St. Louis Standards is a weekly column dedicated to the people, places and dishes that make our food scene what it is. A student of French and English, Reine Keis always assumed she would work in journalism, not the restaurant business. However, her plans would change after a...

A few years ago, while chatting with a friend that doesn't eat sweets, chef Heidi Hamamura accepted a challenge that would change the way St. Louisans celebrate their birthdays. "She said to me, 'It would be so baller if you could make me a sushi cake,' so I...

Ever since starting his catering business, JR's Gourmet, when he was just a high schooler, Juwan Rice has been humbled by the support he's received from St. Louis and beyond. Now, he's excited to have a way to give his boosters a taste of his talents, even if...

The City Foundry (3730 Foundry Way) is adding another national brand to its lineup: City Winery will make its debut in St. Louis later this summer. City Winery doubles as a live music venue and a winery. Situated next to the Food Hall, the venue will boast a pizza...

Beloved Golden Girl and animal activist Betty White died on December 31, 2021, just a couple of weeks short of her 100th birthday. This was fully unacceptable to many people around the globe, so the internet got together and declared today — what would’ve been her 100th birthday —...

St. Louis Standards is a weekly column dedicated to the people, places and dishes that make our food scene what it is. If you want to know the special place Meshuggah Café holds in the hearts of its longtime regulars, consider the term owner Jen Kaslow uses when she...

Burger 809’s founder Tasha Smith knows all fries are not created equal. She’s laughing, but she is dead serious about the extensive research she’s put into the partner to her bite-sized burgers. Fries are a new adventure for Smith, as is her newly minted partnership with Bluewood Brewing (1821...

When Dominic Weiss first walked into Big Sky Cafe (47 South Old Orchard Avenue, Webster Groves; 314-962-5757), he was just a neighborhood kid looking for a gig bussing tables. Now, after three decades spent working at the restaurant and its former sister concepts, Weiss is stepping through Big...

Askok Nageshwaran has traveled all over the world — throughout Europe, Asia, North America and Australia — and if there is one thing he has learned from those experiences, it's that food is a vehicle for connection. "Food connects everyone," Nageshwaran says. "It doesn't matter one's race, religion or where...

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story referred to Pizza Head's forthcoming philanthropic efforts as the "Pay It Forward " program. Pay It Forward was the name of the program under the restaurant's previous owner. While Dodson and Driemeier are finalizing the details on their own initiative that will...