Category Archives: ST. LOUIS

TIM BRENNAN, CRAVINGS AND BANANA BREAD

Tim Brennan knew what he was doing when he named his bakery/cafe Cravings. Anyone sampling his offerings is apt to develop cravings happily ever after.

BEN POREMBA and OLIO’S EGG SALAD RECIPE

Ben Poremba is a most unusual man–chef, restauranteur, entrepreneur, world traveler..well the list goes on. Sweet Leisure interview him and secured a recipe for one of his favorite dishes, Egg Salad as served at Ben’s Olio restaurant.

LONA’S LIL EATS DUMPLINGS

Lona Lou owns and runs the popular St. Louis restaurant Lona’s Lil Eats. Dumplings are among her most popular dishes and she serves two kinds: steak and mushroom. Here is a recipe for Lona’s dumplings with a mushroom filling.

HAPPY HOUR: UNION 30’S COMFORTABLY NUMB

So here is  the way I was told to drink the Comfortably Numb cocktail served at Union 30, a restaurant located inside the smashing Hotel Saint Louis.  See that little bud sitting in a white dish at the side of the drink? It’s a Szechuan button flower. I was told to eat the button and […]

HOTEL SAINT LOUIS, UNION 30 RESTAURANT AND FAMOUS BARR FRENCH ONION SOUP

St. Louis has a new hotel and it’s a stunner.
Believing hotels should be rated for not only guest comforts, but also capturing “a sense of place,” I’d rate Hotel Saint Louis a perfect 10.

BEST FROZEN CUSTARD IN ST. LOUIS

Seemed like a great idea. Justify an overload of indulgent frozen custard gorging, by calling it a scientific experiment. We had four days, five researchers of varying ages and were in St. Louis—America’s ultimate frozen custard city, so we conducted a study following the classic six-step scientific method. 1. INITIAL OBSERVATIONS St. Louis has a […]

ASIA AT AMERISTAR CASINO AND HONEY WALNUT SHRIMP

One can gamble on any restaurant that is run by Don Yamauchi being terrific and Asia, at Ameristar Casino in St. Charles, Missouri, is a sure winner. Chicago born Yamauchi grew up with a love of fusion food fed by his second-generation Japanese-American father and Filipina mother. After attending culinary school, he worked in a variety of […]

BEST BARBECUE RESTAURANTS IN AMERICA AND JOHNNY FUGITT

When you first meet Johnny Fugitt he radiates a gentlemanly persona. Winning smile. Charming manners. Not a spot on his shirt nor bulk to his body (which is contrary to what a steady diet of barbecue might suggest). Not that a second meeting doesn’t yield the same reaction. It’s just that Johnny seems more of […]

BLUES CITY DELI & OLIVE SALAD

Doesn’t matter when you show up for lunch, even minutes after the doors open at 11 a.m. you’re apt to find long lines. Blues City Deli, located in St. Louis’s Benton Park neighborhood is a popular place. It’s also casual, comfortable, and party friendly—no doubt reflecting the casual, comfortable and party-fun personality of its food-and […]

GLUTEN-FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES & LIVING ROOM

The cafe is all for the good. Good deeds. Good coffee. Good treats. Good place to be. According to head baker Nate Larson, the cafe’s backstory involves his dad, Barry Larson—the founder of Bridges, an organization providing support services to people with physical and cognitive disabilities. Seems Barry bought a used coffee roaster for a […]