Slow Food St. Louis is pleased to announce that our annual fundraiser, Art of Food, will be held on Saturday, July 24^th, from 6:00 to 10:00 pm, at Mad Art Gallery (2727 S. 12th Street, 63118). Proceeds from the event will benefit Slow Food St. Louis’ Small Farm Micro Biodiversity Grant, which over the past two years has given more than $12,000 to local farmers.

Art of Food will showcase the area’s top restaurants, serving up delectable hors d’oeuvres using as many fresh, local ingredients as possible, all prepared in the Slow Food tradition. Confirmed restaurants include Farmhaus (Kevin Willmann), Harvest (Stephen Gontram), Local Harvest Café (Clara Moore), Kakao Chocolate (Brian Pelletier), Monarch (Joshua Galliano), Niche/Taste by Niche/Brassiere by Niche (Gerard Craft), Bridge/Rooster/Bailey’s Chocolate Bar (David Bailey), Five/Newstead Tower Public House (Anthony Devoti), Winslow’s Home (Cary McDowell), Companion Bakery (Josh Allen), Franco (Matt Abeshouse) and Annie Gunn’s (Lou Rook III). A cash bar is also available.

Food-themed art by local artists and a multitude of gift baskets filled with specialty goodies from boutiques, wineries, and restaurants are also up for auction. Confirmed artists include Cbabi Bayoc, Mitch Huett, James Ibur, Tommy Lawless, Josh Monken, Marie Oberkirsch, and Lindy Sullivan. Additional artists will be announced soon.

Tickets for the event are $30 for Slow Food members and $40 for non-members in advance; $40 for Slow Food members and $50 for non-members at the door. Sponsors include Mad Art Gallery and Schlafly. St. Louis Earth Day and Replenishing the Earth will be managing the recycling/composting efforts as Art of Food is a low-waste event.

Slow Food is a non-profit, eco-gastronomic, member-supported organization that was founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.

For more information about this event visit www.artoffoodstl.com. To purchase tickets, please visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/114836.

And as promised, the menu…

Annie Gunn’s – Lou Rook III

Roasted Viking Village Sea Scallop with Annie Gunn’s Bacon and Ratatouille.

Companion – Josh Allen

1. Panzanella “Bread Salad”  – Companion Roasted Garlic Fougasse w/ local heirloom tomatoes and cucumbers (working to identify farmer this week)

2. Grilled Bread Station with assorted pestos & tapenades

Five – Anthony Devoti

Benne’s Farm Pork confit, sesame cracker, tomato jam and pickled Claverach Farm baby carrots.

Harvest – Stephen Gontram

Harvest Bread Pudding

Kakao Chocolate – Brian Pelletier

1:Bacon Caramels Made with bacon from Hinkebein Hills Farms and local honey.

2: Chocolate Dipped Double-Layer Pates de Fruits

Local Harvest Café – Clara Moore

Horseradish Pickled Heirloom Tomato Relish on a Prairie Breeze Cheese Biscuit

Monarch – Josh Galliano

Prairie Grass Farms Goat Terrine, eggplant tapenade, Greek yogurt, fennel mostarda

Niche – Gerard Craft

white gazpacho, smoked grape sorbet

Sidney Street Café

Rabbit bratwurst with Companion brioche and house made sauerkraut

Winslow’s Home

Winslow’s Farm Cucumbers and Heirloom Tomatoes with pulled Prairie Grass Farm Lamb

and dishes still to come from…

Bailey’s Chocolate Bar, Farmhaus, Mad Art Gallery, Franco