An Ignoble Experiment: Food truck parks, pizza parties, sweet treats and more

What to eat this week in St. Louis

Latest from RFT Food & Drink

St. Louis Standards: 40 Years In, Hank's Cheesecakes Still Keeps It Sweet

By Cheryl Baehr

Anthony Favazza knew that taking over as iconic an institution as Hank's Cheesecakes (1063 Big Bend Boulevard, Richmond Heights; 314-781-0300) in the middle of a pandemic would have its challenges. However, even a lifetime of working in the food business did not prepare him for dealing with the most existential threat to a cheesecake operation: a global cream cheese shortage.

Review: Maize & Wheat Brings Revelatory Colombian Cuisine to St. Louis County

By Cheryl Baehr

Claudia Marcella Niswonger knew her arepas would be a hit, even if some had wondered why she was preparing so many for her first-ever Hispanic festival in 2015. As she and her family had tirelessly prepped a variety of empanadas and arepas for her debut on the festival circuit, her family had wondered if the latter, which they figured were more obscure, would have an impact.

Popular Shave Ice Shop Reopens in Illinois

By Jenna Jones

Polynesian Breeze Shave Ice (5620 Old Collinsville Road, Fairview Heights, Illinois; 618-691-1485) shuttered temporarily in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit, trying to survive the uncertainty the virus brought to many businesses, and remained closed in 2021. But, on a sunny June day this summer, lines formed outside husband-and-wife duo Michele Goldsmith and William Fanene's new shave ice shop location as they opened their windows for the first time in two years.

Sneak Peek: Frankie Martin's Garden Opens Friday in St. Charles County

By Cheryl Baehr

After months of anticipation, Friday, July 1, is finally the day: Frankie Martin's Garden (5372 St. Charles Street, Cottleville; 636-244-2420), a new food truck complex from the minds behind the wildly successful 9 Mile Garden, will open to the public, bringing a first-of-its-kind dining and entertainment complex to St.