Where to find top-notch meats, breads, pastas, and other ingredients to make a memorable meal
by Pat Eby, Cheryl Baehr, Bill Burge, Elizabeth Rund, George Mahe, Iain Shaw, Dave Lowry, Holly Fann, Collin Preciado
Knead Bakehouse + Provisions: 1. Sesame seed brioche buns 2. Marbled rye loaf of sourdough 3. Brioche loaf of sourdough 4. Rustic loaf of sourdough
WHERE TO FIND A FRESH-BAKED LOAF
Cham Bakery: At this Syrian bakery, some offerings will be familiar. Others, like cheese-stuffed fatayer and fragrant za’atar bread, may not be. But experimenting is inevitably rewarded. 6818 Manchester.
A&M Bakery: Sure, you’re going for that lovely German rye, but you might as well pick up some chocolate croissants and cookies, too. 4267 Bayless.
Companion: The dining room in Maryland Heights provides a front-row seat by the bakery, where you can see your bread and baked goods being made. companionbaking.com.
Union Loafers: A perfect café/bakery combo, this Botanical Heights spot serves up bread, cookies, and more. The pizza’s aromatic crust is just a sampling of the quality here. 1629 Tower Grove.
Knead Bakehouse: Cinnamon rolls, fruit-filled kolaches, sourdough doughnuts… The pastries here are awe-inspiring. 3467 Hampton.
Saint Louis Filipino Bread: Filipino breads are still a largely undiscovered delight in St. Louis, but those in the know crave ’em. While some of the breads are sweet, all have a creamy, addictive, custard-like texture. 11658 Dorsett.
Mr. Meowski’s Sourdough: Mr. Meowski’s ham-and-cheese croissants are no joke, and its pastry selection is extravagant. 107 N. Main, St. Charles.
Breadsmith: It’s earned a well-deserved reputation for affordability: French breads, baguettes, and ficelles are all superb. And the Cuban bread essential to Cubanos? Yep, it's here, too. 10031 Manchester.
The Foundry Bakery: One of the many delights here is longan walnut bread, whose taste and crumb are unlike any other. 11424 Dorsett.
Upper Crust: From stout-infused rugbrød to purple yam ube bread, it’ll take a while to work through the offerings at this top-tier spot. 4932 Pernod.
The Edgewood Baker: Bekah Stamps brings an extraordinary quality to the sourdough and pastries she offers online and at the St. Charles Farmers’ Market. theedgewoodbaker.com.
LUCKY DOG FARM’S DARLENE AND RYAN SMITH
Five years ago, without any farming experience, Ryan Smith quit his high-tech job to farm, and his wife, Darlene Smith, left her job in the financial sector a few years later. “He wanted to create a better life for himself and our two children,” says Darlene, who grew up in Dardenne Prairie in a house on some farmland with a garden. “I came in to help grow the business. We really are the yin and yang of running the operation.” Today, the couple’s Lucky Dog Farm sells fresh produce, meats, bone broth, eggs, sausages, farm honey, and more. Customers can order online and pick up at the farm stand, shop the stand on the farm, purchase traditional CSA full-season farm shares, or choose a plan to buy a single share or two. And who’s the Lucky Dog? “We’ve had a lot of lucky dogs on this farm,” says Ryan.
THESE SHOPS STOCK A THOUGHTFUL SELECTION OF EVERYTHING NEEDED FOR A MEMORABLE OUTING.
Equal parts café, deli, and market, The Annex (8122 Big Bend) in Webster Groves stocks its own mustards, salsas, and jams, as well as a variety of sausages. The baristas also make some of St. Louis’ best coffee drinks. A few miles down Big Bend in Richmond Heights, Starrs (1135 S. Big Bend) offers an outstanding wine and liquor selection, including half bottles sized just right for picnics. Additional specializations include fine cigars and coffee by the pound. Parker’s Table (7118 Oakland) is a perfect balance of wine store and deli, with a knowledgeable staff eager to share recommendations. The store also sells pasta shapes by weight, among other dry goods. Tale to Table (7310 Manchester) in Maplewood stocks new and second-hand cookbooks alongside kitchen wares, seasonings, pickles, and meat from local farms. In South City, LeGrand’s (4414 Donovan) offers fresh sandwiches, pasta salads, and frozen pizzas prepared in house; the store’s meat market is another highlight, as is its beer selection. Local Harvest (3108 Morgan Ford) covers every base, from fresh produce, wine, and chips to coffee, grains, and pulses sold by weight. In Botanical Heights, Bengelina Hospitality Group’s retail store, AO&Co. (1641 Tower Grove), offers favorite items from owner Ben Poremba’s restaurants, including egg salad, muhammara, and baba ganoush; the store also specializes in premium spirits and cigars. And The Smokehouse Market (16806 Chesterfield Airport Rd.) in Chesterfield has everything you need to host a gourmet dinner party, including wine, quiches, cakes, and pies. The butcher counter offers steaks, burgers, and other cuts from sister venue Annie Gunn’s, and you can also grab fresh seafood or sides and sandwiches from the deli.
Soulard Spice Shop: 1. Wasabi powder 2. Soulard Grill 3. Himalayan pink salt 4. Rosemary 5. Gourmet pepper 6. Smoked paprika 7. Roasted garlic & red bell pepper 8. Lemon pepper with dill
WHERE TO FIND SPICES AND CONDIMENTS
A great spice shop is its own reward. Few things are better than walking into a store and being hit all at once with an aromatic overload of ground seeds, dried roots, and curled patches of bark. And nothing stokes the flame of culinary inspiration more effectively than endless jars filled with the potential to create something delicious. Since the 1970s, Jay International Foods (3172 S. Grand) on South Grand has supplied St. Louis with spices from all over the world. The selection of Southeast Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern spices is exceptional, as is the variety of dried chiles. While you’re there, pick up a stunning brass masala dabba to help keep your favorite spices close at hand. Decades ago, the first vendor to lease a spot in Soulard Market was the Soulard Spice Shop (730 Carroll), which sells everything from allspice to wasabi powder, as well as numerous rubs, blends, salts, peppercorn blends, and cooking bases. When one thinks about delicious things, it’s only natural to head to The Hill. At Urzi’s Italian Market (5430 Southwest), do a little spice shopping after ordering a sandwich. Urzi’s carries a solid selection of spices, leaning toward those heavily used in Italian dishes and offering nearly a dozen garlic and garlic salt options alone. Olde Town Spice Shoppe (334 S. Main, St. Charles) is a one-stop spice shop with small-town warmth. You’ll find traditional ground and whole spices, as well as seasoning blends, including no-salt options, spice gift box sets, and other charming spice-centric goods. Finally, head to Crystal and Spice Shoppe (318 E. Main, Belleville, Illinois), where you can purchase spices in bulk. The welcoming staff can weigh out as little as a quarter ounce of any of its dozens of spices, rubs, and specialty salts.
For decades, Bob’s Seafood (8660 Olive) has provided St. Louis’ chefs and consumers with a wide variety of fresh seafood. Lesser known is Starrs (1135 S. Big Bend), which receives fresh fish shipments several times a week.
Chef Heidi Hamamura has served as a chef, teacher, and caterer for more than two decades. She’s also worked for 15 years as a private chef with her father, who has a pastry background and taught her to make sushi. At Taberu, her personalized chef and catering business, she designs each sushi tray, dessert table, and meal to reflect the tastes of her audience. She caters intimate weddings and sizeable corporate parties with equal aplomb. “I’m an omakase chef,” she says. “That means ‘trust the chef.’”
Believe it or not, there’s a shrimp farm in Foristell, where hormone- and antibiotic-free Pacific white shrimp are raised in saltwater tanks. Triple J Farms sells most of its bounty to the public, harvesting only when an order is placed. Understandably, the wait time is long—up to two months, according to co-owner Jeff Howell. But once a customer cooks and tastes the head-on shrimp, “we hear from them again,” he says.
BRIGADIER GENERAL JOHN E. MICHEL
When Air Force Brigadier General John E. Michel retired in 2014, he launched multiple “second” careers: motivational speaker, restaurant owner, author. He also had a penchant for helping people in need, and when the pandemic caused a shift in the dining industry toward mobile and cloud kitchens, he came up with a concept that embraced his past interests. “We’d all gotten used to pickup and delivery, but coming out of [the pandemic], people want to be inspired,” says Michel. “Our thought was to wrap those two ideas in mission.” The business model for Metro East–based Soulcial Kitchen encompasses company-branded food trucks, a cloud kitchen, a business incubator, pay-it-forward meal tokens, and a converted DC-3 airplane on wheels called the Space Shuttle Café. Michel also launched a program that provides food-truck training and hands-on experience for people looking to break into the business. Regulated through the Department of Labor, Michel says it’s the first food truck apprenticeship program in the United States.
BEAST Butcher & Block: 1. Bresaola 2. Rib-eye 3. Vielbasa 4. Coppa 5. Flat iron 6. Strip 7. Finocchiona 8. Chuck-eye
THE REGION’S BEST BUTCHER SHOPS
Bolyard’s Meat and Provisions: The only whole-animal butcher shop in town, Bolyard’s offers such rare cuts as rich, buttery toro steak. And the Maplewood butcher shop/restaurant hosts hog classes, so you can see how the sausage gets made. 2733 Sutton.
Baumann’s Fine Meats: This Brentwood staple places an emphasis on smoked meats and andouille sausages, and it even offers smoked dog bones for your furry friends. 8829 Manchester.
Iriskic Brothers: Specializing in lamb and veal cuts, Iriskic Brothers is a pillar of the Bevo Mill neighborhood. A second store is located in Lemay. 5411 Gravois, 2201 Lemay Ferry.
BEAST Butcher & Block: A butcher shop for the 21st century, BEAST offers both online ordering and delivery. Don’t feel like grilling? Order from the extensive barbecue menu. 4156 Manchester.
G&W Sausage and Meats: Founded in the 1960s, G&W is known for its free Busch beer and Bavarian-style sausages, which come in more than 30 varieties. 4828 Parker.
Kenrick’s Meats & Catering: One of the largest meat markets in the area, Kenrick’s trademark is the Ozark Griller, cheese-stuffed steak wrapped in bacon. 4324 Weber.
Truffles Butchery: Operating next to the award-winning restaurant of the same name, Truffles prides itself on offering antibiotic- and hormone-free meats aged and prepared in house. 9202 Clayton.
South City Meat & Deli: This butcher’s main cuts are varieties of veal, lamb, and beef. It also offers a selection of international fare, such as cevapi. 5201 Gravois.
Paul’s Market: Now in its seventh decade, Paul's runs the gamut, from meats and specialty items to fried chicken. And the 2,000-pound wood-burning smokehouse creates all kinds of ready-to-eat barbecue. 1020 N. Elizabeth.
Citizen Kane’s Market Place: Situated next to the longtime Kirkwood steakhouse, the market serves up meats cut by the owner himself, including filet, New York strip, and rib-eye. 127 W. Clinton Place.
EATERIES THAT OFFER INGREDIENTS TO COOK UP AT HOME
At The Block (146 W. Lockwood), chefs Marc Del Pietro and Brian Doherty were ahead of the curve when they started hawking the same butchered meats on the menu from a retail counter at the front of the Webster Groves restaurant. With the rapid shift in dining habits over the past two years, a flurry of other restaurants have joined in offering retail options. At BEAST Butcher & Block’s Butchery (4156 Manchester), a classic, old-school meat counter expands on steaks and chops to sell retail poultry, sausages, and charcuterie alongside house-cured and smoked deli meats, as well as prepared foods, such as pickles and mustard. Adjacent to the newly opened 1818 Chophouse, 1818 Chophouse Butcher + Market (6170 Bennett) is where customers can purchase the same cuts of signature Black Angus beef, along with produce, cheeses, wine, beer, sauces, and accompaniments. In Clayton, as Pastaria expanded to include the neighboring Pastaria Deli & Wine (7734-2 Forsyth), it added to its already large selection of fresh pasta and sauces, such as pomodoro, to include wine and meal kits. Also selling its pastas and sauces alongside fan-favorite pizzas, Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria (katiespizzaandpasta.com) went the frozen route, distributing items nationally and locally. And at AO&Co. (1641 Tower Grove) an entire selection of classic mezze, hummus, and house-baked Israeli breads can be taken home, along with a curated bottle of wine, beer, or prepared cocktails.
At age 14, chef Juwan Rice started his catering company, JR’s Catering. He faced big local chefs in The Show-Me Burger Battle last year and won. Then he went on to win at The World Food Burger Championship in Dallas last November. A former executive sous chef at Bait, Rice is also partnering with Brennan’s Work & Leisure to host a series of intimate private dinners this spring. In December, he opened Chef J Rice Spice, featuring four blends, including his Chef’s Blend that he believes clinched the burger battle. Today, he’s only 20 years old. How did he do it? He credits his upbringing. “Growing up, me, Grandma, and my Aunt Cathy cooked for all our family holidays, birthdays, and special occasions,” he says. “I got my passion for cooking and learned important lessons from my grandma in the process. Be selfless when you cook for others. Take care of people, and always keep a sense of self-worth.” Along those lines, he’s spinning up a new venture. “I come from a long network of cooks—everyone except my mom,” he says, adding that she taught him a sense of style. “My mom is a hairdresser who has kept me looking good my whole life.” Later in 2022, he’ll launch the J Rice Collective with local apparel company Knife & Flag. “It’s geared for home cooks and personal chefs like me,” he says. “We’re taking a more urban approach to what chefs should be wearing.”
During the summer months, EarthDance Farms (233 S. Dade) converts a tool shed into a Pay What You Can Produce Stand. Organically grown fruits, herbs, and fresh produce are available to everyone, regardless of income. Cash, credit, SNAP/EBT, and senior nutrition vouchers are all accepted.
Midwest Pasta Company: 1. Fettuccine with spinach 2. Cresta rigate with spinach and egg 3. Sweet potato gnocchi 4. Angel hair 5. Penne with whole wheat 6. Conchiglie 7. Gluten-free fettuccine
MANGIA ITALIANO’S LEGACY LIVES ON AT MIDWEST PASTA COMPANY.
Two decades ago, David Burmeister was a regular at the beloved, now-shuttered Mangia Italiano on South Grand. He would nosh on plates of pasta without a clue that he would one day be a steward of the beloved brand. When founder Doc Parmley wanted to sell the place in 2002, however, he turned to Burmeister, along with a few friends. As part of the deal, the friends inherited Mangia’s pasta-making equipment, which Parmley used to make noodles for his restaurant and a few others around town. That side of the business had fallen off by the time Burmeister and company took over, but they were determined to resurrect it. They experimented with different pasta recipes, which South Grand patrons flocked to enjoy. Mangia’s house-made pasta was so well-received, in fact, that it prompted Burmeister to launch his own brand, Midwest Pasta Company, a label that became Burmeister’s sole focus 10 years ago, when he sold Mangia and took Midwest Pasta Company with him. Since then, he’s enjoyed tremendous success. His noodle business has earned a reputation for its unique style—a bouncier mouthfeel resulting from high-quality, locally milled flour; fresh cracked eggs; and a laminated production process (for the cut pastas). The company’s pastas—in all shapes, sizes, and flavors—are on menus at some of the city’s most popular restaurants and available at area grocery stores. The company now feeds roughly 9,000–10,000 people each week, he says—an ode to a storied part of the city’s dining scene.
A locally owned provider of reasonably priced, ready-to-heat, plant-based meals, Rootberry delivers chef-inspired dishes in its own vans, with no excess packaging, contracts, hitches, or glitches.
WHERE TO FIND FLAVORS FROM ACROSS THE GLOBE WITHOUT LEAVING ST. LOUIS
Global Foods Market: The aisles of the Kirkwood market are filled with foodstuffs, condiments, and spices from more than 30 countries. Look for gift baskets curated by local chefs that feature goodies from their homelands. 421 N. Kirkwood.
United Provisions: This Delmar Loop store features produce, dumplings, ramen, samosas, and soups, as well as ready-to-eat meals, including house-made sushi, poke bowls, and sweets from Asian bakeries. 6241 Delmar.
Jay International Foods: One of the city’s oldest ethnic grocery stores offers Eastern European fare and the metro’s largest selection of Asian noodles. 3172 S. Grand.
Pan-Asia Supermarket: This large market in Manchester is home to both the lauded China Bistro and Bubblecup Tea Zone, featuring an amazing array of tea beverages that can be embellished with boba, jellies, red bean, and sea salt cream. 14246 Manchester.
El Morelia Super Mercado: The pueblo-sized Mexican–South American grocery store in Bridgeton sells everything from piñatas to tortilla presses. On weekends, the store resembles a pop-up taqueria, where guests can choose from 10 protein options for the tacos. 12005 St. Charles Rock.
China Town Market: Tucked away next to Cate Zone restaurant in University City, this hidden gem is smaller and less expensive than its competitors. The staff evaluates and restocks the cold cases with the freshest produce in town. 8150 Olive.
Seafood City: This U. City spot lives up to its name and then some. The fish counter garners the most attention, but there’s also produce, dry goods, cookware, and cultural items. 8020 Olive.
Carnicería Latino Americana: Open on Cherokee since 1991, this full-scale grocery also encompasses Don Carlos Restaurant and a butcher shop (carnicería) that offers chorizo and grill-ready meats. 2800 Cherokee.
WorldWide International Foods & African Market: This African and Caribbean market sells hot sauces, jerk sauces, red palm oil, dried and frozen fish, plus crates of root vegetables and bags of flour made from root vegetables. 8430 Olive.
Salam Market: This market in Ballwin has Pakistani, Middle Eastern, and Indian ingredients, in addition to housing a kitchen serving shawarma, gyros, falafel, burgers, and fried chicken. 14063 Manchester.
Europa Market: Situated near Bevo Mill, this well-organized Bosnian market stocks items from Central and Eastern Europe, including cevapi, cheeses, numerous styles of ajvar, and frozen breads, such as lepinja and somun. 5005 Gravois.
Seema Indian Groceries: Serving St. Louis for nearly four decades (and now with two locations), Seema offers aisles full of spices, dried beans, lentils, and rice (including puffed rice and rice flour), as well as frozen items, such as dosa, pakora, and samosas. 10635 Page, 14238 Manchester.
Baghdad Market: Located along South Grand, this Middle Eastern market has groceries and bread of all kinds (injera, pita, naan), innumerable condiments, halal meats, kitchenware, plus shiny Turkish tea sets. 3730 S. Grand.
Afghan Market: Right next door to Baghdad Market, Afghan Market offers staple groceries, a case full of dates and figs, and a shelf of hookas, and accoutrements. 3732 S. Grand.
Aryana Market: A gathering spot for Middle Eastern shoppers, Aryana Market offers such specialties as naan, roti, and pita, along with lesser-known varieties. Try the Iraqi flatbread with a scoop of hummus. 5545 S. Grand.
For the past several years, local grocers such as Schnucks, Dierbergs, and Straub’s, have been allocating more shelf space and marketing dollars to locally produced items: fresh produce, ribs and rubs, and heat-and-eat specialties from St. Louis restaurants bring chef-quality fare home.
Parker’s Table: 1. Saint André 2. Bleu des Basques 3. Montboissie 4. Rembrandt Aged Gouda 5. Buche de Lucay 6. Pecorino Tartufo 7. Flory’s Truckle
SEARCHING FOR THE PERFECT WINE-CHEESE COMBINATION: IS THERE A BETTER WAY TO SPEND A DAY?
We started at The Wine & Cheese Place, with its delectable diversions—such as a pheasant pâté—and found a puck of sheep’s milk called P’tit Basque, made high in the Pyrenees. It tastes like flowery butter. A knowledgeable staffer also pointed us to a Clos del Rey L’Aragone, made from grapes from the same region. They’re a winning pair. The greatest Roquefort we’ve ever tasted is at Starrs (1135 S. Big Bend). It’s a crumbly, explosively pungent glory from Carles, France, where bread is brought into the caves to breed the cheese’s distinctive mold. John Nash, Starrs’ resident cheese curator, suggested a Chateau d’Yquem Sur Saluces Sauterne, which ain’t cheap, but is totally befitting of a cheese this good. (Don’t leave Starrs without peeping the amazing European canned seafood with frameable box art.) At Parker’s Table (7118 Oakland), we spied a Mâcon-Loché with the brightness and acidity to balance a remarkable cheese from a wheel of Délice de Bourgogne, a triple crème with a rind the color of old ivory, the texture of custard, and the taste of forest mushrooms and first-love memories. (Check out Parker’s impressive pasta selection, too.) We went straight for the Couronne brie—with its musky, bloomy rind and nutty creaminess—at Wild Olive Provisions (2201 S. 39th). We then came across a perfectly matched Dandelion Sauvignon Blanc. We’ll be back soon for a boxed lunch to enjoy at nearby Tower Grove Park. The master cheesemonger at The Wine Merchant (7817 Forsyth) sliced into the L’Étivaz, curdled over an open flame from the milk of a cow that has grazed on grasses and wild onions, so its taste is reminiscent of both. He then directed us to a Hospices de Beaune Meursault to match. We already have The Wine Merchant’s Saturday wine tastings on our calendar.
Mahe is St. Louis Magazine's dining editor. Like this story? Want to share other feedback? Send Mahe an email at gmahe@stlmag.com.
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