Courtesy Sugarfire Pie
Chocolate cherry "pake" (cherry pie baked inside a chocolate cake), available this month at Sugerfire Pie in Olivette
INSIDER TIP
Reviving the Pake and Stack Pie
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
One of Carolyn Downs' stack pies, a dedadent and whimsical three-layer balancing act from Sugarfire Pie
Seven years ago, when Sugarfire Pie opened in Olivette next to flagship concept Sugarfire Smoke House, SLM chronicled the whimsy of the concept and the talents of pastry chef/co-owner Carolyn Downs. Patrons reveled at the “pake” (a pecan pie baked inside a chocolate cake) and the “stack pie” (three pies stacked atop one another and “glued together with a bit of icing,” Downs says). Enter Cooking Channel’s Robert Irvine, who spotted the masterwork online and set up a bake-and-shoot for a segment of Cheat Day USA, a show that the chef hosts uncovering “the craziest, most indulgent, most deliciously decadent meals to tuck into between gym days.” (You can stream Irvine’s “Sinful Slices” episode via Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and other services.) Although it’s been three years since Downs offered either creation, a limited number of each will be available by the slice in January on a first come, first served basis. The featured pake is a cherry pie baked inside a chocolate cake and the gooey butter stack pie spans three layers: chocolate, red velvet, and funfetti. Sugarfire Pie is open from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. 9300 Olive, 314-736-6300.
HOTSPOT
New Year’s Day Brunches
Courtesy Beets & Bones
Kimchee Broth Bowl from Beets & Bones - kimchee, mushroom pork broth, bacon jam, broccoli cauliflower, roasted mushroom, garlic chive, kale, cabbage, goujuchang, plus fried egg
St. Louis has been a brunch lover’s town for as long as we can remember. Earlier this week on this Great Day St. Louis segment, we highlighted three new restaurants serving New Year’s weekend brunch—but there are so many more worthy of mentioning. At The Bellwether, it’s difficult to decide between the three-meat Animal Farm omelet, bacon fried rice with eggs, or the Cinnamon Toast Crunch French Toast with fresh berries. (For more options, try sister restaurant Polite Society, a few minutes away.) On Sundays at Brasserie, brunch gets no better than breakfast beignets and an order of eggs en cocotte (baked with spinach, cream, and bacon lardons). At Herbie’s, we opt for eggs Madison, the never-gets-old riff on eggs Benedict with smoked salmon and capers. Across the street, at Oceano Bistro, we’ve only scratched the surface of the 27-item brunch menu, but the seafood omelet and a crab cake Benedict with crispy prosciutto are on our wish list.
MICRORANT
Missing Prices
brizmaker / iStock / Getty Images Plus
While we love attending pop-ups, beer and wine dinners, charitable food events, and major undertakings such as New Year’s Eve galas, is it too much to ask that the restaurant or organization list the price on the social media announcement, without the reader having to click through to multiple pages to see what it costs to attend? It’s akin to missing online restaurant menu prices: If they were reasonable and competitive, then they would likely be listed. As it is, in one case, we expended unnecessary time and clicks to discover that a wine dinner was more than $200 per person. Give it to us up front, and spare us the sticker shock.
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