Photography by R. J. HartbeckPhotography by R. J. Hartbeck
Pistachio Eclairs
If handcrafted European pastries are your weakness, you’ve been forewarned. Casa Boutique (100 Carondelet Plaza), a new Italian pastry counter, opens December 23 inside Casa Don Alfonso in Clayton.
While St. Louis is home to several Parisian-style pastry shops, Casa Boutique focuses on fine Italian pastries, cakes, and desserts inspired by Naples and the Amalfi Coast. “Many are specialty items like you’d find on the streets of Naples—many of them new to St. Louis,” says Casa Don Alfonso owner Mario Iaccarino.
The hours are 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Sunday and Monday, and from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Breakfast will be available from 7:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., followed by an all-day menu available from 10:00 a.m. to close.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Vision
Photography by R. J. HartbeckPhotography by R. J. Hartbeck
Mario Iaccarino
Casa Boutique grew out of Iaccarino’s desire to share more of his family’s culinary traditions with St. Louis. “I love St. Louis, and I love every part of Casa Don Alfonso,” he says. “Whenever I visit, I try to think of new ways to share my family’s heritage—and Neapolitan pastry is an unfamiliar and unexplored part of it here.”
The goal is to evoke a day in Southern Italy: a morning croissant, an afternoon espresso, and a pastry box to take home for the next day.
Every recipe served at Casa Don Alfonso is rooted in Italy. “Whether it’s for the restaurant or the pastry counter, we’ve already studied and tested it in Italy,” Iaccarino says. “It’s a long process but a beautiful one. Many of these items remind me of my childhood.” He hopes that guests feel a similar sense of nostalgia. “Behind some of our recipes are four generations of knowledge and tradition. My goal is to let that heritage shine through.”
Seasonality is central to the concept. As with the restaurant, Casa Boutique will follow the Italian approach of honoring ingredients at their peak. (“We’d never consider serving eggplant in August or broccoli in July, for example,” Iaccarino says.) Seasonal desserts with special significance in Italy will rotate throughout the year, beginning this month with panettone and a whimsical Yule Log–style holiday cake.
The Pastry Counter
Located just left of the bar when entering from The Ritz’s lobby, Casa Boutique is a streamlined, 9-foot peninsula counter with a glass pastry case. Morning offerings include assorted croissants, muffins, and lemon poppyseed cake—“best paired with a latte, cappuccino, or mocha,” says Iaccarino, which is available at the adjacent bar.
At 10 a.m., the all-day menu takes over. Neapolitan specialties include pistachio éclairs, Black Forest pastries, cannoli filled with flavored ricotta, sfogliatella, and more. One standout is Il Limone, a petite lemon-shaped cake with a white chocolate shell, lemon compote, and white chocolate mousse inside.
Photography by R. J. HartbeckPhotography by R. J. Hartbeck
Savory sandwiches, here on a baguette, croissant, and focaccia
Savory options rotate throughout the day and include grab-and-go sandwiches and open-faced tarts. Several varieties of Casa Don Alfonso’s sourdough pizza are also available for takeout from the pastry counter. “We wanted to make takeout pizza an easy option at Don Alfonso,” Iaccarino says. “Now, it is.”
Cakes + Celebratory Desserts
Casa Boutique will offer a rotating selection of handcrafted cakes designed for celebrations, gifting, or special occasions. “Some of these are historic pastries created in Naples,” Iaccarino says. “Telling their stories matters, because most people aren’t familiar with them.”
Among them is Pastiera Napoletana, a citrus-scented tart traditionally enjoyed from Christmas through Easter. Made with ricotta, softened wheat berries, orange blossom, and candied fruit, it develops its signature flavor when baked several days in advance.
Cassata Siciliana—a Sicilian sponge cake layered with ricotta and candied fruit, wrapped in marzipan and elaborately decorated—is also available. Other cakes include Black Forest Classic, Baba Napoletano al Rum, and Golden Caramel Crunch.
Seasonal specialties currently include panettone and a red Yule Log Cake shaped like a locomotive engine. “Panettone is traditional at Christmastime in Italy, and I want to celebrate that moment in St. Louis,” Iaccarino says. Studded with candied citrus and mandarin paste, panettone is designed for sharing and is often served at breakfast with mascarpone and espresso. It also pairs well with ice cream for dessert, and leftovers are commonly used for French toast or bread pudding. Iaccarino’s preferred pairing is a slice of panettone with Marsala sabayon. “It’s one of the best things in life that will ever cross your lips,” he says.
Custom cake orders require 72 hours notice. Christmas orders for panettone and the Yule Log Cake must be placed here by December 19.
Future Takeaway Gifts & Pantry Options
Future takeaway offerings include standard cookies, Italian cookies (such as baci), chocolate bonbons, and raspberry white chocolate cheesecake by the slice. Savory options will expand to house-made dried pasta packaged in decorative boxes.
Additional items will come from the family’s flagship Don Alfonso 1890—its two-Michelin-star restaurant and boutique hotel in Italy—including pasta sauces, extra-virgin olive oil produced on the family farm, and a lemon liqueur made from organic farm lemons. “We peel and process the lemons just hours after they’re picked,” Iaccarino says. “That freshness is apparent in the final product.”
Casa Don Alfonso’s New Winter Menu
Photography by R. J. HartbeckPhotography by R. J. Hartbeck
Casa Don Alfonso Chef De Cuisine Nino Ricupero
Casa Don Alfonso chef de cuisine Nino Ricupero, a native of Sicily, has introduced a winter menu that reflects the same commitment to tradition and detail.
New dishes include chicken breast with polenta, local mushrooms, and black truffles; and potato gnocchi with onions, pancetta, bay leaves, and black garlic cream, finished with dried ricotta. “It’s inspired by a winter pasta dish from Campania traditionally made with pork fat,” Iaccarino says, adding that all of the pasta, including the gnocchi, is made in house. “It’s a big commitment that makes a big difference.”
Other highlights include grilled octopus with mozzarella fonduta and celery salad, Italian prosciutto with grilled Missouri pear carpaccio, and beef tenderloin topped with a raviolo.
Photography by R. J. HartbeckPhotography by R. J. Hartbeck
Sporcamuss
One of the season’s must-order desserts comes from a recent trip Iaccarino took to Puglia. “I was dining at a small trattoria when I discovered sporcamuss,” he says, “a puff pastry with Chantilly cream that’s simple but so, so tasty. Right then, I knew it had to appear on the Don Alfonso menu. The version we offer is served with amarena cherries and essence of orange blossom. It’s not a recipe from our family, but it’s from someone’s—and it will be new to St. Louis.”
Parking note: Guests visiting Casa Boutique should use street parking available around the hotel and restaurant.
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