It’s been months since I’ve provided a freelance update, but it’s not for lack of items to share. Trust that I’ve been writing furiously about all things food and beverage in St. Louis for Sauce Magazine, as well as breaking restaurant news in Columbus and Dayton for What Now Columbus. 

 

For the November issue of Sauce Magazine, I had the honor to interview Andrew Glantz, CEO and founder of GiftAMeal, an app that lets users give to local food banks each time they dine out. In November’s column What I Do, Andrew shares his story of how he came up with the idea for GiftAMeal as a college intern and what he’s done to scale the app to what it has become today. Read that article here.

Speakeasies seem to be sweeping the country and St. Louis is right in the thick of this movement, thanks to a new upscale bar called None of the Above, coming to City Foundry STL later this year. I wrote an article about this new bar coming from highly-awarded chef and entrepreneur Gerard Craft and his team at Niche Food Group for Sauce’s website. Located in underground tunnels below the Foundry, None of the Above will embrace the history of the space and feature dark hues, wood and low lighting. Read more here.

A narwhal is a sea creature from the whale family that swims in the frigid waters near Canada, Greenland and Russia. Local cocktail bar Narwhal’s Crafted serves slushy drinks at their two locations, and this month, the team at Narwhal’s announced they’re opening a third location at The District in Chesterfield. The new location will be on a corner near the greenspace called The Hub, a spot where people mingle and watch St. Louis area televised sporting events. Learn more about the new Narwhal’s Crafted and when it will open on Sauce’s website. 

One of the things I love most about food and beverage writing is sharing the stories of local business owners who are pursuing their passion: food. When I interviewed Vinny and Christina Pelino, their excitement for creating and experiencing delicious, quality food was palpable. These two are passionate about gelato, Italian culture, and sharing their knowledge with the Columbus community through their existing restaurant Pelino’s Pasta, and their forthcoming venture called Piazza Pelino. Learn more about the gelato and focaccia concept here.

If you’ve followed me for any amount of time, you know I’m a beer girl, so when I got wind of a new brewery coming to the Columbus area that focused on science and technology based brewing techniques, I knew I wanted to write about it. Although I’m not super techy, thankfully owner Beau Warren was able to meet me where I am and explain the concept of Species X Beer Project in terms even someone as technically and science challenged as me could understand. Basically, Beau is using AI as well as genetically engineering yeast in some of his brews to create unique beers for the Columbus beer scene. Read that article here. 

Finally, when I read an article about a Columbus area farmers market vendor called Bite This By Annie, a few things reeled me in right away: bagel bombs, fudgy brownies called “Not F*cking Box Brownies,” and the fact that I could instantly pick up the authenticity and love for creating food for others that radiates off owner Annie Dickson in waves, even online. Annie’s business is shifting from farmers markets to a brick and mortar next year, and I had the pleasure of talking with her to learn all about what her brick and mortar will serve, the vibe of the space, and just learning the story of how she got started. Read about Bite This By Annie on the What Now Columbus website.  

Like I said, I’ve been busy writing, and although these are by no means all of the articles I’ve written lately, they’re a highlight of this job I feel blessed to have. If you have a tip or know of a food business you think I should write about, reach out to me through my Contact page and give me a heads up!