ST. LOUIS, Oct. 19, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Every year, guests from all over the U.S. make dining inside a life-size gingerbread house, to raise money for charity, a St. Louis holiday tradition. River City Casino & Hotel's Executive Chef John Johnson and Executive Pastry Chef Stephan Schubert have poured their hearts into making each year's house a culinary experience to remember. Last year, Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles Chef Josh Schlink and Executive Pastry Chef Eric Phillips designed their first house, a two-story bungalow complete with a working fireplace. One hundred percent of all reservation donations to dine inside the completely confection-covered cottages have benefited The Center for Hearing & Speech. iHeartMedia's KLOU 103.3 The Christmas Station has been a partner since the beginning, helping raise awareness for the Center and this annual holiday event.
"Last year we started getting calls to place reservations in early October," said Johnson, "Weekend and holiday reservations fill up quickly so guests will want to make their reservations early."
The houses will be built during the weekend of Nov. 20-22 by Ameristar and River City's culinary arts teams led by Ameristar and River City's Executive Pastry Chefs Eric Phillips, a past winner of the American Culinary Federation's (ACF) Regional Pastry Chef of the Year Award, and Stephan Schubert, who is preparing to represent the entire U.S.in the Americas Division of the Worlds Association of Chefs Society's Global Pastry Chefs Challenge in Quito, Ecuador.
Chef Phillips along with Assistant Pasty Chef Josh House and their team of pastry chefs will enhance their Gingerbread House Experience this year with an 8-foot-tall LED lit gingerbread man and a gingerbread decorating station for the little ones. Eight-hundred-fifty pounds of gingerbread will be baked for the construction of the house, and will be fixed to the house using 300 pounds of powdered sugar-based royal icing. Forty pounds of modeling chocolate will be used as decorative edging at the base of the roof along with 30 pounds of Isomalt to make stained-glass windows and icicles. One hundred pounds of candy, including a dozen-five-pound gummy bears will be used throughout the house for detailing.
Chef Schubert is designing a 10-by-9-by-15 German Hűtte to reflect his family's heritage. Chef Schubert and 10 bakers will utilize 650 pounds of powdered sugar, 120 pounds of shortening, 100 pounds of corn syrup and 130 pounds of flour to make the 800 gingerbread bricks, mortar and icing that will adhere to the gingerbread to the structure. One hundred pounds of Isomalt will be used to make assorted candy, gumdrops and stained glass windows to accent the house. Six oversize cupcakes, a 60-pound chocolate oversized Santa Claus and 60 pounds of Chef Schubert's secret family-recipe fudge will be used to add even more detail.
The Gingerbread House Experiences will be open for donation seating from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday, Nov. 23 – Dec. 25 at Ameristar St. Charles and River City. The fully-tax deductible $25 reservation donation can be made by calling Ameristar at 636-940-4454 or River City at 314-388-7623; or by visiting the host stands at Ameristar's Amerisports Bar & Grill or Falcon Diner, or River City's The Beerhouse or Lewy Nine's Café. The non-refundable reservation must be secured with a credit card and will ensure that you and your party can enjoy private dining inside. Each house will feature a special holiday menu that includes soup or salad, a main course and dessert for only $25 per person. Diners can also order from restaurant menus for breakfast, lunch or dinner. No food or drink purchase is required.
New this year, both properties will sell decorated gingerbread cookies for $3.50. Proceeds will benefit the Center.
Listen to KLOU 103.3 The Christmas Station and visit their website at klou.com during the holidays to learn how you can win gift certificates to Ameristar and River City.
About Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles
Located just west of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Ameristar Casino Resort Spa St. Charles offers an exceptional gaming and entertainment experience in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The property features a 130,000-square-foot award-winning casino, AAA Four Diamond full-service luxury suite hotel with 400 well-appointed rooms, an indoor-outdoor pool; seven dining venues, 12 bars, an entertainment venue, a full-service luxury day spa and a 20,000-square-foot conference center.
About River City Casino & Hotel
River City Casino & Hotel, the Best City in St. Louis, is located approximately 10 miles south of downtown St. Louis, in the community of Lemay. The entertainment destination features a 90,000-square-foot, award-winning casino with the best slot machines and table games, including poker; a AAA Four Diamond full-service luxury hotel, a 14,000 square-foot multi-purpose event center featuring national entertainment acts; several restaurants and covered parking. River City Casino & Hotel is located at 777 River City Casino Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63125. Call 888-578-7289 or visit www.rivercity.com or for more information.
About the Center for Hearing & Speech
The Center for Hearing & Speech is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization that was founded in 1920. We are an Audiology and Speech disorder facility that serves a diverse client base of children and adults in the St. Louis metropolitan area. We strive to improve the quality of life for individuals with hearing and speech disorders by providing high-quality services regardless of one's ability to pay. Our services include: Audiology, Speech/Language Therapy, School Screenings, a Hearing Conservation Program, Hearing Aids and Community Outreach.
About Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc.
Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. owns and operates 15 gaming entertainment properties located in Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada and Ohio. The company also holds a majority interest in the racing license owner, as well as a management contract, for Retama Park Racetrack outside of San Antonio, Texas.