Home home on the range

I consistently read around 10 blogs every day (the majority of which are wedding blogs, go figure). The one that has never changed since the beginning of my obsession with blogs is The Kitchn. Every day they gather four unique recipes from other foodie blogs from around the web. They also post interesting articles about chefs across the country, what is in season at the markets, new kitchen gadgets and kitchen remodeling. One of today's posts on The Kitchn was all about having the range on the kitchen island. I repeatedly tell Joe that in my dream kitchen in my dream home I would have one wish that would be at the top of the list...a gas range in the middle of the kitchen island. It would be situated so that I could be cooking while easily entertaining and not missing any fun conversations (hello, I want to be in the loop). The island would also have a long ledge in which visitors could pull up a stool and chat with me over a glass of chardonnay. Why oh why would I choose to have my range facing the wall and socially excluding myself from the party? I also would have to have the range be gas because in my own humble opinion, it is the best way to cook. I live in Missouri, the show me state, I have to see that gas flame to figure out what temperature I am cooking at. The orange electric rings just don't cut it for me.

In your dream kitchen would you like to have your range on the island too? I sure hope so because I don't want to be gossiping to your back!

Restaurant Review: Copia

Last week was Downtown Restaurant Week here in St. Louis, so we decided to try one of the participating restaurants.  Jessie hadn't been to Copia since they reopened after the fire, so we decided to try it on Friday.  I have to admit, I was super excited to try the menu:

Starters: (Choose One)

Arancini

Flash-fried garlic herb risotto balls stuffed with Parmesan served with tomato basil cream

Seared Ahi Tuna Nachos

Two house-made aged Cheddar and chipotle crackers topped with seared ahi tuna, fresh guacamole, roasted green chile and tomato salsa

Copia Salad

Mixed greens, red wine soaked red onion, tomato, Goat cheese crostini, balsamic vinaigrette

Classic Caesar Salad

Entrees: (Choose One)

Slow Roasted And Grilled Prime Rib

Served with Yukon gold whipped potatoes, fresh seasonal vegetables, horseradish cream and au jus

18 oz. Center Cut Pork Steak

House smoked and grilled pork steak glazed with tangy BBQ sauce, served with mac n' cheese and baked beans

Blackened Salmon and Shrimp Farfalle

Bowtie shaped pasta with roasted rock shrimp, tomatoes, scallions, corn, red pepper, jalapeno cream sauce and topped with blackened salmon  

Pan Roasted Grouper

Garlic and herb bread crumb encrusted grouper filet served with roasted garlic, tomato and basil orzo pasta topped with Champagne Goat cheese cream and grilled vegetable relish

Slow Roasted Chicken

Lemon and herb chicken with natural gravy, Yukon gold whipped potatoes and fresh seasonal vegetables

Desserts: (Choose One)

Grand Marnier Crème Brulèe

Chocolate Tulip

Mini chocolate tulip cup filled with house-made white chocolate mousse topped with fresh seasonal berries

Glass waterfall wall with wine closet behind it

I decided to try the Tuna Nachos (which the waitress said were so good they are adding them to their regular menu), the Grouper (I just love fish), and the Creme Brulee (I'm not a big dessert person, but I do like cracking the hard sugar top).  Jessie got the same except she tried the Arancini balls instead of the tuna nachos.

First, the Tuna Nachos were super disappointing.  They were not nachos at all, more like 2 small pieces of bruchetta with a cold piece of seared tuna on top.  The crackers the tuna sat on were really dry and had an almost goldfish cracker aftertaste.  They weren't bad, but I was expecting a lot more.  It didn't help that the two tiny pieces were set on a ginormous plate, that was mostly full of empty space.  I would've definitely tried a smaller plate to showcase that appetizer.  So far, STRIKE 1!  Jessie's arancini balls were good, but I could hardly taste any cheese.  I think the best part was the dipping sauce it came with.

Tuna Nachos

Arancini Balls

Next came our Grouper, which I was excited about because I love Grouper and the tomato and basil orzo pasta sounded really good.  Unfortunately, I am not a fan of heavy goat cheese on anything.  I assumed that the goat cheese topping would be on the fish and I could scrap off a bit to lesser the flavor, but the dish came out with the goat cheese practically mixed in with my orzo so I couldn't escape any of the strong flavor.  That wasn't the worst of it though... my grouper was significantly under cooked (practically raw).  How can you under cook grouper??!?!  I was really really disappointed and completely lost my appetite after that.  A meal that I would usually clean the plate, I barely got through half of it.  STRIKE 2!

Grouper over Basil Tomato Orzo with Goat Cheese sauce

Luckily Joe ordered well, a pork steak topped with fried onions with baked beans and mac n cheese as a side!  I originally didn't order the pork steak because I was afraid of the "tangy" BBQ sauce that came on it, but the mac n cheese did sound enticing.  Luckily Joe gave his mac n cheese to me and Jessie and it was pretty good.  I enjoyed the light bread crumb topping the most.  And let me tell you, Joe did not get gypted with the size of his pork steak!

Pork Steak, Baked Beans and Mac N Cheese

Ginormous Pork Steak the size of the plate!

After the entree, I was not feeling so hot (probably the mental repercussions of eating a raw filet of fish) but was interested in trying the creme brulee for dessert.  I am not a big dessert person, but out of the two choices on the menu, creme brulee appealed to me because it wasn't chocolate and I enjoy cracking that hard sugar crust on the top.   Unfortunately, the dinner could not close well and the creme brulee came out with a soggy syrupy topping that was completely uncrackable!  STRIKE 3! Get me outta here!  I took 2 bites and had had enough.  Majorly disappointing meal!

Creme Brulee with soggy top

I will probably not go back to Copia anytime soon.  The menu sounded so good but they failed to deliver (and some things they delivered were even inedible!).  While I enjoyed the decor of the restaurant (the glass walls with water falling down were pretty cool), our over experience there sucked.  Even the waitress was extremely awkward and made us uncomfortable.  Perhaps if I go back I'll stick to the bar side and have a glass of wine (it is an urban winery) but I would not eat there again.

Luckily the location was nice, so after dinner we could walk down the street to the Dubliner, a really fun Irish bar (imagine all wood decor inside) that usually has late night live music.  My favorite drink at the Dubliner is called the Snake Bite (it's Harp Lager mixed with Cider).  It was a really good after dinner drink to wash down my awful meal.

Outside the Dubliner on Washington Ave.

Turkey Burgers!

The big wedding day is less than 2 months away, time for a crash diet, right? HA! Although no crash dieting for me I am trying to avoid red meat a little more than usual so I decided to try a turkey burger for dinner. Every recipe I looked up varied so much so I decided that I would just wing it with what I thought would taste good. Here is what I came up with:

Turkey Burgers (serves 4)

• 1 pound Ground Turkey Meat (I like the when it says "lean" on there, you know, crash diet and all)
• 3/4 cup Italian Bread Crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Egg
• 6 Basil Leaves, cut into tiny pieces
• 3 big fork fulls of Sun-dried Tomatoes, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 tablespoon EVOO (or I used the olive oil that the Sun-dried Tomatoes were in)
• Salt and Pepper (to taste, I messed up and forgot to add salt and it definitely needed at least a teaspoon of salt)
• English Muffins, sliced in half
• Burger toppings of your choice (We used left over fresh mozzarella pieces and sliced tomatoes)

Put all ingredients, except English Muffins and burger toppings, in a large bowl.

Everything added pre-mixing.

Mix all ingredients with your hands (after they were washed of course). Do not over mix as this will cause the meat to be tough. If the mixture feels wet add more parmesan and bread crumbs. It if feels dry add more EVOO. With your hand score the meat mixture into 4 even sections (Rachel Ray tip that works).

4 burgers all measured out.

Grab 1/4 of the mixture and form into a burger about 1/2 inch thick. Be sure to make the outside edges thicker than the inside section of the burger. When you grill the burger it shrinks up and this will keep your burger from having that big bump in the middle of it. Repeat with other 3 sections.

Notice how the insides are pushed in more.

Have your grill pre-heated to about 400-425 degrees. Place all of the burgers on the grill and close the lid. Let cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip all the burgers and close the lid again. Let cook another 5-6 minutes. Remove the burgers from the grill. Put the english muffins on the grill, cut side down, and toast quickly while the burgers cool slightly. Now make your burger and add any toppings you like...I highly recommend buffalo mozzarella and fresh tomato slices.

Completed yummy burger!

The great thing about this recipe is you can basically add ANYTHING you want to the burger mixture. Any fresh herb, finely diced bell peppers, or different cheese (I hear feta is great with a turkey burger). Experiment and have fun! Just think, these are actually WAY healthier than a normal burger!

A direct quote from Joe, an avid red meat burger lover, "Those are f'ing good!" I think that says it all about the turkey burgers.

Bachelorette Week: The Morning After

I am ending Bachelorette Party Week with our morning after: waking up at the Moonrise Hotel in the Delmar Loop.



Moonrise Hotel

with rotating moon up on the rooftop



The Moonrise Hotel is famous for it's Rooftop Terrace Bar sitting on its 8th floor.  The rooftop terrace is entirely outdoors (so it is only open in the warm months), is super modern and has a gigantic moon rotating on the edge of it (one half painted dark and one half painted light).  From the bar you have a great view of the Arch downtown, and it is not too high up so you can still people watch along the Loop.  It is very trendy and fashion forward and I've never had a bad time up there.



Light-up stairs leading up to hotel area
"I'm in an Usher video!"

The hotel rooms in the Moonrise are very spacious and modern as well.  As I told Josie Hughes that day, I've never seen so much "Moon Art" before in my life... they really stay true to the moon theme when it comes to decorating.  On the first floor, the Moonrise Hotel also has a restaurant and bar called Eclipse.  Eclipse is staffed with top notch chefs (used to have Wes Johnson from SALT), including Josie Hughes' sister Beth, who also acts as a hostess there some nights.  It is always fun for a drink and was a great hangover breakfast spot for the morning after our bachelorette party!

Beth was in the kitchen that morning and had just told us that she made fresh biscuits.  I was craving something greasy so I immediately went to my favorite hangover breakfast go to... biscuits and gravy!  The rest of the girls had the same craving so we ordered up... "5 biscuits and gravy, please!"  The biscuits were different than the normal puffy and flaky biscuits you would expect, they were thinner and were really dense and doughy... perfect to sop up the delicious sausage gravy.  It definitely hit the spot and made me feel a lot better.  So good!

Biscuits and Gravy at Eclipse

Thanks for reading up on Jessie's awesome bachelorette party this week!  I hope we touched on some new restaurants and bars that you can try for a fun time!  Next week we'll bring you some more original recipes and some new restaurant reviews! 

Bye Bye, Bachelorette Party Week!

Remember, this week is Downtown St. Louis Restaurant Week and a bunch of downtown restaurants are having really great deals and fun 3-4 course menus!!!  Click Here for a list of the participating restaurants and their fun menus!  It ends this weekend!



Bachelorette Week: Jungle Juice

Continuing Bachelorette Party week...

Also on the party bus, I had a cooler full of jungle juice, yet nobody drank it because we had so many jello shots and beer.  However, Jungle Juice really takes me back to my college days and the turtle creek parties that the boys used to throw.  We would always drink the juice very cautiously because we knew that despite its pure Kool Aid taste, that thing was loaded!  Below is the recipe I used:

Ingredients:   
 
     Alcohol
          2 Liters (approx 1/2 gallon) of Everclear
     Mixers
          1 Gallon of Orange Juice (no pulp)
          4 Liters (approx. 1 gallon) of Sprite
          2 Quarts (1/2 gallon) of Cranberry Juice
          2 Quarts (1/2 gallon) of Ice Tea (sweet, preferably flavored)
          1 Gallon of red Hawaiian Punch or Kool Aid
     Fruit
          4 Oranges
          4 Apples
          2 Limes

Directions:    

     1. Pour all the Everclear into your cooler
     2. Add all the mixers and stir while adding them
     3. Perform a taste test and add more liquor or juice as desired
     4. Cut the fruit into bite sized pieces and add them into the mix
     5. Viola! You’ve got jungle juice!

Definitely not drinking water...

Bachelorette Week: Bar Hopping

Today's post features our Bachelorette Party bar hopping and the party bus that got us there.

After SALT we headed over to the Moonrise Hotel to grab our decorations (veil, beads, hottie whistles, etc.) and gear (Beer, Jello Shots, snacks) for the party bus to pick us up.  We rented a party bus from STL Road Pony (the "Colt" is the name of the type of bus) which pulled up with music blaring and lights flashing... it's definitely a bus you have to party in.  It picked us up and drove us around for an hour so we could enjoy beer, jello shots and dancing on the bus.  What really makes Road Pony buses stand out, is the fact that there are two "stripper" poles in the middle of the bus's walkway (great for holding your balance too when the bus is making sharp turns).  It just made dancing way more fun and added to the party.  Overall, great party bus choice!




inside view of our bus from their website

  FIRST STOP: Double D Lounge (Karaoke!)

We first stopped at Double D Lounge off Brentwood to enjoy some Karaoke.  Wash U and SLU kids must be back in town, because the place was wall to wall full of people!  The place was hopping, but luckily we found a spot right in the front near all of the singers and action.  The line for song requests was like 40 deep, so we had to bribe/harass our way onto stage so we could sing 2 songs before moving onto the next bar.  First song: Britney Spears "Hit Me Baby One More Time" (a classic).  Second song: Kelly Clarkson "Since You've Been Gone" (great for screaming).  Overall it was fun, but unusually crowded; however, I think it was just a fluke, because it is not usually that crowded.  Double D's is also known for their jello shots, so it can make for a fun evening.

SECOND STOP: Pepper Lounge (Dancing!)

Next stop is the Pepper Lounge downtown off Locust Street.  I have been in love with Pepper Lounge since I first went there the summer of 2008.  In Winston Salem for Law School I was always craving a good dancing club, but it seriously lacked there.  And in South Bend for College I pretty much spent every Friday night at the Backer for dancing and Tokyo Teas, so the Pepper Lounge brings back found memories of that (Except Pepper Lounge is like 20 times nicer!).  So of course we had to go to Pepper Lounge to dance the rest of the night away!  Unfortunately, this place was jammed packed too!  We could barely get in and we had to huddle in a tight circle and were constantly being bumped by people around us.  I swear... it is usually not that crowded!  We noticed Jessie was getting a bit sleepy so we took our party bus back to Moonrise Hotel and called it a night (and enjoyed some late night snacks on our very quiet right home).

Bachelorette Party: Dinner at SALT

Continuing on with Bachelorette Party week... this post focuses on our private dinner at SALT, in Central West End. 

Chef Wes Johnson (previously at The Shaved Duck and Eclipse) opened SALT this past May, and Jessie, the Viz girls and I had a chance to go opening week.  SALT has a very unique atmosphere and is in an old white mansion that used to be a funeral home.  After our May dinner, we got a private tour of the 2nd floor "Egyptian Room" and the private wine cellar in the basement.  Once I saw the wine cellar, I knew it would be the perfect setting for a bachelorette dinner to start the festivities of the bachelorette party night ("classy to trashy!" lol!).  That next weekend, I started emailing with Melody, SALT's event coordinator, and the rest is history!

Below is the custom made menu that I helped put together for the event:

Small Plates (Family Style):



Duck Fat Frites
with house made ketchup and garlic aioli



Mac n' Cheese



Scallop wrapped bacon

Pork and fennel meatballs in blackberry jam

Pear salad with smoked jowl, blueberries, mint in pork fat chili vinaigrette

Choice of Entrees:

Seared Trout (not pictured)

with potato, corn, pea hash, local greens, lemon vinaigrette

Pork Steak (not pictures)

with apple sauce risotto, guancale lardon

Overall, SALT's charm is in its small plates.  I suggest getting a bunch to share with the table.  Our top picks are their duck fat fries (unbelievable homemade dipping condiments!) and Chef Wes Johnson's trademark meatballs in blackberry jam.  We were also pleasantly surprised with the pear salad with the bits of smoke jowl (think pieces of chewy bacon).  And the chef made us our own version of Mac N' Cheese which was soooo good and has a wonderfully toasted bread crumb crust (unfortunately this is not a regular menu item, but it should be!).

Next on Bachelorette Party week... we go from CLASSY to TRASHY!!!  WOOT!!!

Bachelorette Party: Jello Shots

Welcome to Bachelorette Party Week on J + J Twins - Mangia Bene blog!!!

This past Saturday was Jessie's Bachelorette party and it was full of great drinks and food!

Today's post features the Jello Shot Syringes that Jessie and I made the night before.

RECIPE:

• 6 oz box of jello (either 1 big box, or 2 of the smaller boxes)
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups cold vodka
• Jello shot cups or syringes

1. put Jello powder in large bowl
2. boil 2 cups of water.
3. Pour the boiling water into the bowl containing the Jello
4. Stir until all of the clumps of powder are dissolved
5. Let sit until cools down to room temperature
6. Pour 2 cups of chilled vodka and stir
7. Pour/suck up contents into Jello shot container
8. Keep Jello shots in fridge to solidify

It's that easy!  And using the Jello shot syringes make it really fun and easy to eat, especially on a party bus!

See pics below:

I over shopped on the Jello
we only used about 1/5 of this

4 flavors cooling in their bowls: Strawberry, Berry Blue, Grape and Orange

Sucking up the Strawberry into the syringe

166 jello shots cooling in the fridge

Springfield's Horseshoe Sandwich

So if any of you have found yourself at Courtesy Diner late at night, I've bet you've tried their famous Slingers (whether you remember or not!).  For those of you who don't know, a Slinger is a St. Louis diner late night delicacy, consisting of two eggs (cooked anyway you want), hashbrowns, a hamburger patty, covered in chili and topped with cheddar cheese and onions (and sometimes jalapenos), served with buttered toast.  And let me tell you... at 3am, it is the best thing I have ever eaten!

Courtesy Diner Slinger

Well, what the Slinger is to St. Louis, the Horseshoe Sandwich is to Springfield, Illinois.  Last year for our birthday, Jessie and I took a trip up to Chicago with Joe and Josie Hughes.  After traveling so much throughout the Missouri/Illinois area the past few years as an auditor, Josie Hughes knew the perfect hotspot for Jessie and me to try a new dish.  Josie told us about this magical food called a Horseshoe Sandwich, that was invented in Springfield, Illinois and was absolutely delicious.  A Horseshoe Sandwich is a concoction of yumminess, just like the Slinger, and consists of a piece of toast topped with a hamburger patty, french fries, and a yellow cheese sauce.  Like hamburgers, you can also order other toppings like bacon, onions and tomatoes.  The Horseshoe sounded daunting as Josie told us about it, but she informed us that there is a more petite version called a "Pony Shoe"... I was sold!  

Pony Shoe with White Cheese Sauce




Topped with Bacon, Tomato and Onions
topped with yellow and white cheese sauce



Halfway down Highway 55 on our way back from Chicago, we stopped at D'Arcy's Pint in Springfield, Illinois.  D'Arcy's is right off the highway (15 minutes round trip) and Josie told us they have the best version of the Horseshoe.  D'Arcy's is also credited with introducing a white type of cheese sauce, as opposed to the traditional yellow cheese.  When we got there I ordered a Pony Shoe and both types of cheese sauces.  It was amazing!!!  Even in the middle of the day, I love me some local grunge food grub.  So if you are ever on a road trip up to Chicago, or if you happen to be in Springfield, Illinois, stop in any local bar and grill (I recommend D'Arcy's Pint) and try the local delicacy!

*Special Thanks to Josie Hughes for remembering to take pictures and for sharing her local food knowledge!

Restaurant Review: The Fatted Calf

The Fatted Calf... wait... isn't that place closed???  Nope, it is still kickin (but not quite hoppin).

As most of you St. Louisans known, the Fatted Calf was set to close at the end of this past June due to lack of business.  After hearing the news, people in the area, and hundreds of Clayton's business people, showed up at the Fatted Calf in droves.  Some went to fight to save the 40 year old establishment, considered a historic landmark in Clayton.  Others went to say their "goodbyes" and have one last fatted calf burger with soft spread cheddar (we'll call those people pessimists ;-)).  Either way, business dramatically increased, allowing the Fatted Calf to continue past its expiration date.

When my co-workers announced that we'd be going to the Fatted Calf for lunch this week, I have to admit I had mixed feelings.  My first feeling came directly from my stomach.  I instantly started craving a fatted calf burger with a scoop of that yummy soft cheddar spread.  However, my hunger suddenly turned into a confusion of emotions... didn't I already say goodbye? (yes... I'm a pessimist) Why won't the Fatted Calf stop playing with my emotions?!??!  Well... I got over it pretty fast once I walked into the dimmed restaurant, that almost looks like a Swiss barn from the outside, and smelled those yummy burgers.  I'm glad I get another chance!  I wasn't ready to say goodbye last June!



So I ordered the usual... fatted calf burger (which is a 1/3 pound of beef) cooked medium with a soft scoop of sharp cheddar cheese (amazing!) and lettuce and tomatoes.  I usually get an order of steak fries, but I am trying to be good before Jessie's wedding, so I had to forgo those, but I didn't mind, because they do not usually have enough seasoning and I'd have to put a lot of salt on them anyway.

Medium Fatted Calf Burger with soft cheddar spread, lettuce and tomato

The burger came out amazing, nice, juicy and pink in the center.  The soft scoop of cheese melted perfectly onto the burger once I spread it out with a knife.  It was the perfect burger combination with the lettuce and tomato.

One of my co-workers ordered the chicken breast sandwich, which is seasoned with chardonnay, olive oil and herbs.  At first I thought he was crazy for not getting a burger, but he said it was actually really good.  I also heard that Ram's Quarterback Sam Bradford (who literally lives less than 100 yards from my office building in Clayton... that's less than a football field!) had gone to the Fatted Calf, tried the chicken sandwich, and said it was the best chicken sandwich he had ever had.  So if you aren't into burgers, it's definitely a valid option.

Overall, the Fatted Calf is delicious!  The only thing that bothered me was how they charge 75 cents per topping (so $1.50 for lettuce and tomato!) and 15 cents for a cup of tap water!  So my meal was more expensive that it should have been.  However, I can't get over their cheddar spread and it keeps me coming back for more.  (Note, if you are a big fan of soft spread cheddar on burgers, I also recommend Blueberry Hill in the Delmar Loop, because they have it too and they have a better overall atmosphere).  Food for thought though: Fatted Calf delivers in the Clayton area, so this may be something to take advantage of during late work nights. 

So, the ultimate question...is the Fatted Calf saved for good?  My opinion: the burst of business is probably temporary, because even 2 months later it was just as dead as before.  But as my friend Ashley said it best, I probably won't go back until it's the next time to say goodbye ;-) 

Sandrina's Review

I kept passing this old 2-story brick building with the Sandrina's sign on my way home from the Schnucks off of Arsenal wondering what in the world was inside. I knew I had to try it because I always saw cars parked nearby and it was so close to home that it would be a great spot to go when Joe and I get into our "what do you want for dinner, no, what do you want for dinner, I don't care, no, I don't care" type of conversations.

On a recent Wednesday night we stopped in Sandrina's around 6pm. You enter directly into the bar area with many beers on tap. To the left of the bar area is a large dining room with a black and white checkered floor. Don't let the Buck Hunter video game scare you from sitting in the dining room, it is very peaceful on a weekday night. We were 1 of 4 tables and we choose to sit in one of their booths. It took quite some time for the one waitress to come get our drink order, 2 Sam Adams Summer Seasonals on draft please! I was worried our service for the whole evening would be awful but I was proven wrong. The one waitress walked around quickly and everyone seemed to be well taken care of, including us.

I was in the mood for chicken fingers (go figure, it is my go-to bar food order) until I saw that they had a 3 cheese grilled cheese sandwich. AH DECISIONS! Luckily Joe was in the mood for both of those things so we ordered them both and shared. The chicken fingers are huge and are covered in panko bread crumbs before frying. I think I had 3 chicken breasts on my plate instead of tenders so it was a great choice to split this item. The meat was moist and not dry. The chicken fingers come with any dipping sauce you would like, we had ranch and honey mustard. I would highly recommend the ranch, it was very good, creamy and had a lot of seasoning in it. The only odd thing about the chicken fingers it that they do not come with a side of anything (probably because it is an appetizer). 

HUGE chicken tenders!

Luckily the grilled cheese does come with a side of your choosing. The fries were advertised as being homemade so we had to try those and they were a great choice. You could still see the potato skins on the cut fries and then they were all sprinkled with parmesan cheese, yum! The grilled cheese was also fabulous as it was stuffed with cheddar, swiss and smoked gouda.

This photo says it all!

Joe and I were extremely satisfied with our meals and definitely happy we split so we were able to try both items. Sandrina's is also very reasonably priced $4.95 grilled cheese w/ fries, $6.95 chicken tenders, $3.75/Sam Adams Draft.

When I told my sister I ate here she reminded me that she too had eaten there, although at a much later time than 6pm. She informed me that this bar becomes jam packed after midnight. She claimed that they served the best cheese fries she has ever eaten. We confirmed this report with our waitress who said it is standing room only after midnight in both the bar and dining room! The kitchen opens at 4pm (sorry no lunch) and closes at 2am with the bar staying open until 3am. 

I hope you try out Sandrina's in South City, if you do, give me a call because I'll be up there in 5 minutes to steal some bites of your food and join you in a beer!

Panera's Great Sandwich Showdown

Panera Bread (otherwise known as St. Louis Bread Co. in the St. Louis area) is holding a competition for a new sandwich recipe to put on the menu for a limited time at its 48 St. Louis locations.  This competition is super exclusive, as only Missouri and Illinois residents can participate.  200 entries were received last year, and they expect around 300 entries this year.

Last year's winner was a Beefsteak Bleu, which consisted of  beef and bleu cheese with sundried tomato pesto and Caesar dressing.  Entries must be submitted by September 15th.  Make sure you look at the official rules because they specifically list out all of the ingredients that you are allowed to use.  There are some really odd ones in there too.... gooey butter filling??!!  So have fun and be creative!!!  Even runner ups get prizes!

Jessie and I are going to think of some sandwiches to come up with.  It's going to be hard though because you can only enter one, so it's gotta be good!  Luckily there are two of us ;-)

Mom's Pasta Salad

If someone asked Josie and me what one dish we think of when we think of summer I know that both of us would 100% answer our mom's pasta salad. Our mom made this pasta salad all summer long whether it was for a pool party we were hosting or for a BBQ we were attending. I may be biased but I think this is the best pasta salad in the world.

Mom's Pasta Salad Serves a large crowd!

• 1.5-2 boxes of Tri-Color Rotini (I use Barilla, has never failed me), cooked, drained, rinsed with cold water. DO NOT OVERCOOK or you will get mushy pasta salad and no one wants that.
• 1 packaged sliced Pepperoni, slice in half
• 1/2 of a large red onion, diced into tiny pieces
• 1 jar of Artichoke Hearts, chopped (I usually buy the jar where the artichokes are soaked in olive oil and Italian seasoning)
• 1 pint of Cherry or Grape Tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on preference
• 1 small can of sliced Black Olives
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese 
• 1 small jar of diced Pimentos (you will only use about 1-2 tablespoons of these)
• 1 bottle of semi-homemade Italian Dressing (We ALWAYS use the Good Seasons dry Italian dressing mix. You can buy 2 packages of the mix and it comes with the dressing container. I swear it is delicious.)

All of the ingredients.

The hardest part of this pasta salad, and it really isn't very hard, is just preparing all of the ingredients. Get the pasta cooked and cooled. Chop the onion, slice the pepperoni, slice the tomatoes, chop the artichoke hearts....you're done! Place the pasta in a very large bowl and prepare to add all of the ingredients.

Everything all prepared and ready to be mixed.

I usually wait to mix everything until 30 minutes-1 hour before I am going to serve it. I like to add everything but the dressing and cheese to the pasta and mix. Then I add the bottle of dressing and the cheese and mix again. A full bottle will work for 1.5-2 boxes, use less for 1 box of pasta. 

The pasta salad half eaten, I forgot to take a photo 'till after people ate, oh well!

The great part about this pasta salad is that it tastes amazing as left-overs! Joe and I ate some for dinner the night after (and a few noodles for breakfast, shhhhh). If you invite me over, can I please bring the pasta salad?

News: St. Louis Originals Adds 2 New Restaurants

St. Louis Originals has just announced that it has added two new restaurants to their rapidly expanding All Star lineup, PW Pizza and the Cafe Pintxos as Hotel Ignacio.  For those of you unfamiliar with St. Louis Originals, it is a group of locally and independently owned St. Louis restaurants.  At each restaurant you can even pick up a free rewards card and get points for dining at a St. Louis Original Restaurant.  And now St. Louis Original gift cards are even available, a perfect gift to give to foodies, that you can use at any of the 35 restaurants.

PW Pizza is a new pizza place that just opened up this past May.  It is located on the first floor of Vin De Set's building downtown.  Jessie, Joe and I visited it a few months ago before seeing Jersey Boys at the Fox and it was amazing! (the show was amazing too ;-))  It had a fun drink menu, with craft beers from all over the nation that I've never even heard of.  And the waitress was really nice at helping us choose a beer we would enjoy.  Also, they give you a frosted beer glass to pour the bottled beer into, which I just love!!!  And just like the Pasta Bowl at Lo Russo's, they have an annual Pizza Recipe contest, benefiting Food Outreach of St. Louis!  We ordered the winning dish, which was Spinach, Artichokes, and Meatballs with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.  It was perfect!!!  I don't know how anyone is going to top that next year.

I've never been to Cafe Pintxos at Hotel Ignacio, but it sounds like a cute breakfast spot!  The website says that by day it is a breakfast cafe, serving muffins, smoothies, and breakfast sandwiches, and by night it is a trendy, contemporary bar.  Definitely go check it out!



Make sure to check out the St. Louis Originals Members:

• Absolutli Goosed
• Baileys' Chocolate Bar
• Bridge
• Cafe Provencal
• Companion Clayton
• Companion Ladue
• Cravings Rest. & Bakery
• Dierdorf & Harts - WSPT
• Duffs
• Eau Bistro
• Eau Cafe
• Eleven Eleven Mississippi
• Harvest
• Herbie's
• Hotel Ignacio
• LoRusso's Cucina
• Massa's
• Mike Shannon's
• Monarch
• PW Pizza
• Ricardo's
• Rooster
• Schlafly Bottleworks
• Schlafly Tap Room
• Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream
• Square One Brewery & Distillery
• SqWires
• Sunset 44 Bistro
• The Scottish Arms
• The Shaved Duck
• Three Monkeys
• Trattoria Marcella
• Vin de Set
• Vito's Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante
• Wild Horse Grill

Restaurant Review: The Block

Last week, we had a Viz dinner at The Block Restaurant and Butcher Shop, Marc Del Pietro's new restaurant in Webster Groves.  The Block opened this past June and we were wanting to try it!  As the name implies, this is the place to get good cuts of meat... so vegetarians beware!  The atmosphere was very unique, with big wood panelling at the Bar near the entrance.  The room then curves around into a large open dining area and the lighting consists of single lightbulbs hanging by a wire from the warehouse style ceiling.  We went on a Wednesday night and with a party of six we got seated right away.

Coincidentally, this picture was taken from the exact seat,
at the exact table, that I sat at in the restaurant

Last week was St. Louis Craft Beer week, so the Block, like many other restaurants, had some local craft beer specials.  They had a special beer menu that paired local beers with the food specials that day.  I am just ecstatic that O'Fallon Brewery is back in business, and I can't pass up my favorite new hoppy beer, Hemp Hop Rye, so of course I ordered a glass.  The menu had a variety of foods, mainly meat of course, but a few fish items and a small section of flatbreads.  However, the waitress told us that they had a "few" specials that night and ended up rattling off like 6 or 7 off-menu items.  We kind of zoned out after the 4th or 5th special and had to have her ask to repeat the last couple.  With the specials, they also announce the butcher's beef cut of the day, which was Grass Fed House Butchered Rib Eye at $24.  Luckily they had a smaller (and cheaper) beef option with a petite filet special.  We started with two appetizers, just for fun.  I really wanted to try the jalapeno corn muffins and they were so good!  There were only two per order so we got 2 orders for the table (at $4 per order).  It came with a topping that almost looked like creamed spinach, but it turned out to be a really tasty butter spread to put on the corn muffins.  It was a nice surprise!  And luckily for Jessie, the jalapeno part of the corn bread was not spicy at all.  Kara really wanted to try one of the more fun items on the appetizer menu, fried green tomatoes.  They were a fun and light appetizer and reminded me of my days down south at law school, where such item is always on restaurant menus.  However, they were a little pricey at $8 for a small portion.

Jalapeno Corn Muffins

Then our group tried a variety of items from the menu (and off the menu), such as the petite filet, flatbread, pork chop, St. Louis staple pork steak, and one of the enticing special menu items: ‎3 Little Piggies Sandwich, which is a Breaded Pork Cutlet, Smoked Bacon & Country Ham, Swiss Cheese, Tomato, Lettuce, Tabasco Mayo on a Hoagie Roll.  It looked really good!!!  I wanted the pork steak, because I knew in St. Louis it would be cooked right, but it came with a sweet honey barbecue sauce that I had a feeling would be too sweet for my liking, Jessie and Josie Hughes got the pork steak and I had a bite and I was right, the sauce was way too sweet for me, however the cut of meat was perfect and it was really tender.  I stuck with a pork chop, which I haven't eaten in a long time.  It was a good cut of meat, but a little tougher than I remember.  I asked them to substitute the apple slaw for some sauteed spinach but they ended up substituting my potatoes for the spinach, leaving me stuck with the slaw.  Bummer!

Pork Chop with Apple Slaw and Sauteed Spinach

Pork Steak with Honey BBQ Sauce

My favorite menu item (coming in close second after those jalapeno corn muffins) was the mac n cheese I ordered extra as a side.  You can order either a small bowl of mac n cheese or a large portion and have it as your meal.  You can also add bacon to it.  I was being "semi-healthy" (ha!) and ordered the small portion without bacon.  The mac n cheese has a really good sauce, that wasn't overly creamy and actually had some juice to it, which I love!  And surprisingly, even without the bacon, it had a lingering smoky flavor that really made it stand out.  Definitely 2 thumbs up for their mac n cheese!

Mac N Cheese

Overall, the Block was a good restaurant, but rather expensive for what we ordered.  I liked the atmosphere, the cuts of meat and the appetizer/sides.  When I go back again, I am definitely going to go to splurge and get whatever the butcher's beef cut is that day, because it looked mouth watering good.  I'd even like to go on a weekend night, when it is more crowded, and have time to sit at the fun looking bar for a drink before being seated.  And I'd definitely get the jalapeno corn muffins and mac n' cheese again!  Yum!!!

Summer Veggie Tian with Lemon Pepper Tilapia

The other night Josie came over for dinner and we were both really craving veggies and fish. If you have the same craving I would highly recommend the meal we made. We slightly adapted the recipe from Saveur Magazine.

Summer Vegetable Tian - Serves 6 as a Side Dish (great as leftovers)

• 1 medium eggplant, peeled
• Salt
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
• 5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Pepper
• 2-3 medium zucchini, sliced diagonally (to make larger)
• 4 ripe farm grown tomatoes, sliced
• 2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella, sliced into as many thin pieces as possible
• Baking Dish
• PAM
• Have Oven Preheated to 400 degrees.

Cut the eggplant into 1/2 inch cubes then place in a colander in the sink. Generously sprinkle salt all over the eggplant and let sit for at least 15 minutes to drain the bitterness out of the eggplant.

Cook the onions in 3 tablespoons of EVOO in a skillet over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Then add garlic, salt and pepper to the onions and cook for at least 2 minutes, until you start smelling garlic and before the garlic turns brown. Spray your baking dish with PAM and add the onion/garlic mixture to the dish.

Onions and garlic cooking away!

To the same skillet add 1-2 tablespoons of EVOO and keep over medium heat. Squeeze your drained eggplant to get excess liquid out of the eggplant. Add the drained eggplant to the skillet and saute for about 8 minutes, until soft, season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked eggplant to the onion/garlic mixture in the baking dish and stir to combine.

Eggplant added to the onion/garlic mixture in the baking dish.

Arrange the zucchini and tomato slices in overlapping layers in the baking dish over the eggplant/onions/garlic. Top with 1-2 tablespoons EVOO, Italian Seasoning, and Salt and Pepper.

All the veggies layered up. Josie did a fabulous job with this!

Bake the dish (400 degrees) for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and add the fresh mozzarella slices on top of the veggies. Put the dish back in the oven for an additional 20-25 minutes. Let cool before serving.

Everything tastes better with CHEESE, our finished veggie tian.

With the veggies we decided to serve a very easy to prepare fish, tilapia. We thought that lemon pepper would be a nice flavor next to the veggies. Be prepared for the easiest fish recipe ever.

Lemon-Pepper Tilapia - Serves 3 (me/Joe/Josie)

• Baking Sheet
• Aluminum Foil
• 3 fresh tilapia fillets (less than $7 for all 3 at Schnucks that night)
• 3 teaspoons EVOO
• 1 tablespoon (more or less) of Lemon Pepper Seasoning (I buy it in the shaker of the seasonings, very easy to shake on)
• Have oven preheated to 400 degrees (already done with the veggies)

Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on the baking sheet, this means NO CLEAN UP, so I would highly recommend this step. Place the 3 tilapia fillets on the foil. Add 1 teaspoon of EVOO to each fillet. Rub the EVOO over the top and bottom of each piece of fish. Shake the seasoning in an even light layer over the top and bottom of each piece of fish. Place the baking sheet into the oven and leave it there for 15-20 minutes, I find that 17 minutes is basically perfect. The fish is ready to serve nearly immediately.

Our yummy dinner. We didn't even miss a large carb side, we all were very full after this meal!

This was a great, fresh, summer meal. Of course we needed a tasty beverage with our meal and one of our favorite summer beers is the O'Fallon Wheach beer. It is a wheat beer with peach flavor from O'Fallon, MO and hit the spot!

The best local summer beer!!