Chocolate

Bissinger's Hosts "Spirited Chocolate" Vodka and Chocolate Pairing

Chocolate and vodka may not be an obvious pairing, but here at Gut Check International Headquarters, we partake of both liberally. So naturally, when Bissinger's (32 Maryland Plaza; 314-367-7750) announced a Pearl vodka and chocolate confection pairing, we said HELL YES BRING IT ON. Actually, it's ... More >>

Coffee Cartel's Julia Mager: Featured Barista of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks Into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week, Kaitlin Steinberg profiles Julia Mager of Coffee Cartel. Below is a Q&A with Mager, followed by her recipe for a white-chocolate mocha. This week, we took the word "bar" in Girl Walks ... More >>

5 Best Easter Candies of All Time

As Easter Sunday creeps closer, Gut Check dreams of baskets piled high with pastel-colored candies, chocolate shaped like baby animals and, oh sweet Jesus, Cadbury eggs. We remember well the ritual of sorting the bounty bestowed by the big, weird Easter Bunny: Would it be good stuff...or crap? Want ... More >>

Baileys' Chocolate Bar's Laura Therina: Featured Bartender of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks Into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week, Jaime Lees profiles Laura Therina of Baileys' Chocolate Bar. Below is a Q&A with Therina, followed by the recipe for the Mexican Chocolate Martini.With the most romantic day of the year ... More >>

Askinosie Chocolate Expands Lunch Program

No, not to you. The award-winning Springfield, Missouri-based chocolate company will be using proceeds from two of its products to fund school lunch programs in villages in Tanzania and the Philippines. The PTA's at Mwaya Secondary School in the Kyela region of Tanzania and Malagos Elementary Scho ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 11.26-12.02

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. Family Style Food: Karen made cranberry cocoa cream tart. Rhubarb and Honey: Kimberly shared chocolate-stuffed croissants. Every Little Thing: Stacy made macaroni and cheese cups with leftover ham. Iron Stef: Right in time for holiday shopp ... More >>

Askinosie Chocolate Wins International Chocolate Awards, Entered In World Finals

In June Gut Check spoke with Askinosie Chocolate founder Shawn Askinosie after the Springfield-based company won its fifth silver Sofi Award from the National Association of Specialty Food Trade for its Dark Milk Chocolate Black Licorice CollaBARation Bar. Last week Askinosie announced it won thre ... More >>

The Five Best Places for Cupcakes in St. Louis

Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this Gut Check series, we are chewing our way through notable runners up in a number of categories. To see hundreds more winners and finalists a ... More >>

Cacao Nibs, Lemon Bars, Melting Toothbrushes Recalled

Gut Check is overdue for a look at recent FDA recalls. What have we missed over the past couple of weeks? Cacao nibs, lemon bars and -- yikes! -- a melting toothbrush. - FunFresh Foods, Inc. on May 5 issued a voluntary recall of six-ounce packages of its FunFresh Foods World Berries Organic Cacao N ... More >>

Traditional Candies at St. Louis Sweet Shop Landmark Merbs Candies

Merbs Candies (4000 South Grand; 314-832-7117) has been a St. Louis favorite since 1921. This old-fashioned candy shop handcrafts all its chocolates, hard candies, candied apples and a variety of other specialties throughout the year. While all the delightful sweets are whipped up at the original lo ... More >>

The Ten Best Dessert Spots in St. Louis

Selecting Riverfront Times' Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. In this Gut Check series, we are chewing our way through notable runners up in a number of categories. To see hundreds more winners and finalists a ... More >>

Best and Worst Easter Candy Countdown: Hershey's Solid Milk Chocolate Eggs, Best

As Easter Sunday creeps closer, Gut Check dreams of baskets piled high with pastel-colored candies, chocolate shaped like baby animals and, oh sweet Jesus, Cadbury eggs. We remember well the ritual of sorting the bounty bestowed by the big, weird Easter Bunny: Would it be good stuff...or crap? Want ... More >>

Best and Worst Easter Candy Countdown: Marshmallow Peeps, Worst

As Easter Sunday creeps closer, Gut Check dreams of Easter baskets piled high with pastel-colored foodstuffs, chocolate shaped like baby animals, and, oh sweet Jesus, Cadbury eggs. So we remember well the Sunday morning ritual of sorting the bounty of candy bestowed by the big, weird Easter Bunny. W ... More >>

How to Make a Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Without a Strawberry

Rick Jordan has one word of advice for Valentine's Day shoppers: "Stop asking for chocolate covered strawberries when they're out of season!" Jordan proclaims wearily from his west county chocolate store, RJ Chocolatier (14882 Clayton Road, Chesterfield; 636-230-9300). Jordan, in chocolate-making c ... More >>

What the Hell is Bridge Mix, and Why Is It in Our Off-Brand Raisinets?

Walgreens has announced a voluntary recall of 13-ounce packages of its store-brand chocolate-covered raisins because they may contain peanut, almond and soy ingredients. Click that link to see the UPC data for the offending packages, which don't appear to have been distributed to Missouri or Illinoi ... More >>

The St. Louis Food Lover's Gift Guide: Edible Stocking Stuffers

With a little planning and a couple of cocktails the holidays can go down smoother than a pint of spiked egg nog. Gut Check's assembled a series of guides to help find the perfect present for the food lover in your life while maintaining sanity and investing in your community... and, okay, maybe pic ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest, 12.12 - 12.18

​Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs. A Veggie Venture: Alanna shared some of her favorite Christmas cookie recipes. Veg St. Louis: Veg St. Louis visited Foundation Grounds. The Sweets Life: Natalie made soft frosted sugar cookies.

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #9: Mangia Italiano's The Grinch

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Askinosie's New Chocolate Drink to Benefit Filipino School

courtesy Askinosie ChocolatePresenting a package of Tableya or 232 school lunches.The do-gooding tendencies of ​Askinosie Chocolate are as much a part of the company as the chocolate itself. Owner and proprietor Shawn Askinosie has long made it a point to share the Springfield- ... More >>

Take Me to Your Feeder: Welcome to the world's largest candy convention. Be advised: Resistance is futile.

Companion Breaded Bliss

Robin WheelerCompanion Breaded Bliss​Dr. Atkins just rolled over in his grave. Which was probably pretty easy, since it's still coated in bacon grease. Companion recently collaborated with Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate to make a carb-lover's dream: chocolate-covered bread. That's right. Ch ... More >>

Battle Pain au Chocolat: La Bonne Bouchée vs. Saint Louis Bread Co.

​The French are known for making love, not war, but their other specialty is making pastries. From buttery croissants to crusty baguettes to sweet treats of all sizes, shapes and flavors, French bakers are le chat's meow. Though the U.S. has little hope at besting the French at their own g ... More >>

Battle Molasses Puffs: Merbs Candies vs. Bissinger's

​The Aussies have the Violet Crumble, and the Brits have Crunchie bars, but if we Yanks want a molasses puff, mass-market candy bars aren't an option. To get the chocolate-covered honeycomb candy, we either shop gourmet or do without. Generally speaking, molasses puffs are made by mixing hot ... More >>

Mayans, Beer Chocolate: What a Combo!

Deborah Hylandwhat could possibly go better with an exhibition of Mayan art and artifacts than Mayan-inspired chocolates by Kakao? How 'bout Kakao's Mayan-inspired chocolates paired with beer from Maplewood neighbor Schlafly?​To celebrate its exhibition, Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea ... More >>

Chocolate Is Always the Right Size for Valentine's Day

Laura MillerChocolates at Bissinger's at Maryland Plaza​Valentine's Day is this Monday, February 14. What's that? You haven't done your shopping yet? No worries. On this holiday, it's not the thought that counts -- it's the quality of the chocolate.Gut Check checked in with a few of our favorite ... More >>

Askinosie Chocolate Goes to Tanzania, Gets Noticed by Oprah

Askinosie ChocolateShawn Askinosie (left) teaches a Tanzanian farmer how to roast cocoa beans.​When Riverfront Times visited the Askinosie Chocolate factory in Springfield last winter, founder and proprietor Shawn Askinosie promised he would take members of the Cocoa Honors program at the fact ... More >>

Bean-to-bar manufacturers Patric and Askinosie are putting Missouri on the chocolate map

Drink of the Week: Hot Chocolate at Bittersweet Bakery, Kakao and Rue Lafayette

We are contemplating the meager Christmas decorations we have managed to get up this year, which must be taken down and packed away again. This task will be made easier by the fact that most of the boxes still lie about the living room. We started the month with twinkly eyes and big plans. We would ... More >>

Chocolaty Delicious

Ahhh, Paris

Palmer Santa Claus Solid Milk Chocolate Flavored

$2.00
Walgreens
3631 Gravois Avenue

Battle Cupcake!

Ian binges on cupcakes from Jilly's and the Cupcakery -- and lives to write about it.

The Chocolate Cure

Sick and tired of the heat, Ian heads to Bissinger’s.

Feel Good Chocolate Diet

$24.99
Golden Grocer Natural Foods
335 North Euclid Avenue

Barbie Milk Chocolate Flavored Shapes

$1.99
Schnucks
8867 Ladue Road
Ladue

How Sweet It Is

Jennifer's is a thick slice of Midwestern paradise

The Back Burner

Restaurant August is a super-fancy bummer

Chantico

Starbucks, 521 Olive Street, 314-231-2150

Hot Chocolate

Bailey's Chocolate Bar is naughty -- in a nice way

The Chocolate Bar Signature Martini

Bailey's Chocolate Bar, 1915 Park Avenue, 314-421-8100

Best Chocolate

Bissinger's

Best Chocolate

The Chocolate Bar

Best Ice Cream Parlor

Frozen Assets

Godiva Chocolate Martini

The Cheesecake Factory, 1062 St. Louis Galleria, 314-721-0505

El Moro

Chocolate Bar, 1915 Park Avenue, 314-421-2626

Best Place for a Chocolate Fix

Chocolate Bar

Window Under Washington

What you see is not always what you get at the beautiful Washington Avenue Bistro

Sweet Relief

Innovative restaurateur Blake Brokaw provides just desserts at his newest establishment

Best Truffles

Truffes

Best Cookies

Dad's Cookie Co.

Best Candy

Crown Candy Kitchen