pita bread Archives - Good Food St. Louis

Sultan on Manchester highlights The Grove.

All in the Family

When Sultan Mediterranean opened several years ago, I had the chance to visit with owners Akram Saeed and Jenar Mohammed and their daughters. They are charming. The couple hails from the Kurdistan region of Iraq, but settled in St. Louis in the mid-80s after escaping Saddam Hussein’s oppression.

Jenar had always wanted to open a restaurant. The successful family business is a dream come true for the talented chef.

In the Winners’ Circle

Sultan weathered the COVID slow down and is back in full swing once again. The homey, relaxed vibe comes with an array of splendid dishes prepared with great pride. Diners are treated like guests of the family, with favorite meals prepared and served graciously on the best dinnerware.

Yes, Sultan ticks all the boxes. I like it when that happens. Another bold, heartwarming immigrant story; another win for American enterprise.

And Because a Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words . . .

Chicken Kebob

Naan made in a clay tandoori oven.

Beef Kebob

Vegetarian Dolmas, a combo of grape leave, onions, zucchini, and eggplant.

Falafel made from chickpeas mashed with onions, garlic, and cilantro and served with hummus and naan.

A bowl of complimentary Lentil Soup and bread is the first thing to appear on the table when you sit down for lunch. (It’s included with an entrée until 3pm.) The simple but delicious soup is one of many recipes Chef Jenar learned from her mother and grandmother. It can be served for any meal.

Steamed Dumplings stuffed with beef, onions, and parsley and served with a yogurt-mint sauce.

Curried fish

Eggplant

A signature dish: Sultan Pilau, a phyllo dough pocket stuffed with basmati rice, lamb, carrots, raisins, pistachios and walnuts.

A splendid finale—Turkish coffee or herbal tea sipped from gleaming, brass cups. The attractive serving pieces were imported from Kurdistan.

With Chef Jenar Mohamed and daughters when Sultan first opened several years ago.

Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant: 4200 Manchester in The Grove. Open: 11:30a everyday, but Monday.

Looking onto the “botanical” patio at Olio.

Olio used to be a 1930’s-style gas station. Then Chef Ben Poremba got hold of it and turned the place into a trendy, small plate restaurant with a whimsical, outdoor patio on one side.

Come COVID, Ben made the front and side parking lots into more patio seating with well-spaced tables tucked away amongst plants, trees, bushes, and herbs. If the foliage was any thicker, you’d need a machete to get to the front door. There are even greenhouses to keep the plants through the winter months.

With a bevy of locations in his food fiefdom (Olio, Elaia, Nixta, Benevolent King, and AO&CO Curated Market and Cafe), I felt fortunate to have Chef Ben Poremba take time out to chat and introduce us to his wine selection.

A Rare Treat for St. Louis

As food lovers know, Yotam Ottolenghi, the Israeli-born British chef and cookbook writer is arguably the most influential chef in recent times. I drool over his cookbooks and my grandson, Austin, often cooks his recipes.

Fortunately, St. Louis has its own variation of Ottolenghi in the person of Chef Ben Poremba. With a degree in philosophy from UMSL, you’d think he’d be teaching or, at least, arguing some fine point of the Socratic method.

Instead, he’s become a culinary wizard. His small plate offerings are a medley of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern foods guaranteed to tantalize the taste buds and bring you back for more. Each dish has Ben’s signature hint of frivolity, what you might call the “Poremba Touch.”

“I Love the Theater of Cooking and Eating.” ~Chef Ben Poremba

Recently when I was at Olio along with six others, we ate in a private room in the basement of the refurbished gas station. It was charming! Or as Ben puts it: “The place is the cheapest ticket to Tel Aviv.” The space had the feel of an Old World wine-cellar: low ceiling, bare light bulbs, rustic table (but comfy chairs), painted rock walls, and a couple of small windows. The fanciful chef has shown he can turn any place into a dining realm, if given some vegetables, a stove top, and a few spices.

Breaking bread—literally. Pita bread, that is.

King of Kings Hummus with tahini, smoked paprika, and parsley.

Cottleville Peaches with labneh, peach jam, hot peppers, and almonds. Ben grew the fruit on his home peach tree.

Marinated Beets with whipped feta cheese and pistachio dukkah. (Dukkah is a mixture of herbs, nuts and spices.)

Compressed Melons, with feta, lime, and black olives.

Olio’s Famous Egg Salad with white anchovies.

Caponata with eggplant, tomato, onion, and agrodolce. (Agrodolce is a sweet and sour condiment)

Chicken Kefta with tahini, pickled onion, fire roasted tomatoes, pine nuts.

Baba Ganough, with kajmak, pistachies. (Kajmak is a creamy dairy food similar to clotted cream.)

Hawaij Spiced Cauliflower. (Hawaij is a variety of Yemen ground spices used in soups, vegetable dishes and as a dry rub.)

Local Heirloom Tomatoes with pickled onions, Zaatar, and basil. (Zaatar is a spice mixture that includes sesame seeds and dried sumac.)

“I aim to create food that takes you somewhere. Either somewhere familiar that invokes memories, or to a place you’ve never been.“ ~ Chef Ben Poremba

Olio: 1634 Tower Grove Ave; Open: Daily from 11a-10p. Dine in and carryout. Menu.