Osteria Marco

Osteria Marco is the ultimate 'go-to' restaurant. It's perfect for families before a show, for a first date, or just a weekly date night. I had been to Osteria Marco before and thought it was great. Awesome atmosphere and great food. This time I went for date night and with a mission in mind: determine why, on any given day of the week, customers are waiting out the door.

I figured it out. Location, location, location, along with a great, simple menu. I said simple because with the right location, there is no need to make the menu over done because the people will come regardless. However, the menu is lacking one major indulgence of Italian cuisine: pasta! I grew up in St. Louis where every restaurant on "the Hill" or any Italian restaurant for that fact, has homemade pasta and sauces. I am not undermining Osteria's food by any means, but I just think that if you are going to be an Italian restaurant you HAVE to carry this Italian staple. It offers a great array of food and is simple but done right. If I had it my way, Osteria would do everything the same, but show off the skills of Frank Bonanno more through some classic Italian pasta dishes.

My Roots

In this post i thought i would give you a taste of some of my st. louis favorites, which i will continue to add. this recipe comes from a local fast food chain in st. louis called Lion's Choice. this is the only fast food place i will actually eat at, mainly because if you saw the freshness of their beef you too would wonder why it is considered a fast food joint. Lion's Choice is known for their roast beef sandwiches and here is my healthier take on it, although it is not the same, its pretty dang close!

Lion's Choice Roast Beef and Swiss:
good quality roast beef, like Neiman Ranch
swiss cheese
Lawry's seasoning
good whole wheat bread or your favorite grilling bread

on the bread layer the roast beef and then lightly sprinkle with Lawrys then top with swiss cheese
in a broiler, broil the sandwich without the top until the cheese is melted, top with other piece of bread, slice and enjoy! serve with homemade potato chips or fries :)
more st. louis inspired dishes to come.....

Quick and easy caprese

This is a new twist on the classic caprese salad, my favorite go to salad for a dinner party :)
instead of regular tomatoes, I get roasted tomatoes from the salad bar. This adds delicious flavor!

easy caprese:
roasted tomatoes
fresh bococcini mozzarella
fresh basil
good balsamic vinegar
good olive oil

layer the roasted tomatoes in the bottom of a tarte pan, then layer on the mozzarella, then add the fresh basil. season with sea salt and pepper, then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.

Banana Nut French Toast

This is a take on my banana nut oatmeal dish I make all the time. When you have a little more time in the morning or making brunch for everyone, this dish is awesome!
Some of you might not know of Great Harvest Bread Co. but, they make the best healthiest bread I've ever had! They only use whole wheat flour because they say, "the whiter your bread the quicker your dead", I have to agree.
On this recipe I went for the whole wheat Challah bread.
In a bowl mix together:
3 egg whites
1/8 cup of milk
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 dash of cinnamon
1 dash of pumpkin pie spice
melt some butter in a skillet and then coat the bread in the egg mixture. cook on on both sides until golden brown then top with bananas and walnuts, serve with maple syrup and enjoy!

Ricky's Red Sauce

In a large pot with 1/4 cup of olive oil on medium heat saute:
1 yellow onion
1 orange or yellow pepper

10 minutes later add in 1 small can of tomato paste and let simmer for 8 minutes
then add in 2 large cans of diced tomatoes.
next add in the following spices:
1 tablespoon italian seasoning
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
salt and pepper

let simmer for at least an hour, then use for multiple recipes throughout your week!

With Ricky's Red Sauce I made not only the delicious chicken burgers but also some delicious stuffed shells.

Stuffed Shells:
in a large mixing bowl combine the following:
3/4 cup of reduced fat onion and chive cream cheese
1 cup of shredded parmesan cheese
1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
1 box of frozen and drained spinach
salt and pepper to taste

next saute 1 package of ground turkey with 1 tablespoon italian seasoning, 1 tablespoon garlic powder, and salt/pepper, until turkey is almost done. since you are going to be baking the shells, you do not want to over do the ground turkey! once turkey mixture is done add it to the cheese mixture.
in a large pan, stirring constantly, cook large pasta shells, then stuff with mixture.
spray baking dish with cooking spray, then add stuffed shells, top with homemade marinara, shredded parmesan cheese, then bake at 400 until golden brown!

If any of you are a fan of my turkey burgers, then your going to love this recipe!
This is my new favorite burger!!

chicken parmesan burgers:
1 package of ground chicken
1/8 cup italian dressing
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup of homemade marinara sauce
garlic powder
italian spices
salt, pepper

ciabatta rolls
light butter




mix all ingredients together and then cook in skillet w/ evoo for 3 mins on each side then transfer to a baking dish and bake on 375 for another 10 mins. next top with a bit more of marinara sauce and mozzarella cheese, broil for 2 mins.
slice ciabatta rolls and coat with garlic butter then broil for 2 mins or until golden brown.
top rolls with burgers and fresh basil, Buon appetito!!