Do St. Louis chefs eat fast food, and is there any commonality? —Chris S., St. Louis
This question resulted from a recent email from IdealTax, which stated how much Americans currently spend on fast food. The results were broken down by state, with Alaska spending the most ($300 per person per month), Alabama spending the least ($97), and Missouri at No. 22 ($210). A resulting discussion had us wondering not about dollars but whether local restaurant chefs and owners ate fast food at all. So we asked. (This former restaurant owner has been known to hit up Lion’s Choice for a roast beef sandwich and fries. I’m also a sucker for a Crunchwrap Supreme at Taco Bell. I crave an occasional double cheeseburger from Freddy’s, as well as the made-to-order, whole-egg breakfast sandwiches at White Castle. And I make a once-a-year pilgrimage to McDonald’s—usually during Lent—for a Filet-O-Fish sandwich.)
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Brant Baldanza, OG Hospitality Group: “If my wife is in charge, it’s usually Lion’s Choice. If she and my daughter are out of town, my son and I look at each other like secret agents with a nod of “you know what’s up,” and it’s off to McDonald’s for a double cheeseburger meal with orange drink. Sometimes, to be extra naughty, we may throw a 9-piece nugget in there. But my secret vice is White Castle.”
Ryan French, MDP Restaurants: “I try to make my ‘fast food’ choice a healthy choice. Typically, it’s Crazy Bowls. However, I often find myself not hungry after 10 hours a day in restaurants. Food becomes a complete turn off. Then I tend to eat strictly for fuel, and it’s usually late at night and not premium fuel. Taco Bell is my weakness, but I’m a sucker for a frozen pizza at home, too, doctored up with nice cheeses and random veggies that are dying in the fridge.”
Ben Poremba, Bengelina Hospitality Group: “Last year, I was diagnosed with a colon disease, so no more fast food for me. But before that, I loved Popeye’s fried chicken. We also dig Jet’s Detroit-style pizza.
Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus: “Yeah, I hit Taco Bell every once in a while. That Mexican pizza sure sucked me back in. My go-to is two crunchy tacos, a bean burrito, and a Mexican pizza. Somehow, I always seem to regret it, though!”
Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Café, Peacemaker: “I really don’t eat a lot of fast food, but Lion’s Choice is a go-to if I do, and we used to hit up Porano [Pasta] back in the day. Glad to see it’s coming back.”
Natasha Kwan, Frida’s, Diego’s, Station No. 3: “Taco Bell! Bean burrito, plus tomato, minus cheese, extra red sauce, extra onion, with five hot and five mild sauce packets. I’m not sure why it’s so good—maybe because I started eating them when I was in college. Three is the perfect hangover cure! Now I get them about one or two times a year, minus the hangover.”
Chris Kelling, Pizza Champ, Burger Champ: “I was on a strict embargo from early 2010 on, but then Shake Shack came along. I fall on the side that Shake Shack is indisputably ‘fast food,’ but I can eat there (and bring my daughter with me) without feeling like garbage afterward. Fast food is so bad for you, and I’m very lucky that I spend most of my waking moments surrounded by food that is relatively healthy. I can’t justify fast food to myself. If I indulge, it’s a bag of tortilla chips from the grocery store or sweets. I love sweets.”
Nathan Hatch, Trattoria Marcella: “Burger King Original Chicken sandwich. Something about that juicy oval chicken patty with those crispy edges gets me going.”
Frank Romano, The Parkmoor Drive-In, Madrina: “I’m a big fan of Tex-Mex cuisine, and we try to get over to Nachomama’s whenever we can. Not sure if they count as fast food, but they are fast, and everything is made fresh and tasty. My go-to is the steak fajita platter, and the chorizo quesadilla is no slouch.”
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