Mathew Rice

Dessert Whiz Mathew Rice Lands Chicago Gig

Jennifer SilverbergMathew Rice, formerly of Niche and Pi, now of Nightwood in Chicago​Fans of Mathew Rice (which includes Gut Check and not just because he made our wedding cake) were bummed when the former Niche and Pi pastry chef took his talents to the shores of Lake Michigan earlier this year ... More >>

Beckie Jacobs of Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream

Robin WheelerBeckie Jacobs, owner of Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream, with her son, Jason​"I always liked ice cream. I wouldn't say I was passionate about it. I was passionate about baked potatoes," says Beckie Jacobs, owner of Serendipity Homemade Ice Cream, over bagels and coffee across the stree ... More >>

Party with Tattooed Restaurant Folks & RFT at Pi! Benefit the St. Louis Area Food Bank!

Gut Check and Riverfront Times invites all St. Louis-area restaurant workers -- especially the tattooed ones -- to join us on July 12 for a Kitchen Ink party at Pi pizzeria's Delmar Loop location. The party, scheduled on a Monday so restaurant folk will be able to attend, coincides with the opening ... More >>

"Kitchen Ink": A Photo Essay of St. Louis Chefs and Their Tattoos

Jennifer SilverbergMathew Rice of Pi​This week's feature story is a photo essay by Jennifer Silverberg of St. Louis chefs, cooks and other restaurant employees showing off their tattoos. View the slideshow of Silverberg's photos or follow me after the jump for a sampling of some of the tattoos.

All for Aughts: Let's count down the best local restaurant openings of the decade!

The Ten Most Important St. Louis Restaurant Openings of the Aughts #1: Niche (2005)

​Niche (2005)If a hurricane hadn't sent Josh Galliano here, both An American Place and Monarch would have had very different trajectories. And if an ambitious young chef in Salt Lake City hadn't taken the time to research emerging markets to open his first restaurant, we might not have had Niche. ... More >>

2009 in Review: August

​Ian FroebThe Terrace View in Citygarden​August was an unusually busy month, with numerous restaurant openings and closings. Let's dwell on the positive above the fold: The Terrace View opened in Citygarden, Downtown's spiffy new sculpture park; Downtown scored an honest-to-God grocery store in ... More >>

The Ten Most Important St. Louis Restaurant Openings of the Aughts #10: Pi (2008)

​Pi (2008)Forget for a moment that then-Senator Obama declared Pi's pizza the best he'd ever eaten. Forget too that President Obama invited Pi owner Chris Sommers and staff to cook at the White House. Consider that in only two years, Pi's cornmeal crust recipe, though imported from San Francisco, ... More >>

2009 in Review: January

​​When 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! The grim results and the rest of the month in review after the jump.

FoodWire: Pi Opens Third Location Today, 12.15

How about some Euclidean geometry? 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, following the original Delmar Loop restaurant and the Kirkwood spot, which opened only a few months ago. The ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest: 10.17-10.23

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs.Cupcake Project: Stefani debuted on Paula Deen's website, made cupcakes for a house divided, and gave instructions for a DIY cupcake party.STL Hops: Mike eulogized local beer guru Henry Herbst, and revealed beer lists for Kirkwood Pi and Growl ... More >>

Accounting for Taste: Niche gets a new next-door neighbor — think of it as mini-Niche

Review Slideshow: Taste by Niche

Photo: Jennifer SilverbergThe crew, starting in front, going clockwise, owner/chef Gerard Craft, chef de cuisine Adam Altnether, mixologist Ted Kilgore, cook Nick Blue, pastry chef Mathew Rice and sous chef James Peisker. See a slideshow of photos from Taste by Niche.​My review of Taste by Niche ( ... More >>

Chez Leon gives way to a new Niche

FoodWire: Pi, Pi and More Pi

Lots of news today about Pi (6144 Delmar Boulevard; website), which began a year and a half ago as a Delmar Loop restaurant serving San Francisco-style deep-dish pizza and is about to become a mini-empire. First, the second location of Pi -- a.k.a. Pi Squared -- at 10935 Manchester Road in Kirkwood ... More >>

FoodWire: Niche, Taste by Niche Closed This Week

Jennifer Silverberg​Hey! Want to try Taste by Niche (a.k.a. Niche Taste Bar), the new restaurant everyone's talking about? Well, you'll have to wait until next week because Gerard Craft, Mathew Rice and their hard-working kitchen and front-of-house staffs are taking a well-deserved week off. Both ... More >>

Gut Check: Citygarden sprouts an eatery

This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

Tom Lampe​Really, any week that begins with the world's largest BLT sandwich is going to be a good week: That's Iron Barley Tom Coghill at left, on Sunday, as part of the popular restaurant's attempt to break the Guinness world record for BLT size. Our pictures from photographer Tom Lampe prompted ... More >>

FoodWire: Mathew Rice, Fitz's in Bon Appétit

​The new issue of Bon Appétit magazine, which arrived in my mailbox this weekend and is the annual "restaurant issue," includes two mentions of St. Louis. Details after the jump...

Gut Check: New Arrivals: Niche Taste Bar, Chouteau's at 39th and more make their debuts

FoodWire: Niche Taste Bar Opens Tomorrow

One of the more anticipated restaurant debuts of the year occurs tomorrow as Niche Taste Bar officially opens its doors. (The restaurant had a soft opening this past weekend.)Niche Taste Bar is located at 1831 Sidney Street in Benton Park, the same address as its namesake restaurant, Niche (Web site ... More >>

Around the Horn: Ian covers all the bases to find you the best All-Star Game chow

The Best of Gut Check: The Snoopy Snow Cone Machine, or A Boy and His Dream - A Photo Essay

While Gut Check is on vacation, enjoy highlights from the past two years.In this week's review of area snow-cone stands, I mention my childhood obsession with the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine. This toy, first manufactured in the late 1970s, seemed the ideal summer activity: Make your own icy treat and -- ... More >>

Gut Check: Ian dines with kings, but keeps the common touch

Reflections on the Debut of the "Dorm Room" at 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar

Hedwig von Ebbel, Wikimedia CommonsA who's who of St. Louis food types descended upon 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar (1913 Park Avenue) last night for the inaugural "Dorm Room" dinner.Among those spotted in the crowd -- writing that makes me feel just like Deb Peterson! -- were Gerard Craft and Math ... More >>

Mathew Rice Recipe in February Food & Wine

Congrats to Mathew Rice, the pastry chef at Niche and the adjacent Veruca Bakeshop. Rice's recipe for milk-chocolate cookies with malted cream are featured in the February issue of Food & Wine magazine as part of an article highlighting milk-chocolate desserts. The cookies are pictured on the ... More >>

Snow Cone Week: The Snoopy Snow Cone Machine, or A Boy and His Dream - A Photo Essay

Objective Accomplished: Snow Cone Week Can Continue as Planned

Ian charts S'more comings and goings on the local restaurant landscape

Mathew Rice Recipe in Food & Wine: Now With Photographic Evidence!

Mathew Rice Recipe in Food & Wine

Food & Wine finds our Niche!

Gerard Craft on Being Named Food & Wine Best New Chef 2008

Gerard Craft of Niche Named "Best New Chef 2008" by Food & Wine Magazine

You Can't Spell Idiot Without T