Blogs

As I posted earlier, at 9 p.m. tonight Iron Barley will be featured on a new episode of the Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

The episode is titled "Neighborhood Joints," which is a better description of Iron Barley than diner, drive-in or dive. At any rate, I'm home, it's on in 20 minutes, I figure why not live-blog it.

I'll be back shortly.

8:49 p.m.: I'm drinking a beer (Schlafly Dry-Hopped APA, if you must know), which seems appropriate. Right now Unwrapped is on. I can't believe this show is still on. Marc Summers must wake up every day and thank God he isn't doing Double Dare 2008 at an amusement park near you. Either that or he has photos of Paula Deen and Tyler Florence at the Food Network Xmas party.

8:53 p.m.: Oh, God, a hot-dog eating champion at the end of Unwrapped. Might have to turn to ESPN. Maryland women's basketball team in the Elite Eight. Go Terps!

8:57 p.m.: Dude ate 8.6 pounds of asparagus in 10 minutes. How long until the asparagus pee wore off?

9:00 p.m.: And we're on. Guy Fieri looks like a Fraggle.

9:01 p.m.: Dude in a O'Fallon Brewery t-shirt. Nice plug.

9:02 p.m.: That's a lot of garlic. Maybe Coghill will kill Fieri. By mistake, of course.

9:03 p.m.: "I could put this on flip-flops, and it would taste good." - Fieri.

9:04 p.m.: Schnitzel and spaetzle. Amen.

9:05 p.m.: There's an electric saw. Come on, Coghill. Kill! Kill! I mean, smoke! Smoke!

9:07 p.m.: And that's it! (It was the first segment! Hooray!) Congrats to Tom Coghill and everyone at Iron Barley. I can't wait for my next visit. All right. Off to make dinner. See y'all tomorrow.

-Ian Froeb

Zinnia has closed. If you never ate there, you might have known it as that purple place on Big Bend Boulevard. The RFT last visited Zinnia in 2002. For the nostalgia (or to see what you missed) you can read that review, by Melissa Martin, right here.

-Ian Froeb

Iron Barley (5510 Virginia Avenue) will be featured on tonight's episode of the popular Food Network show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives at 9 CDT.

Never mind that Iron Barley isn't a diner, drive-in or dive -- at least, not as I understand a dive -- or that Guy Fieri is insufferable. Watch and cheer one of the coolest restaurants in St. Louis. Or, if you want, watch and cheer along with the staff: Iron Barley is hosting a viewing party tonight.

The RFT has showered a good amount of praise on Iron Barley over the years. Here's a link to our original 2003 review by my predecessor, Rose Martelli. Last year we gave the restaurant the award for Best Sammiches, and in 2003 we decreed that it had the Best Décor.

-Ian Froeb

www.icanhascheezburger.com

Don't remember the cheeseburger in a can? Check out the original post. Later, the AV Club actually tried one.

-Ian Froeb

The recall of salmonella-tainted cantaloupe continues to expand. (UPI)

Recent history indicates that if the U.S. does enter a recession, restaurants will fare better than you might think. (New York Times)

The cost of the Westland/Hallmark meat recall is still being calculated. (USA Today)

Another campaign for Jamie Oliver: The chef now wants Britons to eat a "wartime diet." (Guardian)

-Ian Froeb

www.greenwichmeantime.com

Several fun food events to check out this weekend:

The American Czech Educational Center is holdings its annual Czech Festival tomorrow. Alison Sieloff has the details right here.

If you feel like a drive, Hermann, Missouri, holds its annual Wurstfest this weekend. Click here for all the details.

Finally, Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue) is hosting its winter market of local produce from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. tomorrow.

That's it for this week. Next week, a confession: My name is Ian, and I don't know how to drink boba tea.

Have a great weekend. Eat something good.

-Ian Froeb

Photo: Ian Froeb

A look at what’s happening at our favorite St. Louis food blogs…

At One Hot Stove, Nupur is baking pear-almond loaf.

The Pollacks file a review on Revival.

What's the problem with this year's contestants on Top Chef? Bill ponders the question at STL Bites. (Don't click if you haven't seen the most recent episode!)

What makes Jack's Sandwich of Awesome so awesome? Let Iron Stef explain.

Caramel-topped flan is on the menu at Sounding My Barbaric Gulp.

At FamilyStyle Food, Karen is making classic Italian meatballs.

The Cupcake Project is trying to drive me crazy by serving key lime pie cupackes.

Bruno's Dream pairs butternut squash in sage brown butter with chicken roulades.

The Cheesemonger's Wife is really excited by the latest effort from the Scottish Arms folks, the Shaved Duck.

Mike has made another beer list, this time with a local focus, at STL Hops.

At Zinur, Natalia has a recipe for orangettes.

Alanna's A Veggie Venture offers a recipe for stuffed artichokes.

Alanna is also the ambassador of St. Louis food blogs, and she passed along two new blogs this week: Miss Food Snob and Show Me Vegan. Go say hello!

Do you know a St. Louis food blog we should read? Do you write one yourself? Drop us a line.

-Ian Froeb

Photo: Ian Froeb

Mexican restaurant La Tortuga (2817 Cherokee Street) has closed. No word yet on what might replace it -- or whether La Tortuga itself might return somewhere else. More as I learn it. Regular Gut Check readers might remember La Tortuga from Keegan Hamilton's fantastic post describing Mexican Lenten dishes.

-Ian Froeb

In today's Post-Dispatch, Deb Peterson reports that Eric Kelly will become the executive chef at the Central West End restaurant ~scape (48 Maryland Plaza). ~scape is part of the Levy Restaurants group, and Kelly has been a chef with Levy for some time. You can read my review of ~scape from the beginning of this year right here.

-Ian Froeb

The continuining saga of the salmonella-tainted cantaloupes: the U.S. is sending inspectors to Honduras. (AP)

An interesting look at the controversy over Starbucks' purchase of the maker of the Clover coffee machine. (New York Times)

The perils of amateur sushi. In case said perils weren't already obvious. (Reuters)

-Ian Froeb

www.pigstl.com

What is P.I.G.? Whatever it is, consider me intrigued. More as I learn it -- unless you know something I don't, in which case you should be emailing me right now.

-Ian Froeb

Photo: Ian Froeb

More positive news for the Loft District and downtown: At long last Mosaic has moved from its original location at 1101 Lucas Avenue to its new digs just down the block at 1001 Washington Avenue.

-Ian Froeb

Photo: Ian Froeb

Now open at 1405 Washington Avenue (the former Kyo space) is Solace Café & Wine Bar. On its Web site, at least, Solace features a small menu of appetizers and "seasonal cuisine." Upstairs from Solace is Sugar, a lounge.

-Ian Froeb

The USDA might change its recall policy to avoid naming retailers selling contaminated meat unless that meat poses a health risk. (AP)

A virus called infectious salmon anemia has hit Chile's fisheries. (New York Times)

Herb Peterson, the inventor of the Egg McMuffin, has died. (AP)

-Ian Froeb

Jones Soda and the greatest Web site in the world, I Can Has Cheezburger, have teamed to give you -- yes, you! -- a chance to have your very own Lolcat appear on a Jones Soda label. Details on the contest right here.

-Ian Froeb