All Entries Tagged With: "local food"
YUM! Fish Fry season opens in North County
Lent is here once again, NOCO fans, and you know what that means….fish fry time! Most of North County’s Catholic parishes are running fish fries again this year, along with several other churches and organizations. This is not a comprehensive list but it definitely includes the area’s best. If you know a fish fry that I left out, please add it to the comments.
Adult meal prices vary from $6.50 to $9, and may or may not include drink & dessert…
St. Ferdinand: 1735 Charbonier, 63031, 3-7:30pm
This granddaddy of NoCo fish fries, which the parish has been running for 40 years, is open year-round and always draws a huge crowd. The fish is excellent; the seamless assembly line is even more impressive! Open today for Ash Wednesday. Fried and Cajun catfish, fried and baked cod, shrimp, chicken, pie and more
Our Lady of Guadalupe: 1115 S. Florissant Rd, 63135, 4-8pm
If you like your fish with a Mexican twist, try this fish fry, which draws on the parish’s large Hispanic congregation. Fried cod, baked tilapia, fish tacos, shrimp, guacamole, clam chowder, baked apples, mac & cheese and quesadillas
Sacred Heart: 751 N. Jefferson, 63031, 4-7pm
Now in its second year, Sacred Heart’s fish fry is gaining quite a following. Open today for Ash Wednesday. Baked fish, fried fish, fried shrimp, mac and cheese, coleslaw, applesauce, french fries, green beans, salad and more
St. Rose Philippine Duchesne: 3500 St. Catherine, 63033, 4-7pm
I’ve gotten LOTS of emails touting the tastiness of this fish fry. Fried Alaskan cod, poppy seed coleslaw, clam chowder, French fries, green beans & hush puppies
American Legion #444: 17090 Old Jamestown, 63034, 4-7pm
Open since January, this fish fry offers a serene setting in the woods! Fish by the pound, plate or sandwich, plus spaghetti, baked beans, coleslaw and hush puppies
Holy Trinity: 3500 St. Luke, 63074, 4-7pm
Another parish with a growing Hispanic congregation, this fish fry used to feature handmade chile rellenos! I’m not sure they’ll be back this year but the menu is pretty extensive nonetheless. Grilled salmon, fried and baked cod, grilled cheese, fried catfish, grilled and fried shrimp, spaghetti, mac & cheese and applesauce
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: 1050 Smith Ave, 63135, 4-7pm
Drive-thru service is the big draw here, but you can also eat in. I’ve enjoyed this fish fry many times. Open today for Ash Wednesday. Cod, shrimp, catch of the day, two soups, pizza and more
Holy Name of Jesus: 10235 Ashbrook Dr, 63137, 3:30-6:30pm
The former St. Jerome parish supposedly serves up very good fish. Open today for Ash Wednesday. Baked or fried cod, spaghetti, green beans, coleslaw and French fries
Knights of Columbus #2951: 50 St. Francois, 63031, 3:30-7pm
The menu is simple but these guys are old pros, running their fish fry year round. Battered cod, jumbo shrimp, spaghetti, mac & cheese, green beans
Florissant General Baptist Church: 424 Graham Road, 63031, 4-7pm
Generosity is a core value at this church, where you’ll also find the Gospel Garage. That’s probably why $9 gets you all you can eat at their fish fry. Catfish, cod, chicken, hush puppies, fries, green beans, coleslaw & dessert
The SLOUP soup dinner comes to Ferguson
Sloup, a monthly soup dinner that raises money for local artists & nonprofits, will travel to Ferguson on January 29. All are welcome!
For many artists and other creative types, coming up with ideas is not the problem. It’s coming up with the money to implement the ideas that usually hits a snag. That’s where Sloup comes in.
Founded by some clever South City folks back in 2010, this monthly soup dinner tackles the challenge of funding head on, allowing regular people like you and me to pool our cash and donate it to a worthy cause. Basically, a restaurant or other locale provides the soup and bread, charging $10 a person. Then everyone at the Sloup gets a voting packet containing project proposals from local artists.
As you enjoy your soup, you can read through the various ideas. And when the meal is over, everybody votes, a winner is selected, and the top idea gets 100% of the evening’s proceeds!
During 2011, this innovative grant program helped to fund around a dozen worthy projects all over the metro area, including the Rats and People Motion Picture Orchestra, Los Caminos, and Ferguson’s own Strings Attached. Who knows what kind of genius ideas might sprout up in 2012? They might even come from you…
The Sloup is scheduled for Sunday, January 29, but you have until Friday, January 27, to submit your one-page proposal. You can check out the project archives here, then complete the following questions and send them in a PDF file to sloup2122@gmail.com.
What are you making? How will you make it? When? What’s your timeline? What’s a thing you heard/saw recently about the making of art that you embrace?
In the past, Sloup winners have received anywhere from $100 to $1,000, depending on how many people show up to eat soup. Since this is the first event held in North County, I’d love to see a packed house! Let’s break the record and help to fund an awesome creative project!
Sloup #23: The Science of Sloup will be held at St. Stephen’s Church, 33 N. Clay, 63135, with the talented Father Steve Lawler doing the cooking. If you plan to attend, please RSVP to stringsattachedproject@hotmail.com or call (314) 521-0138 and leave a message. Tickets are $10. The event runs from 6-8pm.
Taqueria El Morelia: a perfect North County lunch
When I lived in Los Angeles, there was no food more glorious than the delicious Mexican fare sold at my neighborhood taco stand. Cheap and filling, often reflecting many generations of cherished family recipes, it was always my favorite go-to lunch. That’s why I was totally psyched today to stumble upon a wonderful L.A.-style taco stand right here in North County.
My husband had to run into the El Morelia Hispanic Supermarket on the Rock Road to buy some tortillas, and was surprised to find there was a line winding out the front door. Turns out, just inside was a small makeshift cafe churning out plate after plate of fresh-made tacos, with dozens of people waiting to eat.
At least four kinds of meat were sizzling on the grill, and just in front of the cooking area was a table covered with large ceramic bowls, each generously filled with fresh toppings like cilantro, salsa and radishes. We ordered two chicken soft tacos for $1.79 each, and they arrived just a few minutes later, wrapped in steaming hot corn tortillas. Yum!
Apparently, this delightful little stand is called Taqueria El Morelia and it’s only open on the weekends, 9am to 5pm. It’s also tacos-only and cash-only, but the flavors and the atmosphere are well worth it. You can even eat there if you’d like. They have a few tables set up just inside the front door, not far from the large and beautiful Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine. Check it out…
El Morelia Super Mercado, 12005 Saint Charles Rock Road, 63044, (314) 209-0014
Head to Hendel’s on 1/24 for a night of local beer
When I’m thirsty for a good pint of local beer, Ferguson Brewing is certainly first on my list. It’s just a few blocks from my house, and I love the microbrewery atmosphere. But I have to say, the thought of drinking my favorite Ferguson beers in front of a crackling fireplace and a grand piano….well, that’s hard to beat.
That’s what you’ll find at Hendel’s Market Cafe on January 24th, when the in-house piano bar jazzes up a dull winter night with a selection of fine local beers from Ferguson Brewing. Come raise a glass (or two) with your hosts Nate and Christina, who I know will welcome you warmly.
Hendel’s is located at 599 Rue St. Denis, Old Town Florissant, 63031
Are you getting ready for the big day? NOCO is a proud sponsor of the 3rd annual Live Well Ferguson 5K