St. Louis Food Blog

Last night, bartenders and mixologists from various St. Louis restaurants and bars met at 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar (1913 Park Avenue; website) for "Blood & Sand," an event to signal St. Louis establishing its own local chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild.

Photo: Stew Smith

Mixologist Ted Kilgore of Taste by Niche, who presides over St. Louis' "Best Drink Menu," according to the '09 RFT Best Of St. Louis issue.

​View a slideshow from "Blood & Sand."

Photographer Stew Smith was there and brings back these photos from "Blood & Sand," which featured bartenders and mixologists Ted Kilgore (Taste by Niche), Jamie Kilgore (Terrene), Lucas Ramsey (Eclipse at the Moonrise Hotel), Matthew Seiter (of the coming-soon Sanctuaria), Nate Selsor (Monarch) and T.J. Vytlacil (Flamingo Bowl).

12th Street Diner on Friday, located below the Washington Avenue Apartments.

​Although it opened back in August, the 12th Street Diner (1137 Washington Avenue) hosted a "grand opening" of sorts on Friday night. Here's an early look at the exterior of the diner and some of its menu choices.

The diner is open 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday. It's open 24 hours on weekends, and closes at 3 p.m. on Sundays.

The owner of 12th Street Diner, Eyad Tammas, also operated Copia Urban Winery, which was gutted by fire; the police determined it was arson, and the man charged with the crime was a former employee. He was later sentenced to five years in prison.

Egan O'Keefe

Ribs from Jim Edmonds' F15teen

​This weekend was the annual Taste of St. Louis event, a celebration of St. Louis restaurants, with art and live music. We offer not one but TWO slideshows of the event from photographer Egan O'Keefe. The first, "Food Porn at Taste of St. Louis 2009," is self-explanatory. Come to think of it, so is the second, which is titled -- sigh -- "Girls and Grease." Click on the links to visit either slideshow. After the jump, additional photos.

Photo: Egan O'Keefe

As Rams fans have always suspected, running back Steven Jackson is a real cut-up in the workplace. See more photos from last night.

​No, that's not a punchline: The St. Louis Rams, despite have the longest losing streak in the NFL, were all smiles last night at Fleming's Steakhouse for an unarguably generous act of charity, shilling Rams merch and autographs for the United Way Make-A-Wish Foundation of Missouri. With a few imagined captions, one can envision a real restaurant full of rushing Rams, wearing designer jeans and autographing wine glasses .

Like working in any restaurant, though, there are downsides: Working a fucking double shift (and you were supposed to be off today!) or being forced by your prick of a manager to sing birthday songs or, sometimes, being confronted by a customer over the bill.

Here's a slideshow of the Rams in action last night.

Photo: Steve Truesdell

Some of the crew from Pappy's Smokehouse. See more photos here.

​If the rain kept you inside Saturday afternoon, you missed the first Midtown Street Fest, which gave the restaurants and bars on Olive and Locust Streets a chance to show off their food for the masses who were a little farther west for the Dancing the Streets festival in Grand Center and the Saint Louis University homecoming.

The biggest draws for this stretch of  asphalt are its restaurants, the owners of which took their grills, fountains and cook-tops outside Saturday.

Photo: Stew Smith

A plate of ahi tuna poke at the opening of Red Kitchen & Bar in the Hyatt Regency Riverfront hotel downtown. See more photos from last night.

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​The bizarre cakes of Kerry Soraci, whose I Scream Cakes project is established in St. Louis, were on display Friday night at Iron Age Tattoo in the Delmar Loop. Photographer Stew Smith was there and brought back these photos.

Photo: Stew Smith

Just a hunka hunka frozen love: This Elvis cake is made from -- what else? -- peanut butter and banana.

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The Church Key (4127 Manchester Avenue) has apparently closed, according to Twitter chatter. (The restaurant/bar's website has disappeared, and its phone number is disconnected.) Opened in September 2006, the Church Key went on to win "Best New Bar" in the RFT's 2007 Best Of St. Louis issue. Thanks to Kelli and Lisa for the tip.

Photo: Nick Schnelle

See more photos from the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride.

​Beer and bikes came together Sunday in Forest Park for the New Belgium Brewing Urban Assault Ride, a bike race that included what most races should include: kegs upon kegs of beer. St. Louis was one of ten cities across the U.S. this summer that hosted a race, which included checkpoints instead of a predetermined route.

We have a full-slide show of the race, but since this is a food and drink blog, here are photos of the drinks.

The fifth-annual Tomato Fest at Iron Barley in South St. Louis wrapped up Sunday with owner Tom Coghill and a crew of 90 volunteers working to create the world's longest bacon-lettuce-and-tomato sandwich, at 179-feet, two-inches. (That's a lot of bacon -- 500 pounds of savory, crispy, delicious bacon.) The previous record was 169 feet. Video, photos and more BLT stats after the jump. (All photos by Tom Lampe; check out his Flickr page, too.)

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This week's feature story, "Isn't That Super," is a dispatch from Metropolis, Illinois, which -- according to Illinois law -- is the official home of Superman. As such, the town hosts a festival each June, and Jennifer Silverberg documented it this year with her camera. These pictures show the sugary staples of summer festivals and county fairs (hint: nearly everything is fried) as well as capture some of the quieter moments of the festival, where seemingly everyone wears a cape.

Sadly, there's no "fried Kryptonite chunks" or photos of a Bizarro Superman sipping on a "Luscious Lois Lane" cocktail.

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To go with Ian Froeb's review of Laganini Pizzeria & Restaurant in this week's issue,  photographer Jennifer Silverberg went into the kitchen with Aysha Sadikovic to see how she makes the German version of that American standard: the thick, beefy hamburger.

​First, weigh a rather large portion of beef to ensure burger will, in fact, be quite thick.

​ Next, Aysha prepares her secret spice mixture to incorporate into the beef.

Chefs and artists gathered Friday night at Mad Art Gallery in Soulard for the Art of Food fundraiser, benefiting both Slow Food St. Louis and Fair Shares Combined Community Supported Agriculture. Photographer Stew Smith was there and has these photos.

Photo: Stew Smith

Stephen Kovac of Winslow's Home shows off garlic-rubbed Benne's Best smoked chicken with Winslow's Home and Farm red onion-jalapeño jam on toasted 222 Artisan Bakery baguette.

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Photo: Stew Smith

Gerard Craft of Niche featured spicy pork meatballs.

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Photo: Stew Smith

Steve Gontram (right) of Harvest featured two dishes: 1. Missouri grass-fed oxtail barley with peppered ahi tuna and a roasted sweet red pepper emulsion, and 2. warmed Companion brioche bread pudding with bourbon-currant sauce and vanilla whipped cream

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You've read Ian Froeb's review of Eclipse restaurant, now take a look at the restaurant's bar, dining room, kitchen, the rooftop bar and all the lunar kitsch on display at Joe Edwards' latest venture.

Photo: Stew Smith

Lobster Pot Pie, foreground, and Trout a la Plancha, background.

Photo: Stew Smith

Trout a la Plancha, foreground.

Photo: Stew Smith

An Eclipse server holds a shaved fennel and pear with olives salad.

Photo: Stew Smith

The lounge at Eclipse.

Those of us who have visited states such as Texas or California know the joy and wonder that is a taco truck. To the uninitiated, these are nomadic vehicles that roam around selling delicious Mexican food -- such as tacos. (Other members of the same portable-food family include the falafel truck, a Korean BBQ taco truck and a cupcake van.)
Today, I was slightly perturbed (but also intrigued) to find out that the Taco Bell Truck is taking up residency in St. Louis for All-Star week. The premise is simple, as its Twitter bio says: "We drive around the country, handing out free Taco Bell tacos to people. What's not to like?" Well, there's the grossness factor of its food, mainly (and I speak of this as someone who devoured many, many tacos when my metabolism was a lot higher -- i.e., high school, when there was nothing to do after 9 p.m. besides hit the Border).

James Fiala, who already operates three restaurants in the St. Louis area, will open the Terrace View Cafe, on the northwest corner of the new Citygarden downtown, later this month.

Photo: Nick Lucchesi

James Fiala, owner of Terrace View Cafe, gives the sliding door at the restaurant a test-opening.

Fiala also owns the eleven-year-old Crossing in Clayton, the six-year-old Liluma in the Central West End and Acero in Maplewood, which opened a little more than two years ago.

Fiala says the "best case scenario" is to open the cafe by the July 14 All-Star game. On Tuesday morning, Fiala was at the restaurant. It will feature "Midwestern ingredients with Mediterranean flavors" and include a Mediterranean wine selection.

Egan O'Keefe

Did you know some St. Louis restaurants serve food after 9 p.m.? It's true. Here's a slideshow of some of the most popular places and those who frequent them.

foodincmovie.com

The line outside the Tivoli Theatre Wednesday night was nearly as long as the line for free burritos when the Delmar Loop Chipotle opened last year, except instead of hungry students, it was comprised (or, rather, also comprised) of earnest liberals, all clutching in their sweaty hands vouchers from the Landmark Theatres Film Club inviting them to a free screening of the new documentary Food, Inc.

A man on a girl's bike rode up to the brick wall beside the parking lot, stared entranced at the crowd and breathed, "Jackpot!"

In his sweaty hands, he clutched a pile of manila folders stuffed with cardboard and held together with rubber bands. All of which mean one thing to habitues of the Loop: Petition. In this case, to preserve Missouri's secret ballot.

(To his credit, at least he did not say, "Hey, do you have a minute for the secret ballot?")

But he also didn't get very far down the line before the Tivoli flung its doors open and let the crowd into the air-conditioning.

Egan O'Keefe

Didn't visit the Taste of Maplewood event on Saturday? Egan O'Keefe has a slideshow of all the food and fun you missed.

Egan O'Keefe

Click here for more photos.

This weekend, two-month-old Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que (1901 Washington Avenue) hosted a "Memphis in May Celebration." Freelance photographer Egan O'Keefe visited the event, and you can see a slideshow of her work.

(No photos of the "Best Booty" contest.)

Update: I'm told there are no photos of the "Best Booty" contest because no one entered it. (The contest, I mean.) So maybe a "Best (Pork) Butt" contest would have been a better idea.

Ian Froeb

Missed the party on Cherokee Street on Saturday for its Cinco de Mayo celebration? No worries, shut-ins, because photographer Jennifer Silverberg was there and has a photos from the festival. A variety of Mexican food was available, as well as hamburgers and bratwursts, because this is still St. Louis after all.

Photo: Jennifer Silverberg

View more photos.

Photo: Jennifer Silverberg

View more photos.

Sarah Paradoski

Ian Froeb

The scene at the Denny's on Hampton Avenue shortly after noon.

Hundreds filled Washington Avenue Sunday for the 2008 version of Wasabi Festival, to watch this year's sushi eating contest. Three contestants downed 75 California rolls.

We've posted a sushi-eating slide show. Does anyone get sick? Find out!

Slide Show

More photos after the jump.

Greater St. Louis Hispanic Festival took place over the weekend at Soldiers Memorial Park downtown. We've posted a slide show of some the outdoor eats available over the weekend.

Photos after the jump.

I didn't bring my camera to the Festival of Nations -- frankly, I was too distracted by excitement for that evening's Springsteen concert -- but RFT freelance photographer Lyle Whitworth has a slideshow of pictures. (The photo above is the only food-centric shot, but it should give you a good idea of the event's diversity.)

At any rate, the Festival of Nations was a blast, as always. It's especially fun to see cuisines that are un- or underrepresented in the area's restaurant scene: Haitian, Burmese and Filipino, for example.

The most interesting thing I sampled this year was probably a drink from one of the two Filipino booths: fresh lime juice (presumably) cut with water and then garnished with red pepper flakes. Wonderfully refreshing and just a tad spicy. Delicious.

- Ian Froeb

Photo: Lyle Whitworth

Miso on Meramec, one of the most visually elaborate restaurants in Clayton, celebrated its seventh year in business Thursday night with, what else, vodka and sushi.