Stuff to eat. Mostly around St. Louis.
Farmhaus
Even I make mistakes sometimes. Earlier this summer, I had a fantastic dinner at Farmhaus. I came ready, camera in hand. As the Vietnamese chicken wings hit the table, I picked up my Nikon D750, got into position, then...nothing. For the first time in my food blogging career, I forgot to put the battery in my camera. Embarrassing.
Not one to make the same mistake twice (except for all the times I've done that), I triple checked my camera before last week's trip to Farmhaus. Battery, memory cards, lens: it was all there.
Not documenting a meal at Farmhaus is a shame. Farm-to-table dining has grown in St. Louis, but nowhere makes me feel that more than Farmhaus. Their relatively simple menu changes with what's in season or what chef Willmann caught on his fishing trip.
Places like Niche and Sidney Street are also using seasonal ingredients, of course, but the food at Farmhaus has a more casual, homey feel to it. This includes the staples; you'll always find the bacon-wrapped meatloaf and "breakfast", but the dish components are different every time (I still look back lovingly at the time they had blood sausage with their Breakfast plate).
Their roasted Ozark Forest mushroom salad is a must-order for us. The thing has huge hunks of Baetje Farms' mild goat cheese, toasted pecans, roasted mushrooms, and a warm bacon vinaigrette. Fucking up a salad with those ingredients—especially a bacon vinaigrette!—would be hard.
It seems that we came on a day where chef Kevin Willmann and his team had just gotten a big shipment of a blue crabs in, seeing as 3 of the apps had them in them. Our flight of crab started with blistered shishito peppers and crab claws, topped with katsuobushi (bonito flakes) and a citrusy ponzu sauce. I never had anything quite like this in Japan, but I could totally see it being served at a bar in Tohoku.
I can't believe I've never had fried crab claws before. The so-called "crab cocktail fingers" were lightly battered and served with a citrusy yuzu mayo. I'm totally stealing this idea.
The "West Indies", a dish composed of lump crab meat, compressed watermelon, corn, jalapeños, and lime was my least favorite of the whole meal. I love simplicity, like the fried claws, but this just didn't have any strong flavors to it. It reminded me of something I'd make with leftovers after a crab boil.
I'm fairly certain the porchetta bao have been on the Farmhaus menu in one form or another for quite some time, but I'd never had them before. Time to change that! It was like eating a corned beef and sauerkraut sandwich at a non-Kosher Asian deli.
The guy at the table next to us didn't like his. I wish he'd given them to me.
Even though Farmhaus has a number of meat options, I always, always go for their fish entrees. They've just got 'the touch' with seafood. The meaty Gulf red grouper was grilled beautifully, served with a local vegetable succotash and spoonbread (I would happily eat a plate of just Farmhaus spoonbread). The sauce was a preserved tomato creme, which paired perfectly the fish and veg.
Farmhaus' pastry chef, Sarah Mispagel, killed it with her sweet corn cake dessert. Growing up, we'd often have cornbread with dinner, which I would smother with blackberry jelly and/or honey. This is essentially that, made into a fancy little dessert with blackberry ice cream and sunflower seed streusel. There was nothing left.
Every time I eat at Farmhaus, I think to myself, "I should eat here more often." That sentiment still stands.
Local Eats at Larder And Cupboard
After years of ignoring Maplewood, I now find myself there on a weekly basis. I pick up whatever meats I'm feeling like from Bolyard's, maybe a donut or 12 from Strange Donuts, stare longingly at Reed's American Table (open today!), then head into Larder & Cupboard (L&C). You want to eat locally? You need to get over there. Even I didn't know the extent of local goods available. Here's your guide to my 10 favorite locally made products you can find there:
All the Cheeses
Like most trustworthy people, I love cheese. When I was young, it was the fried mozzarella cheese bombs at Seamus McDaniel's. After a trip to France, the obsession became European imports. Then it was California cheeses. Larder & Cupboard has helped me the see the light: Missouri and Illinois have some badass cheeses. My current recommendations: Marcoot Creamery's scamorza, Baetje's Morbier-inspired Amoureux, and the amazing Flory's Truckle from Milton Creamery.
Larder and Cupboard Cheeses
Kuva and Stringbean Coffee
The local coffee scene has shot off like a rocket in recent years, with places like Sump and Blueprint gaining notoriety on a national scale. We have our share of great local roasters who don't have stores, as well. Kuva has been around since the early 2000's, while Stringbean arrived in 2011. I may not know much about coffee, but I know I like Kuva's Peru Chilchos and Stringbean's smooth Sumatra.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Coffee
Inappropriate Apiaries' South City Honey
If you live in South City, this honey could have been made because of your garden! Wow! Good for you. Tommy 'Salami' Andrews (of Truffles Butchery) has been producing this honey for years, but this is the first time he's sold it. It is good honey, too. It's been flying off the shelves for a reason (and it's not just the great logo).
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Honey
Hammons Black Walnut Oil
Trying to be healthy makes salads so boring. You don't get to use any of that creamy stuff, so you're stuck with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Or are you? Open up your wallet, cheapskate, and buy some walnut oil. It's got a delicate, nutty flavor that gives an extra umph to any salad or veggie dish. Drizzling it over a fall-flavored pasta instead of olive oil is sure to impress the ladies, too.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Black Walnut Oil
Banner Road Granola
When Anne Croy isn't making her perfect gelato's, donuts, and desserts for Pastaria, she can often be found pumping out tube after tube of granola for her Banner Road Baking Company. You'll be hard-pressed to pick a favorite: is it the pecan heavy Original? The blueberry filled Bye Bye Blues? Or the Sump coffee and Askinosie chocolate KickStart?
The correct answer is the KickStart, but I love all three. She recommends eating them with a spoon, I recommend pouring them directly into your mouth.
Larder and Cupboard Granola St. Louis
Ozark Forest Shiitake Soy Sauce
Bluegrass Soy Sauce, seen on the left side of the photo, has been growing in popularity for years thanks to the likes of Sean Brock and Ed Lee. I prefer Ozark Forest's shiitake mushroom soy sauce, though. It's less acidic and has a nice, subtle mushroom note. That woodsy flavor is the perfect addition to your next stir fry.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Shiitake Soy Sauce
Legacy Chutney
Ahh, my first love at L&C. The recipes all come from the owner's Pakistani family, and they are beyond addictive. There are four flavors: Cherry Kiss, Date Night, Mango Mania, and Sweet Fruit. Sweet Fruit & Mango Mania are thinner, and in my opinion, more versatile. I've used both as condiments and for marinades with chicken and fish. Cherry Kiss and Date Night are a little thicker, lending themselves more to desserts and cheeses.
These are my favorite items in the whole store. I've had them stocked in my fridge since Larder & Cupboard opened.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Legacy Chutney
Salume Beddu
You know that I loveSalume Beddu. What Marco and his team are creating is nothing short of amazing. Most groceries in St. Louis sell the Veneto, Calabrese, and Finocchiona now, but they don't have the fiery nduja, a spreadable salami fit for kings, nor do they carry a range of Beddu's sausages. If you're ever making a "Best of St. Louis" gift basket, these need to be at the top of the list.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Salume Beddu
Mac's Local Buys Sausage
The same sentiment as above goes for Mac's. Chris McKenzie works with a number of local farms to procure great locally sourced meat, which he then turns into great sausages (amongst other things). Keeping a pack or two...or ten...in your freezer is a smart move.
Larder and Cupboard Mac's Local Buys St. Louis
Larder and Cupboard Sweet Olive Spread
So far, Larder and Cupboard has made just one product themselves: a sweet olive spread. They aren't tooting their horn about it too much, and it's almost hidden away in the cheese case, but it is one of the more unique things I've eaten—in a good way. Apparently it's used in Italian bakeries, but I prefer spreading some onto crackers and cheese.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Sweet Olive Spread
Bonus Round!
Newberry Cheese Boards
I couldn't keep myself at just 10 items, plus these aren't edible. Newberry Furniture makes these fun Missouri and Illinois shaped cheeseboards out of local wood. They make great gifts—in fact, they're so great that L&C is often sold out of them. Make sure to call ahead if you're looking for these.
Larder and Cupboard St. Louis Cutting Boards
Bolyard's Meat & Provisions
After suffering through three years of eating Australian, Malaysian, and Chinese beef and pork in Singapore (there's no room for animals to roam there - some houses in Frontenac are bigger than the whole island), I had all but given up eating meat. The pork lacked flavor and the beef's taste was abysmal. I needed American beef! American pork! The good stuff. When I washed ashore in the US, I slowly began adding it back into my diet. Then I turned it up to 11. All of a sudden my freezer and fridge were full of sausages, burgers, cured meats, smoked meats, raw meats, cooked meats, dried meats! Why the sudden change? Two reasons: Truffles Butchery and Bolyard's Meat & Provisions.
If you don't already know, Bolyard's is owned by Chris (formerly of Sidney Street Cafe) and Abbie Bolyard, though I believe the brains of the operation may actually be Betty, their adorable, chorizo munching daughter. They offer lamb, pork, beef, and chicken, all sourced from small Midwestern farms. When you walk in, you'll see a big board with the cuts available, plus a display case with all their creations. The creations range from the known (hot dogs, hamburgers, meatballs), to the more unfamiliar (tasso, lamb merguez, country pate), to the OMG is that?? (beef heart pastrami, blood bologna, confit chicken hearts).
Inside Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Shelves at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Butcher Area at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Chris Bolyard at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Pork at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Watching Chris prepare a pork shoulder for smoking was awe-inspiring. His finesse with his knives was so smooth and precise - I went home and attempted to prepare my own pork shoulder at Chris Boylard speed and now have 2 less fingers. As he finished up the shoulder, a truck pulled up with two huge freezers in the back. Chris smirked and beckoned me outside.
If those guys weren't all wearing butcher's aprons and Bolyard's shirts, neighbors might get the wrong idea about what goes on inside Bolyard's. It's not every day you see a bunch of meat hook wielding gents carrying a massive plastic wrapped body. I would have offered to help them carry in the humongous cow quarters, but, you know, I was busy photographing.
Cow Delivery at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Steer Quarter at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
The Walk In at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Butchering at at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Pork at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Omnivurger at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Burger at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
As part of the James Beard Better Burger Project, Bolyard's has been making "omnivurgers", a beef and mushroom hamburger patty that is just off the chain. I don't even really like mushrooms and I've got 12 or so of these in my freezer. Just look at that bad boy cooked and ready to be devoured.
The other thing that Bolyard's is doing right are their weekly sandwiches. Seriously. As part of my research for this post, I have eaten said sandwiches. Let's see what I've consumed the last few weeks:
Roast Beef Sandwich at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Spicy Roast Beef Sandwich at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Route 66: Roast beef, porchetta di testa, arugula, pickled red onion, chipotle aioli, all on a Companion Peacemaker roll. SO F***ING GOOD.
The meatball sub: housemade meatballs (get them, freeze them, break them out whenever you're feeling low), housemade sauce, shredded cheese. REALLY F***ING GOOD.
Meatball Sub at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
My favorite so far has been the special this week, the [symple_highlight color="blue"]Seoul Mate[/symple_highlight]: ham, roast beef, Korean barbecue aioli, kimchi, sunflower sprouts, crunchy Ramen noodles. Just let that sink in. How smart is it to smash up ramen noodles and use them as a topping? 5/5, EXTREMELY F***ING GOOD.
Sandwich Prep at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Korean Sandwich at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Korean Beef Sandwich at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Seoul Mate Sandwich at Boylard's Meat and Provisions
Walking into a place like Bolyard's is, in a lot of ways, what things were like in days past, I imagine. Before the era of Schnucks, Dierbergs, and the faceless butcher. Chris and his team know what I like and what my family likes. They remember the things I ordered before. You want something custom ordered or prepared differently? Just ask.
If you haven't visited Bolyard's, this week is the perfect opportunity to do so. You want to impress your friends on the 4th, right? That all starts with having great meat. You can try your luck by just showing up, or you can call and order ahead. My recommendation: Omnivurgers and Berzerkers, a beef, bacon, horseradish, and cheddar sausage. Bring a military ID and get 20% off. And, if you're reading this today (Thursday), they're doing their Thursday night smoke out. Call to inquire about what's available (I do know they're doing a rabbit porcheta stuffed with bratwurst!).
Seriously. Go. This is what I've got in my fridge and freezer right now from Bolyard's: Omnivurgers, lamb merguez, berzerkers, hot dogs, bratwurst, buffalo turkey sausages, meatballs, pickled red onions, bread and butter pickles, beef tallow. I'm ready for the 4th.