Local Places: Arris Pizza

There is a grand tradition in the mid-Missouri area of Greek family pizzarias. The best of the crop was the first in the area, Arris'. The crust is pretty consistent among the various Greek eateries: thin, crispy at the edges and chewy in the middle. Arris' seems a bit crisper than most, which suits me fine. Toppings cover the usual gamut, and the more unusual ones,  spicy Greek sausage and gyro meat, are appropriately Greek and both delicious. There are a number of combinations named after familiar ancient Greeks; my personal favorite is the Hippocrates, which features every single vegetable on the menu. I like to order it light on the cheese. It doesn't make it health food, but it alleviates my guilty conscience. And this is one guilt-inducing pleasure I don't plan on sacrificing.

Local Places: Time For Pie, Hermannhof Winery

We woke up this morning to an unbelievably bright and crisp autumn day. I have been itching to return to Hermann after having passed up three years of Oktoberfest, so we decided to drive there today. It's a very picturesque forty-five or fifty minutes from Jefferson City on Highway 94, which hugs the northern shore of the Missouri River all the way to St. Louis. We could have taken 50 East, but the view, while not bad in some places, is just not the same as the 94, which runs through the river valley, into the hills, runs startlingly close to river bluffs, and affords a couple of dramatic glimpses of the river in such small towns as Portland.

Missouri has only one world-class grape, the Norton. Local vintners are capable of making a superb dry red with this grape. A mid-Missouri Norton is almost guaranteed to be a good bottle if it was a good year. Less reliable are the various sweet and sweetish-dry German style whites that were pioneered by German immigrants who

transplanted varietals from the Rhine valley to this area. Some are pretty good, but some are too foxy, others too sweet. But it is definitely worth looking for the best of the latest vintages.

Hermann, settled in 1839 by German immigrants,  is a lovely town, full of stunning mid-to-late nineteenth century buildings, many in excellent condition. The vernacular architecture is interesting as well, reflecting many styles that can be found in river towns throughout the state along the major waterways. We arrived at lunchtime and grabbed bratwurst and kraut from street vendors only forty feet from the parking lot. I've never minded eating on the street, as long as it's good, and these brats were tender and tasty. But in retrospect, I wish we had waited, for a much more interesting place neither Abbey nor I, despite being veterans of several Hermann Oktoberfests, ever remember seeing. Perhaps it's a new place.

We crossed the street and the creek to sample wines at Hermannhof Winery, which has the strategic advantage of being right in the middle of downtown; there are several wineries in the area, in more remote locations, some more worthy than Hermannhof. But Hermannhof has a few decent wines, and there were two grownups and three younguns along for the ride, so we were looking for a streamlined winery experience. Abbey tasted wines while I shepherded kids. The kids and I picked out snacks, and Abbey ultimately picked out a not-too-sweet white, a 2007 Vidal Blanc, which we had later at home with some fresh Manchego (also purchased at Hermannhof) and honeycrisp apples. We resisted the delicious smell of cinnamon sugar almonds from a vendor right there in the weingarten, holding out for unknown treats within walking distance.

After picking up some kettlecorn on the street and scoring some homemade cookies at an animal shelter fundraiser, we felt like he were doing pretty well. But as the afternoon wound down, we found ourselves in need of a bit more sustinance, and an interesting place to enjoy it. We found it quite by accident. Called Time For Pie, a couple of blocks off of the main drag, few words had to be exchanged to convince everyone to go there. Located in yet another antique storefront, the interior sported plain wood floors, a black stamped tin ceiling, and vintage tables and chairs. The menu is an interesting blend. Like all restaurants that wish to take advantage of the Oktoberfest crowds, they offer bratwurst and kraut, but unlike any other place I've been in Hermann, they offer multiple types of sausage from local specialists, the Swiss Meats Company. We had already had our brats for the day, but I know where I'm getting mine next time we go to Hermann. Also on the menu was a hearty, delightful beef and barley soup, quite savory and delicious, not too salty as some beef stews tend to be. In addition, they have a full-service espresso drink bar, and a number of interesting fruit smoothies. But most notable of all is the pie, available by the pie or the slice, in, among many others, cherry, blackberry, mixed berry, apple and apple-cranberry. We ordered a slice of cherry to share, along with other goodies, and swarmed a table covered with puzzle toys to wait.  Soon it arrived warm and ready to devour. The crust was light and tasty, the filling tart with the flavor of cherries with a lovely hint of vanilla. It's the best cherry pie I have had in a long time. We will be returning soon, in fact that place alone will be bringing me back to Hermann a lot sooner than the next 'Fest.

Local Places: Lutz BBQ

One of the best lunch spots in Jefferson City is hidden in plain sight. On highway 50 West, near the Barnes and Noble and Lowe's, in the Wildwood plaza, there's a BP gas station. You can frequently find some sort of food service sharing a  building with a gas station, almost always compact editions of the usual chains. However, this particular BP shares its space with makers of the best BBQ in town. Many of the great BBQ meats are found here: pulled pork, turkey and chicken, Burl's famous baby back ribs (named after restaurant founder Burl Lutz), a delicious burnt end sandwich and my favorite, beef brisket. Abbey, Olivia and I were running errands with my mom and we had the need for a quick lunch. I ordered brisket as a basket, which includes two sides: I chose baked beans and cole slaw in viniagrette. Everything was delicious, though the beans are just pretty good, they could be a little smokier. The cole slaw was perfect, the cabbage chopped finely and the vinegar adding just the right about of tartness. The brisket was excellent as usual. Sandwiches can be ordered in third and half pound sizes,

and you pour on your choice of Lutz' own sauces. The hot sauce is the best, redolent with spice, adding just the right touch. The other distinguishing characteristic of Lutz is their homemade chips. They come either plain or with one or more of a multitude of available seasonings. I can say from experience that half BBQ, half sour cream and onion is very tasty. You can buy the chips as a side or by the box. They are crispy and warm, fresh, utterly delicious. If you are on the West side and in need of a quick lunch, I couldn't recommend this place any more highly.

Local Places: B.K. Bakery

Saturday morning in Autumn. Abbey, Olivia and I decided to celebrate by piling in the car early and checking out the new bakery in town.  Called B.K. Bakery, it's named after head chef Brendan Kelly.  B.K. impressed us the minute we walked in: two glass cases sitting perpendicular to each other provided the side and front of the service area that faces the entrance, and they were already full of amazing looking treats. One case was full of the stuff continental breakfast dreams are made of: cinnamon rolls, artfully painted with icing; sticky rolls heavily coated with glossy pecans; reasonably sized muffins (that is, on the small side compared to the cake mountains that pass for "muffins" nowadays),  chock full of nuts and oats or poppyseed and lemon zest or blueberries or essence of coffee and chocolate chips; perfectly conceived scones, savory and sweet; and what has to be the most capably made croissants in the state.  I chose one stuffed with ham; Abbey chose one of the delectable fruit pastries (available in apricot, Abbey's choice, or pear); Olivia went with a classic, a blueberry muffin. Meanwhile, the second case was being filled with different, but equally appealing, items; we admired them from afar and greatly enjoyed what we had chosen. Abbey and I had ours with capably made cappucinos using beans from my favorite Missouri roastery: Kaldi's.

After the initial shock of enjoying our genuinely delicious breakfast, we perused the other case, which the people behind the counter were busy filling with delightfully decorated cupcakes and sumptuous looking mini cheesecakes. Before we left we couldn't help taking some items to go, including two of the fifty-cent pop-in-your-mouth cream puffs, which are absolutely fabulous, by the way. Oh, I hope and pray they attract the traffic they'll need to stay in business forever.  I'm feeling confident as I ran into an old friend while there and he enthused that the offerings were "like crack." I agreed. I was already deciding in my mind when I would be returning for more croissants.

Jefferson City just gained a pile of excellence points now that we have two functioning bakeries. It's newest addition is nothing short of world class and makes good coffee to boot!
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