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Pushing The Boundaries of BLTs in STL

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by
Joe Prosperi
• Published on • Last modified on
Around the Lou

It is no surprise to anyone that has ever grown a tomato plant in the backyard (or had a friendly neighbor who shared their bountiful crop), but fresh garden tomatoes are absolutely delicious this time of year.  It's almost unfair to compare them to their year-round grocery store "hot house" variety, because fresh local tomatoes are almost meaty, with deep garden flavor that is strong enough to be the star of its own summertime staple sandwich, the Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato sandwich, or the BLT.  

Quick history searches fail to yield a definitive answer to the question "Who invented the BLT?", with some references to an article from Good Housekeeping in 1903 as the first print mention (though that sandwich used pickles instead of tomatoes).  It wasn't until the expansion of supermarkets after World War II, making the ingredients readily available year round to consumers, that the sandwich surged in popularity,  and in 1970s the sandwich began using its now ubiquitous initials B.L.T.

In St. Louis, BLTs spring up on menus all the time, both as year-round or as seasonal selections.  The simplicity of the sandwich, bread, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and maybe mayo, has led to a wide variety of successful interpretations by local chefs and restaurants.  At Chew In The Lou, we've noticed that there are four different BLT categories in St. Louis.  Which one do you prefer?

The Traditionalist

Bread.
Fresh, red tomatoes. 
Green, crisp lettuce. 
Crispy bacon. 
A smear of mayo. 

Some people stick to the basics, and do it well. If nature is going to hand out something as delicious as garden fresh tomatoes and salty bacon, why screw with it, right?  A good chef recognizes good, quality ingredients, and let's them shine.

Chef Michael Gallina at Winslow's Table has a perfect example of a very traditional BLT.  You order it,  and you know precisely what you are getting. And it's going to be great.  Just don't ever expect the lettuce to be the star of the show.  This is about tomato and bacon.  Period. 

The Player

Some chefs get into the restaurant business to do something different. They see something they like, and they want to somehow elevate it. They add a new spice, or a new cooking method, not to bring a whole new dish to the table, but to play around with a classic and deliver a refreshed perspective.

At Kingside Diner in the Central West End, you can eat on one of the best people-watching patios in St. Louis, as people zip up and down Euclid and Maryland on their way around the CWE.  You can also get a great BLT there, which sticks to the classic mantra of bacon, lettuce, and tomato, except plays around with a fried green tomato instead of a fresh garden tomato.  You still get fresh crisp lettuce, and some perfectly crisped bacon.  Trust us when we say, it works. Play away Kingside Diner, play away.

The Anarchist/Superhero

Some people just want to watch the world burn, figuratively speaking.  BLTs are not immune from that apparently, as there is a whole swath of restaurants that offer something called a BLT on their menu that won't even contain 2/3 of the traditional primary ingredients!  Culinary anarchy!

The Annex in Webster Groves deserves a spot in this category, for their stunning Annex BLT. Tossed aside is the plain bacon, replaced with crispy balsamic glazed pork belly. Regular lettuce is too pedestrian, some peppery arugula takes its place. The tomato is kicked up a notch, inserted as part of the tomato fennel jam. And just for kicks? They throw on some blue cheese aioli.  

You know what? It's OK, because while they and others might be totally shaking up the BLT scene in St. Louis, they are doing it for the greater culinary good, so think of them more as superheros maybe, and not the villains of this story. Because at the end of the day, we get a sandwich that resembles a BLT in spirit (if not ingredients), and it is so satisfyingly tasty that we immediately forgive their naming transgressions. Sweet, sweet balsamic glazed pork belly anarchy indeed.  

The Glutton

While some people may push the BLT boundaries, there are a select few who truly know that bacon...is the candy bar of meats, and you can never have enough of it.  

Presented without further comment, is the BLT from Crown Candy Kitchen.