It’s officially morel season on the West Coast, which means Balaban’s iconic morel pasta dish (pictured above) is back on the menu.
The dish, which started at Café Balaban in the Central West End and moved with the restaurant to its new Chesterfield location in 2009, recently made its first appearance on the menu this year. It includes morels from California and a supplier in the Pacific Northwest, as well as fresh egg linguine, ruby port wine, cream, Parmesan cheese, and tarragon.
The iconic pasta has been a spring staple at the restaurant for almost 40 years. “We put a post on our website and social media, and our phone is ringing off the hook," says managing partner Brian Underwood (pictured below). "There are customers who come in a few times a week just for the morels.”
The dish appeared on the menu earlier than usual because of recent weather on the West Coast, says Underwood. After the forest fires that ravaged California, the morels sprouted up following cool temperatures, rain, and sun.
Jim Fiala, owner of The Crossing and Acero, adds that sourcing morels is like playing hopscotch. "Right now, we have some from California. Then, hopefully, local ones. After that, northern California, then Oregon, then Washington state. If all goes well, we should have morels on hand through June."
The Crossing's morel pasta - fresh tagliolini, morels, butter, evoo, shallots, parmigiano reggiano, parsley
Tony White, owner of Tony’s Family Farms, has also benefited from an early morel crop. The morels that he supplies to local restaurants are mostly sourced from foragers in Oregon, including “Mushroom Joe,” whom White met while hiking Oregon's coast. “One of the things I like about Joe is everything is top quality,” White says. "There’s a discipline that has to be in place for that consistency to happen."
Among White's clients is Union 30 executive chef Matt Birkenmeier, who started “Morel Madness” last weekend with a lobster morel fricassee over morel mushroom risotto (pictured above). Birkenmeier is planning to do another version of the dish this weekend using sea scallops.
California and Oregon morels are a boon for St. Louis chefs during the early spring. Missouri morels start popping through the soil later. The foraging time frame here changes each year, though it generally happens in late March and early April. Sometimes, morel foraging season in Missouri is less productive than previous years. The past two seasons for morels were disappointing for local foragers, White says, which prompted some local chefs to contact suppliers from the West Coast.
“I give respect to the local market—I have to slow down what I’m bringing in, so we can enjoy local products,” White says. "But thanks to Joe, St. Louis chefs have the luxury of consistently having morels."
Know about other St. Louis restaurants already offering morels? Note them in the comments section below.
