Tag: food

Posted in News and Features

Find Coffee, Treats, and More at Strike Axe Coffee & Tasting Room in Rosebud

Posted on by Amanda

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I spent a Saturday exploring the cute town of Rosebud. The goal for the trip was to try a new coffee shop I’d seen on Facebook, do some antiquing, and grab a bite to eat.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing more details about all the spots we visited on that Saturday, but the focus of this post will be on my experience at the town’s coffee shop. A few months back, I’d heard some buzz online about Strike Axe Coffee & Tasting Room coming to Rosebud and since my love of coffee knows no bounds, I am always down to drive great distances to try out a new place.

In terms of ambiance, I love that Strike Axe is in a historical building that once housed the town’s bank.

The outside of Strike Axe Coffee & Tasting Room. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

The inside is quite cozy and features exposed brick on some of the walls, vintage furniture like a mustard hued couch, cozy chairs, a bank of old post office boxes, and a few tables. There’s also a vault inside, a carryover from the days when the building was a bank, that has been repurposed into a small room that houses apparel.

The inside of the coffee shop features vintage furniture, exposed brick, and a number of tables. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

We ordered iced lattes, size large, because go big or go home. And we split a cinnamon roll. There were other pastry selections, but if I’m going to indulge in something sweet for breakfast I love a cinnamon roll, and the one we had at Strike Axe was delightfully soft, with creamy icing, and it was served slightly warm.

In addition to the coffee and pastries, the establishment also has a refrigerated section where they sell take and bake meals like lasagna and meatloaf. And since the owners raise their own beef, the shop also carries a variety of cuts of locally raised beef, featuring everything from ground beef to steaks, roasts, and brisket. I wanted to purchase some meat, but I didn’t have a cooler and I knew it would be hours before I got home to my fridge.

It was really busy when we arrived, which is expected for mid-morning on a Saturday, so I didn’t get a chance to chat with the owner about the concept as well as their meat selections. Hopefully I can arrange some time to chat with them on my next visit, as well as purchase some meat to take home.

The Socialite recommends Strike Axe Coffee & Tasting Room!

The details:
215 Highway 50 , Rosebud
Find Strike Axe on Facebook

Posted in News and Features

Coal Fire Grill & Tap in Labadie Serves Burgers, Smoked Meat Sandwiches, and Classic Sides

Posted on by Amanda

Although I don’t get to Labadie often, whenever I am in the area, I try to stop into a cute bar and grill called Coal Fire Grill & Tap. The menu offers casual dining options like burgers, house-smoked pulled pork, Cuban and Rueben sandwiches. The sides are some of my favorites, like crispy fries, baked beans, and potato salad, to name a few.

On my most recent visit I ordered one of my favorite burgers ever, the patty melt. The Coal Fire version, called The Frisco Melt, plays up all the classic flavors that make this option such a hit for me: a juicy burger, caramelized onions, and Swiss cheese, served on toasted marble rye with a side of thousand island dressing.

The Frisco Melt at Coal Fire Grill & Tap. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

In addition to the sandwiches, there’s also pizza, wraps, and salads to choose from. And, the eatery typically has a number of daily specials and on the day we visited, one of the specials was a bourbon glazed ribeye sandwich. My husband ordered the steak sandwich, which was very tender and was served on a sturdy hoagie style bun.

A ribeye sandwich was one of the restaurant’s daily specials. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

Although I love The Frisco Melt, I’ve also ordered a couple of their other burgers on past visits and have been impressed with both The Stackhouse, which is a burger topped with pulled pork, bacon, cheese, and onion straws, and the Black & Bleu, which is a burger served with Bleu cheese crumbles.

For drinks, there’s soft drinks like sodas, plus a full bar and a decent selection of beers on tap, and there’s even ice cream for dessert, although I never save room for it! If you get out to Labadie, give the restaurant a try.

The Socialite recommends Coal Fire Grill & Tap!

The details:
120 Front Street, Labadie
Find the restaurant on Facebook

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