Cider while you enjoy live music from 4th City Rag. Take your time and skip the line – buy Speed Passes online and pick them up at the Sauce tent.
St. Louis World’s Fare Aug. 17 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Aug. 18 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Aug. 19 – 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., World’s Fair Pavilion, Forest Park, St. Louis, stlwordsfare.com
Festival of Nations Aug. 25 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Aug. 26 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Tower Grove Park, St. Louis, 314.773.9090, festivalofnationsstl.org St. Louis’ most international festival returns with more than 40 countries represented through dance, art and food. Try chicken kebabs from Iran, conch chowder from the Bahamas, sambusa from Ethiopia and much more.
Savor for Students Aug. 30 – 5 to 7 p.m., The Ritz-Carlton, 100 Carondelet Plaza, St. Louis, 314.863.6300, liftforlifeacademy.org Indulge in an evening of tapas-style bites from some of St. Louis’ top chefs and restaurateurs. Sample food from Elaia and Olio’s Ben Grupe, Olive & Oak’s Jesse Mendica, Niche Food Group’s Gerard Craft and dozens more, and save room for a raw bar, sushi and a full bar including wine, beer and spirits. Proceeds benefit Lift for Life Academy; tickets available online.
Celebrate the past and future of St. Louis at this three-day event. Stroll through Food Truck Row and purchase food from Farmtruk, Essentially Fries and Buzz’s Hawaiian Grill, then grab a few local brews and head over to Artists Village. Kick things off early on Thursday at a 1904-inspired ticketed dinner with chef Nate Hereford and STL Barkeep’s Matt Longueville.
Rise Up Festival Aug. 18 – 5 to 11 p.m., Washington Avenue between 15th and 17th streets, St. Louis, riseupfestival.org Head downtown for the annual Rise Up Festival. Fill up with Daddy O’s Cheesesteaks, 314 The City Bar, St. Louis Wall of Fame Food Truck, Nonie’s Family Food Court, Scoops & More and Simply Sweet Sensations. Wash it all down with something from Civil Life Brewing Co. as you check out August 2018
the interactive arts activities and enjoy music from Dirty Muggs.
Clayton’s Brews and Blues Festival Aug. 19 – 1 to 5 p.m., Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton, Facebook: Clayton’s Brews and Blues Festival Celebrate more than 20 of the newer kids on the craft brew block all the way down Forsyth. Enjoy unlimited samples from participating breweries like Earthbound Beer, Missouri Beer Co. and Steampunk Brew Works. Rock out with Big Mike Aguirre and visit the food trucks, Chris’ Smoke House and Wok and Roll STL. Tickets available online.
Downtown Restaurant Week Aug. 20 to 26, participating restaurants, St. Louis, downtownrestaurantweek.net There’s something for everyone at Downtown Restaurant Week. Threecourse dinners from 15 establishments like 360, Drunken Fish, Lombardo’s Trattoria, Mango and Tin Roof are priced at either $25 or $35. Patrons can make a donation to Operation Food Search at the end of their meal. Menus and a full list of participants available online.
Art of PAWS Aug. 25 – 7 to 10 p.m., The Grand Ballroom at Gallery 1014, 1014 Locust St., St. Louis, stlefa.org/AOP Animal lovers and cocktail connoisseurs unite at the 13th August 2018
annual Art of PAWS (Pets are Wonderful Support). Enjoy hors d’oeuvres from The Dam and watch bartenders square off in the cocktail challenge. Vote for your favorite and splurge on silent auction items, as all proceeds benefit PAWS. Tickets available online.
Bissingers, Bourbon & BBQ Aug. 26 – 1 to 4 p.m., The Caramel Room, 1600 N. Broadway, St. Louis, 314.615.2420, caramelroom.com If you fancy things that start with the letter B, you’re in for a treat with this triple threat. Executive chef Nick Miller of 23 City Blocks Catering roasts a whole local hog to serve alongside chocolate-inspired barbecue creations. Save room for samples of more than 65 bourbons, or visit the open bar while listening to live music from The Root Diggers and Nashville duo Stephen Paul. Tickets available online.
Thirst for Life Aug. 30, participating establishments, St. Louis, stlefa.org/TFL Round up your squad and grab some drinks to support local pups. Thirty percent of beverage sales at participating bars and restaurants like Rehab Bar & Grill, Tropical Liqueurs, Sub Zero Vodka Bar, 1764 Public House and Square One Brewery & Distillery benefit PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support). List of participating establishments available online. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 49
WHAT I DO
Inigo Gondra
Inigo Gondra traveled the world during a decades-long career in human resources, but his true passion has always been the cuisine of his native Bilbao, Spain. After six years developing recipes, he finally made the leap to a full-time catering business, The Croquetterie. Today, he captains a booth at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, selling hundreds of croquettes, delicate Spanish fritters bound together with bechamel, and tending vast pans of paella. Here, he shares his love of Basque culture, the croquette he’ll only make by request and why he’ll never open a restaurant. – Catherine Klene
They will ask, ‘What is I Am Not Boring croquette?’ and then you can start a conversation.” “ I b o u g h t t h i s y e a r t wo b i g [ pa e l l a pa n s ] t h at f e e d 1 1 0 p eo p l e . I have used them just once so far, at the Midsummer Bites [Dream] festival in Tower Grove. I cannot use them every Saturday because they are too big, but I will for sure use those ones in Festival of Nations this year.” “ Ev e n fo r p eo p l e w h o h av e b e e n i n t h e b u s i n e s s , the best [restaurant] idea is not always successful ... When Shake Shack opened, there were queues of an hour. If I need to compete with a hamburger, I’m totally lost.” “ I h av e o n ly t e st e d w i t h f r i e n ds sw e e t c r o q u e t t e s , like strawberry and chocolate. This is not the best time of the year to sell it because they’ll be melted, but … probably at [Tower Grove’s September Harvest Festival] I will launch them for the first time. The chocolate croquettes are amazing – the breadcrumb is done with cookies.”
“ B e i n g Ba s q u e , i n o u r D N A , w e h av e fo o d. We love food contests. I had food contests with my friends from when I was 18 years old until I was maybe 24. Every summer, in every single small village there was a food contest [for cooking] a Spanish omelet or a paella. … We always spent our nights cooking in the basement of a friend. The boys cooked for our girlfriends at the time.”
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“ I n S pa i n , i t ’ s v e ry p o p u l a r – the squid ink croquette with squid inside and the squid ink, so the inside is totally black. In the Basque country, you will find these very often, but here I can only do it for gourmet people who know what they want.”
“ I r e m e m b e r a lways m y m ot h e r , w h o wa n t e d to e at c au l i f low e r , she always cooked it with bechamel because if not, we wouldn’t eat it. So I called [this croquette] I Am Not Boring. … With this one, people will be attracted.
The Croquetterie, 314.650.5034, thecroquetterie.com Available at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, tgmarket.org; Festival of Nations, Aug. 25 and 26, festivalofnations.org
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PHOTO BY VIRGINIA HAROLD
“ Ba s q u e s , w e lov e e at i n g, w e lov e q ua l i t y, we love prime ingredients. When you go there, fish will be just on the grill with olive oil and salt. You don’t need anything else because if the fish is good, you don’t need a sauce to overwhelm the tenderness of hake, which is the fish we love in Spain. … These people, they are already thinking of their Christmas menus in July.”
“ I lov e sa i l i n g. I had a Hobie Cat – a catamaran – with my best friend, Ricardo, in Barcelona, and I spent the whole weekend sailing, but here it is difficult to do it. Of course, you cannot do it in the river, and some lakes, yes, but it’s not the same thing.”
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