Tag: food

Posted in News and Features

Find Food, Drinks, and Elegant, Rustic Vibes at Triple 3 Vineyard in Washington

Posted on by Amanda

It’s prime time for dining al fresco, and we’re blessed with a number of wineries here in Missouri, which typically have outdoor dining options that often feature picturesque views of the rolling hills located throughout the Show Me State. Triple 3 Vineyard is located just minutes from downtown Washington, yet offers its guests a relaxed, rural atmosphere.

With its multiple seating areas that offer an elegant, yet rustic vibe, both inside and out, it’s a great place to meet friends or enjoy a romantic date. I recently spent a Saturday afternoon with friends at Triple 3, and although it was my first time just hanging out at the winery, it wasn’t my first visit. The establishment is also an event venue and is often the site of weddings, banquets, fundraising dinners, and more, so I was already familiar with the space as I’d spent time at an event held in the gorgeous Trinity Hall.

If you plan to come to the winery to enjoy some food and drinks, you can expect a wide selection of wines, of course, but its drink menu also features cocktails, beer, and soft drinks. If you’re a loyal reader of the website, then you already know I’m a craft beer chick, so on my visit I enjoyed a can of local craft brand Deep Sleep Brewing’s Helles lager, but the menu also features domestic beers as well.

When it comes to the food menu, there’s a number of starters that are sized to share with others, such as the charcuterie board, Bavarian garlic pretzel (which is almost as big as a car steering wheel!), and more. Since I was there with a group, I got to sample a couple of shareable items that someone else ordered like the bruschetta and pretzel. Both were absolutely tasty, with the bruschetta topped with cherry tomatoes, pesto, and a generous drizzle of balsamic, while the Bavarian pretzel was soft, yet chewy, and had a delectable buttery garlic flavor.

In addition to the starters, there are some main course items like salads, sandwiches, and flatbreads. While I really debated on about four different items: the Greek salad, Reuben sandwich, Texas bistro sandwich (made with brisket), and the hot Hawaiian flatbread, the latter won out. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a good flatbread.

Hot Hawaiian flatbread at Triple 3 Vineyard. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

Let me start off by saying this is definitely large enough to feed two people, and I did end up sharing my flatbread! The delightfully crispy crust was topped with ham, bacon, red onion, pineapple, mozzarella, Baklouti oil, which gives the olive oil a yummy green chili flavor, as well as jalapeños, and is finished with dollops of a smoky and slightly sweet barbecue sauce. I love the salty, sweet, spicy, smoke flavors that this combination brings, so if you’ve got a similar palate, I think you’ll really dig the Hot Hawaiian.

If you’re team “no pineapple on pizza” or can’t handle spiciness, don’t worry, there’s a few other flatbread selections that are topped with brisket, or Italian meats like salami, pepperoni, plus bacon, or the Portobello and bacon option.

Whether you take my food or drink suggestions or not, I do hope you’ll get out and support some of the fabulous locally-owned dining options we have in our area!

The Socialite recommends Triple 3 Vineyard!

The details:
3665 Sunny Road, Washington
Visit Triple 3 Vineyard’s website
Find the winery on Facebook
Follow Triple 3 on Instagram

Posted in News and Features

Holy Smokes! The Socialite Tries the Barbecue at Red, White, and Brew in Union

Posted on by Amanda

Missouri is known for its barbecue, from the pork steaks and ribs popular in St. Louis, to Kansas City’s thick, sweet sauce that coats smoked meats. And in between these major cities, there are small and medium-sized towns with tasty barbecue joints. Franklin County is home to a few barbecue spots, but after a few people mentioned how great the barbecue is at Red, White, and Brew Coffee Company in Union, I knew I had to try it out.

While the business is open mornings for coffee and breakfast, at the time of this article’s publication, Red, White, and Brew is only open all day on Fridays, which is when it serves its barbecue menu of pulled pork sandwiches, pulled pork nachos, pulled pork tacos, and loaded baked potatoes. In addition to their brick and mortar space, Red, White, and Brew also serves its barbecue from a food trailer that is often found at area events like the City of Union Farmers Market.

When I stopped in last Friday, I ordered the tacos, which are sold in pairs, and are the smaller, street taco size. Although they come in a smaller soft shell, they’re pretty filling since each taco is loaded up with meat and toppings.

The pulled pork tacos come topped with pico de gallo, cheese, and an avocado ranch crema. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

The soft shell is a bit sturdier, like a smaller version of pita bread, and that provided a solid structure for the jam-packed yumminess inside. Each taco shell contained a generous portion of pulled pork, that was then topped with shredded cheese, fresh pico de gallo, and crowned with an ample drizzle of an avocado ranch crema. Now, how to accurately describe all those flavors…

Let’s start with the meat. I can be picky about most things, ahem, barbecue. Although I love a good BBQ sauce, I also only want to add it if I’m in the mood for it, because in my opinion, when smoked meat is done right it needs little to no sauce. I’m here to tell you the pulled pork at Red, White, and Brew is done right! The meat has a delicious smoked flavor, while remaining tender and juicy, the fresh pico brings balance to the richness of pork, and the crema gave a slight, pleasantly tangy finish.

This visit was another solo dining experience, but since my husband loves barbecue as much as I do, I placed a to-go order for him. I brought home a pulled pork sandwich for my other half. And since it was thoughtfully placed in the bag in an assemble-at-home fashion, with the meat, slaw, and bun all packaged separately, when he put his sandwich together, it gave me a chance to steal a few more bites of the meat 😀

Whereas I will add sauce to my barbecue here and there, my hubby is team no sauce. Like ever. He was really happy to find the meat sauce-free, and delicious. He’s a man of few words when it comes to his food, but his actions speak for themselves. Although it was a decent-sized sandwich, it disappeared in a just a few bites!

The Socialite recommends Red, White, and Brew’s barbecue!

The details:
317 US-50 Suite C, Union
Follow the business on Facebook

Posted in News and Features

Grab Some Excellent Food and Margs at Que Pasa in Union

Posted on by Amanda

Whether I’ve had a long, tough day, or we’re celebrating the big and small wins in our household, Mexican food is always our choice. While I don’t think I have ever met a Mexican restaurant I didn’t like, some places just keep drawing me back again and again.

Que Pasa in Union is one of those spots! The staff is always warm and welcoming, and the service is speedy, which just makes the fact that their food is delicious even better. For starters, I love their salsa, with its balance of flavors, and the crispy, warm tortilla chips that accompany it.

I tend to be a creature of habit when it comes to Mexican food, and so is my hubby, who can’t get enough of their nachos. My go to order is typically taco salad with ground beef, but don’t let the word salad fool you here. It’s loaded up with lots of meat, shredded lettuce, and cheese, and it’s large enough that I can rarely eat the whole thing in one sitting.

When I don’t go the salad route, I really enjoy their tacos. I know, I have such a diverse palette. The combination plates are also excellent and typically are big enough to share, or provide you with an additional meal to take home. I am not much of a drinker, but in the sweltering summer months, nothing hits the spot like a strawberry daquiri, (non-alcoholic, please).

Four soft shell tacos on a plate with rice and refried beans.
Tacos with beans and rice. Photo via Que Pasa’s Facebook.

My hubby’s order never deviates: the full order of their nachos that comes loaded with gooey queso, shredded chicken, ground beef, refried beans, and topped with shredded lettuce, sour cream, and tomato. He also adds jalapeños, cause he likes to sweat while he eats. We always have enough for a second meal the next day, since he doesn’t mind it being reheated in the oven at home.

He loves to pair the nachos with a margarita, on the rocks with salt.

Margarita in a Mason jar
Beverages like margaritas are served in Mason jars at Que Pasa. How fun is that? Photo via Que Pasa’s Facebook.

Now, I am one of those people who can’t tolerate the taste of tequila, and don’t even get me started on how dead-set I am against consuming extra salt via the salted rim of a glass. However, I find that the margs at Que Pasa are excellent, not too sweet, not too tart. Although I could never drink a whole one myself, from time to time, we will get the larger size and I will enjoy a few sips, from a straw, because see above feelings about salted rims!

The Socialite recommends Que Pasa!

The details:
116 S. Oak St., Union, MO.
Follow them on Facebook

Posted in News and Features

Work, Dine, Or Just Hang Out at BB Coffee Lab in St. Clair

Posted on by Amanda

As a writer, I’m always looking for places to work. I typically do my writing from home, but from time to time, getting out and working somewhere else can really help get the creativity flowing. Although I love my public libraries, as a coffeeholic, when I find a place with good wifi, spacious tables with lots of electrical outlets, and good coffee? I’m all about it.

BB Coffee Lab in St. Clair offers a spacious interior with a blend of table styles, two-and-four top tables perfect for meeting a friend or two, or for setting up your laptop to squeeze in a little work. For groups, there’s a long table in the main dining area and a couple of nooks with couches and chairs that make for a slightly cozier experience. And, there’s also a drive-thru so guests can get their breakfast and drink orders quickly.

Although there’s ample space for gathering, the caffeinated beverage selections are likely the real reason many people visit a coffee shop. You’ll find a number of different ways to enjoy your java here, with offerings ranging from the classic drip style, to cold brew and hot or iced lattes.

In terms of lattes, there’s several standard syrup flavors, think caramel and vanilla, along with sugar-free options, and BB Coffee Lab typically features a weekly drink special often made with seasonal flavors. Depending on the time of year, and my mood, I usually opt for an iced caramel latte (sugar-free when I’m being good) or a drip coffee, which I find has a pleasantly robust flavor, and I add cream and stevia. Can I just add how much I LOVE that they offer stevia packets, since many places stick with those pink and blue packets that we all know aren’t the best for us.

Non-coffee drinkers rejoice! The drink menu is extensive and features hot and cold options including matcha and chai, along with smoothies and energy drinks.

On the food side, my favorite breakfast order is the Mediterranean breakfast burrito, filled with eggs, spinach, feta, red onion and a delicious aioli, that comes with a side of fruit. There’s also other breakfast options, including bagels, pastries, avocado toast, a loaded breakfast burrito, and breakfast sandwiches.

Breakfast burrito, iced coffee, and jar of fruit on a metal tray
Mediterranean breakfast burrito. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

For lunch, there’s salads, my favorite is the chicken Caesar, there’s also sandwiches and wraps, plus a rotating soup option. I personally love the loaded baked potato soup during soup season.

The Socialite recommends BB Coffee Lab!

The details:
335 N. Commercial Ave., St. Clair
Find BB Coffee Lab on Facebook
Follow BB Coffee Lab on Instagram