St. Louis chef Antoine Bailey hosts luxury cannabis brunch on Oct. 20

The Chef Bailey & Co. owner is also the executive chef at Pennydrop Bar + Kitchen

With the legalization of marijuana becoming more widespread in states across the country, makers of beverages and foods have plunged into the market of creating cannabis-infused products. Individual chefs and mixologists have followed, of course, with cannabis-themed events becoming a more common item on the calendar of local food scenes.

In St. Louis, a chef with a self-described “passion” for cannabis is making a strong move into this space. Antoine Bailey, the executive chef at Pennydrop Bar + Kitchen (housed at downtown’s Pennywell Hotel) heads up Chef Bailey & Co., which he defines as “a luxury catering company bringing you upscale dining in a formal atmosphere.” In late August, Bailey offered up a weekend run featuring a three-course dinner featuring cannabis infusions. He’s following that up with a brunch event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, in Charlack with the address to be provided upon ticket purchase. Offerings will include deviled eggs, quiche lorraine, a Japanese sando, fried rice, chicken and waffles, and fried beignets for dessert. A cash bar will also be available. 

As with the first event, he’ll be hosting this one off the grounds of his day job, preferring to rent out a luxe AirBnB with a large backyard space. Details are handled through reservations that’re found at Bailey’s catering page on Instagram: @chef_bailey_co.

Bailey says that “the dinner went really, really well. We’d like to do this quarterly and keep doing something that’s different. We want the audience to feel as if they’re traveling with us. Last time, the dinner was pretty much French. This one will feature eclectic brunch items. I’m thinking about an infused ramen bowl night later on. I just want to highlight my talents, keep highlighting who I am as a caterer and chef and bringing unique flavors that people normally wouldn’t find in fine dining.”

To wit, “I’ve had a passion for cannabis since it’s been legal for recreation,” he adds. “I’m a user of it and love the properties that cannabis offers.”

As a near life-long cook, Bailey told the website CanvasRebel that “I started cooking at a young age, around 7 years old when I was in third grade. That’s how me and my mother spent quality time in the mornings.”

Learning through all options available to him since then, Bailey’s worked with a variety of top chefs and kitchens in St. Louis. His approach to learning the infusion game has him working with an online program called Cannavision, which takes its students through every aspect of cannabis education, from horticulture through processing. He’s also invested in a “state-of-the-art” infusion machine, which ensures that the foods he’s serving include a hit of the good stuff, but without the intense “dank” flavor and aroma that can overwhelm the senses.

In fact, Bailey says that he’s cautioning his patrons that the intent of his meals isn’t to send his diners into the astral plane; in fact, some of the canna offerings downplay the punchiness. They’ll even borderline on “flavorless” re: the canna, itself, if that serves the recipe best. That said, he always starts the process with “a high-quality weed."

“It’s not about getting high,” he says, “but about the relaxation state that’s achieved, along with the flavors that we’ll be using.”