The Go! List 2014

Our critics and readers pick St. Louis’ best

e h T

iL st July 27, 2014 • $1.50 stltoday.com/thegolist

Will Fair St. Louis on Art Hill be our pick for best festival?

(Spoiler alert: Yes.)

Best local singer 13

Best new restaurant (so far) 4

Best place for the blues 13

Best brunch 4

Best local tribute band 13

Best happy hour 4

Best local cover band 13

Best 24-hour restaurant 4

Best local DJ 13

Best restaurant for impressing outof-towners 4

Best CD/record store 13

Best kid-friendly restaurant 6

The arts 14

Best restaurant for people-watching 6

Best St. Louis actress 14

Best buffet 6

Best new St. Louis actor 14

Best St. Louis actor 14

Best local restaurant chain 6

Most versatile St. Louis actor 14

Best conveniencestore cuisine 6

Best director 14

Best sports bar 6

Best theater troupe for plays 16

Best taqueria 6

Best theater troupe for musicals 16

Best pizza 6 Best doughnuts 7 Best fried chicken 7 Best restaurant patio 7 Best local chef/ restaurateur 7

Most of the time, our job is to tell you about the newest things in town — new restaurants, new concerts, new exhibits, new plays.

But this special issue of Go! Magazine is our opportunity to reflect on some things that may not necessarily be new but are undeniably great.

Welcome to our second annual issue of The Go! List, where we honor the best food, music, venues, arts, events and people in St. Louis.

In putting together this list, we spent a good deal of time racking our brains to declare fitting winners in more than 110 different categories.

(If you’re keeping score at home, this issue includes 30 more awards than last year’s inaugural Go! List.) In addition to our own picks, you’ll find readers’ picks selected by voters at STLtoday.com.

Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations to our winners.

Now, we’ve got a lot of awards to hand out, so let’s get to it.

Please hold your applause till the end.

Gabe Hartwig / Go! Magazine editor / ghartwig@post-dispatch.com 2 The Go! List

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Best costumes (with money) 16

Best food truck 7

Best costumes (on a shoestring) 16

Best place for a shot and a beer 8

Best sets (with money) 16

Best cocktails 8 Best rooftop 8

Best sets (on a shoestring) 16

Best local craft brewery 8

Best opera singer — male 16

Best biergarten 8

Best opera singer — female 17

Best single local craft beer 8

Your guide to the good stuff

Most versatile theater space 16

Most imaginative opera company 17

Best beer selection 9

Best use of a financial shoestring in opera 17

Best winery 9 Best coffee shop 9

Best choral ensemble 17

Best bakery 9

TV, film & books 20 Best St. Louisan on a scripted TV series 20 Best St. Louisan on an unscripted TV series 20 Best scripted TV series set in St. Louis 20 Best unscripted TV series filmed in St. Louis 20 Best St. Louis filmmaker 20 Best St. Louisan in the movies 20 Best movie set in St. Louis 20 Best movie filmed in St. Louis 21 Best film festival/ series 21 Best movie theater 21 Best drive-in movie theater 21 Best St. Louis author 21 Best book by a St. Louis author 21 Best local bookstore 21 Best children’s book events 21 Best place to see your favorite author 21

Around town 22 Best festival 22 Best free attraction 22 Best place to take the family on a sunny day 22 Best place to take the family on a rainy day 22 Scariest amusement park ride 22

Best farmers market 9

Best chamber music group 17

Music & clubs 10

Best chamber music festival 17

Best music festival 10

Best classical venue 18

Best mascot 24

Best new venue 10

Best place to have a drink while enjoying a recital 18

Best shopping mall 24 Cutest St. Louis Zoo animal 24

Best dance company 18

Best parade 25 Best thrift store 25

Best Grove hangout 10

Best dance festival/ series 18

Best Cherokee Street hangout 11

Best work of public art 18

On the cover

Best downtown hangout 11

Best mural 18

Illustration by Dan Martin of the Post-Dispatch

Best-kept secret 11

Best artist 18

Best dance club 11

Best museum 18

Best place for karaoke 11

Best creative use of museum space 18

Best place to hear jazz 12

Best art exhibition 18

Best venue makeover 10 Venue with the coolest acts 10

Best place to hear country music 12

Best art gallery 18

Best place to experience nature 22 Best park 24

Best place for a history lesson 25 Best move to Chesterfield 25 Best historical renovation 26 Best local tweeter 26 Best local Instagrammer 26 Best local hero 26 Winners index 27

Best local band 12

Browse a gallery of photos from our Go! List awards party, hosted by Plush on July 24 ➙ stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o : h u y m a c h / p o s t- d i s pat c h ( fa i r s t. l o u i s )

contents

Food & beer 4

You’re all winners in our book, but we wanted to be a bit more decisive with our picks.

Here are the categories that were toughest to decide.

Our team

Gabe Hartwig / editor 314-340-8353 / ghartwig@post-dispatch.com Jody Mitori / Post-Dispatch assistant managing editor for features 314-340-8240 / jmitori@post-dispatch.com Fred Ortlip / copy editor 314-340-8167 / fortlip@post-dispatch.com “Best singer and best bands — too many acts to choose from.” •

Hillary Levin / photo editor 314-340-8118 / hlevin@post-dispatch.com

“Best festival wasn’t easy.

We’re a city that loves to fest, and there are so many good ones.” •

Elaine Vydra / digital marketing manager 314-340-8917 / evydra@post-dispatch.com Donna Bischoff / Post-Dispatch vice president of advertising 314-340-8529 / dbischoff@post-dispatch.com Writers and contributors

“Best opera singer, both male and female.

There’s not much of a selection, because it’s impossible to make a living at it in this town.” •

Debra D. Bass / fashion editor Amy Bertrand / Home & Away, Let’s Eat editor Ian Froeb / restaurant critic, beer writer Jane Henderson / book editor Kevin C. Johnson / pop music critic Mark Matousek / entertainment writer Sarah Bryan Miller / classical music critic Daniel Neman / food writer Judith Newmark / theater critic Beth O’Malley / engagement editor Gail Pennington / television critic Amanda St. Amand / continuous news editor Colleen Schrappen / health writer Aisha Sultan / home & family editor Joe Williams / film critic Calvin Wilson / arts writer 30

“The ones with people (not theaters)! ” •

#thegolist

“Farmers markets.” •

Contact us

Get your events listed events.stltoday.com Advertise with us 314-340-8500 / stltoday.com/advertise

Write to us Go! Magazine, St. Louis Post-Dispatch 900 N. Tucker Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63101

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Subscribe to us 314-340-8888 / stltoday.com/subscribe

“So many wonderful actors come from St. Louis, and I’ve been lucky enough to meet most of them. It was very hard to choose one.” •

“Winery! I’ve never been to a bad one!” •

Copyright 2014 • Go! Magazine is published Fridays by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Lee Enterprises. No part of Go! Magazine may be reproduced without prior written consent. For permissions requests, reprints, back issues and more information, call 314-340-8000, or visit stltoday.com/contact. For distribution information, call STL Distribution Services at 314-556-6404.

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The Go! List 3

Food+Beer

Best new restaurant (so far)

Three Flags Tavern Where 4940 Southwest Avenue • More info

314-669-9222, threeflagstavern.com

Ground Brisket Burger with fried pickles at Three Flags Tavern

A slinger at Courtesy Diner

Best brunch

LHC Where 3137 Morganford Road • More info 314-7728815, localharvestcafe.com

As someone who’s a brunch fanatic and newly vegan, LHC (formerly known as Local Harvest Cafe) solved a lot of problems. I’ve been going for years and enjoying the farmfresh eggs with all the trimmings and a side of Missouri bacon.

But I probably started dabbling with vegan-

4 The Go! List

friendly entrees thanks to their Local Slinger with roasted potato hash covered in savory chili, mozzarella (or not) and red onion, served with five-grain toast. The parfaits are all wildly delicious — Berry Nice has wild blueberries, local preserves and honey.

The Vegan Stuffed French Toast and the Vegan Chorizo Pot Pie will have you wondering whether everything vegan tastes this awesome. (Both are available in nonvegan form.) Debra D. Bass

O Readers’ choice:

Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Cafe

Best happy hour

Hiro Where 1405 Washington Avenue • More info 314-2414476, hiroasiankitchen.com

Hiro is cooking some of the best Asian food in town, but here’s another reason to love the downtown hotspot: If you can manage an early escape from the office, happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays. That’s

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

more than enough time to get your fill of half-off appetizers, cocktails and beers. On Wednesday, keep the party going through dinner, and you can get a half-price bottle of wine. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: The Royale

Best 24-hour restaurant

Courtesy Diner Where 1121 Hampton Avenue; 8000 South Laclede Station Road; 3155 South Kingshighway

Boulevard • More info courtesydiner.com

For a late-night pickme-up or an earlymorning breakfast, Courtesy Diner is a classic. It’s been serving up its famous slingers — plus the requisite diner lineup of burgers, patty melts, chili mac and chicken-fried steak — since 1935. Most items on the menu are under $4, so a meal won’t set you back much. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: City Diner

Best restaurant for impressing out-of-towners

Niche Where 7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton • More info 314-773-7755, nichestlouis.com

“St. Louis has a lively modern dining scene?” your out-of-town guests ask, skeptically.

Take them to Niche, where Gerard Craft continues to put this town on the culinary map. With chefs Adam Altnether and Nate Hereford, Craft and the Niche team

continue to develop flavorful, creative dishes that draw on the region’s bounty of produce and protein.

(Are your guests still not convinced?

Take them to Craft’s adjacent restaurant, Pastaria, just to see the crowds waiting for a table.) Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

The Fountain on Locust

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p h o t o s : l a u r i e s k r i va n / p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e ( t h r ee f l a g s tave r n ) ; l a u r a a nn m i l l e r / f i l e ( c o u r t e s y d i ne r )

An old bar and grill in the city’s Southwest Garden neighborhood might seem an unlikely home for the area’s best new restaurant, but chef John O’Brien has turned this spot into one of St. Louis’ most enjoyable new dining experiences. The food is classic American comfort food — fried chicken, shrimp and grits, lobster rolls, burgers — executed with care, simply delicious. The service is outstanding. You’ll feel like it’s already been a part of the neighborhood for years. It will be for years to come. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice: Evangeline’s Bistro & Music House

#thegolist

07.27.14 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE

The Go! List 5

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OF The of THE aPes’ APES’ is IS aN AN

TWO LOCATIONS! BRAIN brain WARNING: warNiNG:

FREEZE Freeze

DOWNTOWN AHEAD ahead

Our restaurant critic’s quest for the best frozen treats turns up snow cones, gelato, ice cream and fancy popsicles.

701 Olive St., St. Louis .

Best kid-friendly restaurant

Pastaria Where 7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton • More info 314-8626603, pastariastl.com

stltoday.com/newsletters

.

@ the corner of 7th & Olive Serving Breakfast and Lunch M-F 7am - 3pm /

Food+Beer

/

314-241-2255

Gerard Craft’s wildly popular Italian restaurant doesn’t simply tolerate kids, it encourages you to bring the entire family.

There’s a kid’s menu (including alphabet soup!), incredible gelato and other desserts, and even a kid’s club.

Plus, the restaurant’s buzzing atmosphere ensures that if (when) Bobby or Suzy melts down, it won’t disturb other diners.

Why would you take your kids anywhere else? Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

Blueberry Hill

Best restaurant for people-watching

Cafe Napoli Where 7754 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton • More info 314-8635731, cafenapoli.com

CWE

22 N. Euclid, St. Louis M-F 9am - 7pm • Sat 10am-3pm

314-361-3354

Voted by RFT Readers: #1 Delicatessen 6 years in a row 2009-2014

PicklesDeliSTL.com OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 11AM-1AM

You need only peep the fancy sports cars and luxury sedans that the valets park outside this Clayton hotspot to know that there will be prime people-watching inside.

A favorite of Clayton’s upper crust (including, over the years, a few of the town’s beloved ballplayers), Cafe Napoli is a great spot to camp out with a drink and a

friend to scope out the latest fashions or just plain gawk. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice: Blueberry Hill

Best buffet

The Great Food Exposition at River City Casino Where 777 River City Casino Boulevard • More info 314-388-7662, rivercity.com

For gamblers and nongamblers alike, the Great Food Exposition at River City Casino is a sure bet. As a quality casino buffet should, this one provides a trip around the world, with cuisines including Brazilian, Asian (with sushi), American and more. The food turns over frequently, so it’s always fresh, but it’s the dessert selection that truly puts this one a notch above other casino buffets: There’s a gelato bar.

That alone is reason to visit. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: Landmark Buffet at Ameristar Casino

Best pizza

The Good Pie Where 6665 Delmar Boulevard • More info

314-899-9221, thegoodpiestl.com

Relocated from its original midtown home to a larger spot in the Delmar Loop, Mike Randolph’s the Good Pie continues to turn out incredible Neapolitan pizzas. The crust’s the thing: flavorful, with a definite sour tang. The toppings are top-notch and judiciously applied. Pizza and a beer strike your fancy? The craft-beer selection, especially on draft, is well curated. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice: Dogtown Pizza

Best local restaurant chain

Lion’s Choice

SIGNATURE STYLE ‘NEW’ NEW ORLEANS CUISINE

Where Various locations • More info lionschoice.com

512 N Euclid Ave. STL, MO 314.367.3644 evangelinesSTL.com

6 The Go! List

Genoa Salami pizza at the Good Pie

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

BISTRO & MUSIC HOUSE

A roast-beef sandwich is a simple pleasure, and Lion’s Choice knows not to mess with it. The meat is cooked to a gorgeous medium-rare, sliced thin and piled high. Add cheese, if you want, and squeeze a plastic cup or two of au jus for dipping.

Really, the only tough decision here is which

size sandwich you want: a lot of roast beef, a whole lot or more than is advisable (but totally understandable).

Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice: Imo’s

Best conveniencestore cuisine

QuikTrip Where Various locations • More info quiktrip.com

These days, the food selection at the gas station looks more

and more like a buffet, offering everything you need to turn your pit stop into a full meal — including fancy coffee drinks. Locally, QuikTrip is leading the charge, serving up everything from pizzas and kolaches to wraps and salads, much of it made fresh while you wait. Of course, there are hot dogs and taquitos rolling on the grills, but even the selection there is seemingly endless and — even better — kept fresh. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice:

QuikTrip

Best sports bar

The Post Sports Bar & Grill Where 7372 Manchester Road, Maplewood • More info 314-645-1109, thepostsportsbar.com

We touted Maplewood’s Post Sports Bar & Grill as one of the best when the Cardinals were in the World Series last season. That’s still true, of course, even without a World Series game to watch on one of the bar’s several wall-to-wall TVs. For fuel during the game, enjoy the Oshie burger,

an order of baked hot wings (or fried, if you prefer) and a cold beer from the bar’s vast selection. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’

choice: Lester’s Best taqueria

Mi Tierra Tienda y Taqueria Where 3121 Collinsville Road, East St. Louis • More info 618-271-8168

Tucked into the back of a small Mexican grocery store along Collinsville Road, Mi Tierra is a no-frills spot serving up incredibly flavorful food: tacos, sopes, burritos and more. Try the lengua or barbacoa tacos, if available, for maximum pleasure. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

Mission Taco Joint

Piled-high roast beef at Lion’s Choice

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Sneak a peek.

Food+Beer

Pharaoh’s Donuts: fit for a king

Best doughnuts

Pharaoh’s Donuts

Best restaurant patio

Sasha’s on Shaw

Where 200 North Seventh Street • More info

Where 4069 Shaw Avenue • More info 314-771-7274, sashaswinebar.com

Doughnuts are nature’s perfect food, and they don’t get any better than the baked circles of goodness served at Pharaoh’s Donuts. Try the apple fritters — seriously, try them once and you will be hooked — or the divinely tart lemon-topped toppers. And the doughnut holes?

They’re so light they’re like eating sweetly glazed air. Daniel Neman O Readers’ choice: Old Town Donuts

The patio at Sasha’s on Shaw is an oasis within the city. In spring and summer, lush foliage surrounds you as you sip wine and snack on cheese plates or flatbread pizzas. There’s a small pond — sometimes with a frog — and a neighborhood cat.

You don’t have to hide inside once the weather turns cold, either, as the staff stokes a roaring wood fire. Ian Froeb

314-351-0285, facebook.com/pharaohsbakery

O Readers’ choice:

Hendel’s Market Cafe Best fried chicken

p h o t o : g a be h a r t w i g / p o s t- d i s pat c h

Three Flags Tavern Where 4940 Southwest Avenue • More info 314-669-9222, threeflagstavern.com

There is no great secret to the fried chicken at chef John O’Brien’s new Southwest Garden restaurant. He brines the chicken for several hours to amp up its natural flavor, then

#thegolist

dredges it in flour and corn meal and fries it the old-fashioned way (the proper way, that is) in a cast-iron skillet.

The result is crisp and flavorful but won’t coat your fingertips with oil. Want an even stronger chicken flavor? Dip the meat in the accompanying sauce, a tasty chicken stock blended with dark roux. Ian Froeb O Readers’

choice: Hodak’s Restaurant & Bar

Best local chef/ restaurateur

Ben Poremba Where Elaia & Olio, 1634 Tower Grove Avenue • More info 314-932-1088, elaiastl.com, oliostl.com

At a time when many chefs and restaurateurs are content to play it safe, Ben Poremba takes chances. He opened an ambitious, expensive restaurant in a still up-and-coming city neighborhood. Next door, he opened a wine

bar with a quirky list.

Those chances paid off: Elaia, the restaurant, and Olio, the wine bar, are now jewels of the St. Louis dining scene.

Not content to sit still, Poremba is working to open a fried-chicken joint and is also helping with the ambitious new international grocery story in the Delmar Loop. Put on your money on him. His chances succeed. Ian Froeb

Voted Best Fried Chicken

by RFT for 24 years and counting 2100 Gravois • St. Louis, MO 63104

314-776-7292

O Readers’ choice: Rich Lo’Russo

Best food truck

La Tejana Taqueria Where 3149 North Lindbergh Boulevard, Bridgeton • More info 314291-8500, latejanataqueria. com, @lttonwheels

La Tejana Taqueria is one of the area’s premier Mexican restaurants. (The carnitas is to die for.) But if you’ve never found the time to visit its storefront in Bridgeton, now you can let the taqueria come to you. Since 2013, La Tejana has operated a food truck, serving the restaurant’s delicious tacos as well as occasional specials. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice: Seoul Taco

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Food+Beer

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Tailgate Bean Bag Toss

Missouri Bar & Grille Where 701 North Tucker Boulevard • More info 314-231-2234, missouribarandgrille.com

When the owner of Missouri Bar & Grille died last fall, the future of the downtown watering hole was uncertain. Trifon Panopoulos had run the bar since 1983, and it became a favorite spot for Post-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat staffers, not to mention local sports celebrities and movers and shakers. We’re glad MoBar — as it’s lovingly referred to by regulars — has soldiered on, with members of Panopoulos’ family and fixture Athena Miller behind the bar. It’s one of the only spots where you can feed a craving for a gyro, Greek salad, T-ravs or fried mushrooms till 2:30 a.m. The nostalgia is a bonus. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: Pin-Up Bowl

Best rooftop

Cielo Where Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis, 999 North Second Street • More info 314881-2105, cielostlouis.com

Connect Four Game

Tailgate Washer Toss

Checkers Game

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Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

It’s an undisputed fact that cocktails taste better when enjoyed on a roof. (The same is true of cocktails at brunch.) And while St. Louis adds more rooftop libations to its skyline, Cielo (Italian for “sky”) at the Four Seasons Hotel remains a favorite.

The restaurant and bar on the eighth floor provides a panoramic view of downtown and the riverfront, stunning at all times of day. And the cocktails are pretty great, too. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice:

Vin de Set

Ted Kilgore, Planter’s House mix master

Best local craft brewery

Side Project Brewing Where Perennial Artisan Ales, 8125 Michigan Avenue • More info sideprojectbrewing.com

Beer geeks from St. Louis and beyond line up for hours to purchase each new release from Side Project Brewing, the brewery within a brewery operated

by Perennial Artisan Ales head brewer Cory King. Some of them then turn around and swap them for a king’s (or is that King’s?) ransom of other rare beers. The smart ones keep them and savor these gorgeous, often beautifully sour, always barrel-aged creations. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

Kirkwood Station Brewing Co.

Best biergarten

Civil Life Brewing Co. Where 3714 Holt Avenue • More info thecivillife.com

Few brewpub experiences embody their name as Civil Life does. This truly is a civil experience: a place for the community —

Best cocktails

Planter’s House

Where 1000 Mississippi Avenue • More info

314-696-2603, plantershousestl.com

Ted Kilgore, the man most responsible for bringing the so-called “craft cocktail” movement to St. Louis, has finally opened his own place, and it’s a doozy. The two-level space offers both a conventional cocktail bar on the first floor and a more intimate, tailored experience inside the secondfloor Bullock Room. Wherever you sit, expect drinks that respect tradition while still pushing boundaries. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice: The Royale

adults, of course, but also their kids and (if you stay outside) dogs — to gather and talk and enjoy a thoroughly civil experience. It helps that the beer is outstanding, modern takes on classic styles that will appeal to both the craft-beer geek and the newbie who just wants a quenching pint. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

Urban Chestnut

Best single local craft beer

Perennial Artisan Ales Barrel-Aged Abraxas Where 8125 Michigan Avenue • More info 314631-7300, perennialbeer.com

Beg. Borrow. (Don’t steal.) Somehow you must try at least a sip of Perennial’s BarrelAged Abraxas. Yes, this is even more difficult to get your hands on than

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o : l a u r i e s k r i va n / p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e

WANNA HAVE SOME FUN THIS SUMMER?

Best place for a shot and a beer

Food+Beer grown from those very vineyards. You’ll also find a terrific menu for lunch and dinner. Oh, and there’s beer, for the naysayers in your group. Amy Bertrand

In Historic Kimmswick Perfect Day Trip!

Just 25 Minutes from Downtown St. Louis

O Readers’ choice: Montelle Winery

Upcoming Events

Best coffee shop

Blueprint Coffee Where 6225 Delmar Boulevard • More info 314-266-6808, blueprintcoffee.com

Farmers and more at Soulard Market

Best farmers market

Soulard Farmers Market

Where 730 Carroll Street • More info

p h o t o s : r o be r t c o h en / p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e ( s o u l a r d fa r m e r s m a r k e t ) ; h a n d o u t ( c o m pa n i o n b a k e r y )

314-622-4180, soulardmarket.com

A perennial favorite since 1779.

Some of the produce is local, some isn’t, but what makes the agreeably gritty Soulard Farmers Market stand out are the extras: the doughnut machine, the bakeries, the spice shop, the meats (alligator, elk, quail), the alcohol, the cheese, the florist.

And there is no better place in town for watching people. Daniel Neman O Readers’ choice: Soulard Farmers Market

the regular Abraxas, an imperial stout brewed with cacao nibs, chiles, cinnamon sticks and vanilla beans. But as amazing as Abraxas is — and it is — the barrelaged is even better, adding a depth of flavor and lingering warmth more reminiscent of a great single-malt than a beer. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

Urban Chestnut Schnickelfritz

#thegolist

Best beer selection

Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar Where 1004 Locust Street • More info 314-2418141, thebridgestl.com

Dave Bailey’s sleek downtown restaurant and bar offers more than 50 craft beers by the glass, from

such local favorites as 2nd Shift Brewing and Urban Chestnut to nationally and internationally renowned breweries, including Firestone Walker, Evil Twin and Mikkeller. Still can’t find a beer you like from this wealth of choices? The list includes some 200 beers in bottles ranging from 330 to 750 milliliters. Ian Froeb O Readers’ choice:

International Tap House

Blueprint Coffee takes the meticulous care necessary to produce a world-class cup of coffee. The beans are smartly sourced, properly roasted and then brewed, by hand, to order. Yes, you must wait a few minutes longer than at that Famous Coffee Chain, but the result is a gorgeous cup of coffee that you can enjoy in Blueprint’s beautifully spare Delmar Loop space. Love the coffee? Buy a bag to bring home and brew yourself. Ian Froeb

Girlfriend's Day

Sat., Sept. 6th & 27th

Award Winning Desserts!

Voted "Best Pie in the Midwest" Midwest Traveler Magazine AAA, July 2014 Voted "Best Pies in Missouri" Rural Magazine 2014

Chandler Hill Vineyards Where 596 Defiance Road, Defiance • More info 636-798-2675, chandlerhillvineyards.com

The views from the large deck overlooking the vineyards and pond are enough to make Chandler Hill our award winner. But this winery also has some terrific wine, particularly the Savage Norton, with grapes

Witches Night Out Sat., Oct 11

Apple Butter Festival

Deer Widows Weekend

Fri.-Sun. Nov 14th - Nov 16th

As featured on the Food Network, Oprah Magazine, The Today Show, Travel Channel's "Pie Paradise"

• Serving Breakfast and Lunch • Outdoor Dining on Ms. Mary's Veranda www.theblueowl.com Tues.-Fri. 10-3, Sat. & Sun. 10-5

Cookie Walk and Old Fashioned Christmas Festival Fri.-Sun. Dec. 5th - 7th

I-55 to Imperial/Main Street Exit 186 East to Hwy. 61-67, South to Hwy K More Information call: 636-464-6464 www.gokimmswick.com

O Readers’ choice: Starbucks, Shaw’s Coffee (tie)

Best bakery Best winery

Sat., Sept. 6th

Sat. & Sun. Oct 25th & 26th

"Home of the Famous Caramel Apple Pecan Pie"

(636) 464-3128

A.L.S. 5k Run/Walk

Companion Bakery Where 8143 Maryland Avenue • More info 314352-4770, companionstl.com

You might say it is the obvious choice. We say two words: Pretzel Croissants. The breads are superb, too, with a hard crust and a hefty crumb, the way bread should be. Daniel Neman O Readers’ choice: The Blue Owl

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The Go! List 9

Music+clubs

LouFest

Where Forest Park • More info loufest.com

This is one of those categories where, year to year, the winner may not vary much. But no matter how you want to chop it up, LouFest is tops. And this year’s festival (Sept. 6-7) — its fifth, and second of Listen Live Entertainment’s partnership with Austin, Texas-based C3 Presents — is poised to be its biggest yet.

The big names include Outkast, Arctic Monkeys, Cake, Grouplove, Matt & Kim, Future Islands, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue and Kelis. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick: LouFest

10 The Go! List

Best new venue

The Ready Room Where 4195 Manchester Avenue • More info 314-8333929, thereadyroom.com

The Ready Room, located in the Grove neighborhood, is giving that district exactly what it needed. While bars and restaurants reign there, the Ready Room is simply a big room, nothing more and nothing less. The venue opened with a bang in spring with Of Montreal.

Upcoming are the Black Lips, Afghan Whigs, Bleachers and Allen Stone. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick:

Best venue makeover

Venue with the coolest acts

Best Grove hangout

Siam

The Pageant

Where 4121 Manchester Avenue • More info 314533-7426, siamstl.com

Where 6161 Delmar Boulevard • More info 314726-6161, thepageant.com

Atomic Cowboy

Long-running Grove staple Novak’s was a favorite of the gay community, despite looking like an oldfashioned saloon when something a bit more hip would have made sense. After closing last September, the space reopened as the sleek and stylish Siam, replacing the bar food with a tasty Asian-fusion menu. Kevin C. Johnson

As a venue, the Pageant is a pro at doing many things well. But in 2014, it just won’t stop shining when it comes to booking the coolest acts. The Loop staple has brought us Disclosure, Chvrches, Chromeo, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Phantogram, Broken Bells and so many other edgy, can’t-miss shows. Kevin C. Johnson

O Readers’ pick:

The Pageant

Peabody Opera House

O Readers’ pick:

Chromeo

Where 4140 Manchester Avenue • More info 314-7750775, atomiccowboystl.com

A lot has happened in and around the Grove neighborhood since the sprawling Atomic Cowboy opened it doors.

As the Grove grows and evolves, Atomic Cowboy remains a multifaceted staple for food, cool DJs, left-of-center events and more. Kevin C. Johnson

p h o t o s : p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e ( l o u f e s t ) ; h a n d o u t ( c h r o m e o )

Best music festival

LouFest 2013

O Readers’ pick: Just John

Evangeline’s Bistro & Music House

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

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Best Cherokee Street hangout

(blank) space Where 2847 Cherokee Street • More info 314-300-8831, facebook.com/lugarenblanco

The Cherokee Street district, brimming with hipsters diving in and out of hip venues, was made just a little better when (blank) space arrived a couple of years ago.

From Prince tributes, punk and poetry to hip-hop, DJ spins and experimental sounds, (blank) space seems to be the joint where just about anything goes. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick:

The Whiskey Ring Best-kept secret

p h o t o : r o be r t o r o d r i g u ez / p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e

Thaxton Speakeasy Where 1009 Olive Street • More info 314-241-3279, thaxtonspeakeasy.com

Downtown’s Thaxton Speakeasy is one of those low-key places you never hear about and never really know what’s going on there.

And that’s probably just the way it’s supposed to be. But one thing is certain about this downstairs delight: Whatever programming

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is happening, it’s definitely happening.

Knowing the password to get in (it’s on the venue’s website) certainly helps. And don’t leave without trying the homemade moonshine. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick:

The Heavy Anchor, Blues City Deli (tie) Best dance club

Boogie Nights Where Hollywood Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights • More info 314-770-7772, boogienightsusa.com/st.louis

If you love the nightlife and you love to boogie, then it’s Boogie Nights at Hollywood Casino for you. A big part of the casino’s recent makeover from the old Harrah’s, Boogie Nights offers an unabashed dance party every weekend with various themes that change week to week. Costumes are encouraged, the dance floor lights up and the mirror ball never stops spinning.

Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick:

Casa Loma Ballroom

Best downtown hangout

Ballpark Village

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It’s big. It’s shiny. It’s new. It’s stateof-the-art. You don’t even have to enjoy baseball (God forbid!) to bask in the light of one of downtown’s brightest beacons, just outside Busch Stadium. Anchoring the complex, Fox Sports Midwest Live! has the look and feel to be a real destination for concerts. Third Eye Blind played to a packed house for the venue’s grand opening. Though some have complained that there aren’t enough St. Louis retailers inside, we’re happy for now that the long-awaited project is finally a reality. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick: Flamingo Bowl

Best place for karaoke

Just John Where 4112 Manchester Avenue • More info 314371-1333, justjohnclub.com

Karaoke: Sometimes it’s good, sometimes it’s bad, but it’s always entertaining. At Just

John in the Grove, karaoke night (Tuesday and Thursday, with Rendezvous Entertainment) includes wannabes belting the usual rock standards, but you’ll also hear a liberal dose of showtunes. JuJo is also home to the annual Pride Idol karaoke competition, in which

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The Go! List 11

Music+clubs

Voted

Live music Wednesday through Sunday.

Great location for your party, banquet or event.

Contact

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by Go! list critics choice

Reservations suggested.

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Kentucky Knife Fight at LouFest in 2013

singers audition for the chance to sing at PrideFest — and win a prize package. Gabe Hartwig

Best place to hear country music

O Readers’ pick:

Where 17 Gateway Drive, Collinsville • More info 618-346-6775, wildcountrynightclub.com

Double D Karaoke Best place to hear jazz

New Music Circle More info 1-888-6627851, newmusiccircle.org

In recent years, the New Music Circle series — whose reputation was built on presenting contemporary classical music — has become the place to hear progressive jazz artists.

Staged in a variety of venues, the series has showcased cuttingedge musicians from pianist Matthew Shipp to cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum. For jazz that ventures beyond the expected, New Music Circle is unparalleled.

Wild Country

If you want to hear country music from some of the top local bands and some of the up-and-coming national acts, it’s Wild Country. True, you may have to watch an inordinate amount of line-dancing (avoid Wednesday night when the weekly line-dancing TV show is taped), but the music’s the thing. Randy Houser?

Yup, he’s been there.

Ditto for Jana Kramer, Uncle Kracker and

Calvin Wilson O Readers’ pick: Jazz at the Bistro

Randy Houser

12 The Go! List

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Best local band

Kentucky Knife Fight More info kentuckyknifefight.net

We were onto Kentucky Knife Fight well before the guys nabbed one of only two local slots at last year’s LouFest — though that certainly helped. The rock band’s last album may have been “Hush, Hush,” but there’s nothing quiet about our adoration for the Jason Holler-fronted outfit, which did a three-night run with Old 97’s and wrote the music for the PBS series “America: From the Ground Up!” Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick: New York New York

Josh Gracin. And if you want to meet the people behind the voices at WIL-FM, there’s a good chance you could bump into Derrick Keith or Bo Matthews.

They also have

affordable drinks, a reasonable cover charge and free dance lessons on Thursday — if that’s your thing.

Amanda St. Amand O Readers’ pick:

PBR St. Louis at Ballpark Village

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o s : p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e ( k en t u c k y k n i f e f i g h t ) ; a s s o c i at e d p r e s s f i l e ( h o u s e r )

Little Hills restaurant open 7 days a week serving lunch and dinner around their locally produced wines.

“best place for the blues”

Music+clubs Best place for the blues

BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups and Beale on Broadway (tie) Where BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups, 700 South Broadway • More info 314-436-5222, bbsjazzbluessoups.com Where Beale on Broadway, 701 South Broadway • More info 314-621-7880, bealeonbroadway.com

Long recognized worldwide as a blues oasis, St. Louis has the clubs to back up that reputation. BB’s and Beale on Broadway are right across the street from each other on South Broadway, making it easy to spend an evening getting deep into the music. Between them, the clubs serve up enough soulful sounds to satisfy even the most hard-to-please

blues fan. Take that, Chicago. Calvin Wilson O Readers’ pick: BB’s

Jazz, Blues & Soups Best local tribute band

El Monstero More info elmonstero.com

You have to give it to St. Louis-based Pink Floyd tribute band El Monstero for showing how far they take their tribute — in this case, all the way. El Monstero’s annual weeklong run at the Pageant mostly sells out, proving the band’s mettle. But the group has branched out to larger local gigs, including shows at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.

In August, the band brings its spectacle to Art Hill in Forest Park. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick:

El Monstero

Best local cover band

Dirty Muggs More info dirtymuggs.com

Cover bands don’t always have the best reputations (despite often getting the most work and bigger paychecks). But when a cover band has the goods, there’s no denying it. R&B/funk outfit Dirty Muggs has the goods and more.

Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick:

Ticket to the Beatles Best local DJ

DJ Sinamin More info facebook. com/djsinaminfanpage

DJ Sinamin, who can be heard on both Hot 104.1 and Old School 95.5, ranks here because of her diversity when it comes to her hip-hop,

R&B and dance music selections. She’s one of those rare DJs in which you never know what tricks she’ll put out of her musical hat. Kevin C. Johnson

Pokey LaFarge

O Readers’ pick:

Tony Patrico

Best CD/ record store

Vintage Vinyl Where 6610 Delmar Boulevard • More info 314721-4096, vintagevinyl.com

Vintage Vinyl continues to be a great go-to independent record store when it comes to purchasing actual physical copies of music. Not only can you pick up the new Lana Del Rey album, but you never know what long-out-of-print CD or album you’ll stumble onto. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ choice:

Vintage Vinyl

Best local singer

Pokey LaFarge More info pokeylafarge.net

It has been hard to keep our eyes off the folk-Americana singer, especially after the release of his self-titled album, his appearance on “Late Show with David Letterman” and his signing to Jack White’s record label. LaFarge’s new summer tour hits the Old Rock House in September. Kevin C. Johnson O Readers’ pick: Kim Massie

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The Go! List 13

Lavonne Byers Nowadays, the ess on actress is going the way of the ess on poetess and the ix on aviatrix. This spring, Lavonne Byers showed why, with a brilliant, gender-bending performance as the Emcee in “Cabaret” at Stray Dog Theatre. Her most memorable past work — as an icy matron in “A Delicate Balance” (St. Louis Actors’ Studio), as a lunatic landlady in “Entertaining Mr. Sloane” (HotCity), as a great soprano in “Master Class” (Stray Dog) — has run along more traditional gender lines.

But powerful acting, she makes us realize, is powerful acting, period. Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice: Sarajane Alverson

Best new St. Louis actor

Peter Winfrey Best St. Louis actor

Jim Butz

Jim Butz (front) and Dan Haller in Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ “Henry V”

14 The Go! List

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Butz has been such a good actor in such a variety of roles, he’d deserve this distinction even if he hadn’t just starred as Prince Hal/King Henry V in the summer’s best theater event, the double productions of “Henry IV” and “Henry V” at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Butz has portrayed lots of terrific characters for St. Louis audiences, from the hapless security guard in “Lobby Hero” to the thoughtful young C.S. Lewis in “Freud’s Last Session” (both at the Rep Studio). Most of all, though, he’s a Shakespearean actor who created indelible portraits of Marc Antony (in “Julius Caesar”) and Hamlet at the festival, and of Angelo (in “Measure for Measure”) at Mustard Seed. This summer’s massive double performance seals the deal: A great Shakespearean actor works here. What a blessing for St. Louis audiences that is. Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice: Jon Hamm

He’s just out of college, but in recent months Winfrey has demonstrated exceptional versatility, playing roles that range from an unjustly condemned Jewish businessman in the dramatic musical “Parade” at R-S Theatrics to a passionate art apprentice in “Red” at Encore! Look for Winfrey — who suddenly seems to be everywhere — in the cast of the muchbuzzed-about November production of “Stairs to the Roof,” the show that could spark a Tennessee Williams festival here.

Currently a member of the Metro Theater ensemble, the young actor doubtless has lots ahead of him. But whatever the future holds,

Lavonne Byers in “Cabaret”

we may always think of him as the gigantic, curiously eloquent praying mantis he portrayed in OnSite’s “A Prayer for the Gun Bug,” dressed in boots and a big, bulbous head. Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice:

Patrick Kelly

Most versatile St. Louis actor

Kari Ely This summer, she played both earthy Mistress Quickly and the shrewd Queen of France in “Henry IV” and “Henry V” at Shakespeare Festival St. Louis. Among many other things, her credits include the sad, drug-addicted mother in “Long Day’s Journey into Night” at Muddy Waters and the sparkling Desiree in “A Little Night Music” at Stages St. Louis. (Desiree’s the one who begs somebody to “Send in the Clowns.”)

Musical or straight play, drama or comedy — Ely’s your girl. Also ours. Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice:

Lavonne Byers

Best director

Bobby Miller Miller, a very smart guy, cut his dramatic teeth at the old Theatre Project Company, from which an awful lot of good work here continues to spring.

Recently, he directed remarkably lucid productions of “Waiting for Godot,” by Samuel Beckett, and “The Ride Down Mount Morgan,”

by Arthur Miller, at the St. Louis Actors’ Studio, plus an utterly delicious treatment of “The Good Doctor,” by Neil Simon with a major debt to Anton Chekhov, at the New Jewish Theatre.

An actor as well as a director, Miller displays a keen understanding not only of what actors want in a show but also what audiences do. That isn’t a distraction; it’s an asset.

Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice:

Gary Bell

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o s : j . d av i d l ev y ( b u t z ) ; j o h n l a m b ( b y e r s )

The arts

Best St. Louis actress

N SEASO OW SN T E K C I T E! L A S N O

November 18-30, 2014

Jan. 20 - Feb. 1, 2015

March 4-15, 2015

Dec. 16, 2014 Jan. 4, 2015

Oct. 21 - Nov. 2, 2014

March 24 - April 5, 2015

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The Go! List 15

the arts Upstream Theater

— may be concerned with precisely those issues. Judith Newmark

this theater space seems to bring out the best in theater artists, too. The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis consistently uses it to mount bold, brainy productions of shows that theater-lovers can’t afford to miss.

O Readers’ choice:

Stray Dog Theatre

Where Kranzberg Arts Center, 501 North Grand Boulevard • More info 314-863-4999, upstreamtheater.org

Most versatile theater space

What do you have in mind? Plays, which go back to the Greeks, cover a lot of ground, in terms of both style and substance. No doubt one of the most important factors, when we buy tickets and when we don’t, is the sense that some particular theater will talk to us about things we consider important.

Under founder and artistic director Philip Boehm, Upstream Theater knocks itself out to remind us that voices we don’t always heed — voices from other cultures, voices from the long-lost past

Emerson Studio Theatre

Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice:

Loretto-Hilton Center

Where Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves • More info 314-968-4925, repstl.org

Best costumes (with money)

Stages St. Louis

If you could enter the Emerson Theatre at the Loretto-Hilton Center blindfolded, you might not know if you’d ever been there before.

This flexible, 130seat theater — which people often call “the downstairs theater” or “the theater in the basement” — turns into a new adventure with every production.

Refined and intimate,

Community Center and now Westport Playhouse, which is even smaller. Maybe it’s because the costumers who most often design its productions, Dorothy Marshall Englis and Lou Bird, are talented artists. No matter the period, no matter the show, Stages sends its performers onstage in dazzling style, right down to the last sequin.

Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice:

Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Where Robert G. Reim Theatre, Kirkwood Civic Center, 111 South Geyer Road, Kirkwood; Playhouse at West Port Plaza, 635 West Port Plaza • More info 314-8212407, stagesstlouis.org

Maybe it’s because Stages plays in houses where nobody sits too far from the stage, the intimate Robert J. Reim Theatre at the Kirkwood

Best costumes (on a shoestring)

St. Louis Shakespeare More info 314-361-5664, stlshakespeare.org

Thirty years ago, when Donna Northcott founded this company, she didn’t dare to dream of staging all of

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“The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess” at the Muny

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Shakespeare’s plays.

The dream comes true this season, which starts with a modernday “Hamlet” and winds up with “Henry VI — The War of the Roses Trilogy.” Through it all you’ve been able to tell that somebody in the company had an eye for good costumes.

That’s Northcott, not only the troupe’s artistic director but costume designer for Lindenwood University, where she teaches theater. Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice: Stray Dog Theatre

Best sets (with money)

The Muny Where One Theatre Drive, Forest Park • More info 314-361-1900, muny.org

The onstage trees, which make shows at the Muny so special, are also part of the problem. Next to them, a “normal” set would look like a Barbie house. Muny sets have to be extra-big and extra-intense to work for everyone in the audience, all the way up to the free seats — as they do.

The huge LED screen

at the back of the stage takes the Muny sense of scale, never modest, up to 21stcentury proportions.

Best theater troupe for musicals

Judith Newmark

Where One Theatre Drive, Forest Park • More info 314-361-1900, muny.org

O Readers’ choice:

The Muny

Best sets (on a shoestring)

Stray Dog Theatre Where Tower Grove Abbey, 2336 Tennessee Avenue • More info 314-865-1995, straydogtheatre.org

A lush New Orleans hothouse, a quaintly dystopian village in the Alps, Macy’s at Christmas — those are the barest hint of the stylish sets that artistic director Gary F. Bell and his team put together, sets that are often entertaining in their own right. This season, Bell opens the rags-to-riches, ducklingto-swan musical “Funny Girl.” Knowing Stray Dog, it might take a fire-escape-togrand-staircase twist.

Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice:

Stray Dog Theatre

The Muny

Big — OK, enormous — and bold, the Muny is a St. Louis tradition, a landmark, and the reason that a lot of us know all the lyrics to songs that were Broadway hits before we were born. Anyone who goes to every Muny show for, say, three successive seasons, turns into a musical-theater expert, whether he means to or not.

Spend your youth doing that, and you could probably do a decent job programming a small musical-theater company. But not in St. Louis. Our standards are pretty high. Judith Newmark O Readers’ choice: Stray Dog Theatre

Best opera singer — male

Keith Boyer St. Louis is a hard — no, make that impossible — town for a singer to earn a living. Tenor Keith Boyer is making a name for himself anyway. A member of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus, he was tapped

to sing the role of the Mr. Swallow, rector of the Borough’s parish church, in “Peter Grimes,” singing in St. Louis and at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Patrick Carfizzi

stltoday.com/thegolist

photo: sarah conard

Best theater troupe for plays

The arts Most imaginative opera company

Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Ashley Emerson (left) and Kelly Kaduce in “Dialogues of the Carmelites” at OTSL

exceptions (the wigs in the 2001 “Barber of Seville” come to mind), it’s made good and creative use of its limited funds.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Union Avenue Opera

Where Loretto-Hilton Center, 130 Edgar Road, Webster Groves • More info 314-961-0644, opera-stl.org

St. Louis Chamber Chorus More info 636-458-4343, chamberchorus.org

Best opera singer — female

Christine Brewer More info christinebrewer.com

Brewer is one of the 20 greatest sopranos of the 20th century, according to BBC Magazine, and although her career takes her all over the world, she

remains involved in the St. Louis region. That involvement extends beyond making her home in Metro East to working with local kids and singing with local ensembles.

Her rendition of Wagner’s “Liebestod” will melt your heart.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Christine Brewer

Best use of a financial shoestring in opera

Union Avenue Opera Where Union Avenue Christian Church, 733 Union Boulevard • More info 314-361-2881, unionavenueopera.org

UAO has come a long way in its 20-year existence, and, with a few

It’s a bit surprising to find a choir with an international reputation in a town that doesn’t have a music conservatory or a means for singers to make a living with their art. SLCC artistic director Philip Barnes does it by having high standards, dedicated singers, and an artistic imagination that knows no bounds.

ers. Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice: Arianna String Quartet

Best chamber music festival

O Readers’ choice: St.

Missouri Chamber Music Festival

Best chamber music group

More info 314-882-0053, mochambermusic.org

Sarah Bryan Miller

Louis Chamber Chorus

Arianna String Quartet More info ariannaquartet.com

We’re fortunate that the University of Missouri-St. Louis has a set of Artists in Residence, and even more fortunate that those artists comprise the Arianna String Quartet. They offer fine, accessible playing and great discussions of the music that illuminate the intentions of, and influences on, the compos-

With its fourth season just concluded, the Missouri Chamber Music Festival (the brainchild of St. Louis Symphony Orchestra principal clarinet Scott Andrews and his wife, pianist Nina Ferrigno), draws on local talent and talented out-of-town friends for a too-short week of great chamber music every June.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Missouri Chamber Music Festival

p h o t o : k en h o wa r d

OTSL is imaginative in its repertoire, commissioning works and digging up worthy obscurities. It’s imaginative in its casting, giving young singers opportunities they would be unlikely to find elsewhere. The Loretto-Hilton is really a terrible venue for opera, with its thrust stage and miserable little orchestra pit, but OTSL makes a virtue even of that. (Well, perhaps not the pit.) As the company advances to its 40th anniversary next year, we urge it to be imaginative about middle age, too. Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice: Opera Theatre of St. Louis

Best choral ensemble

He builds programs to match venues, and produces recordings that consistently get high marks from British and American critics alike. Others imitate; Barnes innovates.

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The Go! List 17

the arts though; this year, there are some literally bright spots: The stl250 birthday cakes.

We’re not sure we would want to live with them permanently, but they’re an awful lot of fun in the meantime.

They’re also a good way of engaging the public with, well, public art.

And isn’t engagement a big part of the point?

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Citygarden

Best mural

‘Black Americans in Flight’ Best classical venue

Powell Symphony Hall Where 718 North Grand Boulevard • More info 314534-1700, stlsymphony.org

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The acoustics are great, the amenities are acceptable, and the resident ensemble — that would be the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra — is absolutely worldclass, under its remarkable music director, David Robertson. The combination helps to make St. Louis a great place to live. Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Powell Symphony Hall

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Best place to have a drink while enjoying a recital

Tavern of Fine Arts Where 313 Belt Avenue • More info 314-367-7549, tavern-of-fine-arts.com

The intimate Tavern of Fine Arts has good wine and food, plus a wide range of musical entertainment. You can hear the Arianna String Quartet trying out a new work, a composer performing excerpts from his new musical, or a fine young singer whose day job

is not her life. Anyone who isn’t sure about classical music has a good place in which to try it out at the Tavern.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Tavern of Fine Arts Best dance company

Big Muddy Dance Company More info 314-338-4058, thebigmuddydanceco.org

In a surprisingly short time, the Big Muddy Dance Company has become one of the most exciting ensembles in town. You don’t have to be a hardcore dance fan to appreciate the energy and imagination that this company exudes, whether it’s performing in a concert hall or a ballroom. But if you do happen to be an aficionado, chances are you’ll marvel at Big Muddy’s artistry all the more. Calvin Wilson O Readers’ choice: MADCO

Best dance festival/series

Spring to Dance Where Touhill Performing Arts Center, University of Missouri-St. Louis, One University Boulevard

Best artist

Carlie Trosclair More info carlietrosclair.com

One of three artists represented in this year’s Great Rivers Biennial at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis, Trosclair had in recent years been a rising star on the St. Louis art scene.

Now, with her Biennial success, she’s in her own universe. Not a few St. Louis artists have heeded the call to New York, but let’s hope Trosclair sticks around to grace us with more of her fascinating work. Calvin Wilson O Readers’ choice: Mark Borella

Where Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, 10701 Lambert International Boulevard • More info 314-426-8000, flystl.com

In a city that has often struggled with racial issues, this mural at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport is a salute to AfricanAmerican aviators — and an affirmation that heroes come in all colors. Calvin Wilson O Readers’ choice:

Musicians mural at Highway 61 Roadhouse

Dance fans lamented Grand Center’s announcement that its Dancing in the Street festival has been discontinued. But they can take heart in the fact that the most recent edition of Dance St. Louis’ Spring to Dance festival was as impressive as ever, presenting more than 30 acts over three nights — and, as usual, providing one of the better entertainment options for the Memorial Day weekend. Calvin Wilson

O Readers’ choice:

Spring to Dance

Best work of public art

stl250 birthday cakes Where 250 locations in the St. Louis area • More info stl250.org

There’s a lot of bad public art in St. Louis, much of it clustered along Lindell/Olive Boulevard between Compton and Vandeventer. There are a few bright spots,

St. Louis Art Museum Where One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park • More info 314-721-0072, slam.org

We’re fortunate in our museums, dealing with everything from photography to chess.

SLAM, however, remains the big kahuna, with a wide range of exhibits, permanent and otherwise. With the addition of the east building, there are more reasons than ever to visit. Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice: St.

Louis Art Museum

Best creative use of museum space

Contemporary Art Museum Where 3750 Washington Boulevard • More info 314-535-4660, camstl.org

Many museums shift a few dividing walls for a special exhibition.

Only CAM is taken apart for one show and then reconstructed for the next. I’m always relieved to find the stairs still where I left them.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

Best art gallery

City Museum

White Flag Projects

Best art exhibition

Where 4568 Manchester Avenue • More info 314-5313442, white-flag-projects.org

• More info 314-5346622, dancestlouis.org

Best museum

If you’re interested in art that takes chances, it’s unlikely that you’ll be disappointed by the exhibitions at White Flag Projects. While the gallery has been known to deliver the shock of the new, its presentations also reflect the ever-evolving possibilities of visual art. That lends White Flag a perspective that transcends trendiness while being open to the unexpected. Calvin Wilson O Readers’ choice:

St. Louis Art Museum

‘Impressionist France’ Where St. Louis Art Museum, One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park • More info 314-721-0072, slam.org

This wasn’t a traditional museum blockbuster. Instead, it was a thoughtfully conceived and executed presentation of national change and the ways in which it was recorded (and, in some cases, resisted) in 19th century France, and worth more than one visit.

Sarah Bryan Miller O Readers’ choice:

“Impressionist France”

www.nomoreladders.com 18 The Go! List

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o : j . b . f o r be s / p o s t- d i s pat c h

Carlie Trosclair with her Great Rivers Biennial installation

#thegolist

07.27.14 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE

The Go! List 19

Film+TV+books

Best scripted TV series set in St. Louis

‘Masters of Sex’

More info sho.com/mastersofsex

Lots of St. Louisans were aware of what sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson were up to at Washington University in the beginning in 1957. But Showtime told the world in this riveting and racy drama, due for a second season, with Michael Sheen as a hotter Masters and Lizzy Caplan as an adorable Johnson.

It would only have been better if producers had sprung for some local shoots. Gail Pennington O Readers’ choice: “Defiance”

Best St. Louisan on a scripted TV series

Best St. Louisan on an unscripted TV series

David Giuntoli, ‘Grimm’

Grady Powell, ‘Ultimate Survival Alaska’

More info nbc.com/grimm

With apologies to Jon Hamm, David Giuntoli has set a new standard for young romantic heroes coming out of our town. As adorable Nick, hunting monsters for three seasons on NBC’s unlikely hit “Grimm,” he has attracted legions of fans who tune in as much to see his love scenes with girlfriend Juliette (Bitsie Tulloch).

Gail Pennington O Readers’ choice: Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”

20 The Go! List

Navy SEAL Jarred Ogden to move here.

Gail Pennington O Readers’ choice:

Andy Cohen, “Watch What Happens Live”

More info channel. nationalgeographic. com/channel/ultimatesurvival-alaska

The former Army Green Beret and Chesterfield native led a team of exmilitary hunks on the grueling National Geographic competition, and although they came in second, St. Louis still won when Powell recruited Grady former Powell

Best unscripted TV series filmed in St. Louis

‘Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s’ More info oprah. com/sweetiepies

For a while, it looked as if St. Louis would become a hub for reality TV, but most of the shows set here made it through only one season. “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” is the proud exception, lasting through four seasons and 50-plus episodes on the OWN network.

(A new season began this month, focusing on

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

a new Sweetie Pie’s in Memphis.) Viewers apparently find the lives of Miss Robbie, Tim and the crowd as tasty as diners find Sweetie Pie’s fried chicken.

Gail Pennington O Readers’ choice: “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s”

Best St. Louis filmmaker

Brian Jun While filmmakers such as Bob Gale, James Gunn and the late George Hicklenlooper have left the Gateway City for Hollywood, Webster U. grad Brian Jun contines to document life among the working class

around Alton. His 2006 Sundance selection “Steel City” was a triumph of naturalism (and gave America Ferrera one her first roles). His work-in progress “Off Sides” is a sexually frank drama with a multicultural cast. Joe Williams O Readers’ choice: James Gunn

Best St. Louisan in the movies

John Goodman Until Jon Hamm or Jenna Fischer prove they are movie stars, there is little debate about St. Louis’ favorite film actor. Affton’s John Goodman is a big man who

has moved nimbly between TV (“Roseanne,” “Alpha House”), starring roles (“The Babe,” “King Ralph”) and meaty character parts (“Argo,” “The Big Lebowski”).

Now camped down river in New Orleans, Goodman has never made a movie in his hometown, but you can hear his booming voice in a history video that screens (on the ceiling!) in the Grand Hall of Union Station. Joe Williams O Readers’ choice:

John Goodman

Best movie set in St. Louis

‘Meet Me in St. Louis’

heartwarming flick from 1944 is such an easy choice — heck, the words “St. Louis” are in the title — that it’s easy to overlook the artistry of the movie itself. Five years after “The Wizard of Oz,” Judy Garland became a grown-up movie star as the Central West End teen whose heart went clang-clang-clang for the boy next door.

And in the role of Tootie, little Margaret O’Brien was adorably demonic, as the entitled tot murders a snow effigy of her father to ensure she gets to attend the 1904 World’s Fair. Joe Williams O Readers’ choice: “Meet Me in St. Louis”

This ostensibly

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o s : s h o w t i m e ( “ m a s t e r s o f s e x ” ) ; a s s o c i at e d p r e s s f i l e ( p o we l l )

Lizzy Caplan and Michael Sheen in “Masters of Sex”

film+TV+Books Best movie filmed in St. Louis

Best movie theater

‘Up in the Air’ Ronnie’s 20 Cine In this 2010 Oscar nominee for best picture, corporate downsizer George Clooney meets his match in frequent flier Vera Farmiga and gogetter underling Anna Kendrick. While much of the source novel was set in Omaha, director Jason Reitman became so enamored of Missouri locales (and tax credits) that he rewrote the script to include a shoutout to Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, where he shot several scenes in the little-used D Terminal. Joe Williams O Readers’ choice:

“Up in the Air�

Best film festival/series

St. Louis International Film Festival More info 314-289-4151, cinemastlouis.org

Now entering its 23rd year, the late-autumn festival is the best way for landlocked film fans to preview Hollywood’s year-end award contenders, catch indie or foreign flicks that might otherwise fly over our time zone, and rub elbows with cinematic celebrities. Over the years, guests have included actor Kevin Spacey, St. Louisan Marsha Mason and director Oliver Stone (who screened his epic “JFK� at the Tivoli on the 50th anniversary of the Kennedy assassination). SLIFF also has filmmaking seminars, parties galore and a contest for emerging directors who invariably rave about Midwestern niceties such as squarecut pizza. Joe Williams O Readers’

choice: Super 8 Movie Madness

#thegolist

Where 5320 South Lindbergh Boulevard • More info 314-8434336, wehrenberg.com

The theater that put the “mega� in “megaplex� is a 20-screener on South Lindbergh in Affton. Yes it’s got an Imax auditorium, an arcade, adult beverages, gazillionwatt surround sound and stadium seating.

But what separates this Wehrenberg property from other cinemas is the lobby dining area, which contains an ersatz drive-in theater with sawed-off vintage cars, from which you can watch movie trailers or Cardinals games. It’s Wehrenberg’s way of appeasing the movie gods, as the theater was built on the site of the old Ronnie’s drive-in. Joe Williams O Readers’

choice: Tivoli Best drive-in movie theater

Skyview in Belleville Where 5700 North Belt West, Belleville • More info 618-233-4400, skyview-drive-in.com

The Metro East has two great drive-ins called the Skyview. The Skyview in Litchfield, Ill., is a time-capsule landmark on Route 66, but it has only one screen and tends to show family-friendly fare. So if you want variety, check the listings for the Skyview in Belleville, where the front screen usually shows kiddie flicks and the back screen shows action movies.

This year, Belleville’s Skyview is celebrating its 65th anniversary, but it’s still got a vintage rocket-ship marquee that I will

A Big Easy Murder personally prevent developers from ever bulldozing. Joe Williams O Readers’ choice:

Skyview in Belleville Best St. Louis author

Ridley Pearson More info ridleypearson.com

Last year William Gass received the title, and he still deserves it.

But let’s give some recognition this year to Ridley Pearson, who has worked tirelessly not only writing popular thrillers and children’s books, but also helping promote the county library and other organizations.

Jane Henderson O Readers’ choice:

Ridley Pearson, Curtis R. Smith (tie) Best book by a St. Louis author

‘The Big Smoke’

by Adrian Matejka More info adrianmatejka.com

“The Big Smoke� by Adrian Matejka was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in poetry this spring. Although Matejka has headed to another Midwestern state (Indiana), he lived in Edwardsville while writing this esteemed collection about African-American boxer Jack Johnson (1878– 1946). Jane Henderson O Readers’ choice: “I,

Poetic Confessions, II� by Curtis R. Smith Best local bookstore

Left Bank Books Where 399 North Euclid Avenue • More info 314367-6731, left-bank.com

No other store brings as many authors to town or is so identified

with St. Louis. This year Left Bank decided to close its store downtown, but its flagship location is still going strong, celebrating its 45th anniversary. Most, although not quite all, of those years have been on Euclid Avenue in the Central West End. Jane Henderson

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O Readers’ choice: Left Bank Books

4426 Randall Pl. • St. Louis

314.533.9830

www.bissellmansion.com Only 5 minutes from downtown

Best children’s book events

St. Louis Storytelling Festival More info stlstorytellingfestival.com

The St. Louis Storytelling Festival uses multiple locations, making the free events accessible to many people. Sure, some places may have better acoustics than others, but the variety and free admission of the festival trumps any single locale.

Jane Henderson O Readers’ choice:

St. Louis County Library

Best place to see your favorite author

Central Library Where 1301 Olive Street • More info 314-241-2288, slpl.org

Central Library’s auditorium is a great place for an author event. Not only is there a new stage, but the cushioned seats are much better than the standard fold-up chairs you usually find at such events. The 244seat auditorium was added to the library in its grand remodeling project, completed in 2012, in a lower-level space that once held coal. Jane Henderson O Readers’ choice: Left Bank Books

07.27.14 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE

The Go! List 21

Around town

Best festival

Fair St. Louis More info fairsaintlouis.org

Sure, Forest Park once hosted the World’s Fair. But how would it possibly fare as a venue for Fair St. Louis? Turns out, pretty well.

Organizers had their work cut out for them when they moved the annual event to the park, a temporary relocation forced by construction at the Gateway Arch grounds, but we’re calling it a success. Art Hill is a beautiful natural amphitheater for musical acts, and the surrounding spaces work well as shaded escapes for food and beer. The Arch grounds will be there waiting for us when its transformation is complete, but in the meantime, we’ll happily celebrate the Fourth with St. Louis’ crown jewel. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: Budweiser Taste of St. Louis

Fair St. Louis on Art Hill

St. Louis Zoo Where 1 Government Drive, Forest Park • More info 314-781-0900, stlzoo.org

It consistently ranks as one of the best zoos in the country, and many of those other top-rated zoos have pricey admission fees. There are nearly 20,000 wild animals, and their habitats are also among the best you’ll find in the country. More than 3 million people visit the St. Louis Zoo annually, for good reason. It’s one of the few free zoos in the nation. Aisha Sultan

22 The Go! List

St. Louis Zoo

Best place to take the family on a sunny day

Busch Stadium Where 700 Clark Street • More info cardinals.com

Nothing beats baseball on a bright, sunny day. (Except playoff baseball on a brisk fall day.) Joining the sea of red for a Cardinals game is more than just attending a sporting event in this town. It’s being part of a cultural tradition. It’s passing on civic pride and a

sense of community.

There are local heros to cheer and places to wander for those who get bored. Plus, no matter how overpriced, there’s beer and nachos. Aisha Sultan O Readers’ choice: St. Louis Zoo

Best place to take the family on a rainy day

City Museum Where 750 North 16th Street • More info 314231-2489, citymuseum.org

It’s unlike any museum you’ve ever visited — part funhouse, part fantasy world and

part jungle-gym. This may be what a child’s imagination would look like in physical form. Its winding passageways, 10-story slides and numerous hands-on activities make it a must-see for visitors and locals. Like any enclosed space, however, it’s bound to get packed on a rainy day, so either go early or go late to avoid the worst of the crowds. Aisha Sultan O Readers’ choice:

St. Louis Science Center

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Scariest amusement park ride

Mr. FreezeReverse Blast Where 4900 Six Flags Road, Eureka • More info 636-9385300, sixflags.com/stlouis

The 54-inch height requirement may be your first clue that this ride is not for the faint of heart. But you still won’t be prepared as you go from 0 to 70 mph in 3.8 seconds.

And, as you might have guessed from the name of the ride, you do it backward, looping this way and that, before launching up a 218-foot tower,

still riding backward.

Then — the scariest part — you freefall straight down. Amy Bertrand

Mr. Freeze p h o t o s : c r i s t i n a f l e t e s - b o u t t é ( fa i r s t. l o u i s ) ; h a n d o u t ( m r . f r eeze )

O Readers’ choice:

Best free attraction

O Readers’ choice:

Mr. Freeze

Best place to experience nature

Tower Grove Park Where 4256 Magnolia Avenue • More info towergrovepark.org

I’ve loved Tower Grove Park since 2006, when I won a trophy there in what was an apparently poorly publicized 5K. I ran by many of the park’s distinct

stltoday.com/thegolist

Donate to Goodwill TUESDAYS in AUGUST AUGUS and receive a coupon for a

FREE Large ® Blizzard Treat ANY FLAVOR While Supplies Last.

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Not valid on Miracle Treat Day, August 14, 2014.

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GIVE HOPE. GIVE LOCAL. GIVE GOODWILL.

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314-241-3464 mersgoodwill.org 07.27.14 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE

The Go! List 23

Something for everyone for the Kid in all of us!!

Around town A red panda at the St. Louis Zoo

Over 500 Bottled Sodas Candies from all over the World @ Rocket Fizz U-City

Located in the Delmar Loop Open:

6303 Delmar Boulevard

Sunday - Thursday 10am - 9pm Friday & Saturday 10am - 10pm

(314) 833-4614

Cars + Clothes + Couches = HOPE

features: lily ponds, a wild bird garden, old-timey entrance gates, a statue of the Bard. Since then, I’ve played kickball, softball and ultimate Frisbee on the rows and rows of athletic fields. In the summer, the park is hopping.

The Compton Heights Concert Band plays on Mondays, the Piper Palm House holds children’s concerts on Wednesdays, food trucks hawk their fare one Friday a month, and the farmers market peddles local goods on Saturdays.

You can always cool off in the wading

pool. And perhaps reminisce about past fun-run glory.

Colleen Schrappen O Readers’

choice: Missouri Botanical Garden Best park

Suson Park Where 6073 Wells Road • More info 314-6158822, stlouisco.com

With great ponds for fishing (stocked by the Missouri Department of Conservation), fun trails for hiking, a large playground and plentiful pavilions, this south St. Louis County park does all the basics right. But the best part about it: barns filled with adorable animals — cows, horses, pigs, sheep, peacocks, goats, geese and more. And it’s free.

Amy Bertrand O Readers’ choice: Forest Park

Schedule A Donation Pick-Up

314-535-0057

satruck.com

Winner RFT’s 2013 Best Thrift Store 24 The Go! List

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Fredbird

Cutest St. Louis Zoo animal

Red panda

Where 1 Government Drive, Forest Park • More info 314-781-0900, stlzoo.org

Sorry, capybara and California sea lion; the red panda edged you out.

When this animal scampers about with its fluffy orange-and-white striped tail and raccoonlike face, it’s hard not to say “awww.” The zoo knows what works: The red panda has prime central location near Sea Lion Sound. Jody Mitori O Readers’ choice: Penguins

Best mascot

Fredbird Where Busch Stadium, 700 Clark Street • More info cardinals.com

The most popular sports team in town better have the best mascot. Our Fredbird celebrates Cardinals wins with fans and remains beloved no matter how many heads he beaks. But what we really respect is his sense of rhythm. The bird and his Team Fredbird can dance. Jody Mitori O Readers’ choice: Fredbird

Best shopping mall

St. Louis Premium Outlets Where 18521 Outlet Boulevard, Chesterfield • More info 314-399-8163, premiumoutlets.com/stlouis

About a year ago, two outlet malls opened in Chesterfield. Taubman Prestige Outlets has the prime location, but the winner in our hearts is St. Louis Premium Outlets. Truly a destination shopping spot with stores such as Kate Spade, Saks Fifth

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o s : j o d y m i t o r i / p o s t- d i s pat c h ( r e d pa n d a ) ; l a u r i e s k r i va n / p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e ( f r e d b i r d )

Rocket Fizz Stl

ROCK‘N’

Around town

WE

CRA

NK

ROAR

EVERY WEE

UP

TH

E

KEN

Jungle Boogie Concert Series Friday Nights, 5–8 p.m.

Presented by Mid America Chevy Dealers

2014 PrideFest Parade on Market Street

Avenue Off Fifth, Under Armour, Coach and more, this mall also has ample parking, a nice food court and beautiful spaces. Amy Bertrand

Best parade

O Readers’ choice:

In a summer when so many festivals packed up and left downtown (Bluesweek, Fair St. Louis, Taste of St. Louis), we’re thrilled that the 35th PrideFest partied last month at Soldiers Memorial, for a second year. (The festival previously had been held in the too-intimate confines of Tower Grove Park, with the big parade squeezing down Grand Boulevard.) This year’s PrideFest Parade, clocking in at two hours, was indeed cause for celebration. It came on the heels of four same-sex couples defying Missouri law and marrying at St. Louis City Hall; the couples rode in the parade, with Mayor Francis Slay. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: Ancient Order of Hibernians St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dogtown

West County Center Best thrift store

The Green Shag Market Where 5733 Manchester Avenue • More info 314-646-8687, thegreenshagmarket.com

We love getting a great deal on preowned kitsch, but please don’t make us dig through a pile of junk to get to it. At the Green Shag Market, there’s plenty of deals — and kitsch.

But the store’s booths are enticing and well curated, with the merchandise rotating frequently, so each visit feels like a brand-new shopping experience.

Gabe Hartwig

p h o t o : d av i d c a r s o n / p o s t- d i s pat c h

O Readers’ choice:

Mers Goodwill

Best place for a history lesson

Old Courthouse Where 11 North Fourth Street • More info 314-6551600, gatewayarch.com

#thegolist

PrideFest Parade More info pridestl.org

The best bands in St. Louis are getting ready to pounce on the Saint Louis Zoo for a howling good time. All summer long, the Jungle Boogie Concert Series turns up the fun for free, every Friday night from 5 to 8 p.m. Party with thousands of animals and enjoy everything the Zoo has to offer until closing time. But don’t stop there. We’re staying open until 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday evenings for Prairie Farms Summer Zoo Weekends. It’s enough to make a two-legged creature consider going nocturnal.

August 1 Mood Swings 8 Coco Soul

15 22 29

Griffin & the Gargoyles Ticket to the Beatles FatPocket

stlzoo.org

Looking for something fun to do this weekend?

Try Rock Climbing!

Daily Climbing Passes • Birthday Parties • Climbing Classes • Corporate Team Building • Date Night • Family Packages • FUN!!

St. Louis’ Premier Indoor

Rock Climbing Gyms A landmark of 19thcentury architecture, the Old Courthouse is the site where the Dred Scott case was first brought to trial in 1847. Scott, a slave, and his wife, Harriet, tried to win their freedom only to eventually fail in the Supreme Court in 1857. The case was one of the turning points for the start of the Civil War. A gallery includes a mock courtroom and imagines dialogue from the Scotts’ early trials, but take extra time to tour the courthouse,

learn about St. Louis history and enjoy the view from the rotunda. Jody Mitori

Where Chesterfield Amphitheater, 631 Veteran’s Place Drive, Chesterfield • More info 314-5342100, bluesweek.com

from downtown to the Chesterfield Amphitheater, the skeptics were vocal.

But the amphitheater proved to be a suitable home for the event in May, which featured acts such as Otis Clay, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Royal Southern Brotherhood and Marquise Knox. It was the venue’s biggest event ever, drawing about 20,000 music lovers. Gabe Hartwig

When Bluesweek announced its move

O Readers’ choice: Budweiser Taste of St. Louis

O Readers’ choice:

Missouri History Museum Best move to Chesterfield

Bluesweek

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www.UPPERLIMIITS.com m 07.27.14 • ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH • GO! MAGAZINE

The Go! List 25

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Best historical renovation

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26 The Go! List

Let’s be honest: For far too long, there has been practically no reason to venture inside Union Station. But a multimillion-dollar renovation effort by Lodging Hospitality Management aims to change that.

In May, LHM unveiled a restoration of the historic train station’s Grand Hall, which includes the addition of a Starbucks, a bar, a model railroad, and a spectacular show of lights and animated projections on the 65-foot, barrel-vaulted ceiling.

Welcome back, Union Station. It’s good to see you again. Gabe Hartwig O Readers’ choice: Central Library

Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

Best local tweeter

Marcia Dorsey More info @marciadorsey

Marcia Dorsey, the mother of Twitter cofounder Jack Dorsey (@Jack), asks in her Twitter bio whether she’s the grandmother of Twitter. The answer is yes. Her photos of the Mississippi River greet her 2,462 followers many mornings, and most evenings she’ll wish everyone a buonanotte with another picture. The view from the South Broadway bluff is as changeable as a Twitter feed. Her view is one few St. Louisans get to enjoy. With her photos, she shows one of the best things about Twitter: its ability to be a window into places you can’t go. Dorsey uses her account as any good social media citizen

should: sharing her thoughts, responding and retweeting others and supporting her son’s endeavors, including Square. Beth O’Malley O Readers’ choice:

Erica Smith, @ericasmith

Best local Instagrammer

Michael R. Allen More info @michaelrallen

Michael R. Allen’s bio on Instagram is simple: “Architectural historian who studies buildings and loves people.” It’s the link to the Preservation Research Office website that gives his photos context. Allen is the founder of the office and previously worked at the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.

His Instagram photos, as would be expected,

feature the buildings of St. Louis (or other towns he visits), with a dose of the personal. Like #ruinporn, his snaps highlight crumbling buildings, but they go much further than pretty pictures of decay. They highlight the work he and others are doing to protect St. Louis’ architecture.

stories and special needs. Tenth Life has joined Stray Rescue in making St. Louis a point of pride for animal lovers. Gail Pennington O Readers’ choice:

Randy Grim and Stray Rescue

Beth O’Malley O Readers’ choice:

@stlouisfixie

Best local hero

Tenth Life Cat Rescue Where 3200 Cherokee Street • More info 314808-2454, tenthlifecats.org

Elizabeth Frick and the Tenth Life team don’t just save cats. They try to save every cat they can — not only cuddly kittens, although there are those, too, but cats with heartbreaking

Jelly Bean found a home, thanks to Tenth Life.

stltoday.com/thegolist

p h o t o s : c h r i s l ee / p o s t- d i s pat c h f i l e ( u n i o n s tat i o n ) ; h a n d o u t ( t en t h l i f e )

Lock in your discount by requesting your FREE consultation by August 7.

Index

Lester’s LHC Lion’s Choice LouFest Loretto-Hilton Center Lo’Russo, Rich

6 4 6 10 16 7

M A

E

Allen, Michael R. 26 Alverson, Sarajane 14 Ancient Order of Hibernians St. Patrick’s Day Parade 25 Arianna String Quartet 17 Atomic Cowboy 10

El Monstero 13 Ely, Kari 14 Emerson Studio Theatre 16 Evangeline’s Bistro 4, 10 & Music House

F B Ballpark Village 11, 12 BB’s Jazz, Blues & Soups 13 Beale on Broadway 13 Bell, Gary 14 Big Muddy Dance 18 Company “The Big Smoke” 21 “Black Americans 18 in Flight” (blank) space 11 The Blue Owl 9 Blueberry Hill 6 Blueprint Coffee 9 Blues City Deli 11 Bluesweek 25 Boogie Nights at 11 Hollywood Casino Boyer, Keith 16 Brewer, Christine 17 Bridge Tap House 9 & Wine Bar Budweiser Taste 22, 25 of St. Louis Busch Stadium 22 Butz, Jim 14 Byers, Lavonne 14

C Cafe Napoli 6 Carfizzi, Patrick 16 Casa Loma Ballroom 11 Central Library 21 Chandler Hill Vineyards 9 Cielo 8 City Diner 4 Citygarden 18 City Museum 18, 22 Civil Life Brewing Co. 8 Cohen, Andy 20 Companion Bakery 9 Courtesy Diner 4

Fair St. Louis Flamingo Bowl Forest Park The Fountain on Locust Fredbird

22 11 24 4 24

G Giuntoli, David 20 The Good Pie 6 Goodman, John 20 Grand Hall 26 at Union Station The Great Food Exposition 6 at River City Casino The Green Shag Market 25 Grim, Randy 26 Gunn, James 20

H Hamm, Jon 14, 20 The Heavy Anchor 11 Hendel’s Market Cafe 7 Highway 61 Roadhouse 18 Hiro 4 Hodak’s Restaurant & Bar 7

I Imo’s “Impressionist France” International Tap House “I, Poetic Confessions, II”

6 18 9 21

J Jazz at the Bistro 12 Jilly’s Cupcake Bar & Cafe 4 Jun, Brian 20 Just John 10, 11

K Kelly, Patrick Kentucky Knife Fight Kirkwood Station Brewing Co.

14 12 8

D Dirty Muggs DJ Sinamin Dogtown Pizza Dorsey, Marcia Double D Karaoke

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13 13 6 26 12

7 13 18 6 21

18 13 20 21 20 25 6 14 6 8 24 17 25 22 9 16

N New Music Circle New York New York Niche

12 12 4

O Old Courthouse Old Town Donuts Opera Theatre of St. Louis

25 7 16, 17

P The Pageant Pastaria Patrico, Tony PBR St. Louis at Ballpark Village Peabody Opera House Pearson, Ridley Penguins Perennial Artisan Ales Barrel-Aged Abraxas Pharaoh’s Donuts Pin-Up Bowl Planter’s House Poremba, Ben The Post Sports Bar & Grill Powell, Grady Powell Symphony Hall PrideFest Parade

10 6 13 12 10 21 24 8 7 8 8 7 6 20 18 25

Q QuikTrip

L La Tejana Taqueria LaFarge, Pokey Lambert-St. Louis International Airport Landmark Buffet at Ameristar Casino Left Bank Books

MADCO Massie, Kim “Masters of Sex” Matejka, Adrian “Meet Me in St. Louis” Mers Goodwill Mi Tierra Tienda y Taqueria Miller, Bobby Mission Taco Joint Missouri Bar & Grille Missouri Botanical Garden Missouri Chamber Music Festival Missouri History Museum Mr. Freeze Montelle Winery The Muny

6

R The Ready Room Red panda Ronnie’s 20 Cine The Royale

10 24 21 4, 8

River City Granite

S @stlouisfixie St. Louis Art Museum St. Louis Chamber Chorus St. Louis County Library St. Louis International Film Festival St. Louis Premium Outlets St. Louis Science Center St. Louis Shakespeare St. Louis Storytelling Festival St. Louis Zoo Sasha’s on Shaw Seoul Taco Shaw’s Coffee Siam Side Project Brewing Six Flags Skyview in Belleville Smith, Curtis R. Smith, Erica Soulard Farmers Market Spring to Dance Stages St. Louis Starbucks stl250 birthday cakes Stray Dog Theatre Stray Rescue Super 8 Movie Madness Suson Park

26 18 17 21 21

314-371-0300 618-875-9250

24 22 16 21 22 7 7 9 10 8 22 21 21 26 9 18 16 9 18 16 26 21 24

www.rivercitygranitestl.com

T Tavern of Fine Arts Tenth Life Cat Rescue Thaxton Speakeasy Three Flags Tavern Ticket to the Beatles Tivoli Tower Grove Park

18 26 11 4, 7 13 21 22

U Union Avenue Opera “Up in the Air” Upstream Theater Urban Chestnut Urban Chestnut Schnickelfritz

17 21 16 8 9

V Vin de Set Vintage Vinyl

8 13

W “Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s” West County Center The Whiskey Ring White Flag Projects Wild Country Winfrey, Peter

20 25 11 18 12 14

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The Go! List 27

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Go! Magazine • St. Louis Post-Dispatch • 07.27.14

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