Virginia Harold Photography
From Tempus, clockwise from upper left: Iceberg wedge; gnocchi with maitake mushroom; crab and corn custard (not on current menu); Carolina gold rice with country ham
Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to cast a cloud over the dining industry, two local restaurants, Tempus and Gioia’s Deli, are enjoying a well-earned moment of recognition from national media outlets.
Ben Grupe’s Tempus was named among the top 10 new restaurants in the United States by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards. Tempus claimed the sixth spot on the list, with Charleston’s similar-sounding Tempest named the overall winner.
USA Today praised Tempus for its “elevated versions of comforting, familiar dishes, like a pickle-brined fried chicken sandwich, polenta with bolognese, or chocolate chip cookies and milk.” Grupe reworked his original concept for Tempus to account for the pandemic and the necessities of to-go dining.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Tempus owner Ben Grupe
The acclaimed chef, a former captain of the US Culinary Olympic Team, conceived Tempus after trying out for the Bocuse d’Or, the most prestigious culinary competition in the world.
“I am honored and thrilled that Tempus has been named a top new restaurant in the United States by USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice,” Grupe said in a statement. “I am amazed at how the St. Louis community has supported us in just a short period of time and couldn’t be more proud of my team. After a very challenging year, this is exciting news as we head into the New Year.”
Voting in the 10Best Readers’ Choice awards is staggered across several weeks for each category. All of the voting is online, with readers choosing from a shortlist of 20 venues drawn up by a panel of experts including editors from USA Today, 10Best.com, and other orgnaizations.
Courtesy Gioia's Deli
Meanwhile, Food & Wine magazine released its “Best Sandwiches in Every State” list on January 11. It named Gioia’s Deli’s hot salami sandwich as Missouri’s finest. The list was compiled by Food & Wine writer David Landsel and includes one sandwich and restaurant for every state in the nation.
Landsel described Gioia’s hot salami as “something like an Italian-inflected, rustic country paté, sliced thick onto Fazio's Bakery bread (another local institution that's been around for over 100 years) and topped with pepperoncini, onion, and spicy mustard.”
Of course, the excellence of Gioia’s hot salami sandwich is hardly news here in St. Louis. Alex Donley is the fourth-generation owner of the James Beard Award–winning deli, which opened in 1918.
“It is such an honor to be featured in Food & Wine with sandwich giants such as Katz’s Deli in NYC and Central Grocery and Deli in New Orleans,” Donley says. “It makes me so proud to carry on the 103-year-old tradition.”
After rolling out a program over the holidays where customers could ship "Holiday Logs" of hot salami across the country (he was producing 3000 pounds of salami per week in December), Donley plans to introduce several more promotions this month. "We keep coming up with ideas and collaborations," he says. "So far, the public has been very receptive."
Courtesy Gioia's Deli
