The Sauce

This week Meera and Michelle discuss dining at Casa Don Alfonso inside The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis where they tried a pasta tossed with deep-fried zucchini and for dessert their dazzling pistachio profiteroles with pistachio cream. Also in the conversation was an epic office lunch with spring salads from Knead Bakehouse + Provisions and several pizzas from Fordo's Killer Pizza including their ramp spring special, wild mushroom and four cheese with honey drizzle. From saucemagazine.com they discuss several restaurant openings like Off Elm in Webster Groves, Sunday Best reopening a take-out concept in South City and Sugar Shack Cafe in Granite City, Illinois. Finally they discuss 3 gas station dining destinations serving barbecue and also Indian food that are hidden gems throughout St. Louis.

This week Michelle and Meera discuss the local food options in and around Busch Stadium including Kohn's Kosher Deli, Mission Taco Joint and Farmtruk. Also in the conversation is the best things to eat at City SC's Citypark Stadium this year. Several concepts are returning from the inaugural season like Balkan Treatbox, Medina Mediterranean Grill and Bold Spoon Creamery but also newcomers like Olio and Olive + Oak are making their debut this season as they join some of the best local restaurants in town at Citypark

This week Meera and Michelle talk about a recent take-out experiences at Chiang Mai in Webster Groves as well as BLK MKT Eats at their new location in Maplewood. Also in the conversation is the debut of Esca and all the dishes that were standouts from a recent night out including the limoncello tiramisu, the green salad, the roasted vegetable lasagna and the clay pot Negroni. In new restaurant news, former pop-up turned brick and mortar Taqueria Morita is set to debut and Michelle and Meera discuss a recent visit to their new space. They also talk about good news from the Union Loafers team who are gearing up to open their bagel and provisions market in Shaw this April.

This week Michelle and Meera discuss some of their favorites at Grace Meat + Three including their specials, their kitchen sink salad and catfish nuggets. They also talk about a recent visit to Coffeestamp in South City and their lineup of empanadas stuffed with elotes or egg and prosciutto and even a caprese version with tomato and mozzarella. They also talk about two upcoming events: Food Truck Friday and Saucy Soirée. Food Truck Friday returns for its 2024 season on April 26 in Tower Grove Park and Saucy Soirée, a grand tasting party, makes its return to Union Station on June 23. They also talk about a new spot Neon Greens, which is one part salad-centric restaurant and one part hydroponic farm, and a few of their standout salads.

Michelle and Meera discuss the rise and diversity of Filipino restaurants emerging in St. Louis, this week they highlight Manileño, which recently opened in the South Grand business district. They also discuss the debut of a food menu at Side Project Brewery in Maplewood where Adam Altnether has launched an approachable bar menu with fine touches, including an unbelievably delicious cheeseburger with caramelized onions and an apple cider-Dijon aioli. Michelle talks about her recent visit to Esca, the new concept from Ben Poremba's Benglina restaurant group in the Delmar Maker District. Esca focuses its menu on meat, seafood and vegetables grilled over charcoal, fresh salads and cold appetizers, classic cocktails, a large amaro selection and a range of indulgent desserts.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss recent visits to new bars they’ve been loving. Michelle’s mission to try the entire menu at Stews Food & Liquor in Soulard continues and her love of the baby beer shots (and their evolution) at Kenny’s Upstairs on South Grand is holding strong. Meera talks about a visit to the new, beautiful Three Sixty at Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights as well as a dinner at Brasserie by Niche in the Central West End. From the March issue, which is focused on the St. Louis beer scene, they discuss a story detailing local spots where Jonathan Moxey (head brewer at Rockwell Beer Co.) loves to grab a cold one.

This week, Meera and Michelle discuss a visit to Fourth City Barbecue, which is located inside Fortune Teller Bar on Cherokee Street. The brisket is wonderful, likely due to the 24-hour process it takes to execute but it's not all serious business; specials like their take on a McRib offers a break in the usual barbecue suspects. They also talk about a recent trip to check out the Fattened Caf inside Earthbound Beer across the street where the chicken tocino ube sliders were extraordinary with tropical pineapple flavor, a little spice and sharpness from pickled, shredded papaya. Finally in the conversation, a First Look at Bacaro, the new aperitivo bar in St. Peters and also a lineup of where to find great fat-washed cocktails in St. Louis.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss the menu revamp at Benevolent King in Maplewood, which will now have more of a focus on seafood. Michelle also talks about a recent visit to the newly-opened Motor Town Pizza in Richmond Heights, which is the new concept from co-owners Simon and Angelica Lusky who also run Revel Kitchen. Also in the conversation is a list of Black-owned restaurants to check out suggested by Simone Faure, chef and co-owner of La Patisserie Chouquette in St. Louis, which was just named a semifinalist in the Outstanding Bakery category by the James Beard Foundation. Rounding out the conversation is a chat on happy hours with a list of good ones to get to right now.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a recent visit to High Low, a sunny coffee shop operated by Blueprint Coffee, where the cortados and biscuits are on point. Also in the conversation is Michelle's visit to Mississippi Bistro -- the temporary restaurant that's taken over since Cinder House closed in January -- there she tried several dishes from the menu including a fried chicken sandwich and a mesmerizing espresso panna cotta with almond macaron from assistant executive pastry chef Tiffany Gilmore. They also talk about beautiful spaces around town that are fun restaurants or bars to visit for a fancy-ish evening.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a visit to Corner 17 and dishes that really stood out, like the hot and sour potatoes. Also in the conversation are a few spots on The Hill, Adriana's where the Sunny's vegetarian sandwich is a salad in sandwich form and also John Viviano & Sons Grocers where there is a wide selection of Italian staples to stock your pantry. Also in the talk is Stews Food & Liquor in Soulard, a new spot where the Asian-inspired dishes, like their pork belly skewer, are making a splash. They also discuss a few spots in St. Louis that are devoting a section of their drink list to several versions of a single classic cocktail, allowing each iteration to be a creative homage to the original.

This week Michelle and Meera discuss a multi-course dinner they experienced at The Preston, which is inside the Chase Park Plaza hotel in the Central West End. They also talk about recent a staff lunch to explore the new food menu that debuted at Rockwell Beer Co. near The Grove after Brasswell ceased operations. They also chat about the new Hot Pizza Cold Beer concept in the MX Building in downtown St. Louis that is set to open Feb. 2. Finally, they talk about each of the 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards Semifinalists in and around St. Louis that were announced by the James Beard Foundation.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a recent dinner at Indo in Botanical Heights, the first solo venture from chef and restaurateur Nick Bognar. They also talk about a take-out lunch experience from Vegan Deli and Butcher in Bevo, where chef Chris Bertke's menu is filled with deli classics like a Reuben, a French dip and the hot salami sandwich which came with a house made and aged vegan salami served on a toasted, buttered bun. From the website they discuss two new spots in St. Louis: Blue Jay Brewing Co. and The Headless Bat as well as a feature on winter soups to try that includes a gumbo from Who Dat Southern Food Bar & Grill and Doenjang Jjigae Joo Joo Restaurant & Karaoke in Creve Coeur.

This week Meera and Liz discuss burgers at Jovick Brothers Deli, planning the menu for a very dairy dinner party and all the reasons to love Platypus in The Grove.

This week Meera and Michelle talk about some of their favorite dishes from the “Eat This” column that appears in the issue each month and highlights a must-try dish in St. Louis. From a decadent breakfast sandwich in Maplewood to a luxe seafood tower in Benton Park, these plates were some of the standouts of 2023. 

This week Meera and Michelle discussed favorites from the Biscuit Joint, a new spot from chef and owner Elliot Brown. They also talked about an amazing lunch from the recently-opened Telva at the Ridge, the new restaurant from the team that runs Balkan Treat Box. From the January issue they discuss Ones to Watch, a feature that highlights rising stars in the restaurant industry.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss their favorite dishes at Tai Ke Shabu Shabu, a Taiwanese restaurant in Olivette, where they always order the stir-fried eggplants with basil. Michelle headed to Lindenwood Park to check out Bubba’s Deli. They also discuss a recent lunch at the newly-opened Jinzen, which is an Asian-fusion restaurant in Clayton. From the January issue, they discuss a feature detailing several bars — in St. Louis and in Southern Illinois — with a strong whiskey list. 

This week Michelle and Meera discuss Hidden Gem, the new disco-dive bar that opened up in Midtown St. Louis. They also discuss two vegan spots SweetArt in South City and the newly-opened Looking Meadow Cafe in Maplewood. They also discussed several spots they look forward to trying in the new year including Brasas in the Delmar Loop and Taqueria Morita in the Central West End and Telva at the Ridge in Webster Groves.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a trip to Annie Gunn's in Chesterfield where the prawns are as big as your hands. Also in the conversation was a visit to Sunny's Cantina in Dogtown where the craveable veggie nachos are loaded with toppings like black beans, pickled jalapenos, queso, salsa and crema. Finally, St. Louis is witnessing a wave of bar openings and they discuss the new spots from the upscale None of the Above at City Foundry to Kenny's Upstairs, which is a once-closed dive that has been revived.

This week, Meera and Michelle discuss Sauce Magazine's best new restaurants feature that highlights nine, new spots. The restaurants range from fine dining to casual with a variety of cuisines and cultures in between. They also talk about Sauce Magazine's return to print for the December issue and that it can be found wherever copies of the Riverfront Times are distributed.

This week Michelle and Meera discuss the JC Midtown development. That development has plans to open several food and drink concepts to help bolster the stretch between Downtown and Grand Center. They chat about the three concepts that have already opened: Anita Cafe and Bar – a Lebanese spot, Kain Tayo – a Filipino restaurant and Videira Wine Shop & Bar.

This week Meera and Michelle discuss a beautiful birthday dinner at Sado, the crab rangoon at Nudo House, the specials at Bagel Union and a staff brunch at Fleur STL.

Meera and Michelle discuss a recent trip to Eckert's where Michelle tried their ciders at the Cider Shed and got to pet a baby cow. They also talked about Little Lager, the new lager-centric beer bar from Manny Negron that opened on Halloween. Finally, they discuss an epic Sauce staff lunch at Black Salt, a new Indian restaurant in Chesterfield.

Meera, Michelle and Liz discuss their love of Sam's Steakhouse: from the unmatched vibes, to the shrimp cocktail, to their classic wedge salad. They discuss the rise of the dirty martini and how it has inspired a wave of savory cocktails around town using ingredients like tomato, miso, chicken stock or even crab butter.

Meera, Michelle and Liz discuss the cover story of the October issue: Every Gramophone Sandwich, Ranked. They discuss the joy of trying every sandwich without modifications from the menu, how the sandwiches were evaluated and which sandwiches topped the list.

This week Liz and Meera are joined by Sauce senior designer, Michelle Volansky. Together they discuss recent trips to Levels Nigerian Cuisine, Winslow’s Table and Seoul Garden. 

Levels Nigerian Cuisine

Due to a technical issue, we decided to replay our most popular episode. This week Meera and Liz discuss the local restaurants recognized in Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurants Awards and some recent wine adventures, including a trip to the secret wine room at Schnucks Lindbergh store. They also talk about some of their favorite menu items at Lona’s Lil Eats and delicious meats at Ehsani’s Hot Kabob.

This week Liz and Meera discuss croissants, perfect samosas, an iconic beef shawarma, nostalgic marble cake and Portuguese egg tarts.

Nathaniel Reid Bakery

This week Meera and Liz discuss the local restaurants recognized in Wine Spectator’s 2023 Restaurants Awards and some recent wine adventures, including a trip to the secret wine room at Schnucks Lindbergh store. They also talk about some of their favorite menu items at Lona’s Lil Eats and delicious meats at Ehsani’s Hot Kabob.

This week Meera and Liz discuss Quarrelsome Coffee’s unique coffee program, Vicia’s prix fixe Farmer’s Feast, three new West County breakfast spots, and more.

This week Liz and Meera discuss a wedge salad with crab at Napoli Sea in St. Charles and also a Chinese hamburger from Dumplings & Tea in Chesterfield. From the July issue they discuss executive chef of Olive + Oak Jesse Mendica Risk and her go-to restaurants around town as well as a few products that they are currently obsessed with including a nonalcoholic amaro leisure soda and a green olive that's worthy of its royal title.

This week Meera and Liz discuss Taco Circus, the seasonal pide flatbreads at Balkan Treat Box, the cocktails and dishes at Lazy Tiger and how to score a table at a popular restaurant.

* Updated audio

This week Liz and Meera discuss SweetArt’s sweet and savory vegan delights, The Vine's versatile menu, Sasha’s on Shaw’s perfect patio, Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Ice Cream, new brunches in town and five bars to check out this summer.

This week Liz and Meera discuss a very special sangria, a spinach pie from the Gyro Company, Knead Bakehouse and the creative dishes at Press.

This week Meera and Liz discuss omakase at Nobu’s, tacos and coconut shrimp at DD Mau, croffles at Cafe Ganadara, and some of their forever favorite dishes from Sauce’s “Eat This” column.

This week Meera and Liz discuss the new Katie's Pizza in Ballpark Village, vegan pepperoni from Pizza Head, Marsh Diner's buffet, hotel pools to check out this summer and standout coffee shops.

This week Meera and Liz discuss what to play at a game bar, sandwiches and chips from LeGrand's, pastrami at Nomad and the hot, new bagels in town.

This week Meera and Liz discuss budget-friendly fine dining, a great summertime dish at Taqueria Morita, why Mayo Ketchup is a Team Sauce fave, and delectable dishes at Chiang Mai and the stories behind them.