Taste

It's been a hot minute since I've been out to a fancy dinner. Currently craving this dish from Taste.

Just Leaving This Here...

... because it looks so good and I haven't had brunch in a hot minute.

Pro Tip: Wine

"Never ask a guest if she'd like more wine, even if it's her fifth glass. It's better to say 'Would you like some wine,' as if you're filling her glass for the very first time."

via

Extensive STL Dining and Drink Guide

"Fancy" 

Niche in Clayton

Syndey Street near Soulard

Libertine in Clayton

Farmhaus in South City

Cielo in the 4 Season's downtown and Vin de Set near Lafayette Square both have awesome views of the Arch. Only other place to get that is 360, which is douchey. 

Cool bars that college kids don't go to / Good for drinks and apps

Olio new the Botanical Gardens - wine and apps. The burrata is awesome. It's in a rehabbed old gas station. 

Taste in CWE- cocktails and apps (don't feel weird about getting the fries bc they are amaze balls)

Bridge downtown, wine and beer

Sasha's on Shaw (bonus points for being in my neighborhood and having a patio). Note that there is a Sasha's in Clayton by the big Amoco sign. That's more hoity toity Clayton moms and dads. 

33 Wine Bar in Lafayette Square (not positive they have food....)

Brennan's in CWE (again, not positive they have food....)

For brunch

Brasserie in the CWE

Half and Half in Clayton

Mud House on Cherokee

Pastaria in Clayton - Also, for dinner, the best Italian in the city that IMO tastes more like Italy than anything on the Hill.
Local Harvest on Morganford (weekend brunch only)

- Less fancy brunch options are Benton Park Cafe near the AB Brewery and Soulard Coffee Garden in Soulard

Whiskey bars

All of these opened in the last three months. I guess whiskey is trending in STL:

Planters House near Lafayette Square

Gamlin Whiskey in CWE

Small Batch in Midtown

Whiskey Ring on Cherokee

"Hipster"

Silver Ballroom = pinball on Gravois near Bevo Mill

Fortune Teller Bar on Cherokee. 

Amsterdam + The Dam, soccer bar and hamburger place attached. On Morganford near TG Park. 

Tacos

"Fancy" tacos would be Gringo in the CWE, Mission Taco in the Loop or Seoul Taco in the Loop (*See also "Food Trucks")

Legit/normal tacos on Cherokee Street - Tower Tacos or La Vallesana.
- Other favorite non-taco-specific Mexican includes Pueblo Solis in South City, Milagro in Webster, Las Palmas in Maplewood, Chavas in Soulard

Donuts

Normal - World's Fair Donuts near Botanical Gardens. Cash only. Lady that owns it has a beehive. 

Hispter donuts - Strange Donuts in Maplewood, also open late night. 

Sammiches

Blues City Deli near Soulard 

LeGrands in South City

Mom's Deli in South City 

Burgers

Bailey's Range downtown

Russells on Macklind has an awesome burger, but only at dinner. And their desserts are AWESOME.

Stacked Burger Bar in South City
SOHA on South Hampton

Pizza

Good Pie in the Loop. Wood-fired pizzas. 

Pi - Downtown location is kinda of cool if you want to spend anytime downtown. It's in the new "MX District" on Wash Ave. 

Black Thorn Pizza in Tower Grove South. Deep dish is awesome but call ahead and order bc it takes for-ev-er. 

Breweries

Urban Chestnut - 2 locations. New one in the Grove or older one in Midtown. Both legit. My favorite. 

Civil Life in South City is my second favorite to UCBC

Schlafly Tap Room or Bottleworks = the classic. 

4 Hands near Soulard
AB Biergarten is actually pretty cool, too

Food Trucks

Seoul Taco, Guerilla Street Food, Cha Cha Chow and GoGyroGo are my absolute favorites. If you only have time for two, choose Seoul and Guerilla. Seoul is Korean tacos (I recommend the steak tacos and the yogi bowl) and Guerilla is Filipino. Note that Seoul also has an actual storefront in the Loop. 

BBQ

Pappy's in Midtown is the most popular, be prepared for a line. 

Bogart's in Soulard is 2nd most popular, but my personal fave. Again, lines. 

Southtown Pub in South City

Shaved Duck near TG Park for sit-down BBQ/soul food
Spare No Rib near Soulard / Benton Park

3am bars

Beale on Broadway

Talayana's if you're feeling crazy. It's fratty. But just go in with a good attitude. 

Handle Bar in the Grove for dancing. 

Sandrina's near the Hill

Patio

Milo's on the Hill. Bocci Ball, sweet patio, and legit good "St. Louis style" pizza. 

Broadway Oyster Bar. Jam bands, cool covered patio even if the weather isn't great, and split a bucket of crawfish. 

Atomic Cowboy in the Grove.Good tacos, too. 

Friendlys near TG Park. Cash only. 

The Royale in South City
Mokabe's for coffee, strawberry lemonade and sandwiches. Right by Tower Grove Park.
The Block in the CWE. Good for dinner, too. Potted Pig appetizer is my favorite app in STL. 

Sasha's on Shaw, Southtown Pub also have patios... but were already featured in other sections of this list.
Also, I hesitantly add Amsterdam Tavern and Tower Pub to this list. I have been to their patios and enjoyed them, but not in ages so I'm not sure what they are like nowadays.

Coffee
Sump Coffee in South City. Do not ask for cream or sugar.
Hartford Coffee Company near TG Park. I recommneded the Vietnamese Iced Coffee. It's like crack. 

Shaw Coffee on the Hill
Park Ave Coffee in Lafayette Square or Downtown
Foundation Grounds in Maplewood
Rise Coffee in the Grove
Blueprint Coffee in the Loop
Restituo in Shaw is super artsy. Not even hipster. It's hippie. But feels very NYC art scene.
Any Kaldi's

Food that will make you feel like you are at home with mom/grandma - Mama Josephine's in Shaw

Avoid -

- Clayton bars and Wash Ave in the evenings. Especially douchey. Unless you want to feel like you are back at Fieldhouse on penny pitcher night. 

- I used to advise people to stay away from the AB Brewery. Too touristy, and we have way better beer options in this city to show off. If you're out with beer-drinkers, drink local at one of the places advised. If you are with non-beer enthusiasts / Select 55 drinkers like my Dad, the AB Biergarten is actually pretty cool. 

- The Soulard bars you used to think were cool. We're too old/cool for McGurks, Llewelyns, Molly's. If you find yourself in Soulard, iTap is acceptable, or Carson's for karaoke. 

- The Landing. Period. 

This Is What I Just Bought At Target

• three black and white shirts, two of which are striped
• three pairs of polka dot socks
• kettle-cooked potato ships
• tortilla chips
• salsa
• queso
• an orange dress (orange?!)
• two (two!) boxes of Magnum ice cream bars
• whitening toothpaste
• BB cream
• hair ties
• a 10-piece pan set 
• dog food
• striped paper straws... because, why not?
• brightening face masks
• granola bars
• canola oil
• self-tanner

I think I'm having a quarter life crisis. 

Dinners, Lately

Fontina/artichoke calzone and homemade marinara

Pork chop with white rice and swiss chard

Lemon and rosemary steamed pollock with potatoes and roasted carrots

Miso ginger pollock with potatoes and swiss chard

Balsamic skirt steak with purple potatoes and green beans

Pappardelle with mushroom and grilled chicken 

Thank you, plated. Thinking about whether or not it's acceptable to make a Match profile highlighting  my cooking skills.

A Month of Plated Meals

About a month ago, I saw a Facebook Ad for Plated - a new subscription service that delivers ingredients and recipes right to your doorstep each week. (As you know, I am a sucker for subscription services. I've been a loyal Birchbox subscriber for over a year now. Facebook Ads know how to target people, that's for sure.) Anyway, I decided to check it out. The ad had a code for 4 free plates, so I thought what the heck. 

Here's the deal - Plated puts up a new menu every week. You select which meals you'd like to try, and how many plates you'll need of each. You can select in quantities of 2, 4 or 6 plates - but be warned, you have to order 4 plates for them to ship to you. Each week, Plated delivers a box of ingredients to your house and the recipes for each. The recipes have lots of pictures and tips to make it super easy. 

Meals without a membership are $15/plate ; meals with the membership are $12/plate. Membership is $10/month. You can skip weeks at no cost (or at least, not that I'm aware). 

To be honest, they really got me with the food photography. It.All.Looks.Amazing. Before I ordered, I checked out #platedpics on Twitter and Instagram to see if real people's food looked as good as the professionally made/photographed, and what do you know… it did. Their tagline is to 'release your inner chef' - so if you're a super picky eater, this probably isn't for you. Although, you can create a profile indicating allergies, gluten-free, vegetarian, aversion to spicy food etc. 

I typically order 2 different meals, 2 plates of each. The portion sizes are legit. I know I tend to eat smaller meals, but I have gotten 2-4 meals out of each '2 plates' I cook. 

I look for ingredients I typically wouldn't choose or meals I wouldn't think to cook on my own. For example, I steer clear of stir fries, as rice + veggies + meat is pretty much the only thing I know how to cook. The meals I've chosen include sweet potato ravioli, eggplant rollatini, shrimp with garlic and white beans, and steak with onions and swiss chard. (I'm working on recaps/tips of each of those meals… Stay tuned.) 

A tip if you decide to sign up - in your Membership settings, turn OFF Auto Delivery. If auto delivery is on, it will charge you for and ship 4 plates to you every week - even if you forget to indicate which ones you want from the weekly menu. I'd rather absorb the $10 membership price than pay $48 for meals I maybe wouldn't have picked. 

The important thing to know is that the food is GOOD. I'm serious. I'm still shocked every time I cook and it turns out well. Out of the 5 Plated meals I've made, there is only one that I didn't love. And even that one introduced me to some new ingredients/techniques that I've used since. (Who knew roasted cherry tomatoes were so good?!)

The big question I get is, "Is it worth it?" In terms of price… we're looking at (in a four week month) $202 on meals if you don't skip any weeks. That's probably more than I typically spend on groceries… but it is also WAY better food than I'd cook if left to my own devices. In fact, I haven't gone grocery shopping aside from milk/bread/dog food in a month. 

Learn more and sign up for Plated here, and if you have any questions feel free to ask me! I'm not being paid/reimbursed/coaxed into writing this post either. I seriously just really like Plated. 

STL Tour Guide: A Day Outdoors

Saturday was seriously the most beautiful July day in St. Louis. Great breeze, blue skies, and I don't even think it hit 80 degrees. Would have been a shame to spend it inside, and so leads me to the second in my STL Tour Guide series.

10:00am We started off the day, as we do many Saturday mornings, at the Tower Grove Farmers Market. Can't miss items this week are peaches (finally in season!) and sun gold tomatoes. Trust me - I don't even consider myself a fan of tomatoes, but I've been snacking on them like crazy. So good. We got some blackberry lemonade from Holy Crepe (in a mason jar! So hipster of us!) and a 'special' from The Big Cheese - goat cheese, pickled red onion, and greens on Companion bread - and sat down in the grass to enjoy our little meal and some people (and dog) watching. 

1:00pm Stopped at G&W to pick up some landjager - they are like little summer sausage / jerky sticks and so, so good. Salty, juicy - not dry like you'd expect. We've been snacking on these sticks like crazy the last couple weeks.

 2:00pm Headed west to Castlewood State Park for a hike. They have plenty of trail options depending on what you're in the mood for (visit their site for more info on the different trails). We did the 1.5 mile Lone Wolf Trail that overlooks the river and then dives down in to a nice shaded walkway along the river. Really pretty, not too difficult and you get some great pictures out of it. Not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

4:00pm After hiking, we wanted a beer (obviously) and a patio, so we came back to the city to visit one of my new favorites - Milo's on the Hill. I usually opt for the Chicken Florentine pizza, but this time Joe and I split a Milo's Special sandwich and some toasted raviolis (duh). Nice late lunch. Then we played a game of bocce ball, and it was a lot of fun! We had never played before, but the rules were posted on each court and it's a fairly simple game so you catch on quickly.

STL Tour Guide: A Summer Saturday in South City

Last weekend was one of those freak summer weekends in St. Louis - weather only in the 80s, with a nice breeze and, most importantly, we had nothing on the calendar.

We slept in, had breakfast at home, and then had a little STL adventure running errands and stopping at a few of our favorite spots in the city. So I thought I'd share our day here, as the first in a hopefully continuing series - 'STL Tour Guide.'

10:00am Tower Grove Farmer's Market. We hit up the market for veggies, fruit, cheese, meat, and bread from Companion Bakery. There's always a couple food trucks there (my favorite being Holy Crepe) and a grilled cheese sandwich stand, too. We got an iced tea (for Joe) and a fresh lemonade (for me), kicked off our sandals and waded in the fountains. Not a bad way to cool off.

12:00pm Mokabe's for lunch on the patio. My choice is always the chicken salad on a croissant and a fresh strawberry lemonade.

1:00pm Paul's Bait & Tackle for supplies for an afternoon of fishing. Don't forget cash to buy your fishing license ;)

1:30pm G&W Sausage. We stopped in for some brats, and left with about five different kinds, oops. And some beef jerky to snack on while we were fishing. The lines are long on Saturdays, but the staff is friendly and you get a Busch for waiting in line. Not a bad deal, if you ask me.

3:30pm Fishing at Jefferson Lake at Forest Park. We packed a cooler of some waters, Schlafly Summer Lagers and our jerky from G&W and made our way to Forest Park for an afternoon of fishing. I don't know much about the rules there (I leave that for Joe...), but we heard that they stock the lake at the beginning of the month, so if you're going to go that's probably the time to do it. We didn't catch a single fish all afternoon.

Ain't that the Truth

Drinks, Lately (Vol. II)

Wine at neighborhood watering hole, Olio 

Pizza + beer at Black Thorn Pub

Chips, salsa and Dos Equis at Las Palmas 

 Coffee at Baxter Country Store in Lampe, Mo

Chalic of Busch at Fast Eddie's

Happy National Donut Day!

dreaming of this. 

Eats, Lately (Vol. II)

 {crawfish boil at Oyster Bar}

 {brunch at Rooster}

 {homemade fish tacos}

 {three-cheese grilled cheese}

 {frozen yogurt}

{potato, brussels and sausage hash}

Salad in a Jar

I've officially succumbed to the salad in a jar craze that's been sweeping the nation Pinterest. It's just a quick and easy way to throw a salad together and know that your dressing won't get your lettuce soggy after sitting all day. I usually make mine the night before, and as you can see, don't discriminate when it comes to jars. Some people use real mason jars or canning jars - but I've used pickle jars (for big salads), salsa jars (for smaller salads) and even a JIF peanut butter plastic jar. 

My favorite salad 'recipe' is generally something like...

• Dressing: Balsamic/honey/lemon or poppyseed dressing
• Fruit/Veggies: Some combination of strawberries and blueberries, apples, celery or red cabbage 
• Meat: Turkey or ham
• Cheese: Feta
• Greens: Spinach / spring greens mix
• Topped off with Croutons or Crackers

And to be honest - it fills me up! Even when I brought the 'small' salad in the salsa jar. Try it! A quick, easy meal to prepare and probably more healthy than that microwave Lean Cuisine.

St. Louis Fish Fry Season 2013: St. Pius V on Grand

Pius is always one of my favorite fish fries and this year, it did not disappoint. In fact, as Joe and I were sitting there in silence, scarfing down our delcisious food and listening to the Irish music, I was thinking about how great it was and Joe interrupted me with "This is the best food we've had all year." 

And it's probably true. I'll share my 2013 superlatives with you soon - best cod, best variety, best service, best desserts etc - but for future reference, the deets on St. Pius. 

For $8 you get a choice of fish - fried or baked cod, catfish - and THREE sides. I choose applesauce, coleslaw and potato salad (after being impressed by them last year - see, these reviews come in handy!). Joe had the mac n cheese and said it was pretty good too. I had the cod and it was okay. Enjoyable, but the crust was kind of tough. I needed a knife to cut it. Joe really loved his catfish. The dessert selection was awesome - I mean, LOOK at that cake. nom nom nom. 

The band was excellent as always, and this year they sang a special song called, 'We're having a fish fry' and it was hilarious. Any song that uses the word 'delish' to describe fried, battered cod is a win in my book. 

This was my last fish fry this year and I think I'm in denial. 

See other 2013 reviews:

St. Gabriel and St. Stephen Protomartyr, St. James the Greater and St. Agatha

And see past reviews:

St. Stephen and St. Gabriel, Cecilia's, Pius, Agatha, etc.

St. Louis Fish Fry Season 2013: St. Gabriel and St. Stephen Protomartyr

St. Gabriel

St. Gabriel is consistently one of my favorite fish fries. What's not to love about getting free beer in line, real cod, great sides and great service?

Yes, the line may be long - but like I said, they walk around giving you free beer! There are generally a few fish items to choose from - jack salmon, cod, catfish, and shrimp were among the options this year I believe. The cod here is my favorite in St. Louis. It is seasoned so nicely. And so many good sides! I opted for fries (I can't resist) and slaw (to keep it fresh). Although you are allowed two sides with each dinner, they gave my boyfriend three as a thanks for waiting. So nice!

I can be tough to find places to sit in the cafeteria, so travel in a smaller group (I recommend that for most fish fries though). And if you're really smart - do carry out and just sneak over to the dining room! The carry out line is always considerably shorter. 

St. Stephen Protomartyr

I may have gone overboard with the fried food at this one. 

I had the fish tacos last year, and while good - too spicy for me. I stuck with the cod (fried) this year. I'm traditional. The fish comes with hush puppies  (fried), and for sides I went with the much-raved about mac n cheese bites (fried) and sweet potato fries (fried). Whoa. The fries were great and I'd definitely get those again, but I wasn't a fan of the mac n cheese bites. I wish I had gotten some coleslaw. Something 'fresh.'

Favorite dessert variety of the year! In true St. Paddy's tradition, I went with this chocolate/mint cake and Joe had some sort of chocolate chip gooey butter cake that looked awesome. It was the first time this year that there was more than one thing on the dessert table that I wanted. Kudos, St. Stephen!

See other 2013 reviews:

St. James the Greater and St. Agatha

And see past reviews:

St. Stephen and St. Gabriel, Cecilia's, Pius, Agatha, etc.

Weekend in New Orleans

A couple of weeks ago, I was in New Orleans for a few days for work. Fact: New Orleans is one of my favorite places. I love the architecture, the history, and of course, the culture that revolves around food and drink and good times.

Our trip was much too short and I'm already planning my next trip back (Jazz Fest 2014 anyone?). Meanwhile, a few recommendations for other NOLA travelers:

On Bourbon: My Bar 365 had the best hurricanes and good live music. Great cover bands and atmosphere at The Swamp (and it's outside patio with a mechanical bull) and Razzoo. They are right across the street from each other. Pat O'Brien's is known for their hurricanes, too. I didn't make it there this time around. Don't be afraid of hurricanes - even if you're a beer drinker like me. They are pretty much like fruit punch. But be careful... consuming more than 1 or 2 might knock you on your feet. Trust me.

Somewhere off Bourbon Street is a weird little shop, Reverend Zombie's Voodoo Shop. You can't take pictures inside but it's a trip. Some stuff that isn't even for sale... like a stuffed cougar head.

Off the beaten path, or at least I think so....: Avenue Pub on St. Charles closer to the Garden District. Great beer menu, cool atmosphere, nice upstairs patio if the weather is nice. Frenchman's Street was recommended to us by a local as 'the locals' Bourbon Street.' We didn't make it there but he said there was great live music. The Chart Room is in the French Quarter, a little dive bar. Coop's Place. A little bar/restaurant in the French Quarter with amazing, traditional food! We did the sampler platter for a little bit of everything, also had the duck quesadilla which sounds weird but was delicious.

The classics, or at least I think so....: Cafe Maspero, Mother's and NOLA Good Eats for sandwiches. Cochon or Cochon Butchery. We didn't make it here (which I'm very sad about). I think the Butchery is more lunch-ish and Cochon is better for dinner (I think). Cafe Du Monde for cafe au lait and beignets, of course. Ruby Slipper for breakfast. The eggs cochon was like eggs benedict with pulled pork! The eggs blackstone was eggs benedict on a grilled tomato - really good and surprisingly light.

Was also recommended to me to explore Magazine St. And to have a picnic in Audubon Park.

For more NOLA inspiration, check out my New Orleans Pinterest board.

Side note, we stayed in a house about 5 miles from the French Quarter down St. Charles (in the Garden District maybe?) that we booked via VRBO and it was great! Click here to see where we stayed and click here to read about my other travel experiences using VRBO and airbnb.