February 2012

Desserts grow up

bone marrow comes out of its shell · V-Day dinner playlist · a seasonal breakfast in under 10 minutes s t. l 2012 o u is’ i n d e pe n d e nt cu l i n a ry au th o r it y February

sau c e m aga zi n e .co m

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February 2012

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F e b r ua r y 2 012 • VO LUM E 12, Issue 2 PUBLISHER MANAGING EDITOR ART DIRECTOR SENIOR STAFF WRITER SPECIAL SECTIONs EDITOR Contributing Editor Fact checkers PROOFREADER PRODUCTION DESIGNER ONLINE EDITOR EDIBLE WEEKEND WRITER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

OFFICE MANAGER ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ADVERTISING EXECUTIVES ACCOUNT MANAGER

Allyson Mace Stacy Schultz Meera Nagarajan Ligaya Figueras Stacy Schultz Kylah Brown Rebecca Ryan, Lindsay Toler Emily Lowery Rebekah Wessels Stacy Schultz Byron Kerman Jonathan Gayman, Ashley Gieseking, David Kovaluk, Laura Miller, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser Glenn Bardgett, Matt Berkley, Kylah Brown, Ligaya Figueras, Byron Kerman, Cory King, Julie Limbaugh, Anne Marie Lodholz, Dan Lodholz, Meera Nagarajan, Liz O’Connor, Shannon Parker, Michael Renner, Stacy Schultz, Beth Styles Sharon Arnot Shana Cook Erin Anderson, Erin Keplinger, Allyson Mace, Brenda Pollom, Angie Rosenberg Jill George

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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.

February 2012

contents february 2012

9 À La Carte

Reviews 15 new and notable: Kelly English Steakhouse

13

High Steaks Dining

by Michael Renner

18 Time tested: Sunset 44 Bistro Some Dishes Worth the Ride into Sunset 44

by Liz O’Connor

21 Dine on a dime: Rhine Haus Eatery & Pub

15

A German Pub With Potential

by Dan and Anne Marie Lodholz

23 Nightlife: El Leñador Mexican Restaurant & Bar A Hot Tub Time Machine on Cherokee Street

by Matt Berkley

Home cooking

21

25 What in the world: Iriko

by Ligaya Figueras

26 Vegetize it: Beef Stew

by Beth Styles

cover details

28 One ingredient, 7 ways: Wonton wrappers

47

All Wrapped Up

by Kylah Brown, Ligaya Figueras and Stacy Schultz

31 Cook’s books: Home Cooking with Jean-Georges

by Shannon Parker

features 35 Dottie’s Blessing

Stuff to do

One man strives to make the best truck-stop meal in the nation

50 Stuff to do: Food

By J u li e Limbau g h

by Byron Kerman

52 Stuff to do: Art

by Byron Kerman

54 The New Classics Smoked Tomato and Cracked Pepper Waffles

By Ligaya Figueras = recipe on this page

February 2012

40 Child’s Play Why PB&Js, Pop-Tarts and s’mores are better than ever I NTERVI EWS BY K ylah Brown

47 MARROW MANIA Forget the bullion. Scrap the stock. The key to infusing meaty flavor is right inside the bone

S’more at Monarch: p. 40

Photo by Carmen Troesser bone marrow comes out of its shell: p. 47 V-Day dinner playlist: p. 10 a seasonal breakfast in under 10 minutes: p. 11

By STACY SCH U LTZ

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BY THE BOOK | Ever wonder how chef’s cookbooks resonate in your kitchen? So do we. That’s why we created By the Book, a new column on the Sauce Magazine blog in which we make a recipe from the many amazing cookbooks that come our way and then reveal the results (the good, the bad, the ugly) and offer readers a chance to win a free copy of the book. This month, see how chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s recipe for Sliders with Russian Dressing and Yuzu Pickles turns out, then enter for a chance to add a copy of Home Cooking With Jean-Georges to your collection. Yep, it’s that easy!

FROM THE FARM | How’s life on the farm now that the winter chill has set in? Check out From the Farm in the Slideshows section of SauceMagazine.com as we catch up with Annie and Simon Lehrer, two city-goers who are taking us along for their always interesting ride as they make the move from the city to a sustainable family farm near Festus and start a new family of their own.

photo courtesy of the crown publishing group

MARDI GRAS | Wondering what you could bring to this year’s Mardi Gras party? Nothing says Fat Tuesday like a well-mixed cocktail. Stop by the Slideshows section of SauceMagazine.com this month for plenty of shaken and stirred concoctions that are sure to make you the life of the party.

Check out our Facebook page for behind-the-scenes pics from this month at Sauce.

February 2012

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EAT THIS

Pistachios on pizza? We’re sold. But THE BRADLEY at EPIC PIZZA AND SUBS doesn’t stop there. Add some aromatic rosemary, sweet red onion and gooey Parmigiano-Reggiano to this wood-fired, thin crust pie and, well, let’s just say it gives us pause to become vegetarian.

Photo by greg rannells

1711A S. Ninth St. • St. Louis • 314.436.3742

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RESTAURANT

playlist romantic dinner

Looking to walk the fine line between romance and kitsch this V-day? Take a cue from Farmhaus GM and musicmaster Eric Scholle, who suggested these songs for a Valentine’s dinner that won’t have you doing the dishes.

“They’re all about love in some way or another and they aren’t cheesy.”

— Meera Nagarajan

When You and I Were Young The Clientele Natural Born Lover Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings Take Me Somewhere Tennis Rich Girl Hall and Oates Les Passants Zaz

chef’s day off

Mambo Sun The Bongos

Carl Mcconnell, chef-owner at stone soup cottage

Can You Get to That Funkadelic

On Sundays, chef Carl McConnell takes a true break from his busy week at Cottleville’s Stone Soup Cottage to be at home with his family. His wife mans the kitchen, giving him the time to play with the kids and reboot for another hectic day tomorrow.

— For more from chef McConnell and the cookbooks he can’t live without, check out Cook’s Books on page 31.

When I Grow Old Pet Lions Heartbeats Jose Gonzales Saturday Night The Misfits

I drink beer, a lot of beer. When I’m not drinking beer, I’m talking about beer. Follow me on Twitter @cory_king_ to see just how much.

— Cory King, certified Cicerone and brewer at Perennial Artisan Ales

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Green Flash Rayon Vert A daring take on a Belgian pale ale, this golden ale – with its thick, foamy head – bursts with hop aromas and flavors of lemon grass, lilies and tropical fruits.

It finishes dry with a blend of Belgian and Brettanomyces yeasts that add an earthy, rustic, white pepper, herbal character.

Hitachino Nest Sweet Lacto Stout This sweet (lactose augmented) stout pours a luscious, very dark brown with ruby highlights around the edges and hints of milk chocolate, dark chocolate and some sweet caramels on the nose. It boasts a silky mouth feel with whispers of chocolate milk sweetness that are offset by just the right amount of coffee roast and a thin, dry finish.

Schlafly 20th Vol. 4 Southern Hemisphere IPA This beautifully hoppy beer brewed to celebrate Schlafly’s 20th year pours a crystal clear straw color with an inviting head that has some amazing lacing. It’s a refreshing IPA with a nice, subtle and simple malt backbone that rounds out the dominating hop character of citrus and passion fruit.

What a way to say, “happy birthday.”

February 2012

photo by carmen troesser

[beer]

Who says you have to depend on dry cereal and burned toast to get you motivated in the morning? This winter, add a burst of bright citrus to breakfast with this simply sweet take on an a.m. brulee. Begin by cutting a grapefruit in half crosswise. Using a paring knife, loosen the segments of the fruit by first running the knife along the outside rim of the fruit then between each segment, being careful to keep the fruit intact. Sprinkle the cut side with ½ to 1 tablespoon of vanilla sugar (depending on desired sweetness) and dot with ½ tablespoon of unsalted butter cut into small cubes. Place the fruit on a sheet pan on the oven’s highest rack under a broiler set to high for about 8 minutes or until the top is brown, bubbly and beautifully bruleed.

– Stacy Schultz

photo by kristi schiffman

For an extra jolt of flavor, sub in sweet vanilla sugar from Penzeys for plain sugar. You can also make your own vanilla sugar by placing 1 vanilla bean that’s been sliced open lengthwise in 1 cup of sugar in an airtight container for 2 days.

Penzeys Spices, 7338 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.781.7177, penzeys.com February 2012

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Custom Rims

[wine] Glenn Bardgett, Annie Gunn’s wine director and a member of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board, weighs in on which wines to drink this month. Check your favorite wine shop or liquor store for availability.

From left: The Sanguinello at Araka, Salt of the Earth at Taste

photos by laura miller

outpost Taste in the Central West End, margarita salt gets its daily dose of veggies. The ring of the glass is dipped in a mixture of finely ground dehydrated beets and fleur de sel, a colorful finish to a cocktail that combines roasted beetinfused tequila with Cointreau, lime juice and agave syrup that’s been jacked up with salted lime.

Gone are the days when only plain white salt ran circles around your margarita glass. Nowadays, sugary sprinkles and even dehydrated vegetables and liqueurs ground to a fine powder stick to the lip of stemware filled with tequila-based tipples. The result of this rimming trendlet: an added layer of flavor and texture – and a striking dose of bold, bright eye candy.

At Yia Yia’s in Chesterfield, hickorysmoked sea salt clings to a glass bearing the Smoke and Fire cocktail.

Bar manager Jay Olson opted to use February 2012

the sea salt for this margarita makeover to “accentuate the smokiness of the peppers” he used for a chipotle-infused tequila, which gets blended with blood orange liqueur and a house-made sweet-and-sour mix. The cocktail is served sans straw; bringing the glass to the mouth is Part One of what Olson called a one-two punch: “You get the aroma from the smoked salt rim, which gives you anticipation of what you are going to taste.”

For Salt of the Earth, a beet-centric twist on the tequila-based classic at cocktailian

Liqueurs are also getting dried out in this new age of drinking. Last summer, Tim Kosuge at Araka in Clayton turned Campari into a dust that encircled the glass rim for blood-orange juice-based cocktail The Sanguinello. A more recent liqueur dehydration project is on display at Taste, where powdered Green Chartreuse clings to the rim for Say Hello to My Little Friend: a chocolaty, mole-heavy, java jolt of jalapeno-infused tequila, rum, AGWA (an herbal green Bolivian liqueur made from coca leaves), vermouth, espresso syrup and mole bitters.

Gourmet salts and sugars are more accessible than ever. Add to that fresh seasonal produce and a lineup of liqueurs just waiting for the creative types to dehydrate them, and it’s clear that the collar of the cocktail glass is going to get colorfully dirty.

– Ligaya Figueras

Whitehall Lane Sauvignon Blanc 2010, Napa Valley The 9-percent Semillon blended into this sauvignon blanc brings out the flavors and aromas in the same way that the right amount of brass makes the perfect symphony. It might be time to start thinking about springtime wines for less than $20.

Huber Knobstone Traminette 2010, Indiana Possibly the first non-Missouri Traminette to be available locally, Huber is one of the most nationally recognized Midwest wineries. Slightly off-dry, this beauty is ready for grilled seafood, chicken or anything with some spice to it. At about $15, it’s worth asking your favorite wine shop to special order it.

J Vineyards Pinot Gris 2010, California From the Jordan family’s J Vineyards near the famed Russian River, I found this glass of refreshing Pinot Gris, now grown in California. At about $16 and with a trendy screw top, I found myself asking, “why not more?” Have a ball opening these 25 ounces of fun, and then grab another. Don’t worry about food; this makes everything happy. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 13

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reviews

new and notable: kelly english steakhouse p. 15 time tested: sunset 44 bistro p. 18 dine on a dime: rhine haus eatery & pub p. 21 nightlife: el leñador mexican restaurant & bar p. 23

High Steaks Dining

by Michael Renner • Photos by Jonathan gayman

Y

ou’d think the last thing this city needs is another steakhouse. But what’s a casino without a classy, meat-driven restaurant to lure in the big winners and a few losers seeking solace in a large, juicy New York strip? After the demise of Range Steakhouse, Harrah’s is banking on celebrity chef Kelly English to add a bit of down-home Southern grits to the Vegas glitz of the Maryland Heights casino with his new Kelly English Steakhouse. Given that food is often a bigger draw than slot machines – in Vegas anyway – it’s not unusual for celeb chefs to attach their names to casinos. Nationally, Harrah’s alone has contracts with Kerry Simon, Bobby Flay, John Besh, Paula Deen, François Payard, Guy Savoy and Michel Richard. At 33 years old, it’s safe to say the Kelly English baby-faced English is the youngest among these Steakhouse heavy hitters. But he also has the street cred Harrah’s to hang with the big boys: After training in St. Louis, New Orleans with Besh, he opened Restaurant 777 Casino Iris in Memphis, received Food & Wine Center Drive, Magazine’s Best New Chef award in 2009 Maryland and was a semifinalist for the James Beard Heights, Foundation’s Best Chef Southeast a year later.

314.770.8100

English and Harrah’s renovated the old Range layout, expanding the space and nearly doubling the seating. The two dining rooms look expensive, fitting for any high rollers happening by. Dark wood coffered ceilings, linen tablecloths and elegantly appointed tables complete with hefty flatware, engraved wine glasses, and well-upholstered chairs all make for handsome rooms. In the back dining room, large Dr. Seuss-like ceiling fixtures dangle like deconstructed yarn balls made from shaved balsa wood, emitting a soft, amber glow. Step up into one of the roomy booths, and you’ll find an expansive table so wide it’s like trying to talk across a pool table.

In the background, classic jazz dots conversation.

The bone-in rib-eye perches atop mashed cheddar and Parmesan potatoes spiked with horseradish.

The juicy steak is served with a “salad” of Brussels sprouts dotted with smoky bacon morsels from Tennessee’s Allan Benton Farms.

February 2012

English updates the classic American steakhouse with flourishes of his Louisiana roots and the region’s Cajun and Creole influences. The usual suspects are all here – shrimp and grits, redfish, bread pudding, soft-shell crab – but more interesting are the Southern touches given to old steakhouse standbys as seen in a strip steak stuffed with fried oysters and blue cheese, and a pork chop filled with Cajun dirty rice. About that chop … it came from a happy pig raised in saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 15

review new and notable: kelly english steakhouse

At far left, the lobster “knuckle sandwich” fish and a good dousing of a buttery sweet crawfish sauce capped off the dish.

Myrtle, Mo., on Newman Farm. English makes it a point to source as much meat and produce as possible from local producers.

While quite tender and seared to a proper medium-rare, the meat’s flavor wasn’t as porky as one would expect from pastureraised pork. Sadly, the rice was served next to the chop, not packed inside it, as advertised.

The rice itself had all the funkiness of the classic chicken liver-laden dish, only more so; the intense fusion of flavors proved too much for one dining companion.

A 16-ounce monster bone-in rib-eye had the crunch of a good char on the outside and was marbled, if not riddled, with fat inside.

Don’t Miss Dishes Lobster “knuckle sandwich,” bone-in rib-eye, Creole seared redfish

A dollop of herbed butter added yet another layer of fatty lipids. There are also two filet mignons (an 8- and 12-ounce), prime rib and a mammoth porterhouse. The rib-eye may be the most flavorful of the bunch. In the company of such cuts, the inoffensive 8-ounce filet mignon seemed almost lean, though it was fork-tender and buttery in flavor. There’s no aggressive seasoning here, just simple salt and pepper will do for these Missouri grainfed steaks. Steak-sauce-lovers, if they must, can choose from five house-made sauces. The bourbon au poivre and bordelaise are both concentrated and deeply flavored but – like the béarnaise, hollandaise and Creole mustard butter – superfluous to good meat.

Vibe Modern, upscale flourishes accented with diners straight from the casino floor

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Meat entrees come with a house salad of vibrant dark and light greens, tomato, cucumber and marinated onion (Go with the house-made Sherry vinaigrette.) and your choice of side. Both the wedge salad and the “salad” of Brussels sprouts contain morsels of bacon as smoky, thick and layered as though chopped from an unctuous slab of pork belly (It comes from Allan Benton Farms, a Tennessee country ham and bacon farm English uses exclusively.). The sides can be pretty good, too. Spinach “Madeline” (creamed spinach) is buttery and creamy with hearty slices of fresh baby spinach and a kiss of fiery heat to make it interesting.

Mashed cheddar and Parmesan potatoes are chunky and spiked with piquant horseradish; the green beans are tender, emitting a slight smokiness.

In addition to the well-marbled, there is plenty of lean protein to try, including salmon, soft-shelled crab, sea bass and a redfish that bucks the Cajun spicy blackened version popularized by Paul Prudhomme. English sticks to the kinder, gentler Creole method – one of mild yet judicious seasoning and pan searing that complements the mild taste of the firm fillet. Smashed new potatoes supported the

Entrée Prices $27 to $43

As an appetizer, the lobster “knuckle sandwich” is worthy of attention: a slice of toasted baguette topped with thick pieces of glistening lobster meat with a tangle of tarragon, warm peeled grape tomatoes and microgreens accenting the pretty picture.

A half-dozen fresh Gulf oysters – big and brackish – arrived with three sauces, mini bottles of Tabasco, a bowl of saltine crackers … and no oyster fork. Nor was there one to be had.

The selection of wines by the glass caters to those looking for familiarity, featuring wines readily available in any supermarket. It’s a disappointing, overpriced and forgettable list. During one visit, there was nothing spectacular about the bread service except for the house-made pimento cheese that I’d be happy just smearing on saltines (Was that an onion hamburger bun in the basket?).

On another visit, the selection was better, boasting fresh-made, warm, crusty bread.

I worry when I see wine glasses engraved with a restaurant’s name; to me, it conveys an over-emphasis on trademarking a name. Harrah’s is certainly capitalizing on English’s celebrity status, and even though his contract calls him to be on-site half the time throughout the year, there is the risk of the chef over extending himself between Memphis and St. Louis. Kelly English Steakhouse will, like any casino restaurant outside of Las Vegas, never be a destination for the non-gaming diner; at this point in the game, there simply isn’t enough “wow” factor to justify the excursion to a sprawling casino, trolling through acres of parking and walking forever just for a good steak. And that’s the biggest gamble of them all.

Where Harrah’s St. Louis, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights, 314.770.8100

When Daily: 5 to 9 p.m.

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review time tested: sunset 44 bistro

Fish tacos

instead of the pasta verde, a vegetarian linguine entree that lacks soul.

Service is friendly and runs smoothly, especially considering the restaurant plays host to a thriving private party and banquet business, much of which coincides with regular dinner service. There were missteps, however, among the dishes – some under-seasoning and overcooking. The handsome burgundy-hued dining room and sophisticated bar are cozy, fitting and only enhanced by the glass-encased wine cellars that provide an extensive selection.

I wasn’t wowed by a glass of Napa Cellars pinot noir; the $12 price tag didn’t help.

An $8 glass of Ferrari Carano chardonnay, meanwhile, was more pleasing to the palate – and the pocketbook.

Some Dishes Worth the Ride into Sunset 44

by Liz O’Connor • photos by David Kovaluk

I

’ve shared many meals with loved ones at Sunset 44 Bistro. Over the past decade, I’ve toasted my dad on Father’s Day and I’ve celebrated New Year’s Eve with a family that, after a wedding, would become my own. My most recent visits, however, have required me to hone in on what, exactly, makes Sunset 44 a place my family chooses to patronize.

One reason: the fish tacos. For a place that has a reputation for drawing an elder crowd (There’s a retirement community located directly above the space.), the fish tacos are a testament to how Sunset 44 heeds the call of those looking for good plates, regardless of their age. The fish is a mild and firm tilapia, whole little fillets seared a crispy golden shade, laying in a double hammock – one soft, warm flour tortilla adheres to a light and crispy fried tortilla – with the help of a bright and spicy chipotle crèma. Chopped cabbage is nestled under the fish, offering a raw bite, garnished by an unfortunate pico de gallo (A non-tomato salsa would be more

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varied culinary backgrounds from which to build upon. Mendez, who has operated Sunset 44 since 1985 (when it was located in South County) and can be found perpetually greeting diners with a smile, has been in the restaurant biz since childhood.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Saint He keeps up on the goings-on of the Peter’s Fish – a tilapia fillet crusted in black industry by staying involved in the local and blond sesame seeds, sauteed and served culinary community (He’s on the advisory over a bed of rice pilaf with an Asian glaze – is board at L’Ecole Culinaire and is a tamer entree that leaves less of an the former educational chairman impression. The glaze – sweet and SUNSET 44 for the Missouri Restaurant salty with soy and sticky honey – BISTRO Association.). With the success adds just enough flavor to save this 118 W. and longevity of Sunset 44, he dish from the brink of boring.

Adams Ave., demonstrates a grasp on how to Kirkwood, get customers in the door time There are many steaks and chops 314.965.6644 and time again. Chef Lyons, who on the menu, usually paired with joined Sunset 44 last year, cut his one of several recurring starch Entree teeth at several area country clubs options – sweet potato purée or prices: $16 to and completed an 18-month risotto cakes on recent visits. A $28 apprenticeship at the Dromoland couple spears of asparagus and Castle Hotel in his native Ireland. overcooked carrots garnish many He also has a knack for putting out tender entrees, adding color but very little flavor. yet crisp toasted raviolis.

The steaks are seared and juicy in the center and typically accompanied by a rich wine The problem with a lot of T-ravs is that the reduction, though on one visit, the filet was corners and edges are brittle and tough, in need of a little more pink and a slightly heavier hand with the seasoning. making it difficult to get to the steamy meat filling. Here, the pasta is thin and Given the broad inspiration of the yielding, with a fine, golden breading that aforementioned dishes (Latin, Asian, makes them almost eager to be bitten. The American), it’s clear that Sunset 44 meaty filling is soft and savory, flecked with draws from a wide range of cultures. Not herbs and topped with a sweet, herbaceous surprisingly, owner Bob Mendez and and hearty tomato sauce. If you feel like (American) Italian, get these to snack on executive chef Anthony Lyons both have appropriate in winter months.) and tortilla chips on the side. The fish tacos rival the best in town – a forkful of slaw on top (in lieu of the pico) nudges them over the edge.

Sunset 44 isn’t drawing in customers with innovative cuisine. The run-of-the-mill menu won’t dazzle or surprise. But with such a prime location and broad stroke of a menu, the food must merely be good.

And it is.

Cedar Plank Salmon Smoky and moist, some version of this standby fish dish always seems to be on the menu. The meaty flesh gets a good sear and seasoning before being plated with a seasonal garniture.

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review dine on a dime: rhine haus eatery & pub

A German Pub with Potential

by Dan and Anne Marie Lodholz • photos by Jonathan gayman

D

uring the 19th century, upstanding Protestant Americans were horrified when German immigrants recreated Rhine Haus the traditional beer gardens and Eatery & Pub halls in their new home. The 255 Union German bar soon became the Blvd., St. Louis, root that sustained a town or 314.367.1710 village – a place where friends and neighbors gathered to grab Entree prices: a pint and the local gossip. $12 to $17 Two centuries later, Rhine Haus Eatery and Pub successfully attempts to do the same at its location just north of Forest Park in the old Turveys on the Green space.

Think neoclassical construction-turned-sports bar with a hint of 21st-century Euro-trash with a spacious bar, 23 flat-screen TVs, cheap foam benches and lots of cool bar games.

cabbage was slightly too sweet, it worked well with house-made potato pancakes. A little more attention paid to the fryer could’ve salvaged the cakes’ slight step to the dark side.

Both times we visited, the industrious bartender warmly invited us in, told us to grab any seat and guided an excellent beer into our hands. Knowledgeable about what’s on tap and helpful with advice, she wasn’t pushy or pretentious in her choices; these were simply her favorites. “If you liked the Hopfen, then you would certainly like the Hacker-Pschorr.” And we did. With pints at around $5, liters at $11 and the Das boot (a 2-liter boot-shaped glass) at $23, Rhine Haus should become a favorite pilgrimage for those walking the park.

The bratwurst dumplings were divine – showcasing coarsely ground sausage seasoned well with mustard, onion, red pepper flakes and a whisper of nutmeg, all tucked inside a wonton wrapper and flashfried. They arrived piping hot with honeybrown grain mustard, a traditional yellow variety and a spicy horseradish sauce, whose piquancy cut through the fat of the dumpling. The Rhine Wings were tossed in a bright, cayenne-based hot sauce that brought good heat and nice acidity. But the accompanying blue cheese dressing lacked zip and any blue cheese to mention.

Also disappointing: the beer-cheese dip.

Frozen pretzel bites were fried, resulting in a chewy interior and boil-like polyps on the exterior. Served beside a bowl of tepid February 2012

Velveeta-like goo that had been warmed with a hint of beer, these weren’t the handmade pretzels with creamy béchamel fortified with fermented hops and pungent beer kaese we hoped for.

pork to the patty mixture, producing a slightly lighter, more refined flavor. But the showstopper was the Bavarian Burger, a beef patty nestled under a perfectly grilled weisswurst – a mild white morning sausage made from veal and fresh bacon that had been subbed in for bratwurst. Harder to find, this traditional Bavarian sausage is typically seasoned with parsley, lemon, onions and mace, giving it a lighter flavor and finer texture than a traditional brat.

Dan found salvation in the pork schnitzel, a breaded pork loin, subtley seasoned and fried to delicate perfection. But the boys argued for burgers, each half-pound patty shaped by hand and grilled beautifully to temperature. The Brewhoff BBQ Burger sported crisp bacon with a light smokiness, a decent winter tomato, traditional Memphisstyle BBQ sauce and fried onion straws on a kaiser bun. The Frickadellen added ground

With entrees and burgers you choose from a number of sides, the most worthy of which are the potato dumplings. A mixture of soft, mashed potato was forced from a pastry bag and fried, producing golden nuggets of warm potato goodness. Fries were notable as well; crisp and seasoned with celery salt and black pepper. The sauerkraut was thinly shredded and refreshingly pickled; perfect with Dan’s schnitzel or a brat. And while the braised red

Skip the Rouladen and the spaetzle. The Rouladen – a top sirloin rolled with sauerkraut and cabbage – was chewy and one-note. The accompanying carrots and under-sauteed onions did it no favors, either. The house spaetzle had been frozen and fried – tough, chewy nibbles of dough that were redundantly greasy.

The potato soup, meanwhile, is a creamy, satiny purée that, when finished with crumbled bacon and green onions, will invigorate any hungry park-goer. Skip the salads, laden with iceberg masquerading as “mixed greens,” and opt instead for dessert – namely the German chocolate cake.

This triple-decker confection is closer to a brownie than cake in texture and covered in buttery, coconut cream icing.

Rhine Haus beckons you to slow down, sit a while and drink a liter of your favorite German brew. The friendly waitresses worked tirelessly serving our crew, and we enjoyed catching up on the games. Come summer, diners will no doubt stop in on their way from the park for a beer on the expansive patio out front. And, if they’re smart, some dumplings and chocolate cake. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 21

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review nightlife: El Leñador Mexican restaurant & Bar

A Hot Tub Time Machine on Cherokee Street

by Matt berkley • photos by David Kovaluk

place is a morgue. Seriously.

On a Friday night at 10 o’clock, the crowd consisted of me, three of my buddies, a hapless bartender and a neighborhood regular who repeatedly strummed the first refrain of A Horse With No Name on his guitar for handouts of Marlboros.

Why go Thankfully, that is not the there? A case when El Leñador has throwback a music act in-house (And to the house according to the calendar, parties of your it has a plethora.). On youth these evenings, indie rock enthused, slim-jeaned hipsters; friends of the band; and cool kids in the know (mostly in the mid to late 20s range) dart outside for a quick smoke then post up at the Bohemian bar, calling out for rounds of PBRs, Negra Modelos, whiskey sours, maybe even a house-made quesadilla (Mexican food dominates the small bar menu.). As the music starts, the crowd spills over into the main dining room – an equally shaggy, retro space – and the real night begins.

El Leñador Mexican Restaurant & Bar 3124 Cherokee St., St. Louis, 314.771.2222, lenador.com

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ou don’t have to go out of your way to get a hold of some bad press about St. Louis: horrible crime stats, rampant STDs, insane levels of depression, job scarcity, high cancer rates, mocking articles in The Onion. You name it; we have it. There are, of course, a few perks of residing in the city that time forgot. Rather than being torn down and replaced by faceless franchises, our city’s aged, retro venues and nostalgic gin joints and dining rooms – once defunct – become frozen in time, shuttered and preserved for new generations to crack open and enjoy. Case in point: El Leñador, the new epicenter of the local underground music scene, perched on a nondescript corner in Gravois Park. This one, kids, you have to see to believe.

Originally Eisel’s Black Forest, a German restaurant (presumably closed in the 1980s), the venue was used as a banquet and meeting hall until its reincarnation as El Leñador – a Spanish term translated February 2012

as “the woodcutter.” Staying true not just to its moniker, the new owners decided to retain the original décor: Bavarian forest murals, beer steins, lederhosen, wooden keg beer taps, horrible wallpaper and all.

According to the website, the environment in the hip haunt “will inspire you as you contemplate its beautiful wooden design and its antique tinted glass.” Not exactly a German beer hall, the place is more of a musty, shag carpeted, basement hangout from yesterday adorned in a damp tackiness you thought was bulldozed over with your youth. Whether by quirky intention or by lack of funding for proper restoration, it’s hard to tell why nothing has changed. Regardless, it works. This fantastic, madcap joint sits as it does when piano key neckties were still the rage. As such, it’s a welcome diversion, a campy time capsule of blue-collar kitsch.

First timers are best advised to check the website and choose a specified music or event night to drop in. Otherwise, this

The eclectic bar-lounge is as simple (and inexpensive) as any functioning alcoholic needs. In addition to several full rows of call-brand liquors and a few cheap wines, El Leñador offers a Bud Light on tap as well as a decent range of cheap domestic bottles and a few imports: Bud, Bud Light, Select, Stag, Pabst, Miller Light, Stella Artois, Corona, Becks, Negra Modelo, Fat Tire, Modelo Especial.

ORDER THIS: El Leñador Mexican Restaurant & Bar

Beer and Mexican fare are in the spotlight at this laid-back spot. Order a brew and a cheesy quesadilla, then sit back and enjoy the music.

Fans of Stag beer should take advantage of the $1 special every Wednesday night complete with a $5 cover and live bands/ dollar beers until the early a.m. hours.

Thursdays likewise get rowdy with open mic night.

Certainly an oddball place, this spot is definitely not suited for the unadventurous (One of the bulleted features of the restaurant is “lots of illuminated parking.”).

But, whether they know it or not, the folks behind El Leñador are onto something superb. I probably won’t have to tell them this, but please don’t change.

Ain’t no party like a basement party. Get things started with a chilled shot of Jack.

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what in the world: iriko p. 25 vegetize it: vegetarian beef stew p. 26 one ingredient, 7 ways: wonton wrappers p. 28 cook’s books: Home Cooking with Jean-Georges p. 31

iriko?

Iriko, also called niboshi in Japanese, are tiny dried anchovies. Their bold, fishy salt-water flavor and slightly sweet, woody aroma are what give that umami oomph to Japanese and Korean soup stocks.

Use it: Create a deeply rich soup stock that’s perfect for miso soup and Asian noodle dishes. Get adventurous and munch on iriko – head, tail and all – as a bar snack, along with almonds and rice crackers.

Find it: Asia Market, 1243B Castillons Arcade Plaza, Creve Coeur, 314.878.2010 and East East Oriental Grocery Store, 8619 Olive Blvd., U. City, 314.432.5590

Tempura soba noodle soup Courtesy of Wasabi Sushi Bar’s Naomi Hamamura 4 servings

photo by greg rannells

²∕³ cups mirin ²∕³ cups soy sauce 8 cups iriko dashi (recipe follows) 2 oz. uncooked soba noodles 1 egg yolk ½ cup all-purpose flour, sifted Vegetable oil for frying 4 prawns, shelled keeping tail intact 4 whole shiitake mushrooms, boiled and sliced 2 green onions, sliced horizontally 4 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half February 2012

• Combine the mirin, soy sauce and iriko dashi in a pan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and set aside.

• Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Cook for 3 minutes.

Drain, rinse under warm water and set aside.

• Next make the prawn tempura: Whisk together the egg yolk with 3 tablespoons of water. Stir in the sifted flour. (The mixture should be lumpy.)

• Heat the oil in a deep-fryer.

Dip the prawns in the batter, coating the body but not the tail.

• Place the prawns in the hot oil, one at a time, holding by the tail and swishing the body of the prawn gently back and forth for a few seconds before dropping it in the fryer for 2 to 3 minutes.

• To plate, place equal portions of noodles in four bowls. Ladle with the broth, then garnish with prawns, mushrooms, onions and 2 boiled egg halves.

Iriko Dashi 8 cups 80 g. (2.8 oz.) iriko 10 g. (0.34 oz.) kombu (dried kelp) • Place the iriko and kombu in a pot filled with 8 cups of water. Let sit overnight.

Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let cool. Strain, reserving the broth.

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home cooking Vegetize it: beef stew

spice, and cinnamon lent an earthy sort of sweetness. Lastly, I deglazed everything with red wine, then dropped in some molasses to really deepen the flavor. After a little bit of bubbling, the result was a dark, rich base that held up well when the water was added (Who likes a limp stew?).

I’m sure some of you have skimmed the list of ingredients by now, and I’d bet my best apron that you’re getting hung up on the one second from the bottom. Maybe because it’s not familiar to you, or maybe because you think it’s pronounced like a certain someone who lurks in a fiery place with a pitchfork. Well, in this column, we’ve been pretty easy on you thus far, replacing meat with a miraculous treatment of mushrooms and seasonings. The time has come to carry you out of your comfort zone and introduce you to my favorite meat substitute, especially for stews: seitan (SAY-tan).

One of the few substitutes not made from soy, seitan is actually gluten that has been extracted from wheat. It’s also very high in protein, which earns it bonus points with us vegetarians since that’s what we lose out on the most by choosing the road less, um, traveled. Sure, you could be a vegetarian superstar and make it yourself. Or, you can pat yourself on the back for even considering it, pick up a pre-made variety from the store and spend those precious hours catching up on sleep with a full belly and some wonderfully comforting aromas filling the air.

Vegetarian Beef Stew

BY Beth Styles • Photo by Kristi Schiffman

A

fter doing a little bit of “research,” it seems that beef stew is like any other comfort food: It means different things to different people. The one I grew up on was a simple yet tasty combination of onion, carrot, potatoes and beef. My husband, however, says it isn’t beef stew without tomatoes and corn added into the mix. Others declare celery a must; still others swear off the carrots altogether.

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All of this contradiction tells us two things: 1) Like most stews, you can change up your vegetables based on what you like or have on hand, because 2) the most important thing here is the base. As long as it’s rich and flavorful, you’ve sealed your fate to years of stew-filled Sunday suppers.

For this recipe, I started with onion, garlic and celery, which all got combined with a tomato base. Paprika added color and

As with most meat substitutes, it’s important not to judge on appearance. When you remove seitan from the package, it will look and feel like a springy version of cooked chicken, although slightly darker in color. But with the first bite after it’s taken a bath in that rich, steamy stew you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much it resembles the tender, luscious texture of stew meat, even more so the next day (if you have leftovers, that is).

Remember to get creative with your veggies, too. I turned to the classic combination of potatoes and carrots and added a bit of rutabaga and corn for texture. You could also try turnips or parsnips in there, maybe even green beans or peas. For an extra boost of protein, try serving it over some quinoa, aka the Superman of grains. No matter how you mix it up, one thing stays true: Beef … it’s not the only thing for dinner anymore.

Vegetarian Beef Stew 4 Servings 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 medium onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 stalks celery, minced Salt to taste Freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 small tomato, roughly chopped 3 Tbsp. tomato paste ½ cup red wine 3 Tbsp. molasses ½ tsp. paprika ½ tsp. cinnamon 3 cups boiling water 3 russet potatoes, chopped 1 cup chopped rutabaga 2 large carrots, chopped 1 cup frozen corn 16 oz. seitan, cubed Chopped parsley to taste • In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic and celery, and season with salt and pepper.

Cook until tender and translucent.

• Add the tomato, tomato paste, red wine, molasses, paprika and cinnamon.

Season with a little more salt and pepper. Increase the heat to mediumhigh until the mixture comes to a boil.

• Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, making sure the tomatoes have broken down.

• Once the mixture has reduced by half, add the boiling water, potatoes, rutabaga and carrots. Season with a little more salt and pepper.

• Increase the heat to medium-high until the mixture comes to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat back to medium. Cook until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes start to break down, about 20 to 25 minutes.

• At this point, if the potatoes haven’t thickened the stock enough, add a mixture of cornstarch and water (½ tablespoon of cornstarch and 1∕8 cup water at a time) until it reaches desired consistency.

• Add the corn and seitan and stir. Cook for another 10 minutes, allowing the seitan to soak up the flavors.

• Spoon into bowls and adjust the seasoning one last time, if needed.

Garnish with freshly chopped parsley.

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home cooking one ingredient, 7 ways: Wonton wrappers

All Wrapped Up

BY Kylah Brown, ligaya figueras and Stacy Schultz • Photo by Greg Rannells

W

ith the hard part all taken care of, this pre-made dough is the perfect canvas for any flavor combo you can conjure up. Filled, folded, baked and fried, here are a few ways to make the most of these time-saving little wrappers.

1. Sopaipillas To make a mini version of these deep-fried, hollow Mexican pastries, situate the wonton wrapper into a diamond shape in front of you. With moistened fingers, fold 2 sides of the wonton toward one another, then fold the top over to form an upside-down envelope shape with an open flap. Fold the bottom edge over to enclose the wrapper, then dip your finger in egg white and seal the folds. Deep-fry in oil a few seconds, until just browned, then flip and fry the other side. Drain.

Drizzle with honey or a mixture of melted piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), butter and ground cinnamon.

2. Mini grilled cheese On a heated griddle, place 1 tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese in the center of one wonton wrapper. Top with a second wrapper and press down using a spatula. Grill until the bottom is browned, about 45 seconds, then flip and brown the other side.

3. Ravioli Prepare the filling of your choice, being sure to cook and season any raw ingredients. Lay a single wonton wrapper out on a clean surface. Spoon 1 teaspoon of filling in the middle. Brush the sides with water and top with another wrapper, pressing firmly to seal. Press with a small glass or cookie cutter to cut out a small circle. Place on a plate and repeat until all filling has been used. Boil for 1 minute in salted water. Gently toss with sauce of your choice.

4. Cannoli Melt 3 small blocks of piloncillo (Mexican brown sugar), 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 tablespoon of butter

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in a saucepan on low heat. When melted, combine in a bowl with 1 cup of Mexican ricotta. Set aside. Heat oil in a deep-fryer.

Wet your fingers, then roll each wonton wrapper into a hollow tube about ¾-inch in diameter. Seal the seam with egg white. Deep-fry each wonton wrapper individually as soon as it’s shaped. Drain.

Place ricotta mixture in a pastry tube or small plastic bag with a corner snipped off.

Pipe the filling into the wonton wrapper. (If the hollow collapsed during frying, make deconstructed cannoli and pipe filling atop the length of the wrapper.)

5. Baked cinnamon chips Cut wonton wrappers in half diagonally and again to get 4 triangles per wrapper. Place in a bowl, then toss with vegetable oil and sprinkle with desired amount of cinnamon sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping the chips after 5 minutes, until lightly browned and crisp.

6. Banana-Nutella wontons Lay a single wonton wrapper out on a clean surface.

Place 1 teaspoon of Nutella in the center of each wrapper. Place 2 very thin banana slices atop the Nutella dollop. Wet your finger, then run it along the edges of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper in half diagonally, forming a triangle and press firmly to seal. Place wontons close together on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush tops with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and bake at 350 degrees until crisp. Lightly sprinkle with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

7. Parmesan wonton stars Using a small star cookie cutter, cut shapes out of 12 wonton sheets. Place stars and 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a bag and toss to coat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan and ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and toss again.

Place the stars in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees until crisp.

Use as garnish for soups or salads.

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home cooking

Home Cooking with Jean-Georges

Cook’s books: home cooking with jean-georges

by Shannon Parker

Not content to show mere mortals how to reproduce their restaurant fare at home, some of the world’s most renowned super-chefs are now producing tomes that showcase the simple foods they ostensibly prepare at home. Last year, we saw culinary rock stars like John Besh and Heston Blumenthal publish just such collections. Now you can add Jean-Georges Vongerichten to that list.

The book is a reflection of this philosophy across the board, from the photographs of not-quite-perfect yet still luscious-looking food to the choice of recipes, all of which were clearly written with the home cook in mind. Very few, for instance, span more than a page. And while some call for a bit more unique ingredients such as unsalted yuzu juice or kombu sheets, they could easily be rounded up in a quick trip to an international market.

One of the pioneers of culinary fusion, Vongerichten presides over a virtual empire of restaurants stretching from New York to Paris to the Bahamas.

But his new book, Home Cooking with Jean-Georges, was born from the time he spends with his family at his country house in upstate New York. Here, he noted, “my home-cooked meals are a far cry from the formality of my plated restaurant dishes, but they deliver the same intricate balance of flavors and textures.”

You might find yourself flipping quickly through the first few sections, but be sure to slow down and linger through his fish and seafood recipes. Like slowcooked salmon in miso-yuzu broth. Or a roasted whole sea bass with fennel, Meyer lemons and cherry tomatoes. They’re not earth-shattering, neither in terms of technique nor flavor, but the entire section features good, strong recipes for a home cook’s repertoire. It’s also nice to see that Vongerichten has included recipes drawn from his Alsatian background, like one

for choucroute – an Alsatian cabbage dish cooked with rendered goose fat, onions, juniper berries and white wine.

Truth be told, though, the book does have a few clunkers. Seven-grain toast with almond butter and banana? Really? This is about upping the home cook’s game, not patronizing it. And I don’t think I could serve his wife’s recipe for mac ‘n’ cheese, not without a warning label from the American Heart Association, anyway. (This doozy of an entree calls for heavy cream, half-andhalf, whole milk, eggs and four different types of cheese – five, if you count the cream cheese she dots on top after baking.)

H om e Coo king with J ean - G eorg es: My Favorite Simple Recipes By J ean - G eo rges Vongerichten with G enevieve Ko

While I don’t necessarily buy that Vongerichten is personally standing at the range banging these recipes out, it’s nice to finally see famous chefs recognizing that home cooking and restaurant cooking are two very different breeds of horse. Makes us all feel a little better, doesn’t it?

Wondering how Vongerichten’s recipes translate to the home cook? Check out By the Book this month in the blog section of SauceMagazine.com to find out and enter for a chance to win a copy of Home Cooking With Jean-Georges.

Three books for creating classic cuisine Carl McConnell, chef and co-owner of Stone Soup Cottage in Cottleville, Mo., is a master of classic, elegant cuisine. In addition to his own recently released cookbook, Stone Soup Cottage: A Vignette of Seasonal Recipes, he recommended these books for those looking to take their culinary aptitude beyond the basics.

photo by carmen troesser

Larousse Gastronomique: The World’s Greatest Culinary Encylopedia

by Librairie Larousse This is my professional go-to book. Flawless technique, classical preparations that aren’t overwhelming, the focus is always fresh and seasonal.

February 2012

La Cucina Di Lidia: Recipes and Memories from Italy’s Adriatic Coast by Lidia Bastianich She is an amazing chef and I find much common ground with her in regards to our cooking: the simplest of ingredients, but the best ingredients. Her recipes are straightforward and focus on the ingredients.

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck This is a musthave for any chef. If you need anything straightforward or have a question within the realm of French cookery, [Child’s] a pretty good bet to go to.

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One man strives to make the best truck-stop meal in the nation by julie limbaugh | photos by carmen troesser

February 2012

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im Blessing likes to sing George Michael songs when he’s working the line.

“Father Figure’s one of my favorites,” he said from a mallard-green vinyl booth in Dottie’s Family Restaurant. “I also like some Journey and Queen.”

customers to resemble the cast of Happy Days. Blessing’s biggest fans, however, look more like pickled members of ZZ Top.

When asked which song Blessing’s known for, Chris Spillman, Dottie’s general manager, clarified the question. “It’s not just one song, or even entire songs, it’s more like the five or six lines he knows, which come out of the kitchen as a very loud blurb.”

He did both. But you won’t find him downtown. Or in Midtown. Or even the county. Head west – a lengthy 83 miles west of Herbie’s – to a restaurant commonly known by the truckers who frequent it as “The 208,” in reference to its exit number.

“The George Michael Christmas song? I was hittin’ that up earlier,” Blessing interrupted.

“Oh and Billy Joel; I love Billy Joel.”

Twenty miles before reaching Cuba, Mo., billboards along Highway 44 advertise canoeing, porn, fireworks, Jesus, Ron Paul, “IRS Problems?” and the “World’s Largest Rocking Chair.” Cuba itself is home to the Vacuum Cleaner Museum, approximately nine places to eat (mainly fast food chains), six places to camp, three gas stations, two hotels and one travel plaza.

Blessing’s cherubic rosy cheeks and honest blue eyes bespeak a gentle spirit that’s an anomaly in today’s world of tatted-up chefs.

So when he reveals a stint as a soloist in the choir at SLU High School years ago, it isn’t difficult to picture. It also becomes apparent that this love for performing began long before he swung open a kitchen door.

“I wasn’t some choir boy,” Blessing asserted.

“But when I was a senior, we had been touring, you know ‘touring,’” he said pausing to form quotes with his fingers, “at these little grade schools and old folks’ homes, and when I sang Uptown Girl, I’d pull a little girl or old lady up for me to sing to and the crowd would go crazy. It was all fine and dandy, but then we had to perform back at SLUH, at an all-school assembly, and, well, you know,” Blessing stopped to laugh with Spillman. “Never thought I was gonna live that one down.”

Sometimes customers come in asking for the “singing chef;” sometimes Blessing grabs a waitress and dances her around Dottie’s buffet tables. Between the name on the door and the lyrics twirling around the kitchen, one might expect Dottie’s

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Just over a year ago, Blessing was head line cook at Herbie’s – a place where the tablecloths are white, reservations are made well in advance and the average ticket price for a table of two hovers at $100.

After stints at a few more of St. Louis’ bigname restaurants – Balaban’s, Monarch and Cardwell’s on the Plaza – Blessing’s next career move seemed familiar, almost predictable. Soon, he’d take on a managerial role, or maybe even head up his own kitchen.

Inside Midwest Petroleum Travel Plaza’s atrium, there are a set of showers, two claw arcade machines (their winnings, possibly the contents of Flavor Flav’s junk drawer), a hair salon whose owner passes her downtime crouched atop a red plastic milk crate smoking cigarettes, and Dottie’s.

“It’s a huge shift. So many people told me I was crazy,” Blessing said, gesturing vaguely around the restaurant, perhaps to the green-and-white tiling that looks better suited for an industrial bathroom, or to the nonsmoking section sandwiched, unapologetically, between two huge smoking sections. “People still tell me I’m crazy.”

Dottie’s is owned by Don McNutt of Midwest Petroleum. “I met Don at a party in ’03. I had just started at Monarch. We were about to open, hanging chandeliers and stuff, and I guess I was pretty excited about it. Don was [so] impressed with me

and my attitude toward my job that he was like, ‘If I ever had employees that were that excited about work …’ Well I guess my attitude kinda hooked him.”

Years later, Blessing heard through Aaron Teitelbaum, Monarch and Herbie’s co-owner, that McNutt had bought a travel plaza out in Cuba with a rundown restaurant inside. “I told Aaron to go tell him I would work for him. I was joking you know, but not 100 percent joking. So when Don called and made me an offer to head up the kitchen, I said, ‘I’m always considering anything I suppose.’ It was a good offer, but I’ve never really done things for money.”

The travel plaza sits on more than 80 acres of land and, according to Blessing, at around 10 o’clock every night, the only thing one can hear is the near-harmonious hum of truck engines. “I’ve been told this is the safest truck stop in the nation by a lot of truckers. My goal when they hired me was to get them in the door and for Dottie’s to be the best restaurant for 100 miles, to be the best stop in the nation.

You know truckers talk,” Blessing lowered his voice, possibly in response to the camouflage-clad Santa Claus sitting behind us next to a woman. It was safe to assume she was his wife based on the “Wife of a trucker” T-shirt she was sporting.

“When Don first bought the place, the restaurant didn’t even have AC. Not even salt and pepper on the line,” Blessing mused. “McNutt’s first menu for the restaurant said ‘Midwest Petroleum’ on the cover with a picture of an oil drop. Who would want to eat an oil drop?” Soon after Blessing arrived, a new menu was styled with McNutt’s mother, Dottie, on the front. “We want this place to live up to her picture, you know?” He said as he pointed to the new yellow menu.

This spring, the whole travel plaza will get a new face. “For the restaurant, there will be stacked brick and dark wood – you know, trendy,” Blessing explained. But renovations won’t be changing the soul of the place much. Dottie’s will still be open 24 hours a day, and there will still be a buffet – two obstacles that can trip up even the most seasoned chefs. “How many times have you

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waffle club

cherry cobbler

spare ribs February 2012

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walked past a buffet you didn’t want to eat at?” he asked. “They’re nasty, right?” For Blessing, jumping through these hoops is most of the fun. “Comfort food is where it’s at. I saw that a few years ago. I was selling 30 $30 steaks a night and 10 $10 burgers, and then it inverted in a matter of months to 30 burgers and 10 steaks. Comfort food is more than a trend; it’s what you can afford. I’m not gonna change that.”

I thought: I want to make an immediate difference.

So I started making soups.

And every single day since, I hear from at least one person, ‘That’s the best soup I’ve ever had.’

That, to me, is what it’s all about.”

buffet staple – is wiped out by a single hungry family.

Blessing’s spare ribs are some of the best I’d ever eaten – touting a perfect balance of wet and dry that’s utterly addictive. Allyou-can-eat ribs used to be a part of the buffet, but Blessing wisely pulled them and added them to the menu because he was losing too much money. (Apparently I’m not the only one with an affinity for those porky delights.) He also removed some tired menu items and added recipes of his own, like his brisket. Slow-roasted for 14 hours, slathered with a barbecue brown gravy and plated with delicate corn-fried tobacco onions and tri-colored roasted potatoes, the plate was a lovely blend of salty and sweet worth at least three times the $8.99 price tag. The waffle club – eggs and bacon (sausage and ham are also options) sandwiched between two Belgian waffles, complete with a bowl of syrup for dipping – would be sinfully fitting as both an appetizer or dessert any time of day.

As if reciting an AA mantra, Blessing admitted, “I’m just trying to control the things I can control. The day I got here, I thought: I want to make an immediate difference. So I started making soups. And every single day since, I hear from at least one person, ‘That’s the best soup I’ve ever had.’ That, to me, is what it’s all about.”

Renovations for Dottie’s will also include a space where the Big Mother Trucker plaques will hang. After a comment card suggested that the Big Mother Trucker Burger wasn’t big enough, a comment Blessing took to heart, the new burger will feature three 8-ounce-patties, a half pound of bacon, six slices of cheese and a pound of fries on the side. Winners will receive a T-shirt declaring their victory. Adam Richman, you’re going to have some competition.

Since arriving, Blessing has upped the quality of Dottie’s ingredients, making sure every item is made from scratch.

The effects of some of these changes are more calculable to Blessing’s pride than on Dottie’s bottom line. “In a lot of ways,” he said, “we are a victim of our own success. Consumption is a huge problem with a buffet. Some of these guys are making 10 trips up.” Often the fried chicken – a Blessing specialty and

Blessing’s goals are humble and realistic yet noble, idealistic all the same. “I don’t miss the VIP scene,” he said, shaking his head.

“We don’t have self-important people. That’s one part of the business that really gets tiring; I just don’t have that problem here.

It’s not that I take my job less seriously, to me it’s like you come out and I hope you have a good meal, and that’s all it is for me. Our VIPs are the truckers, the guys who spend the night in their trucks in the

parking lot so they can have both dinner and breakfast here.” Blessing grinned, adding, “And the locals, the people who come in four days a week, and we hope to make them come in five. And because of our costs, they can. Everyone can afford Dottie’s; we’re not alienating anyone.”

As if on cue, Blessing was interrupted by a white ponytailed man wearing a black skullcap pulled down to the top of his glasses and Bluetooth. His gray t-shirt, stretched tight across his belly, read, “Beer Hunter,” but he was looking for Tabasco.

“Just a second,” Blessing said, standing up to retrieve a pile of condiment bottles.

Blessing returned smiling. “Sometimes Bill [Cardwell] calls to give me trouble.

Blessing’s voice assumed an affect reminiscent of James Cagney’s in The Public Enemy. “Timmy! Timmy! Lime Jell-O on the buffet is out. Hey Timmy, check the gravy.’’ Blessing continued, “Then if I ever call him to mess with him, he says, ‘Hey-a Country-Fried Steak, what’s goin’ on?’”

In total, Blessing worked four tours at Cardwell’s. It’s always served as his home base. “I walked in there yesterday actually.

Hadn’t been in there in probably 18 months. In the front of the house I only recognized two people, but in the kitchen, it was the exact same crew. Like family. We went in at 1:45 [p.m.] and it was bangin’.

Everyone had food on their plates and the place was packed. Bill knows what he’s doin’.”

Blessing didn’t deny his nostalgia for his past work but said he has only doubted his decision for one day – after his first hourlong (when speeding) commute from Des Peres. “I came here to do something, to see this project through. And I definitely want to see it all the way through, so Don can be proud to have his mom on his menu.

I definitely didn’t do it for the glory,” he laughed. “Or the convenience factor.”

Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 KWMU’s Cityscape on Friday, Feb. 10 at 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. to hear more from Tim Blessing.

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February 2012

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Why PB&Js, Pop-Tarts and S’mores Are Better Than Ever interviewed by kylah brown | photos by carmen troesser

As a kid, a sugary snack wasn’t just a tasty treat, it was a prize for a job well done. The quintessential kids’ dessert had to be simple, easy to eat, portable and pocket-sized – should an impromptu playdate present itself midTwinkie. No longer restricted by the spatial confines of the lunchbox, local chefs are reinventing these childhood favorites for the grown-up palate – appealing to the sugarcraving kid in all of us.

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February 2012

Peanut Butter Cup at Farmhaus “I’m a big fan [of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups]; I ate them as a kid and eat them often still. It’s one of the top three candy bars for me. It was definitely the inspiration, but we wanted to put a bit more polish on it.”

— Kevin Willmann, chef-owner, Farmhaus

nougat, mousse and chocolate whipped cream

February 2012

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Peanut Butter & Jelly at Sidney Street Cafe “I eat PB&J with my daughters a lot, so I thought it would be something people could relate to. I loved it as a kid and I still eat one almost every day for lunch.”

— Robert Zugmaier, pastry chef, Sidney Street Cafe

frozen peanut butter custard, grape juice gel, grape meringue, black currant sorbet, salty roasted peanuts, peanut butter pudding and carbonated grapes

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February 2012

three soft, maple-sugar cookies sandwiched between billowy marshmallow fluff, covered with chocolate ganache

Moon Pie at Perennial Artisan Ales “I grew up more or less in the South. As a kid, when I went to the gas station, Moon Pies were always front and center and I loved them.”

— John Perkins, chef-owner, Entré, caterer to Perennial Artisan Ales February 2012

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Pop-Tart at Annie Gunn’s “The problem parents have with the original Pop-Tart is that it lacks quality ingredients.

[Ours is] made with pâte brisée – no preservatives, no partially hydrogenated oils. Sure, there’s butter and sugar, but you can pronounce all the ingredients.”

— Danielle Bush, pastry chef, Annie Gunn’s

flaky pastry crust filled with sweet chocolate, nutty hazelnut or farm-fresh seasonal fruit, served hot with a scoop of locally made Anna Marie’s vanilla ice cream

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graham cracker cake and cremeux, bourbon-extract marshmallows, burnt maple meringue, smoked chocolate ice cream, and cocoa nib and a graham cracker tuile.

S’more at Monarch “We always had bonfires growing up so we made s’mores all the time. In southern Louisiana, every Christmas we had a bonfire on the levy as they say to ‘light the way for Papa Noel.’ We’d steal everybody’s Christmas trees they were throwing out and have even more bonfires with that.”

— Josh Galliano, executive chef, Monarch February 2012

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Forget the bullion. Scrap the stock.

The key to infusing meaty flavor is right inside the bone

Chef Wes Johnson’s Roasted Bone Marrow at Salt.

by stacy schultz | photos by greg rannells February 2012

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Rabbit Pot au Feu at Sidney Street Cafe How much is a ticket again? Anything that can make a grown man give in to his animalistic instincts to suck a bone dry on national television was something I simply had to try.

From that moment on, anytime marrow has been on a menu, I’ve ordered it. I let a chilled mixture of marrow, fresh herbs, coarse fleur de sel, freshly cracked pepper and butter melt into a luxurious puddle on my rib-eye. And I’ve used that little spoon to dig and dig into more deep-roasted bones than I care to divulge. But it’s not enough. So much work. So little marrow.

I first discovered bone marrow while watching a show on The Travel Channel five years ago.

You know the type – some food-fantasizing nomad was wandering around, tucking into corner spots and reveling in the many delicacies he found along Italy’s cobblestone streets.

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Most of the show had been mild at best – the dainty twirling of plump bucatini in a ruby red tomato sauce painted with torn herbs; the charred, bubbly crust of a classic Neapolitan pie; the dusting of fresh ParmigianoReggiano on, well, everything. It made me hungry, sure. But scrounge up the cash I didn’t have and book a ticket?

Not quite. Then it happened. The host walked into a handsome tavern, softly lit and draped in linen, and ordered something I couldn’t quite make out.

When the plate arrived, he picked up a long, narrow spoon and dug into what looked like a cavernous, hollow bone dusted with a bright green salad of sorts. As he pulled a thick, fatty substance from deep inside the cavity to smear across crusty toast, he let out a sigh of pure contentment. After a few more dips and some descriptive mumbling I was far too deeply entranced to comprehend, he picked up the bone and proceeded to slurp out Every Last Drop.

Once considered scrap (the stuff you threw to old Sparky to curl up on the rug with and gnaw on after you’d had your way with them) marrow bones – and more specifically, the fatty, vascular substance found inside them – have been making their way into traditional Italian and French dishes for generations. Cubed and melted down, marrow is the secret behind the glossy elegance of a classic bordelaise. For years, home cooks brave enough to take on a traditional osso bucco have topped roasted veal shanks with a simple gremolada – a chopped herb condiment of parsley, capers and lemon zest – to cut the richness of their family’s unctuous reward.

More recently, though, chefs have been veering away from the traditional, scooping the marrow from its bone and using the many facets of this age-old fat to their advantage. In line with today’s no-waste approach to carnivorous cooking that has brought sweetbreads to the table and crispy pig face to at least one tasting menu (that would be Stephanie Izard’s Girl and the Goat in Chicago), chefs are no longer hiding the silky smooth substance we’ve all been digging for with those dainty little spoons.

As a young cook, Truffles’ executive chef John Griffiths learned to prepare bone marrow the old-fashioned way: cutting the shin or upper thigh bones of the cow horizontally into 2- to 3-inch segments and steaming or roasting them until they proffer a smooth, glossy texture. It’s a preparation chef Wes Johnson was quick

to place on his menu as he prepared to open his restaurant, Salt, last year.

Though he had played with marrow quite a bit while manning the kitchen over at Eclipse, whipping it into velvety compound butters to add another layer of beefy flavor to juicy burgers and steaks, now he was searing the bones in a piping hot pan, deglazing with a little red wine and then finishing them off in the oven until the marrow had developed a near lava-like consistency.

The dish was a hit with diners nabbing a table at Salt for the first time, as spoon after spoon ventured into those bones in search of their molten prize.

When Griffiths was hired to breathe new life into the well-worn menu at Truffles last year, he decided to play with convention a bit, cutting the bone lengthwise instead of horizontally. It was a task that would require him to buy a saw specifically designed to cut through solid bone but one that he believed would make marrow more approachable to diners. Oh, and it would taste better, too.

“This way, you can broil the entire surface of the marrow and it develops a more robust, meaty quality rather than a fattiness,” he explained. “It allows the fat to render and it broils like a good piece of meat.” Perched atop is his own take on the classic gremolada: capers, pistachios, olive oil, garlic, herbs and a sprinkling of toasty bread crumbs. Being careful not to veer too far from tradition, he serves the dish alongside a slice of house-made ciabatta. The result makes even the most jaded of meat-eaters weak in the knees – and happens to be the restaurant’s bestselling appetizer. “It’s one of those dishes,” Griffiths noted, “that you see go through [the dining room] and you just say, ‘wow, what is that?’”

It’s a phrase you might mutter when tasting the bay leaf and marrow soil currently accompanying the Rabbit Pot au Feu on the menu at Sidney Street Cafe, too. Considering it’s dusted along the rim of the plate (not buried deep inside the bone) and that it’s a finely ground powder (not a smooth, glossy fat), it sure doesn’t look like February 2012

marrow. But just one bite and there’s simply no denying that uniquely concentrated meatiness. Chef-owner Kevin Nashan dehydrates the marrow after incorporating some oil into the mixture, transforming it from a thick, liquid substance into a finely ground powder. “It tastes like an incredible beef broth,” he explained. “It just punches you with beefy flavor.”

Determined to take the more laborintensive approach to this meaty matter, Nashan has tinkered with a number of other ways to infuse marrow’s unique flavor into dishes recently, from creamy gratin side dishes to a savory bread pudding he paired with a juicy rib-eye and drizzled with a piquant chimichurri sauce. “It’s just an incredible, concentrated beef flavor that you can’t get from other products. … Get people to try it and they see the layers of flavor you can add to a dish.”

Roasted Bone Marrow at Truffles

While Nashan is currently captivated by the many ways he can let marrow’s rich flavor shine in a slew of savory dishes, in the kitchen at Monarch, chef Josh Galliano is experimenting with marrow’s slick, greasy texture. “Growing up, my aunts would use it as a replacement for butter. That’s how my father’s family did it, rendering it off to start a ragout or something.” Taking his family’s lead, Galliano scoops out the marrow and renders it down to use in lieu of the oil in a warm vinaigrette. After slowly satuteeing in sweet shallots, garlic, parsley and basil, he hits the rendered marrow with a combination of tart vinegars and serves the vinaigrette warm over a fricassee of plump wintry mushrooms, crisp frog legs and the molasses flavors of black garlic. “I need some bread to go with it,” Galliano mused. “And a nap.”

Bone marrow sure has come a long way. For decades, chefs took the path well plowed, forcing us to dig out the fatty little blanket that lies within those once-forgotten bones. But as nose-totail cooking becomes the norm both on tables with white tablecloths and those without, marrow is finally coming out of its shell.

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by Byron Kerman

food

CLASSES Beekeeping Classes

Feb. 11 – 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Maritz · 314.894.8737 easternmobeekeepers.com Our friends, the bees, are taking the winter off, so now is the perfect time to plan for your honeydrippin’ adventure with the Eastern Missouri Beekeepers Association.

It’s not just a pleasure to report on the group’s annual classes for beginners and experienced beekeepers; it’s a mandate.

The great die-off of the bees continues, and private beekeepers are considered important to bolstering the world bee population and a valuable source of info for scientists. The beginners’ course covers all aspects of basic beekeeping. Newbies (pun intended) will learn all they need to start a hive in April, when the EMBA can sell them a queen, and all about the equipment they’ll need.

The experienced beekeepers’ course covers spring management, nucleus colonies, queen-rearing, mite control and successful over-wintering. If you’re interested, sign up soon – registration closes February 4.

HOLIDAYS National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day

Feb. 4 – 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., Serendipity Ice Cream 314.962.2700 · serendipity-icecream.com How does an ice-cream waffle sundae made with maple-pecan ice cream, maple syrup and crispy bacon topping on a warm waffle sound? That’s just one of the icecream breakfasts available on National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day, as celebrated at Webster Groves’ Serendipity Ice Cream for the fourth year running. Shop owner Beckie Jacobs is also excited about other oneday specials, like Krispy Kreme ice-cream sandwiches, house-made oatmeal sundaes and an orange juice sorbet. Don’t forget the “pajamas special” – arrive at Serendipity in your PJs for a free, collectible Serendipity mug filled with coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

There are prizes for the best slippers, sexiest jammies and cutest pajama-clad family.

The shop opens early, at 8 a.m., but the breakfast ice-cream specials are available only as long as supplies hold out.

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Valentine’s Day Chocolate Fest Open House and MasterChef Cooking Class

Feb. 4 – 10 a.m., Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts 866.951.7222 · chefs.edu Ah, February, the month of l’amour. If one wants to keep the love train rolling, one must consider chocolate – and lots of it. Le Cordon Bleu’s open house includes a free demonstration at which the chef-instructors of our local Le Cordon Bleu cooking school will prep various chocolate delicacies with “lots of samples,” according to the school’s executive chef, Vicki Davenport. A big part of the fun is just being inside a serious cooking academy and ogling all the fancy equipment. That same day, Le Cordon Bleu will also be offering a hands-on master chef’s class on Valentine’s chocolates.

Call for reservations for the open house; register online for the master class.

EDUCATIONAL Missouri Organic Association Conference Feb. 2 to 4 – Union Station Marriott 573.619.9139 · missouriorganic.org

Seed to Plate: The Organic Connection is the theme of this year’s Missouri Organic Association Conference, and the slate of events for the convention looks compelling.

Attendees will enjoy an organic food and drink trade show, a gala organic dinner and Sunday brunch, film screenings, an organic-cooking competition with four local chefs, a Chef to Farmer Forum with chef Josh Galliano of Monarch, and an organic cheese-making workshop with Janet Hurst, author of Homemade Cheese. There are lectures and workshops on everything from Producing Organic Strawberries in a Hoop House to Marketing Through CSAs, Restaurants and Supermarkets to Training Guard Dogs for Goats, Chickens and Hogs.

Other noted authors delivering presentations include Jordan Rubin (author of The Raw Truth and The Maker’s Diet); Jeffrey Smith (author of Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies About the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You’re Eating); and Jeff Moyer (author of Organic No-Till Farming).

five questions for Jenny Clevel and Cleveland-Heath may sound like the name of a law firm, but it actually refers to a new restaurant in Edwardsville where couple Jenny Cleveland and Eric Heath are putting out plates that combine childhood comfort with a little Thomas Keller flair.

What are some of the things on the menu that are extra special? We have a Berkshire pork porterhouse with a jalapeño-cheddar bread pudding, green beans and a sunny-side-up egg on top. People just love our cheddarham sliders made with cheddar drop biscuits, prosciutto and tart cherry jam.

The pulled pork is braised with housemade barbecue sauce and housemade pickles, and topped with bluecheese slaw on a pretzel bun from Companion. One of our more popular items is a house-made potato gnocchi.

We’re serving it carbonara-style, with peas, bacon and cream.

How did working at Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc and The French Laundry influence you? I feel like I grew up there as a chef. The chef de cuisine had an incredible impact on me. He was an incredible teacher, and he pushed me to think I couldn’t fail. It was crazy 100 percent of the time, but you learn you can always find a way to make things work. I also learned how important it is to work as a team and bring everyone up together in quality. The French Laundry was pretty much a continuation of that. It was incredible to be around that, to bring that level of service to the guests.

Why Edwardsville? We like the historic downtown with that Main Street feel.

Everyone is so supportive. We have families close to the area, too. In fact, we’re living with my parents in Bethalto, but we often sleep on the couch at my sister’s in Edwardsville – we’re still couch-surfing (laughs). It doesn’t matter where we sleep; at the end of the day, we’re so tired, I could sleep on the floor.

You and your boyfriend see each other 24/7. We ride to work together and we ride home together, but we went to culinary school together and we’ve worked at the same restaurant before. Actually, my sister and her husband have a restaurant together in Edwardsville, Wang Gang, and she wound up “firing herself” from the restaurant so she could retain her sanity.

Do you play music in the kitchen? We do during prep, but not during service.

The iPod has Talking Heads, The Black Keys, David Bowie, a little bit of everything.

– Byron Kerman

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

February 2012

Photo by david kovaluk

stuff to do:

For part 2 of this interview, visit the Extra Sauce section of SauceMagazine.com.

s t u ff to d o: fo o d

Best seat in the house

ONGOING Around the World Wine Dinners Feb. 17, third Friday of each month – 6:30 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden · 314.577.0200 · mobot.org The successful Around the World Wine Dinners return, pairing four-course dinners with educational flights of wine from various regions. Part of the fun is the location of the dinner; it travels around the garden, depending on the season. The theme for food and drink this month is Sonoma County.

Advance reservations are required.

sponsored events Opera Theatre of Saint Louis’ Annual Wine & Beer Tasting Feb. 10 – 6 to 8 p.m., Sally S. Levy Opera Center, Webster Groves · 314.963.4223 · opera-stl.org/wine-and-beer-tasting Indulge in wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres to benefit the Opera Theatre’s professional training program for emerging artists. Tickets start at $75 and those who donate $1,000plus will receive four tickets to a reserve room featuring select Caymus wines, Stella Artois beer and food from Onesto and Mad Tomato.

Wall Ball Feb 11 – 7 to 11 p.m., Third Degree Glass Factory 314.865.0060 · wallball2012.eventbrite.com

Cardwell’s at the Plaza

94 Plaza Frontenac, Frontenac, 314.997.8885, billcardwell.com

Warm and cozy, this is the perfect hideaway for a romantic meal. Escape with your honey in this snug spot and forget the rest of the world around you.

Missouri Wine and Science: From Phylloxera to Resveratrol, presented by Science Café

Photo by ashley gieseking

Feb. 16 – 7 p.m., Herbie’s · 314.289.4424 · slsc.org

You may know that Missouri’s famous norton varietal is bursting with the healthy resveratrol compound, but Dr. Wendy Applequist, the associate curator at the William L. Brown Center at the Missouri Botanical Garden, can tell you some other fascinating things about our local grapes that you probably didn’t realize.

For instance, the norton varietal has a connection to the “19th-century phylloxera February 2012

outbreak that almost destroyed the European wine industry,” according to press materials that quote the scientist. “While American grapevines were responsible for the introduction of the insect to European vineyards, they also provided their salvation – and pioneering Missouri scientists helped to save French wine for the world to come.”

“Soon,” she added, “vineyards worldwide will face a new challenge, as climate change alters how and where grapes can be grown, and Missouri will again have a role to play.” Applequist will touch upon these topics at this free lecture at Herbie’s in the Central West End.

St. Louis’ live-art auction, Wall Ball, welcomes new changes this year. The $50 entrance fee includes free apps, and – for the first time – an open bar of wine and beer. Fashion designer Michael Drummond, fresh from a stint on Bravo’s Project Runway, will create custom garments right before guests’ eyes. All proceeds benefit St. Louis City Open Studio and Gallery.

Ice Carving Competition at Inaugural Steinberg Winter Classic Feb. 25 and 26 – Games begin at 8 a.m. · Steinberg Skating Rink, Forest Park · steinbergwinterclassic.com Head to Forest Park to watch L’Ecole Culinaire chef instructors whittle their way to ice-carving glory. This free event is part of the Inaugural Steinberg Winter Classic: a two-day winter carnival and three-onthree hockey tournament benefiting the Cancer Care Foundation. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 51

stuff to do:

art

by Byron Kerman

Pieces from Carrie M. Becker’s solo show, Colinize, seem a bit frightening at first but actually depict naturally occurring events. See all the works from the native St. Louisan this month at St. Louis Community College’s Gallery of Contemporary Art. See page 53 for details.

Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra Cellist Bjorn Ranheim, presented by Monday Noon Series Feb. 20 – 12:15 p.m.,J.C. Penney Conference Center, UM-St. Louis · 314.516.5699 · umslce.org/index.php/mondaynoon-series The cool lectures at UM-St. Louis’ Monday Noon Series make for an enlightening lunch break. Brown-bag it or buy lunch at the university cafeteria, and bring it to the school’s J.C. Penney Conference Center to munch while you learn at this free series.

Consider the Feb. 20 talk, A Life of Musical Adventures, in which the musician will describe his upbringing in a musical family in Minnesota, the path that led him to St.

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Louis, and his career playing for our beloved SLSO as well as various other orchestras, chamber groups and music festivals.

Ranheim will discuss the music he loves, both old and new. (He’s a big proponent of new pieces by living composers.) And then, the moment we’ll be waiting for – the virtuoso will perform selections from the Bach Third Suite for Unaccompanied Cello.

Intimate Songs, presented by Chamber Project St. Louis

Feb. 23 – 7:30 p.m., Goldberg Formal Lounge, Danforth University Center, Washington University · 314.401.0450 chamberprojectstl.com Winter is the perfect time for classical music. The chilled air seems to carry the sound with added clarity, and the

denuded trees and uniformly white landscape have a way of making their own musical melancholy. Consider the charms of Chamber Project St. Louis, a mostly female classical chamber group performing a free concert this month at Wash U’s Danforth University Center.

Pianist Peter Henderson, mezzo-soprano Debra Hillabrand, saxophonist (yep, a chamber group with a sax player) Adrianne Honnold and violist Laura Reycraft kick out Brahms’ Two Songs, Op. 91 (mellow yet moving); Lori Laitman’s Living in the Body (resigned and contemplative); Libby Larsen’s Sifting Through the Ruins (tragic and haunting); and Paul Hindemith’s Trio, Op. 47 (tempestuous and complex). Now that St. Louis no longer has a classical-music

radio station, one must seek out this sort of thing more actively.

THEATER Stuffed and Unstrung, presented by Henson Alternative Feb. 17 – 8 p.m., Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center at UM-St. Louis · 314.516.4949 · touhill.org If you love the Muppets, run – don’t walk – to Stuffed and Unstrung, the profane, Avenue Q-style show that stops at the Touhill this month. You’re sure to recognize a bunch of the 80 Muppets created by Jim Henson used in the show, but you’ll have to get used to the adult material coming from the mouths of the six professional comedian/puppeteers February 2012

image courtesy of Carrie m. becker

MUSIC

manipulating them. Henson Alternative, helmed by Jim’s son Brian Henson, presents the touring Off-Broadway show, which is advertised as “not for kids.” Expect improv comedy, audience interaction and wonderfully sick comedy and large video screens.

Chua discusses and signs her memoir of an Asian-American mother disciplining her kids with an iron hand at the St. Louis County Library this month.

Briefs: A Festival of Short Lesbian and Gay Plays, presented by That Uppity Theatre Co.

Feb. 6 to 24 – Gallery Talk, Feb. 10: 6 p.m., reception: 7 to 9 p.m.; Gallery of Contemporary Art, St. Louis Community College - Forest Park · 314.644.9231 · stlcc.edu

before & after Gallery Talk with Carrie M. Becker

EXHIBITS

Carrie M. Becker: Colonize

Feb. 24 to 26 – La Perla · 314.256.1196 · uppityco.com The eight one-acts that comprise Briefs: A Festival of Short Lesbian and Gay Plays include a hilarious comedy that mashes up gay marriage, The Wizard of Oz, and the current crop of zombie movies and TV shows; a very cute and very brief play about two guys who find a perfect moment in the midst of the insecurity that reigns in a therapist’s waiting room; and a very sarcastic exchange between a son and father putting on tuxedos just before the son’s wedding. The Uppity Theatre Co., and The Vital Voice present this Whitman’s Sampler of goodies, which cover a range of emotional terrain, and feature eight different playwrights from all over the U.S., interpreted by eight local directors (Edward Coffield, Joan Lipkin, Michael B. Perkins, Annamaria Pileggi, Seth Ward Pyatt, Ed Reggi, Vanessa Roman and Bonnie Taylor). The performances will happen at La Perla, a private event space downtown.

LITERATURE Amy Chua

Photo by david kovaluk

image courtesy of Carrie m. becker

s t u ff to d o: a rt

Man, did Carrie Becker’s star shine brightly last month. The St. Louis native’s series of miniature rooms intended to depict what would happen if a Barbie doll started hoarding (Barbie Trashes Her Dream House) landed on Yahoo, The Huffington Post, Jezebel, Time.com, TheAtlantic.com and other sites after going viral. Her meticulous attention to detail could actually fool you into thinking the tiny scenes were full-size recreations.

Becker is multitalented – in addition to her ability to trash cultural icons and reference the worst of reality TV – she also excels at making large-scale art installations that make you ponder the messy mysteries of biology. Pieces like Corpuscular Interlopers and Encroaching Eggs are creepy as heck, yet they only envision natural events like red blood cells spreading through the body. Check out Becker’s photography and garishly colored sculptures that reveal our slimy interiors at a solo show at St. Louis Community College-Forest Park’s Gallery of Contemporary Art. Make a night of it with our suggestions for where to eat and drink before and after the show, at right.

Before:

As a prelude to an evening celebrating Becker’s world of photos and mini sculptures, head to La Gra Italian Tapas and Wine Bar in Dogtown for some petite munchies before the show. Hot dishes include flash-fried stuffed olives (pictured), crab cakes and risotto fritters. A carafe of sangria will set you back just $15 and a bottle of wine can be had for as little as $18, giving you just enough liquid eloquence to wax lyrical about abstract art all evening.

Feb. 9 – 7 p.m., St. Louis County Library Headquarters 314.994.3300 · slcl.org

COMEDY

To some, Amy Chua’s Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is a latter-day classic of Mommie Dearest-style cruelty. With a sick fascination, the reader can’t put down this memoir of how a success-obsessed mom systematically denies her children fun and free time. Cutthroat competition is Chua’s paradigm of the world, and by forcing her daughters to endure marathon violin lessons, forgo virtually any other extracurricular activities and follow a set of rules so harsh they could make a dictator blush, she aims to turn them into adults programmed to outdistance their peers and achieve “respectable” goals. In Chua’s world, B’s on your report card are for losers; you’d better come home with all A’s or you might not want to come home at all.

Feb. 10 – 7 and 9 p.m. shows, Lumière Place Theatre 312-881-7777 · ticketmaster.com

1227 Tamm Ave., St. Louis, 314.645.3972, ilovelagra.com

Two jokes from comedian Amy Schumer: “My self-esteem was at rock bottom – that’s why I got a lower-back tattoo,” and “I finally figured out why I’ve been drinking so much lately – I’m drinking for two!”

Schumer is of the new school of brutal comedians. Like Lisa Lampanelli, Sarah Silverman, Doug Stanhope, Jim Norton or David Cross, she’s as sick as she wants to be and she mines laughs from the darkest places. Opening act Jackie Monahan, similarly, does a great bit in which she imagines that Oprah’s “favorite things” include crystal meth. These fearless gals work without a net at the Lumière Casino Theatre on the Landing this month.

After:

February 2012

Amy Schumer and Jackie Monahan

If hours of trying to keep apace with the cognoscenti of the contemporary art scene have left you in dire need of a stiff drink and a smoke, head to nearby Par Lounge to sip stiff martinis in the billowy comfort of plump leather couches. Seeking something a bit more pedestrian after a night of civility? A few $2.50 PBRs should put just the right amount of redneck back into your night.

1001 McCausland Ave., St. Louis, 314.646.1300, par-lounge.com

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A waffle that’s not drenched in butter and maple syrup?

There’s zero guilt eating this savory take on a Saturday morning standard. Chef David Zimmerman of Plush starts with a smoked salmon and cracked pepper batter. Once the waffle iron does its thing, this light-as-a-feather waffle gets topped with house-cured salmon, tomato-caper relish, a smear of house-made herbed cream cheese that’s akin to boursin and a drizzle of smoked tomato vinaigrette.

Breakfast? Heck, eat this dish any hour you please.

– Ligaya Figueras

Smoked Tomato and Cracked Pepper Waffles For the tomato-caper relish, combine 1½ diced tomatoes, ¼ diced red onion, 1∕8 cup of chopped capers, 1 ounce of olive oil and ½ tablespoon of cider vinegar in a bowl.

Courtesy of Plush’s David Zimmerman 10 to 12 waffles 2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder 1 Tbsp. sugar ½ tsp. salt 3 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 4 Tbsp. melted butter ½ cup smoked tomatoes, finely chopped* 2 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper ½ lb. cured salmon, thinly sliced Smoked tomato vinaigrette (recipe left) ¹∕³ cup boursin cheese ¹∕³ cup tomato-caper relish (recipe left)

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* To smoke tomatoes, soak a handful of apple-wood chips in water for 2 hours.

Build a charcoal fire on a barbecue grill. Once the coals are glowing with no flames, drain the chips and place them over the coals. Wash whole tomatoes, place on the grill and cover.

Let smoke for 20 to 30 minutes or until just soft and a dark, smoky color.

Purée the tomatoes in a blender – seeds, skin and all.

February 2012

Photo by carmen troesser

For the smoked tomato vinaigrette, whisk together ½ cup of red wine vinegar, ½ cup of dry vermouth, ¾ teaspoon of chopped garlic, ½ tablespoon of freshly chopped thyme, ½ tablespoon of kosher salt, ½ tablespoon of black pepper, ¼ cup of chopped red onion and ¹∕³ cup of smoked tomatoes*. Slowly add 2 cups of vegetable oil.

• Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together. Set aside.

• In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, milk and cream until frothy.

• Slowly add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until the batter is smooth.

• Stir in the butter, tomatoes and pepper.

• In batches, pour the batter into a hot waffle iron and cook until golden brown.

• For each serving, place 1 waffle on a plate. Top with 2 slices of cured salmon, 2 ounces of smoked tomato vinaigrette, 2 tablespoons of boursin cheese and 2 tablespoons of tomatocaper relish.

February 2012

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56 I SAUCE MAGAZINE I saucemagazine.com

February 2012