October 2015

pho ga from mai lee p. 46

6 SOUPS TO BRING ON

fall LEFTOVERS

T O P

S T L

R E V I E W

T H AT D O N ' T S U C K

KARAOKE BARS

SOUTH E R N

P. 36

P. 48

ST. LOUIS’ INDEPENDENT CULINARY AUTHORITY

October 2015

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P. 17 SAUCEMAGAZINE.COM

DRINK MERLOT ( YE S , RE ALLY ) P. 27 FREE, OCTOBER 2015

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contents OCTOBER 2015

editors' picks 9

29

WINE Natural wine: less is more

by ben wood

EAT THIS Shrimp Scampi at Peppe's Apt. 2

30

VEGETIZE IT Steak au poivre

10

INSIDE THE SERVER'S STOMACH compiled by sara graham

by kellie hynes 33

MAKE THIS Tropical pancakes

13

by dee ryan

HIT LIST 5 new places to try this month

reviews 17

NEW AND NOTABLE Southern

by michael renner

last course 52

STUFF TO DO by kristin schultz 54

WHAT I DO Julia Li of Lu Lu Fresh Express

by heather hughes

20

POWER LUNCH Pearl Café

by suzanne morlock 23

NIGHTLIFE Tiny Bar

by matt berkley

Features 36

THE MORNING AFTER How to upgrade your leftovers

by catherine klene

45

dine & drink 27

PHOTO BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

A SEAT AT THE BAR

GLOBAL WARMING Chicken soup from around the world

by kristin schultz

Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake

48

by glenn bardgett, cory king, and ted and jamie kilgore

Karaoke bars

WHERE TO EXPLORE NEXT

COVER DETAILS

Hot chicken at Southern p. 17

6 Soups to Bring on Fall Pho ga at Mai Lee is one of six soups from around town that feature international flavors. Read about this and others on p. 45.

PHOTO BY GREG RANNELLS

by beth heidrich

CORRECTION: In the September 2015 issue, we incorrectly identified the fresh pastas pictured on p. 38.

The featured pastas came from Katie’s Pizza & Pasta, Midwest Pasta Co., Pastaria and Stellina. We regret the error.

October 2015

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O C T O B E R 2 015 • VO LUM E 15, ISSU E 10 What's your go-to karaoke song?

PUBLISHER ART DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL EDIBLE WEEKEND EDITOR STAFF WRITER FACT CHECKER PROOFREADERS CONTRIBUTING EDITOR PRODUCTION DESIGNER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Phil Collins, "Against All Odds." Phil is a rock god. Don't judge me.

EVENTS COORDINATOR LISTINGS MANAGER ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ADVERTISING ACCOUNTS COORDINATOR INTERNS

Allyson Mace Meera Nagarajan I'm all about the diva classics.

Heather Hughes Currently: "Say Catherine Klene My Name" by Catherine Klene Destiny's Child.

Kristin Schultz Kristin Schultz Emily Lowery, Kristin Schultz Garrett Faulkner Michelle Volansky Jonathan Gayman, Ashley Gieseking, Elizabeth Maxson, Emily Suzanne McDonald, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky Vidhya Nagarajan Glenn Bardgett, Matt Berkley, Sara Graham, Beth Heidrich, Heather Hughes, Kellie Hynes, Jamie Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Cory King, Catherine Klene, Suzanne Morlock, Meera Nagarajan, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan, Kristin Schultz, Ben Wood Rebecca Ryan Rebecca Ryan Allyson Mace Jill George, Angie Rosenberg Jill George Julia Keller, Sophie Handler

Definitely "She Bop" by Cyndi Lauper. Love me some Cyndi Lauper!

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

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

All contents of Sauce Magazine are copyright ©2001-2015 by Bent Mind Creative Group, LLC. The Sauce name and logo are both registered to the publisher, Bent Mind Creative Group, LLC. Reproduction or other use, in

whole or in part, of the contents without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. While the information has been compiled carefully to ensure maximum accuracy at the time of publication, it is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change.

The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of all information or be responsible for omissions or errors.

Additional copies may be obtained by providing a request at 314.772.8004 or via mail. Postage fee of $2 will apply.

EDITORIAL POLICIES The Sauce Magazine mission is to provide St. Louis-area residents and visitors with unbiased, complete information on the area’s restaurant, bar and entertainment industry. Our editorial content is not influenced by who advertises with Sauce Magazine or saucemagazine.com.

Sauce Magazine is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.

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.

SAUCE MAGAZINE subscriptions are available for home delivery NAME__________________________________________________________ STREET ADDRESS_________________________________________________ CITY_______________________________ STATE ______ ZIP______________

SEND A $29 CHECK TO: SAUCE MAGAZINE – SUBSCRIPTIONS for a 12-month subscription 1820 Chouteau

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St. Louis, MO 63103 October 2015

October 2015

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editors' picks

EAT THIS

When you taste the SHRIMP SCAMPI at PEPPE’S APT. 2, you’ll remember why this dish is an Italian-American treasure. Fresh shrimp are coated in truffled breadcrumbs then seared on a hot grill and dressed with a garlic-lemon butter sauce. Swap the default sides for an order of spaghetti tossed with even more butter, garlic and olive oil and PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER

this perfect pair will make you sing “That’s Amore.”

800 S. GEYER ROAD, KIRKWOOD, 314.909.1375, PEPPESAPT2.COM

October 2015

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I N S I D E T H E S E RV E R ' S

STOMACH

Ever wonder what servers order for themselves? Here’s the insider intel on what to eat at St. Louis restaurants right now. – Compiled by Sara Graham

-Gloria Lee, Lil’ Mickey’s Memphis Barbeque

Without a doubt, my favorite dish is the kuzu pirzola (lamb chops).

Chef Mehmet flame-grills the prime cut chops to perfection.

-Scott Frederick, Aya Sofia

Brett Old Ale. Complex and slightly tart with flavors that balance between orchard and earth – at 9.5 percent alcohol content, it is a true example of what beer can be.

-Rebecca Blevins, Scratch Brewing Co.

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The southwest chicken wrap with chipotle ranch and roasted garlic mayo is really delicious. I don’t like too much spice, but it has a hint that goes really well with the marinated chicken.

-Ashley Randall, Urban Eats

The Schmidtzburg is a normal diner-style double cheeseburger, but with the bacon subbed out for deliciously fatty brisket. It’s a dream and a nightmare, but mostly a dream.

-Jacob Brown, Salt & Smoke

OUR GRILLED FISH TACOS ARE MADE FROM TILAPIA GROWN ON OUR FARM. THEY COME WITH HOUSE-MADE SALSA AND A CILANTRO-LIME COLESLAW – A GREAT CRISP KICK THAT REALLY SETS OFF THE FLAVOR OF THE TILAPIA. -Lindsey Martin, Overlook Farm

THE 20-OUNCE PORTERHOUSE HAS THE NEW YORK STRIP SIDE AND THE FILET SIDE – IT’S JUST THE BEST STEAK YOU CAN GET. -Fredric Laden, Tucker’s Place

THE PORK CHOP IS OAK-FIRE GRILLED AND SERVED WITH LOCAL SWEET CORN AND HOUSE-MADE WHIPPED POTATOES, ALL TOPPED WITH MAITAKE MUSHROOMS. THE FLAVORS BLEND PERFECTLY.

THE BEEF TIP MELT SANDWICH IS A CLASSIC MADE UNIQUE WITH IN-HOUSE WALNUT PESTO, SUN-DRIED TOMATOES AND PEPPER JACK CHEESE SERVED ON TOASTED BREAD. THE BEEF TIPS ARE TENDER AND EVERYTHING JUST MELTS TOGETHER PERFECTLY. -Meg Sullivan, Benton Park Cafe

Malvani chicken brings the heat. The chicken is cooked in gravy made with coconut milk and a mixture of Indian spices. It’s so delicious and reminds me of home.

-Sridhar Kumar, Peshwa, The Royal Indian Cuisine

-Jessi Scholes, Firefly Grill

The smoked salmon is served on a bed of delicious, creamy barbecued smoked cabbage.

It’s rubbed with our rib rub, then smoked with apple-wood chips, producing a delicate fish with an amazing smoky quality and barbecue flavor.

-Rita Hunt, Iron Barley

The buttermilk biscuits and gravy, John style – with chipotle-spiced, Longhorn cheese-scrambled eggs on top.

I love our biscuits, our gravy and the sausage that goes in it.

They’re all made from scratch.

It’s super comforting with just enough spice.

-Eric Nemens, Southwest Diner October 2015

BISCUIT PHOTO BY ELIZABETH MAXSON

OUR PULLED PORK SANDWICH IS A MEMPHISSTYLE, PULLED PORK SHOULDER WITH OUR SLAW AND SWEET AND SMOKY SAUCE. IT’S A HARD COMBINATION TO BEAT.

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hit list

5 new places to try this month

Small plates at Reeds American Table REEDS AMERICAN TABLE

PHOTO BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY

Doors are finally open at Reeds American Table, chef Matt Daughaday’s first solo eatery. Arrive early to grab a seat at the bar and snack on Daughaday’s bacon fat-fried cornbread (made famous from his days as chef at Taste) and let beverage director Andrey Ivanov select your new favorite wine while you wait for your table. Once you’re seated, start with the roasted cauliflower small plate, where the stems are used to create a bed of puréed curried cauliflower under roasted florets topped with tangy pickled raisins and gremolada. Don’t miss the roasted chicken leg quarter served with oyster mushrooms and sauteed kale, and save room for pastry chef Summer Wright’s take on an apple-date crisp or her velvety vanilla panna cotta. Peruse Ivanov’s Russian novel-length beverage menu with suggested wine pairings for nearly every dish. Those not in the mood for wine can enjoy six rotating draft beers (with a much larger bottle selection) or one of seven house cocktails from the full bar.

7322 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.899.9821, reedsamericantable.com October 2015

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hit oflist p. 2

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2 For more on natural wines, turn to p. 29.

Neighborhood bottle shop Cork & Rind has opened doors in St. Charles, featuring a carefully curated selection of artisan and natural wines. Look for picks like Terre Rouge l’Quest syrah from California or Cascina Ulivi Semplicemente Bianco from Italy’s Piedmont region. Beer fans can get their fix, too, stocking up on local options from Alpha Brewing, Crown Valley and 4 Hands, as well as national players like Rogue and Uinta. Choose your bottle, then make it a party with a selection of imported and domestic cheeses, salami, crackers, nuts, olives and more from Fox River Dairy, Salume Beddu and Volpi.

CORK & RIND

1

There’s more than bread and butter at Milque Toast, a teeny breakfast and lunch eatery serving up big flavors on sliced bread. Indulge your childhood dreams with the Nutty S’mores Toast, a thick slice of Breadsmith brioche topped with a layer of Nutella and toasted marshmallows. Then move on to more adult fare, like a slice of Red Guitar’s pain à l’ancienne topped with sauteed mushrooms, a smear of Heartland Creamery goat cheese and a drizzle of truffle oil, or bite into the house-made gravlax and sliced cucumber served on traditional rujbrød and topped with a dollop of horseradish cream and capers. Can’t decide? Try a bit of everything at a Danish-inspired Smørrebrød weekend brunch, when five chef-selected toasts are served with side dishes. Enjoy a mug of Mississippi Mud coffee, a glass of house-made nut milk or a cup of rosy hibiscus tea that pairs perfectly with the sunny patio.

PHOTOS BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY

MILQUE TOAST

2212 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 314.833.0085, milquetoastbar.org October 2015

Another brewery is bestowing beer to the masses in Maryland Heights. Six Mile Bridge appeals to the modern drinker with a sleek, industrial tasting room.

Grab a seat at the glossy wood bar and have the bartender pull a pint of a Bavarian hefeweizen with notes of banana and light spice, or fill a growler with the Irish red ale, brewed with honey and layered with notes of caramel and toffee. City dwellers can keep an eye out for Six Mile beers on draft at dozens of St. Louis-area bars and restaurants.

SIX MILE BRIDGE

11841 Dorsett Road, Maryland Heights, 314.942.2211, sixmilebridgebeer.com

4

555 First Capitol Drive, St. Charles, 636.896.4404, corkandrind.com

After teaching others to homebrew at J2 Brewing, owners Jeff Harlan and Jeff Jones have opened Standard Brewing Co. in Maryland Heights. Beer goes the extra mile at Standard, as spent grains find their way into many dishes on the in-house Pulse Pizza menu. Step up to the sprawling bar and order the well-rounded Enigma IPA. Pair it with fat, house-made soft pretzels and an accompanying beer cheese sauce made with Standard’s Klassisch hefeweizen.

Hungrier patrons can nosh on housemade pizzas featuring crust made with Enigma IPA spent grains. The beer averse can select from Standard’s cocktail menu that favors local distillers, including spirits from Cardinal Sin, Pinckney Bend and Still 630.

STANDARD BREWING CO.

3 1 Nutty S'mores Toast at Milque Toast 2 Cork & Rind 3 Roasted chicken at Reeds American Table

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4 Smørrebrød brunch at Milque Toast 5 From left, Six Mile Bridge hefewizen and Irish red ale

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reviews All Sauce reviews are conducted anonymously.

hot chicken at southern

new and notable

Southern

BY MICHAEL RENNER | PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

I

t’s 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday, and I’m craving hot chicken. I visited Southern – the new casual restaurant next to Pappy’s Smokehouse in Midtown – several times and fell for the addictive spicy-sweet deliciousness that defines hot chicken, but this night I have it bad. So bad that I consider, for a second, cooking up my own version before accepting that I can’t replicate exactly what I crave.

new and notable SOUTHERN p. 17 / power lunch PEARL CAFÉ p. 20 / nightlife TINY BAR p. 23 October 2015

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paste made from fry oil, melted lard or butter to which heat and spice are added, often at incendiary levels. At Southern, it means a dunk in a corn oil-based sauce made mild, medium, hot or “cluckin’ hot,” depending on the amount of chiles and cayenne pepper added, resulting in chicken glistening with a burnished red-orange crust.

reviews NEW AND NOTABLE p. 2 of 2

Lines form for the addictive, spicysweet hot chicken at Southern in Midtown.

Lewis takes it one step beyond delicious, sprinkling each piece with his own spice blend that relies heavily on celery seed, paprika and a smattering of sugar. The result is that regardless of heat index, the bird’s flavor is never lost.

as a Rising Star. Earlier this year, Lewis left Quincy Street to partner with Pappy’s owner Mike Emerson on Southern.

There is fried chicken, and then there is hot chicken – also fried, born in Depression-era Nashville, Tennessee. The story goes that a girlfriend of Thornton Prince was so fed up with his late-night carousing that when he came home one morning, she made him his favorite fried chicken, only spiced up with enough punishing heat to render it inedible. But he loved it, proving the old adage about how best to serve a dish of revenge. Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack soon followed, and the north Nashville joint is still going strong.

Lewis gets close to true Nashville hot chicken without ripping off the city’s iconic fare. Rather than soaking chicken in a spicy buttermilk brine and dipping it in a mixture of milk and eggs laced with hot sauce, as is typically done in Nashville, he marinates his hot chicken in a spicy, acidic mixture (beer, vinegar and lemon juice) then dry-rubs the pieces with more spices. It’s all then dredged in seasoned flour and deep-fried.

Then there’s Southern, Rick Lewis’ new venture featuring Nashville-inspired fried chicken. Lewis made a name for himself in 2012 when he transformed South City’s Quincy Street Bistro from a lackluster bar and grill into one worthy of landing him a 2014 James Beard Award semifinalist spot

AT A GLANCE Southern

At this point it is very good fried chicken.

And indeed, Southern calls this version “original,” with its lightly crisp, tender skin and above-average seasoning. But hot chicken requires a final, defining step. In Nashville, that means slathering the fried bird with a

Where 3108 Olive St., St. Louis, 314.531.4668, stlsouthern.com

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Building those complex layers of flavor is the secret to great hot chicken. Even the scorching “hot” and four-alarm “cluckin’ hot” versions weren’t all about heat. The first bite of the latter hit with a bit of sweetness, lulling me into false confidence for the second bite. That’s when the capsaicin-induced sniffles kicked in, and my brow beaded with perspiration.

Fiery pungency hit all my pain and pleasure centers simultaneously before subsiding into a smoldering, pleasant afterglow on my lips and tongue. And then I couldn’t stop.

Southern also offers a General Tso’s version that I wish every Chinese restaurant could emulate: sticky, sweet and spicy, dark with hints of rice wine and juiced up with whole dried Thai chiles.

Chicken plates come with a slice of Companion white bread to sop up any residual spicy oil, a couple of crisp housebrined pickle slices and two sides. The seven available sides are no afterthought either, including creamy mac-n-cheese with smoked Gouda and cheddar; greens simmered in salt pork just past al dente; and cold, crisp, tangy vinegar slaw as

Don’t Miss Dishes Hot chicken to match your heat tolerance, deviled eggs

Vibe Fast-casual without the rush, featuring a soundtrack ranging from Motown to Neil Young to Grouplove.

welcome as an ice cube in hell. Cooling off with a bottle of Excel soda or Kaldi’s sweet tea isn’t a bad idea, either.

Yes, Southern has more than chicken (God, that chicken!). And you should try the sandwiches when hot chicken is out of the question, like when you’ve had it five days in a row. Southern’s Cubano is quite good, stuffed with ham, crispy-edged Pappy’s pulled pork and Gruyere for a nuttier, richer taste than plain ol’ Swiss. Add fried pickled green tomatoes to a BLT, slather it with spicy mayo and The Dirty South tastily rises again.

Thanksgiving is next month, but Southern can’t wait with The Gobbler: honey-brined smoked turkey, greens, onion, seasonal jam (peach when I was there) and even a touch of dressing. Don’t miss the deviled eggs, if for no other reason than the adorable teeny, star-shaped slices of pickled okra on top – that and the superb creamy yolk-andpimento cheese filling.

Dessert came in the form of house-made banana pudding and cobbler, salted caramel fudge chunk brownies from Pint Size Bakery and ice cream sandwiches from Sugaree Bakery – all of which looked great, none of which I ate (God! That chicken!).

Lewis has tastefully outfitted the interior of the former Brinco’s Mexican Grill & Cantina to reflect both himself and a rustic Southern motif without going overboard on kitsch. While there are only 55 seats, tables turn briskly. Service is fast-casual: Order at the counter, find a seat and wait for the server to yell your name before delivering your order on an aluminum tray.

Lewis uses the same approach at Southern that still packs them in at Quincy Street Bistro, even after his departure: simple comfort food made from scratch served up in a casual, convivial space.

One afternoon, as Lewis was greeting customers, he spotted a woman he knows and asked, “Back for more, huh?”

“I lasted three weeks,” she responded. Yeah lady, I know the feeling.

Entree Prices $9.50 to $13.50

When Wed. to Sun. – 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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reviews POWER LUNCH

Power Lunch

PEARL CAFÉ

BY SUZANNE MORLOCK | PHOTOS BY ELIZABETH MAXSON

Turning out top Thai food with great specials, affordable drinks and lightning-fast service, Pearl Café shines bright among the businesses and storefronts along North Lindberg Boulevard.

3 attentive, servers couldn’t answer many questions about what goes into the food or sauces. The specials come with many protein options, including tofu, pork, chicken, beef, shrimp, duck and different combinations of meat and seafood.

Intrigued, I asked which protein was Pearl Café best in various 8416 N. Lindbergh Blvd., dishes, but Florissant, 314.831.3701 the consistent dinepearlcafe.com disappointing answer was chicken because “that’s just what everyone orders.”

Though they were pleasant enough, the servers would do well to loosen up and show some enthusiasm for the menu.

1 WARM WELCOME Walking into Pearl Café is akin to walking into your grandmother’s house – a warm greeting, great cooking smells and a sudden urge to eat everything in sight. Unlike your grandmother’s (probably), beer bottles line the walls like an oversized drink menu and the scent of coconut, lemongrass and lime float through the cacophony of a lunch rush.

THE PEARLS The grilled pork with sticky rice [1] is so good it will inspire repeat visits.

Beautifully charred, the thinly sliced pork arrives on a bed of shredded carrots, glistening with a sweet, sticky coconut marinade. The crisp carrots and springy rice nicely complement the tender pork, creating a truly craveable dish. Though I usually prefer more spice, the sumptuous pad Thai [2] also won me over. A heap of chewy rice noodles is coated but not drenched in the classic sweet, salty and slightly sour sauce, topped with a crunch of crushed peanuts. Honorable mention goes to the Thai dumplings, which are filled with marinated pork, fried until crisp and arrive piping hot, sans grease.

PLENTIFUL SPECIALS Both affordable and plentiful enough to yield leftovers, the lunch specials are served with rice, a fried spring roll, a Thai butterfly (think crab Rangoon) and the soup of the day. This is often rice soup – straightforward but savory, consisting of chicken broth, rice, carrots and green onion. Standouts include the Thai chile stir-fried with chicken [3] – onions, carrots, and green and red peppers stir-fried with chicken and a tasty Thai chile sauce –

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THE TAKEAWAY

2

and the yellow curry [4] packed with sweet potatoes, carrots and onions and your choice of protein (with some unexpected options including duck and a seafood mix of shrimp, squid, mussels and scallops) all in a flavorful, coconut-forward yellow curry sauce. This is comfort food that gets better with every bite.

The flavors meld and the heat builds as you eat it, so take your time.

THAI HEAT I was disappointed to find that dishes like the Spicy Basil, boasting an ominous chile icon, were not packing the punch they promised. However, on a second visit, I ordered extra spicy and was given a choice on a scale of one to five. Beware: That range apparently starts at pleasant burn and ends at

death-by-capsaicin. After being advised that level three is hotter than Tabasco, I tried a level two. It was just the right amount of heat – enhancing flavor without blasting my palate.

Just as the oyster works tirelessly to turn a grain of sand into a pearl, so Pearl Café has worked to provide quick service and great food for its throngs of lunchtime customers. Pearl Café is one Florissant gem that should not be overlooked.

SPECIALTY DRINKS To cool down, try a lychee or coconut drink. Other specialties include black pearl milk tea (also known as bubble tea with chewy tapioca balls) and intense Thai and Vietnamese iced coffees.

THE SAND While Pearl Café turns out delicious dishes, its waitstaff during my visits were timid and lacked working knowledge of the menu. Though efficient and

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nightlife

reviews

Tiny Bar

NIGHTLIFE

BY MATT BERKLEY | PHOTOS BY JONATHAN GAYMAN

2nd Shift, Urban Chestnut and Griesedieck Brothers, all on five rotating taps. Tiny Bar likewise offers the littlest rotating selection of white, red, rosé and sparkling wines. All Tiny Bar drinks are available 1008 Locust St., in tall or short pours.

St. Louis, 314.478.9833, There is no food tinybarstl.com menu, but you can bring in carryout if you’re hungry.

Like its drinks, Tiny Bar’s decor is economical and smart. An impressive amount is packed into the space with a seamless contemporary-meets-traditional style. A lounge area with a brown leather and crushed orange velvet couch and two cushy matching chairs backs up to a floor-toceiling window overlooking Locust. The bar’s apparent patron saint, Eddie Gaedel (the shortest player in the history of professional baseball who pinch-hit for the St. Louis Browns in 1951), makes an appearance on a massive hand-painted mural taking up much of the limited wall space.

L

ate on a Friday night downtown, laughter pours out of Tiny Bar on Locust Street. Actually, it’s not that late, since the bitty new cocktail bar closes at 10 p.m. even on weekends. But a raucous happy-hour crowd carries on into evening, stiff cocktails and craft beers in hand, proving that bigger is not always better.

It’s not impossible to find an empty seat at Tiny Bar, but it’s highly unlikely. This is what the PR firm Elasticity counted on, dreaming up this wonderfully unconventional use for a 250-square-foot space in its lobby. The team behind Elasticity and the building’s owner transformed the minuscule room, stocked it with high-end hooch and let it loose on the public in late May. Since then, it’s been building a bit of buzz – for good reason.

Cocktails are the intentional draw. Tiny Bar hit the ground running with an inspired

October 2015

Be prepared to stand unless you’re willing to sit on laps. Only 10 seats are available with a mere three stools at the minimalist high-glossed hardwood and steel bar. This is decked out with the gorgeous tap station and two shelves of high-end booze. drink menu helped out by Planter’s House co-owner Ted Charack. The two-page menu is short, sweet and focused on crowd-pleasers rather than haphazard innovation: There’s nothing weird or watered down. Patrons can choose from original cocktails like The 1 ∕8th (a deliciously bittersweet rum-based cocktail) and house takes on various classics like the Marteenee (made with Small’s Gin), the Lower Manhattan (made with barrel-aged bitters) and the Yellow Brick Road (an Ocho tequila margarita laced with jalapeno honey).

The seven standard cocktails are $10 a pop, though vertically challenged guests drink cheaper, as anyone shorter than 5 feet gets a 25-percent discount. While certainly big on flavor, these relatively small drinks are slowly mixed with care and served up for sipping.

If you must do a shot, pair it with a pour from local and regional breweries including Civil Life, 4 Hands, Schlafly,

ORDER IT: Tiny Bar

Bartender Ashley Lewis serves a 1∕8th cocktail, a deliciously bittersweet mixture of El Dorado rum, Velvet Falernum, orange curaçao, pineapple syrup, grenadine, lime and bitters.

Tiny Bar fills up with young professionals who probably work nearby, downtown loft-dweller types and cocktail groupies.

Voices are unavoidably loud in the tight space, almost entirely drowning out the hint of modern alternative rock music and lending a vivacious and intimate air to the place. Elbow to elbow, don’t be surprised to be handing back drinks from the bar and passing up cash from the strangers behind you.

Tiny Bar exists as a peculiar and stylish petite urban oasis. Perhaps a dime a dozen in bigger cities, in St. Louis, Tiny Bar is a charming little novelty – the kind we could use more of in the city proper. While you may have to stand, it’s definitely worth dropping in for a quick drink before a dinner downtown or a great pregame spot before a night out on neighboring Washington Avenue.

Made with E.H. Taylor bourbon and whiskey barrel-aged bitters, there’s nothing small about the Lower Manhattan’s flavor.

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Check out Glenn Bardgett's pick for a complex merlot

dine

& drink

ILLUSTRATIONS BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN

A SEAT AT THE BAR / Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake More than 10 years after the movie Sideways came out, merlot still doesn’t get much respect. But this underappreciated wine can have cabernet-like weight, complexity, grip and moderate GLENN BARDGETT alcohol to pair with something Member of the Missouri Wine rich. The impressive 2012 and Grape Board and wine Frog’s Leap Rutherford director at Annie Gunn’s Merlot is a Cadillac of a wine I had during a recent lunch with representatives from the Napa Valley winery. The real surprise? Tasting Frog’s Leap’s 1991 merlot, which could almost be mistaken for an older Bordeaux. When the experts tell you merlot does not age, politely ignore them and sip on.

October 2015

Maple syrup is an overlooked cocktail secret.

A worthy replacement for sugar or other sweeteners, it’s one of our favorite ingredients this time of year, instantly imparting an autumnal tone to any TED AND JAMIE cocktail. Try it in an OldKILGORE Fashioned or experiment USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart with the classic Maple and co-owners/bartenders at Planter’s House Leaf: In a cocktail shaker, combine 2 ounces bourbon, ¾ ounce maple syrup and ¾ ounce fresh lemon juice. Add ice, shake vigorously and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Syrup ain’t just for breakfast anymore.

Porter is a well-known, versatile dark beer that recently has been overshadowed by IPAs and lighter-colored brews. Don’t give it the cold shoulder – this rich, CORY KING complex style is great to Certified Cicerone, head sip on a back patio while brewer at Perennial Artisan enjoying the temperature Ales and founder of Side dips of early fall. Porters Project Brewing come in all styles, from malty and mellow to aggressively robust, almost Imperial stout-like with jet-black color and pronounced hop notes. For some of my favorites, seek out Founders Porter, Smuttynose Baltic Porter and Civil Life Porter. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 27

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WINE

NATURAL WINE:

LESS

IS

MORE

BY B E N W O O D

Sharing a bottle of wine with a

friend is always a treat.

Perhaps you even move on to a second bottle – and the next day, you swear off wine for good, reaching for coffee and Advil. Many blame wine-induced headaches on allergic reaction to sulfites and other additives, usually inserted as preservative or antimicrobial agents.

ILLUSTRATION BY VIDHYA NAGARAJAN

Enter natural wine, an additive-free genre that claims to stave off that dreaded morning headache. It makes ideal imbibing for wine lovers sensitive to histamines and other allergens found in traditionally made wine. Natural wine takes production a step further than organic, shunning any sort of postproduction colorants, tannins or scent modifiers. As the industry saying goes, “Nothing added, nothing taken away.”

Is a germicide- and stabilizer-free product a trade-off for wine that will spoil faster?

Not necessarily.

Storing a natural wine at the proper temperature and away from light will help increase its lifespan.

Natural wine owes its origins to two French October 2015

winemakers: chemist Jules Chavet and Marcel Lapierre, who inherited his family’s vineyard in Villié Morgon. Convinced that adding chemicals during production gave wine its penchant for causing headaches, they developed a method for minimizing the addition of sulfur.

Lapierre even took his method to the vineyard, adopting meticulous chemicalfree farming methods.

Starting in the 1970s, Chavet’s disciples, including Lapierre, Guy Breton and Jean Foillard, worked hard to spread the natural wine gospel across the globe.

Over time, natural winemakers developed a key guideline: Wine must be organically grown and free of additives, including added sugar, foreign yeast and added sulfites (though a small amount occurs naturally during any kind of fermentation).

Even standard practices like barrelaging and filtration are frowned upon.

These are wines you can quaff without qualms: tasty, interesting and often wild in character. So pop that cork. Wine wants you back.

BUY IT

Jean-Baptiste Adam Les Natures Crémant d’Alsace Brut $26. Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, 314.781.2345, starrs1.com

Going au naturale? These locally available bottles will get you started.

2013 Badger Mountain Chardonnay $13. The Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com

2013 Catherine & Pierre Breton Vouvray Moustillant La Dilettante Chenin Blanc $21. Cork & Rind, 555 First Capitol Drive, St. Charles, 636.896.4404, corkandrind.com

2010 Maysara Cyrus Pinot Noir $39. Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, 314.781.2345, starrs1.com

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VEGETIZE IT

Steak au Poivre

BY KELLIE HYNES | PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER

M

y friend (and former Sauce executive editor) Ligaya Figueras conquered her fear of cooking meat when she made the steak au poivre recipe in Dana Cowin’s Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen. Ligaya was so enthralled with the resulting pepper steak that she suggested I vegetize it, which is a bit like saying, “I love dogs. You should get a cat.”

But I was intrigued by the dish’s signature peppercorn cognac sauce, which is made in part by setting the cognac on fire. On purpose.

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Traditional steak au poivre (rhymes with mauve) involves seasoning a steak with freshly cracked black pepper, searing it and using the pan drippings to make peppercorn cognac sauce.

Instead of beef, I made cauliflower “steaks” by cutting a whole cauliflower head vertically into 1½-inch slices.

A cauliflower steak doesn’t need to be seared; simply roast it in the oven while you chase the stray peppercorns rolling around your kitchen. The edges crisp to a beautiful brown, and the taste settles into a gentle, slightly nutty flavor that doesn’t compete with the cognac sauce. (If cauliflower isn’t your favorite veggie, roasted eggplant is another tasty option.)

The one thing roasted cauliflower can’t do, though, is produce flavor-packed pan drippings – and without a savory component, my cognac sauce risked tasting thin and harsh. To add earthy notes, I sauteed some mushrooms, dumped them into a bowl and poured the cognac into the hot pan.

Let’s pause for a minute to discuss flammable liquids. Cowin’s recipe indicated the cognac would ignite as soon as the pan returned to the burner. What it didn’t say is that it’s vitally important to only use a little bit of cognac. Do not shrug and add extra shots of alcohol, even if that’s

October 2015

your habit with recipes or Tuesday afternoons. A mere half-cup of cognac burst into a fireball that roared 4 feet high, shooting from my stovetop into the hood. Trust me, even though it mostly burns away, a quarter-cup of cognac is more than enough to impart intoxicating flavor without removing your eyebrows.

In addition to the cognac, Cowin uses fresh lemon juice and creme fraiche in her sauce. Since I already had it in the fridge, I substituted milky halfand-half for the tangy creme fraiche.

My thrifty switcheroo backfired when the half-and-half curdled in the lemon juice. The bright flavor of lemon balanced the meaty mushrooms, so it needed to stay in the recipe – but not necessarily in the sauce. I kept the citrus and ditched the curds by seasoning the cauliflower with lemonpepper and garnishing the finished dish with a lemon zest-filled gremolada.

This recipe is not for those with faint hearts or low ceilings. But if you’re up for an adventure, you’ll be glad you added the versatile peppercorn cognac sauce to your cooking repertoire.

Whether you’re using it atop meat or veggies, the complex, peppery-boozy creaminess takes all the stovetop excitement and fires it right back into this fearless dish.

CAULIFLOWER STEAK AU POIVRE 4 SERVINGS 1 large head cauliflower 5 Tbsp. canola oil, divided ½ tsp. kosher salt, divided ¼ tsp. lemon-pepper seasoning 6 oz. baby portobello mushrooms, thinly sliced A few pinches freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste, divided ¼ cup cognac 2 shallots, thinly sliced 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard 1½ cups mushroom broth 2 Tbsp. half-and-half Zest of 1 large lemon 1 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, minced 1 tsp. minced garlic • Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

• Trim the green leaves away from the bottom of the cauliflower, leaving the woody core untouched. Stand the head upright on a cutting board. Cut vertical slices 1½ inches apart to make the cauliflower steaks.

• Brush both sides of the steaks with 3 tablespoons canola oil and arrange them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the steaks with ¼ teaspoon salt and the lemon-pepper seasoning. Roast the cauliflower 20 minutes, until the edges start to brown, then flip and roast an additional 10 minutes, until cauliflower centers are fork-tender.

Remove from the oven and keep warm.

• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a cast-iron skillet

over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, the remaining salt and a pinch of black pepper. Saute the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until they brown and release their liquid, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, pour the mushrooms into a bowl and set aside.

• With the skillet off the burner, add the cognac. Holding the skillet away from you, carefully return it to medium-high heat. The cognac will immediately burst into flames.

If not, light it with a long-handled match.

• When the flames subside, add the shallots and mustard, stirring to coat. Add the broth and reduce the heat to medium, stirring to blend, and reduce the liquid by half. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the half-and-half and a few pinches of black pepper.

Season to taste.

• In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, parsley and garlic to make a gremolada. Place the cauliflower steaks on plates. Top with the mushrooms. Drizzle with the cognac reduction, sprinkle with the gremolada and serve.

Hungry for more vegetarian dishes? Go to samg.bz/saucemeatless every Monday to check out our Meatless Monday column, where you’ll find recipes to prepare tasty vegetarian fare at home.

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MAKE THIS TROPICAL PANCAKES ACTIVE TIME: 7 MINUTES

MAKE THIS

Put down that breakfast bar. This tropical, gluten-free spin on the banana-based pancake fad proves there’s always time for a homemade, healthy morning nosh. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk 1 egg and 1 ripe banana until combined. Stir in 1 tablespoon shredded unsweetened coconut, ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract, a pinch of baking powder and a pinch of kosher salt. In a skillet over medium heat, melt a pat of butter and spoon about 2 tablespoons batter per pancake into the pan. Cook until golden brown and flip carefully with a thin spatula, about 1 minute per side. Top with equal parts maple syrup and crushed pineapple and serve. – Dee Ryan

Add 1 tablespoon dark rum to your syrup for a grown-up twist on brunch. We like El Dorado 12 Year ($34), available at The Wine Merchant, 7817 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.863.6282, winemerchantltd.com.

PHOTO BY GREG RANNELLS

If you enjoy Dee Ryan’s quick and easy recipes in Make This, don’t miss her online column, Just Five. Go to samg.bz/saucejust5 to find recipes that you can whip up in a jiffy and require just five key ingredients.

October 2015

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the

MORNING AFTER H O W

T O

U P G R A D E

Y O U R

L E F T O V E R S

It was such a good idea the night before. We’d take you home, you’d stay over, tomorrow would be as wonderful as the day we met … Alas, french fries, you’ve fooled us again. While cold pizza will always have a place in our hearts, let’s be real: Some leftovers just suck. Opening a carryout box to find last night’s sandwich devolved into a soggy shadow of its former self is depressing. It’s time to start over. We turned to St. Louis chefs for new ways to turn yesterday’s dinner into today’s standout meal. So go ahead and request a box for the nachos – you’re not letting one queso-soaked chip go to waste.

BY CATHERINE KLENE PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER

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leftover

breakfast BIRD'S NEST R EC I PE O N P. 4 0

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RECIPES FRENCH FRY GNOCCHI WITH GREMOLADA Courtesy of Ernesto’s Wine Bar’s Jimmy Hippchen

•

•

4 TO 6 SERVINGS 1 cup leftover thick-cut french fries at room temperature 1½ cups flour, plus more for rolling 1 large egg, beaten 1 Tbsp. canola oil 1 bunch curly leaf parsley, stemmed and minced Zest of 1 lemon, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 to 3 Tbsp. butter 2 pinches kosher salt, divided • Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath.

• In a medium mixing bowl, lightly mash the french fries with a fork, taking care not to overwork the starch. The potato should be broken up but still fluffy. Set aside.

• Add the flour to another large mixing bowl and make a well in the center. Add the egg and working from the outside in, gently fold the flour into the egg with your hand until just mixed. Add the mashed fries and continue to knead,

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•

•

•

adding more flour as needed to create a pliable ball of dough.

Flour a work surface and roll the dough into a 1-inch-thick tube. Slice the dough into 1-inch pieces.

Boil the gnocchi 2 to 4 minutes, until they begin to float. Use a spider to remove the gnocchi and plunge them into the ice bath. Remove when cool, place in a serving bowl and toss lightly with the canola oil. Set aside.

Meanwhile, make the gremolada by tossing together the parsley, lemon zest and garlic. Set aside.

Warm a cast-iron skillet over medium heat until it begins to smoke. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add the gnocchi and a pinch of salt and let cook undisturbed until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown 2 minutes more, adding another pinch of salt to season and help sear.

Transfer to a large serving platter and top with the gremolada.

YESTERDAY'S BLT BREAD PUDDING Courtesy of Pint Size Bakery’s Christy Augustin 4 SERVINGS 2 whole eggs 5 oz. whole milk 2 oz. heavy cream 2 Tbsp. sour cream or Greek yogurt ¾ tsp. kosher salt Fresh ground black pepper, to taste Minced fresh basil 2 cups rough chopped leftover BLT ½ cup grated Parmesan • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, sour cream, salt, pepper and basil until combined. Add the leftover BLT and stir to coat. Let soak 20 minutes.

• Evenly divide the mixture among 4 ramekins and sprinkle the tops with Parmesan cheese. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the cheese is golden brown. (If using a 2-quart or other small casserole dish, bake 35 to 40 minutes.)

October 2015

french fry

GNOCCHI with

gremolada October 2015

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LEFTOVER NACHO TAQUITOS Courtesy of Southern’s Rick Lewis 3 SERVINGS 1 Tbsp. ground cumin 1 tsp. ground coriander 2 Tbsp. chili powder 2 tsp. cornstarch 2 tsp. hot pimentón or hot paprika 2 tsp. fine sea salt 1 tsp. cayenne 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil, plus more for frying, divided ½ lb. ground beef 8 to 10 oz. leftover loaded nachos 1 avocado, peeled and pitted 1 jalapeno, stemmed and seeded ½ yellow onion, roughly chopped 2 cloves garlic ½ cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish 1 Tbsp. olive oil Juice of 1 lime 9 small corn tortillas Shredded lettuce, sour cream and sliced green onion • In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin and coriander until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl.

• Prepare the taco seasoning by adding the chili powder, cornstarch, pimentón, salt and cayenne to the cumin-coriander mixture. Whisk together and set aside.

• Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and 2 tablespoons taco seasoning and brown the meat, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, 7 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and set aside.

• In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the leftover nachos until finely minced.

Mix the nachos and ground beef together and set aside.

• Clean the bowl of the food processor and make a salsa de aguacate by puréeing the avocado, jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, olive oil and lime juice until smooth. Set aside.

• Fill a cast-iron skillet with 1½ inches vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

When it reaches 350 degrees, fry 1 tortilla 30 seconds. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat

40

with the remaining tortillas.

• Spoon 2 tablespoons of the beefnacho mixture down the center of 1 tortilla and roll tightly like a cigar.

Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

• Working in batches, place the taquitos seam-side down in the oil and fry on each side until golden and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

• To serve, place 3 taquitos in the center of a plate. Top with the shredded lettuce and sour cream, drizzle with the salsa de aguacate and garnish with cilantro and the green onion.

LOADED NACHO AREPAS Courtesy of Ernesto’s Wine Bar’s Jimmy Hippchen 4 TO 6 SERVINGS 1 2-lb. skin-on pork shoulder Kosher salt ½ cup plus 2 Tbsp. canola oil, divided 1 lb. chorizo About 1 lb. leftover loaded nachos (no meat) ¾ cup milk 1 cup flour, plus more if needed Juice of 1 lime • In a large baking dish, liberally salt the pork shoulder. Refrigerate uncovered 1 hour.

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

• Coat the pork with 2 tablespoons canola oil. Roast 2½ hours, until the skin is crisp and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part reaches 187 degrees. Let rest until cool enough to handle, then roughly chop into 2-inch pieces. Set aside.

• Meanwhile, in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, saute the chorizo until the fat renders, about 4 minutes. Add the roast pork pieces and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

• In the bowl of a food processor, purée the loaded nachos into a thick paste. Scoop 1 cup nacho purée into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the milk. Add the flour to the mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until a pliable dough forms.

Use your hands to roll the dough into golf ball-sized balls, then flatten into discs.

• Heat the remaining ½ cup canola oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

(The oil is hot enough when a bit of dough sizzles in the pan.) Working in batches, fry the arepas until crisp and golden on 1 side, about 2 minutes.

Flip and fry another 2 minutes.

Remove and drain on a paper towellined plate.

• To serve, top each arepa with the pork mixture. Squeeze lime juice over each serving.

LEFTOVER BREAKFAST BIRD’S NEST Courtesy of Mai Lee’s Qui Tran 4 SERVINGS 8 oz. ground pork 1 large syrup-soaked pancake, chopped 1 tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper ½ tsp. garlic powder ¼ tsp. sesame oil ½ tsp. rice wine 6 Tbsp. butter, divided 2 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup cooked white rice 2 eggs Chopped green onions or chives • In a large mixing bowl, thoroughly mix the ground pork, pancake, salt, pepper, garlic powder, sesame oil and rice wine.

• In a large pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter and add the garlic. Cook the garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute, then add the rice, spreading it in an even layer. Let sizzle without stirring until the bottom of the rice is crisp, 3 to 5 minutes, then slide the rice disc onto a serving plate.

• Return the pan to the stove over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. Add the pork mixture and saute, tossing frequently to prevent the pancake from burning. Cook 5 minutes, until the pork is no longer pink and the syrup has caramelized the meat. Transfer the mixture to the bed of rice.

• Return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the eggs.

Cook 3 minutes until the whites are set. Top the pork with the sunny-sideup eggs, garnish with the chopped green onions and serve.

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LOADED NACHO

arepas

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FRENCH FRY MIGAS Courtesy of Cleveland-Heath’s Rick Kazmer 4 SERVINGS 4 Tbsp. canola oil, divided 1 bell pepper, julienned 1 medium onion, julienned 1 jalapeno or serrano chile, sliced 2 cups leftover french fries 2 Roma tomatoes, diced 8 eggs, beaten Kosher salt to taste Fresh corn tortillas, for serving Sour cream, shredded cheese, minced onion and cilantro • In a large pan over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and saute the bell pepper and onion 5 minutes. Add the jalapeno and saute until the pepper and onion begin to soften and brown, 5 to 7 minutes.

Add the fries and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and saute until fries start to crisp and brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and toss to incorporate.

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• Add the eggs to the pan and season to taste with salt. Using a rubber spatula, scramble the eggs and vegetables together, stirring often, until the eggs are just set, 3 to 4 minutes.

• Serve on corn tortillas with the sour cream, shredded cheese, onion and cilantro, if desired.

PANCAKE ICE CREAM Courtesy of Cleveland-Heath’s Rick Kazmer 4 TO 6 SERVINGS 3 cups half-and-half ²∕³ cup sugar Small pinch of kosher salt 6 egg yolks 2 large syrup-soaked pancakes or waffles, chopped Maple syrup, chopped nuts and crumbled bacon (optional) • In a saucepot over medium-high heat, whisk the half-and-half, sugar and salt until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

• Whisk together the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk the warm half-and-half into the egg yolks until incorporated.

• Return the mixture to the saucepot over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches 170 degrees and coats the back of a spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes.

• Remove from heat and stir in the pancakes and any collected syrup.

Let sit until the mixture has cooled and the pancakes have infused the liquid.

• Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the ice cream base into a large mixing bowl.

Discard the solids. Pour the base into an ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Freeze until solid.

• Serve the ice cream garnished with the maple syrup, chopped nuts or crumbled bacon, if desired.

LEFTOVER SANDWICH FRENCH TOAST Courtesy of Cleveland-Heath’s Rick Kazmer 6 SERVINGS 6 leftover sandwich halves (any filling, sturdy sandwich bread only) 6 eggs 1½ cups half-and-half 6 tsp. kosher salt Butter for greasing Fresh greens and dressing* • Remove filling from the leftover sandwiches, leaving any mayonnaise or other spread on the bread. Set the filling aside.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, half-and-half and salt.

Submerge the bread in the mixture to soak.

• Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, melt a small pat of butter. When the pan is hot, remove 2 to 3 pieces of bread from the liquid, shaking gently. Add the bread to the pan and cook until golden brown on 1 side, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Remove and set on serving plates. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread.

• Chop the sandwich filling and toss with the fresh greens and dressing to make a small salad. Top each serving with the salad.

* Try these flavor combos to top your savory French toast Italian cold cuts + provolone + chopped romaine + red onion + Italian vinaigrette Turkey + bacon + cheddar + chopped iceberg + ranch or blue cheese dressing Tuna salad + thinly sliced celery + lemon vinaigrette

October 2015

pancake ICE CREAM

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tom yum soup from fork & stix

global warming

BY KRISTIN SCHULTZ | PHOTOS BY GREG RANNELLS Chicken soup may seem as American as Andy Warhol, but souls across the globe take solace in chicken soups that will never see the inside of a Campbell’s can. You may already love the warmly spiced mulgatawny at House of India in University City or the matzo ball soup worthy of bubbe at Protzel’s Deli in Clayton, but there are many more distinctive international varieties available around town. Spicy, sour, soothing or taste bud-tingling, here are six ways to slurp your way around the world ladle by ladle.

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GOING GREEN Freshness in a bowl, the aguadito de pollo at Mango is hearty but light with tender rice, cubed chicken, peas, carrots, corn, green peppers and green beans in a cilantro-citrus broth. This Peruvian sopa is bright and cheery thanks to a citrusy hit of lemon and cilantro.

1001 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.621.9993, mangoperu.com

¡DIOS MÍO! The smoky lingering heat from Tortillaria Mexican Kitchen’s spicy tortilla soup is exclamation worthy in any language. Shredded chicken joins roasted poblano peppers, tender zucchini and cilantro in a translucent savory broth. Crispy tortilla strips crown this bowl of south-of-the-border satisfaction. 8½ S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.361.4443, tortillaria.net

PHO-NOMENAL Be warned: Once you dip a spoon in Mai Lee’s version of traditional Vietnamese pho ga, you will not be able to stop. The flavors of cinnamon, clove, anise and rock candy soak into the rice noodles, creating an addictive umami flavor enhanced by the large chunks of white meat chicken and an herbaceous blend of white onion, basil, cilantro and culantro. Garnish to your heart’s content with lime juice, bean sprouts, basil, jalapeno and more cilantro. 8396 Musick Memorial Drive, Brentwood, 314.645.2835, maileestl.com

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TOM YUM, YUM The spicy-as-you-want-it chicken tom yum from Fork & Stix is a palatepunching golden broth flavored with lemongrass, kefir lime leaves, galangal, tamarind, fish sauce and spicy ground chiles with white chicken meat, tomatoes, cilantro, shimeji mushrooms and scallions.

Tom yum, indeed. 549 Rosedale Ave., St. Louis, 314.863.5572, forknstix.com

FLAVOR MONSOON The heat from Meskerem’s doro wat starts small and quickly builds before raining down a spice that lingers. The thick traditional Ethiopian stew shows off chicken legs and onions braised in stock heavily seasoned with berberé (an Ethiopian spice blend) and flavored with rich nitter kibbeh (a spiced clarified butter), all topped with a hardboiled egg. Give your spoon a rest and sop up the stew with accompanying tangy injera bread and vibrant yellow lentils. 3210 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.772.4442, meskeremstl.com

October 2015

STEW A BIT Hearty is an understatement. The sancocho at Mi Caribe is a rib-sticking stew packed with chicken, pork and beef. If that doesn’t fill you up, the soft, sweet yams, firm plantains and starchy yucca certainly will. All simmered together into a rich, thick broth, this Dominican version of the year-round Caribbean staple hits the back of your palate with pleasant and subtle spice courtesy of lively, satisfying sofrito (a Dominican mirepoix). 3701 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.696.8719, micaribestl.com

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KARAOKE BARS

PHOTO BY EMILY SUZANNE MCDONALD

where to explore next

As a professional culinary evangelist, I shouldn’t reveal my karaoke habit to highbrow friends. But since I own a Bluetooth-enabled, two-microphone singing machine and featured karaoke at my wedding, there are some things I just can’t hide – or apparently don’t want to. Armed with liquid courage at a college dive bar, you may have dabbled in karaoke yourself or sat back listening to ringers at a bona fide karaoke establishment. Now check out the range available to St. Louis karaoke nerds. – Beth Heidrich

Sushi House

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The avocado-crab salad at Sushi House and Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m.

Prepare to wait in a queue on weekends.

1740 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 314.961.5646, doubledstl.com

“Love Shack” B 52’s

McLain’s Corner Bar & Grill Every Thursday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., head over to this cool little dive for cheap beer, 60-cent wings and karaoke. Dance in close quarters or play table games like shuffleboard, darts and pool that are packed into the small space. McClain’s has a smoker-friendly bar exemption, so be ready to smell like cigarettes and hydrate to save your voice for belting out your favorite song.

3516 S. Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis, 314.647.6531, mclainscorner.com

Sushi House Modern, immaculate and downright sexy, this place makes you want to sing and eat. There is no public karaoke, and room prices start at $30 per hour, so bring a crowd if you want to sing for cheap.

The private rooms have modern leather couches and are lit like dance clubs. Select songs in one of four languages: Korean, Japanese, Chinese or English, which is limited to pop and jazz hits. Try the sushi and the avocado-crab salad (made with imitation crab) with your sake or beer.

PHOTO BY EMILY SUZANNE MCDONALD

17265 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield, 636.778.3232, sushihousestl.com

Viviano’s Festa Italiana Don’t let the grocery carts fool you. This St. Louis-style Italian market and cafe offers karaoke Fridays at 6 p.m. at the Chesterfield location and on the first and third Saturdays at the Fenton location. Pick up a bottle of Sangiovese for your party October 2015

62 Fenton Plaza, Fenton, 636.305.1474; 150 Four Seasons Plaza, Chesterfield, 314.878.1474; vivianosmarket.com

Double D Karaoke If you ever lived in Brentwood Forest, you are undoubtedly familiar with the old DD. At its newer digs, you’ll still see owners Rick and Donna Wideman warmly greeting guests and selling jello shots. If you don’t mind the flirtatious crowd, this popular spot is great craic (Irish slang for fun). The chicken tender- and hot wing- laden menu is unequivocally pub-style, which shouldn’t disappoint if you’re game for the scene.

Karaoke is Mondays and Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

“Friends in Low Places” Garth Brooks

“Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash

“If I Could Turn Back Time” Cher

“Sweet Caroline” Neil Diamond

“Billie Jean” Michael Jackson

Tom’s Bar and Grill and enjoy some well-rehearsed crooners, occasionally in four-part harmony. Be sure to bring your A-game, as Viviano’s attracts accomplished singers of all ages – so many that you should make reservations. The appetizers and sandwiches are what you would expect from any decent ItalianAmerican cafe in St. Louis – toasted ravioli, cheesy garlic bread and meatball and Italian sausage subs – so try not to coat your precious vocal chords in cheese.

KARAOKE’S GREATEST HITS

This loud, lively crowd makes it easy to warm up your voice without being noticed before taking the stage. Karaoke starts at 9 p.m. Order a big pitcher of beer and some wings for your table, or the cooked-to-order truffle burger topped with a sunny-side-up egg for an outstanding late dinner. With no sound monitor allowing singers to hear themselves, most find it difficult to stay on pitch. But that doesn’t bother the young crowd, which sings along to every word of ubiquitous ’80s and country songs.

20 S. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.367.4900, tomsbarandgrill.com

“Piano Man” Billy Joel

“Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” Sir Elton John

“You Oughta Know” Alanis Morissette

“Bohemian Rhapsody” Queen

On this month’s Sound Bites, Sauce contributor Beth Heidrich joins Sauce editor Catherine Klene to discuss the best karaoke bars in St. Louis to let your pop star fantasies run wild. Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 KWMU’s Cityscape Friday, Oct. 16 at noon and 10 p.m.

“(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” The Rolling Stones

“Uptown Funk” Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

“These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” Nancy Sinatra

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STUFF TO DO:

THIS MONTH

BY KRISTIN SCHULTZ

Swine & Dine: A Cajun Boucherie Oct. 3 – 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Oct. 4 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Green Finned Hippy Farm, 256 Hickory Road, Pocahontas, Illinois, 314.479.8155, macslocalbuys.com Enjoy an authentic Louisiana community celebration, a traditional two-day Cajun boucherie. On Saturday, witness the slaughter, butchering and preparation of a whole hog by 10 local chefs including Josh Galliano, Ryan McDonald and Adam Lambay, as well as New Orleans’ chef Toby Rodriguez. Then enjoy live music, a pig roast dinner and even pitch a tent to stay the night for Sunday’s festivities, which include a six-course grazing menu using Saturday’s butchered hog. Wash it down with brews from 2nd Shift, Civil Life and 4 Hands and stroll through the art and farmers markets.

Ottertoberfest Oct. 3, 4, 10 and 11 – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saint Louis Zoo, 1 Government Drive, St. Louis, stlzoo.org Get the kids in on the Oktoberfest fun during this two-weekend event celebrating North American river otters and Germany’s favorite festival. Children can play games, make crafts and learn from zookeepers while adults enjoy a Germanstyle Biergarten serving fall brews from Schlafly, Urban Chestnut and Paulaner.

Grab a glass, then fill up on bratwurst and half-pound bratwurst burgers served with German potato salad or chips.

Coffee: The World in Your Cup & St. Louis in Your Cup Oct. 4 – 1 to 5 p.m., Missouri History Museum, 5700 Lindell Blvd., St. Louis, 314.746.4599, mohistory.org Enjoy a piping hot mug

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of coffee education as the Missouri History Museum unveils its latest exhibition with a day of free events. Explore the history of coffee in St. Louis with collectibles and advertising from the 1800s, then meet Sump Coffee owner Scott Carey when he explains the journey of coffee from seed to cup based on his recent travels to Nicaragua. The exhibit runs through Jan. 3, 2016.

Tenacious Eats presents Theater of Blood Oct. 10 – 6:30 to 10 p.m., St. Louis Banquet Center, 5700 Leona St., St. Louis, tenaciouseats.com Revenge is on the menu at this evening of movies for foodies. Master of horror (and native St. Louisan) Vincent Price stars in this 1973 tale of a spurned theater producer who exacts grizzly revenge. This dinner and a show features five themed courses including a dessert collaboration with Clementine’s Creamery. Price’s daughter, Victoria Price, will be a guest at the dinner and will have rereleased copies of her parents’ cookbook, A Treasury of Great Recipes, available for purchase. Reservations available online.

Craftoberfest Oct. 15 – 4 to 10 p.m., Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., 3229 Washington Ave., St. Louis, craftoberfest.com Browse more than three dozen local vendors selling indie and handmade wares from vintage clothing to art to jewelry.

Sip on Urban Chestnut beers and grab a sandwich or sausage while you stroll. Lulu’s Local Eatery will be on hand with vegan fare, Whisk will roll in with pastries, and Retrailer will pour hot chai-der (chai tea October 2015

and apple cider) and rose hot chocolate with house-made marshmallows.

STLBG Halloween Party and Beer Festival Oct. 24 – 1 to 5 p.m., Lafayette Park, Mississippi and Park avenues, St. Louis, stlbg.com/festivals Move over Oktoberfest.

The St. Louis Brewers Guild is hosting a Halloween party and beer festival complete with a costume contest and grown-up trick-or-treating. Grab your commemorative glass and goodie bag as you enter, then enjoy unlimited pours and additional treats from 35 area breweries including Alpha, Earthbound, Heavy Riff, Perennial and more. Soak up the hops and malt with food offerings from Mission Taco and Completely Sauced food trucks, as well as sweet treats from Ices Plain & Fancy. Tickets available online.

sponsored events

Both events include a copy of My Kitchen Year and a cash bar. Tickets available online.

Wine & Dine with Sauce Magazine Oct. 9 – 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Dierbergs, 1080 Lindeman Road, Des Peres, dierbergs.com/school Join Sauce art director Meera Nagarajan, contributor Kellie Hynes and wine writer Glenn Bardgett as they host a cooking class featuring recipes and drinks from the pages of Sauce. Plus, get the scoop on the newest restaurant openings and the latest trends.

Seating is limited. Register online.

Harvest Festival Oct. 18 – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Laumeier Sculpture Park, 12580 Rott Road, Sunset Hills, 314.772.8004, harvestfeststl.com Join Sauce Magazine and Laumeier Sculpture Park along with the top local restaurants, breweries and wineries at the ninth annual Harvest Festival. Sample food and drink from places like J. McArthur’s, Capitalist Pig, Earthbound Beer and Noboleis Winery. Shop at the farmers market and art fair and enjoy live bluegrass music on KDHX stage.

Midtown Farmers Market Saturdays – 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 6655 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.913.6632, Facebook: Midtown Farmers Market Stock up on gourds, greens and more at the Midtown Farmers Market and enjoy special events this month. Chef Cassy Vires will demo how to prepare delicious eats with market produce on Oct. 10, and you can build and race zucchini trolley cars on Oct. 17 and declare yourself the fastest squash in St. Louis.

Food Truck Friday

Tower Grove Farmers Market

Oct. 2 – 3:30 to 7 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, 314.772.8004, saucefoodtruckfriday.com More than 20 food trucks plan to park it at the final Food Truck Friday of the season.

Grab local brews from Urban Chestnut and 4 Hands and stop by the Sauce tent to purchase Speed Passes, which enable holders to use expedited lines for ordering.

Come early and bring lawn chairs, blankets, kids and dogs and enjoy the sounds of Auset Music Project.

Saturdays – 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Tower Grove Park, 4256 Magnolia Ave., St. Louis, tgmarket.org Celebrate the fall harvest at Tower Grove Famers Market and stock up on root vegetables, squashes and mums this month.

While you sort through autumn’s bounty, grab a snack at rotating food trucks like Vincent Van Doughnut and Bombay Food Junkies.

Sauce Celebrity Chef Series: Author Ruth Reichl Oct. 2 – 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Herbie’s Vintage ’72, 405 Euclid Ave.; 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Kingside Diner, 4651 Maryland Ave.; St. Louis, 314.367.6731, left-bank.com Meet acclaimed food writer and editor Ruth Reichl and discuss her latest cookbook, My Kitchen Year at two events Oct. 2. Enjoy a three-course lunch inspired by recipes from the book at Herbie’s Vintage ’72, or share small plates, wine and a conversation between Reichl and the Sauce editors at Kingside Diner.

October 2015

OFS Cheers to 35 Years Through January 2016, participating locations, operationfoodsearch.org Join Operation Food Search in celebrating 35 years of feeding hungry St. Louisans.

Now through January 2016, purchase a glass or bottle of “OFS Wine” at a participating restaurant or retailer. Take a selfie enjoying your selection, then post it to Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with @OpFoodSearch or @SauceMag and #Cheersto35Years. A portion of the wine sale benefits OFS, and you’re entered in a drawing for a case of wine. A full list of participating restaurants is available online. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 53

WHAT I DO Julia Li

Julia Li grew up in her family’s restaurants, watching them turn out authentic Chinese fare to hungry St. Louisans. But she didn’t jump into the family business right away.

Instead, Li began her career in public relations, working for companies like Nickelodeon, Disney and Scratch Music Group. When she recently returned to Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum, she used that marketing know-how to take the family business to the next level, launching an entrepreneur center, dishing out healthy offerings and revving up a food truck.

Why did you return to St. Louis?

About a year-and-a-half ago, I found out I have a pituitary adenoma – it’s a benign brain tumor. So it’s not a big deal … but at that time, I reassessed what’s important, and family and creative expression were at the top of that list. Another reason I came back is that our kitchen expanded very fast. About three years ago, Dierbergs approached us to partner with them on satellite locations (inside Dierbergs) called Lu Lu Chinese Express … and we were trying to keep up with demand.

How does your work in PR influence the work you do at Lu Lu? The overarching connection is creating experiences. I’m passionate about delivering really cool experiences and exposing my culture to all types of people.

What is Lu Lu Fresh Express? It’s our gluten-free, dairy-free, no-MSG options for those who want to eat healthier … Dierbergs carries Lu Lu Fresh Express meals under the name Lu Lu Healthy Balance. And on the Lu Lu’s Fresh Express side, we also have a food truck coming out.

When will it hit city streets? It’s slated to run Oct. 1. Originally, we were going to do a dim sum truck. Now we’re doing a street food concept with it, things that are griddled, moo shu wraps, things that you can take to-go … We’re aggressively looking for a building to buy, too. We want (a brick-and-mortar) to be open by the beginning of the year.

What is Create Space? Create Space has transitioned (from a pop-up artisan market) to a creative entrepreneurship incubator. We’re building a commercial kitchen down the street from (Lu Lu Seafood). The intention is to turn Olive Boulevard into an innovation center for creatives and food makers.

Describe the working dynamic between you and your mom, Jenny Lu. My mom is the mastermind of how the restaurant functions. She does a phenomenal job with providing delicious, authentic, healthy, real Chinese food. What I bring to the table is recognizing this artisanal value. Every dumpling is handmade and has 11 folds in it. It’s a beautiful

process. Everything in Chinese cuisine is about balance. I’m helping to bring that to a general public.

Is it ever challenging to work so close with family? We have our conflicts at times, and it’s mostly because I come from a world of entertainment, so I see things as: ‘How can we deliver the best product with the best brand at the exact right time?’ My parents, who have decades of business experience, know what works, and so it’s almost like we’re advising each other. They tell me how it is … and I’ll constantly challenge them, and in that process we innovate – because it really is a combination of both. It’s a balance that does the trick.

– Heather Hughes

You also got involved in Lu Lu’s bar program. What changed? Before we didn’t really have an official bar program; we kind of just had a bar.

Now we’ve completely transformed it. We have about seven specialty cocktails … for instance, the lychee martini made with fresh lychees. The Chivas Regal whiskey green tea is what we all drink in China. You walk in anywhere, and they’ll be like, “Do you want a whiskey green tea?”

PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING

What do you do now? I’m the one who’s in charge of our Dierbergs relationships, business development and Lu Lu’s Fresh Express – developing the Fresh Express fast-casual concept and making this something that the clientele really enjoy.

Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum 8224 Olive Blvd., University City, 314.997.3108, luluseafood.com; Lu Lu Fresh Express Twitter: @lulu_express

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