St. Louis Magazine | January 2020

Hockey Heaven

Unveiled: The Ultimate Wedding Guide

NHL All-Star Weekend Comes to Town p.64

Tips, Trends, Traditions, Venues, Fashion, and Inspiration For Tying the Knot p.73

Jan 2020

:)

Make it Fun The Little Things

Stick to Your Resolutions

E X P E R T N O T E S O N L I V I N G H E A LT H I E R , W E A LT H I E R , A N D H A P P I E R I N 2 0 2 0

Share Create

Date Night

P.54

Try Again Take Joy

Let Go

Play

Learn

Switch Off Limit Screen Time

Explore Food

Get Moving

Unwind

Dance

Plan

Make at Budge

Family

Discover

Take a Hike Think LongTerm

Limit Social Media

Smile

Relax Make a List

Explore

Slow Down Daydream

Save

XO XO Get Rest

$ Enjoy Cooking

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THE FUTURE OF CARE IN WEST COUNTY

INTRODUCING THE NEW BARNES-JEWISH WEST COUNTY HOSPITAL. What if the design of a hospital was as advanced as the technology inside? What if the care you received felt like it was personalized especially for you?

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital is just that place.

Every detail of our new hospital brings together the science of care with the compassion of caregiving.

Take a virtual tour or find a doctor at BarnesJewishWestCounty.org/Explore

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JAN20

FEATURES

VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 1

Unveiled 2020 Plan the perfect St. Louis wedding

By George Mahe, Laura Miserez, Stefene Russell, and Samantha Stevenson

➝ On her: Nicole Miller dress, Vie. Deepa by Deepa Gurnani earrings, Vie. On him: Hugo Boss shirt, Saks Fifth Avenue. Zignone pants and jacket, Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Ways to Live Smarter

Expert advice on finance, relationships, wellness, and how to live a happier life For this month’s cover, design director Tom White was inspired after seeing the colorful credits for The Angry Birds Movie 2 with his family.

Photography by Jai Mayhew

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By Jeannette Cooperman, Jen Roberts, and Amanda Woytus

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Hockey Heaven

The 2020 NHL All-Star Weekend comes to St. Louis.

By Jarrett Medlin, Tony Rehagen, and Amanda Woytus

January 2020 stlmag.com

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JAN20

D E PA R TM E N T S

VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 1

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From the Editor

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43

G AT E WAY

TASTE

A Better Burger Cobalt Smoke & Sea takes the sandwich to new heights.

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Setting the Hook Bait pairs beautifully presented seafood with the world’s greatest French fries.

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Make a Statement

Great Skate

A stylish St. Louisan shares her fashion must-haves.

For these young athletes, “aggressive” is a compliment.

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The Year in Preview

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Wheely Good Ideas

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His Time to Run Rasheen Aldridge wins a seat in the state’s House of Representatives—at just 25 years old.

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Party Pics The Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s Fifth-Anniversary Gala, Gateway to Hope’s Gala for Hope

How can St. Louis save the Loop Trolley?

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Kathryn Coccia The music therapist on her favorite things and what she’ll try in the new year

From politics to planes, these are the stories we’ll be covering in 2020 on stlmag.com.

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ELEMENTS

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ANGLES

46 An Original Idea Restaurateur Mike Randolph branches out to barbecue—and Tex-Mex. 46

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RHYTHM

Memory Lane A fond look back at La Tropicana Market

The Next Act Taco Circus relocates to a larger, kitschy space in Southwest Garden.

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Hot Spots Winslow’s Table, The Tenderloin Room, and more

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Ins, Outs & Almosts The Train Shed, Original J’s, and other notable newcomers

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Gyro Heroes The couple who founded the Go! Gyro! Go! food truck spin off a brick-and-mortar in Creve Coeur.

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St. Louis Sage

The Write Stuff At St. Louis’ new cabaret venue, the emphasis is on storytelling.

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33 Cheryl Campbell

Top 10

Keeping Kids in Care

Maggie Rose, the Loop Ice Carnival, and more 24

Collectors’ Items

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Read This Now Miranda Popkey began writing her debut novel, Topics of Conversation, at Washington University.

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A Gentle Approach In The Netherlands, it’s called koe knuffelen.

Here, it’s cow cuddling—and a story of mutual redemption.

The many curiosities of Untitled Fine Art 25

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Breaking the Ice A look back at St. Louis in 1888

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY

VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 1

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Jarrett Medlin Deputy Editor Amanda Woytus Senior Editor Nicholas Phillips Staff Writer Jeannette Cooperman Dining Editor George Mahe Associate Editor Samantha Stevenson Contributing Writers & Editors Kerry Bailey, Holly Fann, Ann Lemons Pollack, Dave Lowry, Melissa Meinzer, Laura Miserez, Tony Rehagen, Jen Roberts, Stefene Russell Intern Darian Stevenson ART & PRODUCTION Design Director Tom White Art Director Emily Cramsey Sales & Marketing Designer Monica Lazalier Production Coordinator Kylie Green Staff Photographer Kevin A. Roberts Contributing Artists Diane Anderson, Wesley Law, Matt Marcinkowski, Jai Mayhew, Chris Philpot, Matt Seidel, Britt Spencer, Micah Usher Stylists Heather Biernbaum, Hannah Chancellor, Kat Hinkle, Kristi Pinkham ADVERTISING Sales Director Kim Moore Director of Digital Sales Chad Beck Account Executives Jill Gubin, Brian Haupt, Carrie Mayer, Liz Schaefer, Susan Tormala Operations Director Cheryl Rockwell Sales & Marketing Coordinator Elaine Hoffmann Digital Advertising Coordinator Blake Hunt EVENTS Director of Special Events Jawana Reid CIRCULATION Circulation Manager Dede Dierkes Circulation Coordinator Teresa Foss

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscription rate is $19.95 for 12 issues of St. Louis Magazine, six issues of Design STL, and two issues of St. Louis Family. Call 314-918-3000 to place an order or to inform us of a change of address. For corporate and group subscription rates, contact Teresa Foss at 314-918-3030.

ONLINE CALENDAR Call 314-918-3000, or email Amanda Woytus at awoytus@stlmag.com. (Please include “Online Calendar” in the subject line.) Or submit events at stlmag.com/events/submit.html.

MINGLE To inquire about event photos, email Emily Cramsey at ecramsey@stlmag.com.

(Please include “Mingle” in the subject line.)

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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Send letters to jmedlin@stlmag.com.

What’s an essential, everyday item that helps you live smarter?

“I’m re-reading The Happiness Project

by Gretchen Rubin, which is full of little tricks to boost contentment, like singing in the morning.”

—Amanda Woytus, deputy editor “The iPhone Notes app. Every day, I type up a new to-do list, screenshot it, and make that image my phone’s screensaver.

Some have called my method anxietyinducing, but it keeps me on track.”

—Samantha Stevenson, associate editor

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MARKETING AND EVENTS For information about special events, contact Jawana Reid at 314-918-3026 or jreid@stlmag.com.

ADVERTISING To place an ad, contact Elaine Hoffmann at 314-918-3002 or ehoffmann@stlmag.com.

DISTRIBUTION Call Dede Dierkes at 314-918-3006.

Subscription Rates: $19.95 for one year. Call for foreign subscription rates.

Frequency: Monthly. Single Copies in Office: $5.46. Back Issues: $7.50 by mail (prepaid). Copyright 2020 by St. Louis Magazine LLC. All rights are reserved. Reproduction in part or whole is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher. Unsolicited manuscripts may be submitted but must be accompanied by a self-addressed, stamped envelope.

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“Absolutely a robot vacuum.”

—Kevin A. Roberts, staff photographer

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FROM THE EDITOR

VOLUME 26 / ISSUE 1

New Addition

Before recently joining SLM as senior editor, Nicholas Phillips contributed to The New York Times, Missouri Lawyers Weekly, the Riverfront Times, Out in STL, Foreign Policy, and InSight Crime, among other publications.

Picture Perfect THERE’S A SAYING often tossed about in business: “Sur-

round yourself with people who are smarter than you.” It’s not exactly clear who first came up with the idea—guesses range from Russell Simmons to Maggie Wilderotter. Whatever the case, I’m fortunate enough to learn something new from my colleagues every day.

Last year, our longtime staff writer, Jeannette Cooperman, and design director, Tom White, took home national honors for the City and Regional Magazine Association’s Writer of the Year and Designer of the Year, respectively, up against the likes of cities far larger than ours. Our team has worked at such national publications as Newsweek, Esquire, The New York Times, and The Hollywood Reporter.

Our dining crew has more combined experience than any other in town. A former colleague recently graduated from Yale Law School and is now a fellow at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. I could go on.

In putting together this issue’s cover story (p. 54), I realized just how smart our team is—and not just in a Mensa sort of way but in the little, everyday life hacks.

New senior editor Nicholas Phillips, for instance, swears

by WorkFlowy, a nested-list site/app that he’s been using for seven years. “At this point, a scary-sized portion of my life is inside of it,” he admits. “It mirrors, in important ways, how my brain works. I’m at the point where I can’t be productive without it.” And, as a career wordsmith, he also leans on Garner’s Modern English Usage, hailed by the likes of David Foster Wallace and Barbara Wallraff. “A lot of the entries have subtle jokes that make it fun to read through,” he notes. “I consult this thing every single day.”

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Jai Mayhew, who photographed this month’s Unveiled fashion feature at Union Station, has also contributed to the likes of Vogue Italia.

Tying the Knot For this month’s Unveiled section, Mizzou student and former editorial intern Laura Miserez wrote about stunning weddings.

Read about other inspiring engagements at stlmag.com.

Deputy editor Amanda Woytus uses the app Any.do to organize appointments and to-dos. “Unlike Google Calendar, it allows you to swipe to ‘cross’ things off your list,” she says, “which is so satisfying.”

And for interviews? Otter. “I use it to record interviews off-site via my phone, and it immediately transcribes them. It also links to my Google calendar, which is where I set work appointments, so I can see the day’s agenda.” Even her approach to making a smoothie, using Daily Harvest, is brilliant: “All I have to do is add milk and dump it into the blender. Then I pour it back into the cup it comes packaged in, so it’s one less glass for me to wash.”

Dining editor George Mahe, who gets around via scooter—an ingenious move in its own right, especially when it comes to finding parking spaces and saving gas money—uses the Waze app to avoid traffic jams and stay abreast of road conditions (though not while driving—also smart).

Art director Emily Cramsey’s even found a savvy way to stay on trend. “Shopping for clothes is my least favorite task,” she says, “so I’ve taken to using clothing- rental services to keep my wardrobe fresh without the hassle of going to the mall or the expense of purchasing trendy items that will likely be out of style by next year.”

As for my own advice on living smarter? Learn from those around you—and thank your lucky stars each and every day for people smarter than you.

Follow Along @stlmag @stlmag @stlouismag

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19U Lady Cyclones player, Morgan Jones

THIS SEASON,

HELP MORE KIDS LIKE LAILA.

Laila inspired us all in her battle against a rare disease. The generous contributions from donors like you help fund breakthrough research and lifesaving treatments to make Laila’s story possible – and many more like it.

Join our mission to do what’s right for kids.

Donate today at StLouisChildrens.org/Gift © 2019 St. Louis Children’s Hospital. All Rights Reserved. © 2019 St. Louis Blues Hockey Club and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.

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THE YEAR IN PREVIEW p.12 W H E E LY GOOD IDEAS p.14 HIS TIME TO RUN p.16

GATEWAY

19U Lady Cyclones player Morgan Jones

GREAT SKATE TOPIC

For these young athletes, “aggressive” is a compliment.

BY AMANDA WOYTUS

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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A

ON THE AFFTON Ice Rink, the 11- and 12-year-olds with

ponytails peeking out from their helmets are fighting for the puck. “Go, girls!” someone in the stands shouts. Another fires back, “Get her!” Finally, one of the players in a black–and–neon green St. Louis Lady Cyclones jersey breaks away from the pack with the hockey puck and sends it sailing into the opponents’ goal. The final score: 5-1, Lady Cyclones.

January 2020 stlmag.com

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ding and gear, the price tag averages $300. That’s where Girls Try Free comes in. If the girls commit to playing, they keep the equipment, gratis. This month, the Lady Cyclones will host the event on January 4.

The other obstacle, harder to push through, is the social stigma, the belief that girls aren’t supposed to be aggressive.

Dale Greenbury has three daughters who play for the Lady Cyclones. When his middle child was 10, she played her first game.

A defenseman told her he was going to “kick her ass.” Crying, she turned to her coach. “Which boy?” the coach asked. She pointed.

“You’re twice his size!” he told her.

“What are you worried about?”

Luci Burke, 16, is a goalie on the Lady Cyclones’ oldest team, 19-and-under. She started playing Outside, parents of the losing at 12, old for youth hockey, and players commiserate: The girls down a level. Her first team was are too aggressive, they say. Their all newbies—“We got penalties a Girls Try boys hold back when they play an lot because we didn’t know how to Hockey for Free all-girls team. Finally, one admits, stop skating, so people would just The next event is “Those girls can skate.” crash into each other and we’d scheduled for 8 a.m.

Since the St. Louis Blues’ hisget put in the box.” She dedicated on January 4 at the Centene Community toric Stanley Cup win, in June, herself to early morning goalie Ice Center. Register interest in the Lady Cyclones has training—she credits one coach, in advance at picked up. In July, the club hosted a “sarcastic butthead,” with motistlladycyclones.com. an event called Girls Try Hockey vating her by comparing her to for Free. Once a quarter, the team her little sister, also a hockey fundraises to purchase hockey equipment, and player. Each year, she’s moved up an age level. girls interested in trying out the sport can suit Asked what she’s learned on the ice that’s up, get out on the ice, practice some basic skills, translated to her life off it, Luci remembers a and talk to others about why they should play. time when she got angry with a teammate, a They hoped to get 50 girls. They got 91. defensive player who screened her for the duraThe Lady Cyclones, one of the only all-girl tion of a tournament game. They lost, which options in the area, started in 2002. They’ve knocked their team down to second place. Luci grown to 165 players on 13 teams, ages 6 to 19. yelled at her in the locker room afterward—and The Centene Community Ice Center, in Mary- then immediately regretted it. “She…just looked land Heights, 277,000 brand-new square feet so sad,” she says, reflecting. Now, her favorite and the practice rink of the Blues, is also home things about the sport are the leadership skills to the girls. There, they often watch the Linden- she’s learning and helping other goalies progwood Lady Lions, coached by Olympic medalist ress: “It just shows that you want to help them Shelley Looney. get better and that they’re capable of doing But there are still barriers. One is the same for whatever you’re capable of.” boys: the cost of the sport, mainly the equipment.

By the time a player gets kitted out with padLady Cyclones goalie Luci Burke and teammate Gwen Pettitt

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FOUR TO FOLLOW

THE YEAR IN PREVIEW F R O M PO L I T I C S TO PL A N E S, T H E S E A R E T H E S TO R I E S W E’L L B E COV E R I N G I N 2020 O N S T L MAG.CO M.

MLS4THELOU BREAKS GROUND Construction on the $250 million soccer stadium could begin as early as this month. At press time, we were awaiting the team name—could it be the St. Louis T-Ravs?

MEDICAL MARIJUANA ROLLS OUT Thousands of Missourians with qualifying conditions have cards, but watch for dispensaries popping up in late spring or early summer. About 50 are expected in the metro area.

THE RACE IS ON The top contenders in Missouri’s November 3 gubernatorial election are Republican incumbent Governor Mike Parson and Democratic State Auditor Nicole Galloway. County voters will also weigh in on the executive race, likely between incumbent Sam Page and County Assessor Jake Zimmerman.

PLANES, TRAINS & HYPERLOOPS St. Louis continues to explore privatizing operations at Lambert International Airport. Also on the transportation front: Will Virgin Hyperloop One pick Missouri as a testing ground, and can the Loop Trolley stay on the tracks (p. 14)?

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Cochlear implants help local man enjoy life to the fullest when hearing aids were not enough On weekends, Charlie Brown can be found winning top prizes at barbeque competitions around the country or tackling wild currents while whitewater rafting. The 66-year-old St. Louis resident is insistent he will never let hearing loss stop him from living his life.

Coming from a long line of hearing-impaired family members, Charlie knew it would take hard work to make hearing a priority.

Hearing loss runs in Charlie’s family; his mother’s hearing started to fade when she was in high school, and for Charlie it came when he was in college. Several family members opted for a cochlear implant, including his mother, who had hers implanted in 1990.

A cochlear implant is an FDA-approved, surgically implanted medical device that replaces the function of damaged sensory hair cells inside the inner ear, called the cochlea. Cochlear implants can help you get access to the sounds you’re missing, and they are designed to help you hear better and improve speech understanding in everyday situations, including noisy environments like restaurants and large family gatherings.

Although Charlie was no stranger to the world of hearing loss, his profound hearing loss in both ears posed its own challenges. Since college, his hearing continued to drop. Despite working for a major healthcare company in their hearing aid program and having access to up to 50 different pairs of the newest aids throughout the years, Charlie knew that even the strongest hearing aids eventually would not help him.

His main frustration with his hearing loss was his wife had to take over many of the duties he had always taken care of because he couldn’t hear. As soon as Charlie’s hearing dropped into the range to qualify for cochlear implants (moderate sloping to profound hearing loss), he was ready to move ahead with the procedure.

When Charlie was 62, he received cochlear implants in both ears within one year from each other. He says it’s the best thing he has ever done for himself. He is elated by the fact that he can now hear conversations and the television better, he has better communication with his wife, and he even credits the implants for allowing him to continue to work.

These results are not uncommon. In fact, a recent study by Cochlear found 93 percent of people significantly improved their speech understanding with a cochlear implant compared to a hearing aid, and 83 percent of those individuals reported a statistically significant improvement in quality of life after receiving their cochlear implant.1 Because he is so thankful for the difference cochlear implants have made in his life, Charlie works to pay it forward by serving as an advocate in hearing loss support groups and to prospective cochlear implant recipients. He is proud to have helped at least 10 people through the process of hearing again. If you are lucky, you might catch him in a kayak on a river or on the champions stage representing his barbeque team, Two Butts and a Ham, and he will tell you how cochlear implants have given him the ability to live life to the fullest.

Charlie’s advice for others who may be considering cochlear implants: “don’t wait too long to hear – cochlear implants don’t have to be a last resort; there are too many experiences to hear and enjoy while you’re young!”

If you or someone you love is struggling to hear in their hearing aids, learn more about cochlear implants and find a hearing implant specialist near you by visiting www.Cochlear.us/STL or call 866-HearSTL or 866-432-7785 to get help today.

1. Clinical Evaluation of the Cochlear Nucleus CI532 Cochlear Implants in Adults Investigator Meeting. 2019 Apr. Please seek advice from your health professional about treatments for hearing loss. Outcomes may vary, and your health professional will advise you about the factors which could affect your outcome. Always read the instructions for use. Not all products are available in all countries. Please contact your local Cochlear representative for product information.

Views expressed are those of the individual. Consult your health professional to determine if you are a candidate for Cochlear technology.

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WARNING: GRAPHIC

BY AMANDA WOYTUS

Wheely Good Ideas How can St. Louis save the Loop Trolley?

AFTER LOOP TROLLEY board president John S. Meyer Jr. revealed that the old-timey tourist

attraction needed a cash infusion of $700,000 to stay on the rails in 2020, we surveyed St. Louis Magazine readers online, asking them to vote in a poll with options for reimagining the streetcar. The trolley experienced a short-lived rebirth as a “rolling comedy club,” in the words of County Executive Sam Page. That’s not a swipe at the trolley’s stats—$51 million to build and $32,456 in fare—but rather, it’s a reference to Laugh Tracks, the former monthly stand-up night on the trolley, launched by local comedian Yale Hollander.

So what are our other makeover options?

Some readers who chimed in on our Facebook page wanted to move the trolley to Forest Park to link attractions there; some would send it to the Saint Louis University campus, connecting SLU to Cortex. Should we scrap it, sell it, and use the money to expand MetroLink? Another idea: Nearly a quarter of voters liked the idea of packing the cars with craft beer (STL-brewed only, please) and turning the thing into a mobile bar. As of press time, the trolley will run through December 29, with hopes to reboot in 2020 under new management.

POLL RESULTS How would you reimagine the Loop Trolley?

3% Give me OG trolley or give me death.

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58% The trolley should host Laugh Tracks seven days a week.

23% A mobile bar sounds nice.

9% Send ’er over to City Museum to keep the plane and school bus company.

2% In homage to someone slapping a Joy FM bumper sticker on the trolley shortly after it debuted, make it a Joy FM fan club.

1% Can we get a bookmobile going?

1% Pipe some nursery rhymes over the PA system and invite the kiddies aboard.

Let’s make this thing a reallife Daniel Tiger episode.

3% A food truck seems like a natural fit. How about pizza?

Have a great idea for the trolley?

Tweet us at @stlmag.

Iluustration by Chris Philpot

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INSIDE INFO

BY AMANDA WOYTUS

district, we have a crime problem. To me, instead of being tougher on crime and locking people up, we need to be smarter on crime. How do we provide opportunities? What legislation, what social programs, what groups can we find that help people with job readiness, that help people get a quality education, that help people not feel like they’re just in their neighborhood existing but they’re actually part of it?

ON A PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT’S A LONG GAME: My priorities are working family

His Time to Run

Rasheen Aldridge wins a seat in the state’s House of Representatives—at just 25 years old.

When 78th District state Representative Bruce Franks Jr. stepped down from his seat in the Missouri House, Rasheen Aldridge—the city’s Fifth Ward Democratic committeeman, a Ferguson activist, and current employee of the city’s Office of the Recorder of Deeds—was tapped to replace him. Aldridge, 25, grew up in the city, attended Parkway West, and has been an organizer for the Fight for $15 minimum wage movement.

He’ll be sworn in January 8. At the soon-to-be state rep’s victory party, Kevin Windham Jr., the former youngest Democratic House member, gave Aldridge his House Democrat pin. It was a gesture that made Aldridge a little emotional. “Hopefully other young people will look at me and know that they can be change agents and community leaders,” he says. “That they don’t have to feel like they live in a community that’s hopeless.”

ON ONE OF HIS TOP PRIORITIES: Raising the

ON TACKLING CRIME IN HIS DISTRICT: One

minimum wage—that’s probably one of the first pieces of legislation I’ll file.

So many people are working low-wage jobs—not even just one. They’re working two jobs and can’t support themselves, let alone their families.

thing about the 78th District is that it’s diverse. We take in the Old North area, St. Louis Place, Carr Square, all of downtown basically, continuing South to Soulard and Benton Park West and Dutchtown. I would say across the whole

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based. One thing I’m interested in, which I don’t expect to happen in the first or second year, is what I call the Self-Care Act. We would move from five-day workweeks to four-day workweeks so people could spend more time with their families, to be able to go to the doctor, give people more time to be well. I know in some rural areas, schools are moving to four-day school weeks. Hopefully it will be something that House Republicans have an appetite for.

ON PICKING UP WHERE FRANKS LEFT OFF IN REGARDS TO GUN LAWS: One piece of leg-

islation I want to file is for a lost firearm registry, so when people sell guns or if [guns are] lost, there’s some way to track them. I also want to file a red flag law to try to get guns out of the hands of people who are mentally ill. When it comes to guns, we gotta do something. We have lax gun laws in the state that are killing us. I own a gun, and I believe in the Second Amendment, but we need to make sure people are responsible.

ON WHAT HE’LL HAVE IN COMMON WITH CONSERVATIVE HOUSE MEMBERS: I know in

some of Missouri’s rural areas, there are families struggling to keep the lights on.

Some families in rural areas don’t have quality education. We come from different walks of life, but across the state, a lot of issues that are happening in the urban community also happen in rural communities.

PhotographybybyKevin Whitney Curtis Photography A. Roberts

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LOOKING FOR HOME INSPIRATION? Visit stlmag.com/design for Design STL’s latest.

INTERIORS & ARCHITECTURE . REAL ESTATE . SHOPPING . ART & DESIGN

STLMAG.COM/DESIGN

January 2020 stlmag.com

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TOP 10 EVENTS p.22 COLLECTORS’ ITEMS p.24 READ THIS NOW p.25

RHYTHM

PRELUDE

THE WRITE STUFF

At St. Louis’ new cabaret venue, the emphasis is on storytelling.

BY MELISSA MEINZER

Photography by Matt Marcinkowski

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RHYTHM PRELUDE

MARK YOUR CALENDAR Six shows to catch at Blue Strawberry

The Samples 8:30 p.m., December 31 Frontman Sean Kelly is influenced by Neil Young and Jackson Browne.

Ring in the new year with a four-course dinner and songs from their new album, Indian Summer.

T

H E R E ’ S A V I VAC I O U S new kid on

St. Louis’ cabaret scene: the Blue Strawberry Showroom & Lounge (364 N. Boyle), in the storied Gaslight Square.

The 90-seat room boasts exposed red brick and a menu by executive chef Kevin Sthair, formerly of the Lucas Park Grille. And then there are the acts.

Americana, R&B, blues, Broadway, rock and roll…

“Cabaret” might be too limiting a term.

“Blue Strawberry is about singers who tell stories,” says Jim Dolan, the man behind the curtain.

“They can do that with a piano backing, a guitar, a full band—it’s genre-independent.” Hometown favorite and moonlighting physician Ken Haller opened the venue on Halloween, also his 65th birthday, with delightful tales of his own aging.

You’ll certainly catch some classic cabaret at Blue Strawberry—in November, KT Sullivan, the doyenne of New York cabaret, Dolan says, performed—but there’s more to it. The only real requirement is the storytelling. Yes, there’s a baby grand and room for a jazz ensemble. But if you want to ring in 2020 at the venue, for example, The Samples, a ’90s rock band, will tell the evening’s stories.

Our city has a great cabaret heritage, with The Cabaret Project of St. Louis training young practitioners and the St. Louis Cabaret Conference.

There are many venues, but few rooms in the FYI Visit bluestrawberrystl.com for more info about St. Louis’ newest cabaret venue.

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sweet spot of 90 seats, and fewer still focused so tightly on storytelling through song.

Dolan has been a producer and presenter of music in St. Louis for 14 years and wanted his own room to bring his vision to life.

“We’re going for, in addition to good music, good food and drinks in an intimate environment,” he says. “We think that the music we do works best in that environment.”

Unlike other spaces, Blue Strawberry is intended to be a full night out. Come at 6:30 p.m. for dinner and drinks and stay for the 8 p.m. show.

There are shows Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the smaller lounge space hosts dinner and music.

About that name: Years ago, Dolan was visiting northern Wisconsin for July 4, the week the strawberries come in. Early one morning, he popped into a store and found strawberries that were so purple, they were almost blue.

Years later, he visited the town again around the same time and looked for the blue strawberries. He was met with only quizzical stares when he asked after them.

“I never found them, nor did I find anyone who remembers,” he says. “I knew it was real—it wasn’t a dream. It became my Brigadoon.”

Rick Jensen 8 p.m., January 2 Jensen, who has been honored with a lifetime achievement award from the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, has been performing and collaborating in cabaret for more than 40 years.

Beverly Brennan 8 p.m., January 3 In A Night With Day, Brennan pays tribute to Doris Day’s movies, musicals, and more.

Robert Breig 8 p.m., January 4 Breig invokes the spirit of Aussie showman Peter Allen in his show Making Every Moment Count.

Emily Skinner 8 p.m., January 10 & 11 In her show Broadway My Way, Skinner introduces audiences to shows she’s been a part of on the Great White Way, including Billy Elliot and Dinner at Eight.

Mark Saunders 8 p.m., January 17 The title of this one— Everything’s Fine: A Bear in Search of His Honey— says it all, but in any case, Saunders will sing about his ups and downs, and “especially the tops and bottoms,” of his love life.

Photography by Matt Marcinkowski

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RHYTHM

AGENDA

Jan

5

10 THINGS TO DO

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

1

In Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles, the doomed love of the more than 2,000-year-old Greek tragedy is reimagined in L.A.’s Mexican immigrant community. January 8–February 2. Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, repstl.org.

2

Take a voice like Ann Wilson’s, dusted with a bit of Sheryl Crow and Stevie Nicks, and you have the sound of Maggie Rose. Listen for yourself when she visits St. Louis, with Them Vibes in tow, on her American Rock N Soul Tour.

January 10. Delmar Hall, delmarhall.com.

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3

Accompanied by bassist Bob DeBoo and drummer Montez Coleman, the Adam Maness Trio pays tribute to jazz icon Dave Brubeck with renditions of such classics as “Blue Rondo à la Turk” and “Take Five.” January 28 & 29. The Sheldon, thesheldon.org.

4

Ice sculptures are a given at the annual Loop Ice Carnival. Sculptors from across the region will display their work alongside children’s activities, carnival rides, and, of course, frozen turkey bowling. January 17–19. Delmar Loop, visittheloop.com.

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Before rising from gospel choirgirl to dance floor diva to Queen of Disco, Donna Summer was LaDonna Adrian Gaines of Boston. Her storied life—set to a 20-song score—comes to the stage in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.

January 15–26. Fox Theatre, fabulousfox.com.

Dubbed an “audacious, rule-breaking jazz trio” by Billboard, The Bad Plus is having a bit of a rebirth since the addition of pianist Orrin Evans last year. The twodecade-old group showcases its next era on tour in support of its latest album, Activate Infinity.

January 8–12. Jazz St. Louis, jazzstl.org.

enjoying art is 10 Ifmore among your resolutions, consider Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis’ three new exhibitions: Marina Zurkow’s examination of oil and water in “The Thirsty Bird”; Liz Johnson Artur’s photos of black communities in “Dusha”; and Derek Fordjour’s dialogue on race and systemic inequality in “SHELTER.” January 17–April 19. camstl.org.

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Days after toasting the new year, raise a glass to the kickoff of Soulard Mardi Gras with 12th Night.

Though it’s not a given—the board of directors must decide whether to officially proclaim the start of Mardi Gras— the way St. Louis celebrates, we’re betting the answer’s yes.

January 6–February 25. Soulard, stlmardi gras.org.

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Nearly 15 years after the musical premiered, the Grammy- and Tony-winning Jersey Boys continues to entertain audiences with the rise, international success, and breakup of Frankie Valli’s pop band The Four Seasons. January 30–February 2. Fox Theatre, fabulous fox.com.

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A diner in Pittsburgh’s gentrifying Hill District serves as common ground for locals in August Wilson’s Two Trains Running, set in 1969. When the city wants to take the building, however, residents must reckon with their transforming world.

January 8–26. Edison Theatre, theblack rep.org.

Derek Fordjour, Two More Years, 2018. Courtesy Night Gallery, Los Angeles.

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S T UQD&I O RHYTHM A

GALLERY VIEW

More to see at Untitled Fine Art

Tar Eric Nauman

COLLECTORS’ ITEMS

Beautiful Day Sergey Cherep

The many curiosities of Untitled Fine Art

BY AMANDA WOYTUS

R

YAN MOCABY WAS at a crossroads. A

second-generation art gallerist living and working in Santa Fe, New Mexico, he had two choices: either take up with a group of investors to start a new gallery there or come to St. Louis. Here, he’d be closer to his roots in Southern Illinois and could collect and sell the art he wanted to. Three years ago, he chose St. Louis, opened Untitled Fine Art on Cherokee Street, and has since been curating curiosities selected to spark interest in both the seasoned collector and passersby. But it’s only recently that he feels he has hit his stride.

“We were pretty eclectic,” says Mocaby, who had worked in galleries with his father since he was 12, as he thinks of how his aesthetic in New Mexico transferred to St. Louis. Untitled Fine Art’s façade is the first and last semi-nondescript thing about it. Inside, black-and-white oil paintings depicting classical figures by local artist Rob Hubbell quietly call out to the visitor. Then there’s the work of sculptor and painter Eric Nauman, chunky blotches of paint layered on canvas, next to a 3D figure that’s best described as a mashup FYI Visit facebook.com/untitledfineartstl for more.

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of a toenail and a critter of unknown origin. It’s an amalgamation that aligns closely with Mocaby’s tastes.

“I had a vision for the gallery,” he says. “I do everything there, so it just seems like it all gets a little more polished the longer I’m open. It took me a couple of years to get the gallery to where I want it.” One piece of the puzzle is working with both established artists and up-and-comers.

“You can get an original piece of artwork in the gallery for $60,” he says. “I think that’s important.

I don’t want somebody to come in and be intimidated by the price.”

Is it hard for the gallerist to not take home every single piece on display? “I have to leave stuff for the business,” Mocaby says, laughing.

The one thing his favorite pieces have in common is that they’re works from his late father. The two had similar tastes. “I have trouble letting go of those things,” he admits. “I have this really big portrait of him that he painted and gave to me.

He always told me it wasn’t him, but the painting has Eddie in the title, and his name was Eddie,” he says. “That’s pretty special to me.”

Bowls William Bristol

Patience Embrace Novei Beige

Zen Elephant Rob Stevenson

Esculpir Rob Hubbell

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

12/6/19 9:13 AM

Read This Now T O P I C S O F C O N V E R S AT I O N

Miranda Popkey was angry when she began writing Topics of Conversation. It was 2017, on the cusp of the #MeToo era, and focusing on writing felt selfish, says the author, who was then earning her MFA at Washington University. So her environment seeped into her work, Popkey says, as she found inspiration in the “ongoing series of revelations in which men in the workplace abused their power in order to sexually harass, sexually assault, and rape women who had less power than they did.” The result was Topics of Conversation, out January 7, which, as the title suggests, is carried by discussions. It’s a structural technique that Popkey credits to author Rachel Cusk, deployed between the unnamed narrator and other women discussing their lives, relationships, sexuality, anger, and, most notably, desires. “I was interested in exploring bad desire,” the author says, “and what does it mean to be possessed of a desire that you know is yours but you also want to reject.” The book’s sections depict an older woman recounting navigating marriage while vacationing in Italy; a graduate student sharing a cautionary tale about a predatory man in Ann Arbor, Michigan; two friends discussing one’s affair and inevitable breakup. All of this is told by that unnamed narrator who allowed Popkey to uncork all of that anger in a voice that “is quite critical, self-lacerating, and,” she says, “I hope, funny.” —SAMANTHA STEVENSON

Lifeblood of the Heartland Now Open! Free admission!

Forest Park • 314.746.4599 • mohistory.org

Miranda Popkey reads from Topics of Conversation January 14 at Left Bank Books.

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ELEMENTS

MY STYLE

Make a Statement

A stylish St. Louisan shares her fashion must-haves and what she’ll try in the new year.

BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON

BAG

STAUD bag. staud.clothing

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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ELEMENTS

MY STYLE

BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON

Kathryn Coccia MUSIC THERAPIST, 30

After moving to St. Louis, in 2017, Coccia started her blog, @kathrynwithdogs, on Instagram in an effort to make friends in her new city. There, she shares her fashion adventures, her Benton Park neighborhood, and her flamboyant taste. Her posts are often peppered with the blog’s titular canines: Knives and Rudy, a Chihuahua and Chihuahua-Dachshund mix.

FAVORITE ST. LOUISANS ON INSTA

@missmarypowers, @ohdarlingblog_, @emilyjohnsonstl

SKINCARE The Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser.

“I use it religiously, every single day.”

OUTFIT STAPLES

“My heart-shaped sunglasses. A pair of Topshop lilac booties that I think are representative of my style.”

ESSENTIAL ITEMS

“I blend a lot of vintage with modern,” Coccia says. “I generally have a lot of contrast in my style.”

“A statement purse; I have a light-pink circle bag from JW Pei. My work bag is whatever—not very stylish—so it’s nice to have a pop of style.

The other one I really love is a multicolored bucket bag from STAUD. I also wear a lot of statement earrings [such as this Nova Vita Co. pair] because I have short hair and that’s kind of a way for me to feel more feminine.”

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doing, at least once a week, masks. I also want to add an exfoliator into my routine more regularly.”

STYLE ICON Actresses Christina Ricci and Mandy Moore, fashion blogger Blair Eadie GO-TO PHOTO EDIT

“Pop Song” and “Roadtrip” on the A Color Story photoediting app

FAVORITE TREND

“The puff sleeve. It’s so retro, but it’s all over the place right now. I hope that continues into the new year—and forever.”

LOCAL MUST-STOP SHOPS May’s Place,

FOLLOW ALONG Visit @kathrynwithdogs on Instagram for more of Coccia’s colorful ensembles.

SKINCARE RESOLUTION “I want to be

in The Grove, and the Goodwill on Olive in University City.

“They always have the best stuff.”

FASHION GOAL FOR 2020 “Incorporate

more local vintage and thrift,” as well as sustainable products by such brands as St. Louis– based Fauxgerty, “into my routine.”

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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ELEMENTS

MINGLE

Ross Conner, Kay Hamblin

Mark Byron Neal, Tammy Taylor

Brooke Ray, Michael and Shereen Fischer

Dr. Donald Suggs, Cynthia and Rodney Crim

Grace Rogers, Everett Johnson, Fran Zamler

Tina Maher, Laura Katherine Sawyier Jillian and Audra Noyes Drew Durbin, Destiny Massey

Jim Espy, Blake Anderson, Charlie Houska, Ryan Falk, Ted Wight

Saint Louis Fashion Fund’s Fifth-Anniversary Gala

SPOTLIGHT

Emilio and Carmen Rios

Kristin Johnson Board member and gala co-chair, Saint Louis Fashion Fund

THE SAINT LOUIS Fashion Fund hosted multiple events to honor the

five-year milestone, including a pool party at The Last Hotel and a Q&A with style icon Dapper Dan. It all led up to Fashion’s Night Out at Neiman Marcus, which included a runway show called The Art of Fashion and an auction of one-of-a-kind pieces.

“It is exciting to see the city reclaim its [fashion] roots.”

Gateway to Hope’s Gala for Hope GATEWAY TO HOPE held its 10th annual fundraiser at The RitzCarlton on October 12. This year’s event featured a photo booth, Champagne raffle, wine pull, silent and live auctions, and a tribute wall honoring those affected by breast cancer. The event helps Gateway to Hope provide financial assistance and treatment support to patients in need.

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Elizabeth Mannen, Alisse Camazine

Monique and Jonathan Levy

Photography by Diane Anderson, Micah Usher

12/6/19 8:54 AM

A PREVIEW OF THE DAY ’S TOP STORIE S

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COW CUDDLING P. 3 6 BREAKING THE ICE P. 4 0

ANGLES

Q&A

CHERYL CAMPBELL

Keeping Kids in Care

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

Photography by Wesley Law

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ANGLES

W

Q&A

HEN YOU ENTER the St. Louis County Juvenile Detention Cen-

ter, you walk up to a mirrored window and see yourself. There but for grace; your own past could have intersected with this place. But Cheryl Campbell, longtime director of detention services, saw the future instead, and she saw better lives for the kids in her charge. Campbell worked in juvenile justice for more than four decades. She witnessed the shift from juvenile court to family court; the change in how kids were detained; the dawning awareness of trauma and its effects. I talked to her on her last day, right before the big splashy retirement party that made sure she knew just how beloved she was.

How does it feel to be leaving after almost 42 years? Aw, I’ve been crying most of the week. It really just hit me. All the calls I’ve been getting: “You don’t realize what you have done.” And at the time, you don’t. A judge stopped me in the hallway to tell me what an impact I’ve had.

What has changed in your four decades here?

Kids used to walk freely in the hallways.

Back then, you could take in status offenders, runaways, kids out past curfew, or kids who were “incorrigible.” It was like a drop-in center. The old facility had 92 beds. Now we have fewer admissions, and the facility has to be more secure, because the kids are here for more serious offenses.

What’s different about the world now? So much. In my day, neighbors and aunts watched out for you. Now, you don’t have those connections; people are almost afraid to talk to their neighbors. And these kids are exposed to so much, yet they are still just kids.

What hasn’t changed? The need to make a homelike environment. They’re kids.

There are horrible things they’re accused of or have done, but bottom line, when these kids come in, you want to have people there who care about them.

How do you do that? No. 1, we are going to give you an education. You’re selling drugs? We’re going to convert those skills so you won’t have to look over your shoulder. Also, we are not a treatment facility, but a lot of treatment goes on, because you are with the kids 24/7. You’re trying to expose them to situations they may

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“THEIR EXPOSURES TO GOOD THINGS ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN… YOU HAVE TO SHOW THEM A DIFFERENT WORLD.”

never have dreamed possible. When we moved to this building, one of our volunteers got a symphony quartet to come in at Christmastime. At first the kids were a little nervous, but then the musicians started playing things they had heard and Christmas carols. By the end, they were all singing.

Why take the extra step of bringing people in?

Because these kids are going to go back out to the community, and because you don’t know what’s out there if you have never been exposed to it. They have been exposed to drugs being sold, to gunshots.

You don’t realize how much this affects them. Their exposures to good things are few and far between. Their mom’s in jail; their dad’s in jail; they figure that’s their fate, too—so you have to show them a different world.

You emphasize predictable routine—why? If everything is up in the air, you never know where you’re going to live, you’re always changing schools so you don’t feel like you fit in—you can’t develop and move on.

Why do they gravitate to their friends and get in trouble? Because they find connection there. It’s the stability they don’t have anywhere else. If you don’t have routines, something has to replace them—and it’s usually not a good thing.

You must have a million stories. A young man—when I first started, he was 7, not even as tall as the counter—came back over 20 times, because he’d get caught up in stuff, and he never felt bad coming back here, because, unfortunately, we were his family. He came to see us after he got out of prison and said, “You know, I didn’t listen. I should have listened to what you all were telling me. But I’m going to do better now.” He started his own nonprofit to help at-risk kids stay out of the system, and he volunteered here for 16 years, and now he’s employed here.

At stlmag.com: Campbell’s early days, the shift to family court, and setting precedent.

Photography by Wesley Law

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ANGLES NOTEBOOK

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

H

A GENTLE APPROACH

In The Netherlands, it’s called koe knuffelen. Here, it’s cow cuddling— and a story of mutual redemption.

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I, MY ANGELS! You in your

house?” Ellie Laks calls, boots squishing through puddled mud. Five placid steers look up as she enters the barn.

They’re the remaining five of the St. Louis Six; one died shortly after their legendary escape from a slaughterhouse.

“This is Chico,” Laks says. “He’s the one who led everybody through three fences to safety.” Initially wary, Chico has come to trust this new sort of human being. “Now the only place he leads them is to good grass,” Laks says, grinning.

White-faced Houdini, on the other hand, was curious about Laks in the beginning, “and Chico was, like, No. He used his neck to stop him. So Houdini was the last to trust us; even after Chico did, he was, like, No, Chico said no. He was the last to let us touch him.”

That touching took a long time, by design. “All humans had been cruel to them,” explains Laks, “so we had to be different. Even loading up, we didn’t hurry them; we just opened the trailer door and invited them to go in. For the first six months, we had volunteers with them every day in the pasture.”

As a species, cattle are affectionate and family-centric, she says, but we rarely see that, because we break up those families and make food of them.

In the dairy industry, babies are immediately taken from their mothers. But Laks, whose nonprofit Gentle Barn now has rescue farms near Los Angeles, Nashville, and St. Louis, has watched birth rituals that enchanted her: “They nurse their babies for years. They babysit each other’s babies. The whole family, which includes aunties and uncles, participates when a baby is born.”

When Laks rescued a cow who turned out to be pregnant, 20 cattle formed a circle around the cow as she labored.

They watched her clean and dry her calf, which then wobbled to his feet. “It took two hours, and not one of those cows moved,” Laks says. “Once the baby had drunk his fill and fallen asleep, they broke the circle and formed a single-file line, matriarchs and Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

12/6/19 8:20 AM

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ANGLES NOTEBOOK

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

elders first. One by one, they licked him and smelled him and introduced themselves. Then my husband, children, and I took our turn, and we all sat under the moonlight and watched the baby sleep.”

They also have a ritual for death, she says, forming the same circle to say goodbye.

“When the herd went off to dinner, one stayed with the cow who was dying, and they took turns, 20-minute shifts, until the vet arrived.” She strokes Chico.

“There is so much about cows we don’t know. After she died, they were listless, not vibrant and playful. They’d sit around and mope, didn’t want their bouncy walls, wouldn’t run for bedtime cookies like they used to. A few months later, they started to interact again. They feel heartbreak just like we do, and they recover with time, like we do.”

Squatting, she drapes one arm across Chico’s broad back and leans against his warmth. “It’s different than hugging a dog,” she says, “because of their massive size. They could hurt you if they wanted to; you’re not in control.” She urges me to try, and I stroke Houdini’s white cheek, scratch his neck and back. When I stop, he leans against me, a prompt to continue that near knocks me off balance.

Cow hugging even has a name in the Netherlands—koe knuffelen—and it’s spreading through the United States. “The trend started 20 years ago, when I opened the Gentle Barn,” Laks says. “My first cow, Buddha—every time I was sad, I’d lean against her, and she would wrap her neck around me and hold me. It was so transformative, I had everyone who visited do it. We work with some tough characters, shut-down and angry.”

Programs bring kids in foster care, teens who’ve gotten in trouble with the law or addicted to drugs. “I’d welcome them to hug Buddha, and the minute their faces went down against her shoulder, those hard, cold, defensive kids would melt into little boys.”

The barn’s Peace Enhancement Program runs September through June.

“If someone thinks they’re bad, unwanted, and unlovable, no amount of interaction’s going to help them until they change that point of view,” Laks says. “With these animals, they get a chance to practice gentleness, to cultivate empathy, to be thoughtful and considerate.”

They also get to giggle at Jemima Puddle-Duck and the frisky goats, and groom or walk the donkeys. “With a horse or donkey, there are never two equals,” Laks explains. “There’s always a leader and a follower. So we help them practice: Head up, shoulders back, be in the present moment, look where you’re going, keep your energy forward—and then the animal will follow you. If you’re distracted or not very confident, the animal will lead you.”

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“WITH THESE ANIMALS, THEY GET A CHANCE TO PRACTICE GENTLENESS, TO CULTIVATE EMPATHY, TO BE THOUGHTFUL AND CONSIDERATE.” She chuckles. “If the kids are being funny or a show-off or cool or fake in any way, the animals will have nothing to do with them. The minute they get centered and real, the animals want to be with them.”

When volunteers read to the new rescues, hold them, or sing to them, “they’re helping heal the animals, and in doing so, they heal themselves. So these guys”— she gestures to the steers—“have a big job to do. They went through their own PTSD—they had to learn to forgive, to be brave, to trust—and now they’re on the other side. Keep going. You’ll end up OK.”

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

12/9/19 9:14 AM

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ANGLES SNAPSHOT

Breaking the Ice The Mississippi still ices up, but it doesn’t gorge. A gorge, at least as explained in an 1888 article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, is “a mass of ice blocks heaped upon one another and rivaling a church steeple in height.” A century or more ago, you could pick up any paper to learn where the ice had stubbornly jammed. Dynamite cartridges, like the ones tossed out by harbor tugs such as this one, Rescue No. 2, had mixed effects. B.W. Denton of Gray’s Iron Line swore that the ice varied from shore to shore. Missouri River ice, he explained, “is light and porous, much mixed with clay and sand, and seldom comes in large fields. But the ice from the upper river is different... It is formed on deep water and is clear and free from impurities, comes in great floes and is solid as iron.” This made it so sharp, he said, that it cut through a hull “like a knife through cheese.” He claimed that it was also “what river men call ‘colder.’ Two lumps the same size and shape may be laid in the sun together and the Missouri River produce will disappear far sooner than that from the upper river.” Ice may have its terroir, but the sun eventually renders every floe—dense, edgy, silty, or buoyant—back into flow. —STEFENE RUSSELL 40

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Photography courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society

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BAIT p.44 ORIGINAL J’S p.46 TA C O C I R C U S p.48

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THE DISH

A Better Burger Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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Consider the burger. Yes, it’s an iconic sandwich, but it’s so much more. It can be a plate-sized landscape upon which an inventive chef paints a culinary vision, fashioning magic from beef and bun. Take, for instance, Cobalt Smoke & Sea’s rendition. For starters, it involves duck fat.

Those two words alone would be enough to excite many who appreciate the finer things in life.

Throw “burger” into the mix, though, and it’s a whole new concept. At first glance, Cobalt’s burger is handsome enough. With a pair of generous patties, it’s a big two-hander creation.

There are emerald pickles, a glistening stack of mandoline-shaved red onion, white American cheese melted magnificently. Then there’s the meat itself. House-ground, it’s loosely formed into a patty and massaged with duck fat before being lowered onto a sizzling flattop grill. The resulting meat is juicy, tender. A side of house-cut fries and a pickle slice, and you’ve got a tribute to the greatness of the burger. 12643 Olive. —DAVE LOWRY January 2020 stlmag.com

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MAIN COURSE

Setting the Hook

Bait pairs beautifully presented seafood with the world’s greatest French fries.

BY DAVE LOWRY

corn kernels, but wow, what a delightfully constructed appetizer.

It could be an evolutionary fact: Oysters evolved specifically to be charbroiled. Bait gives them toppings—blue meals. We watched as cheese, spinach and Parmesan, roasted an entire red snapgarlic, vinegary peppery mignonette— per, encrusted in a that enhance without bullying the oysgolden deep-fried ter flavor. (Note to Bait: When a party of skin and drizzled with four orders this splendid starter, kick in aioli, was delivered to an extra oyster rather than just serving the next table. Then the standard trio.) we saw a platter of The absolute must-try small plate is the French fries, tossed with poached lobster crunchy bite-sized tric orns, wonton chunks, then splashed with spiced aioli. wrappers stuffed with After trying this combo of crisp starch smoked duck and and luscious protein, you may never put cream cheese, with a ketchup on your fries again. dipping tub of mango A couple of main dishes strain the defisalsa alongside. nition of sumptuous. The seafood boil Sea fare, thanks to is laughably extravagant. Arranged in jet-speed transport, a wok-like hammered steel balti, it’s a can now dominate a towering sculpture, with spidery fingers of crab, pink curls of shrimp, andouille Midwestern menu, and that’s the aim links, corn on the cob, and red potatoes, NY PLACE WITH Dave Bruhere, beginning with the starters. Silver all steamed with your choice of seasoning. (Bait’s Spice is your best bet.) The beck’s “Take Five” on the dollar–sized scallops, after a quick sear, piped music playlist is likely are plated with a smear of parsnip purée, steak-and-lobster combination is a less to be at least good. At Bait, braised pear, candied carrot, and—well, imposing presentation but even more of Brubeck’s tinkling is killing it—and the we really didn’t get the half dozen popped a caloric carnival. Splashed with shimseafood is beyond good. mering cognac sauce, a beef filBait Bait is located in a converted house, a let medallion and poached lob4239 Lindell palatial one, built when Greta Garbo was ster tail are balanced atop garlic 314-405-2797 baitstl.com a star. As we sat at the table, we imagmashed potatoes and accomDinner Wed–Sat ined the dishes—with ingredients from panied by charred broccolini. across the county that we now take for My fillet is rendered as ordered, granted—passing before the place’s first with a rosy center; the lobster inhabitants, who likely never tasted such tail pulled away from its shell, firm and tender.

THE BOTTOM LINE The smooth and sophisticated new Central West End destination serves outstanding seafood.

Just a couple of items are Scallops, glazed carrots, white wine poached pear, Bait’s spice popcorn, and a parsnip purée

A

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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without pelagic provenance. The tomahawk chop is fun. A 30-ounce prime rib with that bone handle arrives on a platter. Its juices and the herbed cognac sauce spill luxuriantly onto the polished stone table. There’s a Prime beef burger—but seriously? A burger here?

No. If you want a sandwich, go with the lobster roll, which is served Connecticut-style on a toasted bun, with the lobster hunks warm and dressed with nothing more than melted butter and served on a toasted bun. It comes with fries, but you’ve already come this far, so you might as well get a side of those lobster fries, too.

House-made pasta is tossed in squid ink and tumbled with shrimp, nibbles of lump crab, and scallops, along with roasted tomatoes, herb-infused butter, and olive oil. The hearty result is a dark swirl of perfectly matched textures.

B ait’s lush pres entations are reflected in the space. Lanterns illuminate the entrance. Once inside, you’ll encounter a whole school of bronzed fish, appearing to swim right out of the foyer wall. The restaurant’s divided into several rooms, including some splendidly cozy two-top alcoves that look out onto Lindell. Carpeting, stuffed chairs, and the multiroom layout all work to hush noise and enhance comfort. (Bait’s also in contention for the coveted Coolest St. Louis Restaurant Restroom Award.) A backlit wall serves as an inventive and artistic wine cellar. Speaking of wine, the selection is commendable, with prices, especially for glasses, that are more than reasonable. The “bar,” a closet-sized nook with no seating, produces some fine drinks.

Try the Boulevardier, as proper a cocktail as one might find today.

Our service was a bit choppy, with too much hovering to clear dishes. Though a reservation was bungled, the apologies were swift and we were quickly accommodated.

Though the address’ original occupants likely never sampled the kind of food served by Bait, that’s no reason you shouldn’t—and soon.

ANNIVERSARY CLUB Sign up for St. Louis Magazine’s Anniversary Club, and celebrate your special day with exclusive offers from local businesses!

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FIRST BITE

An Original Idea

Restaurateur Mike Randolph branches out to barbecue—and Tex-Mex.

MEMORY LANE A FOND LOOK B A C K AT LA TROPICANA MARKET

Back in the day, St. Louis had many corner stores, in the kind of building where La Tropicana Market opened in 1975. The owners, the Trabancos, had moved here two years earlier, after living in Cuba, and set up shop at the corner of Hereford and Lindenwood. A significant expansion came six years later, when they added meat and a deli case.

The Trabancos also installed a few tables, where they could serve more than a Cuban sandwich.

The menu was Cuban and Mexican. For instance, there were two kinds of chicken, one with cilantro and another with chipotle, to roll into soft tacos. A fine ropa vieja, beef cooked beyond pot roast, and garlicky chicken were among the Cuban representatives.

MIKE RANDOLPH SHOULD be heralded for conceiv-

ing some of the most creative restaurants in St. Louis: The Good Pie, Half & Half, Little Country Gentleman, Medianoche, Randolfi’s Italian Kitchen, Público, Privado…

Randolph’s latest effort, Original J’s Tex-Mex & Barbecue, has the appearance and vibe of a familiar, timeworn little joint. You know the look: booth seats covered in weathered vinyl; dark-stained pine paneling; mismatched Tiffany lights over blue-and-white–checked napery; the warble of Garth Brooks; random bric-a-brac, including framed postcards from an era when travelers actually wrote them, on the walls.

The space’s prior iterations (pizza restaurants) attracted families with sports-playing kids, and Original J’s is intended to do the same, with an assist from a carnival-issue claw machine yielding rubber pigs and cows, pastel-

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Brisket tacos with smoked tomatoes, onion queso, cilantro, and J’s Sauce

colored nods to the protein on offer.

The ace up Randolph’s sleeve: a patented woodburning smoker that adds moisture throughout the slow-cook process, yielding brisket that’s best cut thick, lest it fall apart. Post oak wood produces smoky bourbon overtones in the pulled pork tacos, similar to those found in Texas border towns. A countertop máquina whirls frozen margaritas, frosé, and a special house concoction. Randolph even brings back staples like fried ice cream, topping it with Mexican hot fudge.

The result: an experiential dining trip rooted in the past that simultaneously introduces a bold, smoky interpretation of Tex-Mex. 7359 Forsyth. —GEORGE MAHE

It was nothing short of home cooking. Though Luis Trabanco, one of three sons in the family, ran the restaurant, his mother, Maria, oversaw the cooking. While the food was prepared, patrons could peruse the groceries and then pay for their meal, plantains, pigeon peas, and a box of Sazón Goya. The cash register was next to a case full of desserts. Some, like fruit empanadas, were from a preferred bakery, while others, such as the delectable flan, came courtesy of Maria and her helpers.

Eventually, there were some outdoor tables and even a liquor license. The family also began to wholesale Hispanic food. Eventually, though, the café-and-market combo shut down, closing its doors in 2013. —ANN LEMONS POLLACK

Photography by Spencer Pernikoff

12/9/19 9:16 AM

Important Dates CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY: Jan. 14 & Jan. 28 5

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SECOND HELPING

The Next Act

Taco Circus relocates to a larger, kitschy space in Southwest Garden.

BY HOLLY FANN

O

VER THE PAST four years,

Taco Circus has amassed a loyal following of regulars who’ve come to appreciate owner Christian Ethridge’s colorful approach of serving up Austin-style Tex-Mex in a cheeky atmosphere. So when the restaurant outgrew its original counter-service taqueria in the Bevo neighborhood, Ethridge recently opened a full-service location—with an expanded menu, a bar program, and a tree-shaded patio—in the former Three Flags Tavern space in Southwest Garden.

Greeting you near the entrance of the new location is a giant Homer Simpson statue. Homer’s missing one of his original hands, but he’s been outfitted with a small doll hand. The windows running along the front are obscured by a riot of secondhand ceramic planters, each with mayo, sour cream, chilis, and marinated pork al pastor, and Tacos: al pastor, skirt holding a cactus, succulent, or housea squeeze of lime. smoky grilled skirt steak make steak, and plant. The wall colors and framed art The flight of salsas is easy to up the foundation of the menu, breaded swai lean toward the psychedelic in both of overlook, but it’s a cache of big, along with vegan Match Meat picthe dining rooms, which seat about 120. dynamic flavors. Ethridge notes adillo and batter-fried swai. The Homer’s side of the restaurant includes the four salsas are a point of pride for popular pork steak carnitas is a shina large bar, where a selection of specialty the kitchen, providing a way for each of ing example of interpreting local and margaritas and house-made horchata is his chefs to flex some culinary muscle. familiar ingredients in a fresh way. Pork on offer. The Purple Margarita, a potent A spicy arbol rojo adds bright, vinegary steak is marinated with spices, oregano, concoction of over-proof tequila, notes and an earthy, balanced and black pepper and slow-cooked until rum, lemon, sugar, and purple richness. The rustic salsa the meat almost collapses, yet not so cassis, delivers a sweet and macha combines nuts and a long that all of the deeply flavorful fat is rendered away. The result: juicy meat heady kick. Paired with chips variety of dried chilis. Each and salsa, it’s a novel and effecsalsa is not only distinct but with a porcine richness that’s surpristive way to whet an appetite. also compelling in its own way. ingly light and flavor-packed yet doesn’t The appetizer of esquites, Taco Circus’ primary focus feel greasy.

Taco Circus has always been the adept Taco Circus radiates exuberance, or street corn, is consider- 4940 Southwest ately broken into manageable 314-899-0061 preparation of the meats wrapping diners in its funky charms pieces. The sweet, charred ker- tacocircus.com offered in the burritos, fajita while doling out copious quantities of Lunch and dinner nels pop with juice after being Tue–Sun platters, and tacos. The tender thoughtfully prepared Tex-Mex comfire-roasted and then smeared grilled chicken thigh al carbon, fort food.

THE BOTTOM LINE Generous portions of Tex-Mex and craft margaritas are served in a lively space packed with personality.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

12/9/19 9:16 AM

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9 1 0 w e s t p o r t P L A Z A d r i v e • S T . L O U I S , M I S S O U R I • 3 1 4 .5 4 8 . 2 8 7 6 • W E S T P O R T S O C I A L - S T L . C O M 9 1 0 w e s t p o r t P L A Z A d r i v e • S T . L O U I S , M I S S O U R I • 3 1 4 .5 4 8 . 2 8 7 6 • W E S T P O R T S O C I A L - S T L . C O M 9 1 0 w e s t p o r t P L A Z A d r i v e • s a i n t l o u i s , m i s s o u r i • 3 1 4 .5 4 8 . 2January 8 7 6 2020 stlmag.com 49 9 1 0 w e s t p o r t P L A Z A d r i v e • s a i n t l o u i s , m i s s o u r i • 3 1 4 .5 4 8 . 2 8 7 6 TASTE_0120.indd 49

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2. Little Fox Casual fine dining comes to the former Purple Martin space in Fox Park, courtesy of chefs Craig and Mowgli Rivard, whose passion and creativity is seen in such dishes as a bone-in tomahawk pork chop Milanese topped with gribiche dressing. 2800 Shenandoah.

3. The Tenderloin Room The storied steakhouse at The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis was recently updated with a fireplace, dry-aging room, rotisserie, small plates, and a six-seat chef’s table. The classic look and feel remain, though.

232 Kingshighway.

4. Egg @ Midtown The owners of one of the best breakfast and lunch joints in the city recently cracked open the doors to a second location. Among a menu of standouts are the sopes, crispy maize cups filled with a bounty of goodies. 3100 Locust.

5. Biscuits, Beer & BBQ “At 3B’s, we brought together three of the major food groups,” partner Derek Deaver of Three Kings Pub fame quips of the grab-andgo concept. Terminal 2, St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

Photography by Greg Rannells

12/6/19 9:18 AM

INS, OUTS & ALMOSTS AS OF AN EARLY-DEC. PRESS DATE

CLOSINGS

COMING SOON

Table Three 16765 Main, Wildwood, Nov. 23

Egg @ Midtown (Michael’s Catering) 3100 Locust, early Dec.

Schneithorst’s 1600 S. Lindbergh, Dec. 24

The Old Barn Inn Restaurant 3519 St. Albans, early Dec.

Houlihan’s 1221 Strassner, Nov. 12

OPENINGS

J. P. Field’s West (Fozzie’s) 11656 Manchester, Nov. 3 J’s Pitaria Mediterranean Cuisine (Toasty Grill Subs) 91 Concord Plaza, Nov. 8 1798 BBQ 5210 Highway N, Cottleville, Nov. 14 Winslow’s Table (Winslow’s Home) 7213 Delmar, Nov. 14 The Train Shed (Houlihan’s) 1820 Market, Nov. 18 Biscuits, Beer & BBQ Terminal 2, St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Nov. 21 Britt’s Bakehouse 137 W. Jefferson, Nov. 23 Original J’s Tex-Mex & Barbecue (Fortel’s Pizza Den) 7359 Forsyth, Nov. 25 The High Low 3301 Washington, Nov. 29

DouDou 6318 Clayton, early Dec.

1894 Cafe 201 S 18th, mid-Dec. Little Fox (The Purple Martin) 2800 Shenandoah, mid-Dec. Beffa’s Bar and Restaurant 2700 Olive, late Dec. Orzo Mediterranean Grill 11625 Olive, late Dec. Noto Italian Restaurant (J. Noto Bakery) 5105 Westwood, Dec. Salt + Smoke (The Tavern Kitchen & Bar) 392 N. Euclid, early Jan. Café DaNang 7494 Ethel, Jan. Tempus 4370 Manchester, early 2020 Diego’s (Momos) 630 North & South, March

MOVING

Stackhouse Pub & Grill From 14156 Olive to 13419 Olive (MaTaNe Japanese Dining), late Dec. Bombay Food Junkies From 3580 Adie to 12955 Olive, spring

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HOT SEAT

How many food trucks were here at the time?

Nick: Five or so: Cha Cha Chow, Papa Tom’s Hot Dogs, Sarah’s Cake Stop, Pi, Seoul Taco…

Laura: Four months later, when our truck finally hit the road, there were 17. Now it’s more than 100. The day we started Go! Gyro! Go! was a Food Truck Friday. We got absolutely killed, but the customers were receptive.

People simply love gyros.

Nick: We found that out. [He smiles.] I love shish kebabs and wanted them to be a big part of the menu mix, so I prepped, like, 600 of them that day. We sold 40.

Everybody wanted gyros.

At food fairs and festivals, people wait in long lines for gyros. Why is that?

Nick: Besides being a great walkaround item, my guess is that people like them but don’t seek them out that often.

When people go to a Greek restaurant, for example, they tend to get entrées or specialties, not gyros.

Gyro Heroes

The couple who founded the Go! Gyro! Go! food truck spin off a brick-and-mortar in Creve Coeur.

W

HEN NICK AND Laura Cowlen

decided to roll out the city’s first Greek food truck, in 2010, there were only five local food trucks. (Now there are more than 100.) Go! Gyro! Go! became an instant hit, eventually earning a nod from The Daily Meal as the best food truck in Missouri. Now, they’re broadening their culinary sights: Orzo Mediterranean Grill is slated to open this month. —G.M.

When you rolled out Go! Gyro! Go!, food trucks were still a novelty in St. Louis. How and when did you decide to start?

Nick: I was converting houses and apartments, until I got sidelined by the recession… In 2010, I got distracted by a new show called The Great Food Truck Race. I thought I could bring something new and exciting to St. Louis but didn’t want to be tied to the expense of a brick-and-mortar.

ONLINE Visit stlmag.com to find out how the Cowlens plan to handle off-premise ordering and delivery at Orzo.

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What was your first restaurant job?

Nick: I was 14, and my dad was the food and beverage director for The Clayton Inn. I bussed tables and eventually tended bar.

Laura: My mom owned The Greek Gourmet, on North Ballas. I got involved when I was a teenager, bussing tables.

People told me what they liked and disliked, until I told them it was my mom’s place, so I tried to stay anonymous.

Laura, what was your job on the food truck?

Laura: For the first few years, I was the order taker and cashier, but I was a psychologist by trade and became a certified life coach. My business was always connecting with people, so it was a struggle, because all I could get to say was things like, “Do you want onions on your gyro?”

Nick: Laura would start up little sessions, and I’d have to intervene just to keep the line moving.

What are the secrets to a well-made gyro?

Nick: Carve the meat off the spit to order, because there’s no way to short cut that crispy, crunchy caramelization. Season properly, as too many places under-seaPhotography by Kevin A. Roberts

12/9/19 11:07 AM

son their food. Heat the pitas on a charbroiler to impart a little smoke and color.

Laura: I admire Nick for never compromising. We could have served twice the people and made twice the money if we pre-cut and premade the gyros.

The Daily Meal named Go! Gyro! Go! the best food truck in Missouri. How does that affect business?

Laura: If someone is on the fence about whether to hire us for an event, maybe those awards helped swing the needle.

So why is Orzo a Mediterranean-themed restaurant rather than just Greek?

Nick: We didn’t want to be confined strictly to Greek food. We wanted the flexibility to introduce spices from Spain, North Africa, maybe even the Middle East. These days, the public expects and appreciates different flavors.

What items does Orzo have that the food truck did not?

Nick: One standout is the grilled veggie Mediterranean bowl with an option to add marinated grilled chicken, grilled steak, or other protein. The grilled chicken-andpesto gyro contains Greek spiced and marinated grilled chicken, grilled vegetables, orzo pasta, house-made basil pesto, and shaved [Parmigiano-] Reggiano.

And for dessert?

Nick: We’re toying with a signature lemon bar or even a Greek yogurt bar with fresh fruit, crunchies, and honey.

What’s the tone of the décor?

Laura: Neutral with pops of color on the plates and on the walls. It will be comfortable. Some fast-casual places are designed so customers will eat and leave quickly; that’s not our intent.

Lastly, what’s the right way to eat a gyro without spilling it all over your shirt?

Nick: With your hands, very carefully, peeling away the foil wrap as you do so.

Laura: Well, maybe. [She laughs.] But do you know how much Spray ’n Wash we go through at our house?

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Expert advice on finance, relationships, wellness, and how to live a happier life

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN, JEN ROBERTS & AMANDA WOYTUS

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JANUARY 2020

12/6/19 8:51 AM

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Estate Plan

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JANUARY 2020

12/9/19 10:28 AM

WHAT THE PROS CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

DOLLARS AND SENSE

Carolyn Kindle Betz

President, ENTERPRISE HOLDINGS FOUNDATION ; member, MLS4THELOU

Finance expert Matt Hall on eight ways to make 2020 your best year ever

The No. 1 party foul for Matt Hall, co-founder and president of Hill Investment Group: when someone asks him what he thinks is going to happen in the market. “The answer,” he says, “is that even the most brilliant economists, the people who are true students of how global economies and markets work, cannot predict what’s going to happen in the short run.” But short of a crystal ball, Hall’s advice might be the next best thing—he’s the author of Odds On: The Making of an Evidence-Based Investor and host of the podcast “Take the Long View with Matt Hall,” on which he’s interviewed everyone from Shake Shack restaurateur Danny Meyer on investing in hospitality to billionaire and AQR founder David Kabiller. If getting your finances in order is on the punch list for 2020, the bad news is that this is an election year, which spells tumult and unknown, Hall says. The good news? We’ve compiled Hall’s eight pieces of advice on how to act accordingly.

1. Think longer-term. “If you think about 30 years down the road, often it allows you to go beyond whether you’re going to buy the latte.”

2. Make your spending match your values.

Get a savings account with a few months’ living expenses in case of an emergency and max out a workplace savings plan. Then, Hall says, “if you value food or coffee, maybe that’s where you should spend.”

3. Automate everything. “Once you take the thinking away, it becomes painless to save and to give.”

4. Ignore most financial media. “Today’s paper is trying to get you to focus on the apocalypse of the day. Read the financial news for entertainment or for information, not for wisdom.”

5. Plan. “I mean tax planning, estate planning, investment planning, charitable planning. If our vision for what we want to accomplish gets clearer, our decisions become easier.”

6. Embrace uncertainty. “Patient investors usually get rewarded. The people who are generally hurt during times of uncertainty are the people who act or react.”

Another way to ensure a smooth ride: Invest in funds outside the U.S. 7. Know how much you spend. “Use technology to better understand your spending. My two favorite apps are Personal Capital and Mint.”

8. Costs matter—but they aren’t everything.

“There are some things worth paying for, whether that’s an advisor, certain types of funds, or different types of tech.”

DOORDASH The food delivery app is a staple: “With our busy schedules, I’m not sure my husband, Adam Betz, would ever get dinner without this app.”

FAIRWAY SOLITAIRE Games can provide a much-needed distraction from a demanding work schedule. Betz’s game of choice is Fairway Solitaire.

“I try to take 10 minutes every day to play this game on my phone, just to relax my mind.”

Kiku Obata

President, KIKU OBATA & COMPANY WHATSAPP AND FACETIME The two apps help Obata stay connected to her daughters and granddaughters.

NEWS Obata begins her days by perusing the news, regularly reading The New York Times, The Guardian, and The Wall Street Journal, and checking out CNN and Quartz.

LI F E H ACKS Your mileage may vary when it comes to buying in bulk. Do you really have room (or the desire) to store 50 rolls of toilet paper?

Maybe not, but one thing you should consider stocking up on is wine (and not just because 2020 is an election year). Most wine shops offer a discount for a case of 12, and warehouse stores typically let nonmembers shop for alcohol.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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WHAT THE PROS CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

THE LITTLE THINGS

Patrick R. Brown

Chief resilience officer, CITY OF ST. LOUIS

Six small steps toward a happier, healthier life

Why don’t we do the things we know are good for us? It was that question, in part, that led psychiatrist Nigel Lester, director of mental health at PALM Health, to the field of wellness and well-being. There are many ways to improve your health, but it’s important that you make “incremental changes,” which will be sustainable over time, instead of quick fixes that are so often short-lived. “You can go off on a two-week escape, which is lovely,” says Lester, “but you return, and the first day you’re back at work, everything falls apart again.”

1. Let go at day’s end. These days, the nature of work has largely changed. It’s no longer as simple as moving boxes and patting yourself on the back for a job well done. Instead, many people have complex occupations that involve a never-ending pursuit, so it’s important to learn how to switch off. “I tell people to literally say to themselves, ‘This day is done. I can do no more. God willing, I can come back tomorrow and have another try.’”

2. Don’t over-schedule. Leave room for a little spontaneity and chaos. “People are way too overscheduled,” says Lester. “We’ve lost the ability to be playful and to enjoy things. People forget that being busy doesn’t necessarily mean being effective.”

3. Daydream. Sometimes, it can actually be more productive to take a break.

“Research shows that daydreaming and social conversations—time that might seem idle and unproductive— are actually really important for the brain,” says Lester.

4. Limit distractions. That goes for you, too, parents. “On average, adults have way more screen time than kids,” says Lester, citing a Nielsen survey. “It’s a massive issue for health.” Instead, replace screen time with time in nature or a creative outlet, such as dancing, knitting, or writing.

5. Get more involved with your food. Instead of eating fast food or processed options, learn to enjoy cooking. “You can break habits as quickly as you make them,” says Lester. Educate yourself—Caryn Dugan (a.k.a. STLVegGirl) offers helpful tips on her website, stlveggirl.com, and at The Center for Plant-Based Living, in Kirkwood—and explore the complexity of food.

6. Get some rest. In such a fast-paced, results-driven world, we don’t value sleep enough. A good night’s rest—at least eight hours—can help you stay sharp throughout the day and increase productivity. Still tired or having trouble sleeping? Consider consulting a physician.

IPAD PRO “I don’t take written notes in meetings anymore or drag around a clunky laptop with its seemingly never-fullycharged battery.”

STRENGTHSFINDER 2.0 AND THE HAMSTER REVOLUTION The former emphasizes ways to build on what you do best; the latter is subtitled “How to Manage Your Email Before It Manages You,” an idea many St. Louisans can appreciate.

Sarah Fenske

Host, ST. LOUIS ON THE AIR

GOOGLE CALENDAR Since joining St. Louis Public Radio, Fenske has switched from a paper calendar to Google Calendar. “I’m very oldschool, but I’m glad I finally switched. Now I just need to figure out how to get it to sync with my phone.”

NYT COOKING’S RECIPE BOX It helps Fenske stay organized in the kitchen, which is especially important with her busy schedule.

LI F E H ACKS Meal prep before the start of a busy week can make it easier to resist the call of takeout and is often healthier. Vegetables like broccoli, onion, and peppers can be chopped and stored in the fridge ahead of time. Want to prep even faster? Invest in a food processor and save yourself the headache of dicing.

Photography by David Kovaluk/St. Louis Public Radio

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Take a Break

Idle Let Go Good For You

Change Get Some Rest

Dance Knit Time

Daydream Nature

Create

Enjoy

Chaos

Learn Eat Some Greens

Try Limit Screen Time

Switch Off

Explore Food

Think Write Play Cook

JANUARY 2020

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New Future Divide Power Me Unite

);

Equal Power

Win Together

Let Each Other Win

Family Make It Fun

Plan

$ Set a Budget

Love 2 Gether Date Night Play a Game Dance 4 Ever

XO XO

Share

Lose Together

Secrets

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WHAT THE PROS CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

THE MARRIAGE GAME The three biggest pitfalls in a partnership and how to step around them

After guiding couples through 14,000 divorces and summing it up in her new book, 7 Secrets From the Divorce Whisperer, divorce lawyer Marta Papa knows which arguments are most toxic. But when she does marriage mediation (a growing trend), she refuses to rehash cause or blame. “It all boils down to balancing the power,” she says. “People fight over the same things over and over, and there’s no answer to it. You want to create a new future? You let each other ‘win’ half the time—and you remember that overall, you win together or you lose together.”

1. Money As with most things in a relationship, finances are about give-and-take. “One person doesn’t get to make all the financial decisions,” says Papa. “You divide that power equally. You set a budget, and you may need outside help to do it, because this is such a charged issue. A financial planner can be even better than a therapist, because it’s not that something is ‘wrong’ with you.

You need to establish three categories: (1) hard fixed costs—either absolute necessities, payments you’re locked into, or money you need to save for the future; (2) negotiable necessities, like food; and (3) frivolous money, which you divide. No one should be working to support someone else’s lifestyle.”

2. Sex Maybe you secretly recoil from your spouse’s preferences, or maybe you’re overworked, stressed, and exhausted.

“What my therapist friends do is make sex lighthearted, like a parlor game,” Papa says. “It’s not mandatory; each party has

a veto card, and you don’t have to explain yourself. You make it an adventure that only the two of you share. Also, you set aside one date night a week and take turns picking what you do. If you hate the other person’s pick, that’s OK. But you’ve gotta go each weekend, because if you don’t, somebody loses their pick.

So you find a way to make it fun.”

3. In-laws One set is perceived as spoiling the kids or pressuring the spouse to be more social, act differently, come every week to Sunday dinner, or whatever. “They see it as keeping the family traditions,” Papa says, “but maybe their son or daughter never cut the apron strings and is really enmeshed.

“You’re still trying to please your parents but also your spouse, and you’re getting no pleasure yourself,” Papa warns. “You are going to have to pick your battles, and you need to approach the parents together as a united front.

Get used to that, because you have to be a united front for your kids, too.”

Tania Beasley-Jolly

Co-founder, MERCH THE BUSINESS OF FASHION The fashionable St. Louisan starts her days scanning the site, which covers the latest across the fashion industry.

TRUFUSION Beasley-Jolly plans her day around classes at TruFusion in Clayton.

“I will do anything that is hot,” she says. “I do one class every day.”

Brant Baldanza

Owner, OG HOSPITALITY GROUP SETTING THE TABLE,

BY DANNY MEYER St. Louis native Meyer, the founder of Shake Shack, wrote the book on service—and it’s a go-to for Baldanza. “My copy is filled with sticky notes and highlights,” he says.

D1 TRAINING Baldanza and his colleagues train together four days a week and have seen significant results.

LI F E H ACKS The next time you place an Amazon order, check out the site’s Frustration-Free Packaging, in which right-sized recyclable boxes are shipped without the additional Amazon cardboard. In 2017, customers who selected this option helped save 305 million shipping boxes.

And skip two-day shipping, which gives companies less time to fill trucks or organize the most efficient transportation for items.

Photography by Megan Lorenz, Kevin A. Roberts

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WHAT THE PROS CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT

Susan Trautman

CEO, GREAT RIVERS GREENWAY

BAMBOO NOTEBOOK “It reflects my love of nature,” says Trautman, who likes to take lots of notes at meetings. “If you are fully present, you can solve more than when you’ve got too many things going on in your head.” At the end of the day, she distills everything into a to-do list and sets priorities. “I don’t want to not be able to move forward on something because I haven’t signed a contract or something.”

SCRUM, BY J.J. SUTHERLAND “We’ve adapted that Scrum philosophy, which is really to stay focused on the issues at hand,” she says. “On Mondays, our team divides up and meets individually. We moved away from weekly all-staff meetings because they weren’t productive for folks. Not everybody needed to hear everything. Now, we do that once a month.”

MISSOURI GARDENER To decompress, Trautman will pick up gardening or cooking magazines— “something super-light, because if I launch into a book, I will not put it down.” She saves books for vacations and airplanes. She reads Missouri Gardener, for instance, which features mostly native plants, to plan her spring garden.

A BETTER BLUEPRINT Later this year, developer Steve Smith plans to open the much-anticipated City Foundry in Midtown—just one of the Lawrence Group’s ambitious projects across the city. Here’s how Smith gets it all done.

Smith describes his days as races—and he likes to start early. He’s typically out the door before 7 a.m. each day, and the first thing he likes to do is get some alone time—prioritizing his meetings for the day and week. It’s not meditation, but “a big part of setting the priorities and organizing for the week—and the day— is to understand the critical nature of all the different appointments I have.

I try to be disciplined about letting my assistant book the calendar in Outlook.

Sometimes when I do it, I double- or triple-book things.”

LIFE HACKS Need music to help you work? Instead of Bach or Beethoven, try queuing up The Sims or Halo soundtrack. Video game music has no lyrics (weird Sims characters’ mumbling aside), it’s fast-paced, and it’s designed to allow players to engage and concentrate for long periods. One Spotify user, Israel Gabriel, has created a playlist with more than 2,300 tracks—that should keep you focused for a while.

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12/9/19 9:18 AM

Smith prioritizes A, B, and C meetings. “An A meeting is ‘I’ve just gotta really, really have this meeting,’” he says.

B meetings are important but flexible.

C meetings are courtesies.

Smith has been running Lawrence Group for 36 years and has learned that there’s no better teacher than failure. A close second is business biographies, which he reads to soak up ideas on topics such as diversifying work and building high-performing teams. One that was life-changing: Connie Bruck’s Master of the Game, a biography of nowdeceased Time Warner media mogul Steve Ross. “He married into a family who ran funeral homes, used the cash flow from that to grow into parking lots in New York, used the cash flow from that to buy Warner Bros., and then merged that with Time Warner,”

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Smith says. “That’s a little bit like what we’ve done here at Lawrence Group. We started as an architectural firm, and now we develop buildings, manage buildings, build buildings, design buildings.”

Exploring the city in the name of discovery and inspiration is all part of an architect’s job, and Smith prefers to do so on a bike. Smith owns six motorcycles, but his road bike of choice is a KTM 1190 Adventure. “In nice weather,” he says, “I’ll go around historic neighborhoods on a bike, because you can see everything so well. There are still the bones of some really interesting buildings in parts of South St. Louis.”

Smith’s work is influenced by the architecture of not only the city but also of the country and world. “I seek out not just buildings but also environments,” he says. “I think we learn a lot by seeing how other people design and build and exist and solve problems.” A recent significant source of inspiration: the Atlanta BeltLine. “The design, the development around it, the art, the public spaces and parks that are all new that have been built around it blew my top.” The Chouteau Greenway is slated to run through his City Foundry project, so Smith’s become a student of trails and food halls. He says he’s also looked to New York City’s Chelsea Market and Krog Street Market in Atlanta.

Once the workday is over, it’s time to go home and unplug. Smith and his wife are empty-nesters, so, he says, “I tell people, when I go home at night, I’m not responding unless it’s absolutely super urgent. The way I rationalize it is, anything that comes in at 7:30 at night can be responded to just as easily at 7:30 in the morning.”

If Smith doesn’t have a business dinner, he’s reading. He checks out the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the old-fashioned way—the actual newspaper. “Online, I read The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN. I have a whole news feed on my iPad. I tag the topics I want to be kept abreast of, so I can very quickly go across the different media sources.”

He reads the news to unwind? “That’s taking input, as opposed to initiating stuff,” he says. “I direct people, respond to emails, phone calls all day long. In the evening, I’m just taking it in.”

Socially Acceptable

Influencer Samantha Eason on social media’s power for connection Get off your phone, the voice in your head urges as you scroll through social media feeds. Taking a break isn’t a bad idea. The Pew Research Center reports that three in 10 Americans—including 48 percent of those ages 18 to 29—are online “almost constantly.” But if you want to use social media more practically, consider its ability to connect people in meaningful ways.

Case in point: Samantha Eason, whose Instagram account, @sammyjaneeason, has more than 48,000 followers. There, Eason shares authentic moments from life with her two boys and husband, Chris Eason: “Spent $$$ on new furnace, it’s not heating. Isaac just learned how to jump over his gate.

MJ has 4 teeth coming in. Haven’t showered in 3 days.”

“I started my account as a creative outlet, but when I began talking to people and making friends, that was a game-changer. I didn’t have friends in St. Louis who were moms who I could hang out with,” she says.

One of her first was Lori Holtzman of @glorioffood. Holtzman had followed Eason on Instagram, and when Eason posted a story from Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Holtzman showed up in the background. They messaged, then met up at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market. “She was my first person here who had common interests, similar life goals, and values,” Eason says.

Is it really as simple as following and interacting with the people behind your accounts? Yes, says Eason: “There’s a whole new level of selflove and self-care that comes from following accounts that put good things out into the world.”

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2020 NHL A L L- S TA R WEEKEND

What’s your favorite All-Star memory?

O’REILLY: For me, it was pretty cool to see that All-Star jersey.

You always dream of it happening, and when it does, it’s pretty darn incredible.

SCHENN: It’s cool having your family and friends there. You grow up watching the All-Star Game, seeing the best players in the game. Funny how it comes full circle.

THE

S TA R S SOUND

OFF

What does having this game in St. Louis mean?

SCHENN: I think it’s great for the city. I think when you come in as a road team, you don’t really get to see parts of the city. You go to the city, you go to the rink, and that’s it. Here’s a chance to show what St. Louis is all about. I think the city has a lot more to offer than people think.

O’REILLY: It’s going to really show the world how much of a hockey market this is and how passionate [St. Louisans] are about the game. It’s a great opportunity to get the elite of the elite from other teams here to know a little more about the city.

THE BLUES’ R YA N O ’ R E I L LY A N D B R AY D E N S C H E N N O N P L AY I N G IN THE BIG GAME

Most hockey players dream of skating as an All-Star from the time they start playing pee-wee. For players from the host city, this exhibition is a chance to revel in the honor, have fun, represent their team, and challenge themselves against the game’s best. But for players from the host city, it’s also a chance to showcase their home market to the hockey world and possibly inspire the next generation of skaters coming out of St. Louis. Just ask former Blues All-Stars Ryan O’Reilly and Brayden Schenn. (This year’s lineup wasn’t available at press time.)

How do you think seeing this game might impact young fans?

O’REILLY: It should be inspiring. [St. Louis is] a great hockey town, and for those kids to see those players, it’ll inspire them. The three-on-three games are exciting to watch and the skills competition and all the fantastic tricks and stuff that goes on with it.

SCHENN: St. Louis is great with minor hockey right now. There are a ton of kids making names for themselves and putting St. Louis on the map. You see it in the NHL. The Tkachuks [Matthew and Brady] and [Clayton] Keller. It’s a chance for that 14-year-old to go out there and get a guy’s autograph and see him in the skills competition or in the game. It’s cool being a kid that into hockey, getting to see the greatest in the game.

TAKE NOTE How well do you know your St. Louis All-Star history?

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1. When St. Louis hosted the All-Star Game in 1970, how long did it take for both teams to score a goal?

2. The last time St. Louis hosted an AllStar Game, in 1988, which player scored 6 points, including the OT winner?

3. Which honorary co-captain died three days before the 1988 All-Star Game?

4. Which Blues player received the most first-team All-Star selections, with three?

5. In what year did the Blues head coach appear in the All-Star Game as two of his players sat with injuries?

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Photo Illustration by Ann White, Photography by Keith Gillett, Tim Spyers/Icon Sportswire via AP Images, AP Photo/John Swart, courtesy of Centene Community Ice Center

TA K I N G

THE

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ICE

W H E R E T O S K AT E B E F O R E T H E B I G G A M E

BY THE NUMBERS A statistical look at the NHL AllStar Weekend

$20 MILLION

Projected economic impact of the NHL All-Star Weekend

$18.5 MILLION

Estimated economic impact of the 2017 Winter Classic, hosted at Busch Stadium

5,000

MARYVILLE UNIVERSITY HOCKEY CENTER

CENTENE COMMUNITY ICE CENTER

STEINBERG SKATING RINK

The new $21.5 million rink, owned and operated by the Chesterfield Hockey Association, is located just west of the former Hardee’s IcePlex, where Topgolf ’s driving range now sits. (Before the IcePlex closed, in 2017, Blues greats took the ice there one last time.) With two NHLsize rinks and seating for 2,000 fans, the new facility hosts Maryville’s Saints, as well as high school teams.

Call ahead for public skate times. 18383 Chesterfield Airport.

Take the ice in the same facility where the Blues practice. Opened in September, the $83 million Maryland Heights facility seats up to 2,500 spectators and offers three indoor rinks and a covered outdoor ice rink, with additional spectator seating. There are also retail spaces and a restaurant. Public skating is 11 a.m.–1 p.m.

Monday through Friday, 7–9 p.m. Friday, 12:30– 2:30 p.m. and 7–9 p.m.

Saturday, and 12:30– 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

750 Casino Center.

It’s a rite of passage for St. Louisans to welcome winter with sledding on Art Hill and an evening on this ice rink, tucked away in Forest Park.

400 Jefferson.

WINTERFEST ICE RINK

Another picturesque setting, Kiener Plaza, temporarily plays host to skaters through January 26. (It’s open 4–8 p.m. January 22–24 and noon–8 p.m. January 25 & 26.) The best part: Admission is free.

500 Chestnut.

Estimated room nights for NHL staff, players, and media at local hotels

6. How many times did Hall of Famer Bernie Federko appear as an All-Star?

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7. Brett Hull was selected for eight All-Star Games. What other Blues player did this—in eight straight seasons?

8. Did Brian Sutter have more All-Star appearances or brothers who played in the NHL?

9. How many assists did Vladimir Tarasenko have in his first All-Star Game?

10. Which Blues player won the inaugural Passing Challenge in 2018?

ANSWERS: 1. 37 seconds.

2. Mario Lemieux. 3. Barclay Plager.

4. Brett Hull. 5. 2001. 6. Two. 7. Garry Unger. 8. The latter, with five brothers and three All-Star Games. 9. Four. 10. Alex Pietrangelo.

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W H AT ’ S

IN

A

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W H E R E T O A P P R E C I AT E T H E B LU E S ’ H I S T O RY

CATCH A SHOW

Experience that other kind of blues firsthand at some of the most beloved venues in town.

Grab a po’ boy and hear a band at Blues City Deli. In Webster Groves, Highway 61 Roadhouse offers a colorful atmosphere and live music on weekends. Near downtown, the mosaic-clad patio at Broadway Oyster Bar hosts live music every day, with two shows each day except Friday. And next door, inside a historic building, is BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups.

MISSOURI HISTORY MUSEUM

NATIONAL BLUES MUSEUM

Relive the Blues’ historic championship season with a visit to the museum’s upper level, where a banner emblazoned with “History Made” hangs above gameworn gear and memorabilia: goalie Jordan Binnington’s leg pads, MVP Ryan O’Reilly’s jersey, and the four Game 7 scoring pucks that helped the team bring home the Stanley Cup.

Learn about the Father of the Blues, W.C. Handy, who wrote the song that inspired the team’s name. Launched at the Mercantile Exchange in 2016, the museum tells the story of the genre, from its African origins to its widespread influence on popular music of all forms. Besides learning about the greats, both in St. Louis and beyond, visitors can play in a jug band, create their own blues songs, and take in a show at the Lumière Place Legends Room.

A VERY PARTICULAR SET OF SKILLS The NHL All-Star skills competition’s six challenges 1. Fastest Skater: Starting from the penalty box side of the center red line, players compete to make the fastest lap around the rink. (Last year’s winning lap: 13.378 seconds.)

(Last year’s winner: 27.045 seconds.)

3. Save Streak: As the name implies, goalies compete to make the most consecutive saves in a shootout-style format, with players from an opposing division shooting in numerical order, lowest to highest, with the division captain shooting ninth. (Last year’s winner: 12 saves.)

4. Premier Passer: A challenge for even the league’s best passers, the obstacle course involves passing the puck to three life-size player cutouts, skipping it over barricades and into four absurdly small nets, and hitting targets that light up at random.

(Last year’s winning time: 1:09:088.)

5. Hardest Shot: In this fan favorite, each player fires two slap shots into the net as a radar gun records the action. The fastest shot wins. (Last year’s winning shot: 102.8 mph.)

6. Accuracy Shooting: Standing 25 feet from the goal, players must hit five LED targets that light up in the net at random. The clock stops when the player hits all five. (Last year’s fastest time: 11:309 seconds.)

7–9:30 p.m. January 24.

Enterprise Center, 1401 Clark.

2. Puck Control: Before firing the puck into the net, players must navigate a series of 10 pucks, weave through eight cones, and negotiate several tiered gates that require some clever handiwork.

The fastest time wins.

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BREAKING

BARRIERS

A C O N V E R SAT I O N W I T H T H E F I R S T WO M A N T O C O M P E T E I N T H E N H L A L L - S TA R S K I L L S C O M P E T I T I O N

After Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon bruised his foot before last year’s NHL All-Star skills competition, Kendall Coyne Schofield was tapped to compete in the fastest skater event—the first woman ever to do so. A hockey player on the U.S. women’s national team and Olympic gold medalist, Coyne Schofield posted a time of 14.346 seconds and earned a standing ovation. Though the Chicagoland native doesn’t yet know where she’ll be watching this year’s game, she hopes to see more women competing in the future.

On other women breaking barriers in hockey: “Recently, Cammi Granato became the first woman scout in the NHL for the Seattle franchise team. Brianne McLaughlin-Bittle became the first woman assistant coach in NCAA men’s ice hockey. And I recently skated with the Columbus Blue Jackets at a pregame skate with my former skills coach Kenny McCudden.”

On the most memorable part of competing: “It was amazing to see so many young kids inspired by that moment, whether they were sending me videos of them skating a lap of their own, picking up hockey for the first time, parents telling me their son wants to skate as fast as me or young girls telling me they want to skate in the NHL All-Star Game or go to the Olympics like I did.”

On the skills that hockey teaches kids: “Communication, teamwork, perseverance, and commitment.”

NHL FAN FAIR AT UNION STATION Where to see stars, skills, and Lord Stanley’s Cup

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After seeing Lord Stanley, the blue lobster at the St. Louis Aquarium, don’t forget to take a photo with the crustacean’s namesake at the 150,000-square-foot hockey heaven at Union Station. The storied trophy will be on display alongside other hardware. Upon learning about the NHL’s 18 prestigious trophies, visitors can discover the history of the league, the Blues, and the All-Star Game in the Hockey Hall of Fame exhibit. Players (past and present), hockey insiders, and team mascots will also be on hand to meet fans, sign autographs, and answer questions. And there’ll be games and activities, including a Kids Zone for tykes, a trading cards and memorabilia show, and the NHL All-Star Weekend flagship store.

Visit nhl.com/fanaccess to download the NHL Fan Access app. 3–10 p.m. January 23 & 24; 10 a.m.–7 p.m.

January 25; 10 a.m.–4 p.m. January 26. Union Station, 1820 Market.

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Photo Illustration by Ann White, Photography by Matt Marcinkowski, Scott Rovak/NHLI via Getty Images, courtesy of Center Ice Brewery

SMOOTHING THE WAY W H AT I T TA K E S T O P R E P ENTERPRISE CENTER FOR THE BIG GAME

Before the stars can take the ice, well, there has to be ice. That’s where Jim Schmuke and his crew come in. Over his 40-year career as an ice technician with the Blues, Schmuke has smoothed the way for hundreds of games—including the 1988 All-Star Game at the Arena and last year’s Stanley Cup Finals. His tenure has given him the expertise needed to prep for such a big event.

● With two weeks to prepare, Schmuke will

have to decide whether to replace Enterprise Center’s 1.25-inch ice for the NHL logos or just cut it down a half-inch and paint over everything. ● Once they decide, the logos—four ads between the blue lines, one behind each goal line, and the one at center ice—will be painted with a new type of mesh template. It’s laid out, flooded with a hose, and smoothed with a paint roller. “You used to have to repaint it every time,” says Schmuke. “It took three hours.” ● Ads on the boards (essentially big bumper stickers) will be changed out, too. ● This year, the NHL will also be using virtual ads superimposed around the ice.

Schmuke estimates that the NHL will replace about half of Enterprise Center’s dasher boards with that tech. ● The game will be covered by media in nearly every NHL town, so the Enterprise Center will add seats for more press. ● Once the extra prep’s done in the weeks leading up to the puck drop, game day will be pretty much the same as always: Schmuke will arrive at 7 a.m., take measurements to ensure that the ice is thick enough, cut impurities out, and level the surface. ● Once the teams have warmed up, Schmuke will return to resurface and do maintenance throughout the action. ● When the final horn sounds, Schmuke and

his crew will help the TV crews load up— before doing it all over again in preparation for the season’s second half.

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A TEST OF CHARACTER Name that NHL mascot (besides Louie).

1. The only mascot that’s not costumed, this character is lowered from the rafters and named for the building operations manager.

2. This mascot’s number, 72, is the average temperature of his hometown.

3. Introduced in 2018, this wild-eyed mascot quickly became a social media sensation, also appearing on latenight talk shows and in numerous magazine and newspaper articles.

4. When he got too close to the visitors’ bench during a game in 2003, this mascot had his tongue ripped out by the opposing coach.

5. In 2019, mascots around the league voted this rival to the Blues the “NHL Mascot of the Year.”

6. Actress Faith Minton donned this mascot’s costume in the 1995 film Sudden Death, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme.

7. As this mascot rappelled from the rafters before a 1999 game, his jersey tangled in the rigging, leaving him dangling 40 feet above the ice during the player introductions and national anthem.

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2020 NHL A L L- S TA R WEEKEND 8. “A Mascot With a Fuzzy Future” is how The New York Times described this colorful character’s fate when the team changed venues.

After a brief hiatus (and previously providing entertainment for teams in two sports), the mascot returned to the ice, much to young fans’ delight.

9. When a player used his stick to kill a rodent in the locker room, then scored two goals with it, fans were inspired to throw plastic replicas of the critter onto the ice, leading to the birth of this mascot.

10. When the town’s Major League Baseball team left, this mascot switched sports, taking up hockey instead.

ANSWERS: 1. Detroit Red Wings’ Al the Octopus 2. L.A. Kings’ Bailey 3. Philadelphia Flyers’ Gritty 4. Calgary Flames’ Harvey the Hound 5. Chicago Blackhawks’ Tommy Hawk 6. Pittsburgh Penguins’ Iceburgh 7. San Jose Sharks’ S.J. Sharkie 8. New York Islanders’ Sparky the Dragon 9. Florida Panthers’ Viktor E. Rat 10. Montreal Canadiens’ Youppi!

WHERE THE

WAT C H GAME TO

D I D N ’ T S C O R E T I X? C O N S I D E R T H E S E A LT E R N AT I V E S .

THE NOTE BAR

O.B. CLARK’S

CENTER ICE BREWING

BALLPARK VILLAGE

Within walking distance of the Enterprise Center, in the historic Park Pacific building, this under-the-radar spot serves a menu of hockey-inspired dishes (Pietro’s Poutine, Stillman’s Salad, Stanley’s Rings) and opens its doors two hours before, during, and after every home game. 200 N. 13th.

After winning the Cup, the team spent the day celebrating at this Brentwood bar and grill, a low-key favorite of players past and present. Once home to Blues’ postgame shows, the bar now boasts 15-plus flatscreen TVs and two big-screens.

1921 S. Brentwood.

The bar top’s made of wood from the former St. Louis Arena, Bluesinspired art from local artists hangs on the walls, and the hockey stick–shaped taps pour such beers as Sudden Death IPA and Old Arena Lager. You can even catch the Stanley Shuttle from the brewery to Blues games.

3126 Olive.

With its 40-foot screen and no shortage of games, giveaways, and special appearances, Fox Sports Midwest Live! is the epicenter of festivities beyond the Enterprise Center.

601 Clark.

THE MAIN EVENT

NHL_AllStar_0120.indd 71

Before the NHL All-Star Game gets underway at the Enterprise Center on January 25 at 7 p.m., players will make redcarpet arrivals on 14th Street, between Clark and Market, beginning at 4 p.m. The puck drops at 7 p.m. for the first of three 20-minute games in a three-on-three format with stars from each division: Pacific, Central, Atlantic, and Metropolitan.

(There’ll be 44 players in total, four of whom are the fan-voted captains.) The winners of the first two games face off in the championship for a chance to win $1 million.

12/6/19 8:59 AM

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THE 2020 BRIDAL GUIDE

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REAL WEDDINGS

BRIDAL FASHION

EVENT PLANNING

WEDDING TRENDS

NEW VENUES

CULINARY GUIDE

FLASHBACK: 1914

Photography by Vein + Vessel

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UNVEILED: REAL WEDDINGS AMISHA & MEHUL

APRIL 27 & 28, 2019

T H E H I G H L A N D S C L U B H O U S E A N D F O U R S E A S O N S H O T E L S T. L O U I S

P . 7 4 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020 A TWIST OF DIGITAL FATE: Mehul and Amisha would likely have never met if not for Coffee Meets Bagel, a dating app that Amisha, a California native, had only just downloaded and Mehul was about to delete. Their personalities matched, and Amisha found Mehul confident and humorous. “She’s the only one who thinks that,” Mehul says, laughing. After a few months of talking about their future together, Mehul proposed in his apartment, decorated with twinkle lights and candles, with a song he wrote for Amisha.

CEREMONY & RECEPTION: The couple had a Hindu wedding with Western twists. Both sides of the family were involved in planning several ceremonies leading up to the marriage, such as the sangeet, a pre-wedding party. Roses, greenery, and lanterns adorned the altar at the main ceremony. Reception guests were treated to musical performances by the couple and family members. Whereas traditional Indian weddings welcome the bride into the groom’s home, the couple celebrated welcoming Amisha to all of St. Louis. —LAURA MISEREZ

THE DETAILS Photographer and videographer: North Arrow Creative Assistant photographer: Zach Dalin Assistant videographer: Le’Annie Jashonda Hair and makeup: Soni Gill Décor: Fatima Designs Florist: An Affair to Remember Cake: Sarah’s Cake Shop DJ: Karan Pujji

Photography by North Arrow Creative

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UNVEILED: REAL WEDDINGS PRESLEE & ESTEVENSON

M AY 1 1 , 2 0 1 9

THANK YOU, FACEBOOK: High school classmates, Estevenson and Preslee later reconnected when he commented on a Facebook post she’d made about his favorite soccer team. They were soon talking every day, and Preslee was driving from Kansas City to St. Louis almost every weekend to see him. How did they survive long-distance?

Independence and hard conversations, they say. After three years of dating, Estevenson proposed on a mountain hike in Haiti. Without phone service, he says, the two “had a few days to just be engaged.”

NEW TOWN CHAPEL AND THE CARAMEL ROOM

CEREMONY & RECEPTION: The couple kept the ceremony simple,

with white flowers and green eucalyptus. Guests saw the pair’s tenderness when Estevenson used Preslee’s hand, which he was holding, to wipe his tears rather than let go during the service. The reception, at The Caramel Room, began with a toast in Estevenson’s native Haitian Creole by Preslee’s father, who learned it for the occasion.

Estevenson’s home country also got shout-outs in the form of the groom’s cake, late-night snacks, and music. —L.M.

THE DETAILS Photographer: Laura Ann Miller Photography Hair: Savanah Summer Luxury Hair + Makeup Catering: 23 City Blocks Catering Cake: Flowers & Flour Cakes Preslee’s dress: Stella York Bridesmaids’ dresses: Adrianna Papell Estevenson and groomsmen’s suits: Menguin Florist: Petals and Bells Live Music: Jimmy Hussey (A Rockin’ DJ) Officiant: Chris Nation

Photography by Laura Ann Miller Photography

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UNVEILED: REAL WEDDINGS LAUREN & DALLAS

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S I LV E R OA K S C H AT E A U

P . 7 6 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020 FAMILY KNOWS BEST: The couple met at Maggie Malone’s among a group of friends. Each found the other cute, sure, but the real test?

Whether Lauren could impress Dallas’ young niece and two nephews, whom she later met at his family’s weekly Mexican dinner night. Lauren passed, and the two felt what it would be like as a family. Dallas proposed in Destin, Florida, after spontaneously flying Lauren down to join him on a business trip (and even more spontaneously picking up a ring 12 hours before the flight). Lauren was totally surprised.

CEREMONY & RECEPTION: The venue’s tall windows served as a beautiful backdrop for this ceremony, which included a sand-blending ritual. Ivory and pastel flowers—and burgundy tuxes—lent a calm vintage feel. At the reception, guests laughed at Lauren’s attempt to serenade Dallas during the first dance. (They’d decided on the song “Where I Belong,” by Justin Lee, only two weeks earlier, so Lauren didn’t have much time to master the lyrics.) That moment perfectly captured the couple’s joyful nature. —L.M.

THE DETAILS Photographer: CMS Photography Catering: Sugarfire Cake: Cake House Design Lauren’s dress: Signature Bridal Dallas’ and groomsmen’s suits: Savvi Formalwear Hair: Bailey Meyers Hair & MUA Florist: Lawrence Florist Officiant: Rob Jackson Coordinator: Adorist Weddings & Events

Photography by CMS Photography

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ai157480926417_STL Mag Full Page Nov 2019 Revised.pdf

6

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5:01:05 PM

Cheers to

AT PA L L A D I U M S A I N T L O U I S

CELEBRATING YOUR STORIES + OURS BOOK SELECT DATES + PICK TWO UPGRADES ON US PALLADIUM-STL.COM • 314.881.4301 • #BESTOFPALLADIUMSTL Unveiled_0120.indd 77

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UNVEILED: REAL WEDDINGS CALLA & ASHLEY

S E P T E M B E R 2 7, 2 0 1 9

TOWER GROVE PARK AND WILD CARROT

P . 7 8 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020 A RECONNECTION: Calla and Ashley had been friends for more than six years. After their friend group drifted apart, the two, who happened to both be single at the same time, decided to catch up over brunch. It was “like a light switch flip,” says Ashley. They knew within a few weeks that their friendship had become love. Within two years, they found themselves in a race to see who could propose first.

Ashley won, proposing on a bench on Flora Place, and Calla followed a few weeks later, as the couple was biking on the Katy Trail.

CEREMONY & RECEPTION: Natural, local, and personal was the

vision for the ceremony, which was held in Tower Grove Park. Calla learned calligraphy and made the invitations and seating cards by hand; Ashley built the arbor and cedar log benches. Friends handled other details, such as the flowers and desserts, and Calla’s dad even played the trombone. The Wild Carrot reception was simultaneously artsy and industrial, just as the couple wanted. “Everything felt like us,” Ashley says, “like, if our personalities could be a wedding.” —L.M.

THE DETAILS Photographer: Vein + Vessel Catering: Seed Sprout Spoon and Salt & Smoke Desserts: Sara Levine, Jimmy Truschel, and Mary Wiegand Ashley’s Suit: Bespoke Apparel Calla’s Dress: BHLDN Hair: Homegrown Hair Co. Florist: Kyle Cheesborough Officiant: Sarah Bollinger

Photography by Vein + Vessel

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U N V E I L E D : FA S H I O N

TH E

UNION E X P R E S S P H O T O G R A P H Y B Y J A I M AY H E W STYLING BY KRISTI PINKHAM

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F RO M TH E VOWS TO TH E FINA L TOA ST, H AU TE B RIDA L LO O KS EMB RAC E CA S UA L C O OL .

From left: Cami NYC top, Saks Fifth Avenue. Nicole Miller Artelier skirt, The Vault. Alexis Bittar earrings, Nordstrom. Heels, stylist’s own. Theia Marion dress, Juno Bridal. Kendra Scott ring, Nordstrom. Noir earrings, Sachin + Babi, Neiman Marcus. Jay Godfrey dress, Neiman Marcus. Jennifer Behr earrings, Neiman Marcus. Emporio Armani jacket, Neiman Marcus. Zignone pants, Saks Fifth Avenue. Ermenegildo Zegna shirt, Neiman Marcus.

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U N V E I L E D : FA S H I O N

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From left: Marchesa Notte gown, Saks Fifth Avenue. Metal belt, Bridal Parlour. Oscar de la Renta earrings, Nordstrom. Gianvito Rossi heels, Saks Fifth Avenue. Topman sweater, Nordstrom. Topman suit, Nordstrom. w. Kleinberg belt, Neiman Marcus. Christian Louboutin velvet loafers, Neiman Marcus. Parker Black dress, Vie. Oscar de la Renta earrings, Neiman Marcus. Edie Parker clutch, Nordstrom. Parker Black dress, Vie.

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U N V E I L E D : FA S H I O N

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From left: Bruno Cucinelli bow tie, Neiman Marcus. Hugo Boss shirt, Saks Fifth Avenue. Zignone pants and jacket, Saks Fifth Avenue. Belt, Nordstrom Men’s Shop. Yves Saint Laurent heels, Neiman Marcus. Sweet Caroline Styles dress, Bridal Parlour. Gucci earrings, Nordstrom. Bracelet and rings, Vie.

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U N V E I L E D : FA S H I O N

P . 8 6 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020 From left: Nicole Miller Artelier skirt, The Vault. Sweet Caroline Styles top, Bridal Parlour. Escada blazer, Neiman Marcus. Prada handbag, Neiman Marcus.

CĂŠline sunglasses, Neiman Marcus. Oscar de la Renta earrings, Neiman Marcus. Stuart Weitzman boots, The Vault. Yves Saint Laurent coat, Saks Fifth Avenue.

Theory polo, Saks Fifth Avenue. Belt, Nordstrom Men’s Shop. Seven for All Mankind jeans, Saks Fifth Avenue. Yves Saint Laurent boots, Saks Fifth Avenue.

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Models: Jessica Ridenour, West Model & Talent Management; Lee Anderson, West Model & Talent Management Talent: Amber Butler and Blake Hunt Hair: Heather Biernbaum Makeup: Kat Hinkle Photography assistant: Ian Wasserman Styling assistant: Hannah Chancellor Videographer: Matt Bills Location: St. Louis Union Station

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UNVEILED: PLANNING

A LOT GOES ON BEHIND THE SCENES.

“People are very surprised at how much time goes into getting from one place to another and planning accordingly.

People always say, ‘I can’t believe we’re going to be getting ready for hours.

That’s going to seem like forever.’ But they don’t realize that pictures are going on, hair and makeup, the florist comes in, or the photographer comes in, the time it takes to put on dresses and for everyone to pack up.”

MAKE THE EXPERIENCE PERSONAL.

P . 8 8 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020

“Incorporate elements into the wedding that are really expressive [of the couple], whether it be a dining experience, a whiskey tasting, a cigar roller, doing something unique with music, having a big dance, having cakes on the table.

Scents are also becoming a thing, custom candles.” (She says she’s noticed that color, particularly blues and jewel tones, is making a comeback.)

“Don’t forget to include detail shots: paper goods, ring box, accessories… These details are such a part of your story and really add to your wedding gallery.”

CAPTURE THE DETAILS.

INSIDER KNOWLEDGE A WEDDING PLANNER’S SAGE ADVICE

BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON

you’ll find Hillary Williams seeing to details—ensuring that the bride and groom have their signature cocktail in hand, making sure the venue looks just right, tending to the bride. The founder of Hillary J. Events, Williams plans about 25 weddings per year. The lead-up to the ceremony requires her to wear multiple hats, including “hype girl,” she says. “I’m the girl who’s going to be excited about your custom envelope liner. Sometimes you just want to call someone and freak out because you love your veil. I want to be that girl, too.” One thing that never seems to change: the day’s inevitable nerves, hiccups, and last-minute to-dos. Here’s how you can make the day feel perfect, regardless of what comes your way.

ON THE BIG DAY ,

“A ‘Mary Poppins’ trunk of emergency supplies: everything from extra picture frames and a staple gun to deodorant, granola bars, and Tums… Also a mini ‘goodie bag’ for the bride or maid of honor to keep on hand—it has things like bobby pins, safety pins, eye drops, Band-Aids, and mints.”

PACK FOR THE UNEXPECTED.

THINK AHEAD. “There are always things

that come up at the last minute. A big

thing is gratuity. All of the day-of items, like food. I like to put that in their minds earlier rather than later when it comes to the budget.”

LEAN ON YOUR SUPPORT. Williams suggests that stressed brides turn to the wedding planner during “times when they need me to be the bad cop or need an outside voice, whether it’s a maid of honor they feel has overstepped or a mother of the groom having conflicting opinions and they want someone to create that common ground.”

TAKE A BREAK. “Couples overlook how exhausting it is to be ‘on’ from start to finish of wedding weekend—the rehearsal, rehearsal dinner, welcome party, wedding day, morning-after brunch.

It’s a lot. Create some alone time for the couple to sit back and take it all in.”

T H E R E ’ S A LWAYS A R E A S O N TO C E L -

“I truly believe that—from the minute you get engaged to the minute you make your sparkler exit. It’s important to celebrate the everyday and the big days. The wedding day should be one of the most amazing days of your life, but it’s not the only amazing day.”

EBRATE.

“An obvious but common thing that can be overlooked, believe it or not, is remembering to bring the marriage license to the ceremony. I triple-check with my couples at the rehearsal.”

REMEMBER TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL.

Photography by Emily Broadbent Photography

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UNVEILED: TRENDS

WOW FACTOR

FROM PERSONALIZED DÉCOR TO PHOTO - OPS, THESE ARE THE NEW WAYS COUPLES ARE PERFECTING THEIR BIG DAYS.

BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON

P . 9 0 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020 THE LATEST TABOO in wedding etiquette: sticking your smartphone out in the aisle during the bride’s entrance when a professional’s already snapping the moment. If you wait, there are plenty of other chances to capture memories of the big day.

Many couples set up backdrops at their receptions, with help from rental services, which can construct artificial floral, boxwood, eucalyptus, and hedge walls for the altar, a seating arrangement display, or the head table. Rental companies also offer such accessories as neon “Treat Yourself ” signs, perfect for a dessert table. Many brides style the walls on their own, often featuring a new last name with the greenery. “It adds the element of fun to your wedding,” says Eye Candy Rentals owner Beth Milan, “but it’s also really beautiful.”

Another display option for that foliage backdrop: a wedding’s hashtag (yes, the epitome of getting married in the age of social media). The cutesy phrase usually incorporates the married last name or both first names. Why have the hashtag?

(1) It’s a creative way to share the occasion, and (2) a good strategy to track all those photos that guests are sharing. (If creating the perfect hashtag seems daunting, consider a song,

movie title, or silly rhyme; if all else fails, a quick Google search provides a few hashtag generators.)

Couples are also getting creative with photo shoots and mementos. Embroidery studio Daily Disco, for instance, sells “Just Married” patches, custom bride chain stitch embroidery, and heart patches, onto which the shop can stitch wedding dates. Alicia Lantzy of On Three Designs has also hand-painted romantic phrases onto leather jackets. Many couples also call upon Lantzy for her custom mementos and stationery, a hallmark of many wedding albums. She’s illustrated signature cocktail menus (drinks personal to the bride or groom), done seating arrangements and table numbers in calligraphy, painted watercolor sketches of couples’ homes or wedding venues, too. Perhaps the best one, though, was when Lantzy decorated such items as the wedding’s cocktail napkins, Koozies, and gift bags with images of a couple’s beloved corgi, along with the couple’s names and wedding date.

“Couples are looking for a way to make their weddings unique,” says Lantzy. “They want to find ways to make their weddings stand out—ways to make guests smile.”

Photography by Erin Stubblefield Weddings, The Ganeys, courtesy of Daily Disco

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UNVEILED: VENUES

OFF THE BEATEN PATH FOUR MEMORABLE PLACES TO SAY “I DO.”

BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON FIRST COMES LOVE. Then comes—well, actually, the wedding venue. After making the decision to marry, couples must consider where they’ll share their vows long before the words are ever spoken.

Beyond the staples, here are a few memorable locales waiting to be discovered.

1. SUNSET BLUFFS

1

3. THE CONSERVATORY GARDEN WEDDING VENUE

Originally built as his home, Fredrick Long’s quarry-located venue

Located on St. Charles’ historic

might be the only one with a 45-

cobblestone Main Street, this

foot waterfall. “The pictures don’t

venue, accommodating up to

do it justice,” he says. “It makes an

100 people, could easily be mis-

amazing peaceful noise during the

taken for a greenhouse. That’s be-

ceremony,” whether that’s held on

cause, before hosting nuptials for

the property’s white sand beach,

the first time in 1990, it was. Pric-

P . 9 2 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020

the waterfront lawn, or in front of the outdoor stone fireplace.

Celebrate with up to 300 guests in

ing ranges from $1,000 to $2,500.

2

The nearby historic building on the property houses dressing

a 40-by-60-foot tent or the recep-

rooms and a place to prep. The

tion hall—all of which is a stone’s

venue is lush with tropical plants

throw from a five-bedroom house

such as palm trees and ferns, and

where 20 guests can stay. The

Japanese maples, mixed foliage,

best photo-op: from atop the

and arbors fill the courtyard. The

bluffs at sunset, which Long says

best photography setting just

has a become a venue signature

depends on what’s in bloom.

of sorts. 1775 Bieker, Washington,

1001 S. Main, 636–947–0414,

314–660–210, sunsetbluffs.com.

gardenwedding.com.

2.

THE AQUILA BARN

3

4. THE ARTISAN

Opened last August, this

Opened on Baetje Farms last fall,

5,000-square-foot barn is nestled

this property can accommodate

behind Eagle Fork Farms in

500 guests between its white

Moscow Mills. “It’s very homey,”

barn-style venue and outdoor

co-owner Taylor Fisher says of the

pavilion. “It’s a really warm space

150-guest venue. “On the patio, it’s

with elegant finishes,” says co-

a winery feel; it’s out in the coun-

owner Shanna Starnes. “We tried

try.” With lights hanging overhead

keeping the French inspiration

and a forthcoming stone fireplace,

from our cheeses throughout

the venue glows at night. Inside the climate-controlled barn, the

4

the venue.” A picker even helped the owners collect authentic

bridal suite includes two LED mir-

doors, windows, and fixtures from

rors, salon chairs, a private bath-

Europe to incorporate into the

room, and a Victorian-style sofa.

facility. That French elegance

Perhaps best of all: the Lincoln

matches well with the nearby

County location. “We don’t have

idyllic countryside and creek, a

a noise ordinance,” Fisher says,

red Sears-Roebuck kit barn, and

“so you don’t have to have your

the critters who call it home: the

music turned off at a certain time.”

farm’s several white goats. 8932

180 John Creech, 636–445–2087,

Jackson School, Bloomsdale,

eagleforkfarms.com.

573–483–9021, baetjefarms.com.

Photography by Jess and Jenn Photography, Vintage Image Portraits, Danielle Ambry Photography, courtesy of The Conservatory Garden Wedding Venue

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WHEN IS COMES TO THE DETAILS... RELAX, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED. LET OUR COORDINATOR DESIGN YOUR PERFECT EVENT IN OUR BRAND NEW CLUBHOUSE. REDUCED FRIDAY AND SUNDAY MINIMUMS CALL 636.946.6250 x 202 • 1120 COUNTRY CLUB ROAD • ST. CHARLES, MISSOURI SENDRES@BOGEYHILLSCC.COM • WWW.BOGEYHILLSCC.COM

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UNVEILED: CULINARY

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WHIZ KID

ALCHEMY BAKERY’S TYLER DAVIS CAN MAKE YOU A CAKE AND HAND -PAINT IT, TOO.

BY GEORGE MAHE

It’s not uncommon for aspiring chefs to bounce from job to job. Tyler Davis began at The Crossing, then went to the DeMun Oyster Bar, Franco, Benton Park Café, The Libertine, and Siam, before landing the executive chef job at The Tavern of Fine Arts. It is uncommon, however, for traditional, freewheeling chefs to make the jump into the world of pastry, where recipes must be followed to the gram. Davis did just that at Element, discovering a talent that bore fruit when he transitioned to The Chocolate Pig as its executive pastry chef, creating desserts like a chocolate dome that melted under poured hot berry sauce, exposing peanut butter mousse, cookie crumbles, and nitrogen-frozen berries.

Compelled to become a small business owner, he started PiGuy Cheesecakes, which morphed into a tricorn business, under the brand Tai Davis: Sacred Geometry, which includes food photography for fine art books (released in December), paintings, prints, and large-scale cake installations for museum exhibitions; Aether (which includes consulting and a series of pop-up dinners called Elevated), and Alchemy Bakery (source for special-occasion cakes and chocolates).

On the bridal front, Davis’ versatility as both chef

and artist translates to a multitude of different services: Largegroup catering, wedding cakes and pastries, and bridal shower brunches are a few of the options available.

The chef ’s avant-garde wedding cakes are usually inspired by natural elements. He’s made cakes that look like pyrite, a geode, and “an Art Deco wall with roses poking out it.” Davis likes the challenge of a you-name-it flavor and prefers using buttercream icing over fondant. The hottest trend? Handpainted cakes. “You don’t see those very often, and not many people can execute them,” he says.

People underestimate the time, care, and steps necessary to make and deliver a wedding cake—“it should be an Olympic sport, honestly,” Davis says—so he’s happy when clients think outside the wedding cake box by requesting dessert bars, cheesecake spreads, food walls with doughnuts or cookies…to say nothing of curiosities like create-your-own noodle bowl stations.

And yes, post-reception food is still a big deal, he says, the most popular item being a version of the Saint Louis Spread, a traditional roundup of thin-crust pizza, homemade T-ravs, barbecue pork steak sliders, gooey butter cake bites, and, of course, mini-cups of Ted Drewes.

Photography by Wesley Law, Amanda Witt Photo

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Thank you Randy Fenoli for your personal appearance at...

Maiden Voyage Bridal

Randy Fenoli bridal collection exclusively at Maiden Voyage Bridal maidenvoyagebridal.com 636-394-5858 120 Henry Ave., Manchester, MO

January 2020 stlmag.com

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UNVEILED: FLASHBACK

ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE 1914

P . 9 6 | STLMAG .C OM | JANUARY 2020 THIS IS NOT a wedding portrait. It’s a wedding-clothes portrait: 16-year-old Beatrice Chouteau Turner wearing the dress 17-year-old Marie-Thérèse Cerré donned to marry 35-year-old Auguste Chouteau in 1786. Standing in for Auguste Chouteau is…well, another Auguste Chouteau. In 1929, two years after Beatrice herself wed, people mobbed the old Jefferson Memorial to see department store mannequins wearing the Chouteaus’ wedding clothes. A newspaper writer gushed: “First to meet the visitor’s eye—and one judges it would be the first, even in a dark cellar at midnight—is the gorgeous wedding coat of Auguste Chouteau, pale green with rose lapels and lining, over a vest of Joseph-colors, including red and yellow.”

For contrast, the curator placed a mannequin nearby wearing Monsieur Chouteau’s deerskin coat, “embroidered with brightly colored porcupine quills.” And next to these was Marie-Thérèse’s second-day dress, worn to a ball the day after the wedding and “elaborate beyond the description of even a woman of this day.” Today, not even a Chouteau, or a mannequin, is allowed to wear that dress; it’s carefully stored in a wide, flat drawer in a climate-controlled warehouse. But last fall, we finally got to see Marie-Thérèse’s bridal gown—or, at least, a re-creation of it—in color. This was also at the Jefferson Memorial, now the Missouri History Museum. In black and white, her dress is as dull and conservative as a gray pinstripe suit. In person, you see that their wedding clothes were made as a set. Her dress is light pink with mint piping and panels, its trim as riotous and floral as a rose bower. It was an appropriately fancy dress for a girl with a $3,000 dowry and a trunk full of gauzy dainties and hand-embroidered table linens. But that rosy dress also presaged what turned out to be a joyful and harmonious marriage, one that resulted in nine children—and many more grooms named Chouteau. —STEFENE RUSSELL

Photography courtesy of Missouri History Museum

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S P EC I A L A DV E RT ISIN G SEC TIO N

wedding planning guide Congratulations on your engagement!

These local experts have the knowledge and experience to make your nuptials beautiful, fun, and stress-free.

intimate venue

Overlook Farm From its start as a land grant in the late 1700s to a prosperous apple orchard in the 1930s and ‘40s, Overlook Farm today is emerging as a model in sustainable food production and innovative farming techniques. Overlook Farm continues to be organic and continually growing. Under the nurturing guidance of fifthgeneration owner Nathalie Pettus, Overlook Farm now includes award-winning inns and premier event venues, all nestled into the pastures and hillsides of an operating farm. Pettus and her team have invested heart and soul into making any farm visit a happy one, whether it is a bridal couple’s memorable weekend celebration, a girls’ getaway, or a rejuvenating and reconnecting inn stay for a busy couple. Come experience the surprising oasis that is Overlook Farm and all that it has to offer, including spectacular views from a hot tub and the comfortable elegance of the inns and event spaces.

16095 Highway W Clarksville, MO 63336 573-242-3838 overlookfarmmo.com

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intimate venue

The Cheshire The Cheshire offers the perfect setting for the quintessential St. Louis wedding.

Located just minutes from downtown and adjacent to Forest Park, The Cheshire is the premier venue for all wedding festivities, including bridal showers, bachelor and bachelorette parties, rehearsal dinners, receptions, and more. With rich dark wood surroundings, vintage stained-glass windows, and rustic charm, Upstairs at The Cheshire and the Red Room both offer an intimate feel in the heart of the big city. With an on-site hotel, your guests will enjoy amazing services and luxurious amenities with a stay at The Cheshire. Reserve a Novelty Suite for your special night, themed around the greatest works in British literature such as the chic James Bond or the romantic Romeo and Juliet. Summer events relish in poolside paradise with cabana seating, bars, and a spot for live music perfectly set to host your party. Experience a unique setting with unmatched charm and impeccable service at The Cheshire.

6300 Clayton Road St. Louis, MO 63117 314-647-7300 cheshirestl.com

grand venue

Hilton at the Ballpark Hilton at the Ballpark, located in the heart of downtown, epitomizes St. Louis event perfection. Only steps from the iconic Gateway Arch, next door to Ballpark Village, and just a block from Busch Stadium, it’s the premier location for a larger-than-life St. Louis wedding experience. Boasting 40,000-square-feet of event space, this hotel provides a contemporary setting for wedding celebrations of all sizes. Chic sophistication fills the Grand Ballroom, perfect for lavish weddings, with space for up to 600 guests. Gorgeous floor-to-ceiling windows with spectacular views of St. Louis surround the Arch View Ballroom, flawlessly set to accommodate up to 320 guests. Atop the hotel lives the award-winning Three Sixty rooftop bar, offering breathtaking panoramic views of the city and a delectable menu that your guests will boast about. Plus, earn thousands of Hilton HHonors Points for your event that can be used for hotel stays across the globe.

1 S. Broadway St. Louis, MO 63102 314-421-1776 hiltonstlouis.com

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grand venue

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF IRISH EYES PHOTOGRAPHY

Sheraton Westport Hotels One of the most sought-after wedding venues in St. Louis, Sheraton Westport Plaza and Chalet Hotels’ unique and comfortable ballrooms and wedding facilities offer unbeatable finishing touches. Fresh off a multimillion-dollar renovation, The Plaza Hotel has two stunning ballrooms, and the Chalet consists of the new, spectacular Versailles Ballroom. The Versailles Ballroom is both elegant and functional since it can be divided into two sections or used in its entirety, with the capacity to seat as many as 800 people for a banquet and 1,200 people theater-style. Gaze upon the gorgeous lake perfectly set outside the Sheraton Chalet offering newly renovated, chic guest rooms with impressive functionality.

The professional event staff at the Sheraton Westport Plaza and Chalet provides unmatched service, divine culinary offerings, and event-planning support to ensure your wedding is a dream come true…

191 & 900 Westport Plaza St. Louis, MO 63146 314-878-1500 sheratonwestport.com

grand venue

St. Louis Union Sation Curio Collection by Hilton The historic St. Louis Union Station, a landmark venue with extraordinary charm, offers timeless elegance and remarkably unique event spaces perfect for inspirational wedding ceremonies and entertaining receptions. The stylish Regency and Grand ballrooms provide chic and elegant backdrops with gorgeous chandeliers, plush carpet, and spacious pre-function/cocktail hour areas. The Grand Hall impresses with intricate architectural details, stained glass windows, and stunning historical elements surrounding. Customize a spectacular 3-D light show for your event and dazzle guests as it magically soars above on the 65-foot ceiling of The Grand Hall. Enjoy the charm of train travel with St. Louis Union Station’s one-of-a-kind rail excursion—there’s a car suited for every occasion!

The St. Louis Union Station Hotel tops off event perfection with gorgeous guest rooms, an unmatched level of service, and pristine attention to detail in event planning, all while creating an unforgettable experience for you and your guests.

1820 Market Street St. Louis, MO 63103 314-621-5262 stlouisunionstationhotel.com

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honeymoon planning

grand venue

AAA Travel Agents

Missouri Athletic Club

Anyone who has helped plan a wedding knows it’s not for the faint of heart with all the logistics, budgeting, shopping, mailing, ordering, and scheduling that is required. Trying to plan a honeymoon at the same time can be daunting at best and disastrous at worst.

AAA Travel Agents specialize in helping travelers plan the vacations of their dreams, including honeymoons. They can find the best vacation to match the couple’s interests and budgets, including cruises, all-inclusive resorts, Hawaiian getaways, and more.

Don’t leave anyone or anything out from your wedding celebration.

Missouri Athletic Club’s timelessly elegant, ornate ballroom can comfortably seat up to 400 guests for ceremonies or receptions.

Select from delicious menu options, ranging from fine dining to wedding cakes and late-night snacks prepared on-site by MAC’s award-winning culinary staff. Stay all night; the MAC boasts more than 75 hotel rooms to accommodate the newlyweds and their guests. Shuttle service is also available.

405 Washington Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63102 314- 539-4424 / mac-stl.org

grand venue

Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries The Sheldon invites you to experience historic elegance combined with contemporary amenities, for parties from 50 to 500 guests.

Located in the Grand Center arts and entertainment district in Midtown St. Louis, The Sheldon has reigned among the city’s finest special events facilities since 1912.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF FESTIVE COUTURE FLORAL

Contact AAA to find an AAA Travel Agency office near you.

866-222-7587 / aaa.com/travel

reception planning guide You’ve said your nuptials. Now it’s time to party!

This guide offers a helpful start to creating a smooth, memorable, and fun-filled celebration for you and your guests.

3648 Washington Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63108 314-533-9900 / thesheldon.org

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reception planning guide capacity dinner

buffet

rental fee

mon–fri

sat–sun

caterer

starting cost per person

outdoor area

cocktails

venue Bogey Hills Country Club 636-946-6250 bogeyhillscc.com

catering

280

280

400

N/A

N/A

Bogey Hills

Varies

Yes

150–200

150

250

N/A

N/A

Boundary

Varies

Yes

City Cottage on Chouteau 314-961-7588 cateringstlouis.com

100

80

150

Day: $500 Evening: $850 (Mon–Wed) $1,500 (Thurs–Fri)

Sat: $2,500 Sun: $1,500

Catering St. Louis Events

Varies

Yes

Cyrano’s Café 314-963-3434 cyranos.com

50

50

70

Day: $30 Evening: $75 (Mon–Thurs)

Day: $75 Evening: $150 (Fri–Sun)

Cyrano's Café

Lunch:$12 Dinner: $18 Buffet: $20

No

300

275–300

425

N/A

N/A

Hilton at the Ballpark

$89

No

Innsbrook Resort

Varies

Yes

The Cheshire 314-647-7300 cheshirestl.com

Hilton at the Ballpark 314-421-1776 hiltonstlouis.com Innsbrook Resort 636-928-3366 innsbrook-resort.com

Aspen Room: 250 Sycamore Room: 60 Aspen Patio: 350

Contact for rental fee information

Mahler Ballroom 314-361-4411 mahlerballroom.com

250

250

400

$2,000+

$2,500+

Patty Long Catering

Varies

Yes

Missouri Athletic Club 314-539-4470 mac-stl.org

400

400

500

$1,000

$3,000 (Saturday only)

Missouri Athletic Club

$85

No

Overlook Farm 573-242-3838 overlookfarmmo.com

350

400

400+

Catering St. Louis

N/A

Yes

Palladium Saint Louis 314-881-4301 palladium-stl.com

400

360

700

Mon–Thurs: $1,500 Fri: $2,000

Sat: $3,000 Sun: $1,500

Butler's Pantry

$83

Yes

Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries 314-533-9900 thesheldon.org

500

500

700

$1,400+

$1,800+

Client's choice

Determined by caterer

No

Sheraton Westport Hotels 314-878-1500 sheratonwestport.com

50–500

50–400

800

$500–$1,000 (ceremony only)

$600–$1,200 (ceremony only)

Sheraton Westport Hotels

$60

Yes

St. Louis Union Station Hotel 314-621-5262 stlunionstationhotel.com

250–800

250–800

500–1,000

N/A

N/A

St. Louis Union Station Hotel

$95

Yes

300+

Dec–Apr: $3,600 May–Jun: $4,300 Jul–Aug: $3,600 Sep–Nov: $4,000 (Fridays only)

Dec–Apr: $4,250 May–Jun: $4,675 Jul–Aug: $4,250 Sep–Nov: $5,300

Ces & Judy's Catering

Varies

Yes

The Venue at Maison du Lac 314-991-6700 thevenuestl.com

300+

300+

Contact for rental fee information

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S T. LO U I S SAG E

PRINCE CHARMING

Which Chinese royal visited the World’s Fair?

T

HE BESPECTACLED, SWEET-

faced Prince Pu Lun—for a time, a contender for the Chinese throne—was only the third member of the Chinese royal family to visit the United States. The 29-year-old prince came as an emissary to the 1904 World’s Fair, breaking China’s long isolation from the West. The Fair’s Chinese Pavilion was the first grand-scale revelation of traditional Chinese culture to the rest of the world.

The pavilion was a replica of Pu Lun’s country home. It included a pagoda of carved wood, ebony, and ivory. Inside: a 17-foot portrait of the empress dowager (this work is now in the Smithsonian), as well as silks and jades, dragons and gilded lions, scrolls and porcelain and coins.

A St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter speculated about how much traditional Chinese etiquette would be required for the royal visit. Would the Fair’s president, David Francis, need to kowtow, bowing 30 times and striking the floor with his brow nine times each time he bowed? Fair officials might be excused from using chopsticks, “since it requires a long training to be able to get morsels to the mouth by means of these implements,” but courtesy could require a few puffs of an opium pipe, should the prince smoke one, and afterward the St. Louisans should arrange to be put to bed straightaway…

BEFORE PU LUN’S ARRIVAL TENSIONS BEGAN IN CHINA IN 1897 GERMANS MOVE INTO THE AREA WHERE CONFUCIUS WAS BORN. THE BOXERS BLOCK EXIT OF FOREIGN NATIONALS. RUMORS SPREAD THAT GERMAN CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES HAD BEEN KILLED. THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS DOWAGER FLEE. A TREATY, THE BOXER PROTOCOL , IS SIGNED. CHINA MUST PAY INDEMNITY TO OTHER NATIONS. THE U.S. USES ITS CASH TO FUND SCHOLARSHIPS FOR CHINESE STUDENTS TO STUDY HERE. PRINCE PU LUN TRAVELS TO THE 1904 WORLD’S FAIR AS A MARK OF FRIENDSHIP.

Pu Lun put his new friends immediately at ease. At the Washington Hotel, he listened to American music and doled out about $1,000 in tips. He’d brought a huge retinue, but he braved American cooking and quickly acquired a taste for beef, potatoes, and hard-boiled eggs. Adolphus Busch presented him with a horse-drawn carriage, and there were sightings of it all over the city. Newspapers reported how late he slept in the morning, his taste for ice cream, and his wagers at the racetrack.

In short, Pu Lun fell in love with much of American culture— which was opportune, for he had an agenda for his visit. He was conveying a message to President Theodore Roosevelt from his uncle the emperor, who pronounced the fair “a fresh opportunity of manifesting our friendship.” China had survived a war with Japan and the Boxer Rebellion. Now the Qing Dynasty was under pressure to open and democratize China.

Alas, diplomacy snagged: U.S. immigration officials detained many of the workers, merchants, and actors headed for the Fair, and the bitter feelings that resulted prompted a Chinese boycott of American goods. Pu Lun never became emperor; by 1912, China was a republic. Many of the pavilion’s treasures were sold to pay for passage home, and they wound up in private homes all over St. Louis.

ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE, VOL. 26, ISSUE 1 (ISSN 1090-5723) is published monthly by St. Louis Magazine LLC, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144. Change of address: Please send new address and old address label and allow 6 to 8 weeks for change. Send all remittances and requests to St. Louis Magazine, Circulation Department, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144.

Periodicals postage paid at St. Louis, MO, and additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to St. Louis Magazine, 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550, St. Louis, MO 63144.

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Illustration by Britt Spencer

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