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SHORT ORDERS rant harlie itto s owntown with stories ro his long career in the business. ro his stool at the corner o the bar ust to the side o the restaurant s ront doors he d entertain a steady strea o guests with tales o celebrities sports fig ures and politicians who he d got ten to now over the years. hat entertain ent value is why he got into the business and in addition to his restaurant s classic talian ood is what ade harlie itto s so special. hen we said goodbye to hi this uly we said goodbye to ore than ust the Mayor o i th treet we bid arewell to a leg end o t. ouis dining whose bar stool no one will ever be able to fill.
[YEAR END REVIEW]
The Best and Worst of St. Louis’ Dining Scene in 2020 Written by
CHERYL BAEHR
I
n a year defined by upheaval it s i possible to understate the earth shattering chaos and uncertainty rained down on the hospitality world than s to . s any server che bartender prep coo valet restaurateur or anyone else in the business where they were that ate ul second wee end in March and the an swers are li ely to sound li e those given by witnesses to the ennedy assassination or . here was a sense that the world as they new it as all o us who dine out new it was about to change aybe orever but at least or the long ter indefinite uture. hey were scared. hey didn t now how they would pay their bills. hey weren t sure that the careers they d dedi cated their lives to would be there on the other side and in turn it ade any in the business ues tion who they were without the obs that had co e to define so uch o their lives. nd no one was co ing to help the . ure there were the loans and e panded une ploy ent benefits all wrapped up in cu berso e red tape but or the ost part the industry new it was on its own. n the ab ect is ery o this year one o the bright est spots has been the way that the hospitality industry has e panded its notion o service to include one another as well as the co u nity at large pulling together to see how they could help in a way that only those who dedicate their lives to service can. his end o year recounting a
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RIVERFRONT TIMES
Charlie Gitto, who died on July 4, made an indelible mark on the St. Louis restaurant scene. | JEN WEST est and orst o t. ouis ining in tries to capture that blend o despair and opti is through so e o the year s ost defining ood o ents. his list is not e haustive there were too any individual o ents o sadness to ever ully now ust as there were s all acts o indness per or ed when no one was loo ing.
re uiring about nine onths o reconstruction to repair the da age. ope ully we ll be cel ebrating the end o the scourge when its doors reopen the ne t ti e.
Rest in Peace, Robert Uyemura
harlie itto en oyed the show o the restaurant business obert ye ura bas ed in being behind the scenes. hough the che and owner o ocal he itchen ade an undeniable i pact on the t. ouis ar to table ove ent well be ore it was a catchphrase he was an under the radar ind
THE WORST OF ST. LOUIS DINING IN 2020 asy answer . he es sence o all that was bad about t. ouis ood in can be su ed up in a single na e. s calendars turned to March and the yearly hope that the dar days o winter were drawing to an end started to spring the virus that see ed li e it could aybe possibly be a proble reared its ugly head turning the entire world upside down. o uch pain in the indus try flowed ro this but in a year o crap sandwiches it wasn t the only bad news.
Brennan’s Fire
hen rennan s closed in the entral est nd to a e way or the ever e panding t. ouis hess lub it see ed li e the world was ending. han ully it was only te porary as the bar relocated ust down the road and was poised to reclai its place as a beloved neighborhood watering hole. hen this ove ber not even a onth a ter it reopened its doors a fire da aged the spot
DECEMBER 30, 2020-JANUARY 5, 2021
Brennan’s reopened in November, only to catch fire soon after. | INSTAGRAM
Civil Life’s Stolen Giraffe
iled to the hy are people dic s file so e idiots with a bo truc thought it would be unny to idnap eaches the iconic gira e that graces the lot ad acent to ivil i e brewery. hough it was re turned a wee later the incident is a re inder that there are so e people willing to steal our oy in the year we really needed it.
Rest in Peace, Charlie Gitto
harlie itto loved to regale his riends a. .a. anyone who d ever dined at his iconic talian restau
riverfronttimes.com
o guy whose talent indness and passion or bringing good whole so e ood to people defined his career. osing hi to cancer this ebruary elt li e losing a piece o the industry s spirit. t was a dev astating blow in a bad year.
Sexual Assault in the Grove
his su er a spate o se ual assault allegations against pro i nent e bers o the rove area s ood and beverage scene roc ed the industry setting o a rec on ing that beca e the t. ouis area s Me oo o ent. hat so any
