The Sauce - A St. Louis Restaurant Show

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey sits down with Andrew Cisneros , chef-owner of Jalea Peruvian Bistro in St. Charles and Brasas on the Delmar Loop. Andrew shares how opening a restaurant during the pandemic became the unexpected launch point for Jalea, how Brasas came to life as a rotisserie-focused concept, and why Peruvian food traditions are at the heart of everything he...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey is joined by Alec Schingel , executive chef and owner of Robin Restaurant in Maplewood. Alec shares his journey from growing up in the Midwest to cooking in St. Louis, Charleston, Belgium, and New York, before returning home to open Robin. He talks about how European neighborhood restaurants, Midwest heritage, and intentional hospitality all...

This week on The Sauce , Lauren sits down with Joe Edwards , the St. Louis icon behind many of the Delmar Loop’s most beloved landmarks, including Blueberry Hill , The Pageant , Delmar Hall , Pin-Up Bowl , The Moonrise Hotel , and Magic Mini Golf . Joe takes us back to 1972, when he opened Blueberry Hill during a time when the area had fallen on hard times, and explains how the Loop evolved from a...

This week on The Sauce , Lauren sits down with Mario Iaccarino , partner at Casa Don Alfonso , the Italian restaurant inside The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis , and an extension of his family’s legendary Don Alfonso 1890 in the Sorrento area of Italy. Mario shares the history behind the Don Alfonso legacy (four generations in hospitality), and why Casa Don Alfonso exists to preserve a disappearing world...

Every December, El Monstero turns The Pageant into a full-blown Pink Floyd universe, complete with soaring guitar solos, aerial performers, and a loyal St. Louis crowd that treats it like a holiday rite of passage. In this episode of The Sauce , Lauren sits down with John Pessoni and Bill Reiter of El Monstero to talk about what it takes to keep a tradition like this going for nearly three decades...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey sits down with Doug Auer , co-founder of Third Degree Glass Factory and the developer behind the Delmar Maker District — one of St. Louis’ most creative, collaborative, and fast-growing corridors. Doug shares how Third Degree Glass began 23 years ago with a simple goal (a place to blow glass and teach workshops) and how it grew into the anch...

Ice cream that can make you quit your corporate job? Clementine’s founder Tamara Keefe did exactly that. In this episode of The Sauce podcast, Lauren sits down with Tamara to talk about how she walked away from a “dream” executive role, turned a lifelong ice cream hobby into Clementine’s Ice Cream , and built a St. Louis–born brand that now supports more than 200 local families. In this episode:  ...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey sits down with Arica Avery , the force behind STL Pot Chef , to talk about cannabis-infused dining, community events, and breaking stigma in St. Louis. Arica shares how college experiments with flavor and dosage grew into a full slate of curated experiences, from pop-up markets to chef competitions. She explains how private, 21+ events work...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey is joined by Kevin Lemp , president of 4 Hands Brewing Co. , to talk about 14 years of brewing, creativity, and community in St. Louis. Kevin shares how he turned a passion for small-batch beer into one of the city’s most beloved craft beverage brands — and how 4 Hands has evolved into a full-scale beverage company with spirits, cocktails, a...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey sits down with owner Derek Deaver and director of operations Tara Byerley to talk about the growth of Three Kings Public House and its sister concept, Casa de Tres Reyes . Derek shares his path from early days at Mike Duffy’s to opening Deaver’s in Florissant, then launching Three Kings on the Delmar Loop in 2011 and expanding across the reg...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey is joined by Todd Hotaling from Lodging Hospitality Management (LHM) to talk Westport Plaza, Union Station, holiday pop-ups, and what’s coming next for one of St. Louis’ largest hospitality groups. LHM at a glance: 20+ St. Louis hotels, 10 restaurants, and marquee attractions at Union Station. In this episode: Westport Plaza’s revival, from...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey sits down with Josh Smith , designer turned restaurateur and owner of Neon Greens , the innovative Grove salad bar where lettuce travels from a hydroponic farm to the kitchen by conveyor belt. Josh shares how he turned a pandemic hobby into one of St. Louis’ most creative dining experiences, growing the equivalent of three acres of lettuce i...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , host Lauren Healey is joined by Lia Holter — the award-winning baker and owner of Made. by Lia in Old Town Florissant, who just released her first cookbook. Lia shares how she turned a passion for baking with her mom and grandmother into a full-fledged career — from launching a small Facebook page in 2012 to winning TLC’s Next Great Baker and growing her brand...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , award-winning chef Nick Bognar joins us to talk about his three acclaimed restaurants— Indo, Sado, and Pavilion —and how each represents a different side of his cooking. In this episode: How Nick’s Thai family traditions shape Indo’s contemporary Asian fine dining What to expect from Sado’s sushi program (and why balance beats bravado at the bar) Pavilion’s am...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce , we’re joined by Tim Wiggins — the bartender and restaurateur behind Yellowbelly, Lazy Tiger, and the soon-to-open Extra Wavy.  Tim traces his path from Small Batch and Bailey’s Range to building cocktail programs that pair bold, tropical flavors with balance and precision. In this episode: What to expect at Extra Wavy (seafood-forward, raw bar vibes in a 150-y...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, we’re joined by Natasha Bahrami , the “ Gin Girl ” herself and owner of The Gin Room . Natasha shares her family’s story from Café Natasha to creating one of the country’s most education-forward gin bars, where the cocktail list is mapped to a botanical “DNA” flavor spectrum. We dig into standout drinks like the Tropical clarified milk punch and the Dou...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, we’re joined by Steve Ewing of The Urge , Steve’s Hot Dogs , and Steve’s Meltdown . Steve shares his journey from MTV airplay with The Urge to launching a restaurant group built on fun, creative comfort food—from loaded hot dogs to grilled cheese at the City Foundry. We talk signature menu items like the Bacon Bacon Jamaican, collaborations with local f...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, we’re joined by Michael Fricker, owner of Monstera Mezcaleria & Natural Wine Bar in Tower Grove. He shares how a neighborhood bottle shop rebranded into a true mezcaleria focused on traditional, producer-owned agave spirits, plus the recent renovation that transformed Monstera into a full cocktail bar with retail. We dive into standout drinks like t...

On this week’s episode of The Sauce podcast, we’re chatting with Julie Shih , owner of DD Mau Vietnamese Eatery , which has locations in Webster Groves and Maryland Heights.  We learn about how the restaurant got its start in 2018 and how she’s built a loyal following through fresh ingredients, plenty of customization and unexpected fan favorites like the roti shell tacos featured in the August is...

On this episode of The Sauce podcast, host and Sauce executive editor Lauren Healey sits down with Will Smith, developer of City Foundry STL , to explore the vision and challenges behind one of St. Louis’ most ambitious redevelopment projects. We also discuss: How a trip to Atlanta’s Krog Street Market sparked the idea for a St. Louis food hall The hurdles of transforming a contaminated, long-aban...

On this episode of The Sauce podcast, host and Sauce executive editor Lauren Healey sits down with acclaimed restaurateur Ben Poremba to explore the roots of his culinary journey, how his heritage shapes his cooking, and what’s new in the Bengelina Hospitality Group . We also discuss: The challenges and rewards of running restaurants in St. Louis What it was like when the May 16, 2025, tornado dam...