Andrew Mark Veety

Join Me At UCP Heartland’s Inaugural St. Louis Wing Ding

I'm excited to have been asked to be a judge for the first ever St. Louis Wing Ding competition, hosted by United Cerebral Palsy Heartland. The simple yet lofty goal is to discover who has the best chicken wings in St. Louis from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm, on May 26, August 25th at Crestwood Court. Among the local restaurants in competition are The Market Public House, 11 Mile House, J. Buck's The St. Louis Wing Company and The Highway 61 Roadhouse.

Tickets are $25 per person (kids under 6 get in free!) for unlimited wings and 2 beverages. For more information and tickets, please click here.

Funds raised at the Wing Ding will support UCP Heartland’s programs and services for children and adults with disabilities and their families.  Programs include the Adult Activity Program, Employment Resources (supported employment), Residential Services, Early Childhood Intervention, Family Support Services including respite care, Summer Camps, and our Autism Resource Center in Maryville, Illinois. UCP

Please join me at this fun event and support UCP Heartland on August 25th!

About UCP Heartland

"For many of our consumers, the services that UCP Heartland provides are the only ones available to meet their unique needs.  Faced with multiple and significant disabilities, our participants experience complications with many activities of daily living.  But, as we witness each and every day, these challenges do not limit their desire to experience independence, productivity or full citizenship.  With funds raised at Wing Ding, we can continue to provide the highest quality of programs and supports while advancing the independence, productivity, and full citizenship of individuals with developmental disabilities, helping to create a life without limits for people with disabilities right here in our community. 

Heartland’s mission is to provide the highest quality of programs, services and supports while advancing the independence, productivity and full citizenship of individuals with disabilities.  UCP Heartland is a proud partner of United Way of Greater St. Louis."

Assorted Minutia: 4/22-4/29/2011

I've started to keep a tumblr diary for all the little things that I find, read or eat during the week. With any luck the quick thoughts, dishes I ate and pictures I accumulated along the way will make for a a disjointed yet interesting weekly post. I'd be interested in knowing what readers think of this new idea.

The Beast in a Box from Salume Beddu.

This sandwich was so good, I may have cried half way though eating it. Simply, it is the best sandwich I've had this year. Interestingly enough I enjoyed it at the best lunch I've had this year. You need to get to know this dish, sooner rather than later.

Salami Pizza at The Good Pie.

I was lured (again) into the ongoing conversation about the Good Pie in the STLBites forum. The quick and dirty of the issue is that many in our fair city believe that the Good Pie is actually a Bad Pie. I happen to believe it's an excellent example of the pizza style. This argument has gone on for over 21 pages and 300 replies. I continue to be on the right side of this argument. A good chunk of St. Louis continues to be on the wrong side. I anticipate this weeks conversation changed the minds of exactly zero people. Oh well. Here is to the next 21 pages of this argument.

Beef kabob and falafel from Cafe Natasha.

Cafe Natasha may have the best beef shish kabob in St. Louis. Even when temped rare to medium rare, the outside is crisp while  the inside remains moist, tender and flavorful. Simple advice for those getting their kabob to go, savor every last drop of the juice  thrown off on the trip from Natasha's kitchen to your table.

Natasha's falafel is usually a favorite of mine. Spice, sauce and fried balls of chick peas make for a sandwich that I consume so fast that several bites include bits of the paper that each falafel is wrapped in. Not so much this time, the sauce was lacking and falafel was dry, for me, the texture was decidedly off this week.

Yellow Tree Farm Quail Eggs

Rain has dominated the weather forecast for the last week and a half, but I made the best of it by heading out to the Maplewood Farmers Market to pick up my Yellow Tree Farm CSA. Besides bamboo shoots, quails and chicken eggs, I ended up with 37 quail eggs. The plan is to pickle them. It promises to be an adventure.

Pasta with asparagus, onions and roasted tomato.

For dinner this week I made this simple pasta dish of sautéed onions, asparagus and roasted tomatoes over linguine. Reserved liquid from the roasted tomatoes, a few ladle-fulls of pasta water and good olive oil make a sauce that does not overshadow spring asparagus, which should be showing up at the market soon, if it has not already. 

Farmers' Larder kielbasa

I am part Polish. My wife is part Polish. We have a ritual in our home called Polish night were we eat the foods that our families introduced us to when we were my son's age. Roasted potatoes, broccoli (most likely not Polish, but good for you) and sauerkraut are the supporting cast for kielbasa from the Farmers' Larder, a local charcuterie vendor at the Maplewood Farmer's Market. This is the kielbasa I remember from growing up. The snap of a natural casing, outstanding local beef and pork, just a hint of marjoram and a finish that is all garlic. A steal at $9.00 a package.

First Taste of Kool-aid

Kool-aid is not a big part of our lives and until this week, it was unknown to my son. However, some neighborhood kids were selling grape Kool-aid as a fund raiser for the victims of the recent weeks tornadoes here in Missouri. Who can say no to that?

Son, meet high fructose corn syrup. It tastes good, right? Don't get used to it.

Dinner With Yellow Tree Farm - Mitsuba And Walnut Pesto

Mitsuba -- also known as Japanese Wild Parsley -- is the base for this unique spring pesto. Slightly bitter and reminiscent of celery, mitsuba is combined in a food processor with walnuts, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shallot, the zest and juice of a lemon, sea salt, extra virgin olive oil and rice wine vinegar to make this delicious neon green pesto. 

Spread thick on crusty garlic bread or use as the base for a sauce for pasta -- simply thin out the pesto with a ladleful of pasta water and toss with extra virgin olive oil to coat. 

About this post

Yellow Tree Farm is a family owned, biointensive, urban homestead located in St. Louis, Missouri. The farm provides produce to some of the finest restaurants in town, runs a local CSA and is a vendor at the Maplewood Farmers Market. I am a proud member of the Yellow Tree Farm CSA. This post is part of a planned a series highlighting the fine ingredients that come in their weekly delivery.

Yellow Tree Farm has been an advertiser on this site since January 2011.

St. Louis Food Bloggers Baking for Share Our Strength

In January, I was honored to help spread the word and fund raise for the St. Louis chapter of Feeding America's Pound for Pound Challenge, in support of our local food bank. It was a great event that helped a lot of people right here in St. Louis.

Building on that success, I'm really excited to team up with local food bloggers, Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project) and Kimberly Henricks, (Rhubarb and Honey) to Missouri’s host the Share Our Strength’s National Food Blogger Bake Sale for Missouri.

The event will be held on Saturday, May 4th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, at Sappington Farmers Market (8400 Watson Road, 63119). 100% of the proceeds from the event will support Share Our Strength’s efforts to end childhood hunger in America by helping fund after-school and summer feeding programs.

St. Louisans and food lovers across the St. Louis region are invited to attend the St. Louis National Food Blogger Bake Sale at Sappington Farmers Market on Saturday, May 14th, where a variety of delicious baked treats (baked by our local food blogging community) will be available for purchase. In addition to the funds raised through the bake sale itself, Sappington Farmers Market will be donating a portion of their days proceed to Share Our Strength as well.

Please think about getting involved in this great event by visiting our booth at Sappington Farmers Market and picking up some baked goods or donating baked goods for sale. Better yet, bake something and buy something to support this great cause. Hope to see many of you there.

Let us know if you are planning on attending, RSVP now.

Local Media Coverage

• Local food bloggers are baking for charity – and you’re invited - Sauce Magazine
• Food-blogger bake sale benefits Share Our Strength - St. Louis Post Dispatch

About Share Our Strength

Share Our Strength is the leading national organization working to make sure no child in America grows up hungry. They weave together a net of community groups, activists, and food programs to catch children at risk of hunger and ensure they have nutritious food where they live, learn, and play.

Organized by Gaby Dalkin of What’s Gaby Cooking, The National Food Blogger Bake Sale features food bloggers from across the country uniting to support the cause by holding bake sales in their states on the same day. Food blog readers will have the opportunity to taste the baked goods from their favorite food blogs at each state’s bake sale location.

Dinner With Yellow Tree Farm - Sorrel Salad With Red Buds

And as Mr. Grey Wolf neared and snarled
in those far-away woods 'neath an oak tree gnarled
And grown with ivy, yet standing there
And raising its head in the glad sweet air,
Then came that strangest of things to see -
(Far out of the ken of you or of me)
For Riding Hood changed all at once to the tree
That now we call Red Bud.

Kate Stephens 1911

The nutty nature of early spring red bud flowers gives way to a pleasant, almost citrus fruit acidity in this simple salad of French sorrel and flowers. Garnish with shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and white wine vinegar infused with minced -- or better yet -- lightly toasted slices of garlic.

About this post

Yellow Tree Farm is a family owned, biointensive, urban homestead located in St. Louis, Missouri. The farm provides produce to some of the finest restaurants in town, runs a local CSA and is a vendor at the Maplewood Farmers Market. I am a proud member of the Yellow Tree Farm CSA. This post is part of a planned a series highlighting the fine ingredients that come in their weekly delivery.

Yellow Tree Farm has been an advertiser on this site since January 2011.

The Best Pizzerias In St. Louis - Part I

The Setup:

St. Louis native Yogi Berra once replied, “You better make it four. I don't think I could eat eight” when asked how many slices his pizza should be cut into. I've always been fond of this quote, not just because its classic Berra, but because in many ways it captures the American experience with pizza.

As a society who tends to revel in our own over indulgence, it is pizza that arguably sits at the top of the food chain as the meal we eat to excess. We consume the dish on a massive scale, usually from cardboard boxes and frozen cases, instead of freshly pulled from the blistering heat of a pizzeria's oven, which is arguably the only way to truly commune with a pizza.

There are only a handful of dishes in the American diet that have experienced the culinary version of manifest destiny that pizza has. From the hand tossed pies the size of car tires and coal oven blistered doughs of the East Coast to the West Coast take on the Midwestern deep dish, the very idea of pizza is continually borrowed and tweaked to make something just a bit different from the dish a town over, yet familiar enough to wet the appetite when the heady smell of a pizza pie baking in a rocket hot oven first hits the nose. 

Locally, St. Louis has been in the midst of a pizza renaissance, with a host of pizzerias successfully fighting for elbow room at a table dominated by the ubiquitous St. Louis style pizza. Indeed, when I originally asked for help finding the best pizzas St. Louis had to offer, I fully expected to spend some time making my way though the roster of locally famous pizzerias serving up cracker thin pies, covered from edge to edge with toppings and Provel, a uniquely St. Louis cheese product that more than anything is the ethos of the St. Louis style pizza.

Instead of the traditional favorites, folks came out in numbers for pies that are at the forefront of the changing face of pizza in St. Louis. I took your feedback and set out to find and rank what I think are the best pizzas in St. Louis, based on the votes of the readers of this site, starting with numbers ten through six.

Kelli Best-Oliver's Burger Of The Year

When she is not starting charter schools, writing for what seems to be dozens of websites and watching copious amounts of terrible cable television, KBO is the High Priestess of The Church of Burger, a term she coined at the beginning as we prepared for our first monthly visit last January.

Kelli pulled no punches when I asked her for her pick for the best burger in St. Louis, commenting:

"I'm glad I don't have to pour one out for the burger at the now-defunct Newstead Tower Public House, because you can still get it in all it's glory over at Anthony Devoti's Five. The thick, juicy grassfed patty on a housemade bun is exactly what I'm looking for in a burger: the burger I'd make at home, made better than I can make it myself. I checked in at Five for lunch last week with Justin from Yellow Tree Farm, and never doubted that I'd be getting the burger, with excellent fries and house-made condiments, topped with Prairie Breeze from my home state of Iowa. I dare you to find a burger made with higher-quality, more locally-sourced ingredients in this town.

Good god, this is what a burger should be, and you should be eating it for lunch." 

Well, that is two votes out of four for the burger at Five. Surprising? Not really, its been a crowd favorite and has held the top spot on best of lists for several years. But do I agree? The only way to find out is to check back on January 20th, when I'll announce my pick for the best burger in St. Louis -- and a digestif of sorts to help cap off a years worth of burgers. I hope you check back.

Stephanie Tolle's Burger Of The Year

I first reached out to Stephanie to take advantage of her considerable graphic design skills for what would become the Church of Burger logo:

 

While this logo didn't end up in a lot of places that I wished it had -- places like car bumpers, long sleeve tee shirts, the men's room at Sub Zero -- I'm still thankful that Stef took the time to help me out with some branding for this project. I'm also thankful for the easy and converstational tone she brings to all of her burger reviews, they are a constant reminder that no matter what, this project is about having fun than anything else.

I recently asked Stef to share her thoughts on the past year and pick her favorite burger in St. Louis. This is what she had to say:

"When I weaseled my way in to the Church of Burger, through connections and graphical favors, I honestly did not have much burger knowledge. I mean, every American has SOME burger knowledge. I liked burgers. I'd had good burgers. I knew that I like my burgers pink in the middle, meaty and salty. I knew that I absolutely do not like dry, or dense, or gray or perfectly round and chewy burgers. But I never thought too deeply about burgers. Thankfully, Andrew let me in, and I learned to look at my burgers more seriously. In the 8 months I was able to attend, I feel I have become a much better critic of restaurant hamburgers. I think about them now, analyze them. I've learned that my idea of medium rare may have been to liberal. That toppings can distract from the burger itself, but sometimes are saving graces. That the bun is way more important than I ever considered. That while seasoning is vital, everyone has different ideas of what well-seasoned entails. I learned much. I could ramble on. But Andrew only asked me to talk about what my favorite burger was. So I'll stop rambling.

Every meet-up of Church of Burger was special and provided good memories of friends and food and laughs. My first was the Sub-Zero fiasco. The burgers disappointed, but the hullabaloo that resulted to our reviews was a fun ride! The Micheal's burger was memorable in that it seriously put me into a 3-hour meat coma. I will have to say my favorite burger in this experience was the Newstead Towerburger (now available at Five Bistro, as Newstead closed.) Never before had I had a burger that was medium rare all the way through... I mean this sucker is pink all the way through. Usually you don't see the pink until you're at least a bite in. My burger expert friends informed me that this was because the kitchen let the patties rest and come up to room temp before cooking them, causing them to cook more evenly. So simple. So brilliant. This burger was also well seasoned, and a perfect texture. The bun seemed like it was going to be too hard, but ended up working just fine. The other thing about the Newstead meet-up, which may or may not have slightly skewed my vote for the burger, was that there were so many of my Church of Burger friends... some new, some I've known for a couple of years, gathered around a long wood table. We had delicious appetizers, good beer was flowing, there was an adorable baby to pass around, everyone was laughing and jolly....There was rarebit!! It was a perfect night out with good friends and a really tasty, well-executed burger. Which is what the CoB is all about, right? Amen."

There you have it - the third vote for best burger in St. Louis from Stephanie Tolle. How do Iron Stef's picks stack up against my own? Check back on January 20th to find out.

Stefani Pollack's Burger Of The Year

When Stefani is not dominating the cupcake world on her own site -- Cupcake Project -- she's graciously helping me bring a critical eye to this search for the best burger in St. Louis. It would be easy to say that what I appreciate the most about Stefani's participation in the Church of Burger was the heady deserts that she plied us with throughout the year, however that would overlook the strength of her burger reviews, which were among my favorite every month.

I am continuously impressed with her ability to bring a sense of storytelling to our month in and month out analysis of hamburgers. The key to her style is to not only help readers understand what was good or bad with a particular dish, but to place her opinions within a context that is uniquely hers.

Stefani offers up the following choice for her burger of the year:

"I'm going to go the cheater route and create my own best burger.  I'd take the the English muffin from the pub burger at Llywellyn's, the patty from Dressel's (it was the very first burger that we ate, so maybe it just had that virgin allure.  But, sorry, I'm not going back for a second taste for a while as I'm done with burgers.), and the toppings from Newstead."

So, where does Stefani's Frankenburger stack up with my own picks? Check back on January 20th to find out!

Jonathan Pollack's Burger Of The Year

If you've been reading up on the Church of Burger for the last year, you've undoubtedly had at least one moment where as your eyes moved across the page; you found yourself lusting after a burger. I'd like to think this was because of my writing, but in truth is probably because you were gazing upon one of  Jonathan Pollack's burger photos. I am most thankful for the talent and eye candy he contributed to this burger project.

I recently asked Jonathan to share with my readers his pick for the best burger in St. Louis. Here is what he said:

"It's hard to pick a favorite burger of the bunch we sampled over the past year. There were certainly low points along the way, but then we were blessed with what I see as the final four contenders: Dressel's, Sweet Art, Llywellyn's, and Carl's. While some places experimented (with grand success) with meatless patties and others served up a huge helping of nostalgia alongside their burgers, the best burger to me is one that's hand-formed, seasoned perfectly, juicy, and makes you want to go back again and again. That's the burger at Llywellyn's."

There you have it - the first vote for best burger in St. Louis from project photographer Jonathan Pollack. How do Jonathan's picks stack up against my own? Check back on January 20th to find out.

Burger Of The Month - O'Connell's Pub

For the last time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a bitterly cold Sunday in St. Louis. This was the final stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I ate them -- one by one -- and the time is quickly approaching to crown the best burger in St. Louis.

But more on that later, we've still got this last burger to recap.

Joining me this go around were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef /Food Blog Mafia), Evan Benn (St. Louis Post Dispatch / Lager Heads) and George Mahe (St. Louis Magazine / Relish).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the December Burger of the Month from O'Connell's Pub. 

Looking For A Few Good Pizzas In St. Louis.

In 2010, the good people of St. Louis pointed us at some great (and not so great) hamburgers.

We spent the year eating them and I'm getting ready to announce the best burger in St. Louis as voted by the readers of this site in the middle of January. I've also got a fun surprise that I'll share with you at that time as well.

But before we get to the best burger, I'm turning my attention to 2011 and a favorite topic of mine; pizza. That's right St. Louis, we are coming for your pizza.

I've assembled a cracker jack squad of food writers and bloggers from here in St. Louis and we're going to spend the next year taking down pies, one by one until we find the best pizzas this town has to offer.

We've got our list, but I want to see your's as well. Leave me a comment here, find me on Twitter or drop me an email with your favorites.

So who makes the best pizza in St. Louis? Voting is open until December 31st.

Cheers.

Burger Of The Month - Carl's Drive In

For the eleventh time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger - this time for a lunch break on a warm fall work day. This was the next to last stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me this go around were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Kyle Harsha (Sippin' Saint Louis / Harsha Wines) and Corey Woodruff (Corey Woodruff Photography).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the November Burger of the Month from Carl's Drive In. 

Burger Of The Month - Carl's Drive In

A brief history of Carl's Drive-In:

In the 1930's, the small building that is the home of Car's Drive-In was a gas station that did a side business selling hot dogs and root beer.

In 1959 tha gas station was bought by Carl Meyer, who turned it first into a traditional drive-in, and then by 1962 a diner, enjoying a prime location on historic Route 66 outside of St. Louis.

In 1987 Carl's changed ownership again, this time into the skilled hands of Frank Cunetto, who can still be found behind the counter meeting the demand for his amazing hamburgers and house made root beer.

In 2010 the readers of this site voted Carl's the second best burger in St Louis. Road food aficionados rejoiced.

Classic American smashed burgers. The mother road. A dozen counter seats and a flat top. It is an understatement to say that I am excited about this months visit so we can see how Carl's paper thin patties compare to some of the best we've tried this year.

Burger Of The Month - The Royale

For the ninth time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a humid Sunday afternoon. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me this go around were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and Kyle Harsha (Sippin' Saint Louis / Harsha Wines).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the September Burger of the Month from The Royale.

Some Thoughts On "The Locavore's Dilemma"

Earlier this week St. Louis Magazine food critic Dave Lowry posted an essay entitled The Locavore's Dilemma: One Critic's Take. 

I encourage you to take the time to read Dave's piece and give it some thought. I know I did. What follows is a copy of the comment I left for the author. As always I would be interested to know what the readers of this blog think about this subject. I hope to read your thoughts -- either here or on the Relish section of St. Louis Magazine.

I commented:

The type of eater that Dave describes accounts for 1 or 2 of every 100 people who take an active role in the relationship between themselves and the food they eat. It's not clear if Dave intended to use his well crafted prose to spray entrails over a larger segment of the dining population with his essay -- but to this reader that is exactly what has happened.

While I am not a locavore, I feel the need to point out that Dave has targeted the low hanging -- and I assume local -- fruit to base his attack on. I will grant to the author that the locavore is an easy target. Indeed most ideas can be dismantled when they are pushed to their extremes, especially if you can paint the individuals who adhere to that idea as disingenuous, woefully bored and haplessly middle class. The locavore becomes a buffoonish cartoon under Dave's withering attack -- the author skillfully uses dripping sarcasm and absurdity to make his prey look absurd.

Missing from Dave's argument are harder targets -- namely the real social and political concerns associated with the local food movement. The issues of national farm, energy and health polices are real -- conceding these issues and arguments even in part to the locavore makes it harder to diminish them as a group.

Sadly Dave's argument is additionally weakened by a secondary theme that appears throughout his essay -- namely a sense of entitlement and arrogance associated with being an accomplished eater. Without specifically saying it, the locavore is regulated to the same group as the often maligned foodie. To many, the term foodie is an affectionate term, used to describe the fraternity of eaters. The darker side of the term foodie is an insult - a method for the experienced to point out the amateur status of another. If one can stratify eaters, one can maintain one's position at the top of the dining heap.

It would appear that there is not a single idea or lesson that can be learned from the locavore. The bounty of edible treats available to the culinary adventurous is here for our enjoyment, we need not worry ourselves with issues like our relationship to the food on our plate. To listen to the incessant ranting of the locavore is to harsh the eaters proverbial buzz. Please do not trouble me with your thoughts, be quiet and pass me the duck liver.

In the end, Dave comes off as angry and aggravated that an unwashed plebeian questioned the choices of the patrician. Personally I find it entertaining that the author appears so threatened by the opinions and ideas of such a small population of eaters that he is willing to use a literary daisy cutter to decimate them.

Revisiting The BLT Cocktail

Last year Kelli Best-Oliver and I joined forces to create the BLT Cocktail in honor of the fifth annual Tour de Moose. Kelli took on making tomato water and lettuce ice cubes while I took a shot at making bacon infused vodka.

Simply, the goal was to turn this delicious looking sandwich...

...into a breakfast drink that would fortify a thirsty biker for the twenty mile bike ride and bar crawl that followed. 

A Brief History Of Provel

Part I - St. Louis, Missouri: A Convoluted Food History

There may be no city in America with a food history as confusing and misunderstood than St. Louis, Missouri. Sitting at the confluence of food history is The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, commonly known as the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Indeed it appears that the eyes of the country were on St. Louis in 1904 -- it also hosted the 1904 Summer Olympics and Democratic National Convention as part of the World's Fair events.

Records indicate that between 18 and 20 million people passed through the World's Fair gates between April and December 1904 -- providing an opportunity to showcase innovation and the technological development of the time. Truth be told, innovation did not stop at technology, it also included many foods and products that are standards of American culture today like the hamburger, the hot dog, iced tea, Dr. Pepper, puffed rice and the waffle ice cream cone. However, with the exception of the waffle cone, none of these items were invented at or for the fair. Instead it was the first time that these items were viewed and purchased in one location by such a large population of people.

So what does that leave the Gateway City to claim as its very own?

Toasted ravioli comes to mind, but its lineage is called into question when you dig a bit and discover a traditional Sicilian desert called Fravioli di Carnevale -- deep fried pillows of dough filled with ricotta cheese and cinnamon. The similarity of the two dishes clouds the origins of the much loved "t-rav".

Then there is a dish called Gooey Butter Cake -- a confection of butter, yellow cake mix, eggs and cream cheese. While the oral and written history indicate multiple creators of the Gooey Butter Cake, all the stories point to St. Louis bakers in the 1930's and 40's. In the case of the Gooey butter Cake, is safe to say that the dish was invented here.

Rounding out the list of purely unique St. Louis foods is a product that was undoubtably invented in and for the citizens of St. Louis, Provel. Provel is a white pasteurized process cheese made of cheddar, swiss, and provolone. Provel is the signature ingredient in a St. Louis style pizza, identifiable by its thin crust, toppings that run from edge to edge and the shape servings are cut into -- squares. The use of Provel is not limited to pizzas in St. Louis, it can also be found on salads, pastas and sandwiches.

Like many regional specialties -- chicken wings and cheesesteaks come to mind -- the documented facts regarding Provels origin and history are loosely woven with family and customer lore, often making it near impossible to determine a time line from product creation to wide adoption. Provel its seems, is no different.

What follows is an attempt to untangle the history of Provel or at least collect its history and legend in one place. As such it is reasonable that this page will be updated from time to time.

Part II - Provel. What is it?

According to Title 21, Part 133 of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations, Provel is a pasteurized process cheese, a product created through the combination of several different types of cheese -- in this case cheddar, swiss and provolone. Simply put, the naming convention (pasteurized process cheese vs cheese) comes down to government mandated amounts of moisture and milk fat contained within the end product. Products that meet the guidelines are legally allowed to be marketed as cheese, while products not meeting the prescribed criteria are required to be labeled in a way that highlights the difference for the consumer.

The name Provel is trademarked and dates back to the first half of the 20th century. Provel originally was produced by the Hoffman Cheese Company of Wisconsin. Today the trademark for Provel is held by the Churny Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kraft Foods.

Part III - Though The Years

For a product like Provel, which for the most part is produced for and consumed in St. Louis, there is little in the way of a definitive history in the public record. The most often quoted history for Provel can be traced to a paragraph written by St. Louis Post-Dispatch food critic Joe Bonwich:

"Provel was invented specifically for St. Louis-style pizza more than a half-century ago by the downtown firm Costa Grocery (now Roma Grocery on the Hill, a primarily Italian St. Louis neighborhood), in collaboration with the Hoffman dairy company of Wisconsin (now part of Kraft Foods). Provel was developed to meet perceived demand for a pizza cheese with a “clean bite”: one that melts well but breaks off nicely when bitten."

Through the years there has been reporting in the St. Louis media that supports this history. However some digging has exposed competing claims that both support and challenge the historical record.

Before getting into the "who?" of Provel, it would be a good idea to look at the "why?". Its widely accepted that without the St. Louis style pizza, there would probably be no Provel. At the same time, without a man named Edward Imo, there might not be a St. Louis style pizza, or perhaps not such a specific example of the style. Edward Imo is a champion of all things topped in Provel and the person responsible for a local pizza empire that bears his family name -- Imo's Pizza.

Multiple sources suggest a link between Ed Imo and Provel formed after he reportedly began testing the product at a popular local pizza establishment named Helen's Pizza before striking out to open his first pizzeria in 1964. However in an interview I conducted with Ed and Margie Imo, both stated that they have no prior relationship with a pizzeria named Helen's, although they do believe that Helen's existed and sold pizza.

While not unique to St. Louis, Imo indeed helped to place the stamp of the Gateway City on the thin crust style. Forgoing a traditional crust with a "bone" at the edges of the pie, Imo spread toppings across the pie and used Provel in the place of mozzarella -- in contrast to thin crust pizzas found on the East Coast and Chicago.

Indeed it is the physical properties of Provel that make it the perfect match for St. Louis style pizza. The "clean bite" that Bonwich writes about makes sense when one thinks about the cracker thin crust that a layer of Prove rides upon. For a pizza that is cut into squares, its important to have a cheese that will not stretch and drip off the edges, especially as there is little besides a small section of pizza for the diner to grip onto. For the St. Louis style pizza -- form follows function -- the shape and composition of the crust is made for the delivery of toppings and ultimately Provel.

Ed Imo -- who's single pizza shop has grown into 100 franchises, each using approximately 25,000 pounds of Provel each year -- has earned his place as the evangelist for Provel, but he was not its creator. History and reporting points at another St. Louisian, Tony Costa, who owned a wholesale grocery near Seventh and Cole in the city of St. Louis -- an area on the periphery of what is now the Edwards Jones Dome. According to Abe Pezzani, president of the Roma Grocery Company, it was Costa who worked with food scientists from the Hoffman Cheese company to create Provel in the early 1960's.

Pezzani also provides an oral history regarding Ed Imo and his experimentation with Provel before opening his first pizza shop. Pezzani's retelling of the tale carries weight in St. Louis, as his company, Roma, purchased Costa's and is the primary source of Provel in St. Louis, including sourcing to Ed Imo's long lived pizza franchise.

Part IV - Lingering Issues

It would seem that the history of Provel has been written with the help of Abe Pezzani, who is indeed in a position to help document its path from food science in the 1960's to a beloved regional product and eventual pizza empire. However, like conflicting histories of chicken wings in Buffalo and cheese steaks in Philadelphia, it would appear that there is another competing claim to the history of Provel, a second and substantially dimmer branch of the family tree.

That story belongs to a grocer named John Sigillito and takes place almost 20 years before Tony Costa was reported to have helped invent Provel. The Imo's support this in part, suggesting that they remember hearing that the Sigillito's sold Provel at their downtown grocery. As told by John's wife Mary, Sigillito owned an an Italian food shop at Seventh and Franklin Avenue in St. Louis named International Food Products. According to Mary Sigillito:

"My husband (John) introduced provel cheese to St. Louis in the 1940s. Other people claimed they did, but we liquidated in 1954 and before that we were the sole distributors of provel in the area.

Provel was made by the Hoffman brothers in Wisconsin. It's a blend of provolone, cheddar and Swiss. The pizzerias liked this because they could use less, and it wouldn't get stringy and leave a mess on their clothes. The people who ate it liked the flavor and the convenience of not having the string. My husband introduced it to the pizzerias."

Jim Sigillito, the great nephew of John Sigillito provided the following family history via email after this post was initally published to help support Mary Sigillito's claim to the history of Provel:

"John Sigillito, who did in fact introduce Provel cheese to St. Louis through his downtown grocery, was my great uncle, the older brother of my grandfather Oreste Sigillito.  My grandfather came to the US with his parents as an infant in 1901 - John and the rest of his siblings remained in Italy, raised with other famillies.  John served in the Italian army in WW1 in N. Africa, riding camels in the infantry.  He came to the US and St.Louis as a young man.  His parents had a grocery on West Park near Manchester Rd and after he married Mary they opened their grocery business in downtown St. Louis.
 
Your description of the Provel history is accurate - and the dates involved pretty much bear out the fact that John Sigillito did first introduce Provel cheese to St. Louis. Then, after he and his wife closed their business in the 1950's,  his friends who operated the remaining Italian downtown grocery, which was known as Italo-American, continued to promote and distribute the product.  Italo-American was an old fashioned wooden floored grocery, with dried salami and cheese hanging and barrels of olives, and boxes of dried cod - and the smells were great!!  I have great memories as a kid going there and getting samples of the salami and cheese and olives.  The folks at Italo American were all friends of my Uncle John and Aunt Mary and treated us very well because of our relation to them.  The Italo Amercian store remained open downtown until the area was razed for construction in the 70's.  That's when the business moved to the Hill, where it still operated under the name Italo American for several years and continued to have a small retail storefront in addition to their wholesale business. If I remember right it didn't come to be knowm as Roma until sometime in the early 1980's when the retail storefront was closed - at least I remember still going there to buy cheese when I was in college around 1981."

Part V - Loose Ends

While there are a few differences between the two histories, the back story is essentially the same - the desire for a "clean bite" for St. Louis style pizza. It would appear that this part of the story is accurate, even if it originates from multiple sources.

Of interest is the location of Sigillito's shop - Seventh and Franklin, an address that no longer exists. A check of current St. Louis City maps shows that Franklin ends before it meets Jefferson Ave, but that is because the section of Franklin running deep into the city was renamed Dr. Martin Luther King Drive. What was Franklin eventually runs into what is now the America's Center and Edward Jones Dome. The intersection of what would be Franklin and Seventh sits in the middle of the sprawling complex, which was built in 1977.

While the physical location International Food Products is long gone, it would have sat a block from Tony Costa's grocery near Seventh and Cole. The proximity of the two locations is hard to ignore.

We know that Edward Imo experimented with Provel before opening his own pizzeria in 1964. However, Mary Sigillito claims that her husband John began introducing Provel to pizzerias before his businesses closed ten years earlier. Both John and Mary Sigillito have passed away, so digging into which pizzerias John worked with, or if he was known to Edward Imo remains and open question.

Lastly, both stories point to the Hoffman Cheese Company of Wisconsin as being the product development arm of this story. Of note -- a succession of corporate mergers has left important aspects of Provel's history in the dark. Indeed, it appears that Kraft is unable or unwilling to assist with information contained in within its corporate archives. Personally my attempts to request information from Kraft have yet to result in a reply. It would appear Joe Bonwich has had similar results in his research. Bonwich writes:

"Hoffman Cheese got gobbled up in several successive corporate mergers, and Provel is now made by Churny Co., a subsidiary of Kraft Foods. The massive food conglomerate, though, doesn't seem to know it has provel in its portfolio. Of more than 3,300 recipes on the Kraft consumer site that contain cheese, none uses provel."

Part VI - Closing

Of all the foods associated with St. Louis, none is more synonymous with the city than Provel. It is a litmus test of sorts, helping to identify who is from, who has left and who happens to be passing though St. Louis. For people from St. Louis, it means pride and childhood memories. For people who have left St. Louis, it offers a sense of nostalgia and perhaps homesickness. For those passing though, even if the stay is for years or even decades, it is a puzzlement and a source of contention between those who "get it" and those who do not.

Part VII - St. Louis - Important Dates and Locations For Provel

View A Brief History Of Provel in a larger map

Part VIII - References

The Theory of PROVELATIVITY: Family Ties Pave The Way To Provel's Enduring Popularity, April 11, 2007, Joe Bonwich, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

She's Marvelous, And So Is Provel, October 17, 2007, Jane Henderson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Personal correspondence with Jim Sigillito, September, 2010

Interview With Ed and Margie Imo, September, 2010

This Is The Greatest And Best Meal In The World...Tribute

I was hustling though the grocery store yesterday after work, picking up a handful of things to tide my wife and son over while I was in the city playing softball with the greatest fucking team in the world, The Dirty Dogs (respect).

Moving quickly though the produce and bakery departments I skidded into the aisle where they stock tomato sauce on two wheels -- passing cans of beans and chili in a flash only to nearly roll over a middle aged gentleman who stood in front of a recently faced stack of Manwich with a can in his hand and a pensive look on his face.

As I glided by on my way to the pasta sauce at the end of the aisle, I watched him gingerly place the can back on the shelf and step back. There was no lateral movement, as if he decided to move on another option for tonight's dinner. He just stood there looking at the shelf.

I remember thinking as I passed...Sloppy Joes. Nice. Open face on buttered and toasted hamburger rolls, or better yet Texas toast. Seriously, once its on your mind, its hard to deny yourself a Sloppy Joe, and as I moved to the shelves of tomato sauce I made a mental note to slip this treat into a future weekly menu for dinner, albeit a homemade version as its just so easy to make.

Anyway...

My eyes were shifting quickly from one jar to another, looking for something organic, on sale and complementary to the goat cheese my wife likes to mix her sauce with when I'm not around. I happened to look to my right just in time to see the same guy, standing there with that can of Manwich in his hand, pondering it before putting it right back on the shelf. Same pained look on his face, same few steps back from the shelf.

Selecting a jar of pasta sauce and placing it in my cart I made my way back up the aisle and as I got close to this guy I hear him say to nobody in particular:

"Fuck it. I'm going for it."

Then he threw the can into his basket and walked off. I shit you not.

I can only wonder what was going on in this guys mind, but I've come to one of two conclusions.

1) This guy knew deep down that Manwich from a can is probably not very good for you.

or

2) This guy was questioning his ability to make Manwich from a can.

Either way kind sir, I'm paying tribute to your meal by placing this basic recipe out into the ether that is the Internet so others do not have to go though the same mental anguish that you did. To start lets look at the basic ingredients to a can of Original Manwich:

Tomato Puree (Water, Tomato Paste), High Fructose Corn Syrup, Distilled Vinegar, Corn Syrup, Less than 2% of: Salt, Sugar, Dehydrated Onions, Dehydrated Red and Green Bell Peppers, Chile Pepper, Tomato Fiber, Spices, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum, Dehydrated Garlic, Carob Bean Gum, Natural Flavors.

Kinda creepy right?

Ok, here is your shopping list, you can eyeball the amounts for the most part because hell, you are making Sloppy Joe sauce.

Olive Oil, Tomato Paste, Tomato Sauce, Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Worcestershire Sauce, Beef Stock, Beer, Onions, Peppers, Garlic, Chili Powder, Salt, Pepper.

The process assumes you have a few things:

A heat source like a stove, wood fire or the engine block of a recently running car. A pot that is not made of aluminum. A knife. A large spoon. Nice to haves would include an indoor kitchen and maybe a cutting board.

Simply you want to chop up your veggies -- you can keep saying "Sloppy Joes" while you chop to remind yourself that a perfect dice is not needed. Just chop till they look good to you. Now place them in a pot with some oil and salt and put the spurs (heat) to them. Add the tomato paste, maybe 2 or 3 spoons worth. Pour in a can of tomato sauce. Pour in your beef stock. Pour in a beer (make it domestic and light - and have one for yourself while you are at it). A few spoon fulls of the brown sugar. Splash some Worcestershire sauce in there. More salt. Pepper. Add your spices - if you like it hot, add more chili powder or better yet some hot sauce. Reduce it till it starts to get thick.

Step back and look at that shit, you've essentially made Manwich.

Now brown some meat off, pour your sauce on top and tell the kiddos to buckle the fuck up cause they are having Sloppy Joe's for dinner.

August Burger Of The Month - Brasserie By Niche

August finds us with just five burgers left in this challenge to find the best burger in St. Louis. This time we'll be hitting up Brasserie by Niche in the Central West End, a gastropub focusing on traditional menu of French standards in addition to dishes that change daily.

Residing on that ever evolving menu is the Brasserie Burger, topped with blue d'auvergne cheese, red onion and served with fries on the side. As always I'll be ordering mine with no cheese, cooked medium rare.

We will be traveling light this month -- with just the folks who have been with me since the beginning, and I'll be hoping that we don't get made at the door when we show up. Perhaps we'll have to dig up some costumes for several members of our party - even if they are only finger mustaches drawn with black Sharpies.

Stay tuned for the update. Cheers.

July Burger Of The Month - Llywelyn's Pub

For the seventh time this year I rounded up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a lazy Sunday afternoon. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and Kyle Harsha (Sippin' Saint Louis / Epiphany Wines).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the July Burger of the Month from Llywelyn's Pub.

The Setup:

There are handful of Llywelyn's locations in St. Louis, but for me the Central West End restaurant speaks to what a Welsh pub should be -- old, dark and decked out in well worn wood from the floorboards to the bar back.

Our group grabbed a table in the dining room, ordering drinks and swapping stories before digging into the burger section of our menus. Personally I was looking for the "Pub Burger" -- a pan seared patty topped with caramelized onion, bacon, sharp cheddar cheese on a thick English muffin -- or more specifically a host of toppings that are out of bounds for this burger quest.

As folks voted for the Pub Burger in numbers, I would have to order it, requesting no cheese and onions and bacon on the side. Given that I knew I was taking the things that make the Pub Burger good off of the dish -- I hoped for lettuce, onion and a good July tomato -- the toppings that normally come on the side of a burger but are in no way a required accouterment.

Around the table folks ordered Pub Burgers and the self titled "Llywelyn's Burger" topped with onions, mushrooms, bacon, cheddar and rarebit before returning to conversations about babies, vacations and bachelorette parties. In short order plates began to appear on our table and we dug into our burgers.

Behold the Pub Burger from Llywelyn's Pub:

The Patty:

The burger at Llywelyn's is without a doubt hand made. The patty I was served was loosely packed and oblong -- almost as if it was missing a piece and reminding me of the kind of burger you pull off of a grill at home. I ordered my burger medium rare and that is how it arrived - a thick band of red and pink beef visible with each bite. The patty tossed off some juice early in the eating, but not enough to make the bun hard to handle. Like many of the burgers we've tried this year, this burger lacked the salt that is required for a really good burger. Seasoning was sorely missed.

Tasters commented:

"I was a bit skeptical when I first saw my burger - the patty didn't look pretty. Perhaps that's where Llywelyn's got things right. They didn't focus on having a burger that looked like a round disk, they focused on a burger that tasted like a burger should taste. This burger made me happy. It had salt, but not too much, it was well seasoned, it was prepared to a perfect medium as I ordered it, it had grease (but the grease didn't ooze out of it and dribble down my face), and (while this wouldn't please everyone) the burger was smaller than some of the other ones we've had so it didn't leave me feeling overly stuffed."

"The patty was bigger than the bun, but that's not a big deal. The patty was cooked a little more than the medium rare I requested, but still had some pink. I tried to taste a non-rarebit section to see if the patty itself was seasoned, and it was. It was kind of dry, though."

"I appreciate a hand-formed patty so much. Here was no different. If a patty is hand-formed, I feel like it doesn't matter if it's a little overcooked, which mine was. However, it was the closest to mid-rare I've had yet for Church of Burger."

"Hand-formed, seasoned with care, juicy but not disgusting, and served at the temperature ordered"

"My burger was basically not seasoned. Thank god it wasn't a preformed patty again, but it did seem to have been packed a bit tight as the texture was a bit stiff. Ordered mid-rare, it was once again medium. That's closer than most places so I won't fault them for that because I'm not sure I could do better. It wasn't very juicy though which makes me wonder if they mashed it down."

"Bland. It just didn't seem to have any seasoning on it at all, could have really used some salt. I did appreciate the fact that it was a hand-formed patty though. Of course, I got the pub burger, so it seemed like the beef was simply a delivery vessel for the cheese and other stuff. I ordered medium rare, and that's exactly what I got."

"Fairly juicy, but could have really used a dose of salting."

Caramelization:

For me, the best way to really get a char on the burger is to slap it down on a rocket hot cast iron skillet. True to their advertising, the Pub Burger lacks the familiar hash marks of the grill in favor of a even swath of dark crust. Overall the person preparing this burger did a decent job balancing charring the burger against satisfying a medium rare order.

Tasters offered:

"The patty had a good char on it."

"Charred to perfection."

"Minimal "crunch" when biting into it.  I would have liked more sear to it."

The Toppings:

For the last six months I've been eating plain burgers as they come - with lettuce, onion, pickle and tomato. This is the first burger where I had to specifically ask to leave the toppings off - namely the onions and bacon, which I asked for on the side. I also asked for no cheese per all my previous orders. Essentially I asked for a plain Pub Burger, which was confirmed by our waitress. Sadly my burger arrived with the bacon on the side and onions on the patty, which I moved off to the side. However, this was a small issue compared to what came next. It was apparent from the entrails on the plate and the bottom of the patty and bun that this burger originally had cheese on it. Cheese that was semi-melted into the patty and bun and then pulled off before the plate left the kitchen. Unacceptable, lazy and annoying.

Others suggested:

"Big ups for the rarebit. I will eat almost anything smothered in the tangy, cheesy, savory ambrosia of Llywelyn's rarebit."

"Rarebit = delicious liquid crack."

"Annoying was the fact that I honestly couldn't taste much of the cheese and, those onions...the ones that were supposed to be fucking caramelized when really they were just sauteed because caramelizing onions is a multi-hour investment few restaurants actually take the time to do--couldn't taste them. Might as well not have been there."

"Rarebit should be on everything. It's hard to judge the burger itself, because I mostly tasted this delicious cheese and beer sauce. I believe the rarebit was mostly responsible for me enjoying the burger. It added flavor, saltiness and moisture."

"Bacon on a burger is typically like a hot guy at a party who doesn't bother to dress up because he knows he looks good in anything. It just sits on the burger and expects you to like it even if it's sad and soggy. The bacon on my pub burger, however, was classy. I received two large strips of it on the side of my burger - each crispy and flavorful enough to stand on its own without the meat. Other bacon could learn a thing of two from these fine fellows."

The Bun:

The Llywelyn's Pub Burger rides inside a thick English muffin that is slathered in a fat and grilled on a flat top. The bun is dense enough to handle the juice thrown off by the patty, but beyond that it adds little to the overall burger besides being different from other burgers. Overall it is pretty standard, if judged against other English muffins.

Tasters commented:

"The bun was slightly toasted and held up to the large (but not juicy) burger."

"Often, I am disappointed with sandwiches served on English muffins - the muffins come out too buttery, overcooked, and smashed flat so that the ratio of bread to meat is all wrong. Llywelyn's got their English muffin right. It was buttered, but not overly so, and it had the proper girth to support the burger. This was no egg McMuffin English muffin. I would choose their English muffin over most buns in town."

"My "toasted" English Muffin also wasn't toasted so it appears that Llywelyn's likes to skip out on several of their menu items. Already not a fan of an English Muffin as a vehicle for a burger, it's even worse when it's just dry and bready."

"I liked the english muffin, but I could taste the fat used to grill the muffins, and it was distractingly artificial--like margarine."

"Although I appreciate the fact that they were using an english muffin, it could have been toasted more. Mine was almost undone. Plus, the greased soaked through it and made the bottom half fall apart 1/2 way through eating."

The Verdict:

Readers voted the Pub Burger at Llywelyn's the sixth best burger in St. Louis and several in our group seemed to agree. However, I'm inclined to disagree with the crowd on this one. True - with onions and crispy bacon it is elevated a bit, but this is not the Church of Toppings - its the Church of Burger. Stripped down it is sadly average at best. Points are given for being hand formed and seared on a skillet, but points are taken away for a lack of seasoning and the aforementioned issue with the cheese placed and then removed from my burger.

I'm left thinking about one comment I received, suggesting that this was "a serviceable burger". Indeed as a burger it does fulfill its function in an adequate manner, but is that really enough to be the best burger in St. Louis?

I think not. The search continues.

June Burger Of The Month - The Fatted Calf

For the sixth time this year I rounded up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a sweltering Friday night. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), return guest Jeff Lash (Twitter) and first timer Corey Woodruff (Corey Woodruff Photography).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the June Burger of the Month from the Fatted Calf.

The Setup:

The Fatted Calf was actually closed when I asked for burger suggestions back in January because of a fire that gutted the kitchen the previous fall. While it was clear that the Fatted Calf would indeed reopen, it was not clear that it would happen before its June date with the Church of Burger. It was indeed a risk to leave it in the voting, but given the citywide love of the Calf Burger, I felt that we should give it the shot at being the best burger in St. Louis that it had rightfully earned.

The Fatted Calf sits among the office buildings and specialty shops that line the streets of Clayton, its dark wood and cafeteria vibe are in stark contrast to its surroundings. In this affluent part of the city, the Calf shows that even the well healed enjoy to slum it, not only for a quick lunch but in the early dinner hours of a Friday night.

We filtered in one by one and commandeered a long table near the front windows. While we waited for a critical mass to head up and place our orders, a member of our party offered up that the Fatted Calf reminded him of the kind of place where one should swill beer from large goblets. I found myself nodding in agreement, but adding a dusty suit of armor in the corner and a well placed Hobbit to my own visualization of the space.

We proceeded to the back of the restaurant and got in line for our burgers, ordering from a large board running the length of the counter. To a person our group ordered variations of the "Calf Burger", a 1/3 lb. patty of choice beef, charbroiled to order and served with a selection of house made relishes, pickles and onions -- raw or grilled. As always I ordered a Calf Burger cooked medium rare with raw onions and pickles, while others opted to add soft cheddar, blue cheese, lettuce, tomato, mushrooms and bacon. Readers had recommended the milk shake so several of us upped the caloric ante and ordered shakes with whipped cream.

Moving down the line to order drinks and sides, we were able to watch the grill-man pull packages of pre-made patties out of a cooler and slap them down on a well worn and rocket hot grill. At the end of the counter we paid, were given small numbered table signs and then proceeded back to our table to wait for our burgers. In short order paper trays containing burgers, french fries and onion rings were delivered and we dug into the much heralded Calf Burger.

Behold the Calf Burger from The Fatted Calf:

The Patty:

There is no getting around it -- the Calf Burger is not a hand made burger. It is uniform, round,  thick and machine pressed. Watching the grill-man work I did not see him season my patty before throwing it on the grill. While the burger was seasoned at some point during preparation, I thought it could use more salt. I also felt that my burger, cooked to a perfect pink medium rare, lacked the juice that I expect in a good burger. It is safe to assume the lack of moisture stems from the pre-made nature of the Calf Burger. As I worked on this burger I found myself longing for both missing keys to burger success - salt and fat. 

Tasters commented:

"The Fatted Calf's web site proudly calls out, "Tradition. Family. Soft Cheddar." A wiser person than myself would immediately conclude that their priorities are therefore not 'Fresh. Flavorful. Hand-Formed Patties.'"

"Cooked perfectly (ordered medium rare) but rubbery texture and freakishly round.  Like perfectly round. Almost no seasoning or flavor to speak of."

"I'm not going to go as far as saying the burger sucked, it didn't, it just wasn't memorable in any way. Couple the fact that the burger looked to be a pre-formed, frozen patty it becomes clear that whatever former-glory "The Calf" might have previously had, it's glory days are over."

"Fatted Calf was the first Church of Burger joint to actually deliver a mid-rare burger when ordered as such, for which I am grateful. However, it needed seasoning."

"The burger lacked any substance or texture - surprising, considering that juice was slowly oozing down onto my plate paper food boat. If it had been seasoned, I could not detect even a slight hint of it."

"This was the burger that made me question why I agreed to eat all of these burgers.  I left feeling gross about what I had just put into my body.  Whose favorite burger is this, and why?"

"The Patty -- it's pre-made. That's just a fact. It's not going to taste the same as a hand-formed burger and you shouldn't be expecting it to. For a "cookie cutter" patty, though, I found it to be very tasty. I ordered it medium though it was much more pink/red than I expected. It was still delicious."

"I ordered my burger medium and it came out dry - no pink at all, and no juice. Since all I could taste were the mushrooms, I decided to try picking off a piece of the burger to try on its own.  After that, I was almost glad for my salty topping - almost. How could Andrew eat that burger without any toppings?  The burger had no taste.  I might as well have been eating the plastic piece of fake meat that came in my son's make-believe grocery cart."

Caramelization:

The grill at the Fatted Calf is hot, hot enough that welcome and noticeable wisps of smoke appeared around the burger and wafted into the air around it. Patties are thrown on the grill and they stay there, turned once and finished leaving a great set of marks. Job well done.

Tasters offered:

"Carmalization was present but not overpowering. To be honest, I didn't really notice it, which is a positive in my book. Just enough to give it a bit of a crunch, not too much to steal the flavor."

"Nice grill marks but no trace of the crusty searing I like on a burger."

"The 1/3 pound burger boasted grill marks and tasted appropriately charred"

The Toppings:

Relish, pickles and onion make a Calf Burger. Additional accouterments will cost you $0.65 to $1.25 extra per topping and quickly turn a $5.00 burger into a $7.00 burger with the simple addition of cheese, lettuce, tomato. As they are not standard equipment on the Calf Burger I was spared the mealy and bland tomatoes that have plagued every burger we've tried so far this year. In its place were mounds of raw onion and pickles. While excessive, they did make for a tasty contrast to the patty and helped to take my mind off the lack of salt and juice. 

Tasters commented:

"While the cheese scoop was the same size as the one at Michael's, at Michael's you had almost twice as much burger to spread it on. Additionally, the burger at Michael's, all 10 mother fucking ounces of it, was a quarter more.  As it came with lettuce, tomato, onion at no charge --  it actually cost less.  That's kind of crazy when you think about it."

"Thank the burger Gods for the bacon and blue cheese I opted to include."

"I chose to follow a standard burger order: plain with just cheese. Unfortunately, the crust-less burger combined with the scoop cheddar and nondescript bun means I encountered a mouth full of mush. No textural contrast at all."

"Pretty much every burger I've ever ordered - even at those non-locally owned fast food joints - came with lettuce and tomato. When I saw the pile of lettuce and tomato behind the counter at The Fatted Calf, I never imagined that it was considered a topping available for purchase for $0.65.  Had I read the sign, I would have known.  But why would I think to look?  My burger simply went without lettuce and tomato.  While I can take blame for not reading when it comes to the lettuce and tomato, the restaurant is at fault for not pointing out that their cheddar is soft cheddar."

"A la carte pricing is ridiculous and expensive.  I ordered bacon and blue cheese on mine and was rewarded with very crispy strips of bacon (deep fried?) and soft blue cheese crumbles.  Both added a much needed dose of flavor to the otherwise bland burger."

"I went straight up, just ketchup. Call me a heretic but this way I got the full flavor of the burger."

"I smothered the tasteless patty with bacon, mushrooms, raw onions, and delightful scooped soft cheddar."

"Any liquid that the burger had was from the mushrooms - and let's talk about those mushrooms.  When I took my first bite of the burger, all I could taste was mushroom.  I couldn't taste any beef flavor or grilled onion or even swiss cheese.  I couldn't figure it out.  I always order mushrooms on my burger and they always play a supporting role; never had they tried to make a play for the lead.  What was different?  Some table discussion led to the conclusion that these mushrooms were from a can.  Sad.  While someone bemoaned the fact the burger didn't have enough salt, my canned mushrooms had so much salt that any salt in my burger would have made me feel like I was eating seawater.   There is really no excuse for not using fresh or even frozen mushrooms."

The Bun:

For me, the Calf Burger bun may be the best we've seen so far -- doughy and more than up to the task of transporting the patty and its toppings from start to finish. I really would have liked to have seen how this classic kaiser roll held up to a really juicy burger. Top shelf.

Tasters offered:

"Very good. Exactly the same diameter as the burger--a good thing, in my opinion.  Very soft and bread-like texture, thick enough to handle a lot of toppings without being too hard to handle (or fit in my mouth)."

"To their credit, I think this was the first bun that really worked with the burger.  The bun stayed intact throughout my whole meal.  That being said, my burger didn't exactly put the bun to the test." 

"The bun was a nice treat. Substantial, flavorful yet not noteworthy in any particular way. It did its job and didn't try to steal the show."

"The juices were plentiful and were collected nicely by the top third of the bottom bun. It didn't soak all the way through, though it was definitely collecting some good juice, like a wet sponge. The combination of the fresh bun and the juices formed a nice yummy layer of juicy/soggy bun that added an extra layer of flavor between the burger and bottom bun. This is one of the few times I'd use the word "soggy" in a good way."

"The lightly-toasted bun held up extremely well to my onslaught of toppings mingling with the burger's grease."

The Verdict:

Readers voted the Calf Burger from the Fatted Calf in numbers but I'm left wondering why? Really -- it is a fast food burger. Viewed though that lens the Calf Burger compares to the burger from Five Guys and stomps on the nuts of anything The Clown or The King have to offer -- but this is a search for the best burger in St. Louis. While the best burger is undoubtedly one that you can see yourself having on a regular basis, its probably not a fast food burger.

In the end I've left with the weighty comments of two of our dining companions:

"More than anything, I remember liking The Fatted Calf many years ago and I hope, I really do, that it used to be better. Otherwise I have no idea what I was thinking before." 

"Fatted calf is a metaphor related to rejoicing for someone's long-awaited return; I can only conclude that the restaurant is appropriately named as I will not be going back for their burger for quite some time."

It seems the search continues. Until next month.

Lambstravaganza V - A Feast In The Field

This past weekend I got the chance to participate in a great Slow Food St. Louis event called Lambstravaganza. Simply titled as "A Feast In The Field", the event allows some of St. Louis's finest chefs to celebrate the lamb raised by Dave and Barb Hillebrand on Prairie Grass Farms in New Florence, Missouri. 

Proceeds from the event are used to support Slow Food St. Louis’ Micro Grant program.  Started in 2009, the program has given more than $12,000 to area farmers to encourage them to produce heirloom and heritage vegetables and livestock.  It is the hope of Slow Food St. Louis that by taking on a share of the financial burden farmers are faced with by subsidizing the purchase of the necessary seed, livestock or equipment, that they can foster biodiversity to both maintain and enrich our region’s agricultural heritage.

I'd like to thank the Hillebrand's for having us out to their farm on such a fine Sunday afternoon. I'd also like to thank the chefs, beer and wine makers who donated their time and skills to help celebrate local food. 

The line up included:

Monarch - Joshua Galliano
Yia Yia's - Rob Uyemura
SleeK Steakhouse  - Steve Caraveli
Entre Underground -  John Perkins
Five Bistro - Anthony Devoti
Sidney Street Café - Kevin Nashan
Niche - Gerard Craft
Farmhaus Restaurant - Kevin Willmann
Schlafly Beer
Les Bourgeois Vineyards

I hope you enjoy these photos from the farm and just a few of the dishes served up that day. 

Prairie Grass Farms in New Florence, Missouri

Prairie Grass Farms in New Florence, Missouri

The menu of eight courses, by chef. Each course featured lamb, eggs and goat milk sourced from Prairie Grass Farms.

Offal, legs and chicken eggs.

Lamb loin.

Lamb shanks and rib sections.

Lamb shoulder, beef

Lamb neck, leg and sweet breads.

Thanks again to everyone who worked to put this event together -- I can't wait for next year. If you are not already a member of Slow Food, I highly encourage you to get involved. You can find out more information and locate your local chapter here.

Burger of The Month - The Fatted Calf

Its hard to believe that we are wrapping up the first half of this quest to find the best burger in St. Louis with a stop at the The Fatted Calf.   

I'm excited that we were able to include the Fatted Calf as it got a ton of votes -- even though it was closed during the voting because of a fire last fall that left the venerable St. Louis landmark sidelined. I left the Calf in the running because the owner seemed determined to reopen. I'd say it ended up being a risk worth taking.

Weighing in at 1/3 of a pound the "Calf Burger" is charbroiled to order before being topped with a section of house made relishes, pickles and onions. Cheese lovers in the group can again indulge in scoops of soft cheddar on their burgers should they choose. Alas I'll be taking down my Calf Burger as it comes.

I can't wait to give the Calf Burger at the Fatted Calf a try, but as we get into the burgers in our competition that got votes by the fist-full, I can't help by have my expectations rise as well. However, after last month, it appears that the burger eating crowds here in St. Louis are pretty wise indeed.

May Burger Of The Month - Michael's Bar & Grill

For the fifth time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger, this time on the first real steamy Sunday of the year. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me were Church of Burger alumni Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), project photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and first timers Kyle Harsha (Sippin' Saint Louis) and Evan Benn (St. Louis Post Dispatch / Lager Heads).

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the May Burger of the Month from Michael's Bar & Grill.

The Setup:

Michael's Bar & Grill resides inside a nondescript brick building in the St. Louis suburb of Maplewood. If it was not for the green awning running along the front of the restaurant, it would be all to easy to pass Michael's by -- it's largely indistinguishable from the other store fronts running along Manchester Avenue.

Passing through a small patio area and into the front door, Michael's opens up into a bar and several dining areas. An open kitchen runs along the wall, providing views of the grill and a tall spit turning a healthy slab of gyro meat. Once you move past the bar section, which doubles as the smoking section, a heady scent of grill takes over -- a mixture of smoke, char and spice that speaks to the Greek lineage of Michael's. It is in many ways a classic diner, albeit it is dressed up a bit.

Our group assembled in the bar area before moving to the first of several table arrangements for our party of eight, eventually ending up towards the back of the restaurant where tall piles of used plates waited for washing in large plastic bins. The amount of cleanup hiding just out of sight of most customers was a bit surprising to me as we had arrived and were seated a few minutes after the advertised opening time.

Our inauspicious dining location aside, we quickly dug into the menu to assess our burger options. Around the table almost everyone ordered up the house specialty -- The Michael Burger -- topped with scoops of soft cheddar, thick cuts of feta and grilled mushrooms. Burgers were ordered rare to medium rare. As usual I ordered the Michael Burger as is came, medium rare and paired with lettuce, a while slice of onion and several pickle strips.

In true diner fashion glasses were refilled long before they were fully drained. It seemed that there was a never ending stream of pitchers moving around the room, which was nice at first but quickly became an annoyance. The smell of burgers arrived a few seconds before the actual plates, as if to announce to all that these massive 10 oz monsters (after cooking) had arrived.

Behold the Michael's Burger from Michael's Bar & Grill:

   

The Patty:

The Michael Burger is advertised as 10 ounces of hand formed chopped sirloin, which upon inspection is more than accurate. Its a really big burger. What is not advertised is that 3 ounces of the Michael Burger are most likely fat, which makes for an incredibly juicy / greasy burger. The patty was seasoned well enough, but I could have used more salt to match all the fat in the burger. The patty was cooked a perfect medium rare. Its honestly one of the better looking beef patties that we've seen so far this year.

Tasters commented:

"At 10oz, this is one of the biggest burgers in St. Louis. It's right at the line where going any bigger edges into a comedic territory where going bigger means Eating Contest. And really, who the fuck needs even a 10oz burger?"

"Unfortunately, my medium rare request was fulfilled medium well. Again. Will no one serve me a mid-rare burger in this town?"

"This is my favorite "meat" burger so far.  It's not the kind of burger I would normally want to eat, because it's insanely fatty, but it's the kind of thing I'll definitely be indulging in again."

"I appreciated the option of a 5 oz. Junior Deluxe burger. The Junior burger is nice when you only want to take a small nap after lunch rather than being in a meat coma for the remainder of the day."

"This is the first burger I've had on the quest that was temped exactly as I ordered it and, looking around the table, it appeared that everyone's burger was accurately cooked."

"The patty seemed to be hand-formed. As I grasped that 10oz burger in my hand, the juices dripped down and covered the plate below...the temperature is spot-on: rare, as ordered."

"It's the kind of food you wish you could get till 2:00AM because it would go down smooth with a heavy dose of intoxication.  It reminded me of the type of burger you'd get at any number of college hangouts only at Michael's, it was cooked right."

"I like just a bit more "snap" when biting into the patty - it seemed a bit mushy. Seasoning was fine, maybe could have used a touch more salt &pepper. I think I'm still sweating the grease."

"I ordered my burger medium and there was no pink at all."

"This is a burger to eat at 3 am, after consuming vast amounts of beer and Jack."

"The 10-oz monster was too beefy for its bun, leaving about a 2-inch protrusion poking out of the bread. The menu claims the meat is chopped sirloin, but I couldn't really tell a difference in consistency or flavor from ground beef. That said, it was definitely a flavorful, satisfying burger -- cooked an as-ordered medium-rare with the juices running wild and attractive grill marks on the exterior."

"The patty - was heeeYUGE and shiny. Mine was cooked perfectly, medium-rare. So juicy. I noticed several of the church-goers using forks towards the end of theirs. I never resorted to that, but it sure was a messy meal, which I like. I napped hard for nearly 3 hours after eating it...and I hadn't even eaten the whole thing!"

"The only flavor present in this patty is beef; I don't detect salt, pepper, garlic, or the Greek seasoning that my mind somehow misappropriated to Michael's burger."

"A huge fatty burger is like a special occasion wine. The once-a-year bottle as apposed to the Tuesday bottle." The Michael's burger is the finest special occasion burger I've had outside of the Kuma Burger at Kuma's Corner in Chicago."

"The burger had no flavor. It not only wasn't seasoned, as far as I could tell, but the meat itself didn't seem to have flavor. The predominant flavor was grease. Grease to me is different than juice. Burger juice is full of flavor and comes out when you take a bite. Grease hovers on the outside of the burger like lube and leaves me feeling like I should do penance by eating nothing but vegetables for the next three days."

 

Caramelization:

Without a doubt the fat contained within this burger leads to the impressive char on the patty. I would have liked to see one cooked as it must throw off an amazing show of flames when the fat drips out of the patty and meets the fire of the grill. The clean and well defined hashmark pattern on the patty suggests an experienced grill person is at the helm and they understand how to cook such a fatty piece of meat without scorching it.

Diners observed:

"Good char on this burger"

"I am not a huge fan of the heavily grilled burger, typically, but this one had a ton of grill flavor that went well with all that fat.  It reminded me of a huge Steak 'n Shake burger, cooked to temp, which makes sense in that they said it was "ground sirloin" on the menu."

"My burger didn't have much caramelization that I could tell... it was well cooked and tasted good, It just didn't have any crunchy or charred edges. Not surprising for such a thick, fatty burger."

"A tablemate said he would have liked to see more charring on the outside of the burger, and another one replied that he thought his was perfectly charred. Personal preference, but I can make sense of both arguments. On one hand, the burger did have visible grill marks that imparted a smoky, open-flame flavor to the meat; but on the other, the big, juicy patty was fall-apart messy -- an issue that may have been avoided if seared on a flattop griddle instead of a grill. I didn't mind eating a few pieces of meat with a knife and fork once they fell off the mainland patty, so I guess the caramelization from the grill was adequate for me."

The Toppings:

As ordered the Michael Burger comes with lettuce, tomato, a hearty whole slice of raw onion and several strips of crinkle cut pickles. The kick of onion and pickle, present in almost every bite is a great complement to the massive beef patty. The lettuce was crisp, hand torn from the head and largely unremarkable. The tomato -- well its May here in St. Louis and while in season tomatoes are starting to show up in the farmers markets, they are nowhere to be found in most restaurants and on most burgers.So very depressing. I would gladly trade what kingdom I have for a decent slice of tomato on my burger. 

Diners offered up the following thoughts on their burger toppings:

"I got Feta cheese on mine, as a nod to the restaurant's Greek-ness. The tangy fresh cheese complimented the rich meaty burger well. My tomato wasn't as mealy and pink as my neighbors, but it was still a yucky out-of-season flop. Claussen pickles sliced length-wise were a nice, salty touch. "

"Topped with that scoop of cheese a picture of the Michael's burger, with it's piece of lettuce so small it might as well be garnish, is the very definition of 'this is why you're fat'."

"A scoop of soft cheddar. And by "scoop," I mean a wallop (not dollop) of the orange-colored, tangy, spreadable cheese. I'm a cheddar guy in most any form, so I enjoyed this, although probably not as much as I would have with a regular slice of cheddar or -- like my table neighbor -- a square of feta. Obligatory-but-shouldn't be tomato (out of season), lettuce (limp), onion (raw) and pickle sandwich strips (score!) came on the plate."

"I wish I wouldn't have ordered the soft cheddar- there was just too damn much of it, so that was almost all you could taste."

"I like the option of feta cheese at Michael's.  The salt from my cheese added some semblance of taste to the lump of cow."

"I think getting that scoop of cheddar was cheating.  It was yet more fat and it oozed everywhere as you ate it.  For me that was the biggest reason the burger worked and I think that's because of the two things that make food taste good: salt and fat.  It needed more pepper, but the salt and fat were there--especially with that heap of cheese -- and it made for a success."

The Bun:

In many ways it seems like the Michael Burger bun is designed for obsolesce. The kaiser roll is a classic and welcome addition to backyard burger cookouts, but for a burger this large and fatty, it is ill equipped to last from the first bite to the last. The bun is quickly overwhelmed by juice, turning from soft bread to an amorphous mess. Halfway though the burger it became unclear where the bottom bun ended and the patty began. With a quarter of the burger left I abandoned the bun as any sort of handle or transport vessel and opted to knife and fork the remaining burger.

Tasters commented:

"The bottom bun was so soggy that I could barely lift it.  The bun was unable to support the weight of the burger."

"The top of the bun held up okay. Nothing special... fit the burger. The bottom bun...it didn't as much fall apart as it was just completely absorbed by the extremely fatty, juicy patty. Almost as if it had never existed!"

"The bun was fine- would have been nice if toasted.  The burger didn't fit onto it, but the top one was big enough to soak up most of the grease."

"The bun was a disaster. It was damn near a Wendy bun and it didn't remotely hold up to the burger that I'd guess was, at minimum, 30% fat. It disintegrated halfway through and I took to the fork and knife for the last quarter."

"The bun is the same one we've all seen on Wendy's sandwiches -- a kaiser roll with a dusting of something (fine-grind cornmeal?) on top. Kaiser is my favorite carb vessel for homemade, backyard-BBQ burgers because its doughiness gets even more flavorful as the bun absorbs all of the meat juices. The Michael Burger was a runaway juice train, with even more liquid than the bun's underbelly could handle (the soft cheddar provided a protective layer for the top of the bun). I still think it held up better than any bun could have, I'm proud to love kaiser bread, so this was a highlight of the burger for me."

"As I continue to take bite after bite, I notice that I also can't feel the bottom half of my bun. It obviously could not hold up to the patty and surrendered to its juices, becoming a sloppy mess in the process. By the time I was done, I was finishing this burger with a fork and knife, and I needed a stack of napkins to aid in the cleanup effort."

The Verdict:

Readers not only voted the Michael Burger the eighth best burger in St. Louis, it is also one of the burgers that I'm asked about most often by folks who did not participate in the voting. It is clearly a crowd favorite and for good reason -- its a greasy mess of a burger -- and who does not like that?

As I sum up my experience with the Michael Burger, I'm keep coming back to a comment from a member of our group who offered, "Uhhhhhhhhhhh…It was juicy, salty, and plenty fatty. So fatty, in fact, I had to put my head down mid-meal, even after fasting all day, and I left two bites untouched. It may have bested me." While I managed to finish my burger, I would tend to agree with this sentiment.

The Michael Burger is a challenge to eat, both during the dining experience and for hours afterward. If this burger were a girl, she sure would be fun to hang out with, but you might think twice before bringing her home to meet Mom -- unless your Mom happens to be a fan of big greasy burgers. In many ways the Michael Burger might be the best "Sometimes Burger" in St. Louis. While I might not be back for some time, I'm looking forward to tackling it again, perhaps after consulting with and being cleared by a cardiologist.

STLToday.com Shows Love For The Church Of Burger

Pretty sweet write up of the adventure so far by Evan Benn of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Evan joined the fun for the May Burger from Michaels Bar & Grill and wrote about it for the Off The Menu section of the online paper.

The Space Where Beer And My Phone Meet

I recently reviewed the Schlafly Beer iPhone application for the Riverfront Times and in the process I do little to refute the idea that I'm out to destroy local businesses on a daily basis.

Burger of The Month - Michael's Bar & Grill

Welcome to month five of my quest to find the best burger in St. Louis based on the votes of my readers. After last month when we visited a local landmark that I know quite well, we are back into the realm of the unknown with the burger from Michael's Bar & Grill in Maplewood.

Known as the "Michael Burger", I can find little about this burger besides that its a 10 ounce patty of chopped sirloin and that a lot of you voted for it. Besides the occasional review of this Greek restaurant in the local media I have been unable to find much detail to share besides a really fuzzy picture of the menu.

In any event, looking at the way the votes panned out it appears that we have moved past the burgers that got enough votes to make the cut into the burgers that showed up again and again in the results. While the judging remains the same, I have to admit that I'm expecting some really good burgers going forward.

It will be fun to see if there is indeed wisdom in crowds, starting with the May burger from Michael's.

April Burger Of The Month - McGurk's Irish Pub & Garden

For the fourth time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Joining me were Church of Burger member Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), second time participant Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and special guest George Mahe (St. Louis Magazine / Feast). 

Thanks are due to the nice folks at Cottonfactory who kindly provided my shirt for this months update.

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the April Burger of The Month from McGurk's Irish Pub & Garden.

The Setup:

McGurk's is a legendary Irish pub in the historic Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis. While the pub is only a shade past 30 years old it feels like it has stood at the corner of 12th and Russell since before St. Louis was handed from the French to the Spanish and back to the French over 200 years ago. 

The interior of McGurk's is a mixture of well worn wood surfaces and floors that complement the red brick architecture that is common across the city. The space invites you in and wraps itself around you; it is the kind of place that you can walk into in the late afternoon and walk out of as the sun rises the next morning if you are not careful. After all soûlard is the French word for drunkard. 

In many ways this part of St. Louis reminds me of Pleasure Island from the Disney version of Pinocchio. To my friends and neighbors who live in the neighborhood what I am saying may seem like a slight but I do mean it as a complement. Soulard is a great place to visit, but it should be known that if you overstay your welcome vice will undoubtedly get the best of you and you run the risk of turning into a jackass. I say this based on personal experience.

Our group met up as McGurk's opened to find the bar already filled with people and a Irish band setting up off to the side. With some luck and persistence on the part of Kelli we scored a long raised table off to the side that was more suited to family style drinking than eating, but with folks filling in the door it was the best we were going to get.

Around the table McGurk's Burgers were ordered medium rare to medium, topped with cheese and various combinations of mushrooms, onions and bacon. In a particular stroke of genius Stefani and Jonathan asked for chocolate sauce to complement house made chips, making for a sweet and salty side for their burgers. Given the traffic though McGurk's, service moved along at a reasonable pace - essentially long enough to drain your pint of beer and order another for your meal. One diner commented that they were, "impressed that all the burgers arrived simultaneously (and on one tray) and were served without resorting to the "who got what" rigamarole."

This is the first stop on this burger adventure that I have frequented before, and in the spirit of disclosure I can honestly say that John D. McGurk's Burger topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions caramelized in Guinness and bacon is a personal favorite of mine.  Alas, I would be trying this burger as it came, free of addition of mushrooms, onions and bacon. This meant a medium rare burger topped only with the garnish plated with the burger, slices of tomato, red onion and a single leaf of lettuce. 

Behold the burger from McGurk's Irish Pub & Garden:

The Patty:

At the core of the McGurk's burger is a thick and almost perfectly formed patty of beef, suggesting its been formed and pressed with the aid of a mold to ensure consistency from one plate to the next. My burger arrived closer to medium than the medium rare I had ordered but the interior was pink and lightly seasoned. Around the table all the burgers arrived as ordered save one, which was sent back for a replacement.

Tasters commented:

"The burger edges were perfectly uniform: either a pre-formed patty or one that had been hand-pattied then pressed into a mold. The taste of the beef was good, complimented by perfect cross-hatch grill marks and char. So the taste was fine...the texture was not."

"I ordered it medium-rare. It was cooked perfectly, and tasted nice and meaty... I wouldn't have minded more salt."

"My choice of fare at McGurk's will not be changing after having their burger, an effort that falls short of the ideal in terms of both the mushy bun and patty lacking both juice and proper seasoning."

"I didn’t miss the salt on this one.  I thought the meat had enough flavor on its own (well, on its own when you count the swiss, tomato, mushrooms, and Guinness onions)."

"A good burger is like a good crabcake: it should formed by hand and treated lightly...not over-worked, not over-pressed, not over-handled. A burger should be handled only enough to keep it together...it should be made with freshly ground beef and should be airy and, for lack of a better word, fluffy. Otherwise the protein gets too compressed and the juices in the meat do not flow. I encounter very few burgers made the right way. This one was no different."

"The burger just looked overcooked and unappetizing. It had clearly spent time under a heat lamp or on the side of the grill (as the garnish was cool, I would suspect the latter). Regardless, it was NOT fresh off the grill." 

"I order my burger medium and that’s just how it arrived.  It was moist, but not dripping with juices.  This was fine with me.  I know others like to see the juice, but I’m cool without it. When I see lots of juice, I picture cows bleeding.  The burger was not overly seasoned."

Caramelization:

Ample grill marks were apparent on my burger suggesting the patty was cooked properly - placed on a rocket hot grill to cook on one side, then flipped to finish on the other. While the caramelization on this burger did contribute to the overall flavor, it would have benefited from additional seasoning. 

Around the table diners were happy with the char McGurk's achieved on their burger.

The Toppings:

For me, mushrooms, caramelized onions and bacon are to burgers as mirepoix is to a good stock. Yes, there are countless other toppings for a burger, but they pale in comparison to the earthienss of mushroom, the sweetness of onions and the smoke and salt thrown off by bacon. It was with heavy heart that I watched my fellow diners enjoy their burgers, because I knew just what I was missing.

My burger was topped with a single slice of crisp lettuce, a hearty slice of red onion and a sad tomato that suffered from being out of season. 

Tasters offered up the following thoughts on their burgers:

"I loved the Guinness onions." 

"Sorely missed rarebit."

"The mushrooms and onions were such good burger companions. Simple flavors... they tasted like mushrooms and caramelized onions, sweet and earthy and seasoned well, without any unnecessary flavors."

"It's bad enough to have to endure tomatoes in April anyway, but to be served slices with the core still intact? Please... Here's a dollar, McGurk's...go buy a tomato corer."

"My toppings of onions, mushrooms, and bacon were expertly prepared."

"This burger was clearly fresh off the grill, cooked properly, cheese looking freshly melted, with 2 respectable strips of room temp bacon crossed over the top."

The Bun:

I was not a fan of the traditional kaiser bun the McGurk's burger was served on. While it had marks from being grilled before plating, I found the bun bland and flavorless, sadly it was a perfect companion for my tasteless and out of season tomato. Sad.

I was especially surprised at the differences in the quality of the bun from one plate to another. It was almost as if some of our burgers were made with yesterdays buns and some with buns delivered fresh that morning.

Tasters replied:

"The kaiser bun was slightly grilled--a wee bit of crunch on the edges, otherwise doughy--but it was still under-heated and under-grilled."

"The bun was grilled, and that was my favorite part, as it added buttery crunch a good way into the burger all the way around."

"This burger's kaiser was room temp, not grilled, not warmed, and quite doughy, again, not unlike other burger buns in town, and therein lies the problem."

"The bun was the perfect texture – not so soft that it fell apart while eating it and not so hard that it crunched.  It had a bit of its own flavor, but not so much that it overpowered the burger."

"My bun was toasted a little too much--it wasn't burnt, the toast was just particularly chewy, and it overpowered the meat, which lacked juice." 

The Verdict:

Truth be told I was very disappointed with my burger from McGruk's, especially after having so many tasty ones there in the past. In hindsight its apparent that what I liked about the burger at McGurk's was not the burger at all, but the toppings. Instead of complementing the burger, its the toppings that steal the show, leaving the patty as a mere delivery vessel. Take the toppings away and you have a burger that is average at best.

I was struck by the comments of one diner, who provided the following thoughts on McGurk's and their burger.

"I've been going to John D. McGurk’s Irish Pub & Garden long enough to remember what the place looked like before the additional rooms "and Garden". The feel of the place hasn't been altered by time, nor has my usual order - fish and chips, a stew, or corned beef to be washed down with by a pint of cider or stout; dessert, for me, is optional: a snifter of one of their many excellent scotches.  Why return for a mediocre burger when there are better food options available?"

I would tend to agree with those sentiments. I'm sorry McGurk's, you are by far one of my favorite places to hang out here in town and I was pulling for you to be the best burger in St. Louis. I'm sorry to say that I don't think that's the case. The search continues.

Take Me Out To The Ballpark (Pizza)

Before I moved to Queens, I would travel from upstate New York to Long Island for marathon band practices and recording sessions with my band The Boys' Star Library. We worked hard throughout the day, often forgetting to consume anything save for cans of Milwaukee's Best Light and drags on heinous Parliament cigarettes between songs.

However, once we were played out we would venture to one of the thousands of strip malls that line the Island to a pizza shop that served up the most unique pie I've ever eaten - the roast beef pizza. Simply put it was a pizza topped with a thick pan gravy, thinly sliced roast beef and decadent dollops of creamy mashed potatoes. Ringing the register at over thirty dollars a pie, we would split the bill and use the hearty dose of carbs and protein to recover and fortify us for another day of making obscure indie rock music in a suburban basement.

The roast beef pie crept back into my mind after all these years after taking down a seasonal specialty pizza called "The Ballpark" at Dewey's, a midwest pizza chain based out of Ohio.

Served only in April, The Ballpark is a pizza topped with a spicy mustard, mozzarella cheese, sauerkraut, caramelized red onions and a spicy smoked sausage.

Paying homage to a ball park dog, The Ballpark reminds me little of the sad hot dogs that can be found at Busch Stadium here in St. Louis. Instead I think it has more in common with a Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, a specialty dog from Chicago.

The dough for this pie is standard for Dewey's - light and airy with what appears to be a light wash of oil on the bone. I've yet to run across another dough like Dewey's, which reminds me of a pub house pretzel. 

In the place of tomato sauce we find a classic spicy yellow mustard that beyond reminding me of a healthy dose of Gulden's, was largely unforgettable. 

Next up was a layer of mozzarella cheese to provide a kind of base for the dense toppings to come. I felt like the mozzarella provided little to the pizza and I could have done without it all together. Besides melding in places with the other toppings, it did little to enhance the pie and I was left wondering why it was there in the first place.

After the cheese is a bed of sauerkraut, covering the pizza from edge to edge and throwing off an aroma that dominated the onions and sausage. While any of the three toppings could play lead on a pizza, for me sauerkraut is the marque player in this dish. I especially liked how the chew of the Dewey's crust and the sauerkraut complemented each other - again the pretzel-like nature of the dough seemed right at home with the fermented cabbage.

On top of the sauerkraut came less than generous slices of sausage given the linage that this pizza is derived from. The Maxwell Street Polish Sausage is dense, meaty, flows over the bun and requires the eater to perform the "Philly Lean" so as to not get the dog all over their clothes. I so wanted the sausage to stand out in this pizza, alas it did not. While this is not to say it was bad, it just could have been so much better.

Lastly we have a sparse layer of caramelized red onions which were tasty but to few in number than to provide some color and residual sweetness every fifth bite or so. Again I was disappointed, anyone who has seen a vendor serving up Maxwell Streets will recall that their flat top almost always contains a monstrous pile of onions, towering over the sausages. Onions, you are missed on this pizza.

For me, I would suggest foregoing the cheese and making a larger investment in the sausage and onion. I think this pizza demands it. Missed opportunities aside, The Ballpark gets cut some slack because its unique and holds a limited engagement on the menu. It says welcome spring and gets me in the mood for nine dollar beers at the stadium. 

Get yourself one before its gone till the 2011 season. 

Burger of The Month - McGurk's Irish Pub & Garden

Welcome to month four of my burger adventure here in St. Louis. Fresh off of a soul cleansing veggie burger last month - we are back to the basics with a burger from a St. Louis institution, McGurk's Irish Pub & Garden. 

I'll be taking on a burger that is simply known as the "John D. McGurk's Burger". As this is the first burger on our list that I've actually had, I can testify that it is usually pretty damn tasty, especially when its topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions caramelized in Guinness and a few strips of bacon. 

Sadly for this go around I'll be taking the John D as it comes; with some lettuce, onion and tomato. Such is the life of someone attempting to eat the same burger at twelve different locations. Here is to hoping other folks jack this burger up like I normally would - because its not to be missed.

We will be back to our Sunday schedule as well and rolling with a very special guest who has been waiting patiently in the wings to worship at the Church of Burger. Should be fun.

 

March Burger Of The Month - Sweet Art Bakeshop & Art Studio

For the third time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a sunless Saturday afternoon. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis this coming December.

Tagging along for the ride were the core members of The Church of Burger; Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project) and Church of Burger photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography) who graciously provided all the pictures for this months update.

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the March Burger of The Month from The Sweet Art Bakeshop & Art Studio.

The Setup:

From the moment that votes started rolling in for a veggie burger, I knew that Sweet Art would present a challenge for this burger project. Besides the obvious - how do you judge a veggie burger against a meat burger - I was worried about participation as well. The feedback on this months burger came fast and almost always had a negative aspect associated with it. Among my favorites were the opinions that veggie burgers are not burgers or the simply stated belief that most veggie burgers inherently suck. When our group would meet it seemed that faces grew a bit longer when the topic of the Sweet Art burger came up. From time to time I worried if this would be the point where the wheels came off of my burger project.

To help fortify the more skeptical members of the group we agreed to meet early at Mangia Italiano for a pre-burger drink and final discussion on what makes and breaks a veggie burger. Beers were consumed and we shared a small pizza topped with greens and pancetta - as if the consumption of bacon would somehow compensate for the forthcoming vegetable patty. 

Things seemed grim, but fortified with some liquid courage we ventured over to Sweet Art and headed to the counter with our orders. Listed as the "Sweet Burger" on the menu, this burger is a veggie patty topped with organic mixed greens, a house vegan spread, ketchup, "magic" and "love" on a toasted wheat bun. 

Upon reaching the register, our party of five was informed that only three Sweet Burgers remained for the day. We quickly bought the remaining burgers, commenting to one another that not only was demand for this burger strong, apparently only a limited number were made each day. We agreed that the five of us would split the burgers and share family style around the table so everyone would get a chance to try.

Of the three burgers, two were ordered with cheese. The last was our baseline burger, ordered just as listed on the menu for my judging.

With orders in we moved back to our table where we talked and checked out the owners art which lines the walls of the restaurant. The vibe at Sweet Art is crunchy without being pretentious, hip without making you feel alienated. It was all to easy to sit back, dominate one of the few large tables available and enjoy the company of friends. All to quickly our burgers appeared, standing tall on vividly colored plates.

Behold the burger from The Sweet Art Bakeshop & Art Studio:

The Patty:

Like the paintings on the walls, the veggie patty of the Sweet Burger is a work of art with specks of roughly cut vegetables mixing with textured vegetable protein (TVP) and whole nuts. From a distance the heady scent of spice - what seemed to be a mixture of coriander, cumin and possibly turmeric - reaches the nose, inviting a quick succession of bites.

The varied textures that all the players contribute to make for a mouthfeel that is not quite meat or vegetable. The patty springs back against your bite, compressing to a point of chewiness before breaking away from the burger.

Tasters were of like mind, commenting:

"The Sweet Art veggie burger was truly a burger.  It had just the right amount of juiciness, but it held together when I bit into it."

"The Sweet Burger was fantastic."

"As a former vegetarian, the Sweet Art burger is probably the best veggie burger I've ever had. It has great texture without trying to be meat-like. Beats the hell out of Gardenburger."

"I have no fucking clue what was in that patty outside of the obvious carrots and onions.  It seemed like maybe there was some eggplant, nuts, and what I'm assuming were lentils, but I really have no idea. Regardless, what I do know is that instead of trying to give it the texture of meat, it was more of a patty sandwich, and I particularly liked that about it."

Caramelization:

Many run of the mill veggie burgers seem colored to give the appearance of meat, sometimes going as far as to include "grill marks" to suggest that they have been licked with flame before being flash frozen and boxed up for the freezer section. These types of veggie burgers are intended to be replacements for meat, a sacrifice in the name of healthy eating.

What is nice about the Sweet Burger is that the folks at Sweet Art achieve a decent amount of caramelization during cooking which stands out against the orange hue of the patty. As the name suggests, this burger does have a sweetness to it and its reasonable to assume some sugar is used in the patty to help achieve a good char. Very impressive.

Tasters commented:

"The sear they were able to achieve on this patty were impressive given that they weren't dealing with real meat."

The Toppings:

My burger was topped with organic mixed greens, a house vegan spread, ketchup, and according to the menu both "magic" and "love". The greens were crisp enough to have just been cut, making a nest for the burger to sit upon. Being mid March, I found the out of season tomato to be pale and bland. The tomato was cut thickly to contribute to the overall height of the burger. For me the spread and ketchup were lost behind the spice of this burger, which dominated each bite.

Tasters offered up the following thoughts:

"The "special sauce", which seemed to be some kind of remoulade, gave it a spicy zing that really rounded out the flavor of everything that was in that patty.  It did get a little messy to eat towards, the end--but then what great burger isn't a little messy."

"The cheese melted over the top worked just the way that I would expect it to on a good burger – adding flavor and some grease.  I enjoyed the mixed field greens so much more than the sad piece of iceberg that I often find on burgers.  I know that others were bothered by the out of season tomato, but I thought it was pretty good for an out of season tomato.  It wasn’t gray and wimpy."

"Mixed greens added a bit of crunch and imparted a subtle flavor that enhanced the burger more than shredded, bland lettuce would have. I think the best ingredients in the burger, however, were the advertised "magic and love"."

The Bun:

The whole wheat bun resembled a traditional hamburger bun. While it is not thick or overly dense it did a good job holding up to being halved and shared around the table. While it did its job, for me it was the weakest part of the burger. With all the thought that went into the patty and the fact that Sweet Art is more of a bakery than anything else, I expected something more than was plated.

Tasters thought:

"The bun was hearty (not the kind that turns into a sticky Wonder Bread-like glue in your mouth).  It definitely enhanced the burger."

"The bun seemed like it might have been heated in a microwave.  I could have used a little better bun, also, but that's the best of the three buns so far.  It was real similar to the Rudi's Organic buns I use at home, but the Rudi's are a little better still."

The Verdict:

Readers voted the Sweet Art Sweet Burger the tenth best burger in St. Louis. As a veggie burger in a hamburger contest, I would have to agree that it not only holds its own against the competition so far, in many ways its superior.

I'm struck by the comments of one taster, who offered, "As a vegetarian entree, it represents everything that vegetarian food needs to be to keep people from making fun of it. As an eater of meat, I'd choose it over most of the hamburgers I've had in St. Louis. I will eat many of these things while Sweet Art is in business.  It's just a delicious sandwich."

I'm a reluctant consumer of vegetarian fare because it often tries to be a replacement for its meat counterpart instead of a cuisine unto itself. The Sweet Burger succeeds because it bucks this trend. Instead of being reminded of what the diner is missing, even a meat eater can appreciate the Sweet Burger - which is hearty and satisfying without betraying its roots as a veggie burger.

Truly a treat and a rare find here in St. Louis. Kudos to my readers for the suggestion.

This Makes My Pants Tight

I am a huge fan of street food, food carts and most of all lunch trucks. Imagine how I felt today after seeing this teaser photo for a pizza truck being deployed by Pi Pizzeria here in St. Louis.

Seeing this bad boy roll down the street should generate excitement that is usually reserved for the the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile or dare I say it - Ecto 1 driven by the Ghostbusters.

Confessions Of A Dumbass - The Daddy Warbucks

Several times a year I meet up with friends, most of them Dad's, for "investment club". Investment club is an auspicious event in all regards, but if we were being honest we should really just call the night "hamburger club" and be done with it.

Yes, there is always some talk of IRA's, 401k's and the occasional Israeli small cap technology company, but its more of a chance to to get out of the house, have a burger and catch up with friends that we don't get to see as often as we would like between work and family life.

A wrinkle in our recent meeting was that it was in direct conflict with "book club", where our better halves meet up to eat, drink wine and "discuss" a book that apparently only a few of them have actually read.

Talk about a misnamed club!

In any event, with the Mom's headed out for their night of well deserved fun with friends, the Dad's were forced to rethink our night out and have it at home so we could watch the kids and put them to bed. In a perfect world having an investment club at home would mean firing up the grill for some hand made burgers, because it goes without saying that there are few burgers better than a home burger. However after some discussion it was decided that folks would bring over their burger of choice, with everyone separating into two camps for the ordering - one group opting for Steak n' Shake, anther going with Five Guys. 

One one hand you have the smashed goodness of a Steak n' Shake burger, on the other you have the beauty that is a Five Guys burger (minus the fries, thank you). How could I not slip an order in for one of each and do something fantastically disgusting with them.

In honor of our little investment club, I present the building blocks of "The Daddy Warbucks".

On the left we have a Five Guys bacon burger with mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions, grilled mushrooms, raw jalapeno peppers and green peppers. On the right we have a Steak n' Shake double Steakburger with mayo, ketchup, mustard, lettuce, onion and pickles.

Counting all the buns, patties and toppings, we are looking at 22 "layers of burger", which I merged into The Daddy Warbucks:

The bottom and top layers are the Five Guys burger, the Steak n' Shake burger is sandwiched in the middle. I tried to cut it down the middle for a cross section view, but was afraid that it would not survive the sawing and hacking so I let it be after giving it a good decent stabbing with a chefs knife.

Unable to get the towering height of this burger into my mouth I attacked it from all sides until it was a sloppy and mauled form in my hands. Each bite left burger toppings in my beard, on my face and all over my hands - it was a mess that called for the foregoing of napkins and the deployment of a kitchen towel.

With all the toppings mixing it quickly became difficult to tell where the Five Guys ended and the Steak n' Shake burger began. However, the two played together amazingly well together with the raw jalapeno, pickles and grilled mushrooms standing out not only in most bites, but most belches in the hours after consuming this burger monstrosity.

When The Daddy Warbucks had disintegrated to the point of no longer being a hand held sandwich, a knife and fork were called out to finish the job.

Let's add this to the "never do again" file. Someone get me a salad.

In The News (Again) - The Church of Burger

As the posts have shown, February was a crazy month for the Church of Burger.

The drama surrounding the February burger has faded in the past weeks, but not before the discussion spilled over onto other local food writers sites and resulted in an interview with the Riverfront Times.

However, weeks before all of this went down I participated in an interview for a mid-west based website called UrbanBacon on a variety of topics pertaining to food writing, social media and the restaurant business. I think the range of questions make for an interesting read.

I appreciate the folks at UrbanBacon reaching out to me and giving me the chance to share my thoughts.

In The News - The Church of Twitter...er...Burger

After my review of the February burger from Sub Zero Vodka Bar I was contacted by the Riverfront Times to participate in an interview with Bill Burge and Pi Pizzeria owner Chris Sommers regarding the spattering of Tweets that followed our visit and the place of social media in food writing and the restaurant business.

The outcome of that interview can be found here.

I think the article is quite good and sets the table for a larger discussion once folks get past the more scandalous elements of a poor selection of words and a burger review. I do hope that as a community of writers, chefs and owners we can get to our seats at that table.

There should be no doubt that I understand my part in the ensuing disagreement over food, social media and the hard working folks who make and serve food for a living. I presented a thought that was in context for only a few of the people who follow me on Twitter which was a mistake. I get it.

However, I've gotten a fair amount of feedback that writing about my burger project threatens local business owners and the livelihood of their employees. I do not agree with this viewpoint, but I am willing to listen to anyone who wants to make the argument. My only recommendation is that you use more than a 140 character Tweet to do it. Perhaps a well meaning business owner in St. Louis would be willing to host folks for drinks and debate. It seems like the Schlafly Bottleworks or The Royale would be fitting locations for such an event. I'm unsure who would be neutral enough to moderate it though. Maybe we can just stop yelling at each other in bursts on Twitter and yell at each other over drinks instead.

My friend Kelli Best Oliver shared her thoughts on food writing recently, and I think her reasoning is worth consideration. If you have even a passing interest in this debate, would encourage you to read it.

Finally, I'd like to share my interview in its entirety - if only to gratify my own ego.

Are you more likely to air a restaurant complaint to management or publicly, and why?

For me, I think that is a matter of context.

In my personal life, if I am having a meal and something is not right, I will try and address it directly while I am there. If I am happy with the resolution there is a very good chance that I will say something favorable on Twitter. I do think that when given the chance most people want to and will do the right things. When they do, kudos are deserved.

There are still times when I go out with the intention of not being @amveats, but I can see how that side of me can show up. The line between me and my digital self seems pretty thin at times. I think this is because the tools in my pocket make it so easy to share – I can Tweet, Yelp and update my site and Facebook status from my iphone in a matter of seconds if I really want to.

However, when I am preparing to write about food, I’m going out to eat with a purpose. My intention is to tell a story and share it with my readers.

For many of my readers the act of eating something outside of the home is a luxury. They are spending their discretionary income. It may be arrogant on my part to assume that I’m having a direct impact on their spending decisions, but I bet it happens from time to time. I take that seriously. Why? These are people who have given me the courtesy of their time and feedback. Don’t I have a responsibility to give my opinion, for whatever its worth, on what is good and bad, what works and does not? To avoid this responsibility is a disservice to the readers I’ve cultivated over time.

How is this obligation different than a restaurant who has cultivated a following through good execution? Why is one more valuable than the other? Because one is online and one is made of bricks and mortar? Because someplace has employees? With my writing, if I get sloppy, don’t I run the risk of losing readers? At my job, don’t I advance based on reviews of my performance, why is it bad form to apply the same standard to a restaurant?

Having covered my obligations to my readers, what is my obligation to the places I write about? In scope are to be fair and honest. I would include standing behind what I’ve written and addressing issues when I’ve said something wrong. I have made mistakes in my writing, and I’ve been called on them. It sucks, but I’d like to think that I didn’t strike out when it happens. I try to look at what I did and didn’t do, make amends where I could and to learn something.

What is out of scope? Directly helping a business owner improve how their business operates.

Which method have you found to be most effective in resolving problems?

It is the rare person that can resolve a problem within 140 characters.  I don’t think you can beat sitting down and talking with someone. The advent of Twitter does not negate thousands of years of conflict resolution.

What pros and cons do you see with customers, chefs, and restaurant owners using Twitter, Yelp, etc?

I think that collaborative media is by its very nature, disruptive. It has changed the ways that we create and consume information, if you can actually call a 140 character burst “information”. Although the application of these technologies is still relatively new, they are and will continue to fundamentally change the way that businesses, in this case restaurants, and their customers interact.

I’ve heard the comment that if you have an issue at a business, tell the manager or owner. Well, guess what – every day your customers are telling you what they think. They are doing it on their blogs and Twitter accounts, and they are giving you real time feedback. Are we going to ignore the message because we don’t approve of is delivery method?

These are disruptive tools. They are changing the way we interact and do business. Is there something so special about food and the people who make it that they are somehow is exempt from this?

I agree that these tools are for the most part public utilities. Given that, I don’t think its reasonable to think that a restaurant can control every message linked to their business. That ocean is way to big to boil. So what is left? Yelling at and in front of current and future customers? Would you do that in your restaurant? Why would you do it online?

These tools are all about building a community and a relationship, but so many times they are used by business owners to blast a sales pitch. There is a way to leverage these tools to tell your story. As a consumer of content and services, it’s ok to tell me about your special on Twitter, but it’s not ok to tell me a dozen times a day. Its ok to engage me when I write something you disagree with. Its not ok to somehow imply that I’m a “foodie”, which I think is slang for “amateur”, and a method to try to diminish the value of my comments.

Savvy users of tools like Facebook and Twitter find it more effective to talk about being at the farmers market and finding some fantastic ingredient that will be used in a dish tonight. They are not using it to turn off the very people who they derive an existence from, yet that is what happens. It seems counterintuitive to me.

All things being equal, the wall between the kitchen and the people who talk about food has come down. You have this confluence of opinion and pent up frustration, and they are obviously not coexisting in harmony, they are generating conflict.

I have tried to put myself in the shoes of a chef who has worked hard perfecting a craft and is putting his or her best plate forward nightly. I’m sure is frustrating to read negative comments and reviews that seem both nameless and faceless.  I understand why a chef would take to Twitter and defend himself against criticism.  

If we accept that we are dealing with largely uncoordinated bursts of communication, what do we use to retaliate? More bursts of communication. To make it worse, most of the time these bursts are missing a context. Where does that get the business owner or the chef?

I’ve seen the love that some chefs and restaurants here in St. Louis get. They have fans. Many times the adoration is justified. These fans will undoubtedly take to Twitter to defend a chef, I know this because I’ve seen it happen. I think if a chef or a restaurant is honestly putting out its best food, its best service, if they are working their asses off and pushing themselves, then taking to their Twitter accounts to defend every perceived attack defeats the purpose of all the time and effort they spent generating good will and relationships with their customers. If a restaurant is doing these things, the food should speak for itself, internet comments be damned.

What responsibilities do you think diners have in making online reviews?

Be fair. Be honest. Put things in context. Understand that your words have meaning. Use your own name or develop an online persona that can be associated with you. I blog and tweet under my own name, if I say something wrong people can find me. And trust me, they do.

I don’t think we’ll ever be rid of drive-by reviews, any more than we will ever get rid of angry people. Does anyone think that they could stop a disgruntled, or worse yet generally disagreeable customer from sharing their experiences with a group of friends over coffee? I understand that the issue is that we’ve gone from a small group of people sharing ideas to sharing the same thought with hundreds or thousands.  I think with that fact comes a level of responsibility, backed up by a track record of being a credible source of content.

However, being honest and fair does not mean that I take responsibility for how someone runs or does not run their business. It means I’m trying to do the right things in the right way, for me. It means that I have set a standard for myself and I’m trying to live up to it each time I write.

These tools are new, but their existence does not somehow mean that the cream will not rise to the top. Again, the hard part is sifting though the static for the signal.

What responsibilities do you think restaurant staff members, chefs, and owners have in using social media?

When you are dealing with an organization, I think people need training on how to use a tool and the message needs to be coordinated to a certain extent. Using social media tools requires a set of skills that move the user past the concept of promotion. It requires the ability to develop a voice and foster a community.

I think the staff of a restaurant has a different function in communicating than the chef does. There are personalities and voices within a restaurant that have important things to say. Combined and coordinated, I think they can help tell the story behind the restaurant, they can help to build a long term relationship with not only their customers, but communities both real world and digital.

February Burger Of The Month - Sub Zero Vodka Bar - Recap

For the second time this year I gathered up a group of friends and food bloggers to take down a burger on a lazy Sunday afternoon. This was the next stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis in December.

In tow were some new faces and old friends including; Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia), Bill Burge (STLBites), Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project), Church of Burger photographer Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography), Stephanie Tolle (Iron Stef / Food Blog Mafia) and Nik Cameron (13) in addition to a pack of friends and family who wanted to take a look at what my burger project has become.

With the introductions out of the way its time to welcome you all back to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the February Burger of The Month from Sub Zero Vodka Bar.

The Setup:

Forgoing appetizers but opting for adult beverages, we dug right into the burger menu. Under the guise of "An American Burger Bar", Sub Zero offers up 18 signature burgers ranging in price from $9.95 for the Classic (ground black angus beef, lettuce, cheese, tomato and onion) to $31.95 for the Surf & Turf (American Kobe beef, avocado and poached lobster tail with clarified butter).

Covering the spectrum of burgers between the Classic and Surf & Turf diners can select patties made of beef, lamb, pork, tuna, bison, turkey, chicken, falafel and vegetables. Burger hounds who can not find an acceptable choice among the 18 signature burgers can build their own, with enough combinations of meats, veggies, cheeses, sauces and toppings to boggle the mind, taste buds and digestive track. 

Around the table folks delved deep into the burger menu to make their selections. Among the burgers ordered were several classics, the Hawaiian kobe, a lamb, the southwest veggie, the spicy cajun, the slinger, a pair of falafels, the turkey, the Jamaican jerk and both the Sub Zero and Kobe Beef sliders.

As I need to judge all of the burgers this year, I stuck with the classic, sans cheese and dressed as is with lettuce, tomato and onion.

Without a doubt this was a diverse and complicated order of burgers but the waitstaff covering our tables were efficient and friendly; taking our orders and filling our glasses without showing the stress of covering such a large crowd. 

For the next 45 minutes, conversation ebbed and flowed around the two tables we occupied. Friends chatted and we got to know the new folks who had joined our burger adventure. An hour after we arrived the first burgers appeared, followed by wave after wave of plates until all were served.

So here we were at the moment of truth, the reason we ventured out on a wet Sunday. Behold the burger from Sub Zero Vodka Bar:

The Patty: 

Listed as black angus beef on the menu, the burger was compact but ample, with a hand formed patty at its core. I ordered my burger medium rare and it was cooked nearly perfect with a rosy pink interior.

Like all the burgers that I was surrounded by, the burger on my plate appealed to the eyes. It really looked like a great burger, standing high and dominating the small plate is was served on. However, as I took my first bite I was shocked to find that this perfect medium rare burger was lukewarm at best. My second bite was no better than the first as I noticed a lack of seasoning. By the third bite it was clear that the burger did not lack seasoning, it didn't have any. 

While the pink interior juices of this burger ran a bit into the bun, the patty seemed dry. I checked the bun several times to see if it was absorbing juice as I worked on the burger. It was. However, each bite was devoid of moisture, cold and depressingly free of a distinct burger taste. 

Tasters were divided over the quality of their patty choices, commenting:

"My burger was overcooked and lacked juice and salt. You can get away with one, maybe even two of these, but not all three."

"I know I didn't agree with everyone else but my burger was quite good, perfect size, nicely cooked, yummy"

"It was under-seasoned, overcooked, cold, and on an inferior bun that didn't hold up through even half the burger. When you get a burger in a place called Sub Zero it is, as expected: Sub Par."

"The turkey patty was solid. It was probably premade, given that it was a bit to symmetrical to really be recently hand-mashed. That said, it was flavorful and surprisingly juicy."

"I think Sub Zero should be lauded for having so many interesting-sounding offerings, but the patties fell short."

"Can't claim to be a burger expert, but I think I know the difference between right and wrong. Sub Zero's were wrong."

"I had the lamb, the bbq buffalo, the classic and the southwest veggie sliders. The southwest veggie was the most flavorful by far, but too heavy on the sun-dried tomato taste. The Lamb burger didn't taste much of lamb, and I also didn't taste the mint they promised. The buffalo burger was maybe the best, only because the coleslaw and bbq sauce added moisture."

Caramelization: 

Like everything about this burger, the grill work contributed to the overall beauty of the dish, with islands of char dotting the patty. While the grill marks were not well defined, it did not appear that the meat was handled improperly by the grill-person. All things being equal, the flavor picked up off the grill might have been the only thing saving this burger from being totally devoid of flavor. 

The Toppings:

Our waitress indicated that we could request an item not be added to a signature burger, but no changes or substitutions were allowed. For my classic burger, this meant several slices of tomato, a selection of lettuces and raw onion. The lettuce was a spring mix, fresh but not overly crisp. The tomato was soft, bland and had an out of season taste that I could have done without. The raw onion was sliced thin and had a pleasing sharpness to it when eaten. In hindsight the onion might have been the most flavorful part of this burger.

Tasters commented:

"For what I paid for the burger, the least they could have done would be to put what they said they would put on it."

"Amazingly, the hummus on the burger was overpowering both the feta cheese, and the lamb flavor.  I *saw* bits of mint, but couldn't really taste that either, thanks to the hummus."

The Bun:

The bun for my burger appeared light and airy on the inside when examined, and provided a pleasant crinkle of crust when held. For me, the bun was not quite a classic hamburger bun and not quite a brioche. More than anything it reminded me of a large slider roll. When eaten there was a quality to this bun that made me think of a store bought potato roll that was left out and reused the morning after a back yard cookout. An underlying staleness to the bun did little to help the dry and unseasoned patty. When bitten there was no toothsome pull of the bread before the teeth moved out of the bread and into the denser meat. Instead I was left feeling like each bite consisted of a journey from stale to dry and sadly back to stale. Disappointing. 

Others thought:

"A dry bun that couldn't possibly stand up to the litany of toppings offered at Sub Zero, leaving me a very sober worshipper."

"The bun failed. It literally fell apart on me."

"The bread would have been more solid if it had been dough."

"The bun was a bit tall and dry for my taste."

"The "brioche" bun was dry and relatively tasteless"

The Verdict:

Readers voted the burger at Sub Zero Vodka Bar the eleventh best burger in St. Louis. Given all the issues with this burger, I have to disagree. In my opinion, it appears that the effort of the kitchen has gone into appearance of the burger but not its substance. This represents the worst in dining, where a high sheen is placed on the product to give the appearance of value.

Many diners commented that there was a disconnect between the quality of the burger and its menu price. Truth be told, this burger would be bad at most, if not all price points. 

One member of our group opined, "I was surprised we were going to a vodka bar for the burgers. I would go back to Sub Zero if they have a good vodka tasting option, but why do they try to have such fancy burgers? Stick to vodka and cocktail foods that go with vodka. I don't get it."

To me, it seems Sub Zero suffers because it does not know what it wants to be. The signage says that it is both a vodka and American Burger bar. However, when you walk though the door you come face to face with a sushi table. Why? Its not clear to me how all the parts fit together. Each theme seems more of a hail marry than a well executed plan. Its as if management has attempted to integrate dining trends as they appear, leaving them to lay stagnant in their restaurant long after the fad has passed.

To sum up, I can't help but bestow upon Sub Zero the adage of "Jack of all trades, master of none". 

The search continues.

A Wee Bit Of Exciting News

With the exception of The Church of Burger project, I have not been able to do much writing of late. My wife and I sold our amazing hundred year old home in the city last fall and have been hunting for a new house to buy and eventually remodel. The search for the right house in the right location has been a long one, but we have a contract on a house and if everything goes well we'll move in soon and get to work.

Many thanks are due to our amazing friends Jeff, Leslie and Esme who not only put us up, but put up with us as well.

I'm really excited to be moving from my dark galley kitchen to a bright and open space for cooking and food photography. It will only get better as we gut the space and put in a new kitchen. With the help of my wife, who is an interior designer, I hope to create a space that not only complements our home, but allows me to cover techniques and cooking in a way that my previous space would not allow.

Along the same lines the outdoor space has tons of potential as well - not only will it accommodate my grilling and barbecue tools better than my last space, it will only get better as we expand the living space out of the kitchen to the deck and then down onto a patio space that hopefully will be complete with an outdoor wood fired pizza oven. My fingers crossed to have that project completed within the next 24 months.

Another plus is a great south facing yard on a bit less than .4 of an acre - more than enough space to set up a great culinary garden. Because of the late start, I've asked my friend Kelli and her business partner at Yellow Tree Farms to help with starters and planning. If you are in the area and are planning your garden - you have to check out their list of heirloom starters. I'm gonna have tomatoes up the yin yang come summer, but I can't say no to all the great plants they have for sale.

The potential of this new space is great, and I think it will make for an interesting addition to this site as we plan, tear down and build. I'm looking forward to sharing the adventure.

In other news I recently was interviewed on a range of topics for Urban Bacon, which was really interesting. I got a chance to not only talk about food, but share some thoughts on getting started with blogging and how restaurant owners can leverage tools to improve their on-line presence. Super fun and thanks to Phil for reaching out to me for my thoughts and opinions. I'll provide a link once the interview is published.

I got a chance to eat some downright foul fucking "barbecue" with Matt Ridings and discuss just what we can and can't do as far as having a barbecue competition here in St. Louis. It's such a great idea, but right now I'm wondering if its to logistically hard to pull off and still enjoy participating in the event. More details to come, hopefully.

And lastly, I'm really excited to report that I was asked to a meeting of writers for the Gut Check section of The Riverfront Times this week. It was great to meet several people that I read and usually interact with on Twitter.

It was even better that I've been asked to contribute to a reboot of their food section. Thanks for the opportunity, I can't wait to get started.

Beyond that, check back in soon for the recap of this months burger and the announcement of the March "burger". Should make for a fun few weeks.

For Immediate Release - Attention Piggies And Cows - You Are On Notice

First annual BBQ Competition and Tweetup. (perhaps someone can come up with a catchy name that reflects St. Louis, Twitter, and BBQ)
 
What is it? - A group of people (the "competitors") will cook Ribs (pork), Pork Butt (pulled pork), and Brisket (beef) through the night and early morning hours of the event.  The competitors can cook any or all of those items.  Given that the competitors will be individuals and not competition teams it's unlikely many will attempt to do all due to space restrictions.  So if you're only good at one of those things then by all means sign up.  Competitors will necessarily consume large amounts of alcohol in the process and have been given advance reprieves for any untoward behavior they may exhibit.  Another group of people (the 'consumers'..get it) will then arrive without having done any work whatsoever and partake in all of the goodness that is BBQ.  We'll follow KCBS rules for the most part.

When is it? - We are currently looking at the "spring break" period (generally in mid March).  As weather is always a factor in the St. Louis area at that time of the year (short sleeves, Down jacket, or rain slicker?) we'll firm this date up as it approaches and ideally have a backup date.

Where is it? - The event will be in the St. Louis area, but you're welcome to come from as far away as you like.  In fact, maybe we'll do something special for whoever travels the furthest. I have a couple of possibilities that we can definitely use (football field sized), and there's always the option of renting an area from a local park, but if you've got a great option by all means suggest it.

How is it judged? - We will select members from the local St. Louis twitter community that we feel have some appreciation and in-depth knowledge for the BBQ'ing arts.  It will be a blind judging, but those who are willing to judge *and* take bribes for preferential treatment will be prioritized.

How much is it? - Unknown at this time since it is dependent upon the shape and size of the final event.  In addition we need to decide if we want to try and make a "profit" that could go to a charity, or to simply try and offset out of pocket expenses.  Thoughts on this would be appreciated.

Who is doing this? - Matt Ridings and Andrew Veety are organizing this event, however we could use all the help we can get.  Lots of skills and access to resources would be great that have nothing to do with BBQ, such as:

• Graphic Design - For things like email invitations, website, t-shirt designs, etc.
• T-shirts
• Infrastructure Organization - Tables, chairs, trash, tents, etc.  And no, I don't mean I want you to bring trash, I mean we need a way to collect and dispose of it in a green friendly way.
• Music - This would be great, and there are certainly a lot of us out there with access to some great musicians/bands.  From a location perspective however I would have to insure access to a decent amount of electricity close by (or an Unplugged acoustic set will be the order of the day)
• Marketing - This is a tweetup, so we need you to get the word out via your friend network.  However, you may want to think twice before inviting that "friend" who wants you to constantly look at the link with her pics
• Other - We'll need hands, brains, and muscles. Feel free to bring one or more of those to the table, but I'd recommend a minimum of at least your hands because let's face it, you'd just look weird without your hands.

Want to participate? Please leave a comment below with what you might be able to help with, if you want to compete, or if you simply have a question.  Or drop us a line at techguerilla or amveats on twitter.  We literally came up with this idea 30 minutes ago so we're evolving in real time.

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Burger Of The Month - Sub Zero Vodka Bar

Welcome to month two of my burger adventure here in St. Louis. The response to my project has been incredible so far and I'd like to thank everyone for the interest, kind words, opinions and requests to join me for a burger. I also really appreciate all the recommendations for your favorite burgers. While they were not submitted in time to be included in this project - I don't need a special reason to get out there and taste some tasty burgers.

If you have comments, questions or would like to find out more about participating in this months burger, please leave me a comment in this post, or you can contact me on Twitter or Facebook.

I'm pleased and honestly a bit apprehensive to announce our February burger, Sub Zero Vodka Bar. Why both pleased and apprehensive? I find myself feeling both because this whole project was founded on the idea that readers tell me what their favorite burger is and then I go eat them. The premise opens the doors to some burgers and burger joints that have and will continue to create some, shall we say "spirited conversation" over the coming year, not to mention question what a "burger" really is. However, I'll try to save that argument for next month, when this burger journey might careen off the proverbial rails in the opinion of many. Should be wicked.

In any event, I'm looking forward to my visit to Sub Zero, because from what I've heard and read, they are dishing up some jacked up burgers to complement their sushi and vodka bar. Yeah, sushi bar. I said I was apprehensive, didn't I? I always get worried when I look at a place and you can't readily tell what and where their wheelhouse is. Is this place about the burgers, the fish or the booze? Can you excel at all three?

But what the hell, who am I to judge until the burger is sitting in front of me? Let's eat!

Training Our Burger Future

I'm sure at some point my son will look at his old man in horror and embarassment, but right now he does not know any better. I love this picture from this past weekend because it seems to support the idea that the apple does not fall far from the tree.

I also love his tee shirt because its full of all kinds of win.

Photo by J. Pollack Photography.

January Burger Of The Month - Dressel's Public House - Recap

This past Sunday I met up with a great group of friends, foodies and food bloggers to take down a burger. This was the first stop in a year long search for the best burger that St. Louis has to offer, based on the input of my readers. You nominated them and I'm eating them, one by one until I crown the best burger in St. Louis in December.

Before we dive into the actual burger, I wanted to take a moment to thank some people who have not only helped me refine this idea, but really improve it. And for that I am very thankful.

Kelli Best-Oliver (South City Confidential / Food Blog Mafia) - By far my biggest supporter since I thought up this project. She's spread the word, encouraged me as I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do and coined the term "The Church of Burger" - suggesting that we make each months meeting a Sunday lunch. Inspired.

Bill Burge (STLBites) - For keeping me honest and refining how I compare all these burgers. Originally I was going to eat the biggest and most jacked up burgers I could get my hands on, it was Bill who pointed out to me that's not really a good comparison and got me to change my plan.

Stefani Pollack (Cupcake Project) - For recommending that we start with the pretzel with a side of rarebit at Dressel's. While it had nothing to do with eating burgers, it was a damn good call.

Jonathan Pollack (J. Pollack Photography) - For the photos, which I think bring this project to another level. Please check out his site and think of him the next time you are looking for a photographer. 

Finally, thanks to everyone for the votes and feedback that let me put this project together. If you are interested in this project, please leave me a comment or contact me on Twitter or Facebook for more details.

Now, without further ado, welcome to The Church of Burger. In the name of the bun, the toppings and the holy burger, I present unto you the January Burger of The Month from Dressel's Public House.

The Setup:

I arrived early, grabbed a seat at a large table, a pint of cask O'Fallon IPA and contemplated the task at hand as I waited for folks to file in. I was happy to find that Dressel's has an authentic pub feel and is blissfully free of smoke or the remnants of smoking. 

Dressel's has two burgers on the menu; "The Dressel's Hamburger" (a 1/2 beef burger with lettuce and raw onion on a brioche bun) and the "5" (lamb burger, chive butter, bread and butter pickle, tomato and lettuce on a brioche bun). Diners can also top their burgers with cheese, rarebit, sauteed mushrooms, onions, red peppers, kraut and a house made bacon.

Around the table folks opted for the beef burger and then added cheese, rarebit, onions and mushrooms to their orders. I kept to the rules and ordered the Dressel's Hamburger as it came, with lettuce and onions. Nobody in our party requested a burger cooked past medium, with the majority opting for medium rare.

A pretzel was delivered to our table shortly after our burger orders were taken and we all dug into this salty and chewy pub treat served with a side of rarebit for dipping. We took turns passing the dish around the table, ripping a piece off and plunging it into the rarebit. The pretzel was crisp on the outside and crowned with salt, a perfect foil for the fresh bitterness of the cask ale IPA.  

With the pretzel gone and its rarebit artfully reserved for a forthcoming burger, the conversation turned to all things burger. Where to get them. Where you can't get them anymore. How they should be cooked. Why a burger cooked at home is almost always the best burger you can get. Time passed and I didn't see our waitress approach, arms loaded down with burgers on plates and baskets depending on the side ordered.

So here we were at the moment of truth, the reason we ventured out on a Sunday. Behold the burger from Dressel's:

The Patty: 

Listed as 1/2 pound on the menu, the burger looked like a hand made patty that was oozing juice from the top, indicating a good protein to fat ratio, probably 80/20. The first bite was juicy and salty, making an amazing topping unto itself - making condiments an unnecessary addition.

As I mentioned before, everyone ordered burgers medium and medium rare and for a table of seven I only saw one burger that approached that level of doneness. Instead of red to pink interiors, most of the burgers ranged from a light pink to a medium well gray.

Tasters commented:

"Mine was like a rainbow of beef: mid-rare on the first bite to almost full on well on the last. Fat saved it."

"Mine was definitely medium. I like 'em pinker than that. Luckily, it was still awesome."

"Well, really, the two things that make food taste good saved it: salt and fat"

"A bit salty, came out medium rather than medium rare, but worked perfectly."

Caramelization:

I don't care if the burger you are eating is smashed on a flat top or grilled in the back yard, it needs the flavor and crunch that can only come from a good char. For me, the saltiness of this burger did a good job pulling some juice and fat out of the patty before grilling. This led to an impressive set of grill marks which were dark, defined and indicated that the grill-person didn't waste time playing with the meat - it was cooked on one side, then the other, then plated.

The Toppings:

To Bill's point, its a little to easy to jack up a burger with all the extras to hide an otherwise subpar burger, so for the purposes of this project I am eating the burgers as they come. In this case, that meant lettuce and raw onion. The lettuce was crisp and fresh, providing a pleasing crunch. The sharp contrast of raw onion made for a good combo. No complaints.

As far as toppings, no two burgers were ordered the same during our visit, but there was a healthy representation of cheese burgers around the table.  One taster commented that the, "Rarebit sauce is not to be missed". 

Personally I was sad nobody opted for the house made bacon, because I would have been tempted to "tax" a bit of it off their plate had it shown up.

The Bun:

Often overlooked, a bun can make or break a burger experience. Far from being a marquee player of the burger team, it should instead play the part of journeyman, providing solid defense and a pop from time to time. For a burger throwing off as much juice as the one at Dressel's, the brioche bun did a fine job holding things together until the last bite. Like an edible Temper-Pedic pillow it stood up not only to the burger, but repeated two handed trips from plate to pie hole. From my perspective the bun was well done.

However, some of the diners disagreed and commented:

"It was just an oddly bagel-shaped enriched white bun.  There was no real egginess to it the way you would expect from brioche.  I also wished they’d toasted it more.  Someone did do it, but mine seemed like an after thought as apposed to an attempt to actually get it crisp."

The Verdict:

Readers voted the burger at Dressel's the twelfth best burger in St. Louis. Given how well rounded and executed I thought this burger was, it seems to indicate that the "best burger" in St. Louis will be orgasmic in a way that is usually reserved for a sandwich at Katz's Deli. And while that works in the movies, I'm not sure it will happen here in St. Louis. 

For me, the mix of salt and burger juice makes for a fine burger, one of the better burgers that I've had here in town. To get the best out of a burger from Dressel's I would suggest that readers order their burger a little less done than you really want it, and skip the condiments because this burger does not need them to hide behind. 

Others at the table thought that the burger at Dressel's was at best average with a chance of being much better. I can find common ground with that perspective, because it was not a perfect burger. Instead it hangs out in the lukewarm water between run of the mill and potentially great. And lets face it, here in St. Louis, that's not always an undesirable place to be.

Surfdogs Just Might Have The Best Buns In St. Louis

In the realm of intelligent things to do on a Sunday afternoon, I'm not sure pounding almost a half dozen hot dogs is one of them. I am positive its not a good idea when you have traveled over 20 miles to try one of the new guards of St. Louis hot dog joints, Surfdogs, where surfing, perfectly steamed poppy seed buns and Jimmy Buffet reign supreme.

To start, I'd like to share with you the souvenir I brought back from my trip to the Chesterfield Valley - my membership in the Surfdogs Hang 10 Club. In about 20 minutes I managed to "Hang 5", barely, before the ordering stopped and I limped back to the car for the long trip back to Webster. 

For the record, I ate half of the Big Kahuna Challenge. Basically the challenge consists of a person, a seat, 10 decadent hot dogs and 60 minutes. According to the Surfdogs website there are no substitutions, no trips to the bathroom and if you hork before your done, I have to assume the challenge is over. If its not over, it should be. However it is unclear if the rules allow you to continue after vomiting. To be honest I don't really want to know.

In any event I would be unable to compete for the Big Kahuna given the number of hot dogs that include cheese, in slice, shredded and sauce form. While I was able to ask for my dogs to be made sans cheese, for the purposes of maintaining the integrity of the Big Kahuna Challenge, the dogs can't be made without cheese. 

I think it would be grossly unfair to the handful of people who have actually completed this gut wrenching challenge to attempt it without doing the cheese dogs. 

Joining me on my trip was my friend, hot dog with ketchup lover, and sometimes site guest contributor Jeff, who brought along his daughter, who had this face on pretty much the whole time I was eating. Clocking in at a year and a half, even she seemed to know that what I was doing was wrong, and possibly against the very laws of nature.

While I appreciate that she was worried about what was unfolding in front of her, I still had to make the most of my trip because I honestly don't know how often I will get back there. 

Hence the desperation inherent in my ordering - as you will see over the following paragraphs. Yeah, that's the ticket.

Here is the rundown:

From Left to Right - The New York Dog, The Original Surf Dog, The Ruben Dog

The New York Dog is a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed bun topped with spicy mustard, giardiniera peppers and sauerkraut. Now longtime readers will remember my issues with "New York Style" dogs both at Woofies and Pam's Chicago Style Dogs. Much like at Pam's, the addition of giardiniera is tasty, but it has nothing to do with New York hot dogs. New York hot dogs come from a dirty water dog cart, topped with mustard, onion sauce and sauerkraut. When they are from a shop they are grilled on a flat top, topped just like a dirty water dog and ideally served with papaya juice. I've eaten hundreds of hot dogs in NYC, and never once was I even offered the option of giardiniera. Now don't get me wrong, giardiniera is an amazing topping. It tastes great on a dog, and even better on Chicago style Italian beef, but its addition does not make for a New York hot dog. You know what does? Mustard and sauerkraut. All in all, a great hot dog with a geographically depressing name for this NYC transplant.

The Original Surf Dog is a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed bun topped with pineapple, tomato, bacon, peppers and swiss cheese. As I mentioned above I asked for mine without the cheese. My experience with this dog started rocky when a bite of dog and crushed pineapple came on a bit strong. However as I made my way into the dog, the mixture of fruit, dog, bacon and peppers made for a downright excellent and unexpected hot dog. Surf Dog, you live up to your namesake.

The Reuben Dog is a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed bun topped with 1,000 island dressing and sauerkraut. Simple and tasty, this was the only dog that I didn't have to ask for no cheese on, even though I think I should have if it was really a reuben. Regardless, this one went down first and fast. 

While I was taking down my first basket of dogs, Jeff attacked Capn' Misty's Italian Dog, a Vienna Beef dog on a poppy seed bun topped with mozzarella cheese, marinara sauce (or gravy if you were taught correctly) and sweet peppers. The menu indicates the bun should be toasted, but from the picture it looks like this one was not. Jeff was really happy with this gussied up pizza dog and with the fact that the bun was steamed instead of toasted. 

From Left to Right - The South Shore Slaw Dog and The Dog House

There comes a time when you are eating really dumb amounts of food that you decide that you're going to order again before you finish what's in front of you. I blame the menu that hung there on the wall, just staring at me. Three dogs was more than enough for one visit, but as if my feet were taking directions from my sack instead of my highly rational brain or completely full stomach, I soon found myself back at the counter ordering the two gut busters pictured above. 

The first, or rather fourth dog was The South Shore Slaw Dog, a Vienna Beef dog on a steamed poppy seed bun topped with a really fresh and well executed cole slaw. Now, I've eaten slaw dogs all over the south, but i have to say this reminded me of a slaw dog that I would make at home during a cookout. The right amount of tang and the right amount of crunch from the cabbage. Bravo.

My fifth dog was the aptly named Dog House. A combination of The Cheesy Dog, The Epic Chili Dog and a South Shore Slaw Dog, this dog is by all measures a problem, or maybe it was just a problem that I was eating it last. First off, without the cheese, it was just a dense and amazing slaw chili dog. I can't imagine this dog covered with cheese sauce, or rather I can't imagine how I would eat it without a knife and fork. Not that there is anything wrong with knife and forking a dog if you need to. To be honest as I sized up this dog, I thought about my brother attempting the Chili Pie at Woofies this past spring and then I counted my blessings it was missing the cheese and dug in.

The chili was sweet and not very spicy. The first bite reminded me of Skyline Chili, as did the second. By the third bite I found myself back in the middle of a slaw dog, with the tang mixing well with the sweetness of the chili. By this point I was not even sure there was a hot dog in there, I was just trying to finish. 

Which I did, thank you very much.

Postscript:

As I write this, its been about 36 hours since my visit to Surfdogs and I just finished dinner, my first meal since visiting Chesterfield. Seriously, I was not hungry for over a day and a half. If my exploits don't make you want to saddle up and head out to the wilds of St. Louis county, I don't know what would. Along the same lines, if my exploits make you want to never eat a hot dog again or perhaps go vegan, that's understandable as well. Hell, I was thinking that on the ride home. And while I'm positive I will never, ever, ever attempt the Big Kahuna challenge, I will find my way back to finish out my punch card. 

Eventually. 

After I go for a run. 

Several really long runs. 

All dicking around aside, Surfdogs is well worth the short road trip from St. Louis city and worthy addition to the top shelf hot dog joints we have here in town.

Burger Of The Month - Dressel's Public House

We are starting a bit late for sure, but the voting is done and its time to get on with the first of our St.  Louis Burger of the Year contenders.  

With over 100 votes covering 25 + restaurants and burger joints in the area the competition to get into the top twelve was tight and in the end readers selected Dressel's Public House as the St. Louis Burger of the Month for January.

The Dressel's Hamburger clocks in at 1/2 pound, grilled to order and includes a slice of sweet onion, lettuce and a pickle on a brioche bun for $8.00.

After that, you can add cheese, sauteed mushrooms, onions, red peppers, kraut, house made back or American bacon, tomato and relish for an additional charge. 

My plan is to make an unannounced visit to Dressel's over the next two weeks to give this burger a try. I'm already thinking about adding the mushrooms and house made back bacon. The addition of kraut is also interesting. 

I'd be excited to know if you have thoughts about this burger, can suggest other items from the menu to sample on my visit, have suggestions from the beer menu to pair with my burger and most importantly would like to join me. Please leave me a comment or contact me on Twitter or Facebook for more details if you would like to take part in trying this months burger.

Help Me Eat The Best Burger In St. Louis

Twelve months - twelve burgers that you pick and I eat.

We'll focus on a burger a month and at the end of the year - we'll select the best burger in St. Louis.

So far I have 18 burger nominations and over 50 votes covering the best St. Louis has to offer. I'll collect your favorites through Friday, January 15th so leave your ideas in the comment section, or contact me via Twitter or Facebook. To be fair, limit your suggestions to 3 burgers, ranked so I know which is your favorite.

On January 16th I'll tabulate everyone's favorites and weigh them against the most recent "Best of" lists from local media (print and web). However, because word of mouth carries more weight with me than annual lists, they will carry more weight here as well.

Once we have our list, I'll make an unannounced visit each burger joint and break down the best they have to offer into a handful of criteria; the patty (which can be meat or veggie), caramelization, toppings, bun, presentation and most importantly - the taste.

The burger with the most votes will be our December burger, the next highest will be November and so on. On the first of each month* I'll announce that months burger on this site, Twitter and Facebook and I'll open up comments for a week. The person who makes the best case for that months burger will get a chance to join me to eat their favorite burger and help me with the judging - and I'll pick up the tab. In the event that nobody makes an impassioned plea for that months burger, I'll treat my wife to a night out for burgers.

I hope your excited about this project as I am, here is to twelve months of fantastic burgers!

*January will be a bit haphazard - I will announce this months burger on Monday the 18th and I'll accept comments until the 20th. Hopefully by February I'll have the process ironed out. You do what you can.

Entre:Underground - A Thanksgiving Feast

In years past my good friend Bob and I would organize a supper club called Bob and Andrew's Restaurant, or Andrew and Bob's Restaurant or just "The Restaurant", depending on who you asked. 

The challenge would be to create an innovative multi course meal for 10 - 15 people that would cost no more than $5.00 a person before a pairing of wine or a beer that I had brewed. We worked on this project for almost a year, meeting a handful of times before it faded into a background of weddings, babies and obligations that dominate our daily lives. 

As I remember its inception, the idea for our club came from a story I was telling about a underground restaurant in Queens. Nestled into a quiet middle class neighborhood in Middle Village an Italian family served traditional family style meals complete with wine for $50.00. As they served a fixed number of people per night and it was not uncommon to knock on the door and be told to try again next weekend, if the door was answered at all. 

"The Restaurant" was great fun but it quickly grew unwieldily and its restriction to charging no more than $5.00 a head, while egalitarian, was restrictive beyond belief. 

Anyway, these were the thoughts that simmered in the back of my mind like the foundation of a good stock as I made my way up a dark street and to the front door of an amazing home in Soulard to attend an event that had all the elements of not only a supper club, but a deliciously secret rave as well.

But how had I ended up here?

I first discovered this roving event a few weeks ago when I got a message on Twitter that led to a web site describing an event that had a few spaces left:

"Interested in going? DM me on twitter. Have too much to say in a tweet about why you'd want to go? Just add your comments below. Don't worry about the cost as it isn't cheap, whatever you can or can't contribute is fine. I'll pick up the rest.  Whether you check the box as male, female, or "other" is fine with me. I'm happily married thank you very much  But you *must* love food. Additional bonus is that you will then be on the invite list for all future dinners."

Sadly the date available happened to be my birthday and friends had organized a dinner long ago so I was unable to go. But over the next week I was added to a list of interested parties and received a tweet that read:

"just ordered hudson valley fois, 6 whole peking ducks, moulard breast, leg and things from pasture 2 plate"

Again I was unable to rsvp as I was scheduled to spend the weekend hanging out and cooking at a lake house in the Ozarks. Each message regarding this cryptic dinner left me wanting to attend more. The tweets continued and soon I was emailed a link and password to a website where I could RSVP to a future meal. 

Jackpot. 

I RSVP'ed for 2 for what was a meal called "Rethinking Thanksgiving", eventually leading a friend and I to this dark doorway in Soulard. What follows is a recap of the meal I enjoyed at a table full of strangers, I hope it inspires you to seek out the clandestine chef. I know I'll be back for more.

For supplemental information I'll link to my tweets and twit-pics from the evening. Yes I took more pictures than this, but really, you don't think I went through all this work to share everything now did you? 

My evening with the Entre:Underground - A Thanksgiving Feast - in seven parts:

Upon entering we were welcomed and given a glass of Cava Carbo, a sparking wine from Spain, and then were left to mingle with the few diners that had already arrived, explore the house and ask questions in the kitchen as a team of chefs and assistants prepped a meal for 30 people, split between two long tables in a cavernous room off the kitchen. As I was as interested in how an evening like this was pulled off, I grabbed seats with a direct view of the action in the kitchen.

First:

A slim plate with crostini and a deconstructed stuffing of turkey braised in cider and cranberry, a celery foam and fried sage and paired with a 2008 Alder Ffeiz Gewurztraminer. A well executed amuse bouche, providing a glimmer of what was ahead and capturing the flavors of perfect stuffing. The braised turkey reminded me of Thanksgiving meals with my family, where my mom lays the neck of the bird over the dressing as it cooks in the oven and we take turns picking at the moist and dark meat throughout the day.

Second:

The chef visits our table to tell us about a green bean casserole with mushrooms that were just hours removed from growing on a tree, topped with crisp slices of garlic in the place of the customary strips of fried onion. Pairing was a delicious 2008 Brampton Sauvignon Blanc. 

I recall wondering if there was any more of that braised turkey...

Third:

A refresh of the Sauvignon Blanc and a request to make conversation and await an off the menu course thats being constructed on the fly, a house made turkey sausage wrapped in dough - pigs in a blanket sitting atop a decadent cranberry sauce.

I grab my phone and snap a picture, tweeting: 

"Secret extra dish - pigs in a blanket! #amazing". I follow this up with a tweet directed at the chef, "I'm sitting here - amazing - bravo. So happy."

Fourth:

Quite possibly my favorite dish of the evening was a playful take on mac and cheese (picture). An amazing combination of cheese crisp sitting in a pasta soup with chives and bacon. Paired with my favorite wine of the night, a 2006 Paraiso Syrah that was full of oak, I could have ended the evening here. 

The soup was smoky from the bacon and a perfect foil for the cheese crisp which I broke off in small pieces with my spoon and savored. For the first time in the evening, I stopped talking and concentrated on the dish. 

It is always a good sign when I turn quiet at a meal, because as my wife will tell you, I never shut up. 

Fifth:

A pallet cleanser of cranberry sorbet sitting on a generous base of honey. I share a story with all in earshot that my parents tell about the first time they had a pallet cleanser with a meal. Long story short they used the sorbet to "butter" their bread. I love that story, but not as much as the heady mixture of cranberry and honey. Just rich.

I direct another tweet at the chef: 

"love that you guys are working so hard and rocking this place - while pounding some PBR's. =D".

Sixth:

The main course of a turkey and duck ballotine, wrapped in bacon and paired with broad sweeps of cream corn, goat cheese polenta and spinach (picture). One of our fellow diners asks what a ballotine is, and I reply with a tweet from earlier in the afternoon:

"Wikipedia's entry for ballotine is short and sweet. Its recommendation? See Also "Turducken". Have to love rolled and stuffed meat."

For the first time I realize that we've been eating for two and a half hours, then I dig in, making sure to gather up each flavor in every bite. A 2008 Dain Savage Juilet Pinot Noir complemented the neapolitanesque combination of bacon, turkey and duck. 

Not to be forgotten is a simple roll dusted with sea salt and sage. Happiness ensued when half of a second roll showed up on my plate, complements of my friend Steph who wrestled an extra helping from the waitstaff. 

Seventh:

A fun play on creme brulee in the form of a pumpkin custard topped with a pumpkin seeded lace cookie. More like a pumpkin flan, the key to this dish was the crunch of the cookie, which takes the place of a traditional caramelization of sugar. A square, yes square, cup of coffee on the side was an excellent ending to this meal.

To wrap the evening, each member of that evenings underground meal took a moment and told us a bit about themselves, brining the meal to an end. As each person explained their story and how they ended up preparing the evenings meal, I could not help but think of the small supper club that my friend Bob and I ran. While backgrounds ranged from bankers to biologist to chefs, it was clear that each was there to be part of something special and for St. Louis, very unique. 

Many thanks for the amazing meal and best of luck to the new friends we met that night. I can't wait to return for seconds.

Neo Neapolitan Pizza Goodness By J. Pollack

Sara and I had our new friends Jonathan and Stef over for dinner recently, and Jonathan offered to snap a picture of this veggie pie I made - just after it was pulled from the oven.

This is just a beautiful picture of one of my pies, and I'm excited about sharing here.

Jonathan is a photographer here is St. Louis. He shot our maternity pictures before Reis was born and more recently, the 60th birthday of my mother in law, Peg. When he's not busy with shooting weddings and sittings, he is also a photographer for Sauce Magazine, so I feel doubly lucky to have this photo.

Stef makes a mean cupcake and brought over her recent creation, garlic cupcakes for halloween. My favorite part of this savory and delicious treat was a whole clove of roasted garlic dipped in chocolate, riding on the top of the cupcake. Stef is currently contributing a cupcake a month until January to Paula Deen. Her first submission was a carmel apple cupcake, which I heard was amazing.

Best of all, Jonathan and Stef recently had a little boy, Myles, and he and Reis have become fast friends, which is super fun.

Thanks for the photo and the fun night - hope you guys liked the pizza.

Revisiting An Old Favorite And Two Rookie Efforts

The Old Favorite - The Tin Can Tavern "Ten"

A favorite stop of mine during football season is the Tin Can Tavern on Morgan Ford. Around noon friends make their way over to this South City landmark for stiff bloody marys and comfort food to:

1. Help soak up the toxins from the previous nights festivities
2. To nip at the proverbial hair of the dog, because for the Jets, Bills and Browns fans amongst us, it usually ends up being a long, long afternoon.

While much of the menu at the Tan Can is topnotch pub food, the mini corn dogs and tomato bisque are amongst my favorites, I usually find myself thinking about the burger on Thursday or Friday, long before Sunday ever rolls around.

The burger at The Tin Can is called the "Ten" and it comes with bacon, choice of cheese (including none, thankfully for me) and sauteed onions riding on two five ounce beef patties. While this is not a dominating double burger, at least compared to a favorite of mine - the "Big Block" Burger at The Penguin in Charlotte, North Carolina, it is well made and quite tasty.

Burgers are not cooked to order at the Tin Can, so every Ten is cooked to medium / well. However, what this burger lacks in juice it makes up with a crispy exterior to play against the star of the show - the pairing of perfectly cooked bacon and onions. The choice of side off this great menu of comfort food allows the diner to tailor the dish to the vibe of their Sunday. Make mine with mashed potatoes and gravy, a well executed cole slaw or the fries, which are quite good and would make a great partner of some malt vinegar or mayo if they were available at the table.

For the meek or calorie minded the Ten has a smaller brother, the "Five", but really, its Sunday and you're watching football, get the real deal and worry about it on Monday.

Rookie Effort 1 - Plaza Pastries and Donuts

Long under construction, the series of buildings at Connecticut and Morgan Ford has started to come alive with the opening of a child care center, a donut shop and soon, a family restaurant. The entire venture is the project of one family and the development of the property has been a labor of love filled with lots of do it yourself projects and sweat equity - just the thing a quickly developing street like Morgan Ford needs.

A quick check in with Google Maps shows that this new shop sits in the heart of the south St. Louis donut scene. Surrounded by at least a half dozen shops, some of which are Route 66 landmarks, the competition is indeed tough for this start up, but the shop should do well servicing the Tower Grove neighborhood. 

The morning I stopped in, the front counter case was filled with a variety of donuts, however I was disappointed to see several empty cases behind the register. Perhaps the owners are just planning for future demand, but for some reason that I still can't put to words, it made me worried about this small shop. It just made things feel incomplete, they didn't look sold out - they just looked empty. Very odd.

However among the several dozen choices, I was happy to see examples of both cake and yeast based donuts. The cake versions were well made; crisp from frying but not greasy. The yeast donuts I tried reminded me of a dense pâte à choux and came complete with a semi-sweet cream filling.

I happen to think that half the appeal of a donut shop is the coffee, which when made correctly should be thick enough to hold a spoon straight up and served by a lady in a beehive hairdo if at all possible. If I can't have that pairing, it at least has to be fresh (because of the volume of product moved) and a perfect foil for the fried goodness that is the American donut. The coffee should also be made for you, in my opinion. Alas, this is not the case at Plaza Pastries and Donuts, where I was given a cup of joe and a single serving of half and half before being told that the sugar was at the end of the counter and I could fix my own.

Am I nitpicking here? Probably. Did I feel let down? Without a doubt. Unfortunately for me, the ritual is just as important as the product most of the time.

In the end, I'm not so sure having this shop so close will stop me from making the drive to World's Fair or the Donut Drive-In, which not only produce outstanding examples of this classic road food, they have the coffee and old school service to back it up. I am excited that they are here though and the donuts are good enough to make this shop a great addition to the quickly developing Morgan Ford strip.

Rookie Effort 2 - Teaching Reis How To Make Peter Reinhart's Neo-Neapolitan Pizza Dough

Not much of an update here, but pizza night is a big deal in our home. So big that we have it once a week. I'm happy to report that Reis took a great interest in the construction of this Neo-Neapolitan Pizza Dough. I'll make a baker out of him yet.

Project Planning - Trisket 2009 - A Turkey Stuffed Inside A Brisket

Scared? You should be.

Every year my friend (and sometimes contributer) Jeff and his wife Leslie have a meal called "Fakesgiving" for all of their friends here in St. Louis who are far from home for the holiday. Essentially a Thanksgiving themed pot luck dinner, Fakesgiving is largely a vegetarian event, but every year there is a small turkey breast for the carnivores, until last year when Jeff asked me to make something special for the event.

What to make, what to make? I decided to borrow the idea of the "turducken", but put a Thanksgiving spin on it and stuff turkey inside of a beef brisket. I ran my idea past my friend, Chef David Koon, and we worked out a stuffing that would hopefully hold up to the extended cooking time a brisket needs. While he was more than a bit suspect of the concept, I know he was sad that he missed out on this project after seeing the pictures and was really excited to hear about it after it was cooked and served.

You can read more about it and see a movie of the process here.

While I have claimed over the last 11 months that the Trisket was a one time only event, as summer has turned to fall I've really been thinking about giving it a go once again. Over the coming weeks, I'll be revisiting the contents of the original stuffing; ground turkey, heads of roasted garlic, leeks, shallots, red bell peppers, bacon and dried cranberries. I'm also re-tooling the vinegar-based cranberry, peach and habanero barbecue sauce that I served on the side.

For the stuffing, I'm thinking about switching things to a traditional southern corn bread stuffing or perhaps a sausage and oyster stuffing - although I'm worried about oyster meat making it though the 20 + hour cooking schedule. I'm still pondering how to leverage the classic tastes of the season with the fact that I'm basically creating a turkey meatloaf that rides inside of a smoked brisket. I think if I embrace the idea of meatloaf a bit more, I can come up with something special to blow peoples minds - a core of andouille sausage, inside a meatloaf, inside a brisket perhaps?

For the sauce, I''m leaning towards removing the cranberry altogether, or at least the addition of whole cranberries. Perhaps the addition of canned cranberry sauce might work, but the jury is still out here.

In any event, I know I said "never again" for this holiday cooking adventure, but the concept is just to tasty to walk away from. More to come. Thoughts and ideas are welcome.

Gobble gobble.

Tower Grove Park Fail Dog

For several years I was lucky enough to work at the MetLife Building in New York. Mind you, this was not the former Pan Am Building that Godzilla wrecked, but the actual MetLife Tower that sits at the entrance of Madison Square Park. At lunch time I would take the elevator down the 22 floors from my office to the street, cross into the park and then make my way over to my favorite dirty water dog cart at the far corner near Broadway and 26th street.

With two dogs (Sabrett's topped with mustard, kraut and onions in sauce, wrapped in napkins) in one hand and soda in the other, I would head back to 23rd street to find a bench near the statue of James Madison where I could enjoy my lunch, take in the views of the Flatiron Building and watch folks making their way to the subway for places other. 

The idea of the hot dog cart is one that is close to my heart. I love the idea of setting up shop where foot traffic is best and carving out a space that the locals expect you to be. As a drummer I'm intrigued by the internal rhythm that the best vendors seem to have as they construct a dog - the tap of a set of stainless steel tongs against the cart before grabbing up a bun and depositing it on a napkin. Tap again and then dip quickly into the cart to grab a dog. The tap of a the mustard bottle before a quick line is drawn onto the dog. Continue for other toppings (no ketchup - please) until the dog is handed over and you are on your way. 

While I no longer work in the city, I still love the idea of the park hot dog cart and I was very excited to see the familiar shape of a cart near the wading pool in Tower Grove Park. As I made my way over to the cart I thought about how I had had this idea since moving into the neighborhood but could never get my wife to agree to investing in my vision. From the farmers market to the massive kickball games that dominate the park year around, the right cart could make a killing, especially if it focused on quality ingredients and developed a friendly rapport with the locals.

Operating under the name "The Park Place 1868", the cart pays tribute to the year Henry Shaw donated the park to the city of St. Louis. Customers are greeted warmly by the carts owners, who recently invested in the cart and license to operate in the park after being laid off from work.

Again, I have to stress, this is the very idea I've discussed with my wife - take the severance from being laid off and investing part of it in a hot dog cart - but I digress.

After discussing their new business venture for a moment, I asked the owners what their specialty was after looking over the menu of dogs and burgers. They replied that they were still getting organized but suggested that I try one of their dogs topped with a home made salsa. I asked if the dog was only dressed in salsa and the man behind the grill said that is how he would have it, which is good enough for a hot dog guy like me.

The gentleman moved to the attached grill, an accoutrement that I've seen on other carts, but usually as a supplement to a flat top griddle or water bath for the dogs. As they were just starting up and were also serving burgers, it makes sense to have the grill as a heat source. The set up is not how I would do things, but my cart would have homemade mustard and kraut as well, so its not really fair to make the comparison between an actual cart and the one I think about on my commute home on bad days.

In short order a thick red dog was deposited on a bun with some salsa riding shotgun on the side. I paid the couple and headed into the park to contemplate this park dog, adding salsa as I walked. Stopping to take a bite, I was immediately taken aback by the mix of dog and bun, which had quickly become soggy from the salsa.

However, that was not the most pressing issue with this dog, that honor is reserved for the dog itself, which was barely warm and was totally devoid of the required snap that a hot dog casing should make when bitten. Mostly I was worried about the temperature of the dog, which would seem to indicate this meal would be better off divested of the salsa and bun, then cut up and placed on a paper plate for a child to eat. 

Next to adorning a hot dog with ketchup, serving it cold is the greatest crime that can be perpetrated on this hot dog customer.

I returned to my family with a joyless look on my face and a half eaten hot dog in one hand. Having waited years for this moment, I knew that the Tower Grove hot dog cart was a bust in its current incarnation.

I take no pride in presenting my issues with this dog. Instead I feel that I'm doing the owners a favor with my review as they work out the kinks of starting up their cart business. The negatives are what they are, so I will instead focus on what can be improved, and I hope some of these ideas are considered.

1. Simplify your menu. You are a hod dog cart - lose the burgers. Besides the issues of keeping raw meat at a safe temperature, I can't imagine that they will be good after sitting on a grill for extended periods.
2. Grilled hot dogs should have grill marks. It appears my dog was kept warm, or close to warm, on the upper rack of the grill up to the point that it ended on the bun. If you are going to hold product here, move it over the flame, give it some char and then serve it.
3. Providing a home made salsa is not a bad idea. I know its hard to judge the heat tolerance of most people, but the salsa could use a little more bite to complement the dog. Also, think about the extra liquid your salsa sits in and how you are serving it because when it is applied to the dog, its turning the bun into a soggy mess.
4. Develop your shtick. By this I am not encouraging you to delve into hucksterism - I am suggesting that you develop that rhythm I was discussing at the beginning of this review. As much as you are providing a service to folks looking for a quick snack on the go, you are also tapping into a sense of nostalgia. Both of you seemed taken aback when I suggested you look into the Hot Dog University, but I was not kidding or making small talk. To sell dogs you have to hustle, its a good idea to learn from folks who have already figured that out.

I do honestly wish the folks at The Park Place 1868 the best of luck as they get up and running - the idea of a Tower Grove hot dog cart is a great one. I look forward to watching you develop, but for now I have to say that you are not a recommended hot dog stop here in St. Louis. Hopefully over time that will change.