Stuff to eat. Mostly around St. Louis.
Noto Pizza
Pizza is the best.
It’s probably my favorite food, really. There have been very few occasions in my life where I’ve said, “no thanks, I won’t be eating that slice of pizza.” (I actually can’t think of a single one, but I’m sure it’s happened). I’ll willingly admit that I’ve eaten the worst of the worst—Cici’s Pizza—and found at least a little joy in it. I know a lot of you have a favorite type of pizza, whether that be a New York slice, Neapolitan, St. Louis-style, and so on. I do not. I like to change things up, keep it fresh—except for Chicago-style deep dish: that is not pizza, it’s a stupid, worthless casserole.
As with pretty much everything in life, simple is often best, and almost always the hardest to achieve. I believe that’s why we see so few places attempting to do a Neapolitan-style pizza. There’s not a lot of room to hide your shortcomings. If you suck, it’s obvious.
I was obsessed with Randolfi’s wood fired pizzas. That fermented dough. The perfect toppings. All of it was just magical. Then it was gone from this world. Taylor Hamilton, the pizza wunderkind, moved on to Union Loafers (which, obviously, I also am madly in love with). The Randolfi’s oven remains in that empty restaurant space, just begging for someone who gives a shit to come in and make pizza greatness.
Sorry. I started getting pizza nostalgia.
While Randolfi’s may be dead, Noto Pizza is very much alive, just like Tupac.
Calling Noto a food truck is unfair. It’s a mobile restaurant. As you can see from the photo below, it’s a trailer with a full-size wood fired pizza oven attached to it. I told them they should start a next-level pizza delivery service where you order it and they literally come to your house and make it, but they told me it was “outrageously stupid” and to “please get off our truck right now before we call the police.”
Instead, they’re just going to open a brick and mortar restaurant. Hooray! More details on that can be found in this Feast Magazine article.
Now, for the pizza nerds.
For the dough, Noto uses Italian 00 flour, high hydration (about 72%), and a 36 hour ferment. The crust is exactly what I want in a Neapolitan-style pie: it’s light and flavorful with a nice chew to it. It puffs up in the oven and gets the highly sought after leopard spotting and slightly crisp exterior, but it never loses the moist interior. The sauce is simply crushed tomatoes that have been imported from Italy. All of the ingredients, minus the fresh mozz, are Vera Pizza Napoletana approved.
There’s no question in my mind that this is one of the best pizza shops in St. Louis. They are so good. I want to throw a party where this truck rolls up to Balkan Treat Box and we all just have a great time eating wood-fired foods.
The truck typically goes out with its six classic pies, then does about four specials—many of which are never repeated again. They’re rocking that scarcity model. I loved the specials (particularly the Capo, which you’ll see below), but my favorites are in the classics category: Classico, Sophia, and American Honey. The Classico is, as you might have guessed, the classic marg—fresh mozz, tomato sauce, basil, EVOO. The Sophia is topped with fig jam, gorgonzola, caramelized onions, prosciutto, arugula and a balsamic glaze. American Honey is a standard pepperoni, finished the the extra fiery Calabrese chili flakes and a drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey.
The truck is typically at the Tuesday Tower Grove Market and often at Six Mile Bridge Brewery. Find it. Eat this pizza. Report back.
CLASSICO
FRESH MOZZARELLA
BASIL
TOMATO SAUCE
EVOO
AMERICAN HONEY
PEPPERONI
MOZZARELLA
CALABRESE CHILI FLAKES
MIKE’S HOT HONEY
TOMATO SAUCE
corn Crema
LOCAL CORN & ZUCCHINI
RED PEPPER AIOLI
GARLIC CREAM SAUCE
BASIL
Capo
CAPOCOLLA
ORANGE ZEST
BEET GREENS
MOZZARELLA
Peachy
LOCAL PEACH
PROSCIUTTO
GOAT CHEESE
ARUGULA
HONEY
BALSAMIC DRIZZLE
Louie
You’re probably here for one of two reasons: you love louie and you want to bask in its glory, or someone told you louie was amazing and you don’t trust them. But you can trust me.
I’ve never believed there’s such a thing as a perfect restaurant, but damn if Louie doesn’t make me wonder if I’m wrong. Matt McGuire, a veteran of the restaurant world, is one of the most well-spoken, intelligent, generous, and focused people I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, and if you’ve spent any time at all talking to him, I’m sure you agree. (If you haven’t, pop over to the pizza oven & charcuterie station and say hi/bye next time you’re in). The restaurant is a reflection of him—it’s classic and modern, warm and welcoming.
I only have good things to say about Louie. I love it all. I love the staff, I love the cooks, I love the food. It works for a quick bite and a beer as well as it works for a celebratory meal. You can for something light and healthy(ish) or ruin your body with the Roman gnoccho, pastas, enormous pork chop, and cocktails. I prefer the latter.
The menu doesn’t change often, but there are usually a few nightly specials—especially on the pasta front. Matt and his executive chef, Sean Turner, have set the menu up where everything appears to be very simple, but the reality is, few things are. The simplest things are the hardest, after all.
If you stop reading right here, know that you must order the chicken and the ice cream sandwich.
Let’s walk through my favorite items on the menu. Below the write ups, you’ll find photos
Small plates
The small plates section of the menu is where i spend most of my calories, for reasons that are about to become very obvious.
White bean hummus
mint, hearth bread
Simple—but with the addition of the pop of mint and drizzle of high quality olive oil, perfection.
Charred Eggplant Dip
hearth bread, season vegetables
The perfect blend of charred eggplant and olive oil—it doesn’t taste overly smoky, nor is the eggplant flavor very strong (shout out to the eggplant haters). Don’t think of it as baba ganoush, though—it’s closer to a hummus. Also, anything served with their wood-fired hearth pita bread is going to taste good.
Broccolini
calabrian vinaigrette
Charred broccolini topped with a slightly spicy, kinda funky vinaigrette. This photo is obviously not of the finished product, but I ate it before I could take a shot last time. Whoops.
Cauliflower Fritto
mint aioli
Everyone knows that the best vegetables are fried and dipped in aioli.
Prosciutto di parma
Parmigiano Reggiano DOP Vacche Rosse
There are three things on the plate: prosciutto, cheese, and olive oil. Each is amazing on its own. combined—unbeatable. Especially when eaten on a warm piece of hearth bread. Bury me in this prosciutto.
entrees
salsiccia pizza
roasted fennel, sausage, hot cherry peppers, mozzarella
Okay, this is not a picture of their salsiccia pizza, but a special they did on their one year anniversary. Louie is really dark at night, and the spicy sausage pizza is really good, and…I just forgot to take pictures of it, repeatedly.
Filled pasta
This version: sweet potato ravioli, brown butter, almond, smoked ricotta
There’s usually at least one filled pasta special. Get it. Whether it’s sweet potato with smoked ricotta salata, summer sweet corn with tomatoes, or prosciutto en brodo, you won’t regret it. Unless you have Celiac disease.
Roman gnocco
pork ragu, bechamel, pecorino
The gnocco isn’t my favorite dish (controversial!), but it seems to be everyone else’s. One friend described it as getting a hug from your grandma. It’s heavy, it’s decadent and you’re going to eat way too much of it.
polenta & Roasted Mushrooms
If I’m going to eat until I hurt myself, I’m going with the polenta and mushrooms over the gnocco (once again, that’s just me). It’s another simple but perfect dish, except if you are lactose intolerant like this guy.
Grilled strip steak
crispy potatoes, salsa verde
It’s just a good steak, man. Those potatoes are crunchy AF.
pork chop
shishitos, chermoula
Some have said this is the best pork chop they’ve ever had, and I can’t really argue with that. Also, it’s huge.
Roast chicken
rapini, chicken jus
I’m dedicating an entire post to this chicken soon. It puts all other chickens to shame. I know chicken sounds boring, but you need to try it.
If you don’t like it, you don’t deserve to be eating here.
Dessert
ice cream sandwich
Oh, great, not only is Louie’s entire savory menu off the fucking charts, but they’ve also somehow made the greatest ice cream sandwich I’ve ever had. I don’t even take Lactaid when I eat this—it’s worth the discomfort. Frozen chocolate mousse is sandwiched between two cocoa nib macarons, served with Dragees cocoa nibs and a chocolate coulis.
SAVE ROOM FOR THIS.
Jeffrey Moll on Amaro
Here’s what I know about amaro: it’s Italian, and Randolfi’s master mixologist, Jeffrey Moll, likes loves it.
That’s it.
I asked Moll to give me the run down on 5 of his favorite amari so I can add them to my bar and impress my friends, and now you can too. Or you could just go over to Randolfi’s, pull up a seat at the bar, and learn something from the master himself. Plus, his name fall cocktail menu just arrived, and it is immense. [Randolfi’s has since closed, but you can still find Jeffrey slangin’ drinks around town]
Averna Amaro
“This amaro was my very first experience with amaro and certainly one of the more recognizable brands. It’s definitely on the sweet side in the spectrum of amari. I get a big hit of rich cola and bitter orange from it. Because it’s one of the more sweet, thick, and ‘chewy’ amari, it’s really nice neat as as an after dinner libation, much like a port wine. It really opens up with a generous amount of soda water and I strongly recommend replacing the sweet vermouth in your next Manhattan—with Averna, it’s known as a Black Manhattan.”
Luxardo Amaro
“This is the amaro that made me fall in love with amari for the first time. I went to Taste with my friend Seth, who was running the bar at MEDIAnoche at the time. I saw it on the shelf and asked for a pour. Right out of the gate, I got a ton of black pepper on the nose. My tasting notes consisted of black pepper, menthol, and cinnamon, if you look a little deeper. I begged Seth to pick up a bottle for the bar at work and it remained a staple throughout MEDIAnoche, Little Country Gentleman, Good Pie 2.0 and currently at Randolfi’s. It has made its way into several drinks and I found that it lends itself best to mezcal drinks, champagne cocktails, and drinks with a healthy measure of oloroso or P.X. sherry. I recommend this amaro neat or over ice. If you throw any sort of bubbles at it, make sure you do it with tonic, or as a spritz with a dry cava and a touch of soda water, garnished with some mint sprigs.”
Amaro Sibilia
“I would call this my “Amaro Graduation Exam”. It’s nothing terribly extreme, but it’s an amaro that’s not for everyone. It’s very dry, very bitter and very expensive. It’s finished with honey from Mount Sibillini, so you’re provided a small window to the local flora where it’s produced.This is the one that I had to try the hardest to find its nuances. Its aroma is very fragrant and floral. At first the taste is dry and bitter gentiane. That way fresh churned earth smells, it’s that. The honey is the hard one to find if you don’t know it’s in there, but once you do, you get it every time. If you can break this one down, you can break pretty much any other amaro you come across. I often use this amaro as a way to put sweeter cocktails in check. Aside from that, my opinion it to drink it neat or over ice, but it does work really nicely with big scotches like Lagavulin 16 and with nocino.”
Lazzaroni Amaro
“I don’t have any sort of romantic story to offer for this amaro. It came into our market and I really enjoy the rest of Lazzaroni’s lineup, especially their amaretto, so I picked this one up for the restaurant bar. Lately, this is the amaro I am drinking the most of at home. Aromatically, it is similar to Cynar, Zucca, or Amaro Sfumato: smokey veg. The taste is spot on for a dark chocolate peppermint patty. At work, this amaro has only made it’s way into one cocktail called “May All Your Days Be Gold” (I’m a bit of a Sparklehorse fan), but at home, I am drinking this as a 3:2 amaro to soda water over ice. I can guarantee that it will find it’s way into at least a few hot chocolates.”
Fernet Amaro
“People who don’t usually drink amaro are usually pretty taken back by fernet. The fernet that most of us are familiar with is Fernet Branca. I often describe it as tasting like Christmas tree-flavored Listerine. Fernets are a special subcategory of amaro. They are much drier, more bitter, and extremely mentholated. Fernets are nothing to trifled with, but they’re nothing that deserves to be feared. I can tell you that in the case of Fernet Branca, I have had three regionally different versions.
The one we get here is my least favorite because of its extreme nature. I have had this same brand from Europe and Argentina and the differences are night and day. The latter two in comparison to our American version are a lot more amiable. They’re still dry, bitter and mentholated, but to a lesser extent, so you get more of the bitter herbs and aren’t overwhelmed like ours. THIS is why I love Lazzaroni’s Fernet so much more. Its just easier to drink and a great introductory fernet-style amaro. I often use this to make Fanciullis and to settle my stomach after I’ve over-eaten. I recommend this one over ice to mute a little of its intensity—definitely with an equal part of soda water and a lemon or orange peel expressed across it.”
Sugo's Lasagna
Here's something you might not know about Qui Tran (Mai Lee, Nudo): the guy is obsessed with Italian-American food. I'm a Jewish guy who finds comfort in a big bowl of bun bo hue and he's a Vietnamese guy who will talk to you about veal saltimbocca for hours if you let him. If you've followed me for awhile, you know I'm not a big Italian-American food fan. I think The Hill has far more misses than hits these days and wince every time I hear people recommending visitors go there. So, aside from Randolfi's and a few select restaurants, all my Italian picks come from Qui.
The other day he called me up and the conversation went something like:
Me: Hello?
Qui: Sugo's lasagna! That's what you gotta get next. It's freaking huge!
Me: Ok. I'll do it.
Lasagna and I have never gotten along. The only thing I liked about it as kid was when the edges would turn into crispy burnt cheese chips (one of the greatest flavors on Earth, I would argue). Besides that, I wasn't interested. Until last week, it had been probably a decade since I ordered lasagna. I had to do as Qui said. I needed to try this lasagna.
Sugo's lasagna
For $11, you get a brick of lasagna. It's a Rob Gronkowski sized portion, a 'slice' so large that mere mortals have no hopes of finishing. Michael Del Pietro, the chef and owner behind Sugo's, Babbo's, Tavolo V, and Via Vino, told me this is his grandmother's recipe that's been passed down for generations. I believe him.
There were two things I really enjoyed about this: it is well balanced and it's got a layer of burnt, crunchy cheese. The lasagnas of my youth were anything but balanced, tasting more like jars of marinara poured over dried out ground meat, pummeled with dried oregano. Sugo's does a nice job balancing the sweetness of fresh tomatoes and fresh tomato sauce with layers of ricotta, parmesan, Italian sausage, and ground beef. And, somehow, it doesn't seem so overwhelmingly heavy, even with those ingredients. Magic.
Sitting in the restaurant, eating this on a rainy spring day, I got the appeal. It's a comfort food. It tastes like something your mom or grandma might have made you, all the while pushing you to keep eating because you're a growing boy.
The best part of this lasagna came the day after. I took my leftovers and broiled them until they became a bubbly, burnt, crispy messy. It's like a bonus round of lasagna.
West County folks—if you haven't made your way over to Sugo's for a meal fit for The Mountain, you should remedy that.
Stinging Nettle Pesto
Ah, the wonders of the spring time farmers markets: you never know what you'll find! And by that I mean you will find things you actually don't recognize. You've probably heard of kohlrabi, but have you actually seen it? It looks like a turnip on acid. Same goes for fiddleheads. Both look like something that hopped out of a Dali painting. Last spring, I got a bag of Stinging Nettles because I liked the name. I was warned that I should wear gloves to avoid getting stung, but I'm a man and I don't need gloves to handle some little mint-looking herb.
My hand went into the bag, expletives were shouted, then I smartened up and the gloves went on. What genius decided to put the plant that stings your hands into your mouth? Yeah, this'll be real tasty!
I'd long been holding onto a stinging nettle pesto from world famous chef and baker, Josh Galliano, so stinging nettle pesto is what I made. The flavor of the nettles is similar to spinach—it's a little bitter, a little peppery—but distinctly different. A lot of other websites mention it tasting like cucumber, but I didn't get that. I've thought abut this a lot, and I just don't know how to describe it. Used as a pesto, you get a completely different flavor from your typical all-basil variety - it's a little more earthy, and a bit more peppery. Adding some red pepper flakes takes it to the next level. It's much more assertive than any other pesto I've had.
I used it as a sauce for gnocchi, but it would be great for dips, bruschetta, pizza—whatever you normally use your pesto on. Just don't forget to wear gloves.
Stinging nettle pesto
Stinging Nettle Pesto
YIELD: ABOUT 1 CUP | 5 MIN
INGREDIENTS
STINGING NETTLE PESTO
RECIPE COURTESY OF JOSH GALLIANO
1/3 c toasted pistachios
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 c basil leaves
2 c stinging nettles, blanched and squeezed dry
1 1/4 c olive oil
6-8 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 c grated pecorino (optional)
pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
METHOD
To blanch the nettles, bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Prepare an ice bath. While wearing gloves, cook the leaves for 10 seconds, remove, then shock in the ice bath.
You don’t have to wear your gloves once they’re blanched. Strain the leaves then squeeze dry.
Place all of the ingredients (except the olive oil) in a food processor.
Pulverize the ingredients, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil.
Nduja Nachos
Cleaning up after making my hockey game nachos, I opened the fridge door to put away the jalapenos, and I saw it. Shining bright like a diamond was a log of Salume Beddu's nduja, a fiery hot spreadable salami. It beckoned me closer and whispered, "put me in the cheese sauce." I had no choice but to obey, and into the cheese sauce went the nduja. Within seconds, the pale orange sauce turned dark with specks of red throughout. I had created liquid gold.
This cheese sauce recipe, while simple, is just outstanding. Pour it over a burger or hot dog, dip stuff in it, toss macaroni in it; the possibilities are endless!
I quickly poured the cheese over the chips, took a picture, then devoured them all.
Nduja Nacho cheese sauce
I then sent the picture to Marco, the brains behind the Beddu, and asked him how he would make the perfect Salume Beddu nachos. His answer was simple: nduja cheese sauce, crispy potatoes, radicchio slaw, roasted serrano peppers, and roasted scallions.
The resulting dish could (and should) make an appearance as one of Beddu's incredible Saturday specials. It's got heat from the cheese sauce and serranos, it's got salt and crunch from the potatoes and chips, and it has vegetables, which I hear are healthy.
For those of you unfamiliar with the Calabrian nduja (nn-do-yuh), it can be found at Larder & Cupboard, Straubs, or Salume Beddu itself. Next time you go to Pastaria, get the nduja pizza and you'll really understand just how wonderful it is.
These are, without a doubt, the most beautiful, colorful nachos I've ever made. These are the kind of nachos you can make for your girlfriend's parents to really impress them that first time they come over for dinner. Nothing says "I'm an adult man who deserves your daughter" like salami cheese sauce.
Nduja Nachos
Nduja Nachos
YIELD: 4-6 | PREP: 1 HOUR | COOK: 5 MIN | TOTAL: 1 HOUR AND 5 MINUTES
INGREDIENTS
NDUJA CHEESE SAUCE (ADAPTED FROM SERIOUS EATS)
4 oz American cheese, shredded
4 oz cheddar cheese, shredded
1 T corn starch
1 c evaporated milk
2-4 oz nduja
SLAW
1/2 head radicchio
1 lemon, juiced
CRISPY POTATOES
1 russet potato, diced
salt
pepper
canola oil
SLAW
1/2 head radicchio
1 lemon, juiced
ROASTED SCALLIONS
4 large scallions, whole
olive oil
ROASTED PEPPERS
4-6 serrano peppers, whole
olive oil
METHOD
Note: I recommend buying blocks of cheese and shredding them yourself instead of buying pre-shredded cheese.
Crispy Potatoes
Fill a small pot with water. Add salt. Bring to a boil.
Dice the potatoes, then blanch in the boiling water for about 3 minutes. Remove the potatoes and set them in a colander to dry.
Once dry, you can cook them one of two ways: you can toss them in oil then roast in a 450F degree oven until crispy (about 20 min.), or you can put them in a hot cast iron pan with oil. You pick! After they’re done, toss them with some salt and pepper, then set aside.
Slaw
Chop the radicchio up into thin strips. Toss with lemon juice. Set aside.
Toppings
Put foil on baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Place whole scallions on the sheet, then drizzle with olive oil. Roast at 450F until they start browning (5 min. or less).
Remove scallions from the tray and roughly chop. Set aside.
Turn the oven to broil. Put serrano peppers on the sheet and broil, rotating every few minutes, until the skin is mostly charred. Remove from the oven and put in a plastic bag for 5 minutes to steam. Peel the skins and remove the seeds. Chop, then set aside.
Putting It All Together
Cover all the plates you’re going to use with chips. Put the crispy potato over the chips.
Put the shredded cheeses and cornstarch in a small pot and mix. Add the evaporated milk and cook on low, continuously stirring with a whisk. Once the cheese has melted, dip a chip in and make sure that the taste of the cornstarch has cooked out. If it’s all good, add the nduja. Prepare yourself for a foodgasm. Keep adding nduja until it has the spice level and texture you’re looking for.
Pour the cheese sauce over the potatoes and chips, then scatter the scallions, peppers, and slaw on top.
Nduja Nachos macro
Justin "The Hill Topper" Bruegenhemke
There once was a time where you couldn't get on your phone or computer to quickly find out what the best sandwich on The Hill was. You had to either find some kind of official food publication or talk to an expert. A real human! You'd schlep over to Tony's house down the road and ask him. He'd been to every single shop. He knew the owners. He knew what to eat and what to avoid. Tony was the sandwich guy, a badge he wore proudly. He probably didn't even have a job, he'd just sit in front of his house and talk sandwiches while working on his car. We don't have a lot of those people these days. Now we just have idiots on Yelp. However! We do have Justin Bruegenhemke, a young, upstanding gent who was spending his lunches eating sandwiches all over The Hill, when his neighbor asked him "what's the best sandwich?" Bruegenhemke's response: "I haven't eaten them all, so I can't tell you."
Sick of his excuses for not providing an answer to their sandwich inquiries, his neighbors laid out a challenge (or perhaps a demand?): try them all! With the guanto thrown, Bruegenhemke took on a new identity.
Sandwich Shops on The Hill
Gioia's
Adriana's
Amighetti's
Eovaldi's
Joe Fassi's
Southwest Market
Viviano's
Urzi's
Mama Toscano's
From that day forward, he would be The Hill Topper. He set about to eat 158 sandwiches from The Hill's 9 sandwich shops, a task so daunting, none had attempted it before. On January 18th, The Hill Topper project was completed—Gioia's Hogfather marked #158.
I've followed Bruegenhemke (on Twitter and Instagram) from around the midway point, growing more and more impressed with each sandwich he downed. It seemed to me that he was either my competition or my new BFF. Our shared interests in whiskey, Nick Blue's cheeseburger, and eating excessively pointed to BFF. There was only one way to figure it out: a meet-up at the home of Hot Salami, Gioia's—a place I shamefully admit I had not been to.
I get there early and hold a table, which feels like it might be a faux pas. I pull my camera out so everyone knows I mean business. The door opens behind me and there he is: dressed in all black, it's The Hill Topper. I'm fairly shocked to see he's not 350 lbs, but that probably goes both ways.
We get in line; I defer our ordering to him, seeing as he is the expert. We get the Spicy Daggett—Hot Salami, hot coppa, and capicolla, and spicy giardiniera on toasted garlic pepper cheese bread—and, off the not-so-secret secret menu, his namesake, The Hill Topper: capicolla, Hot Salami and hot beef topped with spicy giardiniera and pepper jack cheese, all on toasted garlic bread.
The sandwiches are, as with most Italian sandwiches, hefty. I already know I won't be feeling good about myself later this evening. We split each sandwich in half and swap. I start with the Spicy Daggett. GODDAMN. Most Italian sandwiches bore me, but the hot salami—somewhere between mortadella, porchetta di testa, and headcheese—is sending chills down my spine.
"I thought hot salami was just spicy salami originally, but the hot comes from being warm. You can order logs of it, then slow cook it at home for 10 hours," Bruegenhemke says. "I want to slice it thick and cook it real crispy. I want some eggs on it."
Just thinking about this on a breakfast sandwich clogs my heart a little, but it would be so worth it.
The Hill Topper is the beefy cousin of the Spicy Daggett. "I used to come in and get the Spicy Dagget, then I subbed out one of the cured porks for beef. It's much less salty and spicy because of the beef," Justin explains. He's right. It's a beautiful blend of meats and toppings.
You're hungover and craving breakfast?
Donna Do You Wanna's Heartthrob at J Viviano's
Breakfast, lunch, & dinner in one?T
The Space Ball at Gioia's
Something quick and affordable?
How does a 9inch Meatball with homemade red sauce Eovaldi's for $5 sound? Hit them up Monday-Friday for lunch.
Need warmth on a cold winter's day?
Gorgonzola Dip at Adriana's
Got the need for cheese?
The Daily State Special at Eovaldi's
Don't eat pork?
Mary's Special - Adriana's Sicilian Bomber - Eovaldi's New York Philly- Gioia's
"How long did it take for you to eat all 158 sandwiches?" I ask.
"When I decided to do it, I crossed off the sandwiches I'd had ten times and knew everything about. If there were sandwiches that I thought I’d had but wasn’t sure, i left them on and had it again. Initially, I crossed off 30 or so. I would go to Gioia's and Adriana’s all the time before."
"It took me about a year—I had over 100 sandwiches in less than 12 months. It’s a decent pace, a sandwich every other day. Also, no issue on doing half and half. You can eat half a sandwich and get what it’s about."
"Your son is going to be so proud of you one day," I say.
I ask him what his favorite of the 9 shops is. Justin answers, without skipping a beat, "I find myself telling everyone to go to Gioia’s, Eovaldi’s, and Adriana’s. These three just shine above the rest. Mama Toscano’s is good, but they only have six or seven sandwiches. It’s basically just take out. They have the best toasted ravioli’s in the world, though. They do a meatball parmesan—breaded and fried meatballs—it’s really good. Basically a toasted ravioli sandwich."
Rather than picking a single favorite, he's come up with a series of lists for you to adhere to. Coming soon on Whiskey And Soba, we'll have his "Best at Each" restaurant, and below you'll find the "Quintessentials". However, there was one sandwich worse than the rest: the egg salad at Southwest Market.
Bruegenhemke's determination is admirable, to say the least. Mere mortals would give up on such an undertaking after sandwich 50 or so. When I ask him if he's glad it's over, he seems thankful; he can go back to eating just his favorites...but there's a glint in his eyes, a smirk on his face. He's got something else up his sleeve. I nudge and prod, but he won't give in. The Hill Topper has another eating conquest in mind, but he's not ready to share it.
For his sake, I hope it's eating every salad in town. But we all know it won't be.
JB’s Quintessentials
Gioia's
Hot Salami on garlic cheese bread
Eovaldi's
The Extra Special
Adriana's
Sicilian Salsiccia
Adriana's
Joe's Special
Adriana's
The Gorgonzola Dip
Gioia's
The Berra Park Club
Gioia's
Porknado
Eovaldi's
The Godfather
Gioia's
The Hogfather
J Viviano's
The Sophia Loren
Gioia's
Spicy Daggett
Mama Toscano's
Meatball Parmesan
J Viviano's
The Butch
J Viviano's
New York Steak Sandwich
Gioia's
The Hill Topper
Salume Beddu
Update: Salume Beddu has moved into Parker's Table and no longer runs Saturday specials.
Refresh.
Refresh.
Refresh.
That's what I'm doing most Saturday mornings around 10:30 am. Sitting on Facebook, waiting for Salume Beddu to post their three Saturday specials.
I know I post about them a lot, but I like sharing what I'm eating, especially if it's delicious. Don't think of every post as a brand new review like you might see in the St. Louis Post Dispatch or Riverfront Times. Like you, I have my favorite spots that I eat at often, and it's for a good reason.
The cured plate of the day was a Smoked Spanish Paprika rubbed Berkshire Fiocchetto from Newman Farm, a sweet and tender cut with a hint of smoke. Not as buttery as other cures, but its wonderfully mellow flavor makes up for it. It was served with Red Fox ciabatta, spread with a thin layer of house-made Dulce de Membrillo, a sweetened quince paste. It's tough to see, but the back corner has Jacobs & Brichford's Everton cheese, a grassy Alpine-style cheese from Indiana, speckled with fresh pineapple verbena. Deliciously sweet bruleed pears and a lemon thyme granita finished it off.
Charcuterie at Salume Beddu
Months ago, someone commented that when Beddu made polenta, I better get my ass over there and eat it. I listened to you, person who recommended it but whose name I can't find. Delicate pulled braised pork shank and the unctuous gravy parted the sea of creamy polenta, made with Cottonwood River cheddar. Oil poached green chickpeas and some chili flakes completed the dish. It lived up to the hype, especially on the cold winter's morning I went. I doubt this shows up too often on their spring & summer menu, but if it ever does, you should go get some.
Even for me, this was just too much for a Saturday lunch. This goes down as the first dish I haven't been able to finish at Beddu.
Polenta at Salume Beddu
Pork and Polenta at Salume Beddu
Sandwich at Salume Beddu
I had brought a Beddu newcomer, as well, so I made her get the bacon, harissa, and squash sandwich. Her life was changed that day.
Next Saturday, you need to get in your car and drive to a cafe near Beddu, like Pint Size, Comet Coffee, or La Patisserie Chouquette. Get something tasty to eat, whip out your smart phone, and start refreshing Facebook. You'll see Beddu's specials. Resistance is futile.
3467 Hampton Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63139
I Fratellini
Why does no one talk about I Fratellini? The only logical reason I can think of is that all the other publications and blogs want to keep this gem hidden as best they can. I must admit that even I thought about skipping this review or lying and saying it's terrible, don't go. Instead, I chose to share the truth with you: this is an excellent restaurant that you need to try.
Fratellini is located off Wydown and Hanley. In a word, the restaurant is romantic. Lots of dark wood, sexy lighting, and marble. Gents, if you need to propose/apologize/woo your lady, this is the place to do it - but make sure you call at least a week in advance. Reservations can be hard to come by due to the restaurant's small size and popularity.
I Fratellini
Menu at I Fratellini
Cocktail at I Fratellini
Picking a starter was difficult, but ultimately we decided that the Caprini would suit our needs. Warm, mild goat cheese is surrounded by roasted garlic, capers, sundried tomatoes, fresh basil, and crunchy crostini. This is my favorite kind of Italian food: simple ingredients that pair together beautifully.
Caprini at I Fratellini
Bruschetta at I Fratellini
I think Fratellini does seafood extremely well, so that is what I usually go for (though I have heard a number of recommendations for their lamb chops). The majority of the time, I end up with their Pistachio Encrusted Trout. Since I was a wee lad, I have been obsessed with pistachio. It's absolutely one of my favorite flavors, and often my gelato choice at Pastaria. I have tried a number of times to recreate this dish at home, but I just can't get the same pistachio crust that they do. It's a mix of very finely ground pistachios and larger chunks, all of which go so well with the trout. I can't get enough of it.
The fish is lightly drizzled with a citrus butter and rests on a bed of sauteed spinach.
Trout at I Fratellini
Whole Fish at I Fratellini
Another staple menu item is the Whole Roasted Pompano, served with roasted tomatoes, kalamata olives, capers, and scalloped potatoes (as well as asparagus the night we went). Once again, very simple flavors and cooking technique, but the end product is fantastic.
If you're there on a date, get this and impress your partner. They'll be impressed by your ability to eat a whole animal and will likely reward you with sweet lovin'. Or you'll make a fool of yourself trying to eat around the bones and end up alone forever.
After getting the other people at the table to order the things I really wanted, I picked out something I'd never had before: Pan Seared Salmon with shaved fennel and citrus over sauteed spinach in saffron broth. I won't put it on the same level as the trout, but I really enjoyed this summery dish. I was worried it was going to be overly citrusy, but it all balanced out nicely. Salmon and fennel, in particular, works nicely. The salmon itself was perfectly cooked and had potato chip crunchy skin, so I was happy.
Citrus Salmon at I Fratellini
Lemon cake at I Fratellini
Fratellini's tiramisu is the best I've had in town, but we rolled the dice and tried the Lemon & Coconut Roulade. I've been thinking about this since we ate there. Lemon. Coconut. Cake. Filled with tiramisu cream. Orgasmic.
You'll never find me on The Hill eating at some of those 'classic' Italian restaurants St. Louis has touted for so long. There's more to Italian cuisine than chicken parm and shrimp scampi. I'll take I Fratellini, Pastaria, and Katie's Pizza & Pasta over those places any day.
7624 Wydown Blvd
Clayton, MO 63105
314 727-7901
The Italian Store
Arlington, VA
When my friend recommended that we eat lunch at a local sandwich shop called "The Italian Store", I was agreeable. I'm always game for a good sandwich. What I wasn't expecting was that this place would be so popular that we'd have a 20+ minute wait. This is what we saw when we walked in:
The Italian Store
So many people! Rather than being aggravated or deterred, this only made me want the food more. If some little Italian grocery in Arlington is going to have over 30 people waiting for sandwiches and pizza at any given time, I want to know why.
We grabbed numbers for sandwich/pasta ordering, then squeezed down to the other end of the store to get some of their homemade pizza. The smell of freshly baked pizza is what I imagine heaven smells like. I ordered a slice of the supreme looking one below, but all my friends got the cheese. I should have copied them. They knew what they were doing. My slice was good, but their slice was very good. Obviously this isn't any fancy pizza; this is a New York style slice. To put it in Missouri terms, it's like Sbarro but with flavor. It was gooey and cheesy, which only a fool wouldn't like, but also a little on the oily side. It would be very good football watching pizza.
pizza Italian Store arlington
meat Italian Store arlington
Italian Store arlington groceries
I went halfsies with my brother for the sandwich portion of the lunch. We picked out [symple_highlight color="blue"]The Milano[/symple_highlight] and [symple_highlight color="blue"]The Napoli[/symple_highlight], which were $7.99 & $7.69, respectively. Each of these was the "small" option, which means the large sandwiches were probably the size of a baseball bat.
The Milano, below, is their most popular sub. It's packed with two types of Italian ham, Genoa salami, provolone cheese and all your typical sandwich toppers. You have the option of a soft or hard roll, and we picked soft for both of ours. We also got both sweet and hot peppers on both sandwiches.
The Napoli was my favorite of the two. Lean capacola ham, mozzarella cheese and some delicious, spicy pepperoni put this sandwich's flavor profile closer to pizza territory than submarine sandwich, so it should be no surprised I liked it.
milano sandwich Italian Store arlington
Napoli sandwich Italian Store arlington
I didn't love the Milano, but I'd get the Napoli again. I would also get them without the veggies and dressing, because with them on, the sandwich just got too messy and unwieldy. If I ever went back to The Italian Store, I'd probably just stick with the pizza and perhaps some of their prepared pasta dishes. A big Italian sandwich like this just doesn't do much for me. I'd much rather eat the equal amount of calories in Mexican food, pizza or perhaps a really huge Bahn Mi.
3123 Lee Hwy
Arlington, VA 22201