Andrew Mark Veety

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.

Amuse Bouche For October 21st, 2009

• New Eco-Friendly Pizza Box -- GreenBox -- Offers Plates with the Pie - Fun for college kids everywhere who barely have dinner let alone a plate to eat it on.
• Serious Eats visits the Thai Pizza Co here in St. Louis.
• And in the outrage of the year, decade, century and millennium, Pizzatherapy assembles a list of "the best pizza in St. Louis", leading this reader to question the sanity of placing Imo's or Racanelli's on any list of edible "pizza". Just a terrible list. Where is Pi? The Good Pie? Katie's Pizza Cafe? I'll even accept Feraro's as a more realistic example of a corner pizza shop slice than Racanelli's. Alas it was not included. I've lived in New York, I've eaten their pizza, the pizza of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are friends of mine. You sir are not east coast pizza. I was just shocked when I saw this list of pizza in St. Louis. This is the reason I've worked so hard to make my own pies at home, because the pizza that this town is known for is largely for shit. Put that on your list.
• And lastly, thanks for Kelli for the recap of the BLT cocktail that we put together for this years Tour de Moose. Looking forward to our next collaboration.

Amuse Bouche For September 16th, 2009

• As I watch a Coca-Cola tractor trailer try to back into my buildings loading dock, I'm reminded that I recently read that the Coca-Cola Chief called the idea of a Soda-Tax ‘Outrageous’. " My favorite line has to be “I have never seen it work where a government tells people what to eat and what to drink,” Kent said, responding to an audience question at the Rotary Club of Atlanta. “If it worked, the Soviet Union would still be around." Uh boy. That's a good tact to take with a public obsessed with the hand slapping of a backwards hillbilly, er, I mean health care. Also, haven't we had a food pyramid for a half century?
• The Novice Foodie hits up Acero and uses on of my favorite ways of trying expensive restaurants, the prix fixe menu. As I mentioned via Twitter, I ate my way around NYC's best restaurants with the use of prix fixe menus for many years. I'm also a fan of Acero, where I spent my 33rd birthday with friends and enjoyed one of the best meals I've ever had here in St. Louis. Recommended.
• Our mission is to facilitate, encourage and document the consumption of a Cheeseburger on every named peak on the planet - 'Summit Cheeseburger' Documents the Consumption of Cheeseburgers on Every Peak. I'm left to ask, "really?" With the cost of a Mt. Everest summit ranging between 50,000 and 60,000 USD, is it only a matter of time until we see a bobble headed King attempting a summit with a Whopper in hand and sans oxygen?
• Via Stand Up with Pete Dominick and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a review of the 15 most corrupt members of Congress. File it under "All your heroes are whores" and I'll get back to wondering what kind of world my son is inheriting.
• I've been planning a trip out of Surf Dogs, deep in St. Louis county, to try a novel idea - the Pup Sampler. Mini-dogs dressed just like their full size twins. Great idea. At the same time I terrified of the Hamburger in Paradise vibe they are going for. Hopefully the dogs will compensate for the anticipated decor. I'm keeping an open mind, but it closes a bit every time I visit their site.

Amuse Bouche For September 15th, 2009

• Via the Riverfront Times, Sapphire Pan-Asian has closed. I can't say that I'm all that upset about his CWE restaurant fading into history. I was not impressed at all with Sapphire, which struck me as all hat, no cattle. 
• Lots of press about my friends Penn & Teller iPhone app. Wall Street Journal, Venture Beat,and my favorite quote via the LA Times, "When venture capitalist George Zachary asked what business he was, at least theoretically, being asked to invest in, Jillette shot back, "There’s no venture capital required. We’re done and it’s for sale now." Asked what he was going to do next, Jillette said, "I’m going to go to Las Vegas and shoot bullets at my partner Teller."
• The Urban Review STL reflects on the Great Streets Test Project taking place on South Grand. I think they should focus on a tutorial on how to merge two lanes into one. St. Louis, the only place I know where folks watch NASCAR on Sunday and then take to the streets and pretend to be NASCAR drivers on Monday.
• In September, any first-time donation to Slow Food USA will make you a member.
• Farmer, lecturer and author Joel Salatin will speak at Webster University’s Grant Gymnasium Monday, October 5. I hope he brings pictures of his monster truck / rolling chicken coop.
• I am coveting a restored 1949 REO Speedwagon complete with a wood burning pizza oven. Sometimes I think all the good ideas are used up, the I see things like this that give me hope for humanity.

Amuse Bouche For September 14th, 2009

• Sam Calagione of the Dogfish Head Brewery wants to spit in your beer.
• Excited that a second Pi location is scheduled to open in the Central West End the day before Thanksgiving.
• The jury is still out regarding the new pizza place opening at the old TFA shop - corner of Wyoming and South Grand. There was a sign in the window stating "National Pizza, thinking outside the square". The sign is gone and construction is ongoing. Interestingly enough I've seen 2 dudes sporting Dewey's tee shirts in the area - that is just blatant rumormongering though.
• Alex Hozven of the Cultured Pickle Shop talks with Lynne Rossetto Kasper about the realm of pickling.
• Also from this weeks Splendid Table, the BLT Cocktail, or as I am now calling it, "The Official Morning Beverage of the Tour de Moose".
• A Hamburger Today asks "What's Your Favorite Burger Size?"
• Gourmet Magazine showcases the recipe for some great looking corn dogs, kudos for leaving the ketchup out of the picture.

Amuse Bouche For September 11th, 2009

Another day, another group of disjointed things I've been reading and doing....

• Excited that I'm developing a new concept around work day lunch time eats, angered that I forgot my camera when I left for work, again.
• Lamenting that it looks like I will miss American IPA night at The Good Pie as well as Hop In The City this year.
• S. 1650: A bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act to improve the purchase and processing of healthful commodities for use in school meal programs has entered the Senate. More at Slow Food USA
• Really enjoying the September 21st edition of "The Nation" which is dedicated to essays on Food Democracy, with essays by Alice Waters and Michael Pollan among others. Complementary to a recent article in Time on the real cost of cheap food.
• Sauce Magazine takes a tour of some of the best fries in St. Louis, manages to forget the amazing fries at The Dubliner. They make up for it with the recipe for the Subcontinental at The Royale on page 30 of the Wine, Beer & Spirits supplemental to the September print copy. While I almost always avoid cheese sandwiches, I'm oddly intrigued by the photo of the meatloaf melt at Jennifer’s Pharmacy. I blame Jonathan Pollack's tasty photo for my change in attitude.
• A year ago today I juxtaposed George Washington, Geroge W Bush and Sarah Palin. 8 years ago I walked out of my office to grab some coffee, looked up Broadway and saw the WTC on fire. I'm also still unsure if I should develop the roll of film I took that morning as I walked out of the city to Queens.
• Sure it works on the coasts, but will my Son get beat up when I pack him his first Bento Box for a school lunch?

Amuse Bouche For September 10th, 2009

A collection of items that peeked my interest and raised my dander on this Thursday afternoon.

• Wishing MJB the best of luck as he leaves for TechCrunch50. Very cool stuff, if only I had an iPhone.
• Looking forward to putting up and taking down some O’Fallon Chocolate by the Barrel Cream Stout, which after a long wait has finally arrived. STL Hops via Twitter
• St. Louis' own Dave Nelson provided the bubbly to an overview of sulfates and headaches for The Noble Writ.
• Mark Graban continues the series of posts on Slice that feed my desire to design and build a back yard pizza oven. Permission from the wife, check. Backyard to build one. Nope. Perhaps its time to move.

I'm also preoccupied with being worried about my good friend Dave, formally the sous chef at Morimoto NYC and currently of Marea, who experienced a stroke yesterday morning. I have known Dave, in his early thirties, since college. Dave got me through several hard years when I lived in Queens, stood next to me in my wedding and helped me work out the logistics of my greatest culinary adventure, last years Fakesgiving Tristket, a turkey stuffed inside of a brisket.

The last time I saw Dave was this past spring when we had dinner at Rod's Steakhouse in Morristown, New Jersey. Dave was just back from a 6 month trip around Asia to research street food and ramen shops before attempting to open his own place in New York City. At the time he was not feeling well and did not have health insurance, which worried me greatly.

While his new position in the kitchen at Marea surely will cover his health care needs, (I hope) it highlights the need to provide a safety net for everyone in the United States. This was only highlighted when I heard about Dave a few hours after President Obama's address to congress last night.

"Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes." - Buck Murdock

I'm worried about my friend as he lays in a hospital bed in Brooklyn, and I'm angered that after 40 years, we don't have a public option for health care in this country. I'm distressed that Mr. Obama has to go before both houses of congress and state the following like it's news to the masses:

"Here's what you need to know. First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits – either now or in the future. Period. And to prove that I'm serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don't materialize. Part of the reason I faced a trillion dollar deficit when I walked in the door of the White House is because too many initiatives over the last decade were not paid for – from the Iraq War to tax breaks for the wealthy. I will not make that same mistake with health care."

Seriously. This is an idea that totally escapes a segment of our population. They complain about the cost of providing for the worst off in our society, yet they allowed the Bush Administration to take a budget surplus and make it deficit. They said nothing as the cost of the war in Iraq, which has already cost over 10 times the anticipated amount, was accounted for via special requests to congress and supplementals to the overall budget process.

As Mr. Obama wrapped up his speech, I took to Facebook and posted a note with the quote above. Then I added my own post script:

"To my Republican friends - that means you lose.

You got your war and your 8 years of lower taxes, now its everyone else's turn. Additionally, in the spirit of fair game, the health care that we want to give to everyone can be enjoyed by you as well."

For more reading, the Citizens for Tax Justice argue that the Bush tax cuts cost almost $2.5 trillion over the decade after they were first enacted (2001-2010).

And while Maureen Dowd encourages President Obama to be "Less Spocky, More Rocky", I'm inclined to borrow a quote from Mr. Spock that fits my mood perfectly:

"Logic clearly dictates that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."

Get better soon Dave. Wake up America.

2009 Tour de Moose

As summer turns to fall here in St. Louis, my attention starts to focus on my favorite event, the Tour de Moose. 2009 marks the 5th year we've run this bike race / bar crawl though the city, and we are looking forward to a record turn out again this year after reaching close to 80 riders last year.

This years race is scheduled to start at 11:00 AM on October 17. If you are into bikes, beer and St. Louis, think about registering.

This years ride will visit Lemmons, The Tin Can Tavern, The Three Monkeys, The Square One Brewery, The Schlafly Tap Room, Laclede Street Bar, Milo's Tavern and The Hide Away.

I've been posting updates and photos to the Tour site on a regular basis as we roll into October and I'll be live blogging during the race as well. Loyal readers who have not vanished in my absence might remember the White Castle cross over from last year's training and tour rides.

Welcome fall - long live the Tour de Moose.

Andrew And Reis Take On Five Guys And Their Burgers And Fries

General Housekeeping:

Its been some time since I've sat down and posted for this site, but for good reason. Since my last update on March 20th, I've been getting ready for the birth of my son, Reis Andrew Veety and getting used to life with a baby. While I have been neglecting this site, I have been busy posting updates to our family site at Three Its A Magic Number.

Two months into this adventure, my wife and I have been out and about, visiting our favorite restaurants and antiquing, which along with hanging out with friends, have always been our primary past times. We've also been plugging around the kitchen and grill, trying to figure out how to cook and experiment with the great meals that we've enjoyed sharing with friends and readers over the years while bending to the demands of a super cute 10 week old.

Its been an adventure, but I'm happy to report that in my absence I've continued to work with some of my favorites, including burgers and backyard BBQ. I've even gotten quite good at a new pizza style - pizza bianca - in addition to working some more with Chicago deep dish and a giant calzone the size of a large pizza bent back on itself.

Recent Pizzas:

Pizza Bianca with a chard and kale pesto, summer squash and zucchini carpaccio and shallot.

Pizza Bianca with roasted tomato and red peppers, artichoke heats, baby spinach and olive oil.

Veggie Chicago style deep dish with a friends top notch home-brew - a tasty "My Neighbor Is A Dirty Pirate Hooker" ale.

From the grill:

Lemon pepper chickens on ginger ale cans, smoked over apple wood.

Exploded Jucy Lucy's waiting for a veggie Jucy Lucy to warm up. Veggie Lucy, how depressing.

The Main Event:

Now that we are back out and about, I'm ready to refocus on exploring the best eats that St. Louis has to offer. Also, if the road trips Sara and I used to take around the country exploring food and visiting with friends and family was fun, it will be even better with Reis in tow. I'm excited to get started, so lets.

Out of the box I wanted to focus on a recent addition to the St. Louis county landscape, Five Guys Burgers and Fries. I've been reading about Five Guys for some time on my favorite burger blogs (A Hamburger Today, Hamburger America and Road Food) and I've waited and waited for one to show up in St. Louis. Five Guys seems to polarize folks into two camps - fans and haters. The fans rave about the quality of the burger and the extensive choice of toppings. Haters focus on the greasiness of the burger, how they are only cooked to well done and how average they are compared to other burgers. 

I have to think that the complaint about the overall averageness of the Five Guys burger has to stem from the fact that they are still expanding across the United States, and the word of mouth is not jiving with the actual experience. Anything short of magical turns out to be a disappointment worth complaining about, or so it would seem from my reading.

Before actually trying for myself, I suggested Jeff Lash (intrepid road warrior and sometimes guest poster) try Five Guys on a recent trip to Philadelphia. Jeff did indeed make a stop and forwarded me this picture of a sad burger at Five Guys, taken with a very capable iPhone camera. 

Jeff indicated he was in the "average" camp. Photographic evidence in hand, I was beginning to think that Five Guys would be a loss. I also wondered where this burgers friends were, seeing only ketchup and some wilted lettuce. Then I remembered a trip to Pam's Chicago Style Hot Dogs that Jeff and I took last fall, and this burgers accompaniments match up pretty well with the dressing of his hot dogs then.

Still, condiments and personal preference aside, this was one sloppy and poorly constructed burger.

So, with Reis, Sara and Jeff Lash's family in tow, we headed out into St. Louis Country to see if Jeff's experience was the standard or the norm for Five Guys and their burgers... 

Babies waiting on burgers while parents munch on peanuts.

The Burger:

A far cry from Jeff's experience, I decked out my first Five Guys with bacon, mayo, mustard, ketchup, lettuce, grilled onion, pickles and raw jalapeno. When accompanied by friends, the burger becomes much more appealing. It also helped that the St. Louis version appeared to be assembled by a competent person, where as the Philadelphia version really looked like a real life "Whammyburger".

While the burger was cooked to well, it was still moist and had some great caramelization from the grill. The patties played well with others, especially the crispness of the pickle and the biting heat of the jalapeno pepper, which in its raw state resembled the color green usually reserved for the Chicago style hot dog. 

The bun was toasted on a grill before assembly and seemed capable of absorbing any grease thrown off by the burger itself. Truth be told, I don't know what it is with people complaining about greasy burgers anyway. For me, burger happiness is forgoing the napkins and licking juice and grease off your hands and forearms. We are eating burgers here people, when has a neat and tidy burger ever been fun, let alone tasty?

A real treat was the wrapping for this burger. The plain aluminum foil carrier smacks of indifference to the burger inside, however for me, it was like getting a perfect Christmas present wrapped only in newspaper. Humble in appearance, it puts the focus on the burger.  Utilitarian in purpose, it kept the burger warm longer than wax paper ever could, which seemed perfect for take out.

In general, I did not find the burger overly greasy, instead I found it a step above your traditional fast food fare. Is it a great burger? Probably not, instead it rates about even with Johnny Rockets or Red Robin. Does it far outshine most of its fast food/national competitors in the St. Louis area? Without a doubt, and at the price, I would drive past the gobs of chains that litter St. Louis and seek out one of the several stores that have popped up around 270 and deeper into the county. 

However, I do have to scratch my head and wonder why they are not venturing into the city. I've heard rumors of a store opening near Brentwood, but I have not been able to verify that, yet.

The Surprise - A Five Guys Hot Dog:

What you don't read about very often is that Five Guys is also a hot dog shop, selling dogs split down the middle, grilled and then topped with the same toppings as their burgers. A unique take on the hot dog in St. Louis, the dog at Five Guys is more like a hot dog sandwich. 

I covered mine with bacon, grilled onion and relish to complement the all beef dog. Thinking back on it, I should have taken this chance to make a hot dog / dagwood sandwich because the construction of this dog and the vast amount of toppings available lends itself to the idea.

The novelty of this dog also is its major drawback - by making it into a sandwich the bun is called upon to do a duty its just not cut out for. The bun appeared to be steamed and disintegrated quickly into the dog and toppings to make a tasty yet amorphous mess.

I will be back to again to try and make that dagwood dog though. 

The Missing:

The fries. We ordered a large fry which was enough to satisfy 4 adults. The fries are cut naturally with the skin on and fried, then piled into giant styrofoam cups and all around the paper sacks that each order is served in. The fries were not salted when they came out of the fryer, which I think is a mistake. They were also soggy from the oil, indicating that they were cooked poorly. They were a largely forgettable addition to an other wise above average burger night out.

The Verdict:

Put me in the fan camp, but there is lots of room for improvement. Given Jeff's experience in Philadelphia, I worry about quality as these stores melt into the local landscape. Kudo's for having malt vinegar for the fries, but shame on you for the actual fries. Kudo's for joining us here in St. Louis, but shame on you for ignoring the city. 

I will be back though, because the burger, while cooked to well done, it also well above the average.

(For the record, Reis slept though most of this meal. That's good, because if he had been fussing, chances are he would have been covered in burger juice and condiments.)

Guest Contribution - Jeff "The Road Warrior" Lash

For some time now I've been pestering friends who always seem to be traveling around the country to contribute accounts of the food they run into on their trips. I'm very excited to share the first of what I hope are many contributions - from Jeff Lash - unfiltered and in the proverbial raw:

At Andrew's request, I was intending on providing a write-up of one specific dining experience -- a Friday Fish Fry at our local St. Louis Catholic Church. However, I have had a number of noteworthy dining experiences lately, and rather than focus on just one or attempt to write up separate posts for each, in the interest of efficiency, I present: Jeff's food travels, March 2009.

March was an eventful month, including a lot of business travel. Business travel often leads to interesting food experiences -- good and bad. Let's start closest to home, though, with...

Friday Fish Fry

St. Louis is a very Catholic town (um, "Saint" Louis, anyone?), the kind of town where many people pick the location of their next home by what parish they want to be a part of. Like the earliest flowers of spring, the Friday Fish Fry signs start popping up right after Ash Wednesday. On some major roads, there's almost a Fish Fry sign every block (literally).

Having been in St. Louis many years and never having attended, I figured it was high time I experienced the tradition. I rounded up a group of friends -- my wife, the vegetarian, not included, since the mere smell of fried fish makes her nauseous -- and we hit up the Fish Fry at Saint Joan of Arc a few weeks ago.

Cheers was a place that everybody supposedly wanted to go to because everybody would know your name. At Saint Joan on a Friday night, it's not too different. Most patrons seemed to be church members and regulars, and it seemed like everyone knew everyone. During the 20 minute wait in line, there were lots of mini-reunions and friendly conversations. Though we were new, people were friendly, and canned beer was offered to us to make the line easier to handle. You have to pay for the beer, though it's dirt cheap. In fact, the whole meal is -- for about $7 you can get a full plate of food, drink, and dessert. (Cash only, of course, though that's understandable.)

I was expecting an all-you-can-eat buffet -- I thought that was part of the appeal -- though Saint Joan does everything a la carte, which is fine, since I really couldn't / shouldn't have eaten anything more than the one hearty serving. They of course have the standard fried fish patty, just like you remember from elementary school (and I say "you" and not "we" since I never was allowed to buy lunch at school growing up), though other options are available including some variety of fish which was fried, head and tail and all. I don't remember what kind of fish it was, since I think I'm still trying to block out the image of a fried fish carcases on various plates. There were also fried catfish nuggets, as well as grilled fish for those not interested in anything from the "fried" food group. Normally I eat very healthy, though if you're going to a Fish Fry, you eat fried fish. Would you go to a steakhouse and order a salad for an entree? Wrong place, wrong time.

Sides included standard fare -- potatoes, either oven roasted or french fried; various vegetables; macaroni and cheese -- and some interesting (to me, at least) options -- apple sauce; spaghetti in tomato sauce. Fine foods, though paired with fish seemed a bit odd.

To drink your options are the aforementioned can of beer, or the classic plastic cup of soda poured from a 2 liter bottle. The enormous dessert table offered a wide selection of homebaked and storebought goods, neatly arranged bake sale style (on small paper plates, covered by plastic wrap). The glass of Diet Coke and 2 desserts I chose added $1.50 to my total bill.

The food is, well, what you'd expect of a fish fry done by volunteers in the cafateria of a church. Actually, no, it's probably a bit better. The fish was a bit overfried and not as warm as it probably should have been, likely due to it sitting out in a heating tray for too long. Still, it was decent, and served as a good foundation for the meal. I wasn't expecting gourmet British-style fish and chips, and thus I wasn't dissapointed. For sides I went with the oven roasted potatoes and mac + cheese. Yes, starchy, I know, though I figured those were good standbys. The mac + cheese was the typical generic cafeteria brand, with big too-soft noodles and a gooey way-too-unhealthy fake cheese sauce. (I probably would have been better off with the spaghetti.) The potatoes were excellent, though, even better than some I've had at "normal" restaurants. And the desserts were solid as well -- the chocolate cake seemed to be homemade, likely from a box mix; and the store-bought chocolate chip cookies, which I later shared at home with my wife, were of course fine. Not the most adventurous choices, though you can't go wrong with box cake and store cookies.

All in all, it was a great experience and I'm definitely up for it again. The next day I remembered why I rarely eat fried food (entrees, at least), partly because my body isn't conditioned for them any longer. (How I ate chicken fingers and fries pretty much every day the first two years of college is beyond me.) Of course, you don't go to a Friday Fish Fry at your local church because the food is going to be stellar; you go because it's going to be cheap, it's going to be good atmosphere, and because it's just a tradition -- and on those things, it delivers. Sure, some local restaurants offer Fish Fry Fridays, though to me that's just not the same.

Since that review was longer that I thought, I'll keep these next reviews on the short side...

Weber Grill Restaurant

I was in Indianapolis for work, and as we approached our hotel downtown, I noticed an enormous novelty barbeque grill hanging off the side of a building about a block away. I knew instantly that was where I was going for dinner. I had heard about the Weber Grill Restaurant, where everything (well, almost everything) is cooked on real genuine Weber Grills. (No, Andrew, I didn't ask to take a tour and see the kitchen.) As a marketer, I marveled at the innovative brand extension. As a fan of grilling, I marveled at the chance to eat at a restaurant where they cooked on real Weber Grills. The restaurant did not fail to deliver, with the highlight being the Weber Sampler appetizer, which included Beer Can Chicken Tenders and Steak Skewers -- a great selection of Weber-ized meats. Though I normally avoid chain restaurants when I travel and try to find something local, this was worth it. (Plus, does 3 locations in Illinois and 1 in Indianapolis really count as a chain?) Recommended.

Burger King Burger Shots

I arrived in Orlando late one night and needed a snack. Not a full meal, not dessert, just something quick and simple before I went to sleep. Across the parking lot from my hotel was a Burger King. (Actually, there was another hotel -- this is Orlando, after all, and we were only minutes away from Universal Studios.) Having been wooed by the advertisements for BK Burger Shots, I figured I'd give them a shot. Tiny burgers seem to be in, with Steak 'n Shake pushing them hard as well. Maybe it's because of the economy, or the lingering fascination we Americans seem to have with all things "Mini" (-Cooper, -me), though I too was sucked in.

Don't make this mistake.

First, the obvious caveat that no food shown on TV or in advertisements actually looks like that when you buy it, though that shouldn't be a surprise. Second, the mini burgers are only sold in packs of 2 or 4. It's not like White Castle (more on them in a minute) where you can order their sliders in any denomination you want. This is probably my biggest gripe -- a 2-pack of sliders is probably about the same amount of meat as one regular Burger King hamburger (not a Whopper or anything fancy like that, just your basic bottom-of-the-line hamburger), and it costs probably about $.30 more. So why would you order the sliders? Because the advertisement makes you want them, that's why. Not that they were horrible -- they were about the same as your standard fast food burger, which is only mediocre. Of course, Andrew probably thinks that I ruined them by having them plain with just ketchup, just like how I ruin my hot dogs. It's okay, I've accepted that, I'm moving on.

In summary, don't fall for the appeal of the sliders, at BK at least. If you really want mini burgers, the venerable White Castle does this as their bread and butter, not as a seasonal side to take advantage of a trend. Plus, their buns are steamed, which makes all the difference.

In 'n Out

Now, if you want a "real" fast food burger, all the foodies tell you that In 'n Out is really the only place to go. I was in California for work and this was really the only place on my food list. I had been once before and dragged along a co-worker who had never been. This particular establishment near LAX was packed on a Thursday evening. I was particularly enthralled by the car-hop taking orders at the drive thru.

In 'n Out is known for two things -- a dead-simple menu, and super-fresh food. As you can see, the menu has a limited number of options, and beyond just differentiating them from the competition, it's probably good for business too (read The Paradox of Choice to learn more). That doesn't mean that you can't order off the menu, though. In fact, they've attracted a whole cult following around the "secret" items to order. In 'n Out lists some on their site, though there are plenty of others.

Beyond the menu coolness, the food is just plain better. The meat is never frozen, the french fries are made fresh from real live cut potatoes, and the shakes are made from real ice cream rather than a mix. I kept it simple, with a single burger, fries, and chocolate shake. The burger patties are bigger than the average fast food variety, though not as big as I remembered. It's more like the size of what you might find at Steak 'n Shake (or Carl's Drive-In, for those St. Louisans in the know) than your standard $1 drive-thru, not that I eat any of those varieties even infrequently. The patty was definitely higher quality, and extra points for the real romaine lettuce rather than shredded iceberg you normally find. The grilled bun is a nice touch -- usually I like my buns warm, not grilled or toasted, though it worked here. (Insert "buns" joke here.)

The fries definitely taste fresh, and the serving size is generous. I'll admit to not being picky about chocolate shakes -- even the crappy fast food ones are okay in my book -- though this was definitely a cut above the norm. Still not to the level of what you'd get at Crown Candy or the venerable Friendly's Fribble, though respectable nonetheless.

If you're on the West Coast and happen upon an In 'n Out, go in and check it out. (Sorry, that was a horrible, horrible pun.)

Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ

Upon recommendation from a co-worker, a group of us visiting our Orlando office took the short ride from the hotel to to Bobbalou's Bodacious BBQ. Or, should I say -- the "award-winning" Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ. A sign of a good restaurant of any variety is framed, signed pictures of celebrities and pseudo- or local-celebrities hanging up by the cash register, and Bubbalou's didn't fail to deliver. Three things I liked about this place:

1) It's in a modern strip mall, perhaps the most soul-less environment known to man, though they managed to make you feel like you're at Iron Works when you're inside.

2) They serve snow cones.

3) Their next door neighbor in the strip mall is a uber-healthy juice bar, which makes for some fun games to play while waiting for your food, as in: "Hey, see that guy parking his car -- do you think he's coming to get some barbeque or going to the juice bar?" Okay, the game is actually very easy and not challenging, though the dichotomy between the two establishments is still amusing.

Nothing else to add in particular here. Standard BBQ main dishes, sides, and prices. Every BBQ place says they smoke their meat the best, or have the best sauces. I'm not a conniseur, so I can't compare all of those claims, I just know this was darn good food.

Matt vs. Food

I was lucky to have my brother Matt and my future brother in law Chris in town for a visit recently. 

We pretty much ate and drank from the moment they got off the plane from North Carolina until they left three days later, starting off with some outstanding sushi at Tani Sushi Bistro in Clayton. For the midwest, Tani somehow manages to get fish that is of a better quality than I can normally find around town. 

Standouts at Tani include the sashimi, the dragon ball, a collection of inventive rolls (sadly many include cream cheese which continues to confuse me) and a real treat - the hot rock - served in a thick bowl and accompanied with thinly sliced raw beef in a soy, garlic, ginger and yuzu. The beef cooks directly on the stone in seconds and is a perfect foil to the sushi.

I took the guys to the City Diner for breakfast the next day and to discuss what we would end up doing during their visit. After a half hour of fruitless discussion, my brother suggested that a eating tour of St. Louis might be in order. 

I was into the idea of a tour of my favorite places here in town, however I had no desire to actually complete such a task myself. I let him know that if he felt up to it, he would be eating alone for the most part and that when in doubt, I would be ordering for him.

Lucky for everyone my brother is hungry, brave and willing to entertain his big brother - and what follows is a minute to minute and bite to bite recap of Matt vs. Food - St. Louis Edition.

09:43:46 AM - City Diner - St. Louis Missouri

The plot is hatched and the day is full of possibilities. I kick Matt's day off with a slinger - two eggs with sausage and hash browns, topped with chili and cheese. Friends recommended that the City Diner slinger should be topped with mustard as well. From the way Matt devoured the dish - I can only assume it was a good addition.

The mere mortals amongst us enjoyed BLT's and The Southsider - eggs, biscuits and gravy with hash browns.

Fortified on sturdy carbs from breakfast we headed out to get Matt the St. Louis eating adventure that he demanded, nay deserved, for flying in to spend the weekend with me.

11:37:56 AM - Woofie's - St. Louis Missouri

I last visited Woofie's in November and I reviewed and contrasted Chicago style and New York style dogs. I suggested the Chili Pie for Matt - a Vienna dog served on a bed of chili, Fritos, onions, pickles and cheese. 

Matt knife and sporking it at Woofies, enjoying each bite a bit to much.

01:22:51 PM - Carl's Drive-In - St. Louis Missouri

I wrote up a long time favorite of mine, Carl's Drive-In, last fall. I can't think of an out of town visitor that I have not tried to bring to Carl's because the burgers are executed so well. Pressed flat on a griddle, the burgers become completely caramelized and for some diners take on a sweet flavor that plays along with the toppings. Matt enjoyed a double cheeseburger with all the fixings and a mug of home made root beer the size of his head.

A few hours and stops in, Matt was motoring along and devouring everything I could put in front of him.

01:48:12 PM - Kolache Factory - St. Louis Missouri

A kolache is a small dough treat filled with any number of meat, vegetable or fruit fillings. The Kolache Factory is a small chain with a shop in St. Louis and serve several dozen varieties of this eastern European treat. 

Matt opted for a Philly Cheesesteak while Chris took a chance with the bbq pork. In hindsight, this seems to be the first time I captured gastronomic distress in my brother.

02:14:53 PM - Ted Drewes Frozen Custard - St. Louis Missouri

Ted Drewes has been serving frozen custard in St. Louis since the 1920's and its likely that no other local location has received as much attention by the national media than it has - the place is known far and wide for its frozen treats. Because of this, "that custard place" is always on the lips of visitors as someplace they would like to stop while they are in town. 

It could be that the massive quantity of cream, eggs and sugar are leading to the serious nature of this picture, however it could be that a concrete from Ted Drewes is nothing to joke about and he's just getting down to spooning that sweet treat into his already filled food hole. 

02:39:47 PM - CC's Depot Dog - Home Depot - St. Louis Missouri

A hot dog from Home Depot? You bet your ass. CC's Depot Dogs can be found nestled by the exit doors of the Kingshighway Home Depot, and they serve up some tasty hot dogs for a price you can't beat for quick lunch - a loaded Chicago style or custom dog will run you about two bucks after tossing a quarter into the tip jar.

Matt "enjoying" a CC's dog in the parking lot, not to mention his third or fourth soft drink of the day. All that sugar - rookie eating tour mistake for sure.

03:12:14 PM - Gus' Pretzels - St. Louis Missouri

Gus' rests in the shadow of the Budweiser brewery and has been making pretzels since the 1920's. With dinner reservations at Modesto for later that evening, I figured that this doughy and salty treat would be perfect for soaking up all the grease and chili Matt had taken down.

Matt Veety - eating machine - he will break you.

10:59:46 AM - Chris' Pancake & Dining - St. Louis Missouri

The next morning we began again, this time at Chris' Pancake & Dining for some much needed breakfast. To my amazement Matt dove right back into the challenge after a nights sleep and healthy constitutional, this time opting for steak and eggs with hash browns. The only issue with his order resulted from his relative unfamiliarity with the menu. When you are offered a side of toast or pancakes at a pancake house, you always, always say pancake. After a quick discussion he indeed have the pancakes.

I joined Matt for the carb load by taking down a stack of pancakes with bacon, eggs, hash browns and a bloody mary. However, to be fair, I didn't eat much the day before and I had just finished running up all 42 floors of the Metropolitan Building for the American Lung Association.

04:41:01 PM - Tin Can Tavern and Grille - St. Louis Missouri

As part of my plans for the weekend, I pulled together a bar crawl around Tower Grove Park with stops at The Royale, Three Monkey's, The Tin Can Tavern and Grille, The Amsterdam Tavern, Tower Pub, Stella Blues, Friendly's and The Blackthorne Pub. 

Matt waited all day to try out the mini corn dogs at The Tin Can and compared their doughy goodness to the classic appetizer called pigs in a blanket - an observation I can't bring myself to argue with.

Keeping up the impressive consumption, Matt didn't hesitate to enjoy a cold PBR with his mini corn dogs, while I enjoyed the opportunity to share my neighborhood and friends with my family.

07:59:49 PM - Stella Blues - St. Louis Missouri

While others faded, Matt saddled up the bar at Stella Blues and took down a basket of onion rings.

Moving into his 48th hour of eating, Matt kept taking his best shot at menu's all over St. Louis. It was an epic showing that left me proud yet concerned about his body's ability to process all that grilled, fried and steamed food. 

10:17:35 PM - The Blackthorne Pub - St. Louis Missouri

Regular readers might remember my post on the Blackthorne Pub, where they serve up Chicago and pan style pizzas in the land of the inedible thin crust pizza topped with provel - St. Louis. The Blackthorne turned out to be the end of Matt's eating tour as well as the bar crawl, which is probably a good thing for all of us.

A group of us destroyed several pizzas in a matter of minutes before retiring for the evening. While we all had a great time, I find myself wishing great piles of vegetables on my brother to help him recover from this eating challenge - because as I was creating this post - I noticed his meals were totally devoid of them. 

Good times - great meals.

Let's never do this again.

Food With Faces - Eggs Benedict At The City Diner

The City Diner in South St. Louis consistently serves up comfort food for the folks in my neighborhood, and Sara and I stop in on a regular basis for great burgers, killer BLTs and breakfasts that keep you fueled up all day long.

I visited the City Diner today with friends to recapture a few of the calories we burned running around Forrest Park in the St. Louis Track Club's Frostbite Series race. 

This happy plate of eggs benedict was just begging for a french fry smile. 

My love affair with diners, eggs benedict and making faces out of food continues.

Thanks for Jeff Lash for his handy iPhone camera and picture.

Pam's Chicago Style Dogs & More

I had actually heard about Pam's Chicago Style Dogs & More before ever going there. While I didn't know know its name, it was described to me by my wife's obstetrician. We were visiting the doctor and I was discussing how we could make changes to our diet to make sure both Mom and Baby were getting the nutrition and vitamins they needed throughout the pregnancy. 

The doctor listened to me drone on about organic vegetables and grass fed bison from Whole Foods and when I was done said, "I was just in another room with a lady who was telling me about the deep fried Twinkie she had for lunch, you guys are eating fine."

I think it goes without saying the good doctor has yet to discover this site. 

Anyway, a few weeks later I wandered into a small hot dog shop on the eastern section of The Loop to try what the River Front Times readers voted "Best Hot Dog in St. Louis - 2008". I was welcomed by the friendly staff and began the lengthly process of dissecting the menu, which includes a dozen or so hot dogs, and then page after page of "more". 

Arriving at the end of the menu I discovered that I had indeed found the restaurant our doctor had been talking about - an extensive deep fried list of treats that went beyond the fried Twinkie to include Zingers, Ding Dogs, cupcakes and muffins.

However, it is the selection of dogs that brought me to Pam's, not desert. With the help of a few strong stomached friends we managed to work our way though half of the hot dog choices:

Pam's Chicago Style Dog

You can't highlight Chicago in your name of your business (especially in St. Louis) without bringing the goods when it comes to your signature hot dog. The Chicago style dog is as one would expect - a steamed poppy-seeded bun with a Vienna beef hot dog hidden under a bright neon relish, yellow mustard, onions, tomato, celery salt, sport peppers and a pickle spear. The dog itself is true to style and quite tasty, save the tomato which seemed bland, soft and flavorless.

Pam's New York Dog

Much like the New York style dog at Woofies, the New York Dog at Pam's is a midwestern interpretation, or better yet a homage to the east coast dog. However, it is far from the real thing. The New York dog at Pam's is a Vienna Beef dog topped with a brown mustard, sauerkraut and a spicy giardiniera. The addition of giardiniera is a nice touch, but has more to do with Chicago style Italian beef sandwiches and antipasto than a dog from New York. 

Warren's Maxwell Street Polish Sausage

Paying respect to Maxwell Street in Chicago, the Polish Sausage at Pam's tasted like a slice of home to this grandson of Polish immigrants. Featuring a Vienna beef sausage that lives in the sweet spot between a natural cased hot dog and a Polish kielbasa, this dog is topped with yellow mustard, grilled onions and sport peppers. As I enjoy the play of sauerkraut and kielbasa, I had it added as a final touch. Smaczny!

Hot Dogs With Ketchup

Above you'll notice two hot dogs, naked, barren, dressed only in ketchup. To my knowledge, one was a Vienna Beef dog and the other was Pam's Turkey Dog. The menu at Pam's states "Turkey Dog - Served Chicago Style unless you request otherwise". I can only assume that is what happened here. Very sad.

Slaw Dog

The slaw dog at Pam's is a Vienna beef hot dog topped with chili, yellow mustard, onion and a creamy cole slaw. For me, this variation on a southern dog is much closer to the original than the New York dog. The chili is loose meat in a spicy sauce that pairs nicely with the slaw. 

The Pamirito

Saving the most interesting for last we have The Pamirito. Pam's takes a Vienna beef dog and wraps it in a tortilla. The pair are then submerged into the deep frier until its brown and crispy. The fried roll is then topped with onion, tomato, cheese and chili to make the only knife and fork dog that we ran into on the menu. The Pamirito is a treat on par with the Slinger as an example of St. Louis required eating.

You'll notice that I didn't end up getting desert on either of my two recent visits to Pam's. I'll have to run five miles and get an all clear from my primary care physician before my next visit, because that's the only way I'll ever get a chance to experience a deep fried cupcake.

Opinion: Recommended

6016 Delmar Blvd.

St. Louis, Missouri

Best of 2008

This has been a great year of travel and eating, discovering new tools and techniques for cooking, experiencing great slices of Americana and time spent with friends and family. I thought it would be a good idea to capture a few of my favorites for the past year.

A New Perspective Via A New Grill:

Well constructed and sporting thick cast iron grates, this Brinkman grill creates enough smoke and grill marks to turn my back yard into a decent smokehouse. In short order I adjusted to this new tool and turned out top notch whole chickens, ribs, briskets, massive steaks, pizzas and deserts. 

I really like the front loading door which allows you to feed the fire without lifting the lid and losing heat. Maintaining a steady 220 degrees with minor heat management is priceless, but at around $200.00 this grill is a steal. It takes a bit more work than my old gas grill to prep and clean, but you can't beat it as a cooking tool.

Texas Potatoes:

Potato, onion, butter and bacon in a cast iron skillet. From my post "Roasted Garlic Strip Steaks with Texas Potatoes".

Sony DSC-T500 Camera:

In a year of great new toys the Sony DSC-T500 camera has been my favorite. Small enough to fit into my pocket with 10.1 megapixels, a 3.5" wide touch screen, HD video recording with stereo mics and a 5X Optical Zoom. I also really like the macro lens which allows me to get great close ups of food for the site. I'm also loving not having to pull out my Nikon D70 in greasy diners. 

The large screen is really bright and eats though the battery in short order. After a month or so of use, I'm thinking a back up battery for this camera might be one of my "Best of 2009".

Float Trip Chicken:

There are few things better in the world than floating down a river with friends, beers and cold picnic chicken. From my post "Float Trip Picnic Chicken".

Tortas In The Park:

From my first "interview" for the site - I exchanged emails with my friend and regular Friday lunch companion Bob Baker as we made Tortas for 50 people on his birthday. He went to great lengths to get all the right ingredients and I was happy to help put together this great sandwich. From my post "Tower Grove Park Tortas".

Crab Boil:

I was so happy when my wife completed her LEED certification in September. We filled the back yard with people and I prepared the crabs the only way I know how - with lots of Old Bay and steamed in Guinness. From my post "Seafood Boil In The Heart of St. Louis". 

The New York Times Columnists:

Many thanks to Maureen Dowd, Tom Friedman and Paul Krugman for the insight, information and entertainment this year.

Llywelyn's Pub Burger:

 

One of my favorite burgers of the past year. From my post "Llywelyn's Pub".

Nunez de Prado Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Happen chance introduced me to this great olive oil as I wandered around Whole Foods this year. It's got a perfect balance for cooking or for dipping bread in. Voted one of the best olive oils in America by Cooks Illustrated, Whole Foods stocks 25 oz. bottles for around 15 dollars. Next to bacon fat, this oil has quickly become my choice fat in the kitchen.

The Salt Lick:

Sure it is for show, but the open pit at The Salt Lick was a treat to see, and the folks were super nice and let me ram around in their kitchen. From my post "The Salt Lick Barbeque".

"My Life in France" by Julia Child

Probably the best book I read this year. In it Julia tells the story of learning to live, eat and cook in France. Julia lived an incredible life and her love of slow-food makes me excited to get into the kitchen.

Carl's Drive-In:

Old school burgers smashed on a flat top griddle. From my post "Carl's Drive-In".

Rear Window Defrosters and Heated Seats:

I said goodbye to my 1997 Mazda Miata M-Edition this fall. While this car was always fun to drive, it was never a great every day automobile. Instead I opted for some features the Miata never had - rear window defrosters and heated seats - attached to an Acura RL. Unceremoniously named an "old man's car" by my wife, it has made the commute into work one of the best parts of my day. Why - because I can see out the back window in the winter without risking a broken convertible top.

Woofies New York vs Chicago Showdown:

This past fall was all about hot dogs, Chicago style. From my post "New York vs Chicago Style Hot Dogs".

Fakesgiving Trisket:

I'm still not sure why I wanted to stuff a turkey into a perfectly cooked brisket, but I did it. From my post "Trisket - A Turkey Inside a Brisket".

Charlie The Butcher:

After a particularly good edition of "Meet The Press", I would send an email to Tim Russert of NBC News to congratulate him on that weeks content. To try to elicit a reply from the busy newsman, I would suggest that he reward his staff with beef on weck from Charlie The Butcher in Buffalo, New York. Tim never replied to my emails, but I got a chance to think again about how much his show meant to my Sunday mornings as I enjoyed a sandwich in Buffalo this fall. From my post "Charlie The Butcher's Kitchen".

The Penguin Drive In:

Punk rock music, burgers named after engines and a sweet soda called Cheerwine. From my post "The Penguin Drive-In".

Fatherhood:

Sara and I recently announced that we are pregnant to friends and family, and I launched another blog to document all the events leading up to the arrival of our first child in June of 2009. I think its a given that updates on homemade baby food will require equal billing with burgers and dogs next year.

New York vs Chicago Style Hot Dogs

Hidden a short distance off Interstate 170 in St. Louis you will find Woofie's, a Vienna Beef Hall of Fame member serving up Chicago style hot dogs. Unless you work in the area, just getting to Woofie's these days is an adventure given the current construction on Interstate 64. However, seeing the journey though to the end will find you elbow to elbow with both tradesmen and white collar workers at a slim counter, enjoying some of the finest hot dogs in the city.

For over 30 years Woofie's has been serving up an eclectic mix of hot dogs, some classic like the Woolfie Dog and some downright inventive dogs like the Chili Pie and the Coney, a Vienna dog on a seeded bun topped with a slice of American cheese, chili, onion and a pickle. 

 

Gastrointestinal challenges like the Chili Pie aside, I was wondering how the restaurant's flagship dog, the Woofie, stacked up to a Mid-west perception of a New York dog. While I'm sure this establishes my East Coast bias in hot dogs, the Chicago style is without a doubt impressive and I can fully appreciate the adoration this dog receives. 

First up is the Chicago style:

The Chicago style hot dog is built for it's city, for the people that live there and for surviving its weather systems. This is the hot dog that the Mike Ditka would eat on a Saturday Night Live sketch. This is the mid afternoon snack of futures traders at the CBOE. The Chicago dog contains all the major food groups, is here to take on your stomach, and it's brought all of its friends for the fight. The Wolfie Dog is what you would expect from a Hall of Famer, riding deep into the pocket of a seeded bun and covered in a garden including a neon green relish. 

On several occasions my Woofie Dog was served with a knife and fork. This experience reminds me of a meal I enjoyed once with a friend's family, owners of several Italian restaurants. Dining on a plate of pasta one night and perplexed by the act of twirling linguine around a fork, my host pointed at the spoon and said, "Andrew, some Italian's use the spoon...but not the good ones." This is the essence of the Chicago dog. While help is provided, reaching for it is a sign of defeat. Woofie's Dogs are indeed woof'ed sans fork in a manner that is messy but in the end, fulfilling.

The New York Dog:

The New York style dog is also a homage to its fair city. From street vendors and small shops, the New York hot dog is made for transport. Dogs are topped with combination of onion sauce, sauerkraut and mustard, wrapped in paper or a single napkin and eaten on the fly. Even loaded down, a New York dog appears to be perfectly designed for an action figure's kung-fu grip. A New York dog is not here to bullshit with you.

The New York hot dog at Woofie's is delicious. Instead of being steamed, it is cooked on a griddle like the dogs at Grey's Papaya. It comes topped with a spicy mustard and a bed of sauerkraut, sitting there in front of you like a nest on a branch. Alas a New York dog it is not. Instead it is a Mid-western nod to the original, as if Chicago looked at it and said, "there, New York...now you are finished." 

The verdict:

In the end, the Chicago style Woofie Dog wins this throw down of cities and dogs, but it was never really a competition with Chicago's near home field advantage. Either way, I can't help but think that is it the diner who wins, no matter what their cardiologist says. For all I know your doctor might be sitting next to you as you eat. Woofie's is that good.

Opinion: Highly Recommended

1919 Woodson Rd

Overland, MO 

314-426-6291

Newstead Tower Public House

Nestled among the treasure trove of new restaurants in The Grove section of St. Louis you can find the Newstead Tower Public House. The owners use the term gastropub and public house to describe their eatery, but in the end the meaning is the same - kicked up pub food paired with great beers and wines. 

Among my favorites on the menu is the burger, locally raised grass fed beef topped with field greens, whole cap mushrooms, caramelized onions, house made quick pickles, ketchup and mayo. Burgers are served with super thin house made chips that play off the meal nicely, without weighing you down like a basket of fries can.

Burgers are skillfully cooked to order, in my case medium rare with a good sear and juices that mix with the toppings and run gloriously down your chin and hands. The bun also appears to be house made and performs admirably to the task of holding this burger together from start to finish.

Opinion: Recommended

4353 Manchester Ave.

St. Louis, Missouri 63110

314-535-7771

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 the 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 daily meeting the demand for his amazing hamburgers and house made root beer.

Carl's is a small sixteen-seat building, with the staff working in the space between two eight seat counters. Diners have a view of the flat top griddle, where hockey puck sized hamburger patties are spatula-smashed until they are thin and begin to caramelize on the edges. Folks who are unlucky enough to miss grabbing a stool wait patiently behind people at the counter, or can take their burgers outside to eat at nearby picnic tables.

Each burger is made fresh and topped right on the griddle while buns get a quick warm up to one side. While I was watching Frank work, I began to wonder if this was what it was like to visit one of the original McDonald's in the 1940's, before process "improvements", accountants and billions upon billions served turned a pristine product into a grey and lifeless burger, overshadowed by its toppings and devoid of soul.

And soul is what Carl's is all about. The grill-man works fast in four to eight burger salvos that eventually become single, double and triple burgers, served on small paper plates. Turnover is quick and the diners are for the most part silent, with the exception of brief comments to neighbors regarding this amazing communion of authentic American classic, born of The Mother Road, and its hamburgers that seem to disappear faster than they are made.

Opinion: Highly Recommended

9033 Manchester Rd

St Louis, MO 63144

314-961-9652

Election Day

Sara and I were on line this morning at 6AM to vote, and it still took us almost an hour and a half. It was amazing to see our friends and neighbors lined up on a warm fall morning, everyone was in good spirits, we moved along at a decent clip, and in short order we were on our way to work.

Today I have hope for the future and a return to normalcy after the last 8 years. I wish our new President well and the best of luck, but really, I just want him to get to work fixing our country. January can't come quick enough.

Blumenhof Winery - Fall 2008

A little known fact about Missouri is that we used to be the wine production capital of the United States, circa 1880. Truth be told, Missouri used to be the capital of many things, but was unable to stop the manifest destiny leading people from the east to the west coast of America in the last half of the 1800's. That is why St. Louis is called the "Gateway to the West", and I often remark that we are the only city in the world that constructed a monument (The Gateway Arch) to people leaving.

Getting back to our wines, Missouri's climate, with its long, hot summers, good sun exposure, and thin rocky soil, is excellent for growing grapes. This combination led European immigrants, Germans and later Italians, to this part of the country where they started a wine making tradition that lives on to this day. 

While Missouri may no longer lay claim to the volume of wines produced, there are still many family vineyards across the countryside creating fine wines using the Cynthiana/Norton, Vignoles, Seyval, and Chambourcin grapes.

With the understanding that fall in Missouri is short and wonderful, we took what might be our last chance at enjoying the sun and fruits of our local producers labors. Loaded down with breads, cheeses, olives, artichoke hearts and San Marzano tomato's that I roasted and covered with Spanish olive oil, we shared food and bottle after bottle of the wines from the Blumenhof Vineyards & Winery.

Of the dozen or so wines they have right now, we really enjoyed the Devil's Den Red and the Vignoles. Both were perfect for an afternoon surrounded by the changing leaves, warm sun and good friends.

While there was more than enough food to go around, I managed to pull together a foraging party to scope out a small barbecue shack positioned near the tasting rooms. With a full stomach and a healthy attitude I ordered a rib eye sandwich, cut thin, grilled and served on a sesame seed hamburger roll.

A quick visit to the fixings bar resulted in an addition of onions, sauerkraut and a spicy German mustard. Upon returning to our table I topped what I will forever call a "travesty on bread" (a recycled line from a sandwich I used to order when I worked in White Plains, New York, and a story for another time) with my aforementioned roasted tomatoes. Delicious indeed, but owing more to the day than a sandwich I would go out of my way to create again.

Old Guy Extra Special Bitter

With the daytime temperatures in St. Louis dropping to around 65, its getting to be a great time to make home brewed beers. My first beer of the year is an Extra Special Bitter, or ESB. 

Extra Special Bitter belongs to the pale ale family of beers, but with a larger hop profile. Well known commercial versions of this beer are Boddington's and Fuller's ESB. While I kept to style for the base of my ESB with American pale and crystal malts, I included Munich malt, roasted barley and a small amount of rye to round out the grain bill. I'm excited about the addition of rye, which should add a understated spicy finish to this beer.

I started with a first wort hop addition of East Kent Golding's and followed up with additional doses of Golding's and Willamette hops though out the boil in 15 minute intervals.

I would like to have this beer in bottles by the middle of November and share with friends and family over the holidays. I hope you enjoy these pictures showing several parts of the brewing process.

A yeast starter at krausen. A yeast starter increases the number of active yeast cells and aids in kicking off a fast and healthy fermentation. I made this starter about 36 hours before brewing.

Grains rolling through a mill. The grains are cracked so water and enzymes can help the sugars contained within each grain "escape" during the mashing process. This sugar becomes the fermentable that the yeast above will consume in the production of beer.

Sparging the mash and collecting the first running of wort. You can think of sparging as washing the last of the sugars off the grain bed.

A first wort addition of whole hops, soaking as the wort comes to a boil. Hops can be thought of as the spice of beer. Added early in the boil, hops contribute a bitter flavor to beer. In the later stages of the boil hops contribute aroma. 

Collecting wort in a fermentation vessel. In a few weeks this wort will become a young beer, and a month or so after that, a beverage shared with friends.

Know Thy Butcher

From time to time I mention that I prefer to shop for meat at traditional butcher shops instead of local chain supermarkets and warehouse clubs. Most recently I discussed this idea in a post about cooking great steaks at home. 

I've found that having first name relationship with a knowledgeable professional who is willing to discuss ideas and cooking processes with you leads to better results in the kitchen and your back yard barbecue. Finding a local resource for quality meat and customer service takes some work, but it does pay off with your finished product.

Since I posted that article on steaks, a few friends have asked me to explore this idea a bit further. I thought it would be a good idea to not only dig into what to buy at your local meat counter, but how to find one in the first place. 

Here is a brief checklist that you can use to get started in your search:

• Cleanliness - a good butcher shop will not be spotless, but will be clean, well lit and have thermometers positioned for your viewing within the case. Being a butcher is a professional job, and a good butcher and his place of business will look the part.
• Foot Traffic - not only will a crowded counter indicate you are in the right place, it will also ensure that the case is being changed over on a regular basis. 
• Engagement and Conversation - even in the busiest of meat counters, it is appropriate for the butcher to take an interest in your order. Conversation can lead to a discussion on process and cut, and you might find that your butcher has thoughts or experience that you do not.  
• Custom Service / Cuts - the butcher should willingly cut a fresh steak or remove the silver skin from a rack of ribs for you if you ask. 
• Locally Raised Products - the production of meat for consumption places stress on both the livestock and our environment. Whenever possible I search out local free range products including pork, chicken, beef and bison.  

Additionally, the following items are visual cues that I look for, even if they are for ascetics only. 

• Butcher Coats - while not required, they are appreciated.
• Primal Cut Charts and Posters. Do you know when a shoulder is a butt? Where is the chain from? Visual aids are always helpful.
• Butcher Paper - even better if secured with tape baring the shops name. 
• Ironic Tee Shirts - well crafted innuendo and declarative statements regarding meats dominance over vegetables are acceptable. 

Examples:

 
Legrand's Market and Catering

Manzo's Kitchen

Llywelyn's Pub

I have been struggling with the concept of “best” lately, especially what it means to achieve its largely objective status. 

As one who often represents his own opinions as facts, I am trying to develop a healthy understanding of what the term “best” actually means. When applied to food, best seems to be a dichotomy. Best is an appreciation for perfection. Best also represents the end of the search for that perfection. 

With this in mind I visited Llywelyn's Pub in St. Louis to try what has been deemed by many as one of the best burgers in town. Llywelyn's has several locations; Webster Groves, the Central West End and Soulard. Conversations with friends led me to the Soulard location, which is known for having the best service and friendliest waitstaff. Indeed our waitress was attentive and pleasant though out our meal.

The Llywelyn's Pub burger is a six-ounce chuck burger topped with caramelized onions, bacon and sharp cheddar cheese. The burger and toppings ride inside a thick English muffin which is browned on a griddle before serving.

The beef burger is quite good and cooked as requested, which for me is medium to medium rare. The patty was well caramelized, again appearing to result from a griddle and not an open flame, and added an additional layer of flavor to the interior juices and unadulterated beef taste. Kudos are deserved for the choice of an English muffin for this burger, its heft and dense structure absorbs the juice from the burger from start to finish without becoming soggy or weighted down.

Condiments are available table-side, but are quite unnecessary given the pub burgers choice of partners. The bacon is crisp without being burnt and while the onions were not caramelized in the true sense of the word, they had been sweat to the point where they were a sweet and savory addition. 

I continue my tradition of being outwardly hostile to idea of adding cheese to a burger, but my wife thought the healthy slice of sharp cheddar fit well with the concept behind the burger - telling me exactly that multiple times throughout our meal.

It is at this point that the idea behind the “best” begins to fail me yet again. Is the burger at Llywelyn's Pub the best in St. Louis? I think probably not. It is however one of the most well thought out burgers I’ve had in a while and appeals to my appreciation for culinary simplicity. To often burgers hide behind toppings to compensate for poor technique and lack of attention. This is not the case at Llywelyn's and for that reason I can say it is one of the better burgers I’ve had in town - if only to not allow the idea of “best” end my search.

Opinion: Recommended

1732 9th Street

St. Louis 63104

314-436-3255

Seafood Boil In The Heart of St. Louis

This post finds me thankful for my wife, Sara. A few years ago she found herself successful, but unhappy working for a large corporation here in St. Louis. In what was a test of our relationship and eventually our marriage, we decided that the time was right for her to leave her job and pursue a new career. Sara graduated right before we were married, and the events leading up to our wedding probably overshadowed her accomplishment of graduating with a degree in Interior Design more than either of us would admit. 

One year later Sara has continued her string of accomplishments, completing her LEED certification in environmental design. If you don't know what LEED is, you will soon. The ideas driving green building have a foundation in LEED, and in the near future those ideas will become everyday practice. I'm proud that Sara will be at the forefront of a new way of designing and building structures, with an appreciation for the relationship between people, the buildings we live and work in, the Earth and it's limited resources. 

To celebrate Sara's certification, I planned a cookout at our house that in hindsight had an enormous carbon foot print due to the main course - a seafood boil of snow crab from Alaska, new potatoes and fresh corn on the cob. Trying to stick with a tradition that I have only read about, I covered a part of our picnic area with brown paper bags, then poured the crab and vegetables onto the table where we all gathered around to a family style seafood feast.  

It was a rare moment of decadence with our hands covered in Old Bay and garlic infused butter, but it brought together good friends and Sara's favorite food to celebrate the hard work that she has completed. I guess in the end that made it even more of a moment to savor than the crabs themselves. 

Here is to large and small victories, and for hoping that we take the time to celebrate them with our friends and family. 

Tower Grove Park Totras

As August rolled to a close, we got together in Tower Grove Park to have a mass celebration for all of our August born friends. With over 50 people expected around dinner time, the event host, Bob Baker decided to feed the throngs tortas, a Mexican sandwich that is both fresh and filling. I offered to help Bob with the prep work and assembly in exchange for an interview on his experience recreating this classic, and what it was like to share it with folks who have never had the chance to enjoy one of the hidden treasures of tacqueria cuisine. 

I hope the following discussion peeks your interest and you head out to try this unique sandwich for yourself.

Q. As you worked the grill, I heard several people walk past me discussing how you believe the torta is the "king of sandwiches". For you, what makes the torta superior to other sandwiches?

 

A. I like the torta because it's never caught on with mainstream America - - it looks too much like a sandwich, I think.  But really it's the best of both worlds:  the best starch (bread) with the best cuisine (Mexican).   Also, the layering of ingredients on a torta makes each one stand out more than when they are crammed together in a burrito.

 

Q. I can appreciate that viewpoint. The totra reminds me of the Vietnamese Bahn Mi sandwich, which is a personal favorite of mine. Both sandwiches have an almost perfect balance, where each ingredient complements the other. For your taste, is there one ingredient that you feel makes this sandwich, or do you feel its a team effort with all the ingredients playing off each other?

 

A. I think it's the combination of so many good ingredients that gives the torta its appeal.  It's the Mexican version of a dagwood sandwich.

Q. I like that you took the time to shop for authentic ingredients, like the correct breads and meats. Did you learn anything new as part of your research and prep? Any skills or techniques you would like to use more in your daily cooking?

 

A. The bakery I went to on Cherokee St calls the torta roll a telera.  Crunchy on the outside, and airy on the inside.  And the butcher recommended the arrachera cut of beef for the carne asada (flap meat, i believe).  After I ordered the meat, the butcher took the already thin steaks, and butterflied them ever thinner, to about 1/8" i suppose.  I marinated the meat for 8 hours in an olive oil, lime and spice mix.  Despite the thinness of the beef and the time spent in lime juice, when cooked medium, the meat was tough and the marinade sat on top like too much Italian dressing. I found it was better to cook the meat to well done, well-browned on both sides, to make the meat tastier and easier to chew.  Any moisture lost from over-cooking was easily replaced by the guacamole, pico do gallo, cheese, lettuce, and refried beans.

 

Q. We spoke after you made these sandwiches and mentioned that you took some of the beef and continued to marinade it for several days. Any lessons learned there?

A. After 8 hours of marinating, the meat was more tender, but still a bit too chewy.  A day later, the meat was easy to cut and chew through.  And two days later, it was even better.  I would have continued this experiment for the next week, but my wife (a vegetarian) got digested looking at this experiment progress in the fridge, and removed it from sight.  Bottom line - - I guess the arrachera cut of meat needs a lot of time (or maybe more acid) to truly soften up.

Q. I had a discussion with someone who insisted on comparing the torta to a muffaletta? Do you think this is a fair comparison?

 

A. Not for me.  I adore the contrasting fresh ingredients of tortas, and can do without the fatty, densely stacked meat, cheese, and olive mix of a muffaletta.  I suppose the muffaletta roll is pretty similar to a telera.  After that, they go their own ways.

Q. You seemed to focus on using a flat top to complete the cheese component of this sandwich, where did you pick up this technique?

 

A. At my favorite St Louis tacqueria (La Vallesana) they throw shredded cheese on the griddle, lay a toasted telera on top, and sweep everything up a few seconds later.  I tried this using a cast iron griddle.  At first I noticed the cheese stuck to the grill as much as the roll - - but found that a quick slide underneath with a metal spatula could get under the browned cheese - - and leave the cheesy topped roll looking like it had just come from the broiler.

 

As a side note, I am not a fan of the mayo/mustard approach some take on these sandwiches.  Fresh salsa and guacamole make more sense to me with spicy grilled Mexican meat, even when served on a bread roll.

 

Q. The crowd also was really into your guacamole, do you have any recommendations that you would like to share?

 

A. I've always felt avocado can stand on its own.   A little salt, pepper and garlic salt isn't too obtrusive.  And if it's going to sit for a while, some lime juice can keep it green.  I prefer it without the lime, but that's the price you pay when serving at a leisurely party.

           

Q. Here in St. Louis, where would you send someone to have their first torta, and what would you tell them to order?

 

A. For anyone's first torta in Saint Louis, the standard bearer is La Vallesana on Cherokee Street.  It's not quite as good as ones I've had Southwest from here, but it's certainly enough to find out whether tortas speak to you.

Giving Into the Crave.

A highlight of the fall in St. Louis is our yearly bike race, The Tour de Moose. We've stepped things up this year with a planning board and training rides to accommodate a ridership that has grown from 20 to 60 in three years, with 100 expected this year. 

Our first ride of the season was this morning and what started as a quick bike ride with a few adult beverages planned afterward quickly evolved into a culinary and gastrointestinal adventure as well. 

Our Sunday morning ride started around 9:30 AM and about an hour later we happened past a White Castle that my friend Moose (of the Tour de) wanted to put on this years tour as a pit stop. The idea is to offer a break between legs where riders can roll past and grab a slider like marathon runners reaching for bottles of water. As we were already testing our bikes and the race route, we figured it would be a good idea to test our stomachs as well with a mid-morning slider break. 

From left to right we have a fish slider, a traditional White Castle, and resting like a king on its orange throne the new A1 White Castle. My impromptu goal was to compare the A1 slider against the original, and truth be told the only difference is a dollop of A1 Steak Sauce and a lack of pickles. For me, the pickle is what makes a White Castle and they are missed on the A1 where the bite of sour would play nicely against the steak sauce and onions. 

Both burgers benefited from the early morning visit. While the sign out front states that they are always open, it seemed that the bun was fresher than you would find at midnight visit to White Castle. The freshness of the bread did a good job soaking up the grease and onion juice that usually meld a slider to its box and eventually the bag. 

In full disclosure, I added the fish slider because I had skipped breakfast and really, who orders the fish at White Castle? In my opinion it is the best item on the menu, but it too could benefit from the liberal application of a pickle or two, alone or riding in some tarter sauce.

Opinion: Recommended with reservations, usually the morning after.

Uncle Bill's - 3:00 AM

Because even pigs in a blanket get cold and need a bacon quilt.

 
Jeff Lash - Photographer

Porter's Fried Chicken

Fired chicken can be counted amongst the upper echelon of truly American foods, originating in its current form from the deep south with a history that reaches back to colonial times, when slaves from Africa contributed this culinary masterpiece to our culture. Chicken fried in a fat can also be traced father back in history to Europe and Asia, however it is southern fried chicken that most think of when thoughts turn to what for many is a perfect “Sunday dinner”.

 

Created with simple and inexpensive ingredients and enjoyable piping hot out of the fryer, cold out from the fridge or at ambient temperature out of a picnic basket, it is easy to understand how this meal moved out of the southern states and across the country. 

 

There are as many opinions as to how to make fried chicken as there are people who will tell you that they make it better than everyone else. All told, it seems there are only a few things that separate the good from the bad - the crust, the spice and the balance of deep fried goodness and the juiciness of a chicken that has been steamed perfectly inside the aforementioned crusted coating. 

 

Here in St. Louis there are more than a few places that serve up plates and to go boxes of chicken and the standard fixings, however there are only a few that approach what is arguably the best fried chicken in the country, Price’s Chicken Coop in Charlotte, North Carolina. Make no mistake, the chicken at Price’s is outstanding, however, you don’t have to take my word on it, you can check out what the folks at Roadfood, Serious Eats and even Gourmet Magazine have to say. Better yet, you might just plan a road trip in the future to try some for yourself - you will be glad you did.

 

Coming close to Price’s is a new favorite of mine, Porter’s Fried Chicken, a small and unassuming restaurant nestled into a small strip mall in Shrewsbury, a suburb of St. Louis. The folks behind the counter are quick with a smile and help with the menu, in my case it was trying to figure out the difference between a “Regular” and a “Special” meal, which is all white meat as opposed to a mix of white and dark meat. Meals come with a choice of sides, and being my first visit to Porter’s, I opted for my personal favorite sides for friend chicken - cole slaw and mashed potatoes with white country gravy - which are both tasty without outshining the chicken.

 

A sign hangs on the wall stating that phone orders are welcome, and that is because all the meals are made as they are received, there are no heat lamps at Porter’s. A wait of 10 - 15 minutes proves worthwhile when you are presented with chicken, a roll and sides in a plain take out box.

 

What strikes you first is that fresh out of the fryer, this chicken is not very greasy at all compared to most fried chicken restaurants. Napkins are required though because just inside the crisp and spicy crust is juicy and flavorful chicken that really is “finger licking good”. This is a result of the near perfect crust Porter’s achieves by way of the deep fryer but owing just as much to the steaming action of the chicken inside its crust. This is also the key to perfect fried chicken, where to me, “frying” is a misnomer. Yes, heated fat or oil provides even heat for cooking, but it is the application of the crust before its frying that forms an envelope around the meat. This envelope allows the natural water within the chicken to steam and cook, keeping the moisture inside. The trick is to pull your chicken before the delicate equilibrium between oil and water changes, and the oil moves into the meat creating a greasy mess.

 

One only has to observe the line leading from the counter to the door to see that the folks at Porter’s are on to something special. I am looking forward to my next visit.

 

Opinion: Recommended

3628 South Big Bend Blvd

St. Louis, MO 63143

781-2097

On the web:

• St. Louis Eats and Drinks with Joe and Ann Pollack

Float Trip Picnic Chicken

A simple pleasure of Midwest living is the "float trip". Coolers are packed with beverages and food, and then friends take off down the river in rafts, tubes and pretty much anything else that will, well, float. Ideally, when asked by friends and coworkers on the east coast why I live in Missouri with the heat, floods and tornadoes, I should point to the float trip as one of many reasons.

I was asked to make something to eat for a recent float trip, so I racked my brain and cookbook collection for a meal that would travel well in the Midwest heat while still feeding a large group. I decided that I wanted to make cold chicken, but there were several obstacles that I wanted to tackle before serving my waterlogged friends. At issue was how to prepare the meat so it would remain moist up to a day after cooking and what to do with the rubbery skin that can ruin an otherwise perfect piece of chicken.

Over the last few years, I've taken to selecting thighs as my cut of choice when preparing chicken. It's a shame they are so often overlooked as they are affordable and have a great meat to bone ratio. Also, the dark meat thigh stands up to abuse that would dry out its white meat counterpart, the breast. I almost always rub or brine chicken thighs before cooking, with some of my favorite combinations being an overnight soak in lemon juice, olive oil, scallions, garlic and tarragon or simply using my house spice rub.

For this float trip, I decided on barbecuing chicken using my go to dry rub to impart flavor, saving my friends from the glorious mess resulting from barbeque sauce covered hands.

My house rub is super easy and follows the pit master approved ratio of 8 - 3 - 1 - 1:

8 parts brown sugar
3 parts kosher salt
1 part chili powder
1 part other (can be any combination of spices and herbs, as long as it equals 1 whole part)

The beauty of this formula is that as long as you stick to the ratio, you can use any measurement you would like, be it tablespoons, cups or gallons. I usually make a large batch and keep it in a sealed shaker for chicken and ribs. I've also been known to jar it and give away at the holidays.

What follows is a two day process for making my cold picnic chicken.

Day 1

The afternoon before I planned on making these thighs, I washed, scored and carefully peeled back the skin (don’t totally detach) on each so I could season the meat with my rub. After seasoning, I folded the skin back and placed the thighs on a wire rack resting inside a baking sheet. Then I applied a second coating of the rub on top of the skin, covered loosely with foil and then placed in the coldest part of my fridge, the bottom shelf, for an overnight rest.

This method helps to solve one of the problems I was worried about, keeping the chicken moist as it cooked. The salt in my rub acts very much like a brine, drawing the natural water and salt out of the chicken to its surface, then back into the chicken hours later as the chicken reabsorbs the water and most of the rub. The net result is a "brine" that flavors the meat with the rub while keeping the chicken moist.

I alluded to how I approached eliminating soggy and rubbery chicken when I referenced scoring the skin before applying the rub. For each thigh, I used a chef's knife to cut inch long channels in the skin without cutting the meat. In general, chicken skin is full of fat which will not completely render during cooking - it has no way to escape and remains trapped under the skin. Scoring the skin provides an escape route for fat, allowing it to baste the chicken while cooking and letting the skin form a thin crispy layer.

Day 2

The day before our trip and my planning and prep work completed, I started a one zone fire in my grill, allowing me to cook the chicken thighs skin side up over low and slow indirect heat. Using a mixture of natural lump charcoal and apple wood chunks, I smoked these thighs for four hours at 225 degrees, replenishing the fuel supply as needed to maintain a consistent temperature. Several times during the process, I rotated the thighs skin side down over the hot zone, rendering out additional fat and to crisp the skin. I was quick to remove the chicken during flare-ups, and each thigh was not exposed to direct heat more than a minute or two in total.

After four hours on the grill, I brought the chicken inside, placed on a clean wire rack and baking sheet, covered with foil and left in the bottom shelf of the fridge. My wife and I shared a piece for lunch and it was everything I was looking for, moist, smoky with great barbecue flavor and thin crispy skin.

Bringing it all together:

The next day I packed the thighs into a cooler along with some other snacks, ice, beer, and what I am told is a float trip requirement, Jell-O shots. We enjoyed a great day on the river with friends and shared a fine lunch of cold picnic chicken on a sandbar before continuing on our way. Sure I got sunburned so bad that if you placed me on a bun I'd look like a lobster roll, but it was a great day nonetheless.

The Nexus of St. Louis, Politics and Beer

KWMU/St. Louis on the Air recently hosted an hour long discussion on the debate surrounding Belgium Brewing Powerhouse InBev’s offer of $65.00 per share to buyout Anheuser-Busch (AB). The discussion included commentary from Bill Finnie, Adjunct Professor, Washington University School of Business, Senator Kit Bond (R - MO) and Congressman Russ Carnahan (D - MO).

Yes, the entire hour includes what is probably an appropriate level of American protectionism surrounding the King of Beers. However, it also covers the important role that AB plays in St. Louis and what side effects might stem from ownership by a foreign company.

Common consensus is that the AB board will reject the first InBev offer, along with developing whatever poison pills it can to protect itself and push for a higher bid. However it appears that AB is fairly defenseless from a takeover for two reasons:

Low family ownership of the common stock. As an example, Warren Buffet owns more of AB than the Busch Family. Also, there is a segment of the family who have little to do with the day to the day running of the company and support the buyout. Warren continues to sit on the sidelines but I would expect that he can not maintain a neutral position for long.

Poor stock performance over the last 5 years (13% return before dividends vs. 41% for the S&P Index - pre buyout announcement). The majority of AB’s shareholders are mutual funds, whose investments have lagged the market for some time. It would seem reasonable that should this deal not go through, we could see its share price fall back to the pre-announcement levels. This may be unacceptable to long term shareholders.

Beyond the risks to AB and St. Louis, there is also risk to InBev, who must finance the purchase of AB to the tune of 40 Billion Dollars. Yes, the Euro is strong right now, but that is still an impressive amount of debt to assume for the brewer. American backlash against Belgium ownership may also be an issue, cutting into future cash flows should beer drinkers in the US boycott AB/InBev products post deal. Would they move to Miller products? Probably not as SABMiller is a South African company. How about Coors? Again, maybe not after their merger with Canada’s Molson. If anything, it may be an oportunity for US craft brewers, especially if states lift barrel production levels from current rates to meet increased demand for American product.

Moving InBev from Belgium to St. Louis and keeping the AB name may help this situation, but it remains to be seen if this option will be explored.

More to come.

Anheuser-Busch in the News:

• Brewer Bids $46 Billion for Anheuser-Busch
• Anheuser-Busch - King of Missouri Donors
• Grupo Modelo CEO Resigns from Anheuser-Busch Board
• Busch Family Members Divided in Response to InBev Takeover Bid
• Don’t Knock InBev, Invite it to St. Louis
• Unreal Helps Schlafly save AB

Authors note: I currently hold Anheuser-Busch shares

The Blackthorn Pub

I'm not sure the Blackthorn Pub in the Tower Grove neighborhood of South St. Louis is a place where you should bring your mother for a meal, but over the years I've ended up there with not only my mom but pretty much every out of town guest that visits my fair city. For the locals it's a convenient hangout and meeting place, for the softball teams patrolling the fields at nearby Tower Grove Park it's a place to down a few beers before venturing off to the local eateries that sponsor your team, and for everyone it is a total dive in the truest sense of the word.

What brings people in is the pizza.  They make pan and deep-dish Chicago style pies which stand out amongst the thin crusted, Provel topped "pizzas" that are commonplace in St. Louis. For folks who have never visited St. Louis, to describe the local pizza style is to imagine a matzo covered with processed cheese product. As a product Provel is both disturbing and perplexing and it goes without saying that I continue to not be a fan.

As a transplant from New York, I'm sure embracing and attitude of "if you can't beat them, join them" might open up my options for a meal, but I really don't see the point. St. Louis style pizza is not very good.  Given that fact, the Blackthorn is on my shortlist of pizza joints in town where I can get a pie that at least in spirit (used very loosely) resembles the pizzas that I grew up with and on a regular basis make in my own home.

With that in mind, I visited The Blackthorn twice recently. On my first visit I ordered a deep-dish pie with pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms and green peppers. I arrived at 5pm and ordered my pie with an expected wait of "45 minutes to an hour". I've ordered this pie before, and I know that even at 5 there is a back order of pies that have been phoned in. 45 minutes is more like the estimated time your pie will go in the oven, and for a pie like this, you have to expect at least an hour cooking time. Four beers and a River Front Times later I was on my way home with a pizza that not only feels like a half dozen paperweights in a box, but in your stomach as well.

The deep-dish is thick, standing well over an inch and a half high, with layers of cheese (Provel-free), a spicy sauce that The Blackthorn shares with its sister pizzeria Lemmon's and your choice of toppings.  Paying homage to the city of Chicago, this is a knife and fork meal and at times it seems to have more relation to lasagna than pizza. I'm kidding, but in all reality this is not "fold it over and bite pizza", it's more of a direct challenge to your cardiologist.

On my second trip my wife and I ate at the bar, sharing a pan pizza with onions, mushrooms, green peppers, garlic and pepperoni. The pan pizza is a deep-dish in its own right, standing at least an inch tall. The same cheese and sauce covers this pie, just in lesser amounts. If anything, the pan pizza at The Blackthorn reminds me of what a Pizza Hut pizza looked like growing up, before it became a cog in the wheels of Yum! Brands and bundled with a Taco Bell to save construction costs. In fact, I’m privy to the fact that they use salvaged Pizza Hut deep dish pans to make their pies in. Recycling and reverence, in pizza form.

With both pies, the diner feels empowered to load up the toppings, mostly because the crust is up to the job of carrying the extra weight. Case in point, while I was waiting for the first pie, a couple came in and ordered a pan pizza with "all the meats", which turned out to be a pie with about 5 different meats on it.  If not for the tomato sauce, not a vegetable would be found near that pie. A tip of the hat to the culinary adventurous.

An issue I had with both pies is the pepperoni appeared barely cooked, while the other toppings looked like they had spent a half hour to and hour in an oven. I would think an hour at pizza cooking temps would leave the edges of the pepperoni crisp and brown, not looking like they just were pulled from the bag they came in. Beyond that, these pies stand head and shoulders over delivery and local St. Louis style standbys.

All in all, The Blackthorn is a local institution and deserves our respect. Are there better pies out there? Sure, but The Blackthorn is not trying to be something its is not. So what is it? A total dive filled with friends, punk rock girls, an awesome music collection, beer by the pitcher and pizza's that go along with it all famously.

Opinion: Recommended with reservations

The Blackthorn Pub
3735 Wyoming Street
St. Louis, MO 63116

On the web

• Sauce Magazine

Eovaldi’s Meatball Sandwich

I was recently enjoying one of my favorite lunchtime activities, wandering around The Hill, an Italian neighborhood in St. Louis, looking for a sandwich. Venturing off my normal path, I came across Eovaldi’s, a small, unassuming deli known for salsiccia, a fresh pork Italian sausage favored by the locals. Across The Hill, salsiccia is piled high on crusty breads and served with roast beef, meatballs, onions, mushrooms and Provel, a cheese loved mostly by folks who were born here and loathed by visitors and transplants alike.

On the wall behind the meat counter hangs a picture of the owner’s family and Mario Batali, grinning and attempting to hold a sandwich long enough to spill over the sides of its picture frame. The deli is a bare space with a few coolers for drinks, a rack of Old Vienna potato chips, the aforementioned meat case and several tables of quiet men in business suits working away at their lunchtime meals.

In my experience, all are good omens.

Like most deli’s on The Hill, the menu is stocked with old standbys named after their primary ingredient, a city (New York / Chicago / St. Louis being the favorites), a person, and then a smaller list of specialty sandwiches. All the choices looked good, but for first visit to any deli, my go to/baseline sandwich is meatballs with no cheese.

In quick order I was on my way home with a foil wrapped meatball sandwich. My first impression was the small amount of red sauce, or “the gravy” as I affectionately call it. The meatballs themselves were irregular (they are made in-house) and appeared to be baked, not fried (a preference, the meatball has more to do with a meatloaf than a French fry). The sandwich looked really good, however the lack of red sauce hung over my lunch like a cloud.

For a second I thought about defrosting some sauce I had in the freezer before digging in, but only for a second. This truly is a meatball sandwich, with the sauce and bread playing a quiet second and third to the spicy and flavorful meat. Now I understand why Batali was grinning in that picture, the folks at Eovaldi’s know the key to a sandwich is to balance all its parts.

Sometimes just enough is better than to much, it’s a shame so many fail to understand that. I will return for the salsiccia sooner rather than later.

Opinion: Recommended

Eovaldi’s On the Hill
2201 Edwards Street
St. Louis, MO 63110

On the web:

• Sauce Magazine
• KMOV Sauce on the Street Video