Ann Lemons Pollack
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Hospital Food
Those of you who know me beyond the world of food know I spent – well, cough, cough, many years working in hospitals and know well the slings and arrows of cafeteria food. I delivered trays to patients, and shared potluck parties with staff on holidays. And while I admit to nostalgia for the brownies
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Cini
Cini? What’s that? It’s the nickname of arancini, the small fried balls of rice wrapped around fillings. They serve as an appetizer or bar snack in Italy. It’s also the name of the Gabriele (Giovanni’s, Il Bel Lago) family’s new spot just south of the flying saucer building on Grand at I-64. The feel is
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From Stove to Keyboard
"I got a million of 'em," Jimmy Durante used to say. Richard Perry probably does, too, when it comes to stories. But St. Louis' first nationally recognized chef and pioneer of the New American cuisine isn't telling his own stories, but another, in a novel about a chef – of course – who finds himself
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Lemon Posset
For many years, one of my usual desserts at supper parties was a lemon mousse. It's a wonderful dish, airy and tart, but it's complicated and slightly tricky to make, and it serves a lot. Leftovers were never a problem (except that they disappeared behind my back), but I'd often wished for something easier and
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Elaia
Is there a new star in the St. Louis restaurant sky? It certainly looks like it. Elaia, run and cheffed by Ben Poremba, he of Salume Beddu, on certain levels it makes one think of the legendary Jefferson Avenue Boarding House. One of the levels is literal. It, too, is on the second floor of
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Cod Squad 3
Most folks know about firemen and their enthusiasm for good food. It's a long tradition. So when we saw a gaggle of firemen headed for the chow line at St. Mary Magdalen in Brentwood's fish fry, we nodded and smiled. It's a good sign. The gymnasium is large, things are organized efficiently, and the traffic
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Next To Normal
"Next to Normal" played at the Fox several years ago. If you liked it then, return to the former CBC's black box theater to see what New Line Theatre has done with it. This is a play that almost desperately needs a small venue, the better to catch the behavioral details of a story that's mostly about
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Ocha
What used to be Tachibana has now changed names and menus again, becoming Ocha. (We missed visiting it during the short period it was House of Thai.) They’re now Thai/Japanese, an increasingly common commingling these days, not just here but across the country. Perhaps it’s because it appeals to groups with both metalmouths and non-metalmouths.
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Sauce on the Side
Baseball season is finally within sight, particularly welcome news after the weather the last week or so. If you're going down for a game, here's Sauce on the Side, a good bet for pre-game nourishment. http://www.stlmag.com/St-Louis-Magazine/December-2012/In-the-Zone-Sauce-on-the-Side/
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Cod Squad 2
Of all the church fish fries in town, there's probably been more media coverage of St. Cecilia's than anywhere else. The parish, at the north edge of the Carondelet neighborhood, covers an area that's contained St. Louisans of Mexican descent for several generations, and still offers Spanish masses several times a week. This influence happily