Located inside the former Carondelet Bakery in South St Louis City is where the magic happens. It’s now the home of Sugarwitch, an incredibly popular ice cream sandwich business started by Sophie Mendelson and Martha Bass. 
They first created the idea in Columbia, turning to nostalgic flavors but with a creative spin. And the creativity continues with the names, each sandwich named for a witch. 
The Ursula is their most popular. They partner with other local businesses like Coffeestamp for their Hermione sandwich, which involves a cold brew ice cream encased in a toffee brownie. 
In this episode, we talk about the path to success and the constant search for inspiration, plus why your favorite flavor just might not work as an ice cream sandwich. But they’re definitely down to try. Let’s meet Sophie and Martha.

Sugarwitch’s brick-and-mortar is open Friday through Monday, but you can also find the magical ice cream sandwiches at Tower Grove farmer’s market!

Episode 232: Sugarwitch

Located inside a historic home in a neighborhood in Webster Groves sits a little oasis. A cafe and garden shop all in one. 

Maypop opened five years ago on Mother’s Day weekend. It’s the busiest time of year for a plant store and the staff wants to help you feel like whatever your gardening level is, you can plant something and keep it thriving. 

We sat down with McKenzie Leek to talk about everything you need to know to garden this spring, whether you have a big yard or just a container on your patio. 

In the cafe, they serve up Blueprint coffee and pastries from local bakeries. Perfect to sit and plan out your gardening adventures. Let’s get some inspiration and meet McKenzie.

Episode 234: Maypop Coffee + Garden Shop

Heidi Hamamura owns Taberu a catering company creating works of art made with sushi. Heidi started in the restaurant business early, growing up in her father’s kitchens. With a fine dining experience and a love for visually beautiful food, her sushi platters and sushi cakes take social media by storm. Instagram is where she runs most of her business and she shares how her dreams of owning a restaurant evolved into where she is now. When she’s not spending 15 hours slicing fish, she’s training to be a kickboxer, a mentality that helps her both in and out of the kitchen. Let’s meet Heidi. 

You can find her Instagram at @taberu_stl

Episode 237:Taberu

Five years ago we sat down at the Four Seasons Hotel, the construction was underway at Cinder House, the latest endeavor from Chef and Restaurateur Gerard Craft. It was the very first episode of The Meet St. Louis Podcast. Five years later, we’ve shared more than 240 episodes, introducing you to hundreds of chefs, brewers and small business owners. It has been so much fun to share their stories, their journeys and introduce you all to someplace new and amazing in St. Louis. But a lot happens in five years so we wanted to sit back down with Gerard to catch up. He’s opened more restaurants and closed others… and took on the epic title of Chief Flavor Officer for St. Louis City SC, putting our soccer stadium on the national stage for more than just the action on the pitch. We dive into the big questions about the restaurant industry – how it's changed and evolved. Plus we find out how someone who’s championed our hospitality scene and helped put St. Louis on the map defines success and failure. Let’s once again meet Gerard.

Thank you for listening and tuning into the Meet St. Louis podcast each week. 5 years in and we’re just getting started.

5 Year Anniversary Episode: Gerard Craft Revisited

Autumn Sij and Dave Blum might not strike you as your typical farmers. And they’ll be the first to admit it. That’s also because they never planned to become farmers; the idea happened organically back in 2011. Such and Such Farm came about with no experience, just a desire to try living a better way of life. But the couple has a way with people, and by building connections, specifically in the restaurant community, their farm in De Soto grew and blossomed. They grow unique produce and raise animals specifically for chefs and restaurants. And a pandemic pivot created a new venture – farm dinners on their property featuring some of the best chefs in the area utilizing the ingredients grown and raised on the land. Let's meet Autumn and Dave.

To learn more about the farm dinners, check out Homie Hospitality for the schedule of dinners from August to November. You can find more information on their website: HomieHospitality.com

Episode 247: Such and Such Farm

Family owned and family grown. That’s the motto at Noboleis Winery in Augusta. We headed out to Missouri Wine Country to meet the sisters running the vineyard. Their mom and dad purchased the land in 2005, and together as a family, it's grown into a business producing 30 wines and expanding into new markets. Angie Geis and Chris Newbold share their family’s story, the trials and errors and what it means to be a part of the country’s oldest wine region in America. Of course, many people think of California or Oregon for wine, but Missouri’s wine-making history dates back to 1836. But to ensure its future, it will require a vision like what the family is creating at Nobolies, and they can’t wait to introduce you to their wine.

Episode 248: Noboleis Winery

Two years ago, the Foundry opened its doors in Midtown. The food hall had big plans to help revitalize this part of St. Louis City, and step onto the 15-acre property, and you can see they’re succeeding. In addition to the sprawling food hall with more than a dozen local spots, there’s retail, offices, Alamo Drafthouse movie theatre, Puttshack, City Winery and more. It’s 85 percent occupied, with the anticipation it will be nearly filled by the end of the year. We’ve shared the stories of several of the spots on this podcast, from Kalbi Taco Shack to Polished Prints to 4 Hens, but there are more stories to tell! So this week, we have a dual episode for you. First, we’re starting off with the couple behind STL Toasted, a food stand focusing on the St. Louis delicacy. It was an idea that came to be after a near tragedy, and the couple found themselves a place at St. Louis Foundry. Next, hear from one of the retail options and why Gerard Ewing knew The Foundry was the only option for their store Sanctioned Sneaker Collective.

Episode 249: The Foundry – Two Years In

Located in the heart of Webster Groves sits a bookshop beloved by locals. But online Novel Neighbor’s reach goes even farther, garnering a huge social media presence thanks in part to BookTok, a social media community passionate about reading. In a time when the internet is having a negative impact on our locally owned bookstores, shops like Novel Neighbor are using it to reach new audiences, audiences who are making St. Louis a destination just to visit a favorite bookstore. Director of Events Stephanie Skees and Director of Marketing Kassie King joined us on this week’s episode of the podcast to talk all things books. The importance of independent bookstores in a community, the impact of author events and the joy they get from helping someone discover a new world through the pages of a great book.

Episode 251: Novel Neighbor

Some people in the food world might scoff at the term fusion – but for Kurt Eller, it's about a collection of memories from different places. That’s the vision behind the tacos at his incredibly popular spot – Taco Buddha. The University City location has seen major success over the years and this summer, they opened a second location in Kirkwood. Serving up tacos inspired from Kurt’s upbringing in Austin TX and his love of global flavors. But the real success at his restaurants, he says, is his team. We sat down at their original location to talk about how he dove back into the restaurant world, the inspiration behind his menu and staff that’s become family.

Episode 252: Taco Buddha

Tis the season for shopping, and this podcast is always about shopping local. Whether it's on Small Business Saturday or any day of the year, your effort to purchase from a local business can make all the difference. That’s the message John and Kelley Barr share on this week’s episode. The couple has slowly been renovating and revitalizing the Old Orchard neighborhood in Webster Groves. They own Frisco Barroom, Civil Alchemy and The Annex, plus a brand new ice cream shop. Their vision has always been to create a main street like feel for the community. From a coffee shop to the neighborhood tavern to a general store where you can find functional but beautiful things, each spot helps further their vision.

Episode 255: Civil Alchemy + The Annex

The Scarato brothers own Anthonino’s Taverna on The Hill. It combines both their heritages: Greek and Italian, and even after 20 years in business, they're still the new guys on the block when it comes to this historic neighborhood. But they’ve made their stamp on St. Louis and beyond... in part thanks to Guy Fieri; His episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives still brings people from across the country and the world to their corner restaurant. The toasted raviolis may be what gets people in the door, but these brothers say there’s a lot more to keep customers coming back.

Episode 256: Anthonino's

Happy New Year from the Meet St Louis Podcast. We can’t wait to continue sharing the stories behind the places you love in our region. It’s a new year, and there’s so much to look forward to. Including the opening of new spots around town. This week we sat down with Steven O’Loughlin, the president of Lodging Hospitality Management. LHM is the team behind many of your favorite spots in St. Louis and they’re expanding west. The company was behind the revamp and restoration of St Louis Union Station – bringing the aquarium and The Wheel and soon a few new attractions. They brought you 360 in Downtown and The Soda Fountain, and now both of those concepts will expand to Westport Plaza in Maryland Heights. We sat down with Steve to talk about the expansions and take us back to the beginning of his hospitality career, which started at Stouffers, a name many in St. Louis might recall and know now as the vacant Millennium Hotel. He’s been in the hotel and restaurant industry for decades and shares the ins and outs in this week’s episode.

The new Soda Fountain at Westport is now open, and the new 360 is expected to open later this month.

Episode 260: Lodging Hospitality Management

Hello Juice is a health-focused smoothing and juice bar with locations in The Grove and Kirkwood. Husband and wife duo Jen and Jon Maness took over the company in 2019. They’ll be the first to admit they jumped in without any real background in the health and wellness scene. Jon says he doesn’t really like fruits and vegetables. But the couple dove in head first, and despite challenges, they’re working to help people in St. Louis live a healthier life. With the start of the new year comes new year’s resolutions and we sat down at Hello Juice to talk about tips for finding a healthy balance, their advice for eating better and how their new food delivery service could help. Plus they get candid on the challenges of doing it all.

Episode 261: Hello Juice

Stanley Brown and Frank Romano go way back. They’re long-time friends, former co-workers, and fellow Webster Groves restaurant owners. So it felt like a perfect fit when the corner at Gore and Lockwood, which housed CJ Muggs, became available. Stanley owns Robust Bistro and Wine Bar, and Frank owns The Parkmoor; both have worked in the hospitality industry in St. Louis for decades. They decided to bring their expertise together to create an upscale casual Italian restaurant. But they wanted to take Italian back to what it was meant to be, where everything is made from scratch and takes a more traditional approach. The result was Madrina which opened its door in November and is finding its rhythm in Webster Groves, a dining destination in the St. Louis region. We talk food, wine, design and longevity in this episode.

Episode 262: Madrina

St Louis loves fried chicken. It’s a lesson John Perkins learned years ago when he held a pop-up for a Southern concept that would eventually inspire Juniper. Last year he closed Juniper, the acclaimed Central West end restaurant and transitioned it to Sunday Best. Walking inside the restaurant, the changes might be subtle, but it's meant to be a more casual spot with the opportunity to expand and grow across the region. It’s not a change John made lightly, but it was one initiated by necessity. From starting off with underground pop-ups to the changing restaurant business and the perspective he’s gained over the years, we get candid in this week’s episode.

Episode 263: Sunday Best

A desire for more is what launched Cathy Jenkins into a new career later in life. She was in the kitchen one day and decided she wanted to open a restaurant. It started right there, and now she’s about to open her second location of Cathy’s Kitchen. The first is a staple in the Historic downtown Ferguson area. It’s survived protests and shattered windows and a pandemic. Cathy says none of it would be possible without the love and support of the community and her family. That decision more than a decade ago has led to once-in-a-lifetime opportunities and celebrity friends. She shares the journey and some funny stories with us on this week’s episode.

Episode 264: Cathy's Kitchen

Party Hop is sort of a one-stop shop for the big celebrations in your life. The owners – Ashely Detweiler and Ashley Roberts, started the company because they saw a need. They were moms planning tons of parties, and there wasn’t a super easy way to get all the fun products. So while their initial idea for Party Hop started with pre-made kits, it soon ballooned into something more. I say that because they’re really known for their balloons now. Something both will admit they had no experience with. In our conversation, that becomes a theme. These are two entrepreneurs that never let the idea of no experience stop them. They learned along the way and now teach others.

Episode 265: Party Hop

James Beard Award Winning Chef Kevin Nashan isn’t from St. Louis but after working at some of the best restaurants around the world, this is the city he chose to plant roots and open his restaurants. 

He took over Sidney Street Café in 2003 and incorporated his vision into the beloved Benton park restaurant. Now it’s synonymous with special occasions and considered one of the best restaurants in town. He opened Peacemaker down the street in 2014 with a different vibe and very different menu. 

Now he continues to grow his concept, partnering with 4 Hands Brewing and expanding to other states. Kevin Nashan shares his journey from a teenager working in his family’s restaurant to becoming a mentor to chefs in St. Louis.

Episode 266: Kevin Nashan

The idea 'Stay Civil' is one we could all use a little more of in today’s day and age. That’s the motto at the South City brewery Civil Life. Founded in 2011 by Jake Hafner, Mike Bianco and Dylan Mosley, the brewery is known for their malt-driven beers. Their best seller and crowd favorite is the Civil Life Brown. It’s a beer head brewer Dylan never imagined would take off in the way that it has. Dylan and Mike sat down with us inside the wood-filled cozy pub to talk about how it all began with home brewing and how it’s transformed into what it is today – a brewery with a solid food menu, classic beers and one of the best outdoor patios around.

You know we love a good chat with St. Louis’ best brewers, we’d love to know where’s your favorite brewery in town. Let us know on social media – find us on Facebook and Instagram at Meet St. Louis podcast. And let us know what brewery we need to visit for our next podcast.

Episode 267: Civil Life

Ice – it’s water frozen into a solid state. Seems pretty basic. But Jordan Goodman, who’s spent much of his career behind a bar, will tell you it can make or break drink. We sat down with Jordan at his soon-to-open cocktail bar and restaurant Good Company in the Grove Neighborhood of St. Louis. But we start the conversation with a focus on Good Ice. That’s the name of his company that crafts artisan ice for some of our city’s best bars and restaurants. A special process that creates crystal-clear ice. You might be thinking, how can you make a whole business out of ice? Well, you’re about to find out.

Episode 268: Good Ice

If you've been to the Tower Grove Farmer's Market, you've likely seen the line wrap around one of the booths. At the booth, you'll find bread, donuts, and hand pies. That's what Madeline Hissong started with when she launched her business Damn Fine Hand Pies. Despite the popularity, she still recalls with clarity her first customer. Now, Madeline and her business partner Gene Bailey are gearing up to open their brick-and-mortar bakery in the Shaw neighborhood of South St. Louis - just a few blocks from where it all began at Tower Grove Park. The two joined us on the podcast to talk pies and bread, the dreams and the challenges, and what you can expect from their shop.

You can learn more and order from the bakery through their Instagram page: Instagram.com/DamnFineHandPies

Episode 269: Damn Fine Hand Pies

Jackie Price found a love of cooking when she was a young teen. And while she loved working in a restaurant, her true passion she found was teaching others. She saw a need in the St. Louis community for more hands-on cooking classes, and the Fennel Cooking Studio was born. Little did she know just how much of a demand there would be. Classes sell out and people are setting alarms to secure a spot when the new batch opens each month. We sat down in the bright and cheery classroom space of her Midtown St. Louis studio to talk about building her business, her favorite things about teaching, and a new partnership she has with the Tower Grove farmers market helping St. Louisians learn how to cook what's in season each week.

Episode 270: Fennel Cooking School

Sugarfire is a BBQ staple in St. Louis. From their brisket to their wild named specials, there’s a reason they’ve been winning awards for over a decade. Now we had owner Mike Johnson on the Meet St. Louis podcast way back in the beginning. All the way back on episode 50. So now, on Episode 271 we’re revisiting the beloved BBQ spot. But this time were talking to the woman of Sugarfire. The 14th location just opened in Florissant, and it’s the first with a majority female ownership group. Corporate Chef Kat Wallace, Director of Hospitality Veronica Schuster and Operations Manager Montana Patterson. The three sat down to talk about working in a male-dominated industry, how they work together as a team and the launch of the first Sugarfire location in North County.

Episode 271: Sugarfire

Baseball is back, St. Louis. There’s nothing quite like Busch Stadium, and there’s no greater fans in baseball than Cardinals fans. And for 10 years, Ballpark Village has been the next-door neighbor to the one and only St Louis Cardinals. In celebration of the start of the season and to commemorate 10 years, we sat down with Mike Lamartina, the Chief Operating Officer, to talk about it all. We discuss the significance of the work-play-live concept of BPV, how they’re preparing to celebrate a decade in business and how they continue to grow and expand. Ballpark Village lives and breaths Cardinals, as well as sports in general in St. Louis, but they also have to think beyond baseball for many months of the year. You can find local favorites like Salt and Smoke, Katie’s Pizza and Pasta and Arch Apparel. The full calendar of events can be found: https://www.stlballparkvillage.com/events

Episode 272: Ballpark Village

If you’ve driven down Manchester Road recently in The Grove neighborhood you might have noticed a new building with a big N-G on the outside. Inside is a unique greenhouse using hydroponic farming to grow the freshest lettuce around. Neon Green just opened, and owner Josh Smith hopes to make some big changes to the way we eat, think and grow our food. The St. Louis native moved to New York to be a set designer for television and movies, but the pandemic created a pivot. The pivot eventually brought him home to St. Louis to open Neon Green, a made-to-order craft salad eatery. We’re taking you behind the scenes in this week’s episode of how they’re taking farm-to-table to the next level.

Episode 273: Neon Greens

Soulard Farmer’s Market is one of the most treasured and historic spots in St. Louis. It’s been in operation since 1779, when farmers would gather in the area to sell their goods. Fast forward to now and there are 146 stands with a waitlist of dozens of people who want to sell at the market in the heart of the city. 

This week, we sat down with the market manager Bob Ray and the co-owners of Soulard Spice Shop, Miriam Schnur and Dana Frenzel. The spice shop is one of the long-time vendors, selling spices since the 1920 and it’s always got a line on weekends when Soulard Market sees 10 thousand shoppers. 

We talk about the past, the present and the future of the market.
 
The Soulard Farmer’s Market is open Wednesday – Saturday.

Episode 274: Soulard Farmer’s Market

Chef Mike Risk heads up the kitchen at Clover and the Bee and O + O Pizza in Webster Groves. He’s part of the O + O Hospitality family that’s found huge success with some of the best restaurants in town. But Mike got his story early in life, starting off in his first kitchens as a teenager. It was the iconic Trattoria Marcella that changed his life. Italian is his passion, and it’s what inspires his work at O + O. But a recent diagnosis with multiple sclerosis is changing everything. We sat down with Mike to talk about what it means for him in the kitchen, how he’s found balance over the years as a chef and a father and why food sparks so much joy for him.

Episode 275: Chef Mike Risk

Step inside Casa Don Alfonso at the Ritz Carlton in Clayton and your eyes are instantly drawn to the open kitchen. Inside, you’ll watch them craft and create fresh made pasta, on the walls are hand painted tiles. It’s all part of Mario Laccarino's mission to bring you to his homeland of Italy. To his family. The Italian restauranteur is in town from his home in Positano to visit his one and only restaurant in the US. And it’s right here in St. Louis. The Michelin-starred restauranteur sat down with us on the Meet St Louis podcast to share how he came to open Casa Don Alfonso in Missouri, where the recipes come from, and his favorite thing to hear from his customers when he visits.

Episode 276: Casa Don Alfonso

When Steph Hampton started hiking with her kids, she never imagined she’d create an entire community of people who just want to get outside and explore. But that’s exactly what has happened. Her friends called her the park lady, now she inspires thousands to explore St. Louis and beyond. Her Instagram is Explore STL Parks, and she vividly remembers hitting 100 followers. Now she’s at almost 100K. We sat down with Steph, a mom of four, to talk about getting outdoors, the vast number of parks to explore in Missouri and Illinois and how to get over the fear or apprehension of taking your kids on a hike.

You can learn more about the parks we discuss in this episode and how to join the family hiking group by heading to Steph’s Instagram page, @explorestlparks

Episode 277: Explore STL Parks

Located in a storefront on Cherokee Street in South St. Louis City is a place where Reginald Quarles says all are welcome. Teatopia is a tea shop and café serving up nearly 100 varieties of tea. The business came out of tragedy, Reginald says he soon realized life is too short not to chase your dreams. So with the love of tea, and passion to create a safe space for all, he opened his doors in 2017. Seven years later and he’s still learning. But it’s all with the mission to serve his mission, brewing better lives one leaf at a time.

https://www.teatopiastl.com/

Episode 278: Teatopia

St. Louis is a place full of incredible food, interesting businesses, some of the nation's best breweries and some of the country's most creative people. Meet St. Louis is the podcast taking you behind the scenes with the brewers, chefs, entrepreneurs, and artists who make St. Louis more than just the Arch.

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