As a veteran St. Louis food writer and bartender, Sorrell has never lost that curiosity, and his writings and work have reflected his desire to share his passion with others. In his new book, Matt\u2019s St. Louis Food Story: Bars, Restaurants, Shops and Other Purveyors<\/a>, Sorrell has created a guide for exploring St. Louis\u2019 own rich food and beverage offerings through the local and independent places that he feels offer the best taste of the region, as well as the creative people who work hard to make the city and surrounding areas a delicious place.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf this book can make somebody say, \u2018Instead of going down the street to our usual spot, let\u2019s go to Soulard,\u2019 then that\u2019s a good thing,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cWe love our 1-mile radius and tend to get stuck going to the same places. I hope this inspires people to get out of their usual routine, even if they are just one and done and go back to their old favorites. At least they stepped out and tried.\u201d<\/p>\n Sorrell\u2019s book is currently available at select retailers around town and online<\/a>. In celebration of the book\u2019s release, Sorrell shared some of the places that he feels are especially important for at-home entertainers and bar enthusiasts.\u00a0<\/p>\n For those who want to stock the perfect home bar: Intoxicology<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cTheir barware, books, and spirits are so carefully curated,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cThey are very careful about what they put out and only put out the best stuff. If you are looking to set up a home bar, instead of doing what most people do and getting a crappy bar set, get the good stuff. This is where to find it.\u201d<\/p>\n For those who want to explore different ingredients: Jay International Foods<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI find that international stores are great places to go for inspiration,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cJay International was the first international grocery experience I\u2019d ever had, and I still love to go there and look for ingredients. You may find something that you don\u2019t know about that you can play around with. Even if you aren\u2019t sure what to do with it, you can often make a great shrub or syrup out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n For those who want to learn how to make the perfect cocktail: Planter\u2019s House<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIf you are just getting into cocktails, I think it\u2019s really important to go to places that are good at making them,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cOrder a couple of classics, like a Manhattan, and see how it tastes with good vermouth in the proper proportions. Planter\u2019s House is a great place for this because nobody does classics like them. You always know what you are going to get there, and they also have great creative cocktails too. Somewhere like New Society<\/a> is good for seeing off-the-wall creative stuff and what you can do with cocktails. That\u2019s also important.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want to discover a great neighborhood market: Don Carlos Carniceria Latino Americano<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOne of my favorite places to go is Don Carlos on Cherokee Street,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cThere are so many great neighborhood bodegas, but I\u2019ve really latched on to this one. I use it to find fun ingredients and interesting produce.\u201d<\/p>\n If you are looking for great spirits and entertaining food: Parker\u2019s Table<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cParker\u2019s Table is one of my favorite places to go for cool spirits and really great entertaining food,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cJon Parker [the owner] is the best guy. The Yale Bar is great. It\u2019s very small and such a great neighborhood place.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want interesting, high-quality wine: The Wine Merchant<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Wine Merchant has always been a really good place to discover wine, and Jason out there is fantastic,\u201d says Sorrell. \u201cMy wife is a member of their wine of the month club. What I love about them is that they are very careful about not selling everything\u2014they are intentional about what they carry.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Thai](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/GettyImages-1328493546-1.webp.webp\")
Thai Basil Gin and Tonic<\/p>\n