Email Author Ian Froeb

Awards

• 2011 - Association of Food Journalists Awards, published November 11, 2010

  "Near Beer"

• 2011 - Association of Food Journalists Awards, published November 4, 2010

  "Jeffrey Plaza Jewel"

More

2009 Stories by Ian Froeb

• Tenticular Fortitude: Ian counts down the top 10 dishes of '09 (hint: he loves him some octopus!)

  published December 23, 2009

  Time to close the book on another year of reviews. While there were few splashy restaurant openings this year — in fact, three of the... More >>

• The Ten Most Important St. Louis Restaurant Openings of the Aughts: An Introduction

  published Dec 21, 2009

  Wait -- whatr The decade's overr You mean, after cultivating my list of this year's best dishes, I have to turn around and do the same thing for the entire damn decaderSigh.The thing is, I didn't move... More >>

• 2009 in Review: February

  published Dec 21, 2009

  rFebruary was a big month here at Gut Check International Headquarters, as we rolled out our first new columns written by freelance writers: The Noble Writ, Java Enabled, The Sneak, The Dive Bomber an... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #1: Octopus at Taste by Niche

  published Dec 21, 2009

  Each serving -- each bite -- was a revelation. I didn't know octopus could be this delicious, or this tender. The tentacles are roasted with onion and olive oil before service. They shrink considerab... More >>

• 2009 in Review: January

  published Dec 21, 2009

  rWhen Gut Check learned that the Chocolate Oreo Milkshake at Baskin Robbins had been named the worst food in America, checking in at 2,600 calories and 263 grams of sugar...well, we just had to try it... More >>

• This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

  published Dec 18, 2009

  As promised, we kicked off the Gut Check Year-End Bonanza this week with the Top Ten Dishes of 2009 -- though you'll have to wait till Monday to learn the #1 dish of the year. The next two weeks will ... More >>

• Gut Check's Week in Tweets

  published Dec 18, 2009

  Don't you knowr Gut Check has a Twitter account. You can follow me @gutcheckstl.Here's some of what you missed on my Twitter feed this week:A few weeks ago I wondered when someone would name a dish af... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #2: Garlic-Crusted Chicken Breast at Monarch

  published Dec 18, 2009

  Chicken dishes are often a sop to the unadventurous diner, but chef Josh Galliano's garlic-crusted chicken breast is a winner -- though here the chicken really plays a supporting role to the garlic. N... More >>

• Breaking: Kitchen K to Close, Reopen as Pacific Grill

  published Dec 18, 2009

  Just into Gut Check: Pablo Weiss is closing his popular downtown restaurant Kitchen K (1000 Washington Avenue; website) on January 1, 2010. He will renovate the space and reopen it as a restaurant cal... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #3: Saturday Tasting Menu at Local Harvest Cafe & Catering

  published Dec 18, 2009

  The morning of your meal, chef Clara Moore visits the market and from her purchases assembles your dinner. Mine took place on the first weekend of spring and fittingly paired glimmers of the light, ve... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #4: "Papasan Roll" at Miso on Meramec

  published Dec 17, 2009

  The "Papasan Roll" is the standout of new chef's Eliott Harris' menu. Inside is a straightforward combination of cucumber, avocado and snow-crab meat. Draped atop the rice outside the roll is a piece ... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #5: Beef-Brisket Sandwich at Winslow's Home

  published Dec 17, 2009

  The brisket, from local butcher Baumann's Fine Meats, is roasted overnight and served with mayo and Havarti cheese on toasted flaxseed bread. It's damn tasty. The brisket is thickly sliced and piled h... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #6: Seared Scallop in Charmoula Broth at Fond

  published Dec 17, 2009

  A single plump scallop, its top seared chestnut brown, was nestled among thickly sliced carrot. At tableside a server poured a vegetable broth spiked with the North African condiment charmoula (a blen... More >>

• This Week's Tip of the Tongue Newsletter

  published Dec 17, 2009

  Gut Check not providing enough dining tidbits for your Consider subscribing to Tip of the Tongue, the Riverfront Times' weekly e-mail dining newsletter.In this week's edition, learn about the new sev... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #7: Banh mi dac biet at Phuc Loi

  published Dec 16, 2009

  Banh mi are delicious and shockingly cheap. At Phuc Loi $3.50 scores you the banh mi dac biet, which layers ham, headcheese and pate on a crusty baguette with cucumber, pickled daikon, carrot and a br... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #8: Neapolitan Pizza at the Good Pie

  published Dec 16, 2009

  The key to any Neapolitan pizza is the quality of its crust, and at its best, the Good Pie's is very good: Crisp on the bottom, and even dotted here and there with char, but with an ever-so-tender che... More >>

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  FEATURED STORY

  Review + Slideshow: Pearl Cafe

  published Dec 16, 2009

  My review of Pearl Cafe is now available online. Pearl Cafe, a Thai restaurant (with a few Vietnamese and Chinese dishes), is located at 8416 North Lindbergh Boulevard in Florissant. In this week's Ba... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #9: Andhra Chicken Curry at Mayuri

  published Dec 15, 2009

  The Andhra chicken builds its fire with each bite: It begins with a sharp heat tinged with fruity sweetness and a faint tang of yogurt. The chicken and the ground nuts in the curry mellow the heat eve... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009 #10: Enchiladas Michoacanas at Taqueria el Jalapeno

  published Dec 15, 2009

  These are corn tortillas sprinkled with chopped onions and a tangy, crumbled cheese. The tortillas are folded into wedges and fried on a flattop; the wedges are topped with a fiery sauce of red chiles... More >>

• The Top Ten Dishes of 2009: An Introduction

  published Dec 15, 2009

  Time to close the book on another year of reviews. While there were few splashy restaurant openings this year -- in fact, three of the places in this year's list aren't new -- I still struggled to res... More >>

• FoodWire: Pi Opens Third Location Today, 12.15

  published Dec 15, 2009

  How about some Euclidean geometryr San Francisco-style pizzeria Pi debuts at 400 North Euclid Avenue at 5 p.m. today, December 15. This is the popular, Obama-approved eatery's third location, followin... More >>

• Thai Breaker: Looking to add a little spice to his curry, Ian visits Pearl Café

  published December 16, 2009

  The Thai restaurant Pearl Café doesn't hide so much as hunker down — one more squat, featureless building on a long stretch... More >>

• Put the Kids to Bed and Pour Yourself a Stiff Drink Because It's Time for the Gut Check Year-End Bonanza

  published Dec 14, 2009

  Sorry that Gut Check International Headquarters has been unusually quiet today. I was busy putting together my list of the Top Ten Dishes of 2009.Yes, it's that time again: The third annual Gut Check ... More >>

• Review Preview: Pearl Cafe

  published Dec 14, 2009

  This week I visit Pearl Cafe, a Thai restaurant that opened earlier this year at 8416 North Lindbergh Boulevard in Florissant:The Thai restaurant Pearl Cafe doesn't hide so much as hunker down -- one ... More >>

• This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

  published Dec 11, 2009

  Next week, Gut Check kicks off our third-annual (!) Gut Check Year-End Bonanza as we count down the Top Ten Dishes of 2009 and look back at the year that was -- or will have been. (It's not over yet!)... More >>