August 2020

your favorite new restaurant, p. 38 your favorite brewery, p. 14 your favorite speciality shop, p. 44

bartender of the year, olive + oak's morgaine segura, p. 34

R E A D E R S '

C H O I C E

August 2020 saucemagazine.com MAGAZINE I 1 ST. LO U I S’ I N D E P E N D E N T C U L I N A RY AUTH O R IT Y // S AU C E MAGA Z I N E .C O M // F R E E , AU GIUSAUCE ST 2020

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AUGUST 2020 • VOLUME 20, ISSUE 6 What's your favorite pizza style?

It’s hard to beat

PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR ART DIRECTOR DIGITAL EDITOR STAFF WRITER EDIBLE WEEKEND EDITOR SENIOR DESIGNER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Stuffed crust.

I love cheese.

ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES EVENTS COORDINATOR LISTINGS EDITOR INTERNS

Neapolitan when Allyson Mace it’s fresh from the Heather Hughes Huff oven, but my love Meera Nagarajan for New Yorkstyle requires no Lauren Healey caveats.

Adam Rothbarth Lauren Healey Michelle Volansky Julia Calleo, Virginia Harold, Izaiah Johnson, David Kovaluk, Adam Rothbarth Vidhya Nagarajan Lauren Healey, Heather Hughes Huff, Meera Nagarajan, Adam Rothbarth Allyson Mace Grandma pies Bea Doerr, Angie Rosenberg (Detroit-style) that I've been making Amy Hyde at home.

Amy Hyde Emma Boyle, Olivia DuCharme

Pizza rules!

Detroit style — I love the crispy cheese.

To place advertisements in Sauce Magazine contact the advertising department at 314.772.8004 or sales@saucemagazine.com.

To carry Sauce Magazine at your store, restaurant, bar or place of business Contact Allyson Mace at 314.772.8004 or amace@saucemagazine.com.

All contents of Sauce Magazine are copyright ©2001-2019 by Bent Mind Creative Group, LLC. The Sauce name and logo are both registered to the publisher, Bent Mind Creative Group, LLC. Reproduction or other use, in

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 2020

August 2020

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contents AU GUST 2 02 0

editors' picks 9 EAT THIS

sesame tofu at lemongrass, p. 26

Shroomed Out Ramen at Nudo House

by adam rothbarth 11 HIT LIST 4 places to try this month

by lauren healey, heather hughes huff, meera nagarajan and adam rothbarth 14 BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL Breweries collaborate on a stout for Black lives

by heather hughes huff

last bite 42 WHAT I DO Satish Kumar of House of India

features 18

THE LIST

by heather hughes huff

This year's Readers' Choice winners

44 LANDMARK

26

Crown Candy Kitchen

by heather hughes huff and adam rothbarth

by adam rothbarth

THE (SOUTH) GRAND TOUR 34

DRUNK IN LOVE

How Olive + Oak’s Morgaine Segura fell hard for bartending

by adam rothbarth 38

READERS’ CHOICE FAVORITE NEW RESTAURANT by adam rothbarth PHOTO BY DAVID KOVALUK

PHOTO BY IZAIAH JOHNSON

Balkan Treat Box

August 2020

COVER DETAILS Find out why Morgaine Segura of Olive + Oak is your favorite bartender of the year on p. 34 PHOTO BY IZAIAH JOHNSON

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Readers’ Choice Favorite Ramen Nudo House, 11423 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, 314.274.8046; 6105-A Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.370.6970; nudohousestl.com

E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

Eat This

PHOTO BY JULIA CALLEO

Nudo House is an undisputed champ in the ramen game, which is why it reigns as the No. 1 Readers’ Choice pick in the category. The Shroomed Out is its dark horse masterpiece. With profound, earthy depth and waves of mushroom bliss that come from both its broth and the king oyster ’shrooms that float alongside wavy noodles, bok choy, menma (bamboo shoots) and a custardy ajitsuke tamago (ramen egg), this satisfying bowl of warmth is good any time of year.

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E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

hit list

4 new places to try this month

PHOTO BY JULIA CALLEO

the spicy chicken out sandwich at chicken out in the loop

August 2020

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HIT LIST p. 2 of 2

PERENNIAL ON LOCKWOOD clockwise from bottom left: chicken out in the loop, perennial on lockwood's crispy chicken thigh sandwich, claire's grilled cheese from perennial on lockwood, the cheep & cheddar sandwich at chicken out

CHICKEN OUT The masterminds behind Sugarfire Smoke House and Hi-Pointe Drive-In have created another winner with Chicken Out. The extremely punny menu is full of chicken dishes done right. Go for the Spicy Chicken Out sandwich, which layers a juicy, Nashville-style fillet with flavorful pickles and creamy Crystal hot sauce mayo on a Martin’s potato bun. The Fauxhawk, which you can also get spicy, is a perfect vegetarian option made with the locally produced Hungry Planet plant-based meat alternative. There are also lighter options, like the Asian kale salad with ginger vinaigrette and grilled sesame chicken, which was a refreshing, summery starter. Don’t forget the crinkle fries with chicken salt – how can you not try that?

6197 Delmar Blvd., St. Louis, 314.384.1010, chickenoutchicken.com

We can’t think of a stronger power couple than Perennial Artisan Ales and Olive + Oak. Their joint venture, Perennial on Lockwood, just opened for lunch in Webster Groves, and it’s as good as you’d expect. Olive + Oak sous chef Joe Biondo joined forces with Perennial’s Evan Buchholz to create a lunch menu worth going out of your way for. We loved the Claire’s grilled cheese, which came oozing with Fontina and local Prairie Breeze on soft white country bread layered with a savory-sweet onion-thyme jam, and the crispy chicken thigh sandwich: a juicy fried thigh spiced with Sichuan peppercorn and a chili aioli for something way beyond hot sauce and mayo. The bibb wedge was also transcendent, layered with horseradish French dressing, lardons, julienned beets, onion and just-funky-enough gouda bleu. We can’t wait to try the Chicago-style fried bologna paired with our next lunch beer on the patio.

BARRIO People who loved Barrio when it opened in 2018 might be confused to see it on a list of new restaurants.

The spot quietly reopened on June 19 after almost a year-long hiatus. Though the space is the same, 2020 Barrio offers a short menu of smash burgers, sandwiches, fries, floats and milkshakes instead of 2018 Barrio’s street tacos and margaritas. “I wanted the new Barrio to be viable, and the neighborhood was asking for a burger joint. I built Fitz’s in The Loop and I just decided to go back to my roots,” said owner Alan Richman.

Make your choice of a beef, turkey or Impossible burger topped with a list of add-ons – we suggest cheddar and caramelized onions. Crispy, crinkle cut fries and a Fitz’s root beer float made with Clementine’s vanilla ice cream are standby assists for a winning meal. And check back – the brief menu is growing quickly under chef Giovanni Robles.

740 DeMun Ave., Clayton, 314.725.0322, Facebook: Barrio 216 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, Facebook: Perennial on Lockwood

CELLAR HOUSE What started in 2015 as a small South County wine bar attached to its sister bottle shop, Bottle Cellars, Cellar House has moved north a mile and expanded into a full-service, upscale restaurant. We are here for it. Start with the delightful Brussels sprouts salad with chunks of crunchy Fuji apple and tender butternut squash, along with dried cranberries, almonds, Parmesan, fennel and a not-too-sweet lemon-maple vinaigrette. We also liked the braised beef short rib, paired with a slightly salty Boursin polenta, crispy red onion, butternut squash, parsnips, asparagus and red wine braising jus.

The poutine was a hit: french fries topped with beef short rib gravy and garlic-and-herb cheese curds.

5634 Telegraph Road, Oakville, 314.846.5100, cellarhousestl.com

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CHICKEN OUT EXTERIOR PHOTO BY ADAM ROTHBARTH; CHEEP AND CHEDDAR SANDWICH PHOTO BY JULIA CALLEO; PERENNIAL ON LOCKWOOD PHOTOS COURTESY OF PERENNIAL ON LOCKWOOD

E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

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E D I T O R S ' P I C K S

Black is Beautiful readers' choice favorite brewery

By Heather Hughes Huff This is probably the only time that you will be able to enjoy the same beer made by four different Readers’ Choice winners. Your No. 1 favorite brewery, 4 Hands Brewing Co., along with 2nd Shift Brewing (honorable mention), Schlafly (honorable mention), Side Project Brewing (No. 3 favorite beer bar) and other local favorites like Perennial Artisan Ales, Main & Mill Brewing Co., Wellspent Brewing Co. and Earthbound Beer, have joined more than 900 breweries from across the world in making a stout called Black is Beautiful.

After the protests against police brutality in Minnesota, 2nd Shift coowner Libby Crider was looking for opportunities like Black is Beautiful.

“I was feeling frustrated about what I could do to help,” Crider said. “I wanted to actually do something.

This was one of the ways we could

actively participate and raise funds.”

2nd Shift had been planning a brewing collaboration with beer writer Chalonda White (Afro Beer Chick), which was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, they worked together virtually on Black is Beautiful, staying true to Weathered Souls’ original recipe.

Other breweries put their own spin on the recipe, like 4 Hands, which produced a 10% Imperial milk stout with maple syrup, cacao nibs and coffee. Owner Kevin Lemp said he thinks people will be excited to try many versions of the beer. “It’s unique that every brewery that is doing this project has their own take on it.

Hopefully that gets more traction to what the project represents.”

Both 4 Hands and 2nd Shift plan to make several versions and continue to raise money. “It’s important to keep the discussion going – not just throw some money at it and go on with our lives,” Crider said. “The discusson and the movement – it’s important for us to keep it going until Black lives matter.”

2nd Shift is donating the proceeds from its first Black is Beautiful stout to Black Lives Matter, and plans to donate to other organizations as it makes more beer. Along with Schlafly and Perennial, 4 Hands is donating to the Missouri Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union, which defends civil liberty in Missouri through means like legal advocacy and legislative education programs.

Other organizations receiving funds from local breweries include Action St. Louis, Arch City Defenders and the Close the Workhouse Campaign.

PORTRAIT BY STUART KEATING OF EARTHBOUND BEER

Weathered Souls Brewing Co., a black-owned brewery in San Antonio, Texas, launched the collaboration

to draw attention to racial injustice, raise funds for those harmed by police brutality and promote inclusivity in the brewing community.

Each brewery can put its own spin on Weathered Souls’ base recipe, and 100% of the beer’s proceeds go to an organization of the breweries’ choice that supports the Black is Beautiful mission.

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From left, Earthbound Beer's Jeff Siddons and Saint Louis Hop Shop’s Justin Harris. Earthbound partnered with Saint Louis Hop Shop to make its Black is Beautiful stout, adding coffee and vanilla to the base recipe.

Readers’ Choice Favorite Breweries 4 Hands Brewing Co., 1220 Eighth St., St. Louis, 314.436.1559, 4handsbrewery.com 2nd Shift Brewing, 1601 Sublette Ave., St. Louis, 314.669.9013, 2ndshiftbrewing.com Schlafly, various locations, 314.241.2337, schlafly.com August 2020

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RE A DERS ' CHOICE W INNE RS Readers’ Choice feels a little different this year. Saucy Soirée, our annual tasting party to celebrate the winners, was canceled due to the coronavirus. Many of St. Louis’ favorite restaurants, bars and shops are temporarily closed.

Some winners have opened and then been forced to shut their doors again. It may not feel like a time for celebration, but we believe that makes it all the more important to honor St. Louis’ most beloved food and drink establishments.

Congratulations to all the 2020 Readers’ Choice favorites and thank you for everything you do for St. Louis!

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August 2020

your favorite places to eat

FAVORITE DOUGHNUT SHOP

DONUT DRIVE-IN

6525 Chippewa St., St. Louis, 314.645.7714, Facebook: Donut Drive-In 2nd: World’s Fair Doughnuts 3rd: Strange Donuts Honorable Mentions: Old Town Donut Shop, Vincent Van Doughnut

FAVORITE RESTAURANT

OLIVE + OAK

216 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.736.1370, oliveandoakstl.com 2nd: Sugarfire Smoke House 3rd: Twisted Tree Steakhouse Honorable Mentions: Balkan Treat Box, Eleven Eleven Mississippi

FAVORITE FINE DINING

OLIVE + OAK

216 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.736.1370, oliveandoakstl.com 2nd: Annie Gunn’s, Sidney Street Café (tie) 3rd: Tony’s Honorable Mentions: Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Louie

FAVORITE NEW RESTAURANT OF 2019

BALKAN TREAT BOX

8013 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.733.5700, balkantreatbox.com 2nd: Indo 3rd: Beast Butcher & Block, Taco Circus (tie) Honorable Mentions: Utah Station, Mayo Ketchup CHEF OF THE YEAR

RICK LEWIS, GRACE MEAT + THREE

4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.533.2700, stlgrace.com 2nd: Matt Glickert, Sugarfire Smoke House 3rd: Katie Collier, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria Honorable Mentions: Jesse Mendica, Olive + Oak; Gerard Craft, Niche Food Group FAVORITE BARBECUE

PHOTO BY GREG RANNELLS

SUGARFIRE SMOKE HOUSE

Various locations, sugarfiresmokehouse.com 2nd: Salt + Smoke 3rd: Beast Craft BBQ Co. Honorable Mentions: Pappy’s Smokehouse, Hogtown Smokehouse

August 2020

pho ga at mai lee, your favorite vietnamese restaurant

FAVORITE FOOD TRUCK

GUERRILLA STREET FOOD TRUCK

314.529.1328 2nd: Seoul Taco Food Truck 3rd: Mission Taco Truck Honorable Mentions: Farmtruk Food Truck, Essentially Fries (tie) FAVORITE BRUNCH

THE SHACK

Various locations, eatatshack.com 2nd: Rooster, Russell’s on Macklind (tie) 3rd: Southwest Diner Honorable Mentions: Sqwires Restaurant & Annex, Egg Restaurant FAVORITE BURGER

MAC’S LOCAL EATS

broadwayoysterbar.com 2nd: Highway 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen 3rd: Sister Cities Cajun, Gulf Shores Restaurant & Grill (tie) Honorable Mentions: Boogaloo, Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House FAVORITE CHICKEN WINGS

SYBERG’S

1821 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.393.7713, macslocaleats.com 2nd: Hi-Pointe Drive-In 3rd: Stacked STL Burger Bar Honorable Mentions: Brasswell at Rockwell Beer Co., O’Connell’s Pub (tie)

Various locations, sybergs.com 2nd: Sugarfire Smoke House 3rd: Grace Meat + Three Honorable Mentions: St. Louis Pizza and Wings, Peel Wood Fired Pizza

FAVORITE CAJUN/ CREOLE

MAI LEE

BROADWAY OYSTER BAR 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis, 314.621.8811,

FAVORITE CHINESE 8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood, 314.645.2835, maileestl.com 2nd: Lona’s Lil Eats

3rd: China King Honorable Mentions: Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum, Bo Fung Chinese Kitchen FAVORITE DELI/ SANDWICH SHOP

BLUES CITY DELI

2438 McNair Ave., St. Louis, 314.773.8225, bluescitydeli.com 2nd: Gioia’s Deli 3rd: Mom’s Deli Honorable Mentions: The Gramophone, Union Loafers Café and Bread Bakery FAVORITE DINER

SOUTHWEST DINER

6803 Southwest Ave., St. Louis, 314.260.7244, southwestdinerstl.com 2nd: Uncle Bill’s Pancake House 3rd: Chris’ Pancake And Dining Honorable Mentions: Benton Park Café, Courtesy Diner

FAVORITE FRIED CHICKEN

GRACE MEAT + THREE

4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.533.2700, stlgrace.com 2nd: Hodak’s Restaurant & Bar 3rd: The Original Crusoe’s Restaurant Honorable Mentions: Southern, Byrd & Barrel FAVORITE FROZEN DESSERT

TED DREWES FROZEN CUSTARD

6726 Chippewa St., St. Louis, 314.481.2652; 4224 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.352.7376, teddrewes.com 2nd: Clementine’s Creamery 3rd: Ices Plain & Fancy Honorable Mentions: Fritz’s Frozen Custard, Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream

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po' boys at peacemaker lobster & crab, your favorite seafood restaurant

FAVORITE PIZZA PLACE

IMO’S

Various locations, imospizza.com 2nd: Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria 3rd: Peel Wood Fired Pizza Honorable Mentions: Blackthorn Pub, Union Loafers Café and Bread Bakery FAVORITE RAMEN

NUDO HOUSE STL

Various locations, nudohousestl.com 2nd: Robata Maplewood 3rd: Blue Ocean Restaurant Honorable Mentions: Midtown Sushi & Ramen, Nami Ramen FAVORITE ROMANTIC SPOT

VIN DE SET

2017 Chouteau Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.8989, vindeset.com 2nd: Baileys’ Chocolate Bar 3rd: Sidney Street Café Honorable Mentions: Elmwood, Billie Jean FAVORITE SEAFOOD FAVORITE GREEK

OLYMPIA KEBOB HOUSE AND TAVERNA 1543 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, 314.781.1299, olympiakebobandtavern.com 2nd: Michael’s Bar & Grill 3rd: Anthonino’s Taverna Honorable Mentions: Spiro’s Restaurant, Soulard Gyro FAVORITE INDIAN

HOUSE OF INDIA RESTAURANT

8501 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.567.6850, hoistl.com 2nd: Himalayan Yeti 3rd: Everest Cafe & Bar Honorable Mentions: India Palace, Rasoi FAVORITE ITALIAN

ANTHONINO’S TAVERNA

2225 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, 314.773.4455, anthoninos.com

2nd: Cunetto’s House of Pasta 3rd: Trattoria Marcella Honorable Mentions: Zia’s on the Hill, Pastaria FAVORITE KOREAN

SEOUL TACO

Various locations, seoultaco.com 2nd: Oriental Spoon 3rd: K-Bop Honorable Mention: Seoul Garden, Kimchi Guys FAVORITE MEDITERRANEAN/ MIDDLE EASTERN

BALKAN TREAT BOX

8013 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.733.5700, balkantreatbox.com 2nd: Aya Sofia Restaurant 3rd: Layla Honorable Mentions: Cafe Natasha, The Vine Mediterranean Cafe

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FAVORITE MEXICAN

C HAVA’S MEXICAN RESTAURANT

925 Geyer Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.5503, chavasmexican.com 2nd: Taco Circus 3rd: Hacienda Mexican Restaurant Honorable Mentions: La Catrina, Rosalita’s Cantina, Mi Ranchito (tie) FAVORITE PAN-ASIAN/ ASIAN FUSION

SEOUL TACO

Various locations, seoultaco.com 2nd: Guerrilla Street Food 3rd: Indo Honorable Mentions: Kounter Kulture, Copper Pig

PEACEMAKER LOBSTER & CRAB

1831 Sidney St., St. Louis, 314.772.8858, peacemakerlobstercrab.com 2nd: Broadway Oyster Bar 3rd: Yellowbelly Honorable Mentions: Gulf Shores Restaurant & Grill, Oceano Bistro FAVORITE SOUL FOOD/ SOUTHERN

GRACE MEAT + THREE

FAVORITE PATIO

4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.533.2700, stlgrace.com 2nd: C and C Food for Your Soul 3rd: Southern Honorable Mentions: Juniper, Sweetie Pie’s Upper Crust

JOHN D. MCGURK’S IRISH PUB AND GARDEN

FAVORITE STEAKHOUSE

1200 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.766.8309, mcgurks.com 2nd: Rockwell Beer Co., Vin de Set (tie)

TUCKER’S PLACE Various locations, tuckersplacestl.com

2nd: Annie Gunn’s, Twisted Tree Steakhouse (tie) 3rd: Citizen Kane’s Steak House Honorable Mentions: The Tenderloin Room, Hamilton’s Urban Steakhouse FAVORITE SUSHI

SUSHI AI

Various locations, sushiaistlouis.com 2nd: Cafe Mochi 3rd: Indo, Nippon Tei (tie) Honorable Mentions: Blue Ocean Restaurant, Kampai Sushi Bar FAVORITE TACOS

MISSION TACO JOINT

Various locations, missiontacojoint.com 2nd: Taco Circus 3rd: Seoul Taco Honorable Mentions: Chava’s Mexican Restaurant, Taco Buddha FAVORITE THAI

KING & I THAI RESTAURANT

3155 S. Grand Ave., St. Louis, 314.771.1777, kingandistl.com 2nd: Fork & Stix 3rd: Chao Baan Honorable Mentions: Pad Thai Kitchen, Basil Spice Thai Cuisine FAVORITE VEGETARIAN/ VEGAN

LONA’S LIL EATS

2199 California Ave., St. Louis, 314.925.1888, lonaslileats.com 2nd: Utah Station 3rd: Source Juicery Honorable Mentions: Everest Cafe & Bar, SweetArt FAVORITE VIETNAMESE

MAI LEE

8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood, 314.645.2835, maileestl.com 2nd: Pho Grand Restaurant 3rd: Banh Mi So 1 Honorable Mentions: Lemongrass, DD Mau Vietnamese Eatery

August 2020

PHOTO BY JULIA CALLEO

3rd: Billy G’s Kirkwood Honorable Mentions: The Boathouse at Forest Park, Molly’s in Soulard

PHOTO BY MEERA NAGARAJAN

dishes from chef of the year, rick lewis at grace chicken + fish

August 2020

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3rd: 33 Wine Shop & Bar Honorable Mentions: One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar, Olio FAVORITE LOCAL WINERY

WILD SUN WINERY

4830 Pioneer Road, Hillsboro, 636.797.8686, wildsun.com 2nd: Chandler Hill Vineyards, Cedar Lake Cellars Winery (tie) 3rd: Montelle Winery Honorable Mentions: St. James Winery, Chaumette Vineyard and Winery

drinks at westport social, your favorite games bar

your favorite places to drink BARTENDER OF THE YEAR

MORGAINE SEGURA, OLIVE + OAK

216 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.736.1370, oliveandoakstl.com 2nd: Jeffrey Moll, Planter’s House 3rd: Tim Wiggins, Yellowbelly Honorable Mentions: Kyle Mathis, Westport Social FAVORITE BEER BAR

PHOTO BY MEERA NAGARAJAN

INTERNATIONAL TAP HOUSE (ITAP)

Various locations, internationaltaphouse.com 2nd: Gezellig 3rd: The Side Project Cellar Honorable Mentions: Three Kings Public House, Amsterdam Tavern FAVORITE BREWERY

4 HANDS BREWING CO.

1220 S. Eighth St., St. Louis, 314.436.1559, 4handsbrewery.com

August 2020

2nd: Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. 3rd: Rockwell Beer Co. Honorable Mentions: Schlafly, 2nd Shift Brewing FAVORITE COCKTAILS

PLANTER’S HOUSE

1000 Mississippi Ave., St. Louis, 314.696.2603, plantershousestl.com 2nd: Narwhal’s Crafted 3rd: Olive + Oak Honorable Mentions: The Royale, Taste FAVORITE COFFEE SHOP

KALDI’S COFFEE HOUSE Various locations, kaldiscoffee.com 2nd: The Mud House 3rd: Blueprint Coffee Honorable Mentions: Sump Coffee, Park Avenue Coffee

FAVORITE GAMES BAR

WESTPORT SOCIAL

910 W. Port Plaza Drive, St. Louis, 314.548.2876, westportsocial-stl.com 2nd: Recess STL 3rd: 4 Hands Brewing Co. Honorable Mentions: Pieces, Blueberry Hill

FAVORITE HAPPY HOUR

MISSION TACO JOINT

Various locations, missiontacojoint.com 2nd: Three Kings Public House 3rd: Helen Fitzgerald’s Honorable Mentions: Narwhal’s Crafted, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria FAVORITE PUB

JOHN D. MCGURK’S IRISH PUB AND GARDEN 1200 Russell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.766.8309, mcgurks.com 2nd: The Scottish Arms 3rd: Llywelyn’s Pub, Seamus McDaniel’s (tie) Honorable Mentions: Helen Fitzgerald’s, The Pat Connolly Tavern FAVORITE SPORTS BAR

SYBERG’S

Various locations, sybergs.com 2nd: Amsterdam Tavern 3rd: The Post Sports Bar & Grill Honorable Mentions: Westport Social, Billy G’s Kirkwood FAVORITE WINE BAR

SASHA’S WINE BAR

706 DeMun Ave, St. Louis, 314.863.7274, sashaswinebar.com 2nd: Robust Wine Bar

your favorite places to shop FAVORITE BREAD

UNION LOAFERS CAFÉ AND BREAD BAKERY

1629 Tower Grove Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.6111, unionloafers.com 2nd: Companion Baking 3rd: The Missouri Baking Co., Vitale’s Bakery (tie) Honorable Mentions: 222 Artisan Bakery, Knead Bakehouse & Provisions FAVORITE BOTTLE SHOP

RANDALL’S WINE & SPIRITS

Various locations, shoprandalls.com 2nd: The Wine & Cheese Place 3rd: Gezellig Honorable Mentions: Intoxicology, 33 Wine Shop & Bar FAVORITE BUTCHER SHOP

KENRICK’S MEAT MARKET

4234 Weber Road, St. Louis, 314.631.2440, kenricks.com

2nd: Bolyard’s Meat & Provisions 3rd: G & W Bavarian Style Sausage Co. Honorable Mentions: LeGrand’s Market & Catering, Beast Butcher & Block FAVORITE CAKES/ PASTRIES

NATHANIEL REID BAKERY

11243 Manchester Road, Kirkwood, 314.858.1019, nrbakery.com 2nd: The Missouri Baking Co. 3rd: La Patisserie Chouquette Honorable Mentions: Russell’s on Macklind, Jilly’s Cupcake & Ice Cream Bar FAVORITE FARMERS MARKET

SOULARD FARMERS MARKET

730 Carroll St., St. Louis, 314.622.4180, soulardmarket.com 2nd: Tower Grove Farmers’ Market 3rd: Kirkwood Farmers’ Market Honorable Mentions: Lake Saint Louis Farmers and Artists Market, Ferguson Farmers Market FAVORITE LOCAL GROCERY

DIERBERGS MARKETS

Various locations, dierbergs.com 2nd: Schnucks 3rd: DiGregorio’s Italian Market Honorable Mention: Straub’s, LeGrand’s Market & Catering FAVORITE SPECIALTY SHOP

CROWN CANDY KITCHEN

1401 St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, 314.621.9650, crowncandykitchen.net 2nd: Parker’s Table 3rd: Bob’s Seafood Honorable Mentions: Volpi Foods, The Smokehouse Market

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PARTNER CONTENT

How to build a home bar

Stocking the best base spirits is of paramount priority.

Begin with a few whiskey options. Let’s start in the USA: Fistful of Bourbon ($20) is made by blending five distinct styles of straight bourbon and increases depth and versatility in cocktails. You’ll also want a blended malt scotch whiskey like Monkey Shoulder ($30), which is great for mixing drinks or as a nice dram to sip on alone. Don’t miss out on the ever-increasing popularity of Irish whiskey. We recommend Tullamore DEW ($22) with a full structure from its triple-grain recipe that’s perfect in an Irish coffee or paired as a shot with your favorite pint of beer.

Next up, you’ll need gin. Hendrick’s ($30), for example, is meticulously crafted to be balanced and

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approachable while offering aspects of floral, citrus and earth. We then head south to the land of tequila.

Milagro Silver ($28) is twice distilled using column and pot stills and utilizes fully matured agave to preserve every bit of flavor. Finally, round out the base spirits with rum and vodka. Flor De Cana Rum ($17) is a richbodied tipple made at the base of a volcano, while Reyka Vodka ($18) hails from the island of Iceland and is filtered through lava rock.

Once your base spirits are covered, make sure your ice game is on point. The Frost Silicone Round Ice Cube Tray with a 2½ -inch mold ($11) is excellent to keep your drinks cold without excessive dilution. Keeping your ice sealed with an Oxo Silicone Covered Ice Tray ($13) will ensure that pesky freezer odors don’t translate into unintentional flavors in your drink.

No home bar is complete without a few basic mixers.

We suggest Q Ginger Ale ($5), Fentiman’s Tonic ($7), Schweppes Club Soda ($3) and fresh citrus ($10).

To impart sweetness, make your own simple syrup by mixing equal parts sugar and hot water. Other sweeteners include honey ($3) or dark agave nectar ($6).

If you’ve stocked your bar with all of the above and still have cash to spare, the following additions can add depth to your cocktails. Modifiers like Cointreau orange liqueur ($20), sweet or dry vermouth ($12 each) and Campari bitter Italian liqueur ($28) add variance to your cocktails while broadening the variety of classic cocktails you can make. For spice, you will want some bitters, and three reign supreme in the world of classic drinks: Angostura ($7) for an earthy, round flavour, Peychaud’s ($6) for an herbal touch, and Regan’s ($6) for a hint of orange.

Finally, don’t forget the groovy glassware. Great deals on vintage punchbowls, coupes, rocks and Collins glasses can be found at thrift stores and flea markets (prices range from $10 to $100 for a full set).

Finally, round out that growing home bar with a few key tools (most under $20): a paring knife, a muddler with a smooth bottom (toothed muddlers will shred your herbs and fruit, releasing too much bitterness), stirring spoons and glasses, a tin shaker and, last but not least, a strainer. Cheers!

PHOTOS BY KEYAN STILL

Creating the bar of your dreams may seem like a tediously expensive task, especially if you’re not sure how to most efficiently spend your money. With an oversaturation of options, both booze- and tool-wise, you could easily spend some big bucks, but blowing your budget isn’t necessary. By picking up a few key products, you’ll have a ballin’ bar to start (for under $250) and can slowly add other items as your budget allows.

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PHOTO BY VIRGINIA HAROLD

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August 2020

T he (south) Grand Tour

By Heather Hughes Huff and Adam Rothbarth

August 2020

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South Grand is a wonderful place to eat. The boulevard’s carryout options are ideal for a socially distanced picnic at neighboring Tower Grove Park, and from sushi and Thai to pizza, hummus and crepes, it truly has something for everyone. Nowhere in the greater St. Louis area can one find a more concentrated grouping of Readers’ Choice winners.

Here are 10 of your favorite spots.

Banh Mi So 1

Favorite Vietnamese, 3rd place 4071 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.353.0545, banhmiso1.com A neon sign in the window of Banh Mi So 1 reads, “Best Spring Rolls in St. Louis.” Unlike most signs like that, this one is absolutely true. The Goi Cuon Chay (famous mung bean) is vigorously fresh and comes with a sauce full of herbs and deep, punchy acidity. The rest of the menu – banh mi, curries and rice dishes – proves the restaurant’s greatness extends far beyond its appetizers.

LemonGrass

Favorite Vietnamese, honorable mention 3161 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.664.6702, lemongrass-rest.com LemonGrass’ Vietnamese food is dependable and refreshing.

Its masterful rice hot pots are worth the journey alone, and the vast vegetarian menu, with eternal hits like sesame tofu (tangy, beautifully fried tofu with broccoli) and curry eggplant (stirfried eggplant with vegetables and coconut milk), abounds with winners.

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previous page: banh mi so 1 owners lynn and thomas truong; dishes from lemongrass

PHOTO BY DAVID KOVALUK

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Favorite Vietnamese, 2nd place 3195 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.664.7435, phogrand.com Pho Grand offers a massive Vietnamese menu with all the bun (vermicelli noodle bowls), banh cuon (rice flour crepes) and noodle- and rice-based entrees you could ask for. But you know why you’re here. The pho ga (chicken and rice noodle) soup is a solid choice with a flavorful chicken broth, but if you can only try one, the pho bac biet (beef and rice noodle soup) is where it’s at. Labeled “Pho Grand’s special combination,” it comes with medium-rare round steak, lean brisket, meatballs and tripe.

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above: from left, pho grand servers anh tuan nguyen and arny wichaya and owner tami trinh; opposite page: pho bac biet at pho grand

Cafe Natasha

Favorite Mediterranean/Middle Eastern, honorable mention 3200 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.771.3411, cafenatasha.com Open for more than 35 years, Cafe Natasha has some seriously devoted regulars. Co-owner Natasha Bahrami attributes her family restaurant’s continued success to her mother, Hamish Bahrami. “Mom is still in kitchen,” Natasha said. “She’s still there, still cooking the food and prepping the food and sometimes now even serving the food.” Don’t miss Hamish’s signature kashke bademjune – grilled, sauteed eggplant topped with caramelized mint and onion – and her popular lamb biryani pilaf, a braised lamb dish featuring biryani rice with chickpeas, caramelized onion, cumin and lamb broth.

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PHOTOS BY DAVID KOVALUK

Pho Grand

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PHOTO BY DAVID KOVALUK

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Basil Spice

Favorite Thai, honorable mention 3183 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.578.9541, Facebook: Basil Spice This South Grand staple offers a long menu of Thai favorites from num nam tok beef salad to its popular curries. The restaurant’s presumed namesake, pad krapao, just called “basil” on the menu, offers crisp vegetables and your choice of protein swimming in a savory sauce with lingering heat and sweetness.

opposite page: panang curry at king and i thai restaurant; right, banh mi so 1’s famous mung bean spring rolls

Blackthorn Pub and Pizza Favorite Pizza Place, honorable mention 3735 Wyoming St., St. Louis, 314.776.0534, Facebook: Blackthorn Pub and Pizza

Listen, we know that Blackthorn isn’t technically on Grand. We don’t care. Its insanely cheesy, oregano-forward deep-dish pizza is a wonderful departure from all the St. Louis- and New Yorkstyle pies you can get in the area. The garlic cheese bread is also great. Even though it’s often a Readers’ Choice, it still feels like an underground spot.

King and I Thai Restaurant

Favorite Thai, 1st place 3155 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.771.1777, kingandistl.com The King and I is the quintessential American Thai restaurant – and has been since it opened as St. Louis’ first in 1980. Its menu offers the gamut of classics like tom yum soup, spicy kee mao noodles and comforting pad thai, along with crowd pleasers like crab rangoon and Chinese fried rice. Our current obsession is the spicy, coconut-y panang curry. It is bright but rich and warming, with serious heat and a substantial, creamy broth.

Cafe Mochi PHOTO BY VIRGINIA HAROLD

Favorite Sushi, 2nd place 3221 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.773.5000, cafemochi.com Cafe Mochi’s sushi rolls are affordable even when its famous happy hour deals aren’t offered. One of the most popular rolls is the Volcano, filled with tempura shrimp, asparagus and avocado, and topped with crab, scallops, spicy mayo, eel sauce and roe. Indulgent sushi rolls aren’t the only thing on offer. Owner Victor Pham said his family’s Vietnamese dishes, especially the pho, are a sleeper hit on the menu. “We August 2020

cook in a natural way – the way we cook for ourselves,” he explained as the reason for their success.

Rooster

Favorite Brunch, 2nd place (tied with Russell’s on Macklind) 3150 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.772.3447, roosterstl.com If you drive past Dave Bailey’s brunch mecca on a weekend, you’ll see dozens of people waiting to get in – it’s just part of the experience. You’re sure to score among Rooster’s massive list of staples, ranging from sandwiches and scrambles to crepes and slingers. The vegan slinger, with savory, peppery gravy and house-made focaccia, is an awesome on-menu option for plantbased diners. (And it tastes even better doused in Cholula and paired with a bloody mary).

The Vine

Favorite Mediterranean/Middle Eastern, honorable mention 3171 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.776.0991, thevinestl.com The Vine has, hands down, one of the best salads in St. Louis: the fatoush with falafel. But the menu of Mediterranean delights goes far beyond that. The creamy baba ghanoush is a must, as are the luxurious makdoos (cured eggplant with pomegranate sauce). And pardon us if you already know this, but the fries are low-key amazing. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 33

by adam rothbarth // photos by izaiah johnson

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drunk in love

how olive + oak’s morgaine segura fell hard for bartending

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in St. Louis that she officially found her door to the big leagues: barbacking at the Moonrise Hotel.

When most children are 8 years old, they’re taking down limitless amounts of soda and candy and fantasizing about what their school cafeteria might serve for lunch. When Morgaine Segura was 8, she was discovering wine and mastering the Negroni.

from her father, who had been taking level 2 classes. “He would bring a bottle of wine home after his class and he would go through our kitchen cabinets and pull out a bunch of different spices and herbs,” Segura said. “We would have to go through and pick out what we could smell in the wine from the herb and spice containers.

I use those skills often.” Though she did not imbibe many of those drinks, she began to love what they meant for her. While most kids her age were deciding to be astronauts or firefighters, Segura knew she wanted to be a bartender.

Her playground was her mintfilled backyard and her play dates were with industry professionals at her parents’ parties. Her mother was a photographer for bars and cocktail competitions, so it only made sense that the staff of Sanctuaria would wind up at the Seguras’ house on Derby Day and the Fourth of July.

She started by working as a dishwasher at Morgan Le Fay’s Tapas Bar & Lounge in Town and Country when she was 14. “I was like, ‘I’ll do anything,’” Segura said. “I would go up on my day off and ask questions. I tried to force my way into it, but I was too young to do that.” Soon after, she found herself working in a tap room in Vermont while attending college; then it was a short stint in New York City. But it was back

In addition to the parties, Segura was receiving sommelier training

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“It was kind of like any fantasy that I had about bartending,” Segura reminisced. “It was fast-paced – a party bar.” While working, she observed bartenders Seth Wahlman and Charlie Martin. Watching them, she took in lessons about speed and quality. It was almost like a boot camp. “I was like, ‘Alright, these guys are putting out really awesome drinks so quickly. It’s five deep right now and they’re making six-touch cocktails. I don’t believe this.’” She was overwhelmed and felt that she may never be as fast or confident as her new mentors, but she persisted. As she increased in confidence, she also got to know Martin better. “I would definitely say we both had a crush on each other, but it took a while because we didn’t want to date someone we were working with. We tried to not for a long time.” But after about eight months, they did start dating.

They got married in 2017.

#78 cocktail at olive + oak, made with rye, tart cherry and spiced bitters

hangout, the endgame of a mad rush from The Libertine, which closed at 9 p.m., just an hour before the Webster Groves hot spot.

She and her friends would enjoy chef Jesse Mendica’s dynamic New American menu and sip cocktails from bartender Chelsea Little.

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ne day, as she contemplated her love for her new favorite restaurant, something clicked. If she liked Olive + Oak so much, why not just work there? She filled out an application, but was discouraged when nobody contacted her. “I knew that I didn’t get it and I was like, ‘Whatever,’” Segura said wistfully. “I had moved up to bartender at Moonrise.” Six weeks later, the phone rang.

the bar at olive + oak’s new location

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hile still working full time at the Moonrise, Segura started hosting at The Libertine to study cocktails with bartenders like Ben Bauer and Naomi Roquet. The Clayton restaurant’s more eclectic bar offered new opportunities to go deeper and refine her skills.

“I never bartended there, but I feel like I interviewed them a lot,” Segura said. “I would go in on my days off. [Bauer] would teach me how he does things.

We would work Sunday brunch, and when it was slow, [Roquet] would let me taste all the spirits.”

After work, she’d retire elsewhere to decompress and drink. Her favorite spot at the time was the recently opened Olive + Oak. “Charlie took me there on one of our first dates. I was super confused about why he was taking me to the county, what we were doing this far west,” she said, laughing. But after one trip she was sold. Olive + Oak became her regular post-shift

She started as a bartender at Olive + Oak, but quickly secured the position of bar manager. “I don’t know that I ever set out wanting to be a bar manager,” Segura reflected. “I’m maybe a little bit bossy and I naturally want to organize things.” The position gave her the latitude to think about what kind of bar she wanted to run, so she approached owner Mark Hinkle with some ideas. “Can I be OK to, like, change some stuff?” she asked him. “Of course,” he said.

She strived to add more consistency measures and started to develop a pedagogy for the bar staff built off of her own learning August 2020

experiences at the Moonrise and The Libertine, and her childhood home before that. Rather than teaching her bartenders a menu, she wanted to give them a base of knowledge, a background for the drinks they were making. Instead of drilling into her bartenders a particular cocktail’s list of ingredients, for example, she’d explain why a specific bourbon was the best choice. “I’m trying to help raise another generation of bartenders,” she said.

olive + oak bar manager morgaine segura

“Everything is so pristine,” Segura said. “The way that everything is set up is just going to make it so easy for us to do our jobs, and so possible for us to put out 400 cocktails a night, if that’s what we need to do.” Now, when customers are five deep, ordering six-touch cocktails, she’s the one the other bartenders are watching.

Segura also beefed up the staff, which included convincing Martin to follow her to Olive + Oak. “I tried to get him to work there pretty much as soon as I started,” she said.

“It’s a great place to work and I wanted Charlie to experience that too.” At the Moonrise, Segura and Martin had only worked together about one shift every other week since there were multiple bars. But Olive + Oak had one small bar. “I always say that it exhilarates our relationship. We spend all our time together,” she said.

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hough she adored her new home, she knew it wasn’t perfect. There were some issues with the equipment, and the space and seating were limited. “The beer drains… there wasn’t even a drain. It was just a hole that was leading straight to the bottom of the cooler that had a golf tee wrapped in plastic wrap in there,” she explained. So she took it as welcome news when Hinkle announced he was going to move Olive + Oak to a new location and wanted the staff to help design the bar.

Olive + Oak bought the former Auto Body Specialists building at 216 W. Lockwood Ave., a massive, 20,000-square-foot complex with room for multiple new establishments. Soon, plans to add a private event space and partner with Perennial Artisan Ales on a brewpub emerged. The new Olive + Oak opened at the end of June.

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“We had a pretty decent amount of input,” Segura said, and the bar team got a lot of what they wanted, including a 24-seat bar – twice the size of the former one – and a massive walk-in cooler.

the #330 cocktail, made with mezcal, tequila, raspberry, orgeat, lime and besk

RC Favorite Restaurant RC Favorite Fine Dining RC Bartender of the Year RC #3 Favorite Cocktails Olive + Oak, 216 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.736.1370, oliveandoakstl.com

Even with a brand new space to play in, Segura and Martin still discuss fantasies of opening their own bar one day. “We would have a big list of classics, some funky wine, lots of cheese,” she speculated. “We pick out buildings that our bar would go into all the time.” In her mind, Martin’s background in finance combined with his charm with customers make him a sure bet for success in managing the spot. Plus, she and her husband have already mastered working together. “I think it’s really cool to feel like I don’t have to censor myself as much,” she said.

“We can be open and really honest with each other. He’s like a coworker that you 100% trust and who has your best interest in mind.” Still, among all the unknowns, Segura is sure of two things: Wherever she is, she’ll always want to be behind the bar 60 hours a week, and Martin will have a bar “one day soon.”

There’s something else she and Martin are going to have one day soon: a baby. She’s due in December, but that hasn’t stopped her from charging full force into the new Olive + Oak space and making it her own. Segura has come full circle, from a child dreaming about gin drinks and mint gardens to a woman teaching a fleet of younger bartenders to make cocktails she’s can’t currently drink. “It’s a refreshing break,” she admitted. “I haven’t not drank in a long time. It’s a new perspective.”

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readers' choice favorite new restaurant

BALKAN TREAT BOX When chef Loryn Nalic recreated her and her husband Edo Nalic’s favorite dishes from the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe for Balkan Treat Box, she found the perfect nexus of nostalgia and technique. “I had to figure out what made [the street food] so special,” she said. “A lot of it was the hustle and bustle of downtown Sarajevo, the smells of charcoal and wood – all of these elements going together.” After years of development, she arrived at a menu spectacular enough to make Balkan Treat Box both our readers’ Favorite New Restaurant and Favorite Mediterranean/Middle Eastern. Here are three of Nalic’s favorites. – Adam Rothbarth

Balkan Treat Box, 8103 Big Bend Blvd., Webster Groves, 314.733.5700, balkantreatbox.com

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Pide

C e va p i

“I knew I needed to utilize the wood-burning oven that we had welded to the food truck – that’s how the pide was born. That’s something I fell in love with – it’s very similar to pizza. In early Balkan Treat Box, it was a cheese pide. It was long and skinny and wasn’t attractive. Once we got customers, it had its own evolution, its own glow-up. It’s my menu darling. It’s tasty, it hits all the notes. It makes you feel the feels.”

“Cevapi probably means the most to me, with the connection to my husband’s family and the memory of that. Cevapi is different for everybody, depending on where you’re from in the Balkans. The dish is so simple; I had to figure out what made it so special there.

When I came back to do our version, I was hitting a lot of road blocks because I didn’t have the equipment. [It was] trial and error in my house, on my backyard grill, in my oven. It was a long and hard process to get it to where it is now.”

PHOTOS BY MEERA NAGARAJAN

Pat l i d z a n

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“It’s one of those sandwiches that you look at and you’re like, ‘That’s a lot of ingredients…’ And then you eat it and it’s joyful.

You really have to like eggplant to enjoy it – it’s a textural thing.

I had an eggplant dip with egg that was part of this Turkish breakfast. It was funny to me that they were putting eggplant with egg. Egg and egg! I wanted to play around with that. It’s creamy and crunchy. There’s vinegar.

There’s all these elements that are surprising.”

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L A S T B I T E // W H AT I D O

SATISH KUMAR OWNER, HOUSE OF INDIA

House of India is this year’s Readers’ Choice Favorite Indian. The local institution’s many regulars might be surprised to hear that owner Satish Kumar never wanted to open a restaurant. Both his father and grandfather ran restaurants in India, but when Kumar left everything and moved alone to the U.S. at age 24, he wanted something different. His positive outlook has seen him through countless changed plans, running a restaurant for a quarter century, and now it is seeing him and House of India through the coronavirus pandemic.

– Heather Hughes Huff

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“ W e c e l e b r at e d 2 5 y e a r s in business this December. It was a big achievement – not too many restaurants make 25 years, you know. For me, all 25 years, it’s all meant to be. You don’t know where you’re going – we never wanted to come to St. Louis, and then it happened. Never thought of staying 25 years, but every day is a blessing. … I never wanted to open the restaurant, but I just love it now. I like it – what life has given me. I have no regrets.” “ M y g r a n d fat h e r had a dhaba – that’s a street-side restaurant right on the main roads.

You don’t have a big menu there, you have like four or five items you make every day and sell. At that time there were no ACs, and it used to be open – there were walls, but the whole thing was like a patio.” “ M y d a d a l w ay s wa n t e d m e t o g o and do something different – go to college and do something. But I landed in the same business, you know. I always say whatever is meant to be, it’s going to come whether you like it or not. It just comes to you, and if you accept it happily, you live happily forever.”

PHOTOS BY VIRGINIA HAROLD

“Which Wich, we o p e n e d i n 2 0 1 5 . We wanted to see a franchise, hoping it could help us later; wanted to see how it works, how easy it is and all that. And now we know – it’s not that easy. The restaurant industry itself is not easy, to be honest.”

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“ G o i n g f o r wa r d w i t h m y k i d s , I don’t want them to join [the restaurant].

I want them to go and study first, whatever they like, and work outside in different fields, see life by working themselves. After that, if they want to come and join, they’re more than welcome.” “ M y d a d f e lt r e a l l y g o o d [about me opening a restaurant]. He was

very proud and he was very happy.

He’s no longer here but, before he passed, he visited us twice and stayed with us months and months.

He used to come and help and peel onions and all that stuff with me.”

“The kids can’t go out anywhere and meet their f r i e n d s , so they are also at home. It’s a beautiful time with the family I think, in one way. … I have heard from a lot of my friends, they got so much time with their family, which they never had before. I think we were running a lot. Life was too fast.

Before COVID, people were stressed out – it’s not just now.

So it’s time to take some naps.

Life will be back again. We’ll be running again once it’s over.”

“A r e w e l o s i n g m o n e y ? Y e a h . But we will make money again, you know.

So I’m not worried about losing or winning. It’s part of life – take it the way it comes and enjoy the other things, which we were not enjoying before.” “ I g e n e r a l ly t e l l people [to order] v e g e t a r i a n because every vegetarian dish is different.

Chicken curry, chicken karahi, chicken tikka masala – it might be a little bit of different cooking, but chicken is chicken. But okra is different than eggplant; eggplant is different than lentils. So I tell them, if they don’t know, close your eyes and pick one vegetarian dish and it will be good.”

“Feeling good during the bad times is more i m p o r t a n t than feeling good during the happy times. … A little yoga and a little meditation.

When you do that, it’s a software.

If you just keep on applying the good things, it will stay in the mind.

Our mind is attracted by a lot of negative things. Negativity spreads

a lot quicker than the positive things. It’s just applying the good things – if we buy a software for our computer, if we don’t put that in the computer, it’s no help. It’s just a piece of plastic. But once we put it in the computer and we apply, we get more functions out of it. So any good things which we come across, which we hear or which we read – if you apply it, that’s the key to success.” “ I f w e d o n ’ t h av e a d i s h wa s h e r f o r t o d ay, I can crib all day or I can ask other employees to come and help and give them an extra few bucks. It gets done and the day is over and the next day the dishwasher comes. So you take every day as a new day and you don’t try to remember the [bad] things from previous days.”

“I like to e n t e r ta i n t h e g u e s t s . I have learned all the parts of the business in

25 years, but I like most to be with the guests. And people appreciate that, you know.

People appreciate if I’m there and I go to every table and spend a minute, two minutes with them and find out how they are doing and how is the food and everything.”

“Our retention is like five years, I would say, which is good. So they know [customers’] names and everything. That’s a good thing!

If I’m eating chicken tikka masala every day, they know and they will just go ahead and put the order in with the kitchen. You don’t get that everywhere.”

Readers’ Choice Favorite Indian House of India, 8501 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.567.6850, hoistl.com

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L A S T B I T E // L A N D M A R K

readers' choice favorite specialty shop

CROWN CANDY KITCHEN

BY A DA M R OTH BA R TH

For more than 100 years, Crown Candy Kitchen has held down the corner of North 14th Street and St. Louis Avenue.

Though the city has evolved around it, not much has changed at the historic soda fountain and diner. Structurally, the restaurant is nearly the same as it was when it opened, the only major changes being some paint and detailing to keep it looking fresh. “We don’t change things around here. Change, I tell people, is a bad thing around here,” said co-owner Andy Karandzieff, whose grandfather, Harry Karandzieff, started the restaurant in 1913.

Readers’ Choice Favorite Specialty Shop Crown Candy Kitchen, 1401 St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, 314.621.9650, crowncandykitchen.net

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While it’s true that the old-school vibes are a major draw, nothing has a bigger pull than Crown Candy Kitchen’s menu.

From the egg salad and roast beef sandwiches to the four-cheese grilled cheese and many chili options, Crown Candy has something for everyone.

However, Karandzieff pointed out that there is one meal which stands above all others. “They all come in for the BLT and a chocolate shake,” he said. “That is the classic order.” While the legendary BLT – which “Man vs. Food” host Adam Richman once called a contender for the best sandwich in America – might be the most crowd-pleasing, Karandzieff loves an underdog. His favorite sandwich is Crown Candy’s Reuben.

“I think it’s a great sandwich. I think it’s underrated,” he said.

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PHOTOS BY DAVID KOVALUK

a blt and chocolate milkshake at crown candy kitchen

Part of the reason for keeping things the same is because it’s simply what people want. “I think it’s a generational thing, to an extent,” Karandzieff explained. “All these people have been coming here for all these years. Grandparents, parents, their kids. At some point, I may have four generations of a family in here. It’s constant St. Louis.”

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These are challenging times for our friends in the food and beverage industry and Sauce is doing all we can to help.

From keeping St. Louis updated on all the industry news through our continued editorial coverage to lending a helping hand to restaurants, bars and more through our Sauce Supports initiative.

Look up your favorite restaurants to see their current offerings on our Covid-19 Restaurant Guide - open dining rooms, curbside service, delivery, and more. Visit saucemagazine.com/restaurant-guide.

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