Travel ~ St. Louis Food scene

 

What is your favorite part about travel?  For us it is a chance to try out new food.  On a recent trip to St. Louis, Missouri to watch our daughter in a collegiate wrestling match, we explored some new places to eat.  I think food tends to be one of the best parts of traveling and a great way to experience the culture and new flavors.  Food off the beaten path, local dives, or just somewhere different, from other cities, states and countries is a great way to explore to find new dishes and tastes to consume.

 

                 The best restaurant on this stop is by far the Balkan Treat Box.  Only open for about four hours a day, the line might be long but well worth the wait.  I can imagine the wait in the summer is better than winter, but we braved the cold and stood in line.  Everyone in line confirmed it was worth the wait, and it did not disappoint.  Order your food by number unless you happen to be a native speaker, the dishes we ate were wonderful.  The #7, a woodfired eggplant “sandwich” topped with fresh veggies, cheese and thin sliced hard-boiled egg was by far the best item on the menu we tried.  The wood-fired flatbread really pulled the entire dish together, along with the combination of spices and dressing.  The Rice pudding was delicious and after a full meal, perfectly portioned for sharing. They offer daily specials, including a fish of the day.  If you are in St. Louis, I highly recommend you stop by the Balkan Treat Box. 

 

               Our next favorite stop was the St. Louis Foundry.  A repurposed electrical component manufacturing plant, made into a mixed-use space.  The restaurant portion of the foundry is reminiscent of a food court with stalls, with varying food choices.  This location is great for large groups who cannot decide what they want to eat.  There is definitely something for everyone at the Foundry.  From woodfired pizza, poke bowls, Asian-Mexican fusion to South Indian street food, no one is walking away hungry.  Since we met our daughter’s team at the Foundry, everyone ordered something different. No two meals were alike, if ordered from a different stall, and for those who consume alcohol there is a bar in the center for guests to purchase drinks from as well.  Along the outside of the building there are shops that can be reached from inside the food court area or by walking along the open space between the two sides.  Live music, VR and even a putt-putt stop there is entertainment and food for a great night out.  Everything we tried in the Foundry was delicious.  You could make multiple trips here and still have more food to try.  Grab your indecisive friends and family and meet up at the Foundry for lunch or dinner.

 

               Overall, we had a great trip to St. Louis to watch our daughter compete and had a great time finding new and exciting places to eat and enjoy our time together.  The chance to try new food makes each travel journey a new and exciting adventure.  We can hardly wait for the next one to see what new culinary experience we can have. 

Breakfast at the Oaks

 

               It might not come as a surprise to many of you but at the Oaks Bed and Breakfast, we serve breakfast.  While that might not be the case at some bed and breakfast locations, we have always felt that part of the best guest experience is around the breakfast table the next morning.  Breakfast serves as our chance to get to know our guests better and discover more about what brought them to Sulphur Springs. 

 

            Many times, overnight guests are passing through the area, and we want to make sure they do not miss out on the experience that is Sulphur Springs.  You would be surprised how many guests have not made the journey downtown to explore the square and step inside the glass bathrooms.  Even on these cold winter days, that is a must see stop while visiting Sulphur Springs and the Oaks bed and breakfast.

 

            Before we say goodbye to our guests or have a great day, we sit down to enjoy the first meal of the day together.  I for one can not continue on my day without breakfast, as I’m pretty sure I would wilt away from hunger.  We always choose to serve a hearty breakfast filled with great food and even better conversations.  For your enjoyment, I want to feature my favorite breakfast’s that we made and served our guests while in-house.  This month’s favorite is our polenta stacks.

 

            While this does take a bit of time to create the end result is worth the time.  This meal can be made gluten free and dairy free if that is how you choose to make it or need to make it.  We start off by preparing the polenta first, so it has plenty of time to cook and absorb all the liquid to make it ready to eat.

 

            Next, we start with spinach and mushrooms.  Gather more spinach than you think you will need.  Once it cooks down the fullness of leaves will diminish, and you might find that you need more in order to serve your group.  Slice your mushrooms and add in your favorite spices to flavor them so that they complement the spinach and polenta. 

 

            Now you are ready to make your cream sauce.  You do not have to have cream sauce to top your dish, this was an added layer I wanted to supply for looks and flavor.  I added parmesan into my polenta and the parmesan cream sauce just pulled those flavors together on the top.  We poach our eggs directly into a water bath and do not have a special pan to cook them in.  However, you choose to make your eggs is up to you.  We add an egg for extra protein.

 

            I stack each layer one on top of the other starting with the polenta and work my way up with spinach, mushrooms, egg, and sauce.  Change your order up to whichever way is more appealing to you.  We serve all our breakfast items with a homemade pastry, fruit and side of sausage or bacon, if not already made into the dish. 

 

            We hope that you might give this breakfast a try at home for your family or guests.  Or book a night with us and make a request for breakfast.  We do fulfill requests when guests ask.  Enjoy and we can hardly wait until next month to share with you our favorite meal we serve. 

Garden ~ Freeze Prep

 

If the forecast is to be believed we will have some snow in the coming days. Let me help you make sure your garden is ready for the turn in the weather. I know my children are excited about the prospect of snow, and you can be too with a little prep work.

 

Let’s start off with potted plants. If they are normally outside be sure to water them in the day leading up to winter weather. This will help protect your plant before a freeze by drinking in extra moisture. If your plants need to come inside be sure to spray both sides of the leaves with insecticide suitable for your plant, to kill off any unwanted insects. You do not want to introduce new insects to any plants already inside your home.

 

On to the garden, you can add a layer of mulch or compost to any plants you still have in the ground. If you happen to be growing some winter greens, you can take some cuttings but do not cut too far back, you do not want to kill your plant. Be sure to water your garden as well. The same principle applies to plants directly in the ground as those in pots.

 

There are still some plants you might need to cover to protect the plant from freezing. A frost cloth or heat retaining blanket might be useful. If you do not have either of those, a small blanket with a plastic bag to cover with can work just as well.

 

Be sure to cover and protect all your water spigots. After you have watered your garden turn off all your automatic water timers and cover the ends with an insulated product to help prevent it from freezing. The last thing anybody wants to deal with is a broken water line.

 

In the end prepare as best you can to keep your garden healthy and warm before this winter storm. After all any snow we get will only help your soil. It can provide nitrogen that is pulled out by the plants during growth. We love it when nature helps to replenish the soil naturally. We hope each of you stay warm and safe.

Around Town ~ Nail Luxe

               

            Hello 2024!  What a whirlwind 2023 was and boy are we looking forward to 2024 to see what this year holds and how it will shape up.  To shake things up this year for your entertainment, I am going to start a new series where we look at the different shopping and services that our town has to offer.  I’m sure most people are aware of many of the places we will visit, but just in case you haven’t yet tried it out, we want to tell you about our experience.

 

               First up we visited Nail Luxe located in downtown Sulphur Springs, Texas at 230 Main Street, suite A.  Their hours of operation are 9:30 a. m. – 7:30 p. m. Monday through Friday.  Saturday from 9 a. m. – 7 p. m. and Sunday 11 a. m. – 5 p. m.  Just as the name suggests they offer all nail services, from pedicures to manicures, along with gel polish, dips and more.  In addition to nail services, they offer massages, waxing and eye lash extensions.  Before you go, you can review other services on their website, which offers the option to schedule an appointment online as well.   When you select your service, you can even select the technician.  This way if you find a technician you like, you can always use them.  What a great way to build relationships with your clients.

 

               We went in for a pedicure today to help keep our feet and skin heathy during the dry winter months.  It always amazes me how much the cooler temperatures dry out a person’s skin.  Overall, our pedicures were efficient and comfortable.  We were walk-in’s and we were able to be served right away once everyone was at the location. 

 

               Since we were there on a weekday, we received a discount on our services, which was unexpected but nice.  The offer a discount on the weekend as well just in a smaller amount and based off the total spent.  The store front is conveniently located downtown on the corner of Main Street and Davis Street.  Close to the parking near the police station.  The inside looks clean and fresh.  The brightly colored chairs stand out well against the white background of the floor and walls.  Our technicians were pleasant and did a good job over all on our pedicures. 

 

               If you are out and about shopping and need a break or are planning a spa day with friends, be sure to stop by Nail Luxe and experience what they have to offer their customers.  If you have a business in Sulphur Springs, you would like us to visit and highlight please reach out to Allison at The Oaks Bed and Breakfast so we can stop by and let more people know about what you have to offer.