As delivery of restaurant food continues to proliferate, delivery vehicles now zoom to the curb in all shapes and sizes. We’ve seen pizzas delivered locally by nimble motor scooters. Izumi makes its drops of Japanese konbini-style sandwiches in a red 1995 Subaru Sambar mini-truck. Sauce on the Side has enlisted a small fleet of eco-friendly Chevy Sparks (one of them all-electric) to deliver its calzones and salads. Locally owned Rootberry delivers many of its plant-based meals and snacks to homes and offices in two bright-red branded vans (named Clifford and Ruby). On the other end of the spectrum is Food Pedaler, a locally owned delivery company (dealing only with locally owned restaurants) that’s celebrating its 10th anniversary next week. As you may have guessed, the delivery method is via bicycle. The delivery range is from the St. Louis riverfront to Skinker Boulevard, with most of the business coming from downtown and the Central West End. The delivery “pedalers” get fresh air and exercise while the recipients receive their orders in a snug courier pack (with separate hot and cold bags) from a smiling person wearing cycling gear. “Bikes have an easier time navigating a college or an office campus than cars,” says owner Alex Ward. “Our efficiency is one reason our customers keep coming back to us.” In an era when the focus of the food business is decidedly on high-tech, it’s a business on the other end of the spectrum that has survived and thrived.
Know someone who would like this newsletter? Share this link with them to direct them to our newsletter subscription page.
Bite-Size Bits
HOT SPOT
Hi-Pointe Drive-In Opens Sixth Location
Hi-Pointe Drive-In, the locally owned fast-casual creative burger and sandwich juggernaut, opens its sixth metro area location next Monday, March 6, at6015 Mid Rivers Mall Drive in Cottleville. It marks the brand’s first location in St. Charles County. Hi-Pointe Cottleville will have the same eclectic décor and over-the-top burger specials as the other locations, as well as such signatures as the all-natural, all-Angus smash burgermade from chuck, brisket, and short rib. On opening day, Hi-Pointe Cottleville will also donate 50 percent of sales to local nonprofit Cottleville Firefighter’s Outreach. “Cottleville should get ready for some crazy burger specials and best-in-class hospitality,” says co-owner Ben Hillman. “We are pumped to bring the Hi-Pointe energy to St. Charles.”
INSIDER TIP
Mobile Oyster Shuckers
The announcement of Schlafly's annual Stout & Oyster Festival returning on the weekend of March 24–25 reminded us of the simplicity of a freshly shucked oyster and a most unusual way of presenting them. At the cocktail hour of a recent wedding reception in Florida, two “mobile shuckers” were meandering the room equipped with three stainless-steel cylinders: one filled with raw oysters; one for their shells; and the middle one containing mini-squeeze bottles filled with cocktail sauce, hot sauce, lemon juice, and mignonette. It was a novelty that we landlubbers hadn’t yet experienced but will remember for future occasions. Inquisitive guests would sidle up, request an accoutrement or two, slurp the bivalve, dispose of the shell, and move along (sometimes to the other shucker for another round). The oysters were small, mild, and sweet. We asked the shucker what area they came from and, with a wry smile, came a fictitious but oh-so-appropriate response: “Kissimmee.”
MICRORANT
Recipe One-Upping
A guest in a restaurant asks the chef for the ingredients in a dish and is fortunate enough to be given them—and then turns the tables. You know what might make this dish even better? or You know, I’ve made this with that ingredient instead of this ingredient. Sorry, wrong time, wrong place, pal. Save that amplitude for the recipe sites. Change up recipe ingredients in your mind all you want, but as a guest in a chef’s house, such one-upping is mannerless and ill-advised. Here, you might want to keep your thoughts to yourself, lest the chef go all Gordon Ramsay on you.
St. Louis restaurant openings, closings, and coming soons
The "ins, outs, and almosts" in metro St. Louis for the past month.
Schlafly Beer challenged and redefined the status quo by creating the craft beer movement in America’s beer capital. They are committed to their legacy of authentic, high-quality, traditional craft beer.
Vin de Set, PW Pizza, and 21st Street Brewers Bar to close permanently following earlier fire
Owner Paul Hamilton says Hamilton Hospitality's other businesses—Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Hamilton’s Urban Steakhouse & Bourbon Bar, Winnie’s Wine Bar, and Moulin’s other event spaces beyond the building at 2017 Chouteau—will remain open.
Dalie’s popular Lent specials are back! Enjoy Shrimp Po’boys every Friday. Smoked Mahi Mahi Gyros and Smoked Yellow Fin Tuna Salad rotate weekly. See schedule here.
The latest edition of SLM takes a look at everything you need to know as MLS comes to St. Louis including the roster, can’t-miss match dates, and more. See inside the issue.
Share your thoughts, and let us know about a dining topic you'd like us to cover by replying to this email or using the button below. (Please use “Dining Newsletter” in the subject line.) We look forward to hearing from you!
ENJOYING THIS NEWSLETTER? SHARE IT WITH SOMEONE YOU KNOW.
CLICK TO INSTANTLY SUBSCRIBE TO OUR OTHER NEWSLETTERS.
-1.png?upscale=true&width=340&upscale=true&name=Lettermark_2Color%20(1)-1.png)
.jpg?upscale=true&width=1120&upscale=true&name=PresentingSponsorGraphic_600x315%20(1).jpg)
