Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
St. Louis is a collection of eclectic neighborhoods with each pocket of the city having its own unique character. Local restaurants either reflect, or help create, these identities.
From high-end cuisine to greasy spoons, the St. Louis culinary scene means something different to everyone. If you could pick courses from various restaurants around town to compile your Dream St. Louis Meal, what would you choose?
We posed this question to St. Louis food maven Gerard Craft. By bringing home St. Louis' first James Beard Award, Craft has become the face of the St. Louis food community, with Niche as its flagship.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
The executive chefs of Niche Food Group, left to right: Pastaria's Ashley Shelton, Porano's Michael Petres, Niche's Nate Hereford, Gerard Craft, Taste's Heather Stone, and Brasserie's Nick Blue.
A cocktail from of one Craft's restaurants appears on the list, and that's ok. The chef is proud of what he and his team (above) creates and serves. We salute that as well.
Gerard Craft's Dream Meal:
APPETIZER:
Crispy Sour Pork from Fork & Stix. This dish is surprising with intensely sour pork (from citrus) and very crispy rice. I try to get every last bit.
SALAD:
Watermelon and Pork Salad from Cleveland-Heath. It's spicy sweet and porky so you can’t go wrong with the combination. I love it.
ENTREE:
Crispy Clam Roll (below) from Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co. Simplicity at its best. Beautiful crispy fried clams on an amazing roll from Companion.
Photo courtesy of CALorie STL
COCKTAIL:
Barrel Aged Unusual Negroni from Taste. It’s always my go-to. This is a sexier version of a Negroni that uses Lillet Rose.
DESSERT:
Any tasty treat from Pint Size Bakery. Christy's [owner Christy Augustin] stuff is so homey, fun, and delicious. It always makes me feel like a kid again.
