INSIDER TIP
Paint it Black
On March 8, chefs Rob Connoley (owner of Squatter’s Café and the upcoming Bulrush STL) and Bryan Russo (chef de cuisine at Público) present Dinner in Black at The Stage at KDHX (3524 Washington). The seven-course dinner will feature items that are “naturally absent of color” and not revealed until the event. Guests are encouraged to wear black—“either formal or fabulous.” Tickets are $75 per person, with optional wine pairings available. For details or to make a reservation, contact Rob@connoley.com or call 575-956-3319. (Next month, Connoley and sous chef Justin Bell will also teach a master class in haute foraging and serve a VIP lunch at Yountville Live, where St. Louis chefs Carl Hazel and Qui Tran will also be conducting cooking demos.)
HOT SPOT
Eckert's Wine & Food Fest
Social media maven and sommelier Angela Ortmann (a.k.a. STLwinegirl) is once again spearheading the annual Wine & Food Fest at Eckert’s Country Store and Farms in Belleville, March 3 and 4 from noon–6 p.m. Thirty wines (plus craft beers and spirits) will be available for sampling in Eckert’s tasting room, and industry experts will be on hand to answer questions. The cooking classroom will feature classes and demos from chefs Chris Ladley, Marianne Moore, Holly Fann, and Jessie Gilroy. Tickets are $20 and available here; buy online by February 28 for a 10 percent discount. 951 S. Green Mt., Belleville, Ill., 618-233-0513.
MICRORANT
Leaden Lenten Fish
Like many St. Louisans, we dutifully check out a Lenten fish fry every year, only to find the same super-thick and usually greasy beer batter encasing our bounty. C'mon, chefs and fry cooks... can we get an amen for something different, like a light, airy tempura batter (that also happens to be less expensive)? As it stands, we can’t tell whether we’re negotiating a piece of cod or a deep-fried candy bar resembling something you’d see at a county fair.
