Tuesday = Bratwurst Tuesday

My Tuesdays have been renamed Bratwurst Tuesdays.  They are Bratwurst Tuesdays, because I am usually already irritated with my work week by Tuesday and the Bratwurst at Gus's Pretzels' (www.guspretzels.com) makes me happy.  If you are not familiar, for $2.75 (they only take cash as an FYI) you can get a yummy bratwurst wrapped in a fresh made pretzel.  Slather this with yellow French's mustard and I think I might have found my perfect food. Tuesday it was 9000 degrees outside again.  I decided the bratwurst was worth the walk and walked over to Gus's, only to find it closed for the holiday.  BOO!!!  Fine, I will walk back home empty handed.

The back-up plan kicked in and I decided to have another delightful meal of sliced tomatoes and Gorgonzola cheese.  I sliced the tomatoes in to 3/4 inch slices, salt them with kosher salt, pepper them with fresh ground pepper, drizzle with olive oil and balsamic and then crumble Gorgonzola over top.  Super light and easy.  If I am super hungry I kick up the cheese to tomato ratio.  You can also slice red onion into thin slices and pair that with the cheese and tomato for an equally yummy snack.  If you don't like blue cheese, you can also substitute goat cheese. 

After working the day away, my friend Scott and I decided to do a small pub crawl.  I specifically wanted to go to 4 Hands (http://4handsbrewery.com/our-beers.html).  They had a new beer I wanted to try, but they don't open until 4 PM (which has since changed to 3 PM as an FYI) so we decided to head to Urban Chestnut (http://www.urbanchestnut.com/our-beers) to checkout their new Beer Garden and have a beer to pass the time.  I love Urban Chestnut.  I was in the mood for a wheat beer with a little flavor so I settled on the Maximillian which they classify as:
"Our Weizendbock is comparable to the barley-based regular Bockbier, but is actually a stronger version of an unfiltered Weissbier. We use approximately 55% wheat malt (German law requires that a Weizenbier, regardless of strength, be made from at least 50% wheat). The other 45% of malts are a combination of Munich, Pils and Caramel. All of which when combined give our "Maifest Special" a full-bodied mouthfeel and a rich, malty finish. Point of fact: while regular Bockbiers are lagers, Weizenbocks are ales. ABV 7.0%, IBU's-23, OG- 16.0 Plato"

It really hit the spot.  I like most German wheat beers and this one was dark in color and full of flavor.  A little maltier than I expected, but overall it was delightful. We checked out the beer garden, which we couldn't sit in because it is still 9000 degrees outside at this point.  Then we headed to 4Hands.

4Hands seems to be pumping out beers left and right and therefore there were four new beers on draft for me to try, including the one I had come for.  Scott and I both got the sample of all four new ones.  There was a Saison, an IPA, a brown (I think) and the wheat beer I had come for.  My favorite out of the four, was the Saison.  It was crisp, flavorful, well balanced and light.  I think people who like a wheat beer like Boulevard or 312 would love this beer although it has a higher alcohol content, so one would need to keep the beers to a minimum.   The brown and IPA were a close 2nd behind the Saison.  The disappointment was the wheat I had come for.  I'll be honest, it kind of tastes like your mouth tastes after you throw-up.  Scott didn't quite agree with that description, but he didn't like it either.  We ended up cheersing and taking the sample like a shot.  To the right is a photo of Scott enjoying our beers.

We then headed to the International Tap House (http://www.internationaltaphouse.com/soulard/bottle_menu.php) in Soulard for our final stop on the baby crawl.  Scott had to drive home so we attempted to find beer with a low alcohol content.  I spotted another Hefeweizen that I wanted to try called:   Hitachino Weizen.  This is brewed by the Kodawari brewering in Japan.  (You can read more here:  http://www.kodawari.cc/?en_home/about/history.html).  I first tried their beers because I like the logo, which is a cute little owl.  I have since come to really enjoy their White, so I was excited about the Weizen.  Scott saw a beer called "Petrus Aged Ale" brewed by the Brouwerij Bavik brewery in Belgium
(check out reviews http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/718/2184) that he has wanted to try.The alcohol content was pretty high, so we agreed to get both and share.  The Weizen, to me, was kind of a throw away.  It was good and drinkable, but for a beer that usually is about $8/bottle, totally not worth it.  It was just your normal Hefeweizen.  The Petrus on the other hand was really great and really different.  I can't really compare it to any other beer I have had.  It was sour, but in a good way.  Think tart like a lemonade.  I thought it might actually make a really great salad dressing mixed with a little olive oil.  Really refreshing, not too heavy, not a lot of body, just really, really different.

Overall a great afternoon.  
 

Saturday = Perfection

I had a great Saturday.  As previously mentioned, I also had a great weekend.  Saturday started off, with my waking up at a decent hour (8:30 AM).  I made myself some coffee and proceeded to watch some trash TV for approx a 1/2 hr.  I was very relaxed.  I then became hungry and decided to walk to the local Panera to get a breakfast sandwich.

If you haven't been to Panera for breakfast, you should.  It is really great.  You can get a fresh made sandwich (they seriously have a machine that cooks your eggs -real eggs- fresh and they go right on your sandwich) for generally less than 500 calories. Of course they have bagels and other sweets as well.  There are only a handful of chain restaurants I will EVER recommend.  This is one of those handful.  I should mention, it is 9000 degrees in STL right now.  Seriously, 9000.  I walked there and back, which was about 2-2.5 miles.  My hand was sweating so profusely on the way back, the bag became wet and broke.  It was kind of sad.

After showering I went to run errands.  My first stop was the Tower Grove farmers market (www.tgmarket.org/).  I like this market a lot, however; it tends to be pretty overpriced.  I go here when I want to get in and out and not deal with crowds, otherwise, I recommend the Soulard Market (www.soulardmarket.com/).  You can get the same items for a lot cheaper.  The one exception is beef.  If you are looking for grass fed anything, go to Tower Grove.  I make it a habit of doing a complete loop to check out all of the vendors before buying anything.  I look a bit like I am casing the place.  I then tend to buy one thing from each vendor the first time I go, because you never know who stores things in which way and how long veggies/fruits will last when you get home because of that.  I bought some beautiful tomatoes, a cucumber, some leaks and some peaches.  The peaches, because they are in season, are AMAZING.  I make it a habit of buying ripe peaches when ever I can.  Straubs had peaches last year that were $10/pound. www.straubs.com/  I bought them, because they were the sweetest, ripest, stand-over the sink to eat them while juice runs down your arms, peaches EVER.  The ones I got at the market this Saturday were just as good.  Smaller, but just as amazing.

I then went to one of my favorite destinations in STL, DiGregorio's market www.digregoriofoods.com/.  This is an Italian grocery of sorts.  There isn't any fresh produce, but you can get fresh baked local bread, amazing cheese, deli meats (not just Italian), frozen pastas and all other Italian goodies for CHEAP.  This place is freakishly inexpensive and the quality is amazing.  I strongly recommend the fresh mozzarella, blue cheese, any canned tomatoes and the Sicilian olive oil.  I like to shop here, get fresh bread and deli meats and go home to make a great sandwich.  I did this when I went home.  I sliced the fresh Italian bread, added Hot Coppa (my new love-think prosciutto texture with a little spice), Chipotle Chicken breast, domestic provolone, fresh sliced tomatoes from the farmers market and a piece of lettuce from my father's garden.  I then, instead of mustard or mayo, whip together about a teaspoon of olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste and pour that over the meat/veggies.  It adds a fresh, not heavy, brightness to a sandwich.  Yummmm.

That evening, all I wanted was a burger.  My favorite city place to have a burger is always the Royale (www.theroyale.com/).  Upon arriving I scooted up to the bar and proceeded to peruse the cocktail menu.  I love the drinks here. They make great cocktails in a not stuffy atmosphere.  Tonight, I felt like a martini.  I don't like sweet, fruity martinis.  I ended up having a drink called 'The New Deal'.  It is described as:
"A wet Martini in pre-Prohibition style. Plymouth gin, Dolin dry vermouth, orange bitters and a lemon twist. Try one and taste why the Martini became popular in the first place."  It was wonderful.  My typical martini order is a Kettle One Martini with Blue Cheese olives.  This was a nice deviation.  I then ordered the grass fed burger, with cheddar and grilled onions, with sweet potato chips as my side.  I didn't notice the awesome seasonal items they have for sides:  Peaches, Corn on the cob with Chipotle butter and grilled squash and zucchini, otherwise I would have tried one of those.  I love a burger with grilled onions on it.  To me it is like eating onion rings with your burger, without the fried nonsense.  Eventually my burger came and it was just right.  I should note, this isn't a huge overwhelming burger.  I ate the whole thing and I am not a big girl, so if you are hungry, get an appetizer.

 Following my fantastic meal, I drove to Plush and watched an amazing artist, Scrub (www.reverbnation.com/scrub).   It was a very successful performance. I think everyone had a blast.  I know I did.  I also got a chance to enjoy my new favorite summer beverage, which is Pearl Cucumber vodka and water. REFRESHING!  and your hydrating while drinking :)  What a great day!   

My Friday = Fabulous

I had a great weekend.  A great weekend for me consists of the following:
1.  Getting to work out
2.  Getting to hangout with good friends
3.  Eating my face off
4.  Having at least one good cocktail/glass of wine

Mission accomplished.  Working out is #1 due to items 3 & 4 which are usually exacerbated by item 2.  

Friday, I didn't have plans and wanted to have plans.  Normally I do not have to seek out events, but Friday was different.  I realized that night that almost ALL of my friends are married and/or have kids at this point.  I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner, but it was apparent after trying to make some last minute plans.  So, after exhausting my friends options, I proceeded about my evening alone.  First stop, the Galleria.  I typically am not a mall person.  I need to go there to make my monthly trek to Sephora for some sort of overpriced face product that I simply can not live with out.  After that I continue to Nordstrom, where I had a very pleasant interaction with a sales person in the accessories department who learned of my belt neurosis.  She overcame my affliction and I ended up purchasing a darling belt.  Done.

After my shopping excursion, I was exhausted.  I have been wanting to try and I mean really try (eat my face off) at Taste since it abandoned our delightful Benton Park neighborhood for the CWE (note the bitterness).  I decided Friday was the night.  I pulled on to Laclede and promptly found a metered space less than a block away (the stars aligned).  I walked into Taste (http://tastebarstl.com/) and immediately was greeted by Ted Kilgore, mixologist extraordinaire.  This made me very happy, because part of my love for the original Taste, was having access to him and his extensive knowledge of all things alcohol.  I looked over the drink menu which I'll be honest, is a bit overwhelming.  I fancy myself very knowledgeable about food and drink, but I was at a loss.  There are two drink menus, one that is normal and I did understand, but why go to Taste and get something normal?  Anyway, I ended up saying to Ted, "My favorite drink is a Negroni.  Could you make me something that is along those lines?"  He didn't even hesitate and made me a cocktail which he stated was his favorite creation of late and it would be on the menu sometime shortly.  It was delightful!  Bitter, aromatic, slight orange essence.  Really great.

 I proceeded to order the toasted radish bruschetta.  How often do you see toasted radishes?  I was intrigued.  The one medium sized piece of bruschetta came out in a cute little cast iron dish.  My first bite was just of radish and it was SUPER salty. Then I realized, you really need to each the radish with the bread and the ricotta.  Seriously delightful.  More of an earthy dish, suitable for the fall, but radishes are in season, so I get where they were going.  Following that, I ordered the pate, which if I remember correctly was pork with cherries and a side of heavily dressed arugula.  This was served with toasted, bruschetta crunchy slices of baguette.  This was good also, although really not as flavorful as it should have been.  If you don't really usually like pate because it can taste irony (liver) then I would suggest this.  If you like irony or offal type things, this was kind of a throw away.

Beyond the food, the company at the bar was really great.  Those who know me, know I am not outgoing with strangers, but sitting alone at the bar, I met some really great people who loved food and/or drinks as much as I did.   It was a fantastic low key evening.  I should mention, it wasn't cheap-think $10 cocktails and $9 small plates.  Well worth it, for a once-in-a-while excursion.