Award-Winning (Art) Fare

On what may have been the chilliest Friday night in the 15 years of what is now the St. Louis Art Fair, Ben Stratton’s gamble of serving only gelato was looking like snake eyes at the craps table. Undaunted, Stratton’s crew was working the crowd in a very genteel, "Clayton" sort of way. Saturday, they were all busy scooping. The Art Fair rarely disappoints, but I have had my share of lukewarm-and-soggy, not-much-crab cake sandwiches at $6 a copy. Picking a winning item is no gamble this year, however. For your dining pleasure, here are the results of the culinary judging, held at 2 PM Saturday (but announced only this morning). What to do after sampling a few of the winners? No brainer…go see Ben Stratton. --Judge George Best "Green" Restaurant: scape Best Food: scape, for its BBQ shrimp and cheddar grits and reuben sliders (served open-face on a potato pancake…a creation inspired by locals’ affinity for latkes). Best Presentation: Pam’s Chicago Dogs and More, for their picture-perfect, chock-full-o-goodies Chicago dog (scape should have scored a hat trick here). Best Dessert: Hank’s Cheesecakes, for the sinful “Angel Wing,” a dipped-in-Ibarra-chocolate piece of cheesecake on a stick. Best Booth Décor: Molly Darcy’s (at the Seven Gables Inn), for their elaborate, layered backdrop within their booth. The awards were winner-take-all. FYI, the runners-up: Food: Sage (Flank Steak Chile Colorado/Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake) Presentation: scape Dessert: Stratton’s Café (Amaretto Cheesecake Gelato) Booth Décor: Hank’s Cheesecakes, Portabella