Category: News and Features

Posted in News and Features

Where to Dine Along the Katy Trail

Posted on by Amanda

During the summertime I love to be outside. Yes, this time of year can be hot and muggy, and you may encounter your fair share of insects during a Missouri summer, but you can also hit trails, swim in rivers, creeks, and lakes, and take in nature.  And since Franklin County is near the Katy Trail, it provides the perfect opportunity to walk, jog, or bike on the scenic trail. However, if you’re anything like me, all that fresh air, sunshine, and movement can make you hungry and thirsty. 

If you’ve never ventured off the trail for food or drinks, please find some suggestions of places to visit that are near the Katy Trail trailheads that are in the Warren, Franklin, and St. Charles County areas.

On the Warren County side at the Marthasville Trailhead, you’ll want to make sure you hit Depot Street and stop by Country Grounds Coffee Shop for an iced coffee, tea, energy drink, or pastry.

Country Grounds Coffee Shop in Marthasville serves coffee, energy drinks, and teas. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

And if you’re hungry for an actual meal, then you’ll also want to check out Philly’s Pizza or Mavericks, both of which are also located on Depot Street in Marthasville. Or, head up First Street to Cory’s Twin Gables, at the corner of First Street and Highway 94.

And on the Franklin County side of the Katy Trail check out Dutzow Deli. You can see this eatery from the Dutzow Trailhead, and its menu features breakfast items, sandwiches, salads and a variety of other meal choices.

If you want to adventure further along the trail into St. Charles County, you can venture into the Defiance and Augusta areas. In Defiance, you will find Good News Brewing, located parallel to the trail. The brewery serves craft beer as well as small bites like wood-fired pizza. There’s also Circle 6, serving items like burgers and fries. 

Just a short distance off the Augusta Trailhead, you’ll find a number of choices, like Augusta Winery, Good News Brewing’s Augusta location, Root Food + Wine, and Augusta Bakery & Coffee Shop. 

The Socialite suggests you stop into some of these small locally owned coffee shops and restaurants the next time you’re on the Katy Trail. 

Posted in News and Features

The Ramblin’ Rooster Food Truck is Serving Up Chicken Sandwiches, Strips, and Wings

Posted on by Amanda

I love supporting local food trucks and one in particular has been on my radar for a long time, and that truck is Ramblin’ Rooster. Serving fried chicken items like wings, chicken sandwiches, and chicken strips, the menu also features slaw, fries, and mac and cheese, plus snacks, like fried pickles, hush puppies, and fried mushrooms, and kid meals. 

Recently I was at an event and the Ramblin’ Rooster food truck happened to be there too and I just knew that I had to try it. And I’m so glad I did. As I read through the menu options, I admit I debated a bit on what to order, but that was okay because I had plenty of time to kill since there was a long line. I don’t say that to complain. I view long food lines, especially when people are often waiting outside in the elements, as a sign that the food is off the charts good!

And as I looked through the menu options one sandwich choice stuck out to me since I am a sucker for that delicious creamy Southern treat known as pimento cheese, and when I saw the pimento cheese chicken sandwich, I was all about it.

The Pimento Picker chicken sandwich comes with fried onions, pickles, and a slathering of pimento cheese. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

The sandwich combines a tender, flavorful chicken breast complete with creamy pimento cheese, pickles, and fried onions, served on a soft, brioche bun. I ordered my sandwich with fries and a side of ranch for dunking, because ranch dressing is one of the things that makes life wonderful.

Fries with a side of ranch. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

My husband ordered the wings with no sides, because he’s that serious. I think I’ve shared this before but it bears repeating: my husband is wild about wings. Side note, you’ll probably see us sampling all the deliciousness at Wing Fest this September in Union. They came just the way he likes ’em, well sauced and fried until nicely golden. My husband loved the wings, and he even let me try one. Guys, he really loves me! Joking aside, they were really yummy, tender chicken inside, but slightly crispy on the outside.

Wings tossed in buffalo sauce. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

There’s a number of sauces for your wings, like the Asian zinger, buffalo, and BBQ, to name a few. He chose the buffalo sauce which I thought had a unique depth of flavor, with a hint of smokiness rather than lots of heat. Hubs said he’s never straying from ordering the wings, (he liked them that much!). However, my next order will be the chicken strips and mac and cheese, which looked divine. 

If you see the Ramblin’ Rooster at an event, run don’t walk, to try their chicken! Be sure to follow the Ramblin’ Rooster on Facebook to stay up to date on where to find the delicious eats.

 The Socialite recommends Ramblin’ Rooster food truck.

Posted in News and Features

Whisked by Krystal is Whipping Up All the Yummy Things!

Posted on by Amanda

I’m a farmers market kind of gal: I love getting up close and personal with the items I’m buying as well as meeting local makers, bakers, farmers, and vendors. So, in the spring of 2024 when I found a new to me sourdough business called Whisked by Krystal at the St. Clair Farmers Market, I was excited to meet and chat with the self-taught baker.

Although I wasn’t looking for freshly baked bread or delicious sweet baked goodies at that first meeting, they looked so amazing, I bought some things anyway…and I was instantly hooked! While her menu can vary at each market, the typical offerings are items like bread loaves, such as the beautiful artisan style depicted below, to French bread, or sweets like cinnamon rolls and the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever eaten. Seriously, they’re soft, buttery, with that just right salty-sweet balance.

Loaves of sourdough bread. Photo via Whisked by Krystal on Facebook.

While this cottage baker doesn’t have a traditional brick and mortar, she is often set up at the St. Clair Farmers Market, which happens on the first and third Saturdays at the Elks Lodge in St. Clair. In addition to the loaves of bread, cookies, and other treats she sells at the farmers market, Krystal also does custom orders, like cakes and cupcakes for birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, and other celebrations. While I have never tried one of her cakes, photos of her creations look divine 😀

A custom cake made for an anniversary celebration. Photo via Whisked by Krystal on Facebook.

The Socialite suggests you check out Whisked by Krystal on Facebook to learn more!

Posted in News and Features

La Finca Coffee in Eureka: Serving Up Coffee and Food With Latin Flavors

Posted on by Amanda

Being that I’m a coffee aficionado, I like to try as many coffee shops as I can, and sometimes that means exploring in areas outside of Franklin County. When I’m headed that way, one of my favorite places to stop for an iced latte and food is La Finca Coffee in Old Town Eureka.

The coffee shop is in a charming and walkable part of Eureka, on Central Avenue, a street that has shops and a few other eateries. Although I was bummed (and still am) when La Finca Coffee closed the doors on its short-lived Washington location at the end of 2024, it’s definitely worth the trip to Eureka to enjoy a cup of their coffee.

An iced churro cold brew with cold foam on the left and iced latte with housemade coconut syrup on the right. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

Besides coffee, the drink menu also features teas like matcha and chai, along with smoothies and bottled sodas like Mexican Coca Cola and Jarritos. There’s a lot more than just drinks on the menu, so it’s hard to pass up ordering a snack or full meal whenever I visit. While their empanadas and pastries are divine, when I am there during breakfast hours, my husband and I can’t resist splitting the breakfast burrito, made with refried beans, eggs, chorizo, and cheese.

The breakfast burrito from La Finca Coffee is large enough to share, or save half for another meal. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

Although it’s really tasty, it’s so huge we always split the burrito. However, on our last visit, we deviated from this plan because the menu now features a housemade sourdough bagel sandwich. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try the sandwich made from a sourdough sharp cheddar bagel that has a fried egg, mayo, lettuce, bacon, and what I believe was cubed jamón, a dry-cured ham that is typically produced in Spain.

The housemade sourdough bagel sandwich at La Finca Coffee in Eureka. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

With two kinds of pork, eggs, and cheese, plus the subtle tang from the sourdough, the flavors on the breakfast sandwich are sooo, so good. And it’s also quite large. We cut it in half so we could split it as well.

The only things I would do differently next time, is not order two breakfasts, since we took food home, and also request that the bagel be toasted/heated for a shorter amount of time, since the cheese that’s baked into the bagel got a little too crispy for my liking and made it a slightly tougher bite than I prefer.

The breakfast menu also features eggs benedict and heuvos rancheros, while the lunch offerings range from the Cuban sandwich, which is amazing and you guessed it, large enough to share! There are also street tacos and quesabirria tacos, a chicken salad sandwich, and asada fries, which are fries topped with carne asada, cheese, pico, and cream, these are on my list to try soon!

The next time you’re near Eureka, I hope you’ll stop by this great eatery.

The Socialite recommends La Finca Coffee!

The details:
104 S. Central Avenue, Eureka
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