Food and Drink

Historic downtown Cape Girardeau is known to be a diverse and thriving community full of restaurants, murals, and unique shops. At its center lies the fine dining destination of 36 Restaurant & Bar. Owned and operated for the past nine years by Vanessa and John Eric Klein, it has become a favorite in the city, with its majestic view of the mighty Mississippi River from the second story dining room. 

Hosted by the iconic Independence soda company Polly's Pop, PopFest is a celebration of all things pop: soda pop, popcorn, pop music, pop quizzes ... you get the idea. Come for the sweet treats, stay for the surprises that are sure to pop up.

They're noisy. They're everywhere. They're ... surprisingly delicious? For entomologists at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, this spring's cicada emergence is the perfect opportunity to try out some new recipes. Cicada scampi, anyone?

Those who just can't get enough chips and dip won't want to miss the 417 Salsa Fest in Springfield. A celebration of all things salsa, the event features a salsa taste-off, a hot-pepper-eating contest, live music, Latin dancing, and more.

Wurstmeister Mike Sloan, who owns Hermann Wurst Haus and Fulton Wurst Haus, just won a slew of awards for his artisanal, hand-crafted meats. Want to see for yourself how the sausage gets made? Sloan shares his secrets in a series of classes.

There are thousands of mushrooms waiting to be found in Missouri.

Growing grapes is farming. Subject to all the same issues when dealing with Mother Nature. Columnist Doug Frost takes you on a journey where nature is in control and winemakers are right in the thick of things.

The Barred Owl Butcher and Table takes the nose-to-tail philosophy to the next level. The items on the menu are influenced by Italian and Spanish traditions and are as beautiful as they are tasty and locally sourced.

Sweet Tooth Alert: This festival in a charming, historic river town will treat you to 20 vendors sharing chocolates. Free give-aways, prize drawings, and music round out this paradise for chocolate lovers. Get your passport to chocoholic bliss.

Raise a glass and toast this Ozark town that is hosting a Brew Fest as a fundraiser to support the arts. Expect half-a-dozen independent breweries and a couple of big distributors representing another dozen breweries, both classics to trendy.