Restaurants hold a special place in our lives. We cherish memories of the hangout we went to in high school, the posh eatery we dined at on special occasions, and that place we kept returning to when it had been too long. We’ve lost many of the St. Louis restaurants once special to us. But the wonderful food they served can be resurrected. Lost Dishes collects the signature dishes from these lost St. Louis tables, preserving their recipes for today’s chefs and the chefs of tomorrow. Lost Dishes is a companion to the Lost Tables website created by Harley Hammerman, which looks back fondly at the iconic St. Louis restaurants which created these special dishes. We are partnering with Hammerman and celebrating these wonderful dishes. Hammerman and his wife Marlene are members of Shaare Emeth, and she is past president of the National Council of Jewish Women of St. Louis.   Visit Lost Tables on Facebook

Tim Mallett opened Blue Water Grill at 2607 Hampton in November of 1988. Mallett’s partner and chef was Greg Perez. While Perez’s signature dessert was the chocolate enchilada, the apple caramel pecan pie, stacked high on the plate, was also a menu favorite.

Apple Caramel Pecan Pie

SOURCE: Great Meals of St. Louis, 1996

YIELD: 1 pie

INGREDIENTS

• 2 standard pie crusts (each rolled to 1/8-inch thick)

• 3 Granny Smith apples

• 3 Red Delicious apples

• 3 Tbsp sugar

• 3/4 tsp cinnamon

• 3 Tbsp caramel sauce

• 1/4 cup pecan pieces

• 1/4 cup egg wash

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mold 1 piece of pie dough to bottom of oven-proof pie plate. Peel, core and slice apples. Place them in large bowl and add other ingredients, except egg wash. Mix well.

Add apple filling to pie shell, forming a dome shape. Cover filled pie shell with remaining dough. Pinch dough on rim to seal pie. Press edges with fork to decorate. With sharp knife, cut three 2-inch vents in top crust. Brush top of pie with egg wash and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake in 350-degree oven approximately 25 minutes. Let settle. Serve hot.