After almost 30 years at Big Sky Cafe, I’m sending you this message to inform you that Dominic Weiss has purchased this great restaurant. Many of you know Dominic as the chef, general manager, and more recently, the defender of Big Sky Cafe from the challenges of the last couple of years.  

Many of you may not know that Dominic was here at Big Sky Cafe since the very first few weeks of opening. He has worked in management positions at all of my restaurants, but more importantly, he has managed and directed Big Sky Cafe through without question, the toughest last two years of its existence. There is no better man to carry on Big Sky Cafe's tradition and no one who cares more for the staff and the customers they serve. As Big Sky Cafe evolves and moves forward, Dominic will meet more of you, canvas for your ideas, and work to deliver the dependable quality hospitality experience that you know and love. 

Many times when I’ve been complimented about an experience at Big Sky I have responded with “It’s a we thing, we have a lot of great people.”

I’ve been caught polishing glasses at the bar and asked, “Aren’t you the chef?”My answer is, “Sure, but it's a we thing, we all work together”.

The most important part of any restaurant is its team of people. No matter how creative or talented a chef can be, they can’t run a kitchen without a crew. The most welcoming manager a the door can't take care of a dining room without a knowledgeable team of servers. And no one can make a move without someone in a dish pit making sure all the materials are clean, sanitized, and ready to go. Each person has their role to play, but we have learned long ago that no matter how terrific any one person can be at what they do, it makes little difference without the rest of the team.

Instead of telling you my feelings about beets or divulging a story about me burning (and ruining) my mother’s cookware in the backyard as a kid, I am sharing this because we are looking to add people to our team.
It’s hard to miss the news about the difficulties of finding people lately. We have a terrific core group of people with tons of experience to share with someone new. We have opportunities in both the front and back of the house. Maybe you know someone looking to join our team like ours? Help us make a match!

Just purchase a designated bottle of sustainable wine in the restaurant or for curbside service, and we will donate 29% to our adopted cause, charity:water.

Not interested in buying a bottle? You can drop your spare change in the wine bottle by our front door or donate directly to the cause here. For all donations made (wine or direct), we match them by 20%! 

Since 2009, Big Sky Cafe has been committed to the cause by raising enough money to help over 550 people in need. Previous "Wine Into Water" events have gone directly to fund water projects in Uganda and Mali and we can't wait to see who we will help this time!

It only takes $40 to supply clean water for one person's lifetime. And all you have to do is drink wine to do good.

Don't feel like making it?

Though we have caramel sauce at Big Sky year-round, this is the time of year when it becomes the most popular. Our caramel sauce recipe is a simple one with only four ingredients and four steps, and since we make it often, you would think it is breeze for us! But like many things in the kitchen, you can go from a long period of waiting for the right moment to a very short period of just right that can be immediately followed by an evident and demoralizing “missed it!”. Most of the people I’ve worked with in a kitchen over the years have had at least one caramel incident. I know that I have found myself with a pot of black molten sugar more than once!

Here are some tips for the perfect caramel sauce:

• Mix the water with the sugar before you put it on the stove. Dry pockets under the surface in the bottom of the pot can melt and burn some of the sugar before the rest.
• You need a hot burner. A lack of heat can allow the top of the sugar mixture to become too cool and crystalize before caramelizing and you will find yourself straining the sauce.
• Best results are made with a whisk, and only use it when it’s time to add the cream.
• Have your cream at the ready because that sweet spot of when to add it doesn’t last long. Add when the sugar is a deep amber color with just a whiff of sugar (think of creme brûlée).
• Be careful of the steam and bubbling! Add the cream at a moderate pace while continually whisking. Too fast and you get a candy ball that is tough to whisk out, too slow and the steam will overtake your whisk hand with a chance of boiling over (that’s a mess, trust me).
• If you choose a plastic container to finish your caramel sauce in, make sure it is heat resistant. Just sayin’...

​It is not my intention to make something simple appear over complicated and I definitely don’t want to deter anyone from making this recipe, it really is easy to do right. Just passing on some of the mistakes that I’ve learned not to make over time, -rest assured there’ll be more.

​10. Most dishes serve 4-6 people - have you seen how much your family eats?
9. You can wear your sweats while ordering online.
8. You can wear your sweats during contactless pick up.
7. You can wear your sweats while eating dinner.
6. Seasonal, local and sustainable. Just in a bigger package.
5. Family movie night - no need to juggle reservations or movie times.
4. LEFTOVERS.
3. Perfect for passing off as your own food at the next social distance party or picnic.
2. Pot Roast Xs 6.
1. No. More. Meal. Planning!

After having an employee test positive for COVID-19, we took extra precautions and closed down July 28th-August 3rd to sanitize, test employees and regroup.

Now we're ready to open again, but we are going to ease into it. Starting Tuesday August 4th, we will be open for curbside pick up only Tuesday-Saturday 12-8 pm.

Much like the world, our situation changes daily! We hope to get back into the swing of things very soon, so be sure to join our mailing list so that you can stay up to date with the changes!

May 2021: these policies are currently under review
The health and safety of our employees and our guests are our #1 priority!

Our promise to you when you dine with us:

• Staff members will wear masks at all times.
• Staff members are required to wash hands every 30 minutes.
• Servers will sanitize their hands before and after every delivery made to a table at stations located throughout the restaurant.
• Temperatures are taken of each staff member upon arrival. Signs of any illness will excuse the staff member from their shift.
• All common surfaces and door handles will be wiped down every 15 minutes.
• All tables will be spaced at least (sometimes more) 6 feet apart.
• Hand sanitizer spray will be placed on every table for guest use.
• Menus will be single use.
• Our germicidal UV light air filtration system eliminates 99% of airborne bacteria, mold and viruses.

 
Here is what we ask of you when you visit:

• We strongly recommend making a reservation to dine with us. Due to the capacity restrictions, available tables are limited.
• Reservations are scheduled for 1.5-hour increments to assure proper sanitizing standards between guest visits.
• Due to unpredictable weather, patio dining is on request the day of the visit.
• We cannot accept party sizes larger than 8 people.
• When you arrive for your reservation, please call us to be sure your table is ready before entering the building.
• Please wear a mask once inside the building at all times. Due to St. Louis County restrictions, you must continue to wear one any time you are interacting with a staff member.
• Please abide by social distancing rules when moving around the restaurant.
• We ask that all payments be made with a credit card. We cannot accept cash (including tips) at this time.

Continuing Curbside Service Procedures:

• All orders are placed and paid for online or via phone. Signatures are not required for credit card receipts.
• Cash transactions, including gratuity are strongly discouraged.  
• Give us a call when you arrive so that we can bring your order straight to your car. We can not allow you to come in for pick up.
• Drive up guests are encouraged to have trunks and rear hatches accessible for staff to place orders in their vehicles at distance.  
• Staff members must always wear a mask for all curbside deliveries.