national recognition
The Good Food Foundation, based in San Francisco and started by St. Louis native Sarah Weiner, has announced the finalists for its 2018 Good Food Awards—and five local spots are in the running! Congrats to Salume Beddu, Still 630, Larder & Cupboard, Perennial Artisan Ales and Blueprint Coffee. The annual competition celebrates just what its name implies: good food made responsibly by companies across the country that embrace craftsmanship and sustainability. There were 279 food and drink crafters chosen in 15 categories. Along with the awards ceremony, the weekend event in January features a mercantile and marketplace.
years in the making
Vegans, rejoice! After five years of perfecting the recipe, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has unveiled a dairy-free version of its frozen treat: Dark Chocolate Truffle. Founder Jeni Britton Bauer maintained her practice of using whole ingredients and no synthetic flavorings to create something that tastes better than the norm. The new flavor fits the bill by using coconut cream and fair trade cocoa. Get your fix at the local Jeni’s in the CWE. Now, we really all can scream for ice cream.
good deed
Guerrilla Street Food is in the holiday spirit. It’s bringing back its ‘need a coat, take a coat’ program at its location in The Grove. Customers can drop off a coat on the rack outside, and those who need one can take it. The owners are hoping to double last year’s collection of 300 coats!
now open
Salt + Smoke opened its second location on Hampton Avenue in St. Louis Hills. … Garbanzo, a Mediterranean chain with St. Louis native James Park at its helm as CEO, has made its way to St. Louis from its birthplace in Colorado. It’s now open at 8143 Maryland Ave. in Clayton, the former home of Companion. Menu items are made from scratch and free of chemicals or additives. Ten more locations are slated to open in the area. … Zoe Robinson (owner of I Fratellini and Bar Les Freres) has taken over the former frozen yogurt spot on Wydown Boulevard with Billie-Jean, a small spot named after Robinson’s mom and dad that will serve contemporary American cuisine.
sharp skills
Artisan culinary knife company NHB Knifeworks, which operates out of its Maplewood shop, has launched a website that includes its latest line of one-of-a-kind handmade knives and six new knife shapes. Customers also will be able to shop the Live True Lifestyle Collection on the site, which features a curated collection of culinary and household products from other small batch companies.
