After months of dealing with pandemic-related shutdowns and shortages, I’m ready to celebrate the season safely and make merry. As always, I will celebrate with food, seasonal foods I can also gift to my culinary comrades.
My list for this year’s Gazelle festive food finds take on special meaning this year. All of my picks come from local businesses – mostly small businesses – and culinary destinations, which could use your support to help deliver a happier holiday and hope for a brighter new year.
The Crossing’s Barrel-Aged Whiskey: Excellent on the rocks or served neat, this is a special treat created by The Crossing’s owner, Jim Fiala. The Crossing has taken Buffalo Trace Bourbon and blended it with its own house-smoked maple syrup, added orange bitters and aged it in oak barrels. The result is heavenly. And it’s a gift bourbon fans and connoisseurs will welcome.
Joyeux Noel Yule Logs and Quiche: Celebrate Christmas with the help of Nathaniel Reid Bakery by adding two of its French classics to your menu. First, consider its yule log, a signature holiday dessert made with dark chocolate mousse, salted chocolate crémeux, speculoos crumble and chocolate cake. For a no-hassle holiday brunch, Reid is offering four different quiches. Both the yule log and quiche are delightful French pastries that bring a delightful balance of savory and sweet to add to the menu.
S’mores Kits and Hot Chocolate Bombs: Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery offers hot chocolate bombs made with French imported Valrhona gourmet cocoa with flavors that are both naughty (with booze) and nice (without). I recommend boozy Chocolate Cherry Bomb filled with cherry vodka and chocolate liqueur or Boozy Brunch Bomb with Amaretto, Irish cream liqueur and hazelnut liqueur. S’mores Kits is a nondairy addition that is just as decadent as any of Clementine’s ice creams. Packaged with dark chocolate, homemade marshmallows and graham crackers, all you will need is the fire to start the fun.
Seasonal Steaks: I’ve missed dining inside the dining rooms of my favorite restaurants, especially steakhouses where sizzling steaks and succulent prime rib are the center of the plate. However, I can grill the same restaurant-grade steak for myself and Santa with the help of Kern Meat Co. Kern provides many of St. Louis’ famous steakhouses and restaurants with steaks and chops, which makes its steak gift boxes a must for your favorite carnivore. Also offered are classic holiday cuts, like Standing Prime Rib Roasts, which for me promises to make sheltering in a little merrier. Orders are taken online and can be picked up curbside at the new Bridgeton facility.
Union Station’s Grand Hall’s Holiday Lunch and Lights: Lights, lunch and libations are the star attraction each Saturday and Sunday at St. Louis Union Station’s Grand Hall, through Dec. 20. À la carte lunches and seasonal sips, such as Caramel Hot Toddies and Jingle Juice (Christmas rum punch) are paired with its annual holiday-themed light show projected on the barrel-vaulted ceiling.
Frosted Holiday Cocktails: Last year’s Tower Grove Park’s frosted cocktail event has been reimagined as Frosted at Home. Cocktail boxes are ordered online at frostedstl.com, which feature custom cocktails from STL Barkeep, beer from Schlafly and snacks from Pretzel Boys. Each box also includes access to a one-hour online show featuring cocktail demonstrations, holiday music and stand-up comedy performances. Proceeds benefit Tower Grove Park.
Chef-Curated Gift Bundles: Grab-and-go gift bundles are baskets filled with ingredients from Global Foods Market representing favorite ingredients from St. Louis chefs. Each bundle basket includes chef recipes that complement the ingredients found in each basket. Counted among this year’s chefs are Balkan Treat Box’s Loryn Nalic, Indo’s Nick Bognar and Mission Taco Joint’s Jason Tilford. Chef bundles are available until Dec. 31. Best yet, Global Foods will donate 10% of each chef’s bundle sold to support each chef’s restaurant employees during the holiday season.
Tasteful Reads: Gourmets and gourmands agree: The only thing better than eating and drinking is reading about eating and drinking. On the reading list for this year are three books by local authors that will satisfy most any foodie – “Candy Man: The Story of Switzer’s Licorice” by Patrick Murphy and “The Hill: St. Louis’ Italian American Neighborhood” by Lynnmarie Alexander, which includes recipes from Hill chefs and home cooks. Ann Lemons Pollack’s “Iconic Restaurants of St. Louis” is a personal favorite. It’s a delightful read with all the spice of a good ragout, featuring savory tales of shuttered and current eateries, with a bonus chapter of recipes.
Gifts to Eat Up: Finally, topping my list of food gifts to buy for myself and others are gift cards and certificates for local restaurants, independent grocers and food shops. Now, more than ever, is the time to support our restaurants. Gift cards are one of the best ways to support and show love to our food community and help them have a happy holiday season.
