St. Louis Magazine | December 2019

Breakfasts & Brunches 50+ Local Dining Spots That Rise and Shine p.74

Life Lessons & Expert Advice Beloved and Respected St. Louisans Share Uncommon Wisdom p.94

December 2019

Aquarium THE

MAKES A SPLASH

AT U N I O N S TAT I O N P.86

DECEMBER 2019 STLMAG.COM

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DEC19

FEATURES

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 12

74 The Breakfast Club Where to get your mornings started right

By Bill Burge, Jeannette Cooperman, Pat Eby, Holly Fann, Ann Lemons Pollack, Dave Lowry, George Mahe, Jarrett Medlin, Iain Shaw, Samantha Stevenson, Emily Wasserman, and Brandi Wills

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86

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94

Sea Change

Uncommon Wisdom

By Jeannette Cooperman, Jen Roberts, and Samantha Stevenson

By Jeannette Cooperman

The St. Louis Aquarium makes a splash at Union Station.

A group of respected and beloved St. Louisans weighs in on life’s biggest questions.

For this month’s cover, illustrator Tim McDonagh created an aquatic scene inspired by the new St. Louis Aquarium at Union Station.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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DEC19

D E PA R TM E N T S

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 12

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From the Editor

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TASTE

63 Sour Power

Sinigang from Guerrilla Street Food

G AT E WAY

64 The Shoe Fits

Downtown’s newest hotel restaurant leaves a

lasting impression.

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23 Enough is Enough

A surgeon’s mission to prevent violent death

ELEMENTS

Bundle Up! Ward off the winter chill with these hot looks.

24 Cure Violence

One more way St. Louis is working to prevent

violent crime

44 Ceramic Chic

Nova Vita Co. owner Avery Callan, just 17, puts

her personal touch on handmade earrings.

26 Motor City

Many of America’s iconic cars—not to mention trucks that helped win World War II— were made in St. Louis.

48 Party Pics

Glow in the Park, Grand Center Gala

28 Plan On It

Missy Kelley on the effort to revitalize downtown

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ANGLES

66

A Loft Idea

Rob Connoley and Blueprint Coffee team up at The High Low.

66 Bartender’s Choice

Four gift ideas from the pros 68 Posh Spice

Turmeric adds a new dimension to Indian cuisine

in St. Louis.

RHYTHM

70 Hot Spots

Original J’s, The Train Shed, Miracle STL,

and more 71 Ins, Outs & Almosts

The High Low, Winslow’s Table, and more 72 Empire Builders

Three brothers refurbish and rename a beloved

Edwardsville steakhouse.

31

5ive Star

St. Louis’ latest breakout hip-hop artist shows love to his hometown.

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34 Agenda

Garden Glow, Wicked, O.A.R., and more 36 Behind the Music

Meet the friends championing artists of color through concerts—in their own living rooms.

37 Read This Now

Great River City: How the Mississippi Shaped

St. Louis

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St. Louis Sage

120

Jane Ellen Ibur No rest for this laureate.

56 Sharing Spaces

Odd Couples Housing brings the generations

together with a new program.

60 A Good 5-Cent Cigar

A look back at St. Louis in 1909

stlmag.com December 2019

11/4/19 10:02 AM

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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Dec19

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 12

EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief Jarrett Medlin Deputy Editor Amanda Woytus Staff Writer Jeannette Cooperman Dining Editor George Mahe Associate Editor Samantha Stevenson Contributing Writers & Editors Kerry Bailey, Bill Burge, Thomas Crone, Holly Fann, Ann Lemons Pollack, Dave Lowry, Jessica Rapp, Jen Roberts, Stefene Russell, Iain Shaw, Emily Wasserman, Brandi Willis Intern Darian Stevenson ART & PRODUCTION Design Director Tom White Art Director Emily Cramsey Sales & Marketing Designer Monica Lazalier Production Manager Dave Brickey Staff Photographer Kevin A. Roberts Contributing Artists Diane Anderson, Kylie Green, Wesley Law, Matt Marcinkowski, Tim McDonagh, Britt Spencer, Peter Sucheski, Micah Usher Stylist Ana Dattilo ADVERTISING Sales Director Kim Moore Director of Digital Sales Chad Beck Account Executives Jill Gubin, Brian Haupt, Carrie Mayer, Liz Schaefer, Dani Toney 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.

UNDE

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.)

What’s your favorite breakfast spot in St. Louis?

“Between the cheery, sunlit dining room and the tables within the adjoining nursery, Cafe Osage is perfect in all seasons.”

—George Mahe, dining editor “The Hobo Breakfast Bowl at Goody Goody Diner wakes me up happy. There’s a reason they’ve been around since 1948.”

—Jeannette Cooperman, staff writer “Anywhere that can plop down some thick-cut bacon in front of me.”

—Kevin A. Roberts, staff photographer

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Stun acre

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

Rex

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 2019 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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Mid plan floor

©2019 by St. Louis Magazine. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 1600 S. Brentwood, Suite 550 St. Louis, MO 63144 314-918-3000 | Fax 314-918-3099 stlmag.com

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Dec19

FROM THE EDITOR

VOLUME 25 / ISSUE 12

Best Breakfasts

What’s your favorite breakfast spot in St. Louis? Visit stlmag.com to nominate and vote on your top spots to start the day.

The Life Aquatic

THE BOY SAT sat on his couch, head lowered, reluctant to answer

the reporter’s questions. Finally, she asked to see his video games. “Yesssssssssssssss!” He raced to his room, turned on the console, and began mashing the remote’s buttons, explaining, “I just have to memorize where each button is.”

Like so many other times, staff writer Jeannette Cooperman had somehow found a way to connect, in this case with a 10-yearold boy on the autism spectrum, providing a brief glimpse into his world. “Interviewing means entering someone else’s world,” she says, “not expecting them to meet you halfway.”

It’s often hard to predict where those worlds will take her.

Cooperman’s gained a glimpse into the lives of a mercenary, a private eye, a politician, a conductor, an imam, a priest, a judge, a restaurateur, a former inmate whose case was overturned. She’s spent hours with a survivor of Auschwitz, an Irish ambassador, a boy who remembered the stats of every inning of every baseball game he’s seen, a debutante who joined the circus and married a cowboy.

“There are so many people here with different lives,” she remarks, “and most people only come into contact with 5 percent of the city.”

She’s written about former Missouri Governor Eric Greitens, former NRA spokeswoman Dana Loesch, the late Bob Cassilly, gossip columnist Jerry Berger, jazz legend Willie Akins, the infamous case of Pam Hupp… A philosophy major, Cooperman realizes that people are complex. “If someone’s thought of as an angel, dig for the demonic side,” she suggests, “and if they’ve been demonized, find the angel.”

And she can dig, poring over thousands of pages to make sense of such complicated issues as tax abatement and airport privatization, turning the wonky and incoherent into

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Illustrator Tim McDonagh’s vibrant work has appeared in Wired, The Atlantic, and New York Magazine, and other national and global brands. This month, he brings to life the forthcoming St. Louis Aquarium in a whole new light.

Kindred Spirit

Writer Brandi Wills, who contributed to this month’s breakfast feature, has received recognition for her work from The James Beard Foundation, FOLIO, and the New York Public Library, among others.

Follow Along

stories both intelligible and relevant.

She’s written about the rise and fall of a politician, the biggest bank heist in St. Louis history, the serenity of a rural goat farm, the despair of a cholera ward in Haiti. She has an ability to capture people in every walk of life with compassion and empathy, and her eagerness to listen prompts even the shyest to open up. “These days, being heard is a rarer and rarer experience,” she says, adding dryly, “Alexa doesn’t count.”

For this issue, Cooperman listened to a host of beloved St. Louisans, who shared what they’ve gleaned over the years (p. 94)—a fitting assignment for one of her last as SLM’s staff writer.

(Don’t worry: She’s still planning to contribute whenever she can.) Asked what can bring people joy in their work, her former journalism professor, Avis Meyer, told her: “It counts, makes a difference, leaves a legacy that, even if slight, provides evidence that you were here, did something worthy, left more, during your short residence, than a shadow on the earth.”

Nearly a decade after watching that little boy play video games, Cooperman received an unexpected email, saying he was enrolling in college and wanting to talk. They met at a Kirkwood café. The boy—now a tall young man with a stubbly beard and glasses—described with wit and clear-eyed perspective how he’d matured. He recalled Cooperman’s two days with him, how he’d danced on the playground at school. “I would dance to the music because my social skills weren’t as developed as they are now,” he explained. “That was a way I could connect to people.”

“So you did want to connect?”

Cooperman replied.

“I did. I always wanted to connect to people.”

She understood the impulse.

@stlmag @stlmag @stlouismag

stlmag.com December 2019

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December 2019 stlmag.com

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Standing, from left: Dane Johnson, MD; Anita Wilson, ANP, FNP-C; Gerald Andriole, MD Seated, from left: Arjun Sivaraman, MD; Arnold Bullock, MD; Ramakrishna Venkatesh, MD

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MOTOR CITY p.26 PLAN ON IT P. 2 8

GATEWAY

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH TOPIC

A

A surgeon’s mission to prevent violent death

BY AMANDA WOYTUS

DR. LAURIE PUNCH remembers the stories:

Teens who’ve watched their brothers, victims of violence, bleed to death in front of them, not knowing how to help. A mother who lost her 20-year-old son. His death, in terms of his injuries, was preventable.

December 2019 stlmag.com

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TOPIC A

she says. She started working with community partners, then schools, then hospitals. Along the way, people brought their children to the training sessions.

Punch was aware that she’d have to be careful not to traumatize them. “But what we found is, the kids hung with it,” she says.

“Unfortunately, many of them had a story where they had seen someone hurt—not always due to violence—or they themselves had been hurt, and it was knowing what to do that was meaningful to them.”

Now Punch wants to expand the junior program to more schools. It’s timely; a wave of gun violence over the summer left 17 Dr. Laurie Punch teaches how to St. Louis children dead. Stop the use a tourniquet.

Bleed’s teaching material was modified to be realistic but not overwhelming, Punch says, and In her role as a trauma surgeon, children have the opportunity to Punch saves lives; in her role make mini first aid kits. “It gets them thinking, ‘Oh, even if it’s as a community leader and coFind more just a little cut, I have the power founder of St. Louis’ Stop the online to help myself. I’m not just a vicBleed program, she helps preFor more info on Stop vent people from ending up in her tim of what life does and brings to the Bleed or to sign trauma center in the first place. me.’ That messaging is something up for a class, visit stopthebleedstl.org.

And with her new Stop the Bleed that we’re taking with us everyJunior program, the Washington where. When we have a bunch of University associate professor is little, little kids, we just do first giving children as young as age 8 the opportuaid, not trauma first aid... But if you’re 8 years or older and you’ve got an adult who’s OK with nity to learn basic and trauma first aid.

Since March 2018, Punch’s program, based you doing it, we’ll train you.” on a curriculum developed by the American The class does more than just teach how to stanch bleeding. “Talking about trauma, in College of Surgeons, has trained more than 6,000 people in trauma first aid: how to recog- terms of physical trauma, is a powerful startnize and treat life-threatening bleeding. When ing point for kids to talk about things they’ve Punch moved to St. Louis, four years ago, she seen, experiences they’ve had, and reflect on recognized that Stop the Bleed, founded after how it felt—it opens the door to a conversation the 2012 mass-casualty Sandy Hook shootthat maybe otherwise it’s kind of hard to get to.” ing in Connecticut, could be valuable to peoPunch also says research so far shows that ple exposed to our city’s high level of gun vio- the class improves participants’ attitude about lence. Some estimates, she says, express that their ability to help: “I think—this is my philosoas many as 20 percent of trauma deaths are phy—that if kids know how to help, they feel a greater value in their own lives, in the lives of preventable and that bleeding is the numothers, and that’s a major step for reducing and ber-one preventable cause of those deaths. even preventing violence.”

“Training the public to stop bleeding is at least as beneficial as training the public to do CPR, and we certainly believe that’s valuable,”

24

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A CLOSER LOOK

CURE VIOLENCE O N E MO R E WAY I N W H I C H S T. LO UI S I S W O R K I N G TO S TO P V I O L E N T C R I ME

In October, the St. Louis Board of Aldermen passed a $5 million appropriation to bring Cure Violence, an organization that views violence as a health issue and trains members of the community to intervene in situations that have the potential to turn violent, to the city. The organization also identifies community members at high risk for committing violence, working with them to understand the consequences and prevent retaliation. More than 25 cities across the U.S., including Kansas City, have implemented Cure Violence, and the program has expanded overseas. Punch says that the city’s adoption of the program is significant because it signals that violence is a public health issue, not just a matter of policing or criminal justice. But, she cautions: “I’m not saying that Cure Violence is in itself the cure. It is a road map; it is a way of thinking about the problem. It is an approach, which can be powerful and transformational, but it is not in and of itself the answer. It will only be as powerful as the very real people right here in St. Louis who do it.”

Photography courtesy of Stop the Bleed STL

11/4/19 8:50 AM

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G AT E WAY

WARNING: GRAPHIC

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

Motor City

Many of America’s iconic cars—not to mention trucks that helped win World War II—were made in St. Louis.

AMERICA’S SPORTS CAR, the Chevrolet Corvette, was first mass-produced in St. Louis.

The World War II “Jimmy,” the GMC CCKW truck that carried supplies for Allied troops as they pushed eastward after the Normandy invasion, was also a product of St. Louis. So was the sleek Moon roadster that Walt Disney drove—until he sold it to finance the production of “Steamboat Willie.” St. Louis was the home of the first gasoline station dedicated to serving motorists, and many of the earliest, coolest automobiles were made here. At one point, its car manufacturing came in second only to Detroit’s. By 1965, we were cranking out more than 700,000 vehicles a year.

We had not one but three Automobile Rows over the years, lined with grand buildings where you could browse, beg to test-drive, or have a beloved vehicle repaired.

This moving history is celebrated in a new book from Reedy Press, They Will Run: The Golden Age of the Automobile in St. Louis, by Molly Butterworth and Thomas Eyssell. Below are just a handful of the vehicles made right here.

$1,500 to $2,000 IN 1910

2.5 TON PAYLOAD

THE WORLD WAR II “JIMMY”

MOON

Troops were assigned to a CCKW six-wheel-drive 2.5-ton truck, one in a series of off road trucks built for the U.S. Army during World War II. The Deuce and a Half played a major role in the Red Ball Express that carried supplies to Allied forces.

Founded by carriage maker Joseph W. Moon, Moon Motor Car Company produced affordable, fully assembled mid-level cars—but with high-quality parts and a lot of hand work. Moon was in business from 1905–1930, peaking with 10,271 vehicles in 1925.

283 HOR SEPOWER

CHEVROLET CORVETTE

Introduced in 1953, the ’Vette had a long front end and, by 1958, a duck tail—which doesn’t sound sexy, but it was. The name, if you took the time to wonder as you zoomed around town in America’s most iconic sports car, came from a small maneuverable warship—but the Corvette was more often used for love.

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Illustration by Peter Sucheski

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S M A R T C AV I A R T H E F I N E J E W E L RY B R AC E L E T F O R YO U R A PPL E WAT C H

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INSIDE INFO

BY AMANDA WOYTUS

ON ONE OF DOWNTOWN’S BIGGEST GOALS:

When we hit the 20,000 mark in terms of residents. That’s a completely different game. That level of density would change the perception of downtown’s vibrancy, and restaurants and retail would be more sustainable.

ON LIVING DOWNTOWN FOR TWO AND A HALF YEARS: You think you kind of know

by working down here every day what it means to live downtown, but you don’t until you actually live here. I lived close to Citygarden, and I loved walking there.

My kids loved meeting the people in the apartment building. It was like this whole new social pool for them, which was fun.

I think the biggest deterrent for families, and this is not uncommon in all cities, is the lack of confidence in the public schools... Even if someone is going to send his or her kids to a private school anyway, the transporation to the private schools from downtown comes into play.

Plan on It

ON HOW DOWNTOWN IS RESPONDING TO CRIME: Downtown STL, Inc. manages

Missy Kelley on the effort to revitalize downtown “Great downtowns have great plans,” says Missy Kelley, CEO of Downtown STL, Inc. And now, with the organization’s Design Downtown STL, a new one-year effort that asks St. Louisans for input on the next stage of downtown’s revitalization, the city is charting its course. Before she stepped into her role as CEO, in 2015, Kelley wanted to walk the walk. She moved into the heart of the city, where she lived with her kids for two and a half years. What she loved: the sense of community, the walkability, meeting people in her apartment building. What she’s looking forward to as downtown begins to create a plan for the next 10 years: a transformed skyline, a game-changing aquarium, and housing 20,000 residents.

the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District, which spends about $1.1 million annually on security.

Initiatives include police officers working secondary, patrolling the downtown neighborhood; a radio exchange network that connects commercial property owners with the secondary police force; rent, equipment, uniforms, and training for SLMPD’s downtown bike unit; and Real Change, an awareness and education program regarding how to respond to panhandling.

ON A POTENTIAL GAME-CHANGER: The

ON CHANGES TO DOWNTOWN THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE NOTICED: Twenty years

ago, there were 156 empty buildings down here; there are now fewer than two dozen.

There’s been a transformation inside these buildings: redevelopment, homes being created so people could move down here.

We’ve grown our residential population to a little over 10,000. [In 2010, it was 3,721.]

AND THE CHANGES YOU CAN SEE: What

we’re seeing now is transforming the skyline, between the St. Louis Wheel, One Cardinal Way, and the new PwC office building. We’ll have the new soccer stadium. It’s fun to see this growth become much more evident to people who maybe have been coming down to go to one restaurant for years.

development at Union Station. LHM has done a good job of thinking about ways to use that large piece of real estate but keeping the integrity of the history. The aquarium is going to be uniquely St. Louis in that it will have marine life from the oceans but also the two rivers. It’s going to be a place that people who live here are going to go to multiple times, similar to the zoo.

ONLINE For more with Kelley, visit stlmag.com.

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Photography by William Greenblatt

11/4/19 8:50 AM

One million lights.

One million memories.

U.S. Bank Wild Lights Escape to a one-of-a-kind holiday experience at the Saint Louis Zoo. Explore our walk-through wonderland with over one million lights. And, don’t forget to check out Penguin & Puffin Coast, the Insectarium, and one of our adult beverage options.

Select Nights Nov. 29–Dec. 30 5:30–8:30 p.m.

For more information, visit stlzoo.org.

GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE

Open Tues-Sun from 5 p.m.

Citizen Kane's

MARKET PLACE

Atrium Gallery

NOW OPEN Only one hour south of St. Louis, Historic Ste. Genevieve offers

Wednesday - Saturday 11-5 127 W. Clinton Place Next door to Citizen Kane’s Steakhouse 314-349-1093

French Colonial Architecture Bed & Breakfast Inns, Hotels Unique Shopping & Local Art Dining ,Wineries & Breweries

~~ the Perfect Winter Getaway!

“Poem Dress of Circulation”

Lesley Dill: Voice November 8 - January 18 665 S. Skinker Blvd.

St. Louis, MO 63105 (314) 367-1076 info@atriumgallery.net

www.VisitSteGen.com

800.373.7007 December 2019 stlmag.com

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29 11/4/19 8:50 AM

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10/30/19 2:10 PM

TOP 8 EVENTS p.34 C O C OA A N D C U M I N p.36 READ THIS NOW p.37

RHYTHM

PRELUDE

5IVE STAR

St. Louis’ latest breakout hip-hop artist shows love to his hometown.

BY THOMAS CRONE

Photography by Matt Marcinkowski

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December 2019 stlmag.com

31 10/30/19 2:10 PM

RHYTHM PRELUDE

5IVE’S FAVES

M

ORE SO THAN artists in any other

genre, St. Louis–area hip-hop acts honor their hometowns in videos.

Emerging rapper 5ive (né Willie Ahmari Porter), signed to Columbia Records at age 18, has joined that trend with his debut video, “Me and My Brother,” which has more than 13 million views on YouTube. Spinoffs, tributes, and even Fortnite clips highlighting it have added to its viral numbers.

It’s been a success, yes, but one based in a hard reality: The video and the song it’s based on are a tribute to 5ive’s twin brother, Walter.

“He passed away, and instead of crying about it, I poured my heart into the song, all my emotions,” 5ive says. “I used how I felt to make a song that people could relate to. I know a lot of people who’ve lost a grandfather, uncle… They can feel those emotions. The video and songs are made for my brother; I saw him pass in front of my eyes.

For the video, I wanted to shoot it in the area where we grew up so my friends could relate to it and people could appreciate it more: ‘Oh snap, this boy made a hit song in my neighborhood.’ But I really did it so people would know how close we were, that we were bonded.”

The official video for “Me and My Brother”— captured by St. Louis’ Vickmont Films—opens with the rapper addressing a group of people FYI Watch 5ive's “Me and My Brother” at smarturl.it/5ive-MeAndMyBrother.

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holding red and black mylar balloons in the shape of stars. “You know I miss my brother” his voice repeats until the chorus: “Who I’m gon’ call when it’s time to ride? / Who gon’ pull up when it’s time to slide? / Me and my brother, we stick together no other.” The first verse echoes the pain of losing Walter. Part of it: “In the world, yeah, we got each other / Only thing I want in this world is my brother.”

Regardless of the video’s location, its message is universal. “It doesn’t matter where in the world you are, what color,” he says. “It’s a special song.”

Though the rapper characterizes the song introducing him to most fans as “a sad song,” his live shows are high-energy. “I love bringing the energy,” 5ive says, “and the crowd’s going to give me more. I like to bring that excitement.”

While 5ive rehearses his live show and works on more music, the rapper was also part of the 2019 A3C Music Festival and Conference in Atlanta.

In a showcase titled The New Lou: Back on the Map, he was included with Mvstermind and Jordan Ward as new talent coming out of St. Louis.

How’s he handling the sudden rush of attention? “Yeah, I love it,” he says. “I ain’t going to lie.

I want to go around the world with my music, and go for as long as I can.”

Asked for his favorite St. Louis–based or locally discovered artists, 5ive chooses three spanning genders, sounds, and decades.

Nelly “He has done so many things, like movies, charitable work, and owning businesses," 5ive says of the rapper who got his start with the St. Lunatics and became known for his hits “Ride wit Me” off of album Country Grammar and “Hot in Herre” o Nellyville. "He showed me that you can be more than a rapper or an artist. You can also be a great businessman.”

SZA The St. Louis–born artist’s 2017 debut fulllength Ctrl was praised as “self-assured, so blunt and direct” by Rolling Stone. “She's a powerful artist,” 5ive says. “She never changed who she was and has done a great job. I respect her.”

Smino T-Pain remixed this artist's single “Anita”—a nod to Anita Baker—from his album Blkswn, but 5ive calls him “an up-andcoming artist... He has a really di erent great fl w.

Check him out.”

Photography by Matt Marcinkowski

10/30/19 2:10 PM

holidays at

powell hall

Pick 3 or more and save up to The Nutcracker November 29December 1 Presented by Thomas A. Kooyumjian Family Foundation

Big Band Holidays: Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis

* % 20

A Gospel Christmas

with Kennedy Holmes

December 18-19 Supported by AARP and Bayer Fund FILM WITH LIVE SCORE

Home Alone in Concert December 20-21

December 4

Baroque Fireworks December 6-8

FILM WITH LIVE SCORE

Beauty and the Beast in Concert December 27-28

Mercy Holiday Celebration December 13-15

Presented by BMO Wealth Management

Presented by

*Excludes boxes, $15 tickets and prior sales.

BMO Wealth Management New Year’s Eve Celebration December 31

slso.org/holiday

314-534-1700

Home Alone in Concert © 1990 Twentieth Century Fox Beauty and the Beast © Disney. All rights reserved.

The Nutcracker on Nov 29-Dec 1 is not a dance performance. The SLSO will not perform Big Band Holidays on Dec 4.

RHYTHM_1219.indd 33

10/30/19 2:10 PM

RHYTHM AGENDA

Dec

Prejudice is given new life by The Rep, with that ever-thrilling romance only electrified. December 4–29.

Repertory Theatre St. Louis, repstl.org.

8 THINGS TO DO

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

3

Staple characters such as Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse join newer favorites including Vampirina and the Puppy Dog Pals on stage at the Disney Junior Holiday Party. The singalong (free to children under 2) features the classics and Disney Junior bops, with a special visit from Santa Claus. December 4. Stifel Theatre, stifeltheatre.com.

1

The twist on the classic story has been defying gravity for 16 years, and yet we can’t get enough. The play follows what happened way before Dorothy wore her ruby slippers, and how friendship is put to the test when one witch is labeled as good and the other

as Wicked. December 4–29. Fox Theatre, fabulousfox.com.

2

The tension between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy was made for the stage. Reimagined by Christopher Baker and directed by Hana S. Sharif, Jane Austen’s Pride and

4

Daphne’s Dive is a gathering place for six regulars. Here, they come to forget their troubles, spread their tall tales, and share the memories—some good, others they’d rather forget. It all unfolds in the play of the same name.

December 6. The Marcelle, kranzbergarts foundation.org.

5

Arguably best known for songs like “Shattered” and “That Was a Crazy Game of Poker,” O.A.R.’s ’90s hits sound just as good in 2019, especially sprinkled into a set fill d with new tunes from their decades-long career.

December 6. The Pageant, thepageant.com.

6

See the Italian Renaissance through the eyes of its most prominent artists in “DaVinci and Michelangelo: The Titans Experience Theatre Performance,” a multimedia production featuring the legends’ paintings, sculptures, inventions, and machines.

December 26–29.

The Grandel, the grandel.com.

8 7

An event for those who play Christmas music in November, Jim Brickman’s A Christmas Celebration includes the Grammy-nominated pianist’s best holiday serenades. December 6. Touhill Performing Arts Center, touhill.org.

No, reader, it’s not beloved St. Louisan Andy Cohen’s hit Bravo show—but you’re close. “Watch What Crappens,” is a popular podcast where hosts Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam dish on all things Bravo TV and the Real Housewives franchise. On tour, you’re really in on the gossip. December 6. Delmar Hall, delmarhall.com.

W H E T H E R Y O U ’ R E N A U G H T Y O R N I C E , H E R E A R E 5 H O L I D AY-T H E M E D E V E N T S .

NICE

NAUGHTY

At Garden Glow, guests sip festive drinks and gaze at millions of dazzling lights. Need we say s’mores? November 23–January 4. Missouri Botanical Garden, missouri botanicalgarden.org.

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Saint Louis Ballet’s The Nutcracker pairs Tchaikovsky’s score with fresh choreography. New this year?

A Thanksgiving weekend show. November 29–December 23. Touhill Performing Arts, touhill.org.

The twinkling lights of the 34th annual Winter Wonderland beckon time with the family, laughing with friends, or smooching significant others. November 20– January 2. Tilles Park, winter wonderlandstl.com.

The best way to spread holiday cheer is...sipping ice-cold beer? At Anheuser-Busch’s Brewery Lights, there's plenty to go around.

November 22–December 30. budweisertours.com.

What’s more festive than a bar crawl just days before seeing Grandma at Christmas? But 12 Bars of Charity has purpose: Ring up a bar tab to benefit a local cause. December 21.

12barsofcharity.com.

stlmag.com December 2019

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10/30/19 2:11 PM

Where else

can you enjoy brunch at a local cafe & bakery, take to the trails of a national forest for an afternoon hike, top off the evening at a historic movie theater... and stay the night only a few miles away from it all?

Only Carbondale.

Explore 126 S Illinois Avenue Carbondale, IL 62901 618-529-4451 carbondaletourism.org

December 2019 stlmag.com

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RHYTHM STUDIO

From left: Vanika Spencer and Sapna Bhakta

BEHIND THE MUSIC

Meet the friends championing artists of color through concerts—in their own living rooms.

O

N A DRIVE home from Kansas

City in 2017, Vanika Spencer and Sapna Bhakta found themselves discussing just how much talent St. Louis has. It sparked an idea: Upon their return home, the two would start a concert series—Cocoa and Cumin—aimed to showcase that talent, specifically artists of color.

“When we used to go out and see shows all the time, we never saw POC artists,” Bhakta says, “Like, ‘Where

is everybody?’ So, we said, ‘You know what? Let’s have a space just for them.’”

At first, they booked musicians who were friends of friends. Two years later, artists sign up to perform through an open call. Held once a month for the past year (every other month the year prior), the shows are most often hosted in Spencer’s and Bhakta’s apartments and once at the St. Louis Central Library, with addresses sent to attendees via Instagram direct message. Before shows,

Spencer makes the snacks (cocoainspired) and Bhakta makes the cocktails (cumin always an ingredient), and when the time comes living rooms fill up with as many as 30 to 35 people.

“I feel that the whole base of our concert series is to make it super personal, super intimate, and as comfortable as possible for people to experience the artist,” Spencer says. For the artist, a post-show Q&A provides an opportunity to go deeper than the music. “For our artists to not have to just sing but to answer questions with ‘This is the reason I wrote this song. This is the reason why I sing this song. This is what comes out of the song,’” Bhakta says. “That’s when we were like, ‘This is really good. This is what we wanted out of the concert series—for the audience and the artists to connect in a way that is beautiful.’”

St. Louis transplants, the 29-year-olds met through a mutual friend. Spencer, originally from Dallas, joined her brother living in St. Louis, persuaded by the city’s arts scene. Bhakta, a Toronto native, says “with us being transplants, I think we are trying to figure out where we are in the community.” Cocoa and Cumin helps fulfill that: “We’re here, and we provide this, and we want you to come to it. We want you to love us, because we love you back.”

Spencer is the liaison for musical guests, when she’s not working at Webster University. Bhakta, a creative lead at New Balance Athletics, Inc., handles the series’ social media and outreach. It sounds like a lot, so why do they make the time for it? “It’s fun,” they nearly say in unison. “It’s not a job at all,” adds Spencer. And while that’s true, Cocoa and Cumin’s inception is rooted in a sense of responsibility. “I know I wouldn’t be here today without the black women mentors that I’ve had.

If I can help another artist or black or brown person have this opportunity, I want to provide that for them,” Spencer says. “When we come up, we come up together.” —SAMANTHA STEVENSON

FYI Visit @cocoaandcumin on Instagram for future concerts.

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Photography by Lisa Maria

10/30/19 2:11 PM

Read This Now G R E AT R I V E R C I T Y: H O W T H E M I S S I S S I P P I S H A P E D S T. L O U I S

How easily we forget how tied we are to the Mississippi River.

That’s the premise of Andrew Wanko’s introduction to Great River City: How the Mississippi Shaped St. Louis, an illustrated tome of more than 450 images related to the river and the Gateway to the West. Wanko, a public historian for the Missouri Historical Society, researched the book for two years, collecting the moments that showed how the river shaped the city. St. Louis is complicated, Wanko says. “More than anything else, the Mississippi River is what has given us that complexity... It’s been a mirror for the city’s triumphs, embarrassments, joys, and tragedies, and we can’t understand any of St. Louis history without understanding the Mississippi.” One of those tragedies: that the river was instrumental in slavery during the mid-1800s (by 1830, one in seven St. Louisans was an enslaved person, Wanko writes). But the book includes lighter moments, too. One such being the tale of the Missouri Leviathan, the bones of a beast one fossil hunter believed to be an aquatic creature that once lived in the river (it turned out to be a garden-variety prehistoric mastodon skeleton). That’s pretty unexpected, but Wanko was more surprised to learn how recently St. Louisans drank Mississippi water unfiltered. “Through the early 1900s, St. Louisans could expect a brown opaque mess to come out of their faucets,” he says. “There are late1800s newspaper reports of St. Louisans finding tiny worms and crabs squirming around in their glasses— every drink must have felt like a life gamble.” —AMANDA WOYTUS December 2019 stlmag.com

RHYTHM_1219.indd Photography37

by Anne Taussig

37 10/30/19 2:11 PM

S P EC IA L P R O M OT IO N

shop central west end Head to one of the most vibrant neighborhoods in St. Louis for a unique mix of accessories, clothing, housewares, and gifts. For more information on these and other retailers, visit cwescene.com.

the candle fusion studio Candle gift set $25 Joy candle (8 oz.) $22

left bank books

kendra scott

"Spike Lives Here" mug $12.99 Logo T-Shirt $20 Gift certific te Any amount

Vanessa multi-strand necklace $118

eye roc eyewear A Dead Coffin Club frames ( een) $250 Courtier frames (champagne) $450

enchanting embellishments Frank Lyman leopard faux fur coat $300

centro Exto USB power cord by Conway Electric $149

straub's Miss Hulling's cake $19.99

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10/30/19 2:23 PM

S P EC IAL PRO MOT I O N

provisions st. louis Louis Sherry chocolates $35-$40 Ceramic dog treat jar $70 Hand-made Ecuadorian alpaca throws and scarves $40-$125 Musgo Real by Claus Porto Cologne $70 Soap $17 Modern Home Bar Cocktail Rocks glass (set of four) $64

east . west Carhartt beanie $28 Paradise crewneck $105 Topo Designs accessory bag $17 Cause and Effect belt $150

charles houska studio BOS Dog $45

lululemon Swiftly Tech Racerback $58 The Reversible Mat $68 Scuba Hoodie IV $118 Align Pants 25" $98

bonobos Limited edition sweatshirt $128

bluemercury Chantecaille blush in Laughter $40 Chantecaille lipstick in Portulaca $48 Virtue split end serum $40 LAFCO candle $65

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10/30/19 2:23 PM

11619 Olive Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63141

ELEMENTS_1219.indd 40

(314) 942-3777

www.diamondsdirect.com

10/29/19 10:21 AM

CERAMIC CHIC p.44 MINGLE p.48

ELEMENTS

HAT

Riva beanie, $58.

Blush Boutique.

GLOVES

Wool gloves, $18.99. Parsimonia.

TRENDING

Bundle Up! Ward off the winter chill with these hot looks.

BY ANA DATTILO

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

ELEMENTS_1219.indd 41

December 2019 stlmag.com

41 10/29/19 10:22 AM

ELEMENTS TRENDING

Knitology faux fur knit hat, $43. Union Studio.

Red beret, $20.99; wool gloves, $18.99.

Parsimonia.

Wool gloves, $18.99; knit headband, $12.99.

Parsimona.

Cable-knit pompom beanie, $28; O&P plaid blanket scarf, $28.

Blush Boutique.

MinkPink Great Escape jacket, $159.

Blush Boutique.

Vintage plaid coat, $42.

Parsimonia.

Green fur-stole duster, $65.

Parsimonia.

Love Token sherpa/denim jacket, $138.

Blush Boutique.

Bearpaw Gwyneth waterproof winter boots, $69.98. Famous Footwear.

Kaanas Durella cheetah-print booties, $228. Blush Boutique.

Matisse Billie leopard-print booties, $175. Blush Boutique.

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Kaanas Bonarda snake-print booties, $189. Blush Boutique.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

10/29/19 10:22 AM

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December 2019 stlmag.com

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ELEMENTS VOYEUR

5

1. The Jewelry Under her brand, Nova Vita Co., the Lindbergh High School senior makes drop earring designs by hand, usually prepping with a few sketches. Her approach is organic: “It’s very much just whatever I can get out of the clay I make,” she says. “I get very bored easily, so after I make one batch, I’ll get bored of blue, for instance, so I’ll work on some earth tones next.”

2. Vintage Beginnings At 14, Callan opened a Depop store to sell vintage clothing. “It was that teenager stage of ‘I don’t have a car, and I need to make money,’” she says. She jazzed up some garments, such as painting Matisse-inspired art onto pants.

2

3 4 1

Find more of Callan’s designs on Instagram @novavita.co.

Ceramic Chic Nova Vita Co. owner Avery Callan, just 17, puts her personal touch on handmade earrings.

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3. Chalk and Sand For some pieces, Callan mixes her own colors into her clay with chalk that’s been shaved into powder and combined in multiple shades to achieve a marbleized effect. She’ll add sand if she wants extra texture. “It’s a lot of fun,” she says. “You can get little extra flecks of color that you wouldn’t get if you were mixing clay alone.”

4. Balls of Clay “They’re like little planets,” Callan says of the balls of excess marbleized clay that were too small to make it to the cutting board.

5. Beaded Lady At 3 a.m. one sleepless night, Callan was inspired to make this piece of art, carefully arranging seed beads on canvas. “Pretty much all of my life is local artists, something I made at midnight, or something I found at Goodwill,” she says, laughing.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

10/29/19 10:22 AM

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF CARING

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December 2019 stlmag.com

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Merry and Bright

ELEMENTS_1219.indd 46

10/29/19 10:22 AM

St. Louis’ Finest Jewelry since 1913.

101 South Hanley Road | Lobby Suite 110 | Clayton | 314.863.8820 | heffern.com Complimentary parking available on the surface lot and in the adjacent garage. Enter off Bonhomme.

ELEMENTS_1219.indd 47

10/29/19 10:22 AM

ELEMENTS MINGLE

Cole and Anthony McBride

Sarah Bubbers, Ben Tesson

Nicholas von Raab, Jacob Schecter, Brandon Ko

Richard Nix Jr., Tania Beasley-Jolly, Rich Simmons

Takunda Muziwi, Noella Hwande Philip Hulse, Janice Rohan, Maria and Michael Gianino

M’Aggie and Matt Maranzana

Peggy Lents, Frances Pestello, Mary Beth Daniels

Megan Ketcherside, John O’Brien

SPOTLIGHT Don Lents Board chairman, Grand Center Inc.

Grand Center Gala GRAND CENTER INC. hosted its largest annual fundraiser

September 13 at The Big Top. This year’s gala, honoring local philanthropists Jerry and Mary Beth Daniels, celebrated the arts district. Proceeds help support the nonprofit’s maintenance of public spaces, among other efforts.

Julie and Tim Noonan

Glow in the Park

“The 2019 Grand Center Gala celebrates the rising momentum and great diversity of St. Louis’ landmark destination for the arts, Grand Center Arts District.”

Brian and Bethany Springer

IN COLLABORATION WITH the annual

Great Forest Park Balloon Race, Glow in the Park gave guests a front-row seat to this year’s Balloon Glow. The event, held September 20, treated attendees to dinner, cocktails, a silent auction, a wine pull, and fireworks. Proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Missouri’s Animal Cruelty Fund, dedicated to the investigation and prevention of animal abuse.

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Brookes and Lynne Parriott, Roger and Joan Ball

Photography by Diane Anderson, Micah Usher

10/29/19 11:03 AM

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SPECIAL AVE R TI S I N G S ECTI ON

S P EC IA L P R O M OT IO N

Find the perfect present for everyone on your holiday shopping list with these suggestions from local retailers.

ALASTIN RESTORATIVE SKIN COMPLEX GREAT RIVER CITY: HOW THE MISSISSIPPI SHAPED ST. LOUIS $35 / Missouri History Museum Shop This new book examines the city’s relationship with the mighty river. With 56 stories and 450 images, it’s perfect for the photography and history buffs on your list!

314-454-3172 / MOHISTORY.ORG/GREAT-RIVER-CIT Y

$195 / West County Plastic Surgeons of Washington University This hardworking product restores volume, improves the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, delivers antioxidants to protect the skin from damage, and evens skin tone.

314-996-8800 WESTCOUNT YPLASTICSURGEONS.WUSTL.EDU

STAGES ST. LOUIS 2020 SEASON SUBSCRIPTION Premium: $168; Choice: $123 / STAGES St. Louis

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DRIFTWOOD BANGLES & CORDYLINE CUFF Bangle: $22; Cuff $98 Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design Now available at Craft Alliance Center of Art + Design, Michael Michaud Jewelry is cast directly from nature and handmade in the U.S.A. 314-725-1177 / CRAFTALLIANCE.ORG

CUSTOM GIFTS FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST GABRIEL & CO. TWO-TONE HOOPS

Starting at $30 / The Caramel House

Give the gift of STAGES, and keep your friends and family entertained all season long! The 2020 season includes musical theater favorites A Chorus Line, La Cage aux Folles, and Always...Patsy Cline.

These 14K two-tone, inside-outside pave and rope design oval hoop earrings contain 104 round diamonds at 1.26CCTW.

Let The Caramel House spoil you this holiday season with local small-batch salted caramels, sauces, cookies, popcorns, and English toffee.

314-821-2407 / STAGESSTLOUIS.ORG

314-878-6203 / GENOVESEJEWELERS.COM

314-707-5777 / THECARAMELHOUSE.COM

$3,750 / Genovese Jewelers

stlmag.com December 2019

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11/4/19 8:52 AM

S P EC IA L A DVE R T IS IN G S EC T IO N

STL SKYLINE SIGNATURE ORNAMENT

PARTY PLATTER

14K DIAMOND & BAGUETTE SAPPHIRE DOUBLE OVAL PENDANT

$49 / Third Degree Glass Factory

Prices vary / Butler’s Boardroom Catering

Each ornament is blown and etched by local glass artist Jes Kopitske. Featuring the Arch on one side and the Stanley Cup on the other, it’s the perfect gift for the true St. Louisan!

Treat your colleagues to a festive party this holiday season courtesy of Butler’s Boardroom! Choose from five delicious platters, or order several at a special discount.

This unique 14K white gold diamond and sapphire double oval pendant is a must-have to complement any outfit during the upcoming holiday season.

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SHARING S PAC E S P. 5 6 A GOOD 5-CENT CIGAR P. 6 0

ANGLES

Q&A

JANE ELLEN IBUR No rest for this laureate.

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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ANGLES Q&A

W

RY, WHIMSICAL, AND GENEROUS , St. Louis’ new poet laureate isn’t

big on ponderous, pompous readings or self-congratulation.

She’d rather take people who’ve shied away from poetry their whole lives and open them up to its magic. Jane Ellen Ibur founded the Community Arts Training Institute, focusing on art’s power to change the world, and Poets and Writers Ink, to pull talent from young writers. Her own work has appeared in 60-plus anthologies and her two books, Both Wings Flappin’, Still Not Flyin’ and The Little Mrs./Misses, in which we hear from Mrs. Noah, taking inventory on the ark two weeks out, and Mrs. Adam, who has a Cheerio in one hand and a watermelon tucked under her arm: “I’m supposed to pass this fruit/ through that hole? For taking/ a bite from an apple?

Jesus Christ,/ you call that Justice?”

You learned that you had breast cancer the day after you were named poet laureate. Do you mind talking about it? I actually feel like women don’t talk about it enough. I was diagnosed in October 2018, the day after my 50-year high school reunion, and I had found out the last day of the reunion that I was going to be poet laureate. Both other poet laureates had been ill and died—I thought, Do I even want to do this?! And then I just plowed right ahead.

How do you see your new role? To be an ambassador of poetry. To take poetry to some unexpected places. St. Louis is a divided city, but it’s not only black and white. I have a list of people I think have been ignored: East Indian people, Latino people, Bosnians. I want to work with elder black women in Old North, another invisible community, and with the LGBT communities. I want people to cross lines they hadn’t crossed before.

You’ve taught poetry to people in prison— and to people imprisoned by poverty, homelessness, age, horrific memories. What’s the trick to teaching nontraditionally? I teach a creative writing class to people with depression and PTSD, and it’s mostly poetry—formal poetry—because I found, when I was teaching at the jail, that those guys needed something to absorb their minds. All they were doing was obsessing about their cases. Writing took them out of that place. And formal poetry had them focus on the rules, so the unconscious stuff could come up.

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“I HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE I THINK HAVE BEEN IGNORED.”

So you use those structures most of us can’t even pronounce? Yeah. With the villanelle, I can carry people through an exercise where they’re writing a formal poem out of order and it comes out right. The reason to juggle it around is so people will stop thinking. I want people surprised by what they can do. [In my class, for veterans with PTSD,] I saw people change really quickly, because they saw other people relax. I’m working on someone right now who’s tense, who’s sitting far away from everybody, but soon she’s going to change her seat. She’s going to move close.

What’s your own work about lately? My mother has dementia, but she’s robust.

It’s hard. There are titles I’ve written down and I have not written the words. One is “Waiting for Godot.” She would get up and get all dressed, put on her lipstick, get her purse, and sit on the couch, waiting. It just killed me. I write about it when I have to.

Mary Woodard, who worked for your family for years, had a profound influence on you. Mary was an extraordinary ordinary person who kind of picked me up off the floor and told me I was a good person when I was a kid and things weren’t going so well.

She took me in when I was lost. I made a commitment to her that I was going to take care of her when she was older, and it was 11 years of intense medical stuff, some really gory stuff, but we laughed every single day. We probably cried every single day, too. I’d say, “How are you?” and she’d say, “Kickin’ but not high” or “Both wings flappin’, still not flyin’.” She never stopped wanting to live.

Is it true that you write a poem a day? I’m on day 2,748. [She flashes a wicked grin.] I’ll say at a reading, “I’m on day X, and I’m going to read them to you.” The shock and the horror that runs through that group…

Obviously, I don’t believe in writer’s block.

Look around. Write about it.

At stlmag.com: Miss Piggy, the need for irreverence, and the consequences of sensitivity.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

11/4/19 8:54 AM

Š2019 SSM Health. All rights reserved. ACC-SYS-19-606703 8/19

My doctor

listens and understands.

Selecting the right primary care provider is one of the best things you can do for your health and right now we have several area providers accepting new patients and offering next-day appointments. At SSM Health, we believe knowing you better as a person helps us treat you better as a patient.

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Visit ssmhealth.com/GetCare to locate a primary care provider near you or to schedule an appointment.

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ANGLES NOTEBOOK

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

P

SHARING SPACES

Odd Couples Housing brings the generations together with a new program.

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AT PRICE HAS lived in St. Louis

her entire life. She keeps an immaculate house and cherishes routine, plays bridge, quilts, goes to church, watches little TV. She “cooked every night for, it seemed like, a thousand years,” and after her husband died, promptly and deliberately forgot how. Evenings are quiet: “Nine o’clock’s the new midnight,” she says dryly.

Annie Mbale was born in Rumphi, Malawi. Her room is piled with clean but not-yet-folded laundry, books, and supplies for crafting Afrocentric jewelry. “I don’t think I have a routine,” she says, “except waking up.” When Mbale watches TV, she binge-watches: “I don’t have the patience to wait to see what’s going to happen.” A great cook, she can’t stand to spend money at a restaurant and be disappointed. Her usual bedtime’s 1 a.m.

You wouldn’t automatically pair these two as roommates? Odd Couples Housing did.

Mbale had just finished her MBA and needed an affordable place to live.

Price, who had polio as a child, was feeling its effects and welcomed the idea of somebody helping with a few chores, like sweeping, that are awkward on crutches.

I visit when they’re both home, and Mbale gives a quick tour: “This is the dining room, but normally we eat in the kitchen, me and her. I have a lot of spices, so she gave me that shelf. And she’s easy about where things go, so I thought, OK, I’m not going to mess things up.” The patio off the kitchen is perfectly landscaped; Price is as passionate a gardener as Mbale’s mother was. “Me, I can kill aloe vera,” Mbale says with a shrug.

But all summer, she carefully watered the lantana spilling over the window boxes.

The idea for Odd Couples Housing flashed when John Levis watched his mother-in-law living alone, her twin sister nearby, also living alone. “Twins start out in the womb together—why not put them back together again?” he asked his wife.

The twins agreed, and as they shared living expenses and did more socializing, their lives improved noticeably.

So noticeably, in fact, that Levis Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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ANGLES NOTEBOOK

BY JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

and his business partner, John O’Connell, commissioned Washington University MBA students to do a viability study of shared elder housing. Halfway through, the students remarked, “If you pair two seniors and it doesn’t work, you’re going to have a displaced older person. But how about us?” There were a lot of young people trying to pay down debt without living in squalor.

“So we pivoted,” Levis says.

And then they walked across campus to ask Brian Carpenter, professor of psychological and brain sciences, how to develop compatibility questions.

“My students will do it,” he offered. But how could they fit the questions into an algorithm, gradually weighting the questions that had successfully predicted a good match? That took engineering students. And the hottest expertise in social media, they said, was at the University of Missouri–St. Louis, so Levis posted an opening there for a director of social media. A student expressed interest before it ever hit the internet.

That student was Annie Mbale. When she came to interview Pat Price, she thought it was a job assignment—but loved Price and her house, a charming four-bedroom home in a tree-lined Kirkwood neighborhood perfect for Mbale’s long runs. After the interview, Price found herself wishing it would be Mbale who shared her home, even though “it was Kirkwood, for God’s sake, not Clayton or downtown.”

Location was the big tradeoff, Mbale admits, because she loves the city.

“I get that,” Price assures her. “I lived in Soulard for 13 years, but my husband wanted to mow grass.” What the two women admire most about each other is the same trait: independence. Mbale conducts long-distance seminars for women in Malawi, teaching budgeting and finance, “because that’s one way women can be independent.”

“No matter what,” says Price, “Annie will land on her feet.”

Still, she worried the day Mbale went for a run and didn’t come back, and darkness fell, and she still wasn’t back, and…

Price, who’s been determined not to play a mother’s role, broke down and called her. Mbale was fine, just had her headphones on and got in the zone. But it felt good, she says, “to know somebody cares. I lost my parents when I was 11, and I’m the oldest in my family, so I had to be the mom.”

The two tease each other easily, Price rolling her eyes about Mbale’s huge wardrobe, Mbale saying she’s trying to like Price’s country music. Mbale still hasn’t unpacked all of her boxes. “You probably don’t need what’s in them, darlin’, if you haven’t looked for it since June,” Price remarks. The other evening, Mbale called from the kitchen, “Are these my eggs or your

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“IF YOU PAIR TWO SENIORS AND IT DOESN’T WORK, YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE A DISPLACED OLDER PERSON. BUT HOW ABOUT US?” eggs?” and Price called back, “I think they’re our eggs.”

Levis says there are similar programs in other cities, “but they don’t have the housing stock we do, so they have to buy buildings and do rental-basedmultigenerational housing.” Odd Couples wanted compatibility-based housing, with either shared expenses or agreed-upon duties.

The program’s growing nicely. What Levis likes best is “the win-win of it. A cybersecurity grad student was apologizing because his parents still send him vast quantities of food from India every month, and the homeowner’s eyes lit up.

She said, ‘I love Indian food!’”

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

11/4/19 8:54 AM

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December 2019 stlmag.com

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ANGLES SNAPSHOT WALTER J. NOBLE SALOON, 1909

A Good 5-Cent Cigar U.S. Vice President Thomas R. Marshall once quipped, “What America really needs is a good 5-cent cigar.” In 1909, that cheap smoke said a lot about America. A flip th ough an issue of the American Tobacco Journal from around that time shows an obsession with the 5-cent cigar. “Remember, all successful manufacturers are using SUMATRA TOBACCO in their nickel cigars!” one ad warns. There are reports of how many inches of rain fell on the tobacco fields of entucky, an article about three St. Louis cigar factories merging. And sprinkled among the obits for august tobacco men and ads for Riz Tam-Tam cigarette papers are news stories about antitrust legislation and cheap women workers who don’t demand their three-cigar quota at the end of the day. Of course, a 5-cent cigar’s never really a 5-cent cigar; the cost is exacted somewhere. Workers in St. Louis knew that. One of the first unio labels in U.S. history was a red one, pasted on boxes of cigars. These may not be a nickel apiece, it said, but the hands that made them belong to people who worked an eight-hour day, people who can feed their kids, people who can affo d to smoke the cigars tomorrow that they rolled today. —STEFENE RUSSELL 60

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Photography by Charles Clement Holt, courtesy of the Missouri Historical Society

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PRESENTED BY

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THE LAST KITCHEN p.64 THE HIGH LOW p.66 TURMERIC p.68

TASTE

THE DISH

Sour Power Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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Sinigang is a popular Filipino soup (the word means “stew”) characterized by its distinctive sour taste (“but pleasantly sour,” according to chef Brian Hardesty, co-owner of Guerrilla Street Food).

The soup’s regional characteristics are distinguished by the souring agents used in the veggiebased broth, most often green tamarind but also green mango, gooseberries—“theoretically any fruit or vegetable in its bitter or unripe state,” says Hardesty—and any available protein and vegetable. The chef likes to simmer pork belly in the broth for four hours, then slice it in slabs, deep-fry it, and add it back to the broth, along with (on this day, anyway) shrimp, short choy, okra, purple yam, and Filipino eggplant. The traditional accompaniment is local jasmine rice, added a spoonful at a time. Because of its “anything goes” versatility and vibrancy, sinigang is a year-round staple in the Philippines. At Guerrilla, look for the $10 dish in the fall and winter months. —GEORGE MAHE

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TASTE

MAIN COURSE

The Shoe Fits

Downtown’s newest hotel restaurant leaves a lasting impression.

BY DAVE LOWRY

directly into the kitchen, which holds wood-fired ovens and a chef ’s dream of a grill.

Executive chef Evy Swoboda, Pastaria’s former chef de cuisine, spent a learn that this was month traveling throughout the Midoriginally the Inter- west to do menu research. “I discovered national Shoe Com- that St. Louis cuisine is hard to define, pany building, magnifbecause the city was a melting pot icently renovated into founded on river trade,” she says. The a hotel and restau- dishes reflect that same spirit. “We’re rant. Last—shoe last. not limiting ourselves to one type of cuiGet it? (If you don’t, sine. St. Louis has neighborhoods with perhaps the leather different ethnic foods, so you may see a Mexican dish or something Indianheels that serve as drink coasters will get forward as a way to incorporate the the point across.) city’s different cultures.”

Colossal windows The resulting list of choices is both eclectic and tightly curated. If you dine as bathe the space in natural light. It’s like a quartet, your party can cover the entire dining in a Grant menu. Glistening with juices, a blushing duck breast is tender, full of flavor. A tumWo o d landscap e.

Tables are spread ble of shishito peppers—about one in five packs heat—is a sheaf of edible lottery out on a floor with the dimensions of a tickets, brightening the duck’s meatiness.

HE ABSENCE OF street signage pasture. Some in back offer seating for Even better: the mushroom-rich spaetzle, is a sign of hip-itude, so one bigger parties and a view of an Art Deco plump, tender, a brilliant carbohydrate for might easily pass The Last relief sculpture on a side of the adjacent that fowl. Gnocchi does the same admiraKitchen & Bar before notic- City Museum. The bar’s the length of a ble job for a roasted half chicken, lending ing the doorman and remembering: It’s in basketball court. A high-top table looks balance to the meat. The flesh is moist, the a hotel, The Last Hotel. Inside, it’s more skin a fine crackly shell. Braised The Last Kitchen like a 1940s bank lobby—cavernous, with Swiss chard makes you feel less & Bar hangar–high ceilings and sequoia-esque guilty about that lovely golden 1501 Washington 314-390-2500 support columns. You’ll likely need to skin—and the beurre blanc that thelasthotelstl.com search for the hostess station, down past adds its rich luster. A thick filBreakfast, lunch, and the shoeshine stand. Once there, you’re let of salmon is roasted until dinner daily in for a pleasant experience. the skin crisps delectably, the The name makes more sense when you flesh as roseate as an autumn sunset. Vegetables come from THE BOTTOM LINE Polished downtown hotel dining on new American fare the pan, their sugars providing Dry-aged duck with charred shishito peppers, smoked mushroom spaetzle, and cherry tomatoes

T

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

11/4/19 8:57 AM

sweetness. The only entrée that was less than entirely satisfying was the steak, which wasn’t bad—just ordinary, lacking the powerful mineral tang of a great cut of beef. But the roasted Brussels sprouts served alongside were exquisitely charred, sweet, with a grassy earthiness.

A white balsamic reduction, orange zest, and cured egg yolk figure in the oyster mushroom side. You can taste all of those ingredients, though it’s the glorious roasted mushrooms at the center of a wonderful starter. Whole anchovies and black pepper enliven a Romaine salad; house-made croutons and a generous helping of Parmesan shards add their magic. A trio of doorknob-size scallops, seared crusty, are adorned with a red pepper purée that provides just a hint of heat.

The wine list has been thoughtfully compiled. Cocktails come a bit slowly, but they’re well constructed.

Hotel restaurants here are different from their European counterparts.

Probably it’s the size of the U.S., where space stretches, distances yawn. European hotel restaurants are cozy; it’s as if you’ve only popped down the road from home. Our hotel restaurants never have that feel; the atmosphere, no matter how lavish, always has at least a faint perfume of journeying and displacement.

That’s one reason The Last Kitchen could be St. Louis’ premier place for the sort of people-watching in which you conjure elaborate tales about those around you: The couple on a “Let’s work on our marriage” getaway. The salesman, dining alone, contemplating, “Was the career worth the travel?”

The hotel is luxurious, to be sure. The restaurant is a culinary delight, particularly for St. Louisans: You’re not in a strange city. You’re going home to your own comfortable bed. So linger, not because a room awaits you upstairs but instead because it doesn’t. You can relax, enjoy the moment, eat some peach cobbler, savor a vintage port.

With excellent food and able service, The Last Kitchen reminds us that it’s good to be home.

Open November 23! Free admission!

Forest Park • 314.746.4599 • mohistory.org

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• 65% abstained from sexual • 89%activity of teens expect • 89%toofgoteens on toexpect post-secondary to go on toeducation post-secondary education • 93% of Club members • 93% of maintained Club members on-time maintained grade progression on-time grade progression • 92% abstained from drinking • 97% of Club members • 97% of abstained Club members from cigarette abstained smoking from cigarette smoking

The mission of the Boys &•Girls Club offrom St. Louis is to use 82% abstained •Greater 82%marijuana abstained use from marijuana inspire and enable all young people, especially those who need • 65% abstained from • 65%sexual abstained activity from sexual activity 92% abstained •productive, 92%drinking abstainedresponsible from drinking us most, to reach their full• potential asfrom The mission of theThe Boys mission & GirlsofClub the Boys of Greater & GirlsSt.Club Louis of isGreater to St. Louis is to and caring citizens. The Clubs now serve St. Louis youth across and enableinspire all young andpeople, enable all especially young people, those who especially need those who need ten St. Louis City & Countyinspire locations. us most, to reach us their most, full to potential reach their as productive, full potential responsible as productive, responsible and caring citizens. and The caring Clubs citizens. now child serve TheSt. Clubs now youth serve across St. Louis youth across Make a donation, volunteer, mentor, register your orLouis get ten St. Louis City & ten County St. Louis locations.

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Make a donation,Make volunteer, a donation, mentor, volunteer, register your mentor, childregister or get your child or get more informationmore at www.bgcstl.org information ator www.bgcstl.org call 314.335.8000. or call 314.335.8000.

December 2019 stlmag.com

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FIRST BITE

A Lofty Idea

Rob Connoley and Blueprint Coffee team up at The High Low.

BARTENDER'S CHOICE FOUR GIFT IDEAS FROM THE PROS

Jigger A properly made cocktail comes down to precision.

“Everyone needs a measuring jigger,” says Small Change general manager Harrison Massie. “It’s key to making sure they get those proportions right.”

Colossal Cobbler Cocktail Shaker Planter’s House coowner Ted Kilgore likes the 1.9-liter Cocktail Kingdom shaker for its efficiency: “This is great for making five or six drinks at once. It’s handy for home parties.”

Serving Tray The Gin Room’s Natasha Bahrami has an appreciation for the aesthetic appeal of bar tools. “A beautiful vintage Midcentury brass serving tray is not only a bit of classy décor but also useful for your home bar,” she says. “It’s a perfect, highly coveted, and extra-gorgeous gift.”

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CHEF Rob Connoley first

introduced whimsical breakfast-and-lunch options to Grand Center at Squatter’s Café.

Now he’s providing many of the standards at the shuttered café at The High Low, the Kranzberg Arts Foundation’s new literary center and next-door neighbor to the chef ’s well-received restaurant Bulrush. Front and center in the high-ceilinged room is a quartz-topped coffee bar, operated by Blueprint Coffee. From 7 a.m.– 2 p.m. daily, baristas are busy crafting beverages at high temps (pour-over coffees and teas) and low (cold-brew coffee). The sunlit space is lined with whitewashed poplar bookshelves, in which Connoley displays some unexpected victuals: in the early hours, mini-Bundt cakes and cinnamon croissant rolls, overnight oats, and a white chocolate sphere that sends encapsulated huckleberry juice into house-made yogurt. At lunch,

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Yogurt with blackberry jam, exploding spheres, and house granola

look for healthy bowls made with such heirloom grains as blue emmer faro, Connoley’s now-famous biscuits and gravy, and snacks like chocolate bars that pair with Blueprint’s espresso (yes, Connoley is a chocolatier as well). With a library, café, and gallery on the first floor and writers’ suites and offices (including one for St. Louis’ poet laureate) on the second, The High Low aims to equalize high and low art, using seating areas patterned after novelist James Baldwin's well-known “welcome tables,” at which some guests were famous, some not. The first installation of the progressive library features St. Louis authors, appropriate dining companions for sure. 3301 Washington, 314-533-0367. —G.M.

Chambong On the hunt for a truly unusual gift? Olive + Oak bartender Morgaine Segura-Martin has the answer. “We break our Chambong and Chambong stand out at the bar,” she says. “It always gets the party started.”

Its maker describes the Chambong as a “Champagne beer bong,” meant for shooting sparkling wine. The contraption consists of a flute with an elongated stem, from which the drinker partakes as bubbly is poured into the flute. It’s certainly not a gift for just anyone, but it’s sure to be the perfect gift for someone.

—HOLLY FANN

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

11/4/19 8:58 AM

THIS YEAR, GIVE THE PERFECT GIFT!

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Last month to see Ai Weiwei: Bare Life Exhibition closes January 5, 2020

Free and open to the public Free Highlights Tours, Saturdays at 2 pm 314.935.4523 kemperartmuseum.wustl.edu

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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TASTE

SECOND HELPING

Posh Spice

Turmeric adds a new dimension to Indian cuisine in St. Louis.

BY HOLLY FANN

W

HEN YOU WALK into Tur-

meric, you might think it was still occupied by Público, the restaurant that previously held the space. The bar and booths are in the same configuration, and the dramatic tree sculptures are still there. Your nose will tell you otherwise, though. The heady scents of cardamom, cilantro, shallots, and truffle oil hit you at the door.

Turmeric describes itself as a modern take on pan-Indian cuisine. With such categories as small plates, entrées, and cocktails, the menu comprises all the usual offerings of a modern restaurant. Dishes are presented on white platters of odd sizes and shapes, garnished with colorful sauces dotted and drizzled, veggie spirals, and fresh herbs. These elements nod at contemporary dining, and the food, rather gappa arrive as cherry tomato– spices, aromatics, and pieces of South than being avant-garde, is both warmly size wheat flour pillows. Inside Indian–style chicken, sticky with vivid crimchicken familiar and comforting. son curry paste and buried in a each, a dollop of chickpea-andcurry The restaurant offers 17 small plates. potato mash is topped with pomepile of steaming-hot soft rice finThe Neptune Platter is a sampling of four: granate seeds and cilantro. Tall, ished with crisp-fried shallots. samosas, green tikki, paneer, and Manthin shot glasses of a tangy tamarind and The green bean thoran alone is worth churian cauliflower bezule. The lightly a mint dressing accompany the golgappa, the visit. crisped samosas, stuffed with potato, are to be poured inside each shell. The dish A specialty cocktail list includes wonderful, but the Indo-Chinese cauliis entertaining and delicious. some cheekily themed options, such flower dish is the star. Florets— Executive chef Kishore as Madhubala’s Mango Margarita and crisp on the outside, tender on Reddy, who came to St. Louis the Be My Gulabo Martini. The Bombthe inside—are tossed in a rubyfrom Atlanta, is proud of erry Mule—blueberries, brown sugar, hued sweet-and-sour sauce, lemon juice, dark rum, and ginger beer— the majestically presented yielding vegetable candy. The Turmeric kebab sampler of is lightly salted, giving it a refreshing Charminar lamb, intriguingly effect similar to that of shikanji, India’s chicken, lamb, tiger shrimp, described as being “cooked on and paneer, as well as the enor- salted lemonade.

Turmeric a special jungle stone,” consists 6679 Delmar mous rolled dosa, cooked in Turmeric is a beautiful space where of thin slices of lightly spiced 314-899-9995 truffle oil and gently wrapped great effort is given to the creation of buttery-soft lamb loin coated in turmericstl.com around a filling of potato striking, detailed presentations, and the Lunch and dinner, a thick, rich paste that’s redo- Tue–Sun masala. The modest and beaurobust, balanced flavors make the food lent of fresh crushed mint. Goltiful chicken biryani balances warm and inviting.

THE BOTTOM LINE Modern, highly composed presentations are served in a chic space in the Delmar Loop.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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Hot Spots W H AT ’ S N E W A N D N O TA B L E THIS MONTH

3. Moussalli’s Prime  The former Andria’s Countryside Restaurant in Edwardsville is the only steakhouse in the metro serving a super-premium grade of Prime Angus beef in addition to some worthy seafood options. 7415 Illinois Route 143, Edwardsville.

1. Original J’s Tex-Mex Barbecue  Chef Mike Randolph jumps on the barbecue bandwagon by pairing Central Texas–style barbecue with creative Tex-Mex. Standouts include brisket tacos with smoked tomato salsa and chicken with a guajillo chili marinade.

7359 Forsyth.

4. The Kickin’ Crab The region’s most recent example of the popular Cajun seafood boil concept (and the small chain’s first Missouri location) is located in a strip center in Olivette. Despite the high price point, the place is kickin’. 9616 Olive.

2. The Train Shed  Adjacent to Union Station’s 200-foot St. Louis Wheel and the fire-and-light show, the big brother restaurant to Union Station’s Soda Fountain features worthy gastropub fare and a stellar cocktail list. 201 S. 18th.

5. Miracle STL  The popular holiday-themed pop-up bar returns November 25–December 28. New this year from the same owners: Sippin’ Santa, a tiki-themed Christmas bar at 3146 Locust.

Reservations are recommended for both.

2800 Indiana.

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Photography by Melissa Hom, Spencer Pernikoff, Kevin A. Roberts, courtesy of The Train Shed

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INS, OUTS & ALMOSTS AS OF A LATE-OCT. PRESS DATE

CLOSINGS

Tazé Mediterranean Street Food 8½ S. Euclid, 626 Washington; Oct. 14 Oaked 1031 Lynch, Oct. 18 Winslow’s Home 7213 Delmar, Oct. 20 Rhone Rum Bar 2107 Chouteau, Oct. 26 Café Madeleine 4156 Magnolia, Dec. 1

OPENINGS

Seven (The Restaurant at Seven Gables Inn) 26 N. Meramec, Oct. 1 Open Concept (Melt) 2712 Cherokee, Oct. 4 Knockout BBQ 3150 S. Grand, Oct. 10 Moussalli’s Prime (Andria’s Countryside Restaurant) 7415 Ill Route 143, Edwardsville, Oct. 21

COMING SOON Hook & Reel (Applebee’s) 4860 Chippewa, early Nov.

Original J’s Tex-Mex Barbecue (Fortel’s Pizza Den) 7359 Forsyth, late Nov. Britt’s Bakehouse 137 W. Jefferson, Kirkwood, Nov. Egg @ Midtown (Michael’s Catering) 3100 Locust, Nov. Orzo Mediterranean Grill 11627 Olive, Nov. 1894 Café 201 S. 18th, mid-Dec. Le Macaron 111 W. Lockwood, mid-Dec. Beffa’s Bar and Restaurant 2700 Olive, Dec. Salt + Smoke (The Tavern Kitchen & Bar) 392 N. Euclid, Dec. Sunny’s Cantina (Manchester Public House) 6655 Manchester, Dec. Diego’s (Momos) 630 North & South, early 2020

The High Low 3301 Washington, mid-Nov.

Mission Taco Joint (Kirkwood Station Brewing) 105 E. Jefferson, early 2020

The Train Shed Gastropub (Houlihan’s) 1820 Market (at Union Station), mid-Nov.

Tempus 4370 Manchester, early 2020

Winslow’s Table 7213 Delmar, mid-Nov. Little Fox (The Purple Martin) 2800 Shenandoah, late Nov.

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that. The difference in taste and texture is apparent.

André: It’s produced in the most humane way possible, and the only way to get it consistently is to buy direct from Niman, which we do. They tell us they can supply one restaurant but may not have the capacity to supply a second.

How will you cook these steaks?

André: Most will be cooked on a gas grill, but some of the special cuts will be done sous vide, seared in a cast iron pan, basted with whole butter and aromatics, then sliced. Our plan is to sell three cuts in several sizes, plus prime rib.

Some people think that buying Primegrade tenderloin is a waste of money.

Antoine: As far as tenderness goes, there may not be much of a difference [between the Prime and Choice grades], but Prime’s extra marbling means more unrendered fat, which means more flavor, which is where tenderloin traditionally falls short versus strips and ribeyes.

From left: André, Antoine, and Christian Moussalli

Empire Builders

Three brothers refurbish and rename a beloved Edwardsville steakhouse.

A

NDRIA’S COUNTRYSIDE RESTAURANT, located on 5 acres on

the outskirts of Edwardsville, was the only restaurant in the metro serving a grade of beef so exclusive, it’s awarded to just 0.1 percent of the U.S. beef market. The restaurant is now called Moussalli’s Prime, after the brothers who co-own it—André, Antoine, and Christian—but the superlative grade of beef remains the same. —G.M.

What is the mission at Moussalli’s Prime?

Antoine: We’d like to be the best restaurant in the St. Louis area—[laughing] no big deal, right? For starters, we are using a grade of beef that no one else in the metro uses or can get: Niman Ranch Certified Angus Beef Prime Natural— accounts for a small fraction of the beef sold in this country, so the supply is extremely limited. Then we age it a minimum of 21 days, hopefully twice

ONLINE Visit stlmag.com to learn how a higher-end restaurant can survive in today’s casual dining environment.

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Are there options for non–steak eaters?

André: A handmade pappardelle with smoked tomato sauce, king trumpet mushrooms, and a ragout of braised beef and root vegetables. There’s a sunchoke-and-lobster risotto that will be popular. People are excited that we’ll have a raw bar with oysters… I’d love to see people starting off their evening with Champagne and oysters.

Christian: We’ll also have updated versions of four Andria’s appetizers: chicken spiedini, baked escargot, shrimp Alexander, and crab-stuffed mushrooms, using deep-sea red crab.

Will special occasions be your forte?

André: Mostly. The price point will somewhat dictate that. That said, having a more casual burgers-and-sandwiches menu in the bar will broaden the appeal in that area. But we don’t want to become a sandwich restaurant. We can’t.

Christian: You shouldn’t need to go to St. Louis to experience a great restaurant.

Our goal is to deliver one of the best personalized dining experiences around and make the special occasion special.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

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Describe the interior.

Antoine: A brushed brass–and–navy color scheme is repeated in several intimate dining rooms and a separate bar area. There are tables, rather than booths, with simple votives, navy napkins, tiny salt and pepper shakers. Think refreshed and modern rather than oldschool and throwback.

Christian: We had to redesign the place to better control the flow. Now, there are no bad seats in the house.

But you stayed with tablecloths.

André: We did, for several reasons. The look is clean, classy, and they deaden sound. You hardly see tablecloths anymore, but they set the proper tone for the experience we want to deliver.

Are you all partners in the business?

Antoine: We are, along with Jonathan and Claire Fowler, our partners, landlords, and Claire helps us on the floor. We’ve been friends with Jonathan for years and pipe-dreamed about doing this for the last several. Finally it’s real, and they made it possible.

Are there plans beyond Moussalli’s Prime?

André: Prime is a jumping-off point.

Next up is the conversion of the former Rusty’s, which will become Moussalli’s on Main. The idea is for our flagship to supply other projects with products and maybe proteins that we raise on the property here.

How are you dealing with staffing?

Antoine: A lot of Andria’s employees have returned; friends have come on board or returned to town. It’s like the hometown boys are giving back to Edwardsville, showing what we’ve done with the last 15 or 20 years of our lives and sharing what we can do with the community.

At least your name is straightforward.

Antoine: Wanna bet? We get “Moussalini” quite a bit.

Christian: Where are they getting that N? André: People are gonna think it’s an Italian joint.

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T H E

B R E A K

Where to get your mornings started right

BY BILL BURGE, JEANNETTE COOPERMAN, PAT EBY, HOLLY FANN, ANN LEMONS POLLACK, DAVE LOWRY, GEORGE MAHE, JARRETT MEDLIN, IAIN SHAW, SAMANTHA STEVENSON, EMILY WASSERMAN, AND BRANDI WILLS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN A. ROBERTS

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Dessert For Breakfast MORNING GLORY’S BREAD PUDDING FRENCH TOAST

2609 CHEROKEE , BENTON PARK

Three thick slices of bread pudding make this riff on French toast even more indulgent. If if feels too much like dessert for your taste, add a patty of herby house-made sausage on the side. Then lightly dip the sausage in the syrup.

Reality Bites

CRAFTED’S CRAFTED HASH 3200 SHENAND OAH, TOWER GROVE EAST

Since a makeover by Bar Rescue several years ago, the former Van Goghz space serves up hearty bowls of potato, poached eggs, and red onion.

Instead of corned beef, give your hash a spicy kick of chorizo-style ground sausage. The vibe is classy for the price, and you can’t beat $10 bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys.

The Big Easy

1764 PUBLIC HOUSE’S NOLA BREAKFAST IN BREAD

Risk It For the Biscuit TURN’S BISCUIT FLIGHT 3224 LO CUST, MIDTOWN

No trip to David Kirkland’s Grand Center is complete without a biscuit flight, which includes four of the chef ’s famous biscuits served with a seasonal house-made jam, honey, and butter.

Looking for something more savory?

Opt for the biscuits and gravy, with sage gravy and turkey sausage.

That’s Amore

THE CLOVER AND THE BEE’S BREAKFAST IN ITALY 100 W. LO CKWO OD, WEB STER GROVES

One of the best dishes on the Webster restaurant’s menu is a light veggie scramble with a sprinkling of goat cheese, nestled beside a tangle of hearty prosciutto. A strawberry Italian shortbread cookie, the occhi di bue, from the café’s bakery adds sweetness to the dish.

39 N. EUCLID, CENTRAL WEST END

The atmosphere here—airy, open, full of light and laidback luxury—strikes just the right NOLA note. Work your way through that sourdough round, stuffed with crawfish, andouille, spinach, bell pepper, onion, and pimiento cheese sauce and topped with an egg.

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Niche Quiche

THE MUD HOUSE’S DAILY QUICHE

2101 CHEROKEE , BENTON PARK

A supportive base crust and fluffy egg body provide a foundation for a rotation of flavors, including bacon, cheddar, and onion. The quiches aren’t baked every day, so go on a weekend—and go early. (They often sell out by 1 p.m.)

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Sunrise Sammies

Kitchen Kulture’s Classic Breakfast Sandwich 3 8 2 5 WATSO N , SO U TH C I T Y

On summer weekends, a line forms at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market for this breakfast mainstay.

Order it with all the fixins: a fried farm egg, bacon, cheddar, sea salt, and honey on sourdough bread.

Where to find it during the holidays? At Kounter Kulture’s South City storefront, 8 a.m.–1 p.m.

5 NEX T-LEV E L M O R N I N G -T I M E SA N DW I C H E S

Grace Meat + Three’s Egg Rick Muffin

Bagel Champ’s Century Park

4 2 70 MANC HESTER , T HE GR OVE

34 2 2 S. JEFFER SO N , SO U TH C I T Y

Chef/owner Rick Lewis takes the humble breakfast sandwich to new heights. A toasted English muffin sets the stage for a sunny side–up farm egg, two sausage patties, white American cheese, and pepper jelly—a major step up from the drive-thru version.

On weekends, Byrd & Barrel owner Bob Brazell’s pop-up bagel shop serves up elevated breakfast sandwiches. Ingredients are piled high between halves of New York–style bagels, hand-rolled and boiled in water and malt syrup from Earthbound Beer.

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D E C e m b e r

Russell’s B.L.A.T.E.

Yolklore’s Mary B.E.A.R.

5 4 0 0 M U RD O C H , SO U TH C I T Y

89 5 8 WATSO N , CR E ST WO O D

You already know what the B.L.T. stands for. The A and E? Avocado and egg, brilliant additions to the classic sandwich. On weekends, enjoy your B.L.A.T.E. on the beautiful lower patio at the original Macklind location in Southampton. (And check out nearby Lola Jean’s Giveback Coffee.)

Tucked into an unassuming Crestwood strip mall, the family-friendly restaurant turns out affordable classics. Take, for instance, the Mary B.E.AR., co-owner Mary Bogacki’s Brie, egg, arugula, and red onion sandwich on a ciabatta bun, finished with apple butter.

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Big Ben 5 O F T HE BE ST E G G S B E N N Y A R O U N D

Sardella’s Eggs Benedict Raviolo

Polite Society’s Chorizo Avocado Benedict 1 92 3 PA RK, L A FAYE TTE SQ UA RE

Almost everything’s different from the traditional Benny at the Lafayette Square hot spot.

There’s chorizo and avocado, yes, as well as fresh pico de gallo and a biscuit made with masa cornmeal. Pair it with bubbles from Burgundy, a Picamelot blanc de blancs.

Egg’s Corn Bread Benedict 2 200 GR AVOIS, S O U TH C I T Y

7 73 4 FOR SY TH, C L AY TON

Egg yolk–stuffed ricotta ravioli?

Brilliant. A stunning brownedbutter hollandaise? Even better.

And new potatoes, served crashstyle, to help wipe up every last bit of the sauce? Genius.

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Who needs an English muffin?

A slice of semisweet cornbread is the perfect sponge for a slab of smoked pork belly, poached eggs, and hollandaise. Prefer a more veggie-friendly take?

There’s also a sautéed spinach– and–avocado option.

D E C e m b e r

EdgeWild Bistro & Tap’s Aloha Benedict

Blue Duck’s Blue Duck Eggs Benedict

1 2 31 6 O L I V E , C RE V E C O E U R

26 6 1 SU TTO N , MA P L E WO O D

We’ve all heard of topping a pizza with grilled pineapple and Canadian bacon. EdgeWild Bistro proves that the combo works equally well atop a Benedict, kicked up by a little sriracha in the hollandaise.

It’s hard to choose a favorite eggs Benny at Blue Duck, where you can pair an English muffin, poached eggs, and hollandaise with fried trout, pork belly, veggies, fried chicken, or, of course, duck. Start with the namesake.

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Going Green

SEED SPROUT SPOON’S MUSHROOM & BABY KALE SCRAMBLE 3137 MORGAN FORD, SOUTH CITY

The storefront, situated just south of Tower Grove Park, opens each for brunch. The standout mushroom– and–baby kale scramble, made with eggs from local pastured chickens and served with a slice of toast from Companion Bakery, reflects the restaurant’s commitment to seasonal farm-to-table cooking and organic ingredients.

Savory Meets Sweet

RETREAT GASTROPUB’S FRIED CHICKEN FRENCH TOAST 6 N. SARAH, CENTRAL WEST END

It doesn’t get much more decadent than the cocktail bar’s standout brunch dish. Fried chicken breast rests atop brioche and arugula, topped with a healthy pour of maple-pecan syrup for sweetness. Pair the French toast with one of Retreat’s famous cocktails, such as the Cold Fashioned, made with cold-brew coffee, simple syrup, bitters, and orange peel.

Great Scot!

THE SCOTTISH ARMS’ HIGHLAND HANGOVER

8 S. SARAH, CENTRAL WEST END

You don’t have to be wearing a kilt to enjoy this dish, which combines a sausage-wrapped, fried Scotch egg, smoked salmon, home fries, and forfar bridies (a hand pie–like Scottish meat pastry). Extend the Scottish brunch theme with a Smokin’ Mary, a brunch cocktail of Benromach peat-smoked single-malt and house-made peatsmoked Bloody Mary mix.

Photography by John Smith

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GIVE A LITTLE

These local spots provide the St. Louis community with more than just a bite to eat.

LOLA JEAN’S GIVEBACK COFFEE

Having already partnered with such organizations as the St. Louis Area Foodbank and American Heart Association, Lola Jean’s recently launched a page encouraging local charities or nonprofits to submit a proposal to partner with the café for events, giveback days, or future drink and food specials.

5400 Nottingham, Southampton.

BLOOM CAFÉ

On average, people with disabilities are twice as likely to be unemployed as the general population and twice as likely to live in poverty. That’s why Paraquad created the eatery: to help prepare people with disabilities for employment through a training period, paid internship, and eventual job placement. 5200 Oakland, South City.

LIVING ROOM

In addition to the Maplewood café’s commitment to minimizing food waste, coowner Hannah Larson says, the business is dedicated to employing “people of all abilities, so everybody has an opportunity to have a meaningful job where they make gainful employment.” The café works with such agencies as Bridges Community Support Services to provide employees with assistance. “Wherever we can,” Larson says, “we try to carve out positions that could be a good fit for people of all different abilities.” 2808 Sutton, Maplewood.

Breakfast Tacos

TACO BUDDHA + TACO CIRCUS (TIE) 7405 PERSHING, UNIVERSITY CITY; 4940 SOUTHWEST, THE HILL

At Taco Buddha, fluffy eggs and cheese are served in a flour tortilla with your choice of chorizo, potato, or spinach and potato. Get a side of fried avocado and cut through the rich breakfast with a Mexican beer or bright grapefruit Paloma. At Taco Circus, good things—specifically, breakfast tacos—come in fours. Carnivores delight in chorizo, bacon, or sausage; creative vegetarian options include migas and a delicious Match Meat picadillo. Pair the platter with a Purple Margarita (Taco Circus says it’s the world’s strongest), and call it a day.

Pura Gold

BERIX’S PURA 2201 LEMAY FERRY, SOUTH COUNTY

The buttery, fluffy, cheesy Bosnian cornmeal breakfast porridge, topped here with melting sour cream, is pure comfort in any language. Enjoy it with Turkish coffee while sitting by the fire.

Southern Style

KINGSIDE DINER’S CHEDDAR DROP BISCUITS

4651 MARYLAND, CENTRAL WEST END; 8025 B ONHOMME , CLAYTON

Take an old-fashioned Southern biscuit, crumbly and dense, devoid of pretension. Sprinkle in pungent chives and sharp cheddar. Ladle on a rich, gentle sausage gravy with just enough spice. You’ll never be hungry again, Scarlett (until tomorrow).

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Piling On PA NC A KES , SI M P L E TO FA N CY

S I M P L E

Chris’ Pancake House

The local institution sells a single pancake or, for a dollar more, a short stack. 5980 Southwest, South City.

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The Shack

A 12-inch banana–and–chocolate chip pancake, topped with more chips, bacon crumbles, and a peanut butter sauce, is aptly named: The King Lives. eatatshack.com.

The Original Pancake House

OPH offers a dizzying 17 varieties, including buttermilk, blueberry, chocolate chip (pictured), and several oven-baked options. originalpancakehouse.com.

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FA N C Y

Boundary

Blueberry pancakes topped with lemon curd is a classic combination. The addition of ricotta and a berry balsamic glaze is inspired. 7036 Clayton, Richmond Heights.

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Half & Half

A forkable pancake sandwich of sorts, Clara Cakes are stuffed with raspberry compote and mascarpone, then topped with crunchy granola. halfandhalfstl.com.

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Uncle Bill’s Pancake House

The decadent Chocolate Alaska starts with four pancakes and ups the ante with ice cream, fudge, and whipped topping. 14196 Manchester, Ballwin; 3427 S. Kingshighway, South City.

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Superb S ’ tickers

CRISPY EDGE’S BREAKFAST POTSTICKERS 4168 JUNIATA , TOWER GROVE SOUTH

Whether you try the egg–and–goat cheese filling wrapped in chive dough (quiche au chevre) or embrace the potstickerization of biscuits and gravy, consider ordering in portions of three so you can try more flavors. They also offer one of the best espressos in town.

Turkey Day

AYA SOFIA’S TURKISH SKILLET 667 1 CHIPPEWA , SOUTH CITY

“To love is like tea. To be loved is like sugar,” goes the Turkish proverb. Live it here with cay, the black tea that’s a splendid accompaniment to the brunch special, an egg- and meatladen skillet.

Creme de la Crêpe

ROOSTER + CITY COFFEEHOUSE & CRÊPERIE (TIE) RO OSTERSTL .COM; 36 N. BRENTWO OD, CLAYTON

In a town with a rich French heritage, it’s unsurprising that you can find a quality crepe in the city or county.

Dave and Kara Bailey serve up crepes savory (the Mo. Made German Style Sausage) and sweet (the S’More). In Clayton, a colorful chalkboard touts an array of options, from the Santa Fe to the Tuscany. Our suggestion? The French Connection, naturally.

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BRUNCH BUFFETS

All-you-can-eat options for all budgets The best brunch deal in town is the weekend buffet at both locations of Ari’s Restaurant & Bar; it includes all of the standards, plus an omelet station and coffee or tea for $9.99. A close second is the $12 spread at Hendel’s. At the other end of the spectrum is Cinder House’s Brunch Buffet ($54 per person includes two drink tickets), featuring wood-roasted options, multiple carving stations, and the usual sweet and savory favorites. For a classy setting at a reasonable price, head to the Ritz Carlton–St. Louis for the $25 Sunday brunch buffet. The thirsty head to Twisted Roots Brewing Co., where $35 covers your meal plus unlimited beer, Bloodys, and mimosas. At BEAST Butcher & Block, the city’s first “live fire brunch buffet,” owner David Sandusky serves up meats and omelets cooked over hot coals, in addition to classic fare and such riffs as Briskets and Gravy, for $29. At Three Monkeys, $20.99 covers your meal and a Bloody or mimosa, with more options at 99 cents each. An oft-overlooked option is Ameristar Casino, with more food stations than you can visit for $21.95. One of the most popular venues is Vin de Set, home to multiple stations (waffles, omelets), prime rib, seafood, soup, sweets, and the standards, plus a mimosa, for $26.99. Or include Chandler Hill Vineyards, where the $22 brunch buffet is as good as the scenery, on your Sunday drive.

Got Your Goat IRON & RYE’S GOAT IN THE GROVE WAFFLE

4353 MANCHESTER, THE GROVE

A Liège waffle (like the ones served on the streets in Belgium) needs no adornment, but Iron & Rye tempts the uninitiated in a dozen different sweet and savory ways. Perhaps the most tempting is topped with goat cheese, avocado, and two sous vide eggs. It can be ordered all day long and late at night on weekends.

Super Size Me

BENTON PARK CAFÉ’S MCGRITTL THIS 2901 SALENA , BENTON PARK

Originally a neighborhood apothecary, Benton Park Café captures a nostalgic vibe that’s hard to find these days. Another original: the inspired breakfast “sandwich,” with eggs, cheese, and sausage stuffed between two fluffy pancakes.

Bowling Alone

THE WOLF’S BREAKFAST BOWLS

15480 CLAYTON, BALLWIN

For a peaceful start to your morning, consider the cozy lodge-like confines of The Wolf. A range of breakfast bowls range, from the healthy (the Açai Bowl, with fresh fruit, chia, pumpkin seeds, and coconut) to the hearty (the not-so-originally named Breakfast Bowl, with spinach and a choice of nitrate-free bacon).

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Boozy Breakfast

SqWires’ Famous Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar 1 41 5 S. 1 8 TH , L A FAYE T T E S Q UA R E

For $15, you get triple-distilled vodka, house-made Bloody Mary mix, and garnishes ranging from the traditional (celery, stuffed olives, bacon) to the quirky (sauerkraut, pico de gallo, Tater Tots). It’s like playing bartender with a vast boozy buffet at your disposal.

5 WAYS TO K I CKSTA RT YO U R DAY

Wild Flower’s West End Mojito

Grand Tavern’s Bloody Mary

The Foundry Bakery’s Fruit Teas

The Wheelhouse’s Bottomless Mimosa

4590 LACLEDE, CENTRAL WEST END

626 N. GR AND, G RA N D C E N TE R

1 1 4 24 D O R SE TT, M A RYL A N D H E I G H TS

1 0 0 0 SP RU C E , D OW N TOW N

As beautiful as it is delicious, the West End Mojito is a mainstay at this beloved CWE eatery. Fresh strawberries, basil, and lime make the bright, fruity drink the perfect companion to any brunch dish and for people-watching on the expansive patio.

If you thought Grand Tavern’s signature clothesline candied bacon dish was outrageous, get a load of the $70 46-ounce Warhol-themed Bloody Mary, holding a filet mignon, an 8-ounce burger, a shrimp cocktail, a meal’s worth of garnish, and the aforementioned bacon.

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D E C e m b e r

The fruit teas here are exceptionally delicious, not only the ripe, sweet, fruit purées made in house but also from the fine looseleaf teas imported from Japan, Taiwan, and China.

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Almost every guest at The Wheelhouse’s weekend brunch (a.k.a. “the best party brunch in town”) opts for the $15 bottomless mimosa (Classic, Rosémosa, and Frozé), a deal that transfers next door to Start Bar, where the party continues.

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T H E

B R E A K FA S T

C L U B

Choose Your Own Breakfast Adventure WANT TO WORK OFF THOSE CALORIES?

WHAT’S YOUR SCENE?

FOREST PARK

THE BOATHOUSE

READY FOR SOME BRUNCH?

YES, STARVING.

BAC O N A ND B O OZ E A R E FI NE, B U T I T ’S A L L A B O U T T HE EX P ER I E N CE .

WHY NOT? LET’S HIT A TRAIL!

THE LONDON TEA ROOM

KATY TRAIL

I PREFER TEA.

SOMETHING MORE RELAXING?

BIKE STOP CAFÉ

SURPRISE ME!

THE DARK ROOM

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D E C e m b e r

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CAFE OSAGE

EVANGELINE’S

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST?

HEAVY METAL

CROW’S NEST

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STILL SLEEPY. HOW ABOUT PEACE AND NATURE?

SURE, I’M ALWAYS IN THE MOOD FOR TUNES.

THE BARN

COFFEE, PLEASE.

TRY A HOT BEVERAGE TO GET GOING.

NO, SLEEPY.

PREFER A SOUNDTRACK TO START YOUR DAY?

GRANT’S TRAIL

BLUEPRINT COFFEE

SWING JAZZ

BLUEGRASS

FIDDLEHEAD FERN CAFÉ

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Southwest Style SOUTHWEST DINER’S BREAKFAST BURRITO

6803 SOUTHWEST, SOUTH CITY.

Take your cue from the Southwestinspired theme by ordering the breakfast burrito, filled with eggs, cheese, and green chilis. Fork over another $2 for a protein (we prefer the chorizo) or calabacitas. Order it “Christmasstyle,” smothered with both red and green sauce, and top that side of home fries with hot sauce.

Dessert First BILLY G’S

131 W. ARGONNE , KIRKWO OD.

At Billy G’s, brunch meets dessert in several indulgent items: the Baked Apple Waffle (topped with whipped cinnamon butter), the French Toast Bake (French toast bread pudding with cinnamon brown sugar), and the Strawberry Cheesecake Waffle (decked out with strawberry syrup and cream cheese crème anglaise).

BOGO Cocktails VERITAS

15860 FOUNTAIN PLAZA , ELLISVILLE

Now in its 15th year, the Ellisville staple serves up an imaginative array of Southern-infused brunch dishes (shrimp and grits, brioche French toast, chicken and waffles) with BOGO cocktails (mimosas, Bloody Marys, and Palomas) every Saturday and Sunday.

Avocado Toast

JUNIPER AND MILQUE TOAST BAR 4101 LACLEDE , CENTRAL WEST END; 2212 S. JEFFERSON, SOUTH CITY

Juniper’s rendition is no spa dish: A thick slab of Union Loafers sourdough is buttered and topped with superchunky avocado, seasonal pickles, and fresh herbs. At Milque Toast Bar, creamy avocado is spread on thickcut Companion bread and topped with rotating daily creations. The “sprinkles” include such house-made topping combos as bamboo-smoked toasted sesame seeds, honey powder, and red pepper flakes. Enjoy your toast with a hot chai cider.

A Sensible Slinger

SMALL BATCH’S SLINGER 3001 LO CUST, MIDTOWN

A veggie version of the St. Louis breakfast staple, Small Batch’s slinger boasts hearty smoked mushrooms and a spicy black pepper gravy that’s so luscious, you’ll put this dish on repeat. Pair it with the Wind Jammer, an herbal gin cocktail topped with cava and an olive oil drizzle.

The Island Life

YELLOWBELLY’S SPAM FRIED RICE

4659 LINDELL , CENTRAL WEST END

It doesn’t get much more Hawaiian in St. Louis than this salty staple. Heaped in a bowl with eggs and cabbage, it’ll fuel a day’s surfing at Ho’okipa or catching the big ones on the Meramec.

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The St. Louis Aquarium makes a splash at Union Station.

BY JEN ROBERTS | ILLUSTRATION BY TIM MCDONAGH

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CHANGE

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“ ALL ABOARD! NEXT STOP: JUST BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND MISSOURI RIVERS.” AS YOU WALK through the arched entryway to the St. Louis Aquarium, a black splitflap board near the ticket counter flips through guest information in the same fashion that train schedules are updated by the clacking of tiles switching to the next departure.

Upon purchasing your tickets, you’ll be whisked away on a visual train ride. The experience, projected on a large screen, takes you on a journey reminiscent of those in the Magic School Bus books.

The train chugs along, flies into the air, then plummets into the water.

“It was really important for us to continue the train theme in the aquarium, to reinforce that we’re in this beautiful, historic train shed,” says Tamera Lash Brown, executive director of the aquarium.

Once guests leave the visual train ride, whose ceiling, equipped with a video display, mimics the tall arched ceiling of the Grand Lobby. The featured exhibit resembles Union Station’s clock tower.

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“It’ll be an operating clock, because trains live and die by the clock,” says Brown, noting that the tank will feature more than 800 discus fish, selected because their round shape resembles a clock’s. “Visually, it’ll be really cool,” promises Brown.

The first gallery, Confluence, takes guests beneath the surface of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Largemouth bass, longnose gar, paddlefish, and other important river fish swim beside and above guests.

The fresh water exhibits continue with Global Waters, the first place in the aquarium where visitors can interact with the animals. Guests can stick their hands in an open tank of doctor fish, a common fish in Asia that likes to nibble on dead skin. “Our goal is that every single guest will get their hands wet at least once,” says Brown.

“If you leave without getting your hands wet in this aquarium, we send you back through,” jokes Aaron Sprowl, the

aquarium’s general curator.

An enclosed pop-up window allows kids to get an inside look at the piranha exhibit.

Changing Rivers will be home to the three otters, Thatcher, Sawyer, and Finn, already made famous on social media.

Upstairs, Ocean Shore provides tidal pools that invite guests to touch sea cucumbers, pencil urchins, stingrays, and sharks. (Yes, you read that right— you can even touch sharks!)

Shark Canyon, with 250,000 gallons of water, is the largest exhibit in the aquarium. There will be multiple opportunities to soak up views of more than 80 sharks and rays, including blacktip reef sharks, sandbar sharks, nurse sharks, whitetip reef sharks, lesser devil rays, and spotted eagle rays.

“Lesser devil rays can get to be 6 feet wide when full grown,” says Erin Clark, director of animal projects. The creatures are like aquatic ballerinas that glide right over you.

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“There is going to be a lot of movement, no matter where you’re at,” says Sprowl. “There’s always going to be something to see.”

In total, the aquarium will be the home to 13,000 animals. When deciding which species to include, the curators considered the look they wanted to achieve. “It’s basically like a painting,” says Sprowl.

“You put a splash of blue here and maybe a little red here.”

There was also the practical matter of how the animals would coexist. “It starts off as one of those fourth-grade puzzles,” says Brown. “If you put in this, you can’t have this.”

“Trying to figure out 13,000 mouths that would all work together without making it 12,000 mouths,” adds Clark.

There was one mouth the team hadn’t planned for: Lord Stanley, the blue lobster donated by Arnold’s Lobster and Clam Bar in Eastham, Massachusetts.

Restaurant owner Nathan Nickerson discovered the rare blue lobster and

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donated it to the aquarium as a show of support for the Blues, who beat his team, the Boston Bruins, to win the Stanley Cup. Clark recalls all the fanfare surrounding her trip to Massachusetts to bring the lobster home. “It’s the coolest thing I’ll probably ever do in my career,” she says. The lobster had his own ticket (name: blue lobster) and had to go through TSA pre-check. “Fortunately, lobsters are more common in New England,” says Clark, “so it wasn’t so uncommon for the TSA agent to open a box and see a lobster.”

As for the aquarium? “A blue lobster was not anywhere in our plans,” admits Brown. “A 1–in–20 million lobster is not something you plan for, so once he arrived, we did a little scrambling to find out where to put him.”

Ensuring that all of the animals have a comfortable habitat has been an important part of the planning process. In the touch pools, there’s a recessed area

where animals can go if they aren’t in the mood to be touched. In the larger bodies of water, animals have places to find refuge as needed.

“Our highest priority,” says Brown, “is making sure our animals are thriving and healthy.”

IMAGINATION STATION When Lodging Hospitality Management bought Union Station, in 2012, the firm didn’t yet know what it would do with the building.

“We’re hotel people, so anytime a hotel comes up for sale, we take a look,” says LHM president and chief operating officer Steve O’Loughlin. They decided the space had plenty of potential. “This is what we do: We take projects that need new life and come up with a new story.”

One of the first things that LHM did was create a light show on the Grand Hall ceiling. The firm also converted the midway into convention and exhibit space.

Initially, though, LHM didn’t know what

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to do with the mall, just that there was potential beyond retail. They began thinking about voids in St. Louis and hit upon the idea of an aquarium.

They hired St. Louis firm PGAV Destinations to envision how an aquarium might fit into the footprint of a 125-yearold train station. Adding to the complexity: Union Station is on the National Register of Historic Places, so all of the work needed to follow strict guidelines.

PGAV vice president Emily Howard saw the project as an opportunity. “This building means so much to St. Louis,” she says. “When it was built, it was the hub for transportation; it’s where everyone came through. Trying to imagine how people could rediscover this beautiful building was a big challenge.”

One of the first hurdles was making sense of the architectural drawings, which were very different than when the station was originally built. Contractor McCarthy Building Companies digitally scanned the construction site to help create a 3D map. They decided to make the aquarium a two-story experience and accentuate the building’s features.

“For aquariums, you want it to be dark, but we have that beautiful open train shed that we couldn’t cover up,” says Howard. “So we took advantage of that with a two-story experience, where the upper story could see that beautiful train shed, and that becomes an active space, so the other spaces can be darker,” she says. “That was an opportunity that we saw within that challenge.”

In addition to honoring a St. Louis landmark, PGAV decided that the aquarium should share a local tale. “They came up with a story that tells the history of St. Louis and puts people in a position that they have never been in before: beneath the surface of the Mississippi River,” says Clark.

In fleshing out the local angle, Howard says, they kept thinking about the rivers and trains. Eventually, a theme emerged: connection. “The trains connect us to the whole country, and the rivers connect us to the Gulf, the ocean, basically our whole planet,” says Howard, who seized “that idea of connection and connecting people with these beautiful animals.”

It’s that connection to people that

NEAR & FAR

Missouri’s the only place in the region where you can dive with sharks, at the 350,000-square-foot Wonders of Wildlife National Museum & Aquarium in Springfield. Now, St. Louis is getting its own larger-than-life aquatic showcase—and so are Branson and possibly Kansas City.

Branson’s Aquarium at the Boardwalk A trip to Branson could soon involve more than a day at Silver Dollar City and White Water. Next summer, a whimsical 58-foot stainless steel octopus will greet visitors to the city’s entertainment district as part of the forthcoming Aquarium at the Boardwalk, designed by PGAV, the architecture firm spearheading St. Louis’ aquarium. The 46,000-square-foot attraction will house more than 400,000 gallons of water and more than 250 species of fish and invertebrates, including sharks, rays, jellyfish, seahorses, eels, guitarfish, and octopuses—including a giant Pacific octopus, Aquarius, who inspired the aforementioned sculpture. Guests can get up close and personal with Aquarius and Finn (a golden puffer fish) on

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excites Brown, Clark, and Sprowl, all of whom moved to St. Louis to be part of the aquarium. Clark, who came to St. Louis from Abu Dhabi, says she’s always wanted to work at an aquarium and likes being able to give the chance to see one to kids who haven’t had the exposure she did, growing up on the East Coast: “Opening the opportunity for more science, more environmental causes, more animal care causes.”

“I am most excited to see the reaction of the guests,” Brown concurs, adding that education will be a significant part of the aquarium’s mission. “There is quite a buzz in the aquarium industry about this project, because it’s in this beautiful historic building and it’s uniting technology with major animal exhibits.”

Sprowl, who moved here from Australia, has helped create aquariums all over the world. He says there’s something special about opening one in the heart of the country. In some ways, he says, it goes back to connections, about being able to offer people in a landlocked area “the opportunity to see such wonderous creatures.”

St. Louis isn’t the only Missouri city getting an aquarium.

BY SAMANTHA STEVENSON

the Submarine Voyage, a 4D experience. Other hot spots include the Jellyfish Infinity Room, where “guests will feel like they are in the center of a jellyfish bloom,” says Aileen Stein of Kuvera Partners, which owns the aquarium. In Journey Through the Waters, visitors will walk through a tunnel through an aquarium holding sharks and other critters. In the Mermaid Palace, mermaids, seahorses, and tropical fish will swim past the palace windows. There will be an underwater animal observation station, a 24-foot-high Kelp Forest for guests to climb through, touch pools filled with such critters as rays and sea anemones, and a coral reef. The facility—the first phase of the new Branson Boardwalk—will also offer dining and shopping options for tourists and locals alike. aquariumattheboardwalk.com.

coasts as one reason that a saltwater aquarium could be a popular attraction. “In the Midwest, a lot of these kids will never get to see the ocean,” Wisthoff says. The proposed aquarium would house sharks, octopuses, jellyfish, and possibly sea otters. At press time, the zoo had was exploring funding options and a location. kansascityzoo.org/aquarium.

KC Zoo’s Proposed Aquarium In the City of Fountains, already home to the Sea Life Aquarium, the Kansas City Zoo has proposed a $75 million, 750,000-gallon saltwater aquarium addition. Once approved, it could open within four years. The zoo’s CEO, Randy Wisthoff, cites Kansas City’s distance from the

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WHAT’S IN THE WATER? The new aquarium at St. Louis Union Station is full of characters.

THE JOURNEY STARTS in the Grand Clock tank (a working replica of the tower clock, filled with

more than 800 discus fish). Next, the Mississippi Confluence reveals creatures usually lurking in the murky depths. The first touch tank holds doctorfish, known as “spa fish.” Then you’ll see mischievous river otters, sea cucumbers that eject their guts to fool predators, and decorator spider crabs that stick oddments on their shells as camo, all before reaching Shark Canyon and The Deep, a live coral exhibit. General curator Aaron Sprowl makes introductions. —JEANNETTE COOPERMAN

Most people think of piranhas as fearsome, but that’s Teddy Roosevelt’s fault: He was so terrified, he failed to realize that they’re actually rather docile, “like little puppy dogs.” It’s just that they have really big teeth.

The peacock bass has been introduced in the Florida Everglades to control populations of oscars and cichlids that reproduce so fast, they outcompete other fish.

The fantasy-creature sea dragon looks like a bigger and more beautiful seahorse, but it waves graceful leafy or weedy appendages. Fed well, it can grow to about a foot long.

Female cardinalfish lay their eggs in a male’s mouth, and he holds them as they develop. You can salute him in The Deep, where live coral glows its most brilliant nighttime colors.

The cownose ray looks, you guessed it, like the nose of a cow. It lives in the stingray tank, and you can stroke its smooth skin and then, for a texture contrast, the sandpapery surface of its swimming partner, the bamboo shark.

The primitive paddlefish dates back at least 65 million years. Long, almost shark-like, and toothless, it has an oar-shaped nose that helps it filterfeed, mouth wide open as it swims.

The Gray reef shark is stout, with a white underbelly, a blunt snout, and big round eyes. Not shy in the least, it’s curious about divers but does not eat them; it prefers reef fish, squid, octopus, and shellfish.

Red arowana have a large scale pattern and can grow to 4 feet. They feed on animals, including frogs and small birds. Arowana can also be a silvery black.

The giant Pacific octopus weighs about 70 pounds and is insanely intelligent, able to solve complex puzzles. Some are sociable, laying a tentacle on your hand in greeting; others are reclusive. They can change color for camo...or to flirt.

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Sea jellies aren’t fish; they’re gelatinous invertebrates with no nervous system. It’s an easy life. And they’re hypnotic to watch, floating along in infinite variations of color and tentacle.

Discus fish are beautiful divas, the size and shape of dinner plates and vividly colored. They are intensely particular about their diet: small crustaceans, served just so.

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BEYONDTheTHE SEA fun continues outside the aquarium.

As you sit inside one of the St. Louis Wheel’s 42 gondolas, the skyline hogs your attention, especially at sunset. But just beneath your feet? A bird’s-eye view of the newly renovated Union Station, making you feel as if you’re soaring over St. Louis’ own little theme park, not a former train station. Though much of the buzz surrounding Union Station’s revamp has been focused on that whopping 120,000-square-foot aquarium, Lodging Hospitality Management’s $187 million plan doesn’t put all of the fun in one tank.

There’s also an indoor ropes course, which takes the brave three stories high to conquer 45 obstacles, and a 100-foot-long SkyRail, as well as the Mirror Maze, a funhouse-style labyrinth reminiscent of a 1904 World’s Fair attraction. You can also slurp phosphate sodas in a booth at The Soda Fountain, snack on a shareable from The Train Shed, and chow down on a burger at the 1894 Café. But be careful not to eat too much, or a ride on the nearby carousel will have you clinging to one of its fiberglass animals. Just a stone’s throw away, there’s an 18-hole miniature golf course.

“It’s easy to get from one attraction to the other,” says Karyn Wilder, general manager of the St. Louis Wheel. “If you have older kids, you don’t mind sitting at a table and watching them go play mini-golf or ride the Wheel.” Opened in September, the Wheel, which towers over it all at 200 feet tall, gives passengers 15-minute rides—and time to plan what’s next. —S.S.

THROUGH THE YEARS 1894 Designed by architect Theodore C. Link, Union Station opens September 1 after a $5.5 million construction process.

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1902 Union Station is expanded to house the anticipated crowd for the 1904 World’s Fair.

1920s Union Station is considered the largest railroad terminal in America, with more than 321 trains moving in and out in a 24-hour period.

1943 More than 1.3 million railroad tickets are sold. Traffi during this year consists of 72,621 trains and 22 million passengers.

1970 The station is declared a National Historic Landmark. In the same year, Union Station Hotel closes.

1974 Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis sells Union Station to Union Center Venture for $2.5 million.

1978 Amtrak’s trains leave the station for the final time, Union Station Venture sells the station to Oppenheimer Properties the next year.

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1985 After a $150 million renovation, Union Station is reopened with a 539-room hotel, shopping center, and dining.

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2011 The facility, then a Marriott Hotel, is expanded, and the shops are moved to the train shed shopping arcade.

2012 Lodging Hospitality Management buys Union Station and the hotel is rebranded as St. Louis Union Station–A DoubleTree

by Hilton Hotel.

2013 The midway retail area begins to be converted into an exhibit hall and meeting rooms.

2016 The hotel joins the Curio–A Collection by Hilton portfolio. LHM also announces plans for a $45 million aquarium.

2017 A groundbreaking ceremony kicks off the renovation.

2019 The St. Louis Wheel and The Soda Fountain open first, followed by the aquarium and other entertainment options.

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U N C O M M O N

DEAN ROSEN PSYCHOLOGIST

C. ROBERT CLONINGER PSYCHIATRIST ANNA LUM T’AI CHI TEACHER

MILTON WHARTON JUDGE

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SUSAN MARGOLIS BALK NONPROFIT FOUNDER

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JOHNETTA HALEY MUSICIAN AND TEACHER

BY J E A N N E T T E C O O P E R M A N

HAMISHE BAHRAMI CO-OWNER OF CAFÉ NATASHA

P H O T O G R A P H Y BY W E S L EY L AW

MARGARET FLOWING JOHNSON ACTIVIST

Respected St. Louisans on life’s biggest questions

Wisdom

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We’re drowning in data, problemsolving apps, and YouTube how-tos, but there’s precious little wisdom on offe .

Yet when SLM went looking for deeply humane St. Louisans who’d lived at least seven decades—long enough to know a little—more names flew at us t an we could catch. One after another, nominees demurred, refusing to consider themselves wise. People who’ve gleaned even a few scraps of wisdom, it turns out, don’t shout it. Even Dr. C. Robert Cloninger, a Washington University psychiatrist and geneticist who has devoted the second half of his career to the science of wellbeing, warned, “Take whatever I say with a grain of salt—or more.” Wisdom is not about certitude, or proselytizing, or promoting your brand. It’s about living your life so consciously and conscientiously, it bubbles up insights for the rest of us.

kind where you walk out of the room a slightly different person than you were when you walked in. —BALK White wine. Sharing meals with family and friends. —DUFFY Bacon, strong cheese, a new restaurant with a kind of food that I have never tried, learning, hitting a 7-iron onto the green from 150 yards out, electronic devices that don’t need to be rebooted or unplugged for a solid week, solid defense up the middle, learning to lay off of the slider, particularly third basemen. —SENTURIA Solving a problem. People are scared of problems, but I love to have a problem, ’cause you can figure it out. —LUM I do oil painting. That makes me really happy. During the painting, I feel like I’m in a different world. —BAHRAMI Butterflies on the asters in Flanders Fields; a finely cast satin stitch; a headstone in upstate New York that reads, “She did what she could”—oh, the story behind that! Grandmother Baker’s dumplings—“chicken and slickers,” she called them, because the dough floated on the grease. —BAKER WHAT INVARIABLY DISAPPOINTS?

Dating. The formality and the posturing. —BALK Meeting famous people. —LITZ When you show off or try to dominate and control. —CLONINGER Trying to recapture or re-create a peak experience. I believe it’s something in the way the brain is wired: We are all seeking to “chase the dragon,” as addicts say when they’re trying to reexperience that first intoxication that felt so magical. —ROSEN I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with haircuts. —DUFFY ONE TRUTH YOU WISH EVERYONE KNEW.

WHAT HAVE AMERICANS NOT FIGURED OUT ABOUT HOW TO LIVE?

How to slow down. —DUFFY How not to be seduced by money. Being fulfilled—which is psychic income—is really important. —MANN In the search for hope, we have directed too much attention to accumulation.

—WHARTON

The need to listen across difference. This is a life skill no one teaches you—and it’s critical. —SENTURIA Well, Americans haven’t figured out how

to diversify everything. That means their life, their living, their associations, their work—everything, really.

They need to just do it. —HALEY Our institutions have been dehumanized. Everything is being reduced to its cash value; everything is turned into a business. That makes people act out of fear. —CLONINGER WHAT ARE LIFE’S MOST RELIABLE JOYS?

Intimacy—not just the sexual kind. Conversational, intellectual intimacy, the

There are people whose lives didn’t turn out to be what they expected. You have to let go of that. It’s hard to imagine the obstacles and limitations that everybody has, the losses and sometimes missed opportunities. It’s hard to know who you’re going to be and what you’re going to do. And many times, life turns out to be different than you thought. —MANN We must fight the urge to merge—to find and sustain a soulmate who will think and feel and love what we think and

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feel and love. We desire this state of merging, when two become one, yet it is impossible to sustain. Thus we all end up with the wrong person, because whoever we commit to will be different from us. The solution is to accept the differences. —ROSEN WHAT KEEPS YOU SANE?

Meditating twice a day. Learning to live in the moment, to really wallow in the moment. —BALK When I reach a point where I can’t stand to pick up a newspaper or look at the 5 o’clock news, it pays to get in the presence of people who are committed to making a better world, people who have a focus that is not directed toward the big picture. They are firmly grounded and doing what they can.

Just being in their presence has an uplifting effect. —WHARTON

THE WISE ONES AND THEIR FORMER OR CURRENT OCCUPATIONS HAMISHE BAHRAMI CO-OWNER OF CAFÉ NATASHA MARTHA BAKER WRITER SUSAN MARGOLIS BALK WRITER, EDITOR, MEDIA CONSULTANT, NONPROFIT FOUNDER HARPER BARNES AUTHOR, JOURNALIST, FILM CRITIC C. ROBERT CLONINGER PSYCHIATRIST JOHN DANFORTH LAWYER, U.S. SENATOR

YOUR BEST RELATIONSHIP ADVICE.

Don’t lose your sense of humor. –LITZ Say what you think; be true to yourself.

—DUFFY

Don’t screen your calls. Years ago, in a fit of what seemed like misguided egalitarianism, I decided that if I was “in,” I was “in” for everyone. —WOLFF I attribute a marriage of 57 years and running to the abiding loyalty of two imperfect people through the worst and best of times. We marry the right person more often than we know, but long-term relationships sometimes need to die and be reborn. —SCHAEFFER I performed a re-celebration of a [50year] marriage. I said, “What’s the secret?” And without hesitation, the wife said, “Don’t keep score.” —WHARTON PEOPLE’S WORK LIVES WOULD BE SO MUCH BETTER IF THEY...

Believed in themselves more. —BALK Weren’t greedy. —BAHRAMI Had the kind of job that was fulfilling.

Without that, forget it. —HALEY Enjoyed their occupation to the point that it was not work. —WHARTON The perfect job has three attributes. It provides a credible salary and benefits. It grants you that rare luxury of time, to relish and revel in the people, interests, eccentricities, and moments of clarity that add pizzazz to your life.

It counts, makes a difference, leaves a legacy that, even if slight, provides

KAREN DUFFY RESTAURATEUR JOHNETTA HALEY MUSICIAN AND TEACHER MARGARET FLOWING JOHNSON ACTIVIST ARTHUR LITZ JUDGE ANNA LUM T’AI CHI TEACHER MARYLEN MANN NONPROFIT FOUNDER AVIS MEYER JOURNALISM PROFESSOR LEROY ORTMEYER PHYSICIAN DEAN ROSEN PSYCHOLOGIST PAM SCHAEFFER EDITOR, SCHOLAR BEN SENTURIA ACTIVIST MILTON WHARTON JUDGE MIKE WOLFF LAW DEAN, JUDGE

evidence that you were here, did something worthy, left more, during your short residence, than a shadow on the earth. —MEYER WHAT’S HELPED YOU OVERCOME THE BIGOTRY WE ALL FALL PREY TO?

I am 75 and was raised in a culture of white privilege. I have spent my life talking as a social justice activist but not making significant personal change. However, for the last five years I have been a part of a black-white dialogue group. We talk about personal issues that often underscore our different backgrounds. We listen, and learn, and grow closer. I am only sorry that it took me so long to make this happen. —SENTURIA The cause of prejudice is fear, and the antidote is what’s important in friendship, too: You have to really listen and put yourself in someone else’s place, rather than staying inside your own skin. It’s hard to know the hardships people face, the burdens they carry, the reasons they do what they do. And it’s hard for people to reveal themselves. But if you really listen… —MANN WHAT WOULD YOU WHISPER TO YOUR 9-YEAR-OLD SELF?

You can catch like the boys. —DUFFY It will get better. You are not alone. —BAKER Learn how to be strong. —BAHRAMI Just be yourself. Don’t try to copy someone else. —LITZ Rebellion can be self-destructive. Situations make a difference; you can thrive in one and fail in another. —WHARTON It’s not important to have a lot of money or pretty clothes. —HALEY Don’t be so hard on yourself, so selfcritical. You’re OK. —MANN The issues of most concern to your inner life can be answered by looking within, not blaming the world. —SENTURIA Life is wonderful and interesting. You just have to stay awake. —CLONINGER WHAT’S HELPED YOU IN HARD TIMES?

Realizing you are not the only one this has ever happened to. —LITZ Remembering that I don’t have to do it all. I had a lot of responsibility laid on me young. It’s hard to let go of the thought that if I quit, the world will bobble off its axis. I have to remember to have fun. —BAKER

Note: Some chose only one or two questions to answer; others tackled the list. This is a tiny slice of their thinking, and there’s more at stlmag.com.

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I tried to follow the Sermon on the Mount, just adopted that myself. I didn’t tell anybody, didn’t preach about it. —HALEY WHAT DID YOU LEARN THE HARD WAY?

Aristotle’s golden mean—finding the middle ground between two extremes—will usually illuminate your path, providing a reliable, neutral compass for whatever thicket you might be wandering through. The final call may annoy everyone involved a tad, but only rarely is anyone genuinely pissed. And you could even blame that on Aristotle. —MEYER When I was young, I thought each trial was new, raw, unheralded, undeserved.

Often, it was. I know now that I can live through almost anything—death, divorce, hunger, cruelty—because I have. I know that there are second chances. —BAKER You can get a lot accomplished if you’re willing not to take the credit for it. A corollary: If you want power, give it to others. Control freaks actually control very little. —WOLFF I really didn’t know until I was a grown woman and had the chance to travel that the majority of the world is brown. I felt better about myself after that. —HALEY Nobody escapes the hard times and the losses. It’s how you manage them. Hiding under the bed doesn’t help. —MANN

were no black people. After the election, I looked at the returns, and the places that I’d made an effort to meet and engage the voters, I did really well, regardless of the racial composition, and in those where I didn’t exert enough effort, I did poorly. —WHARTON WHAT GETS IN THE WAY OF PEOPLE BEING HAPPY?

People thinking about themselves too much. —LITZ Poverty, feelings of unworthiness, and loneliness. —ORTMEYER Lack of identifiable purpose. —WHARTON Rich people are miserable because they want more and more, and then they get to a point where they don’t know what they want anymore. Poor people are unhappy because no matter how much they struggle, they cannot get anywhere. —BAHRAMI If you’re self-centered, you don’t realize all the wonderful people around you. If you stick to yourself, you miss so much. —ORTMEYER Pain. I say it stands for “Pay attention, idiot, now!” People pop a pill to not feel it, but pain is your body’s way of telling you something is not right. Most people are not willing to face it; they make up some excuse instead. —LUM It may sound trite, but keeping up with the Joneses. —WHARTON Hate—hating or being hated. Mistaking hate for power. —BALK

WHAT YOU BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY.

There is more, much more, in this universe than meets the eye. —SCHAEFFER This is a wonderful world. I believe in that, and I notice it. Many of us don’t take the time to notice it. —HALEY Women, civil action, and democracy, in that order. An entire society benefits when women obtain economic power and education. Citizen activism is the only force that can restrain despots.

Democracy restrains and controls government power. —JOHNSON

WHY CAN’T WE ALL GET ALONG?

WHAT DOESN’T MATTER AFTER ALL?

WHAT HEALS DIVISIONS?

First impressions. —LITZ A clean house. —DUFFY When I was a teenager, it was so important what others thought of me. And now I don’t give a shit. ­— LUM Race. Running for election, I was worried running in areas where there

Treating people with whom we differ, including political opponents, as friends. —DANFORTH Getting to know people of different colors than you. —DUFFY It’s a knee-jerk reaction that underprivileged people need more disci-

We put too many things in front of us.

You’re too fat, you’re too skinny, your hair is too curly, it’s too straight. Even people my age [96] do that. All that judgment, instead of accepting people the way they are. We make life more difficult than it needs to be. —HALEY Remember in Moonstruck, when Olympia Dukakis points out that men do stuff because they fear death? That may just be why we do everything. —BALK

pline, more policing, and more prisons.

What is really needed is more people willing to love and support and mentor many of the young people who feel disenfranchised from society. There are no quick solutions. —WHARTON [For St. Louis,] divisions may have begun when the city divorced the county, but that needs to stop. No outside entity— corporate, entertainment, conservation—wants to deal with two parts of a whole. So grow up, St. Louis. And stop asking people what high school they went to. It’s not helping. —BAKER WHAT HOLDS PEOPLE BACK?

Hubris. —DUFFY Human beings who, when they are not comfortable with themselves, start thinking something outside themselves is wrong, instead of something inside.

There are so many things people blame for their own shortcomings. —LUM People don’t risk what they want to achieve, because they are scared they are not going to make it. —BAHRAMI H OW D O YO U F E N D O F F A N X I E T Y ?

DESPAIR? FEAR? RAGE?

For anxiety, I take a pill. Listen to Yo-Yo Ma. Have lunch with a friend. Despair, I kind of wait for it to go away. I read a poem, or I write a poem. Rage? I’m a girl of the ’60s. We thought we were going to change everything. End the war, fix civil rights, have equality for women. Now, I’m kind of stuck. I don’t know that I have the capacity to be a leader right now, because I don’t know what the hell to do. —BALK Anxiety? I just hop up and start doing something. Stop thinking about it.

Fear? I can’t give up fear of clowns.

They cover up what’s really true.

—DUFFY

I don’t feel anxious or scared. But anger!

Sometimes I get mad when people don’t do what they’re supposed to do. I drink a shot of bourbon and calm myself down, because I don’t want to say something I’ll be sorry for later. Anger destroys your mind and body. —BAHRAMI THE SECRET OF LIFE?

My 82 years leave me with only one piece of advice: Pay attention. —BARNES Read the full answers at stlmag.com.

P. 98 | STLMAG.COM | DECEMBER 2019

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© 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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2019

giving guide

S P EC IA L A DVE R T IS IN G S EC T IO N

SPREAD THE JOY THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

Support these local organizations that work hard to provide year-round programs in health, education, poverty assistance, and more.

December 2019 stlmag.com

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Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis For more than 50 years, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis (BGCSTL) has been providing after-school, summer, teen, and sports programs for youth ages 6–18. Boys & Girls Clubs programs have taken members from the Clubhouse to the White House; from the game room to the corporate boardroom; from the high school orchestra to Carnegie Hall.

Nationally recognized programs address today’s most pressing youth issues, teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life. It is their hope that every kid who comes through their doors graduates from high school with a plan for their future.

The mission of BGCSTL is to inspire and enable all young people— especially those who need support the most—to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens. The Clubs serve youth across St. Louis City and County (Adams Park Club, Hazelwood Elementary School Club, Herbert Hoover Club, O’Fallon Park Club, Riverview Gardens Club, Hazelwood Southeast Middle School Club, and the Teen Center of Excellence). They also operate dropout prevention programs within two high schools (Normandy and Roosevelt High School), as well as the Mentor St. Louis and St. Louis Internship programs.

314-335-8000 ♥ BGCSTL.ORG

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster survivors, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless, and opportunities for underprivileged children. Eighty-two cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide.

Each year, the Salvation Army Midland Division “Tree of Lights” campaign raises millions of dollars to provide to those most vulnerable in our community year-round. Join the “Fight for Good” to help them win.

No matter what you give, your donation can change lives.

1-800- SAL-ARMY ♥ SALARMYMIDLAND.ORG

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St. Louis Public Library Foundation The St. Louis Public Library Foundation engages the philanthropic community in support of literacy and after-school programming at St. Louis Public Library branches throughout St. Louis. People of all ages–from birth through retirement–look to their neighborhood branches for education, enrichment, and entertainment. The St. Louis Public Library provides a venue for exploration and promotes lifelong learning by offering children and adults a window to the world through books, movies, music, and programming. The library provides free access to WiFi, computers, and vast digital resources. To learn more about the St. Louis Public Library Foundation and the ways you can support your city’s library system, call, go online, or contact info@slplfoundation.org.

314-539-0359 ♥ SLPL.ORG

The power of music is to bring us together. It is the common language we all can speak.

It is something that I treasure.

Stéphane Denève Music Director

Together we enrich lives through the power of music! Each season, the SLSO engages more than 400,000 people throughout the St. Louis community because of support for our Annual Fund.

Become a Friend &

support early childhood literacy! slpl.org/friends / 314-539-0359

Make your impact today!

314-286-4184 slso.org/donate

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St. Louis Symphony Orchestra When you contribute to the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra Annual fund, you…

-- Sustain artistic excellence by giving audiences of all ages the opportunity to experience remarkable performances all season long.

-- Foster a passion for music by supporting innovation educational programming that reaches more than 50,000 students a year.

-- Nurture deep community connections by enabling SLSO musicians to present more than 75 free concerts in neighborhood parks, local community centers, houses of worship, and hospitals throughout the St. Louis region.

-- Make it possible for the SLSO to fulfill its mission of enriching lives through the power of music.

Please make your gift today.

314-286-4184 ♥ SLSO.ORG/DONATE

City Academy City Academy transforms children, families, and the community through exceptional education and bold expectations that empower children to overcome barriers. Cofounded by Donald Danforth III and Duncan Marshall in 1999, City Academy is the only private, independent elementary school in St. Louis providing financial support to 100 percent of admitted families.

Generous community support allows City Academy to provide more than $4 million annually in scholarships.

The faculty strives to instill a love of learning and sense of leadership and responsibility in their students from a young age. Their specialist model allows students to receive instruction from experts in each content area.

City Academy graduates have flourished at private, independent secondary schools in St. Louis, and colleges nationwide receiving significant scholarship support.

The addition of an early childhood center has allowed City Academy to transform the lives of even more students, but has also increased the need for scholarship support. Your gift can help ensure that more children in St. Louis have access to a high-quality education, regardless of family income.

314-382-0085 ♥ CIT YACADEMYSCHOOL.ORG

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Every day, nearly 40 million hardworking Americans battle poverty.

Help them win, all year long.

Join the #FightForGood Sign up for St. Louis Magazine’s Birthday Club, and celebrate your special day with exclusive offers from local businesses!

SIGN UP NOW AT STLMAG.COM A sustaining monthly gift of just $25 helps us double our ability to assist those in need throughout your community. Donate now at SalvationArmyUSA.org. ®

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Give today salarmymidland.org 1-800-SAL-ARMY

December 2019 stlmag.com

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Forest Park Forever Founded in 1986, Forest Park Forever is a private nonprofit conservancy that works in partnership with the City of St. Louis and the Department of Parks, Recreation, and Forestry to restore, maintain, and sustain Forest Park as one of America’s greatest urban public parks. Forest Park Forever has led major fundraising efforts to restore many landmark destinations in Forest Park, including the Emerson Grand Basin, the Boathouse, and the Jewel Box. In 2017, the organization completed a major fundraising campaign securing $139 million for park restoration projects and an expanded endowment.

Today, Forest Park Forever maintains Forest Park with the City of St. Louis; raises funds for and helps manage capital restoration projects called for in the Forest Park Master Plan; delivers experiential educational opportunities to teachers, students, and adults; and provides information and guides for the park’s 13 million annual visitors. Not part of the Zoo-Museum Tax District, Forest Park Forever is supported by private donations from throughout the community, including its 8,000 members, 1,300 volunteers, and many leading community and corporate partners.

314-367-7275 ♥ FORESTPARKFOREVER.ORG

Sign up for St. Louis Magazine’s Anniversary Club, and celebrate your anniversary with exclusive offers fro local businesses!

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Join the Conversation GET CONNECTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA

@stlmag @designstl @stlfamily

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@stlouismag @designstl @stlouismag_events

2020

FIVE STAR

PROFESSIONAL

Check out our special section in the April issue for a list of outstanding real estate agents, mortgage professionals and home insurance professionals!

Tell us about your home professional today — they could win the Five Star award!

Go to www.fivestarprofessional.com/homesurvey or call 651-259-1865.

December 2019 stlmag.com

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holiday 2019

G I V E AWAY

St. Louis Magazine is spreading holiday cheer!

From November 18–December 20, enter SLM’s Holiday Giveaway for a chance to win a range of great gifts from local businesses.

The holidays just might come early this season!

Visit stlmag.com/holiday-giveaway to enter.

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S P EC IA L A DVE R T IS IN G S EC T IO N

active aging guide

These local, trusted professionals strive to offer safe and compassionate care for loved ones.

AccuCare Home Health 314-692-0020 | accucare.com AccuCare Home Health Care of St. Louis strives to provide peace of mind by ensuring clients receive the same care and compassion they would give their own families.

Caregivers provide a quality of care that makes a difference in the lives of the loved ones whose care they have been entrusted with. Core values of integrity, excellence, dedication, teamwork, honesty, and dependability are the foundation on which AccuCare bases everything they do for the people in their care.

Assistance Home Care 314-795-6773 | assistancehomecarestlouis.com Caregivers and patients often form bonds that resemble familial connections.

The most exemplary of organizations that facilitate caregiving extend this feeling to interpersonal relationships among colleagues, too. Fortune named Assistance Home Care as No. 3 in their annual Top 50 Best Places to Work in Aging Services list for 2019. Congratulations to the incredible Assistance Home Care Team on being named to the Best Workplace lists for 2019. To tally the annual Best Workplaces in Aging Services list, Fortune research partner Great Place to WorkÂŽ analyzed survey results from more than 223,000 employees working in the at-home care and senior housing sectors of the aging services industry.

Cedarhurst Senior Living 314-347-3023 | cedarhurstliving.com With a mission to create communities where each person feels loved, valued, supported and able to live life to the fullest, Cedarhurst keeps the accent on living in senior living. Cedarhurst is dedicated to providing a friendly, safe, and social community atmosphere, offering life-enriching activities and a personalized level of expert care for the resident, and reassurance and peace of mind for the family. Fully enjoy the retirement years you’ve worked to earn, and live life your way at your home at Cedarhurst.

December 2019 stlmag.com

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S P EC IA L P R O M OT IO N

THE SEEN SLM MEDIA GROUP’S 2ND ANNUAL PUMPKIN WARS: CHEFS VS. SURGEONS OCTOBER 20 INTERIOR DESIGN CENTER OF ST. LOUIS St. Louis Magazine’s second annual Pumpkin Wars: Chefs vs. Surgeons competition took place October 20 at the Interior Design Center of St. Louis. Washington University surgeons from St. Louis Children’s Hospital and local chefs went head to head to carve the most creative pumpkin. Guests participated in a toy drive to benefit St. Louis Children’s Hospital and enjoyed arts and crafts, a vendor marketplace, trick-or-treating, food trucks, food and beer sampling, and a visit from Blues mascot Louie. The main event was emceed by KTRS’s John Carney. After 30 minutes of carving, guests voted for their favorite pumpkins. Dr. Aaron Abarbanell, pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, took home the MVP (Most Valuable Pumpkin) award.

The one-of-a-kind pumpkins were auctioned off, with proceeds going toward St. Louis Children’s Hospital.

SLM MEDIA GROUP WOULD LIKE TO THANK THESE SPONSORS AND PARTNERS: AUTCO Home, Alchemy Bakery, American Eagle Credit Union, Charred Crust, Crispy Edge, Floor Source, Il Palato, Interior Design Center of St. Louis, Java Plus,KDR Designer Showroom, Lockwood Family Dental Care, Premier Plumbing Studio, Renewal by Andersen, Sherwin Williams, Sporting St. Louis, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis, Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, Walbrandt Technologies, Working Spaces, Xplor Photography by Jon Gitchoff

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS, VISIT STLMAG.COM/PARTYPICS

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EXPERTS  When you need assistance with an important matter—whether medical, legal, dental, bridal, or financial—you need to kno where to turn. You need a professional with skills and experience who knows how to get results. You need somone you can trust.

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THE ORTHOPEDIC CENTER OF ST. LOUIS The Orthopedic Center of St. Louis (TOC) continues to raise the standard of orthopedic care in the area, providing the highest-quality comprehensive health care in a convenient, personalized setting. For your orthopedic needs, trust TOC’s board-certified su geons:

MARK D. MILLER, MD, specializes in arthroscopic treatment of shoulder and knee injuries. He is fellowship-trained in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. Dr. Miller tailors nonsurgical and surgical approaches to the individual needs of his patients.

DAVID M. BROWN, MD, is a hand surgeon who has dedicated his career to the care of patients with hand, wrist, and elbow injuries. He is a recognized expert in workplace injuries to the upper extremities.

GEORGE A. PALETTA JR., MD, MBA, is a nationally renowned orthopedic surgeon fellowship-trained in sports medicine. He is the region’s premier sports medicine specialist and Head Team Orthopedic Surgeon for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is an expert in shoulder and elbow surgery, knee ligament reconstruction, and care of pediatric athletes. He is recognized as an innovative leader in the care of the throwing athlete.

MITCHELL B. ROTMAN, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who is fellowshiptrained in hand surgery, specializing in the total care of the upper extremities, including joint replacement, arthroscopy, treatment of fractures, nerve problems, and muscle and tendon injuries.

LYNDON B. GROSS, MD, PHD, is an orthopedic surgeon who is fellowship trained and subspecialty-certified in sports medicine. He treats ailments of the shoulder, knee, and elbow. He is an assistant team orthopedic surgeon for the St. Louis Cardinals.

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MATTHEW F. GORNET, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the newest minimally invasive treatments for back and neck pain.

This includes patients with continued pain after a failed back surgery.

Dr. Gornet is one of the most experienced disc-replacement specialists in the United States. He is currently the only spine physician in the area involved in FDA clinical trials involving stem-cell treatment of low back pain.



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JOHN O. KRAUSE, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon fellowship-trained in medical/surgical treatment of the lower extremities—knee, leg, ankle, and foot. He works with patients to achieve maximum mobility and increase activity.

LUKE S. CHOI, MD, is a fellowship-trained sports medicine specialist. His practice focuses on minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, elbow, and knee, with a particular interest in caring for athletes and active-lifestyle individuals.

NATHAN A. MALL, MD, specializes in cartilage restoration, meniscal transplantation, complex shoulder and knee arthroscopy, shoulder and knee arthroplasty, and biologic treatments and augmentation techniques. He also has an interest in ACL prevention, patient-specific ACL reconstruction, and pediatric ACL reconstruction.

MAHESH R. BAGWE, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon fellowship-trained in foot and ankle reconstruction. He treats chronic conditions and acute injuries of the lower extremities.

He is also an assistant team orthopedic surgeon for the St. Louis Cardinals.



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STLEXPERTS 

14825 N. OUTER FORTY ROAD STE. 200 CHESTERFIELD, MO 63017 314-336-2555 TOC-STL.COM

PICTURED, FROM LEFT: George A. Paletta Jr., MD, MBA; Matthew F. Gornet, MD; Mark D. Miller, MD; Mahesh R. Bagwe, MD; John O. Krause, MD; Lyndon B. Gross, MD, PhD; Mitchell B. Rotman, MD; David M. Brown, MD; Luke S. Choi, MD; Nathan A. Mall, MD; Wendell W. Becton, MD

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TOGETHER CREDIT UNION Selecting the right financing for a home is as important as choosing the right home. After all, a home is likely the largest purchase most will ever make. And whether it’s buying a new home or refinanc ng a current one, St. Louis turns to Together Credit Union fi st. Together Credit Union’s professional mortgage loan officers, in-house underwriting team, and in-house servicing team provide the personalized service you’d expect of a neighborhood friend throughout the entire home financing p ocess—from application to closing and beyond.

As St. Louisans’ hometown home loan provider, Together Credit Union has a loan for every buyer: conventional and jumbo loans, first-time homebuyer and FHA loans, fi ed and adjustable rates, as well as a variety of no-PMI, no-closing-cost, and no-point options.

The entire mortgage process is handled in-house, from underwriting to servicing and everything in between. Opening doors and fulfilling dreams—it’s what Together Credit Union does every day.

Together Credit Union does business in accordance with the Federal Fair Housing Law and the Equal Credit Opportunity Act. NMLS# 401252. All loans subject to approval; membership eligibility required.

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423 LYNCH STREET ST. LOUIS, MO 63118 314-771-7700 877-269-4179 TOGETHERCU.ORG

PICTURED: Team Members from Together Credit Union’s Mortgage Lending, Underwriting, Processing, and Servicing Groups

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MIA GRACE BRIDAL This fun and inspiring little shop was a vision conceived by a team of women passionate about providing a fresh approach to the St. Louis bridal experience. They believe brides are shopping for more than just a dress; brides are looking for an intimate, individualized experience in fun and comfortable surroundings. Their philosophy is simple: to help you look your most beautiful, retain your own individuality and be totally confident in your choice. The ambiance is laid-back and relaxed, the perfect environment in which to choose a wedding dress. It’s about dedication to the details and exceeding expectations.

Mia Grace Bridal provides an extensive collection of bridal gowns; bridesmaid, mother of the bride/groom, and flower girl dresses; and graduation gowns. For the past five years, their distinctly comfortable and unique style has set the standard for the St. Louis bridal gown shopping experience. Mia Grace provides an unmatched shopping experience that brides will remember long after they say “yes” to their dream dress.

Their collection of dresses includes classic, timeless designs; vintage-inspired glamour; free-style bohemian; romantic; whimsical; and modern. If you are looking for an experience that celebrates you, your day, and your unique style, visit Mia Grace Bridal. It’s what you imagined shopping for your wedding dress would be.

108 CHESTERFIELD TOWNE CENTER CHESTERFIELD, MO 63005 636-778-3434 INFO@MIAGRACEBRIDAL.COM MIAGRACEBRIDAL.COM

PICTURED, FROM LEFT: Vicky Smith, owner; Madison Smith, general manager

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S P EC IA L A DV E R T I S I NG S EC T I O N

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RANKEN JORDAN PEDIATRIC BRIDGE HOSPITAL In 1941, Mary Ranken Jordan asked the community to “consider the children first,” and she opened her doors to what is now Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital. That tradition continues today and is carried out with each child and family by the hands of the compassionate and knowledgable medical team.

Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital specializes in caring for children and families who face complicated medical diagnoses. The 60-bed facility provides a unique array of services to help ill or injured children achieve their best possible outcomes by providing inpatient, outpatient, and day treatment programs.

One of the few bridge hospitals in the country, Ranken Jordan is also the home of physicians and nurse practitioners who are considered experts in their fields, including the region’s only board-certified pediatric physiatrist and one of the area’s only certified wound care specialists.

Other specialties among team members include general pediatrics, internal medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation, infectious diseases, cardiology, gastroenterology, neurology, pulmonology, neonatology, neurology, psychiatry, and psychology.

Now equipped with a rock-climbing wall, a fully accessible baseball field, and a putting green, Ranken Jordan’s state-of-the-art hospital and the professionals who work there strive to make healing as fun as possible.

It takes a passionate and dedicated team to make recovery possible. To learn more or to donate, visit rankenjordan.org.

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11365 DORSETT ROAD MARYLAND HEIGHTS, MO 63043 314-872-6400 RANKENJORDAN.ORG

PICTURED, BACK ROW, FROM LEFT: Dawn McNamee, MD; Rosa Suarez-Solar, MD; Elizabeth Sugarbaker, MD; Rod Pellenberg, MD; Connie Simmons, MD; Ellie Brown, PNP; Eugene Evra, MD FRONT ROW: Nick Holekamp, MD; Lynda Brady, MD; Duha Al-Zubeidi, MD; Emily Melick, PNP; Amy Zimmermann, MD; Karen Sepe, RN, CPNP; Jen Leary, PNP; Barb Champion, RN, CPNP, WOCN; Beth Downey, RN, PNP-BC

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PARKCREST PLASTIC SURGERY Parkcrest Plastic Surgery is conveniently located at CityPlace 5 in Creve Coeur. In addition to leading-edge services, you will find a dedicated, compassionate staff of physicians and caregivers. David A. Caplin, MD; Melvin M. Maclin II, MD; and Patricia A. McGuire, MD, are board-certified in plastic and reconstructive surgery and provide the full spectrum of plastic surgery services, from cosmetic to reconstructive to hand surgery.

SERVICES OFFERED INCLUDE: ---

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Breast augmentation, lift, reduction, implant removal, and reconstruction via faps or breast implants, and gender-affirmin top surgery.

Body contouring, including abdominoplasty (tummy tucks), ultrasonic-assisted liposuction, fat grafting, SmartLipo®, CoolSculpting®, Thermi®, and BodyTite.

Face-lift, neck-lift, blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery), brow-lift, fat grafting, BOTOX® Cosmetic, Dysport® and dermal fillers, including products from the Restylane® and JUVÉDERM® families.

Three full-time medical aestheticians offering the latest treatments in skin care; chemical peels, fractora, dermal infusion, micro-needling, laser skin resurfacing, laser hair removal, microdermabrasion, and dermaplaning.

The physicians have been recognized on the Best Doctors in America® List for many years and are members of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). If you have any questions, call and make an appointment for your individual consultation. The Parkcrest staff would be pleased to help you make an informed decision about your care.

845 N. NEW BALLAS COURT, STE. 300 ST. LOUIS, MO 63141 314-569-0130 PARKCRESTPLASTICSURGERY.COM

PICTURED, FROM LEFT: Melvin M. Maclin II, MD; Patricia A. McGuire, MD; David A. Caplin, MD

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S P EC IA L A DV E R T I S I NG S EC T I O N

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AMATO FAMILY LAW, LLC Susan Amato’s practice focuses on resolving family law disputes through mediation, collaborative practice, and litigation. She has the experience necessary to assist you in selecting the process needed to resolve your family law matters and to guide you through the complex legal and financial issues that you face.

She will help you to resolve issues around the parenting of your children and to focus on the future.

Susan is a recognized trailblazer in mediation and collaborative law on the forefront of introducing, developing, and utilizing these methods in the St. Louis legal arena. A graduate of Washington University School of Law, Susan has held the Martindale-Hubbell AV Peer Review rating for professional excellence for fiftee years. She is a Certified Advanced Practitioner with the Academy of Professional Family Mediators and has been named by Best Lawyers® as St. Louis Collaborative Law Family Law “Lawyer of the Year” in 2015 and 2019 and as St. Louis Family Law Mediation “Lawyer of the Year” in 2016.

230 S. BEMISTON AVENUE, STE. 510 CLAYTON, MO 63105 314-727-7122 AMATOFAMILYLAW.COM

PICTURED: Susan L. Amato

THE LAW OFFICES OF JOHN M. LYNCH, LLC When dealing with a serious criminal matter, personal-injury, or employment discrimination issue, you need an experienced lawyer to aggressively pursue your case. John M. Lynch is a proven trial attorney with a record of success in state and federal courts all over the country. As a former police investigator, federal drug task force agent, and insurance defense attorney, he understands how the other side views an issue. Clients benefit from his breadth of legal knowledge and ability to offer a candid perspective for realistic solutions that benefit his clients.

The media, judiciary, and peers recognize Mr. Lynch for his excellent legal guidance. Other attorneys often call him to assist with tough criminal cases or help with their civil litigation. His legal proficiency is demonstrated not only by his record of case successes, including acquittals for his criminal clients, but also the millions recovered for his civil clients. The result is his inclusion in Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists.

Mr. Lynch has received an AV Preeminent® rating, the highest possible rating by Martindale-Hubbell®, a nationally recognized rating agency. Mr. Lynch also serves as a high demand legal commentator, routinely appearing on many local and national news outlets.

5770 MEXICO ROAD, STE. A ST. PETERS, MO 63376 314-726-9999 LYNCHLAWONLINE.COM

PICTURED: John M. Lynch

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements.

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MIDWEST SMILES FAMILY DENTISTRY Kenneth Ausmer, DMD, is committed to improving the lives of his patients through excellence in dentistry.

If you have ever wanted a smile makeover, Midwest Smiles provides the latest in cosmetic dentistry and offers a complimentary consultation with before-and-after preview to show you the possibilities. The practice also offers many advanced options to replace missing teeth.

Dr. Ausmer is popular for his personable chairside manner, affordability, and gentle touch, known to ease even the most “dentalphobic” patient. He and the Midwest Smiles team are committed to providing the highest level of patient care with each interaction.

Midwest Smiles Family Dentistry is always accepting new patients.

4169 N. HIGHWAY 67 FLORISSANT, MO 63034 314-653-1200 BESTMIDWESTSMILES.COM

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GREG BREG, DDS About the Doctor: Greg Berg, DDS, has been a specialist in root canal therapy since 1993 and is specifically trained to relieve oral and facial pain and save natural teeth. He performs routine—as well as very complex—endodontic procedures, including microsurgery.

Advanced Technology: A modern dental office incorporates advanced technologies such as 3D digital imaging and operating microscopes into root canal treatments, resulting in greater accuracy and optimal results.

Educational Strides: Dr. Berg’s highly skilled clinicians and staff are committed to continuing education. They regularly attend dental lectures, meetings, and conventions to stay abreast of new technologies, products, and equipment.

Building Trust: Treating patients as individuals is vital to Dr. Berg’s success. His entire team is dedicated to providing personalized care to make patients as comfortable as possible.

PICTURED: Kenneth Ausmer, DMD 1325-A QUEENS COURT ST. PETERS, MO 63376 636-928-6000

PICTURED: Greg Berg, DDS

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S T. LO U I S SAG E

U N D E R T H E C L AY

Where’s “the most dangerous woman in America” buried?

H

ER REAL NAME was Mary Har-

ris Jones, but we called her Mother Jones. And yeah, she was dangerous—to any boss who exploited employees. A 5-foot-tall dressmaker, Jones was feisty as hell, and she had the rough charisma, humor, and force of will to organize workers all over the country. After losing her husband and their four children to yellow fever, she began agitating for workers’ rights around the country. She claimed May Day as her birthday, a cheerful contradiction to her baptismal record in County Cork, Ireland, and exaggerated her age.

“My home is my shoes,” Jones used to say, but it was in Illinois that she was radicalized, and that’s where she chose to be buried. She rests—if ever that woman rested—in the Union Miners Cemetery, the only union-owned cemetery in the country. It’s in a little coal-mining town called Mount Olive, halfway between St. Louis and Springfield, Illinois, that was the molten center of the 1890s struggle to win a living wage. Miners staged a “tramping strike,” marching from town to town and calling on workers to throw down their tools. Then, in 1898, four miners from Mount Olive were among the 13 killed by hired strikebreakers at the Chicago Virden Coal Company. Jaw set, Jones asked that she be allowed to “sleep under the clay with those brave boys.”

HER LEGACY THE INFLUENCE LIVES ON MOTHER JONES MAGAZINE ESTABLISHED IN 1976

MARY HARRIS “MOTHER” JONES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ADELPHI, MARYLAND

THE MOTHER JONES HOUSE AN OFF-CAMPUS SERVICE HOUSE AT WHEELING JESUIT UNIVERSITY

NATIONAL WOMEN’S HALL OF FAME INDUCTED IN 1984

ANNUAL MOTHER JONES FESTIVAL CORK CITY, IRELAND

MOTHER JONES AND HER CHILDREN DOCUMENTARY PREMIERED IN 2014

MOTHER JONES AND THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE MUSICAL DEBUTED

Today, Illinois still has some of the largest reserves of recoverable coal in the nation—but no more unionized coal miners.

December 20, 2013, was the last day of operation for the last union coal mine. Jones would be livid. She was as outraged as Senator Bernie Sanders is now about the industry’s lopsided distribution of wealth: “The natural commodities of this country are cornered in the hands of a few,” she raged, calling John D. Rockefeller a “high-class burglar.” Swearing freely, she drummed up support everywhere she went. “Shorten your skirts and march,” she exhorted the miners’ wives.

She was buried on December 8, 1930. The crowd overflowed the church and people stood outside in the cold, listening to the eulogy through loudspeakers. In “mahogany furnished and carefully guarded offices in distant capitals wealthy mine owners and capitalists are breathing sighs of relief,” said the Reverend John Maguire. He predicted that her grave would become “a shrine for all those who toil with their hands.”

Six years later, a large monument was dedicated at Jones’ gravesite. It bears the names of 22 union members killed in the mine wars of the 1930s, and it has indeed become a gathering spot every year on October 12, the historic Miners’ Day. “Pray for the dead,” Jones urged regularly, “and fight like hell for the living!”

IN 2014

ST. LOUIS MAGAZINE, VOL. 25, ISSUE 12 (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

10/28/19 3:43 PM

Named a “Top Hotel in the U.S.”

by U.S. News and World Report

Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid

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WORLD-CLASS WITHOUT BEING WORLDS AWAY All-New Mississippi Terrace at The Pyramid

Experience a one-of-a-kind getaway at Big Cypress Lodge. Located inside Bass Pro Shops at The Pyramid, this overnight destination features rustic accommodations and unparalleled attractions, including a full service spa, an underwater-themed bowling alley and the nation’s tallest freestanding elevator. Enjoy spectacular dining with a view at The Lookout, located at the peak of the pyramid or have a cocktail at the new outdoor Mississippi Terrace. Call or visit the website today to plan your next getaway!

Voted one of the Best Hotels in the South – Conde Nast Traveler

844.235.7116 | BIG-CYPRESS.COM

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