Foods

Built to Suit: BrickTop's is based in Nashville, but it hits home at Plaza Frontenac

The Five Best Spots for Comfort Food 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 >>

Busch Stadium's "St. Louis Dog" Among Baseball's "Craziest" Hot Dogs, Apparently

The "St. Louis Dog" is this year's signature item at the Food Network's concession stand at Busch Stadium, a quarter-pound, all-beef hot dog topped with barbecue sauce, shredded Provel cheese and crumbled Red Hot Riplets. When Gut Check sampled the "St. Louis Dog" last month, we weren't impressed, e ... More >>

2012 St. Louis Food Blogger Bake Sale April 28 at Sappington Farmers' Market

Warning: The mental images produced by the following descriptions of items offered at the 2012 St. Louis Food Blogger Bake Sale might cause uncontrollable cravings and excessive salivation. The second annual St. Louis event is part of a national effort to benefit Share Our Strength, the nation's lea ... More >>

Oh, Mickey's: 'Cue so fine, it blows food critic's mind

Warning: The mental images produced by the following descriptions of items offered at the 2012 St. Louis Food Blogger Bake Sale might cause uncontrollable cravings and excessive salivation. The second annual St. Louis event is part of a national effort to benefit Share Our Strength, the nation's lea ... More >>

The Veggielante Surveys Schlafly Bottleworks

Destination: Schlafly Bottleworks (7260 Southwest Avenue; 314-241-2337) Neighborhood: Maplewood Cuisine: American, Contemporary Overview: The name Schlafly is likely to spark a craving for some quality microbrews, but beer isn't the only thing it has to offer St. Louis vegetarians.

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 >>

Too Good to Be Stew: Haunted by the memory of a Pakistani delicacy

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: Jolly Rancher Sour Bunnies, Worst

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 >>

Pink Slime: You Know You Want It -- Here's Where to Get It!

It's easy to say you want to know all about what's in your food and where it comes from. You know -- farm-to-table, sustainable agriculture, heirloom parsnips and all that. But we all know that sometimes our go-to guy at the farmers' market is fresh outta parsnips, heirloom or otherwise, and more to ... More >>

Jackpot! With Epic Pizza & Subs, ex-casino honcho Todd George goes from counting dough to baking it

It's easy to say you want to know all about what's in your food and where it comes from. You know -- farm-to-table, sustainable agriculture, heirloom parsnips and all that. But we all know that sometimes our go-to guy at the farmers' market is fresh outta parsnips, heirloom or otherwise, and more to ... More >>

USDA Requires Nutritional Facts for Raw Meat and Poultry

On Thursday, March 1, a new rule implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service requires that packaged raw ground or chopped meat and poultry be labeled with nutritional information. The rule, which was originally announced on December 29, 2010 ... More >>

The Five Best Seafood Restaurants 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 >>

Hooked is a seafood shack anchored in Jeffrey Plaza — who'da sunk it?

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 >>

Review Preview: Hooked Seafood Bar

This week, I visit Hooked Seafood Bar (8613 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314997-8886), a restaurant that reminds us that "seafood shack" isn't a pejorative term. A sneak preview of my review is after the jump.

A Tasty Recipe for Your Beefy Love Meat, Valentine's Day Style

While these days it seems like those who eat offal are adventurous gourmands, this wasn't always the case. Organ meats are humble by nature, the odd science-project leftovers after the animal has been broken down into the more obviously appealing roasts and steaks. With clever cooking techniques, th ... 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 >>

The Seven Best Hot Dog Stands 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 >>

Crab Cake and Heartbreak at BrickTop's

Ian Froeb"The Crab Cake" at Bricktop's​When I went to bed last night, several hours after my hometown Baltimore Ravens' agonizing loss in the AFC Championship Game, I didn't feel too bad. Wine, Tater Tots (my comfort-food guilty pleasure) and a couple of episodes of Archer had helped to dull t ... More >>

Jason Tilford of Milagro Modern Mexican: Recipe for Ceviche with Cilantro-Pepita Pesto and Mango Salsa

This is part three of Stacy Anderson's Chef's Choice profile of Jason Tilford of Milagro Modern Mexican. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Tilford, is published here. A big part of chef Jason Tilford's history as a chef and his current work at Milagro Modern Mexican (20 Allen Avenue, ... More >>

Guess Where I'm Eating this Pastrami Sandwich and Win a Gift Certificate to La Tejana [Updated with Winner]!

You can win $10 worth of taqueria fare, and all you have to do is guess where we ate this massive pastrami sandwich. Rules: To be eligible, you must leave a valid e-mail address (or Twitter handle or Facebook profile URL) in the comment-entry field. One guess per e-mail address. Employees of the r ... More >>

Oops!...He Did It Again: RFT's insatiable food scribe chowed his way through another year — what a pig!

You can win $10 worth of taqueria fare, and all you have to do is guess where we ate this massive pastrami sandwich. Rules: To be eligible, you must leave a valid e-mail address (or Twitter handle or Facebook profile URL) in the comment-entry field. One guess per e-mail address. Employees of the r ... More >>

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 >>

Pizza My Heart: Mr. X will ignite your lust for crust

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 >>

The Five Best Sandwich 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. Though RFT restaurant critic Ian Froeb didn't write every edible item in the issue, our go-to food critic helped nudge us to consensus via various ... 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 >>

J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood Now Open

Screenshot: www.jgilberts.com​J. Gilbert's Wood-Fired Steaks & Seafood opened this week at West County Center (I-270 & Manchester Road, Des Peres) in the space previously occupied by Primebar. J. Gilbert's is a small chain, with only four other locations: Glastonbury, Connecticut; McLean, ... More >>

The Five Best Thin-Crust Pizzas in St. Louis

Selecting the Riverfront Times Best of St. Louis 2011 was no picnic. Choosing the winner meant several worthy candidates would go unmentioned -- until now. This year, Gut Check is celebrating five contenders in several categories.Jennifer SilverbergThe Best Thin-Crust Pizza in St. Louis​Want to st ... More >>

Best and Worst Halloween Candy Countdown: No. 1

It wasn't all that long ago that Gut Check was donning our finest Disney princess Star Wars character drag outfit and joining the swarms of greedy American children on the hallowed Halloween quest for candy. So we remember well the post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting the bounty into two piles, i.e ... More >>

Best and Worst Halloween Candy Countdown: No. 6

RFT photo​It wasn't all that long ago that Gut Check was donning our finest Disney princess Star Wars character drag outfit and joining the swarms of greedy American children on the hallowed Halloween quest for candy. So we remember well the post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting the bounty int ... More >>

Bowled Flavors: Can Bocci Bar separate itself from the Italian-restaurant pack?

RFT photo​It wasn't all that long ago that Gut Check was donning our finest Disney princess Star Wars character drag outfit and joining the swarms of greedy American children on the hallowed Halloween quest for candy. So we remember well the post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting the bounty int ... More >>

Best and Worst Halloween Candy Countdown: No. 8

RFT photo​It wasn't all that long ago that Gut Check was donning our finest Disney princess Star Wars character drag outfit and joining the swarms of greedy American children on the hallowed Halloween quest for candy. So we remember well the post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting the bounty int ... More >>

Dolphin Tale and All-You-Can-Eat Fish Fry at West Main Cafe

​We usually forgo animal movies. Too often they turn into snuff films. Go ahead. Try to remember the last animal movie you saw that didn't end with the poor creature's death.We'll wait. Dolphin Tale is inspired by the true story of Winter, a bottlenose dolphin who lost her tail. She actually st ... More >>

Best and Worst Halloween Candy Countdown: No. 15

It wasn't all that long ago that Gut Check was donning our finest Disney princess Star Wars character drag outfit and joining the swarms of greedy American children on the hallowed Halloween quest for candy. So we remember well the post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting the bounty into two piles, i.e ... More >>

Hooked Opens in University City

Evan C. Jones​Hooked, the new seafood restaurant from the folks who brought us Pho Long, is now open at 8613 Olive Boulevard in University City. As Gut Check learned when we previewed Hooked last month, the restaurant has been ready to go for a while but still awaited the approval of its liquor li ... More >>

Patty Quake: Can St. Louis withstand the "better burger" restaurant invasion?

Evan C. Jones​Hooked, the new seafood restaurant from the folks who brought us Pho Long, is now open at 8613 Olive Boulevard in University City. As Gut Check learned when we previewed Hooked last month, the restaurant has been ready to go for a while but still awaited the approval of its liquor li ... More >>

Does Smashburger Deserve to Thin Out the "Better Burger" Competition?

Ian FroebThe "Spicy Baja" burger at Smashburger​The Place: Smashburger (1981 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles; 636-724-6667), the national "better burger" chain that opened its first area location this July.The Lunch: The "Spicy Baja" burger ($5.99) with a side of "Smashfries" ($1.99).Regular Gut Check r ... More >>

Home Wine Kitchen, Cassy Vires' new Maplewood restaurant, isn't afraid to shake things up

Ian FroebThe "Spicy Baja" burger at Smashburger​The Place: Smashburger (1981 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles; 636-724-6667), the national "better burger" chain that opened its first area location this July.The Lunch: The "Spicy Baja" burger ($5.99) with a side of "Smashfries" ($1.99).Regular Gut Check r ... More >>

Unsteaksmanlike Conduct: Shula's 347 Grill needs to turn up the heat

Ian FroebThe "Spicy Baja" burger at Smashburger​The Place: Smashburger (1981 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles; 636-724-6667), the national "better burger" chain that opened its first area location this July.The Lunch: The "Spicy Baja" burger ($5.99) with a side of "Smashfries" ($1.99).Regular Gut Check r ... More >>

Adobe Reds brings a taste of New Mexico to Midtown

Ian FroebThe "Spicy Baja" burger at Smashburger​The Place: Smashburger (1981 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles; 636-724-6667), the national "better burger" chain that opened its first area location this July.The Lunch: The "Spicy Baja" burger ($5.99) with a side of "Smashfries" ($1.99).Regular Gut Check r ... More >>

PW Pizza, Paul and Wendy Hamilton's new place, isn't fancy. It's just good.

Ian FroebThe "Spicy Baja" burger at Smashburger​The Place: Smashburger (1981 Zumbehl Road, St. Charles; 636-724-6667), the national "better burger" chain that opened its first area location this July.The Lunch: The "Spicy Baja" burger ($5.99) with a side of "Smashfries" ($1.99).Regular Gut Check r ... More >>

Battle Crispy (Springfield-Style) Cashew Chicken: Bobo Noodle House vs. Quik Wok

​For a kid in rural central Missouri, Chinese food means one thing: cashew chicken. And not a plate of stir-fried chicken chunks with celery, carrots and cashews. No, it had to be Springfield-style cashew chicken. As in Springfield, Missouri. Of course this isn't Chinese food. It's Chinese-A ... More >>

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

​For a kid in rural central Missouri, Chinese food means one thing: cashew chicken. And not a plate of stir-fried chicken chunks with celery, carrots and cashews. No, it had to be Springfield-style cashew chicken. As in Springfield, Missouri. Of course this isn't Chinese food. It's Chinese-A ... More >>

Duck Yeah: Wes Johnson's new restaurant is fun -- and fantastic

​For a kid in rural central Missouri, Chinese food means one thing: cashew chicken. And not a plate of stir-fried chicken chunks with celery, carrots and cashews. No, it had to be Springfield-style cashew chicken. As in Springfield, Missouri. Of course this isn't Chinese food. It's Chinese-A ... More >>

Ludwig Farmstead Creamery's Unpasteurized Cheese: Safe, But Salty

Image viaRaw milk cheese won't make you sick...unless you're a pregnant woman or small child. Then it might.​While doing our Sunday grocery shopping at Straub's (8282 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-725-2121), something caught Gut Check's eye in the cheese island: a new unpasteurized offering ... More >>

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 >>