Caviar isn’t a common item on restaurant menus. The delicacy is pricey, and, even for a seasoned food writer like Meera Nagarajan — who explored the local caviar scene in this month’s issue of Sauce Magazine — just ordering it can be daunting.
“I would get a little sticker shock from it. And if I wasn't sure that I was going to enjoy it, I didn't feel confident ordering it,” she said. “I was surprised — I loved that it had this hazel, nutty kind of richness to it. And I began to understand why people enjoy it so much.”
Along with Nagarajan, chef John Messbarger of Peacemaker Lobster & Crab joined Tuesday’s conversation on St. Louis on the Air. He shared some of his favorite caviar dishes and discussed how restaurants are finding ways to help diners make the leap to that first bite.
“Right now the prices aren't insanely crazy,” Messbarger said. “It's more approachable, more restaurants can have it rather than worry, ‘Oh, I have to bring in this extremely expensive product, and if I don't sell it, I'm stuck with it.’”
Those prices could change in the future. But for now, chefs in the St. Louis region are using caviar to add flavor, salt and texture to dishes like deviled eggs, sushi and onion soup.
“I like to tell people when they get the sampler to try each type individually a little first,” Messbarger advised, “and then eat it with the shallots and eggs and capers and enjoy it with the little flavor pairings.”
Featured in this conversation:
- Peacemaker Lobster & Crab: (1831 Sidney St., St. Louis, MO 63104)
- Sado (14195 Clayton Road, St. Louis, MO 63110)
- The Benevolent King (7268 Manchester Road, St. Louis, MO 63143)
To learn more about enjoying caviar in the St. Louis region and to hear how caviar is harvested from fish caught in the Mississippi by Cliff and Cara Rost, co-owners of Show Me Caviar, listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube, or click the play button below.
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Roshae Hemmings is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr. Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
