Courtesy River's Edge Social
East of Philly - half-pound burger, grilled peppers and onions, sauteed mushrooms, provolone cream sauce, brioche bun
INSIDER TIP
Ghostly Bu-N-S
The latest entrant in the ghost kitchen game comes from the folks at River’s Edge Social (6997 Chippewa), which opened in Lindenwood Park almost three years ago. The restaurant quickly became known for its burgers, which get a touch of Mediterranean spice before being flat-grilled and finished over an open flame. On January 26, owner Aurel Bardho will launch Bu-N-S (an acronym for Burgers & Stuff), a delivery-only concept featuring burgers, wings, and such sides as handmade cheese bites, beer-battered onion rings, and Parmesan fries. Seven base burgers can be ordered with half-pound portions of ground beef, half beef and half lamb, as well as fried chicken, grilled chicken, Cajun chicken, or a Beyond Meat patty. Among the signature burgers are the Meaty Buns (a one-pound beef burger with bacon and American and cheddar cheese) and Black Sheep (a lamb and beef patty with olive tapenade, feta, cucumber, pickled red onion, and pepperoncini).

Courtesy River's Edge Social
Eight sauces and two rubs are available on the side. Wing orders come with a choice of two.
Hormone-free, jumbo bone-in or boneless chicken wings can be ordered in several sizes (from six to 40 wings) and come with two side sauces or rubs, celery, carrots, and Ranch or bleu cheese. Deliveries are available via Grubhub and DoorDash. Keep an eye on the River’s Edge website for additional details and announcements.

Courtesy Salt + Smoke
HOT SPOT
Salt + Smoke Hits the Road
For this week’s hot spot, look no farther than your own neighborhood. Since last August, devotees of Salt + Smoke could have its popular smoked meats shipped across town or across the country. Now, in an effort that the restaurant calls Community Catering, the popular bastion of barbecue is dispatching its catering van to neighborhoods across St. Louis. Beginning today, customers can order half or whole family meal deals (including meats, sides, sauces Hawaiian rolls, plus beer and batched cocktails) in advance for the days that Salt + Smoke’s van pays a visit to the neighborhood. Beginning with Soulard, the van will then roll into DeMun, Carondelet, Webster Groves, and beyond. The list of scheduled neighborhoods is available online (along with a form to request delivery to another area), and the pickup location is announced prior to each visit. Ordering is simple: Select a neighborhood, choose a time, and order up some ‘cue.
Courtesy Salt+Smoke
MICRORANT
Reckless Reservations
This particular rant is echoed by front-of-the-house restaurant managers everywhere: When you make a reservation, keep the reservation. Diners who feel compelled to make multiple bookings must be courteous enough to cancel the one(s) they choose not to honor (and within a 24-hour timeframe, so the table can be rebooked). Such common-sense manners should be standard practice at all times but especially when restaurants are operating at 25 to 50 percent of capacity, with every avoidable vacant table being especially costly.
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