The Hitchhiker’s Guide to St. Louis
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live music } outdoor patios } fine dining } handcrafted cocktails backstreet jazz & Blues } Dino’s Deli } Drunken Fish } funny bone comedy club fuzzy’s taco shoppatios } gatew} ayfine newstands } imos pizza } jive & wail live music } outdoor dining } handcrafted cocktails kobe jazz japanese steakhouse } mcdonald’s } paul mineo’s trattoria backstreet & Blues } Dino’s Deli } Drunken Fish } funny bone comedy club playhouse @ Westport plaza sheraton at westport king fuzzy’s taco shop } gatew ay} newstands } imos pizza}}smoothie jive & wail st. louis bread company } starbucks } trainwreck saloon } westport kobe japanese steakhouse } mcdonald’s } paul mineo’s trattoriasocial
playhouse @ Westport plaza } sheraton at westport } smoothie king st. louis bread company } starbucks } trainwreck saloon } westport social intersection of i-270 and page avenue } st. louis, mo
314 576 7100 } westportstl.com intersection of i-270 and page avenue } st. louis, mo 314 576 7100 } westportstl.com
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2018 CITY GUIDE Publisher Chris Keating Editor in Chief Sarah Fenske
Cover illustration by Roger Villarreal
E D I T O R I A L Arts & Culture Editor Paul Friswold Music Editor Daniel Hill Digital Editor Jaime Lees Staff Writers Doyle Murphy, Danny Wicentowski Restaurant Critic Cheryl Baehr Film Critic Robert Hunt Editorial Interns Hayley Abshear, Megan Anthony Contributing Writers Mike Appelstein, Allison Babka, Sara Graham, Roy Kasten, Joseph Hess, Kevin Korinek, Bob McMahon, Nicholas Phillips, Tef Poe, Christian Schaeffer, Lauren Milford, Thomas Crone, MaryAnn Johanson, Jenn DeRose, Mike Fitzgerald Proofreader Evie Hemphill
28. 10.
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to St. Louis
Greetings, aliens! May we show you around the Gateway City?
Ready, Set, Read
city’s dining-destination hall
A complete guide to St.
of fame
Louis bookstores
10.
Calling All Literary Lushes
definitely want to score a
Let these ten St. Louis bars
rez at these ten hotspots
and ten classic novels put you in a reading mood
20.
36.
Ways to Not Be a 46. 20 Stranger
Everything They Wrote
New in town? Try our
About St. Louis Is Now
time-tested tips for
Wrong
making friends in a city that
Our greatest writers didn’t
can sometimes feel
always see home so clearly
unapproachable
Icon Status These ten restaurants have earned their spot in the
4
36. It won’t be easy, but you’ll Smokin’ Hot
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Things to Do in St. 54. 40 Louis Before you Die Make this your bucket list
A R T Art Director Kelly Glueck Contributing Photographers Mabel Suen, Monica Mileur, Micah Usher, Theo Welling, Corey Woodruff, Tim Lane, Nick Schnelle, Roger Villarreal P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Evan Sult
M U L T I M E D I A AD V E R T I S I N G Sales Director Colin Bell Senior Account Executive Cathleen Criswell Account Managers Emily Fear, Jennifer Samuel C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Kevin G. Powers E U C L I D ME D I A GR O U P Chief Executive Officer Andrew Zelman Chief Operating Officers Chris Keating, Michael Wagner VP of Digital Services Stacy Volhein Creative Director Tom Carlson www.euclidmediagroup.com N A T I O N A L AD V E R T I S I N G VMG Advertising 1-888-278-9866, www.voicemediagroup.com S U B S C R I P T I O N S Send address changes to Riverfront Times, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $78/6 months (Missouri residents add $4.74 sales tax) and $156/year (Missouri residents add $9.48 sales tax) for first class. Allow 6-10 days for standard delivery. www.riverfronttimes.com The Riverfront Times is published weekly by Euclid Media Group Verified Audit Member Riverfront Times 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103 www.riverfronttimes.com General information: 314-754-5966 Fax administrative: 314-754-5955 Fax editorial: 314-754-6416 Founded by Ray Hartmann in 1977
Riverfront Times is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies of the current issue may be purchased for $1.00 plus postage, payable in advance at the Riverfront Times office. Riverfront Times may be distributed only by Riverfront Times authorized distributors. No person may, without prior written permission of Riverfront Times, take more than one copy of each Riverfront Times weekly issue. The entire contents of Riverfront Times are copyright 2015 by Riverfront Times, LLC. No portion may be reproduced in whole or in part by any means, including electronic retrieval systems, without the expressed written permission of the Publisher, Riverfront Times, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 300, St. Louis, MO 63103. Please call the Riverfront Times office for back-issue information, 314-754-5966.
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A Book LoversLook at
St. Louis S
t. Louis is a city of writers — and readers. Surely there is not another city in the U.S. this size that supports so many print publications, or has nurtured so many top-tier authors. And so for this year’s City Guide, we took a look at St. Louis through the lens of some of our favorite books. From a photo essay pairing ten classic works with ten local bars (and ten delicious drinks) to our guide to the area’s best bookstores, you’ll find plenty of reading recommendations throughout these pages. We’ve taken Martha Gellhorn’s advice and offered twenty ways not to be a stranger here; we’ve also got an essay explaining how so many of our greatest scribes got this place all wrong. We’ve even offered up our very own Hitchhiker’s Guide to St. Louis, because what could be a better way to explore this fascinating place than via Douglas Adams’ brilliant conceit of explaining the earth to a space alien? But it’s not all literary allusions. Even bookworms need to eat, so food critic Cheryl Baehr has provided two lists: one compiling the buzziest spots in town, and the other a tribute to ten classic restaurants that have stood the test of time. You can’t go wrong using either list as a guide. And finally, we finish things off with a list of 40 things you must do in St. Louis before you die. Surely if great literature has taught us anything, it’s that we won’t be here forever. Seize the day, friends. Eat, drink, be merry — and thank you for reading, and supporting, this publication while you still can.
Sarah Fenske Editor in Chief
C C II TT Y Y G GU U II D DE E 22 0 0 11 88 || RR II VV EE RR FF RR OONNTTTTIIMMEESS. .CCOOMM
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Calling All
Literary Lushes
Let these ten St. Louis bars and ten classic works put you in a reading mood
L
by Kelly Glueck GREAT GATSBY, BY F. SCOTT
eave the library for scholars and coffee shops for poseurs; when we’re reading for pleasure, we’ll pick a bar any day. What can we say? Sometimes we just really want to immerse ourselves in the book we’re reading, to feel like we’re drinking with our favorite protagonist. Don’t judge; a method actor can stay in character for months and no one questions it. Maybe we can make method reading the next big thing in St. Louis. Here are the ten literary works we’re paging through this year, each perfectly paired with a St. Louis bar and, yes, a cocktail to match.
2 FOLIO 10 R I V E RGOES F R O N HERE TTIMES.COM
| CITY GUIDE 2018
FITZGERALD Mint julep Thaxton Speakeasy (1009 Olive Street, 314-241-3279) Everything about Gatsby was extravagant. His parties were pure spectacle, which along with the temptations of Prohibition inspired Thaxton Speakeasy. No invitation is necessary, although to get into this downtown bar you’ll need the password. To take things all the way (because Gatsby wouldn’t have it any other way), order the mint julep with Four Roses. Four Roses is one of the few distilleries that actually continued producing bourbon through the 1920s, citing its medicinal values. Don’t tell that to F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose death from a heart attack at age 44 was almost certainly related to his alcoholism. Instead, swing by the Thaxton for Prohibition Night one Thursday and get your Charleston on. Grab that mint
A spiked hot cider with brandy is the perfect reading companion at Propaganda. | KELLY GLUECK
Ready, Set,
Read
Our complete guide to the city’s best bookstores
W
hether you’re seeking an obscure eighteenth-century novel or just want to browse, there’s an independent bookstore in St. Louis that has just what you need. Our researchers visited shops from Edwardsville to St. Charles to south city to report back on which bookstore is right for you. Read along and then plan to visit one (or four).
LEFT BANK BOOKS 399 North Euclid Avenue, 314-367-6731 The story: Located in the heart of the Central West End, the city’s oldest and largest independent bookstore hosts not only an expertly curated collection but an astonishing 300 events each year.
julep and, as Daisy tells her lunkish husband, maybe you “won’t seem so stupid to yourself.”
THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS, BY ISABEL ALLENDE Spiked hot cider with brandy Propaganda (2732 Cherokee Street, 314-769-9696) Blanca and Pedro’s love is first burdened by class barriers and then again when Pedro is banished after proclaiming his socialist ideals with the other workers at the Hacienda. Propaganda would have been a great place for Pedro to organize a rebellion for the people — and also would provide many hidden rooms to take refuge from a military coup. Drink spiked hot cider with brandy (we guarantee it’s not poisoned) while you take in this novel of love, life and Latin American history. Viva la revolución!
The backstory: Founded in 1969 by a group of Wash U grad students, Left Bank is now owned by Kris Kleindienst and Jarek Steele, who have helped the shop weather any number of seismic events, from the rise and fall of Barnes & Noble to Amazon to an attempted expansion downtown. Perfect for: Anyone looking for something old or something new — Left Bank has a sizable used collection in the basement and all the latest releases in a host of categories upstairs. Smartly chosen staff picks and a big display of book-club selections mean that those browsing will never be short on inspiration. The kids’ room is also big and friendly, unless there’s an author in town (in this well-stocked shop, space is always at a premium). Maybe think twice: If you’re desperately allergic to cats. Spike is the king of the roost, and while we’ve seen him show neighborhood dogs a thing or two (yes, the store is pet-friendly, so long as Spike doesn’t object), he’s not budging unless he wants to. Continued on pg 12
Continued on pg 12
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FOLIO GOES HERE
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DUNAWAY BOOKS
LITERARY LUSH Continued from pg 11
3111 South Grand Boulevard, 314-771-7150 The story: A community-driven space with stacks and stacks of rare treasures. The backstory: Founded in 1965 by Reginald “Pat” Dunaway, the bookstore has changed hands several times over the years. Current owners Kevin Twellman and Claudia Brodie have been running things since 2017, and manager Vernon Bain is a fixture during the week. Perfect for: Bibliophiles who love the hunt. The 80,000 second-hand books in Dunaway are spread among a maze of stacks on the store’s three levels, with especially large psychology, poetry and foreign history sections. The mezzanine, which overlooks the store and its 88-year-old fully functional piano, concentrates on black and Jewish history and modern fiction, while the basement features 1970s sci-fi, the sciences and literary criticism. For a little lighter reading, find mystery novels and classic children’s literature on the ground floor. Don’t miss the local connections throughout the store, such as Tim Bolt’s framed art along the mezzanine stairs and works by St. Louis authors and poets near the front window; local writers and musicians regularly are welcomed to the store for readings and performances. Bring your wallet: You’ll rarely leave this store empty-handed. Along with used books at all price points, the treasures behind glass — such as a thick Napoleon tome from the 1800s or a signed letter from Albert Einstein on behalf of the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists — may set you back as much as a few thousand dollars.
THE BOOK RACK 14560 Manchester Road, Ballwin; 636-394-1233 The story: A warm, comfortable store with popular reads at low prices.
Continued on pg 16
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Bar Les Freres is just the place to ponder the quandaries of ever-lasting beauty. | KELLY GLUECK
HELL’S ANGELS, A STRANGE AND TERRIBLE SAGA, BY HUNTER S. THOMPSON Shot of Wild Turkey Off Track Saloon (7301 South Broadway, 314-457-0338) At this biker bar deep down in the city’s Patch neighborhood, everyone seems to know each other. And Judy, the bartender, keeps slinging the Wild Turkeys (only $3 on Wednesdays). Remaining a fly on the wall here is no option. Thompson once questioned if he was researching the Hell’s Angels or slowly being absorbed by them — something you may find yourself wondering as you get to know Off Track’s denizens. We quickly made friends with a few fellows at the end of the bar, one of them a railroad worker who boasted that he knew the best bars in St. Louis and another gent with a less prominent MC emblem across his leather jacket. The men poked fun at one another and told wild stories of their adventures — a pasttime of which surely the father of gonzo journalism would approve.
South City Scooters @ the corner of Connecticut & Morgan Ford
314.664.2737
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Sales & Service Closed Sunday & Monday Tuesday-Friday 9:30 AM - 5:30 PM • Saturday 9:30 AM - 4 PM HOME OF THE FAMOUS
OVERSTUFFED SANDWICH
The “Best” Sandwiches in St. Louis! Meats piled high, tender & juicy.
6401 Clayton Rd •(314)721-2393
www.carlsdelistl.com Mon-Fri 9-5:30 • Sat 9-4
Since 1969
THOUGHTFULLY HANDCRAFTED FROZEN COCKTAILS
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, BY OSCAR WILDE Sazerac Bar Les Freres (7637 Wydown Boulevard, Clayton; 314725-8880) Oscar Wilde famously used absinthe to help him write. “After the first glass of absinthe you see things as you wish they were,” he wrote. “After the second you see them as they are not. Finally you see things as they really are, and that is the most horrible thing in the world.” Maybe not at this lovely Clayton bar, however. Walking into Bar Les Freres, you can’t help but think of Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. The walls are lined with portraits, most of them acquired from various estate sales. Don’t let the cracks in the varnish distract you from the silver platters and beautiful garnishes. After all, these portraits are surely the most perfect version of these nameless individuals. Who knows; maybe Dorian is in plain sight on one of the walls? A classic sazerac will surely summon the truth without the horror.
3906 LACLEDE AVE
NARWHALSCRAFTED.COM
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t i s Vi
O’FaIIon MISSOURI
2018 Festivals & Events FREE ADMISSION & PARKING AT ALL EVENTS!
Friday, June 1 Friday, August 3 5:30–8:30 PM Sports Park on Hwy. K
July 2–4
Free Concerts
Carnival • Fireworks Ozzie Smith Sports Complex
Get more details at heritageandfreedomfest.com
Every Tuesday June — August 6:30–9 PM Civic Park • Food Trucks
www.ofallon.mo.us/visit 14
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512 nOrth euclid ave. 314.367.3644 11:00am - 3:00pm
weekend brunch
evangelinestl.com visit
4pm - 7pm & 10pm - 1am
happy hour monday - friday
live music
great food
saturday & Sunday
for more information & music schedule
live music live music
ge ra et af to fo od od gr s at u r day & Su nd a y
s a t u r d a y &brunch Sunday weekend 1 1 : 00am - 3: 00p m weekend brunch 11:00am - 3:00pm
visit
evangelinestl.com for evangelinestl.com more i nfo r m a ti o n & m us i c s che d u l e visit
for more information & music schedule
512 nOrth euclid ave. 314.367.3644 CITY GUIDE 512 nOrth euclid ave. 314.367.3644
m onday - friday
m o n d a yhour - friday happy 4p m -happy 7 p m & 10 p mhour - 1am
4pm - 7pm & 10pm - 1am
2018 | RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM
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READY, SET, READ Continued from pg 12
LITERARY LUSH Continued from pg 13
The backstory: The shop, in business for more than 35 years, has changed locations a number of times, including doubling its space by moving just a few hundred feet down within its current Ballwin plaza. Owner Cindy Antonacci took over the store about seven years ago, and longtime bookseller Lauren Gockley helps customers find their prizes.
I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS, BY MAYA ANGELOU “Wrong Is the Day”
Perfect for: Anyone dying to read popular bestsellers from two years ago. While the store does acquire a few new books, it’s a legitimate gold mine of pre-loved modern romances, thrillers and young-adult titles, especially in paperback (don’t forget to bring in your own used books for cash or store credit). Check out the expansive children’s section, which features the BabySitters Club and the Chronicles of Narnia books alongside vintage toys and decor. Throughout the store, signs offer tips for readers, such as the reading order for authors’ ongoing series and marquee works in certain categories. If you find something good, you can start reading immediately — each section has fluffy seating that invites readers to enjoy their finds. Local-author alert: Near the check-out station, look for shelves of works by St. Louis authors. Don’t miss: The back room, which is filled with classic literature in both paperback and hardback. While you’re there, make a cup of coffee, curl up on the church-pew bench and note the chalkboards with reading recommendations from employees.
HAMMOND’S ANTIQUES & BOOKS 1939 Cherokee Street, 314-323-6389 The story: A bookstore full of old-world charm on Cherokee’s Antique Row. The backstory: Housed in a brick beauty that was built in 1892, Hammond’s has Continued on pg 18
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Planter’s House (1000 Mississippi Avenue, 314-6962603) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is not the most flattering look at Prohibition-era St. Louis. As Angelou wrote about her arrival, “St. Louis was a new kind of hot and a new kind of dirty. My memory had no pictures of the crowded-together soot-covered buildings. For all I knew, we were being driven to Hell and our father was the delivering devil.” Perhaps in this day and age Angelou would have had a little more hope for our great city. Not far from her childhood home at 3130 Hickory Street lies Planter’s House, an inclusive bar that pays ode to Tom Bullock, the first African American to write a cocktail book. Planter’s House also has multiple options that involve sherry, Angelou’s drink of choice. Take a seat at the handsome bar and try “Wrong Is the Day,” an apple brandy base topped with Cynar, oloroso sherry, walnut liqueur and a dash of bitters.
THE SUN ALSO RISES, BY ERNEST HEMINGWAY A bottle of Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône Ernesto’s Wine Bar (2730 McNair Avenue, 314-6644511) Hemingway once described The Sun Also Rises as a story about a bunch of drunks, and by God we’re pretty sure they are drunk throughout the entire book. With more than twenty bottles of wine consumed throughout these pages, the obvious location to commune with Lady Brett and Jake Barnes would be Ernesto’s Wine Bar, the Hemingway-themed watering hole tucked into the lovely corner of McNair and Lynch in Benton Park. While we were disappointed that the famous Hemingway Daiquiri (half the sugar and twice the booze) wasn’t on the menu, Ernesto’s plethora of French and Spanish wines is quite fitting for this classic. Whether you’re escaping your friends or finding your company in wine as Jake does, a bottle of Saint Cosme Côtes du Rhône, a palatable French wine intended to be consumed during the day, will get you in the mood for erectile dysfunction and doomed love.
Enjoy a not-too-short, happy life in the quiet confines of Ernesto’s Wine Bar. | KELLY GLUECK
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OF SOLITUDE, BY GABRIEL GARCÍA MÁRQUEZ Rum and Coke Venice Cafe (1903 Pestalozzi Street, 314-772-5994) Jose Arcadio Buendia dreamt of a city with mirrorlike walls. While Buendia interpreted the mirror walls as ice, the reflective and disjointed mosaics of Venice Cafe seem quite fitting for Gabriel García Márquez’s magical realism. The walls at Venice Cafe are littered with memories, reminding us of our childhood perception of McDonald’s — the most wonderful oasis, where you could escape reality and perhaps the Banana Massacre. A dose of real talk: The McDonald’s on Jefferson is not the oasis you believed in your naive nativity. It is, in fact, terrible. Don’t make yourself crazy living in a fantasy world. Instead, escape reality with a rum and Coke at a neighborhood bar with mirrors, ashtrays and free toys cemented in the wall. Continued on pg 18 CITY GUIDE 2018 | RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM
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READY, SET, READ Continued from pg 16
LITERARY LUSH Continued from pg 17
been in business for more than 35 years. The store is run by Jovanka Hammond, who had lived above the shop in its early days, and her brother Knez Jakovac, a musician who has toured the world. Perfect for: Those who want to experience the bookstore of their dreams — complete with shelving ladders. With its mysterious nooks, twinkling lights and shelves stretching to the ceiling, Hammond’s is a bibliophile’s heaven. The shop specializes in rare and out-of-print books. Moving from room to room and floor to floor, readers encounter everything from a vintage Peter Pan pop-up book to a 1953 world atlas to mod parlor games, with a huge selection of culture, culinary and history tomes. Don’t miss the fantastically vast collection of sparkly antique costume jewelry from the Gypsy Ltd., a notable Cherokee Street shop that Hammond and Jakovac’s mother had owned for twenty years before her death in 2000. Spend a full day: It’s easy to spend hours browsing in Hammond’s, so plan to grab a meal afterwards at one of the restaurants along Cherokee Street or pop into one of the other quaint shops nearby. Check dates and times, though, because Hammond’s only is open Thursday through Saturday and some Sundays.
THE NOVEL NEIGHBOR 7905 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves; 314738-9384 The story: This Webster Groves shop offers a carefully curated selection of books, art, jewelry and more from local artists. The backstory: Open for three years, the Novel Neighbor is more than just a bookstore — it sells goods made by more than 30 local artists and has recently expanded into an event space next door, where you can take classes or rent it out to Continued on pg 20
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The Monocle is a good place to embrace sexual liberation. | KELLY GLUECK
GIOVANNI’S ROOM, BY JAMES BALDWIN Vieux carre The Monocle (4510 Manchester Avenue, 314-932-7003) In Giovanni’s Room, much of the plot has to do with David’s inability to break through social and societal barriers to embrace his own sexual freedom. At one point, Jacques buys David a cognac at Guillaume’s bar and urges him to accept and embrace his feelings toward Giovanni. While the Monocle, similarly to Guillaume’s bar, is a “noisy, ill-lit sort of tunnel” with an air of Paris, it is also a place focused on inclusion and sexual celebration. Order a vieux carre with its freeing dose of whiskey, cognac and vermouth, see a burlesque show and be yourself and love freely.
DRACULA, BY BRAM STOKER A glass of cabernet Pagan Wine Bar (239 N. Euclid Avenue, 314-677-7214) While Pagan Wine Bar owner Ed King is an utterly seductive bartender, you can leave the garlic and trinkets of deceit at home. This intimate bar in the Central West End is full of seductive paintings and odes to the sexy
GET AWAY WITH MURDER...
bissell mansion dinner theatre
Ask for a starring role or just sit back & guess “whodunnit” while enjoying a 4-course meal to DIE for! femme. You don’t need to wait until St. George’s Night to enjoy your glass of deep red cabernet, hand-chosen by King based on what he’s feeling most beguiled by. Pagan Wine Bar is only open from dusk ‘til the stroke of midnight, giving patrons plenty of time to make it back to the wooden box before dawn.
4426 RANDALL PLACE | 314-533-9830 | (5 MINUTES FROM DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS) WWW.BISSELLMANSION.COM
WHITE TEETH, BY ZADIE SMITH “Icelandic Pear” The Gin Room (3200 South Grand Boulevard, 314-771-3411) Zadie Smith’s 2000 debut novel explores the lives of immigrants and their offspring making their way in an increasingly multi-cultural London — and how better to celebrate both White Teeth’s milieu and its funny, warmhearted spirit than with a spot of gin? The proprietor of the Gin Room, Natasha Bahrami, knows a bit about straddling two worlds; she practically grew up in Cafe Natasha, the Persian restaurant her Iranian ex-pat parents founded in St. Louis. Now she’s opened a gin joint right next door to celebrate her favorite spirit. Sit down with White Teeth and toast her family with the Gin Room’s signature “Icelandic Pear” — London dry gin, honey, cardamom, ginger, Moroccan mint green tea n syrup and pears poached in brandy.
sushi
•
c o c k ta i l s
•
sake
7 7 2 6 F O R S Y T H • C L AY TO N • 3 1 4 . 2 9 6 . 8 0 9 6
W W W. TA N I S U S H I . C OM
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READY, SET, READ Continued from pg 18
host a baby shower (with a registry at the Novel Neighbor for children’s books, of course). The staff is knowledgeable about book selections and gift ideas for everyone who’s hard to buy for. Claim to fame: Owner Holland Saltsman has appeared on Anne Bogel’s “What Should I Read Next?” podcast. For the kiddos: There’s a regular children’s storytime Tuesdays and Saturdays at 10:30 a.m., as well as a tween book club, which meets monthly.
SUBTERRANEAN BOOKS 6275 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314862-6100
Everything They Wrote About
St. Louis
Is Now Wrong
S
t. Louis has a history that stretches back beyond the birth of America. We have been French, Spanish, German, the last city in the East, the first city of the West, the second-greatest metropolis in the country, a broken hulk rapidly losing population and a city fighting its way back to respectability. Yet to listen to our greatest literary lights describe the place, St. Louis is a total shithole.
The story: The Loop’s best browsing spot manages to make room for an excellent collection of literature, art books, biographies and books about pop culture. There’s a sizable children’s section as well. The backstory: Kelly von Plonski’s bookstore has lasted eighteen years on a street with near-constant turnover by cultivating loyal customers and connecting them to its collection. Perfect for: Big readers. Subterranean has one of the most generous frequent-buyer programs in town. For every ten purchases, the shop kicks back a store credit worth the average of your last ten. Or sign up for the Book of the Month, where the staff handpicks something every month to fit your interests — and even has it delivered to your doorstep. Be skeptical: Despite what you may read online, there are no used books here. Ready to wear: Since Subterranean is a small storefront, space is at a premium (that loft may remind you of your college dorm room, though it contains a surprisingly big upstairs area). But the one gift option von Plonski has found room to display is our
By Paul Friswold
Henry Adams.
Indeed, a prolonged dive into the works of the many authors who were born here or lived here reveals a persistent negativity about the place. Most of the big-name writers were here in the twentieth century — the onset of the “broken hulk” part — which might account for their downbeat perspective. But the good news is this: Looking at the city today, their observations are no longer true. In some cases, they weren’t even accurate at the time.
Take Pulitzer Prize-winner Henry Adams. The descendant of two American presidents and a first-class historian, his long view of the past didn’t preclude him from crapping on St. Louis when it was a bustling, growing metropolis. Check this ass out as he assesses the town after a visit to the 1904 World’s Fair: “One saw here a third-rate town of half-a-million people without history, education, unity, or art, and with little capital — without even an element of natural interest except the river which it studiously ignored — but doing what London, Paris, or New York would have shrunk from attempting.” It’s the typical East Coast bullshit you hear about St. Louis — mostly wrong then and certainly wrong now. No
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history? St. Louis had a Revolutionary War battle (which a rag-tag group of French farmers, free blacks and Native American St. Louisans won!) and a wild skirmish during the early days of the Civil War that saw a mass of German immigrants (all Utopians who believed in the sanctity of basic human rights and the abolition of slavery) throw down with “Southern heritage” types in what is now Grand Center. As for education, at that point in time Saint Louis University was already 86 years old and Washington University was planning its first great expansion into the fields just west of Skinker. The Saint Louis Art Museum had similar plans. St. Louis grew exponentially throughout the first half of the twentieth century and then entered a period of steep decline. Counterculture writer William S. Burroughs was born here in 1914. As a young man he felt out of place in the city (a friend’s mother told him he had the look of “a sheep-killing dog”) and dreamt of being a writer or an outlaw. As an adult he became both, creeping through the underworlds of multiple cities in William S. Burroughs. pursuit of heroin, other homosexual men and illegal firearms. In time he became a leading light of the avant-garde literary movement, publishing sprawling narratives that drew upon the nebulous regions of his mind, his pursuit of numerous illegal habits and his obsessions. (A major one was using the power of writing itself, cut up and reassembled into a new structure, to reshape reality around him; more on this later.) His international reputation established, Burroughs returned to the place of his birth in 1965 for a magazine assignment. Upon alighting the train in Union Station, he was shocked to see the state of his old stomping grounds. “But what has happened to Market Street the skid row of my adolescent years? Where are the tattoo parlors, novelty stores, hock shops — brass knucks in a dusty window — the seedy pitchmen — (“This museum shows all kinds social disease and self abuse. Young boys need it special” — Two boys standing there can’t make up their mind whether to go in or not — One said later “I wonder what was in that lousy museum?”) — Where are the old junkies hawking and spitting on street corners under the gas lights?” Burroughs’ fondness for his hometown mostly stemmed from its weird, rundown parts. You can still find that if you know where to look, but Market Continued on pg 22
favorite thing to buy the bibliophiles on our list: T-shirts screenprinted with classic book jackets.
THE BOOK HOUSE 7352 Manchester Road, Maplewood; 314-968-4491 The story: New, used, rare — you should be able to find what you’re looking for among the 300,000 titles here. The backstory: A no-frills shop where the prices are written in pencil on the inside cover of many of the books, the Book House has been a presence on the St. Louis book scene since 1986. The shop moved from Rock Hill to Maplewood a few years ago and carries a wide range of adult and children’s books, with new and used books displayed side-by-side on its shelves. It also has a large online store at www. bookhousestl.com. Claim to fame: George R.R. Martin, author of the Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired HBO’s Game of Thrones, stopped by in the 1990s. True vintage: As of press time, the oldest title on the shelf is from 1590.
AFTERWORDS BOOKS 441 East Vandalia Street, Edwardsville, Illinois; 618-655-0355 The story: This downtown Edwardsville shop packs a lot of adventure into a quaint space. It also regularly hosts storytime, local author events and fun get-togethers, like knitting and documentary film clubs. The backstory: Owner LuAnn Locke took a chance on running Afterwords seven years ago and has never looked back, turning the corner book shop into a hub of the Metro East community. Afterwords has received the James Patterson Bookseller Award and been named one of the top 25 independent small businesses nationwide by Independent We Stand. Perfect for: Families with kids who are looking for a more intimate bookseller setting. Continued on pg 22
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Treat yourself to complimentary cocoa, find a cozy nook with a comfy chair and you’ll feel right at home. Or check out the shop’s Saturday morning storytime at 222 Artisan Bakery. Deal alert: Afterwords allows readers to trade in gently loved books for credit towards different titles. Plan ahead: Edwardsville is off the beaten path for most, but don’t let the hike dissuade you — make it a day trip. Grab something you’ve really been wanting to read at Afterwords before hitting up Recess Brewing for some serious craft beer and ClevelandHeath for a gourmet lunch.
MAIN STREET BOOKS 307 South Main Street, St. Charles; 636-949-0105 The story: A longtime mainstay of St. Charles proper, Main Street Books has been developing relationships with new readers for 25 years. The backstory: Emily Hall may be one of the youngest bookshop owners in the nation. When the original owner put the business on the market in 2014, Hall, just three years out of college and with little business experience, jumped at the chance to peddle tomes to the masses, turning the family business into a fulltime career. Perfect for: Passionate bibliophiles who want to chat and get book recommendations from like-minded enthusiasts. Want to know what’s the next big reading trend on the horizon? The staff are living “related book” algorithms — they’re knowledgeable, superfriendly and eager to find out what you’ve been reading lately. Expect to find a little bit of everything on the shelves, but if you’re in the mood to browse history, women’s studies or a wonderfully diverse YA section, you’re in the right place. Bookstores of the future: Independent Continued on pg 22 sellers have their
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EVERYTHING IS WRONG Continued from pg 21
Street is doing better. The gas lights are gone, and there are more legitimate businesses in the vicinity these days: the Peabody Opera House, Scottrade Center, a recently refurbished Soldiers Memorial. The old grim days are gone. Some transplants saw nothing but the grimness. Stanley Elkin left Chicago for St. Louis in 1960, and he would spend the final 35 years here teaching at Washington University and marshaling his dazzling prose in the service of novels, short stories and essays. In 1980 he published a corker of a first-person essay in Esquire, “Why I Live Where I Live.” In it he lays out his dubious affections for his adopted home. “And I live where I live because I am comfortable, because the climate is equable, because the movies come on time but the theater is road show, second company, Stanley Elkin. because the teams are dull but we get all the channels, because there can’t be four restaurants in the city that require jackets and ties and there’s a $25,000 ceiling on what city employees may earn and I make more than the mayor, the head of the zoo. Because I feel no need to take the paper.” It’s not a glowing recommendation by any means. One might take a charitable view and surmise that this was Elkin poking a little fun at his adopted neighbors, but there is too much the sting of truth there. In 1980 St. Louis was in the doldrums. But what a difference 38 years has made. We may still be a dress-down city, but two St. Louis chefs have won James Beard awards for innovative and exciting cuisine in the last two years alone. The region is home to a vibrant theater scene that routinely mounts world premieres and fosters young talent, and the venerable Muny welcomes Broadway regulars to its stage every summer. Even more incredibly, local impresarios Jack Lane and Terry Schnuck have been part of production teams that put together Tony Awardwinning plays. The most interesting case of a writer seeing St. Louis but imagining something better has to be playwright Tennessee Williams. Tom Williams arrived in St. Louis in 1919 when he was eight years old, a frail Southern boy who disliked Continued on pg 22 his father and was doted upon
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work cut out for them trying to compete with online retailers, but Main Street Books is fighting back. The shop recently started selling books through its website and will soon partner with Libra.FM, a subscription service for digital audiobooks.
AIA ST. LOUIS BOOKSTORE 911 Washington Avenue, Suite 100, 314-6213484 The story: A design-focused shop that celebrates St. Louis’ built environment. The backstory: The bookstore for the St. Louis chapter of the American Institute of Architects is part of a global network of architecture professionals. Currently housed in the Lammert Building, a city landmark, the local AIA chapter previously spent decades in the historic Wainwright Building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Perfect for: Those looking for St. Louis items without the touristy kitsch. The AIA bookstore is a small space but features a mighty selection of carefully curated books and gifts revolving around St. Louis architecture and design. Here, shoppers can find books about the architecture in the Central West End, rides from the old Forest Park Highlands amusement park and Missouri hauntings alongside smaller gifts such as laser-cut pop-up cards showcasing major St. Louis landmarks or children’s books about the Gateway Arch. The shop also carries replicas and prints of works by globally known architects like Frank Lloyd Wright. Look for new items in the store’s ever-changing window display. Claim to fame: President Bill Clinton asked his driver to pull over when he spotted the AIA St. Louis bookstore during a city visit in late 2017. The former U.S. president and design enthusiast picked up a variety of
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EVERYTHING IS WRONG Continued from pg 22 The City Museum’s shoe chute has been transformed into some of the longest slides in the city.
by his mother. His father worked for the International Shoe Company; in the early 1930s he got Tom a job in a warehouse as a typist. The man who would be Tennessee worked there for three years and then suffered a nervous breakdown brought about by the grinding, inhumane nature of life in a busy warehouse. He channeled this dreadful experience into a short story, which he then adapted into a play. Stairs to the Roof, completed in 1941, is Williams’ final work of juvenilia, bursting with a young man’s optimism and hope for the future. In it, a stage version of himself suffers from life in the prison of work. “A Prayer for the Wild at Heart Kept in Cages” was the subtitle of the play, and in it Williams’ alter ego goes on a nighttime adventure in which he meets “the Girl,” who is well-suited to help find “curiosity, courage and the lust for adventure.” At the end the two escape the world through a trap door in the roof of the building, with plans to perhaps “colonize a star.”
books and gifts, including Hero Decks, a collection of playing cards starring the Cardinals’ best players past and present.
EYESEEME 7827 Olive Boulevard, 314-349-1122 The story: An African American children’s bookstore that has gained a national following. The backstory: During their search for homeschooling materials, EyeSeeMe owners Pamela and Jeffrey Blair didn’t find much that reflected black history or culture. After developing their own materials that excited their children and being prompted by teachers and community members, the Blairs opened EyeSeeMe in 2015. Perfect for: Anyone who wants children to see themselves reflected in a variety of reading materials. With books on every academic subject, EyeSeeMe brings the contributions of black Americans to the forefront, stocking literature published by Random House, Scholastic, Just Us Books and more for all ages through high school. This desperate, hopeful play about a young man creating a better future recalls something of William Burroughs’ fascination with using the written word to alter reality. In Williams’ case, the process succeeded in fantastic fashion. What was once an International Shoe Company warehouse is now the City Museum, a multi-story funhouse dedicated to rewiring the modern human brain Tennessee Williams. to shun work in favor of exploring, dreaming and appreciating the beauty all around us. The delightful postscript is that these days in St. Louis, you can indeed escape through its roof to ride a Ferris wheel, or board an actual airplane and dream of world beyond. n
Media moment: While EyeSeeMe focuses on academics, the shop doesn’t leave out the fun. Readers will also find novels, comic books, educational card games and posters featuring African American protagonists, and the store hosts reading clubs and activities. One young reader was so excited about EyeSeeMe’s stock that he arranged his own book club, Books N Bros, which caught the attention of national news outlets and catapulted EyeSeeMe into the spotlight. A community resource: Fielding questions from parents and teachers nationwide, the Blairs are viewed as creating a model for education for black and multicultural children. EyeSeeMe’s founders now consult on book fairs and education initiatives and are developing opportunities for mentoring, literacy and culture presentations, and in-store classes. The store’s nonprofit arm, the EyeSeeMe Foundation, provides books and programs to low-income children. —Allison Babka, Kevin Korinek, Lauren Milford and Sarah Fenske
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G
reetings, aliens and otherworldly travelers! We come to you as representatives of St. Louis, located in the middle of the United States, Earth’s most accomplished civilization, if civilizations can be judged by the number of wars they can fight all at once. Now that the U.S. government has finally gotten off its duff and admitted you guys are out there — not that their staunch denials over the years hadn’t tipped us off or anything (if there’s one sure way for this government to assure the public that a thing is true, it is to vehemently deny that thing) — we’d like to give you the dirty low-down about our fair city. The short version is that St. Louis is, much like Earth at large, mostly harmless — so don’t panic. As for the longer version …
The Arch The Arch’s primary function is to inform citizens of the city that they are, indeed, in St. Louis. Prior to its construction, St. Louisans would wander into exotic locales such as Cincinnati or Salt Lake City or Detroit. “Is this St. Louis?” they would ask themselves, scratching their heads, soon enough forgetting about their abandoned hometown. Frustrated city leaders installed the landmark, the esoteric shape of which makes citizens announce “it’s the Arch” whenever they see it, helping to reinforce the idea that this is indeed where they live. The Arch also serves as a convenient loop on which to affix a hook so as to hang the Earth from a Christmas tree. Continued on pg 32
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The Hitchhiker’s Guide to St. Louis
by daniel hill and paul friswold // illustrated by roger villarreal
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HITCHHIKER Continued from pg 29 Baseball
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The official religion of St. Louisans, baseball is an odd pursuit. Groups of men (never women) gather and briefly launch hard spherical objects into the air; heavy limbs are quite desirable in this context. The trajectory of the sphere matches that of the Arch, which perhaps inspired the ritual. Baseballists are known as Cardinals, and their high priest is Ozzie Smith, a wizard who gave birth to beloved-icon-turned-foul-enemy Albert Pujols.
RIFLES & SHOTGUNS
HAND GUNS
Beer There are many different colors of this drink enjoyed by the people of St. Louis. Some of them are light and some of them are dark, and so are their beers. No one in St. Louis can agree which color is best, except the people of NoCo, who have settled on Busch beer, but only consume it dark, rundown buildings rife with bathroom graffiti. All beer comes from breweries, but only one is “the Brewery,” and that one is run by the mighty horse-kings known as Clydesdales. Their signature brew doesn’t exactly taste like horse piss, but it doesn’t not, either.
SAFES & KNIVES
Cuisine Native cuisine is a crapshoot, often literally. Toasted ravioli is actually fried, and good. Brain sandwiches are exactly that, more’s the pity. A concrete is a delicious frozen confection only available from two locations, both named “Ted Drewes.” St. Louis-style pizza is divided into squares (?), and such is its thinness that it can be slid under any door — completely baffling. Regardless of shape, texture, palatability or smell, when it comes to food in this city, there will be vast amounts of it.
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Continued on pg 34
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HITCHHIKER Continued from pg 32 Blues The blues is a state of mind, a feeling of sadness or regret. It is a longing, an ache, deep within the pit of one’s soul. It is also a form of music that is meant to express and give voice to that longing, ideally using twelve bars. It is also the name of a bunch of guys who strap knives to their feet and regularly beat the everloving shit out of one another on a surface of sheer ice. This group tries to win more recognition than the Cardinals, but come April always fail to do so, which puts their adherents in the aforementioned state of mind.
Bricks These are red blocks, and they are everywhere. Some areas in town install them in the ground in a haphazard fashion meant to destroy the shocks in your car; other areas have whole buildings fashioned out of them in elaborate piles. St. Louisans are bananas 34
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about bricks to the exclusion of all other building material.
Jack Buck Prophet Most High, beloved for his ability to describe baseball. His proselytizing was broadcast throughout St. Louis and beyond, imploring the faithful to “Go crazy folks, go crazy!” Upon his death, a sequel Buck, Joe, was raised to the position of Most High, with mixed results. Fredbird is Joe Buck’s brother, and happily mute.
High School A point of pride for many St. Louisans is that they went to high school, often to completion. They will demand to know “where’d you go to high school,” which is a way to determine social status and the pecking order at any gathering. If you went to different schools, prepare to fight. If you did not go to high school in St. Louis, you did not go to high school and will go to fewer parties in the long run.
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Illinois
Weather
World capital of terrible drivers, and almost wholly useless except that in certain regions of this place, clothing is optional. People from Illinois claim they are from St. Louis, a statement almost never believed by a native St. Louisan. The only exception is Miles Davis, who was born in Illinois but who came from St. Louis.
A natural resource that dictates the daily life of all St. Louisans. It is often too hot or too cold for them. Snow is the most fearsome weather, because it devours all the bread and milk not already in a St. Louisan’s possession. For seven non-consecutive days each year the weather is mutually agreed to be “just right.” No one knows when those days will come, not even the local fortune tellers, who call themselves “weathermen.” This is to mark them as followers of “the Weatherbird,” a magical creature who appears every day with a new prediction delivered via clothes and props.
Loop Trolley A purely hypothetical mode of transportation borne out of the fevered dreams of a sentient pile of Hawaiian shirts. If you happen to have half a mil lying around he’ll take it, thank you.
The Rams [ANSWER NOT FOUND]
Soulard County residents say it’s a great outdoor bathroom, but not a conveniently located one.
Zoo An outdoor showroom of animal life, much of it not native to St. Louis, and also the preferred greeting for newcomers. “Have you been to the zoo? It’s free,” St. Louisans chirp when meeting someone new. This is a favorite paradox. The zoo is free, but the animals are not. n
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Icon Status
These ten restaurants have earned their spot in the city’s dining-destination hall of fame
by Cheryl Baehr
I
f you’re looking for restaurants that seem more St. Louis than the Arch itself, we’ve compiled a list of ten true classics. Some predate Eero Saarinen’s giant horseshoe by not just years, but decades, while others are relative newcomers — but all offer a taste of the city that’s more timeless than trendy. Sink into a booth with a chocolate malt, sit up a little straighter at the city’s grandest oldschool steakhouse, or try the barbecue that launched a revolution. No matter which you choose, you won’t leave hungry.
Crown Candy Kitchen 1401 St. Louis Avenue, 314-621-9650 In the century that Crown Candy Kitchen has been holding court over the corner of St. Louis Avenue and 14th Street, much has changed in the world of ice cream and confectionary. These days, you’re more likely to find a storefront dedicated to nitro-churned tapioca ice or freeze-dried dots than an old-fashioned soda fountain. However, this beloved St. Louis institution has weathered the ups, downs and trends of the business without skipping a beat, proving that there is always a place for the classics. Its sundaes are legendary, topped with everything from hot chocolate to marshmallows to buttered pecans, and its malts are so quintessential you’ll feel like you’re traveling back to the time of oldschool soda jerks. You could make an entire meal out of dessert here, but sweets are not the only things that make Crown Candy such a landmark. The restaurant’s signature sandwich, the “Heart Stopping BLT,” is a nononsense pile of so much bacon you’ll want to put your cardiologist on standby. It’s a classic sandwich done well in a classic place — the key to staying power.
Tony’s 410 Market Street, 314-231-7007 Tony’s is not just St. Louis’ finest restaurant. It’s so legendary that it has become shorthand for excellence in the city’s dining scene — an elder statesman so revered around town its name can be used as an adjective: “It’s Continued on pg 38
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SMOKIN’ HOT These ten restaurants are the buzziest places in St. Louis right now — and some of the toughest reservations to score in the city
I
BY CHERYL BAEHR
t’s not just your imagination; St. Louis’ culinary scene is hotter than it’s ever been, with everyone from Esquire to Bon Appetit serving up big spoonfuls of praise for the city’s restaurants. Food & Wine even put one of our fast-casual ramen spots on the cover of its February issue (more on that in a minute). The downside of all that attention? It’s gotten much harder to score a table at the places earning national plaudits. If you want to check out these much-lauded places, you might want to plan to dine in the off hours (5:30 p.m. or 9 p.m.) or consider making a reservation far in advance. Here are the ten places that have the city — and the nation — buzzing right now.
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6400 OAKLAND AVE. | 314-647-7287 | PATCONNOLLYTAVERN.COM A finalist for the James Beard Award for the best new restaurant in the country, Vicia is a must-visit. | KEVIN ROBERTS
VICIA 4260 Forest Park Avenue, 314-553-9239 If any one restaurant deserves credit for the increased national attention being paid to St. Louis it’s Vicia. Headed by alums of the revered Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York, Vicia represents a return to the soil for Michael Gallina. The native St. Louisan who shocked the culinary world when he chose to return to his hometown with his wife Tara, a front-of-thehouse pro, for his debut restaurant. Vicia derives its name from the Latin word for a native cover crop that is used to replenish the soil, and Gallina embraces this ethos in everything he does at the vegetable-forward restaurant. Though masterful in his abilities, Gallina’s biggest talent is in showing restraint, knowing when to pull back and let his food speak for itself. Dishes like beef-fat-glazed beets with housemade yogurt or purple-top turnip tacos show how humble ingredients can become ethereal with just a nudge from his skilled hands. It’s no wonder the consensus is that this is one of the best new restaurants in the country. Continued on pg 38
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ICON STATUS Continued from pg 36 nice, but not ‘Tony’s nice.’” For more than six decades, this family-owned Italian restaurant has maintained a standard of excellence many never achieve, earning accolades, awards and distinctions like AAA’s Four Diamond rating several years running. It’s a place where you’ll see business deals being inked, proposals made and milestones celebrated over excellent cuisine, but the key to Tony’s staying power is its unwavering hospitality, provided to every last guest who walks through the door. Patriarch Vincent Bommarito holds court over the place, working the dining room like he’s the don of a private club and making his guests feel like they are exclusive members, even though all it takes to get in is a reservation and a dinner jacket. A meal here is always a special occasion, even if that occasion is “just because.”
Mai Lee 8396 Musick Memorial Parkway, Brentwood; 314-645-2835 Lee Tran opened Mai Lee 30 years ago as a Chinese restaurant, unsure whether St. Louis diners would be receptive to the cuisine of her homeland, Vietnam. Eventually, though, Tran could not resist the urge to honor her heritage and began adding traditional Vietnamese dishes to the menu. She need not have worried. From those humble beginnings, her restaurant has grown into not just one of the city’s best Vietnamese restaurants but one of its most beloved restaurants period, anchored by a menu of innumerable Chinese and Vietnamese dishes that are all cooked with the love you only get from a mom’s home-cooking. Her pho is legendary, but she makes it difficult to choose from her hundred-plus dishes — each as good as the next. And don’t feel bad asking for a recommendation: She and her son Qui have every last one memorized and are more than happy to play the role of host and hostess.
Goody Goody 5900 Natural Bridge Avenue, 314-383-3333 St. Louis is blessed with an embarrassment of riches when it comes to diners, but Goody Goody stands out in this crowded field with both its pull of nostalgia and its quintessential lunch-counter fare. Now in its seventh decade, the beloved establishment is a stroll back in time to when breakfasts were big, coffee came from a glass pot on a hot plate and ordering a platter of country-fried steak seemed like the best decision you could make before Continued on pg 42 noon. A must-stop for politicos 38
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RIGHT NOW Continued from pg 37
Nixta’s Mediterranean/Middle Eastern blend has earned national recognition. | MABEL SUEN
NIXTA 1621 Tower Grove Avenue, 314-899-9000 When acclaimed chef and restaurateur Ben Poremba announced he was going to open an upscale Mexican restaurant, people assumed he meant a fancy taco shop. Fast forward a year, numerous accolades and a Bon Appetit nod for the No. 9 best new restaurant in the country, and it’s clear that calling Nixta a taqueria is like calling a fine-dining Italian restaurant a pizzeria. The sultry Botanical Heights spot draws upon what Poremba sees as the connection between Latin American flavors and the Mediterranean, where he grew up. Dishes like tlayuda exemplify the complementary nature of these two cuisines; the cracker-thin flatbread is flecked with herbs and spices typical of Mexican cuisine, only it’s paired with pomegranate molasses for an experience that redefines what is meant by culinary fusion. And yes, there are tacos, though Nixta’s modern interpretation of al pastor will leave you wondering if you’ve ever truly experienced the dish before. This is modern Mexican that defies your expectations.
LOUIE 706 DeMun Avenue, Clayton; 314-300-8188 When restaurateur Matt McGuire opened the old King Louie’s back in 1994, the city’s dining landscape looked nothing like the exciting and innovative scene it is today. There’s no question King Louie’s had something to do with that, and though it may have closed ten years ago, it was never forgotten. These days, its spirit is alive and well at Louie, McGuire’s new hotspot in the charming De Mun neighborhood. Louie picks up where the old place left off even as it adds an even stronger commitment to world-class hospitality, which McGuire honed over the years as front-of-the-house manager at numerous acclaimed eateries around town, including Brasserie and Niche. But what makes Louie so special is that this five-star treatment is served up in a cozy neighborhood trattoria with approachable, yet flawlessly executed, Italian-inflected specialties such as wood-fired pizzas, pastas and roasted chicken. That you can cozy up to the bar in jeans and nosh on a plate of pasta while being treated as if you were a VIP in a highend dining room is what makes this gem so special. It’s also the perfect way to honor its roots within one of the city’s modern foundational restaurants. We’re glad McGuire didn’t give up King Louie’s ghost.
SARDELLA 7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-773-7755 At Sardella, James Beard award-winning chef Gerard Craft shakes off the heaviness of his former flagship, Niche, in favor of a breezy, Mediterranean-inspired trattoria. You feel the lightness the moment you step into the space, transported into a room that looks straight out of an Amalfi Coast villa. The vibe may be lower-key than his former temple to fine dining, but that does not mean Craft has relaxed his standards. Instead, you’ll find the same thoughtfulness he brings to every one of his restaurants in Sardella’s small and large plates, such as the signature crispy Spanish-style octopus, roasted chicken or braised short ribs. With every plate an embodiment of flawless execution, you won’t go wrong with your dinner choice — unless you leave without trying the warm dinner rolls with miso butter. The pillows dusted with sea salt are so fluffy you won’t know whether to eat them or rest your head upon them. That’s the thing about Sardella: It invites Continued on pg 42 you to relax in magnificence.
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JACK WHITE
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE
ODESZA
ERYKAH BADU
POST MALONE
LOGIC
INCUBUS
ALANIS MORISSETTE
TYLER, THE CREATOR
DAVID BYRNE
KALEO
LUDACRIS
VANCE JOY
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ICON STATUS Continued from pg 38 and celebrities passing through town — even Joe Biden has paid a visit — Goody Goody is more than just a diner: It’s an institution for a number of reasons, not the least of which are its chicken and waffles. Long before the dish became trendy, Goody Goody has been serving up searing-hot fried chicken alongside its malty waffles to hungry diners craving that perfect blend of sweet and savory. For a St. Louis signature, try the slinger, a mess of two hamburger patties, two eggs, hash browns, chili and cheese with a side of bread or pancakes, a gut-bombing but delicious dish that is tailor-made for soaking up a night of imbibing. You can’t go wrong at this gem of a place.
Lombardo’s 201 South 20th Street, 314-621-0666 Ask anyone in town what food defines St. Louis, and toasted ravioli will unquestionably be near the top of that list. The deep-fried pillows of meat-filled pasta, served with a side of marinara for dipping, are ubiquitous throughout the city, found everywhere from bars to white-tablecloth establishments. Many claim to be the first to serve this addictive finger food, but none do it so well as Lombardo’s, the upscale Italian trattoria whose flagship next to Union Station serves the best rendition in town. Lombardo’s is an elegant establishment and therefore one of the last places you’d expect to have perfected something referred to as “t-ravs,” but its plump, half-moon pillows elevate the dish beyond simple bar food. Filled with a blend of meat, spinach and romano cheese, Lombardo’s rendition is the Rolls Royce of fried pasta. And thought it may be hard to believe after experiencing such hors d’oeuvres bliss, there is much more to this wonderful restaurant than just appetizers. Sure, toasted ravioli may be the claim to fame, but the fresh pastas, chicken, steaks and veal will make you want to save room for the main course, no matter how hard of a case those t-ravs make to the contrary.
Blueberry Hill 6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-4444 An establishment that basically boasted Chuck Berry as its house band is hallowed ground in St. Louis, and Blueberry Hill certainly owns that status. Smack-dab in the middle of the bustling University City Loop, Blueberry Hill may be a worthy bar and grill, but at its heart it is a temple to music, with a legendary jukebox that fills the sprawling space with infectious energy. Continued on pg 44 Helmed by Joe Edwards, the 42
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RIGHT NOW Continued from pg 39 GUERRILLA STREET FOOD Multiple locations including 3559 Arsenal Street, 314529-1328 Before food trucks took the city by storm and long before Filipino food became the “it” cuisine, Guerrilla Street Food took to the city’s streets on a mission to foment a food revolution. Helmed by Brian Hardesty and Joel Crespo, the mobile Filipino concept became a sensation when it opened nearly a decade ago, not only because it was one of the city’s first food trucks but also because it was the first to bring Filipino food into the local spotlight. Guerrilla Street Food sets the standard for how good casual food can be. It reveres tradition, but rather than feeling confined by classic recipes, it uses them as a jumping-off point for culinary exploration, reinterpreting classic dishes with modern twists. Now far more than just a truck, Guerrilla Street Food boasts two brick-and-mortar locations with much more in the works. But no matter how much of an institution it becomes, its distinction as one of St. Louis’ true food innovators remains.
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SEAFOOD & NOODLES
Grace Meat + Three shows an accomplished chef working in a down-home style. | MABEL SUEN
GRACE MEAT + THREE 4270 Manchester Avenue, 314-533-2700 St. Louis’ king of comfort food, Rick Lewis, may not be as good as your grandma at cooking up country-style specialties — he might be even better. Though he started out in some of the city’s most esteemed white-tablecloth restaurants, Lewis turned his attention to dishes inspired by good ol’ home cooking, first at Quincy Street Bistro, which he transformed to a modern gastropub, and next at the Nashville-style hot chicken spot Southern. Grace Meat + Three, Lewis and his wife’s first true solo venture, takes a little from each of those two places and melds them into a temple of homestyle fare. However, Lewis’ pedigree in fine dining shows in the polished touch he adds to simple dishes. Roast beef is served with marrow bone gravy and crispy fried leeks. Meatloaf is made from duck, and house-made bologna is thick-sliced, griddled and served with pimento cheese. You won’t go away from Grace hungry. The only thing you’ll leave with is a small pang of guilt that you like Lewis’ fried chicken better than your own mother’s. Continued on pg 46
BBQ PORK FRIED RICE
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ICON STATUS Continued from pg 42 popular spot singlehandedly transformed its strip of U. City from a blighted wasteland to a shopping-anddining district since its 1972 opening, and it continues to reign over the area as a must-visit for tourists. Burgers are legendary, and don’t forget to add a side of “Buffalo fries,” which beg to be washed down with a beer from the restaurant’s impressive selection. But the best dish at this place is the music — whether blaring over the speakers or live from the stage, the tunes prove that Blueberry Hill’s legendary rock & roll ethos is all the main course you need.
Al’s Restaurant 1200 North 1st Street, 314-421-6399
Coming Attractions CHICAGO H March 2-4 THE COLOR PURPLE H March 20 - April 1 HAMILTON H April 3-22 THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA H May 9 - 20 VANCE JOY H May 26 THE BOOK OF MORMON H May 29 - June 3 CELTIC WOMAN H June 13 YANNI 25TH Anniversary Tour H June 24 JETHRO TULL 50TH Anniversary Tour H June 29 TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND H July 26 DAN AND PHIL - Interactive Introverts H July 29 BILL MAHER H August 25 For more information: FabulousFox.com Metrotix.com • 314-534-1111 527 North Grand, St. Louis
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The same family has owned Al’s in the same location for 93 years now, which tells you a lot about the experience you’ll have at this classic old-school St. Louis restaurant. The waiters here are almost universally old enough to be your grandfather, and they’ll walk you through the dinner options; Al’s regulars won’t stand for those newfangled paper menus. Settle back in the hushed, old-fashioned dining room and start with the terrific lobster bisque and a classic Caesar, prepared tableside. And why not try Al’s signature, the Beef Romano? It’s a filet mignon stuffed with prosciutto and romano cheese, then breaded and served with marsala sauce. They don’t make specials like this anymore. You won’t possibly have room for the chocolate souffle, which is good because you had to order that yesterday when you made your reservation. Perhaps a bite of bananas foster? Yes, it’s that kind of place. And while it will cost you an arm and a leg, for several generations of St. Louisans celebrating special occasions, Al’s has been unquestionably worth it.
Charlie Gitto’s on the Hill 5226 Shaw Avenue, 314-772-8898 Legend has it that, in Charlie Gitto’s previous incarnation as Angelo’s, the kitchen gave birth to one of the icons of St. Louis cuisine: the toasted ravioli. According to the story, a chef accidentally dropped a ravioli in hot oil instead of water, crisping up the exterior to a delicious golden brown. These days, it’s difficult to imagine Charlie Gitto’s doing anything by accident, no matter how delicious the results. This lovely restaurant is the standout in a neighborhood filled with Italian restaurants, its success the result of its ability to hit just the right note between pedestrian red sauce Continued on pg 46 and stuffy tableside service. Charlie
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ICON STATUS Continued from pg 44 Gitto’s is more upscale than some of its neighbors and yet not as formal as others — a place to go if someone in your party wants a simple pizza while you are craving an elegant veal saltimbocca. That it can do both with aplomb, and for more than three decades at that, is certainly no accident.
Pappy’s Smokehouse 3106 Olive Street, 314-535-4340 Before Pappy’s Smokehouse came on the scene, the words “barbecue” and “St. Louis” conjured up little more than backyard pork steaks covered in bottled sauce. Then came Mike Emerson and Skip Steele, who had a vision for making world-class barbecue right here in the Gateway City, and the St. Louis ’cue scene would never be the same. The lines started on Day 1 with hungry guests queueing up for Pappy’s succulent pulled pork, brisket and legendary dry-rubbed ribs, and they continue ten years later, even as the city’s barbecue scene grows more crowded by the day. Pappy’s is the undisputed king of St. Louis barbecue, the standard-bearer and the spark that launched the city’s barbecue into the national spotlight — but ultimately, it’s just really damn good barbecue.
Imo’s Pizza 1000 Hampton Avenue, 314-644-5480 Few foods evoke such unwavering admiration and utter contempt as St. Louis-style pizza. If you’re a native, the ultra-thin, Provel-covered pie is not only a delicacy — it’s a source of civic pride. If you’re not from here, chances are you’ll view this cracker-like circle of goo with curiosity at best and horror at worst. Whatever your take, the one thing agreed upon is that there is no place like Imo’s to experience the Gateway City’s contribution to the genre. Nicknamed “the square beyond compare” for its squareshaped slices, Imo’s pies are the quintessence of St. Louis pizza: thin, crisp, tomato-sauce-coated and smothered in Provel, a processed cheese blend of cheddar, Swiss and provolone that becomes almost liquid when melted. (Pro tip: You might be tempted to dig right in, but you have to let the pizza cool or else the cheese will painfully stick to the roof of your mouth.) Though St. Louis-style pizza is ubiquitous throughout the city that gave it its name, Imo’s is the version that put the option on the map, and its flagship pizzeria on Oakland Avenue is the place to go if you want to experience it in all of its cracker-crust glory. “Real” pizza it may not be, but it sure is delicious. n 46
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RIGHT NOW Continued from pg 43
Polite Society is a Lafayette Square charmer. | MABEL SUEN
CATE ZONE 8146 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314-738-9923 If you’re looking for sweet and sour pork or General Tso’s chicken, Cate Zone is not the place for you. If, however, you want to experience modern Chinese cuisine the way it’s currently served in Shanghai or Beijing, then Cate Zone is just the place. Oddly named due to a translation error (the owners thought it meant “place of delicious food”), Cate Zone represents the new guard of Chinese restaurants that have opened in St. Louis over the past few years. At these new spots, young immigrant entrepreneurs are daring to show American diners the real food of their homeland, and if Cate Zone’s “Hot Crisp Fish” or spun-sugar sweet potatoes are any indication, our food scene is all the more better for it. These dishes will are so wonderful you’ll forget there is such a thing as crab Rangoon.
POLITE SOCIETY 1923 Park Avenue, 314-325-2553 If you could turn the charming yet stylish Lafayette Square neighborhood into a restaurant, it would be Polite Society. Though it bills itself as a warm neighborhood spot, Polite Society is so much more than that; it’s a reinvention of a contemporary American bistro with eclectic lunch and dinner fare designed with the intention of providing something for everyone who walks through its doors. Look for everything from best-in-class shrimp and grits to pork osso bucco to a simple patty melt — one that just happens to be made using the revolutionary meat-free “Impossible Burger.” Washing it all down with one of the restaurant’s
thoughtful cocktails inside the truly lovely digs, the only thing that seems impossible about Polite Society is not falling completely in love with it.
PRIVADO 6665 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-899-9221 Chef Mike Randolph once described Privado as “La La Land”: a dreamscape where he could fully execute his vision of an ideal restaurant, unbound from the reality of the business’ day-to-day concerns. If you have a chance to dine at this weekends-only, one-seatingeach-night, tasting menu concept, you’ll quickly realize that Randolph is not the only one dreaming. Every last detail is thought out, from the subtle music and light changes from course to course to the impeccably prepared dishes — each one good enough to dazzle even as they come one after another in a cohesive parade. Randolph’s creativity and brazenness are unmatched in this city, and they result in a dining experience nothing short of powerful. It doesn’t come easy, and it’s not cheap; reservations fill quickly and a meal with wine pairings will set you back some decent change. However, it’s worth the price tag and the effort to get a front row seat to what is basically Randolph’s private dinner party — now that’s La La Land.
NUDO HOUSE 11423 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; 314-274-8046 When chefs Qui Tran and Marie Anne Velasco were in the research and development stage for Nudo House, they had the opportunity to work under famed ramen master Shigetoshi Nakamura. The acclaimed Japanese chef had only to work with the pair for a brief time before making a prescient observation: He had no doubt they were going to make it in the world of ramen. Indeed they have, as Nudo House is not only one of the area’s most popular restaurants, but also sets the standard for all other ramen shops in town. Oh, and yeah: Food & Wine just put it on the February cover. Fiercely authentic yet playful enough to deviate from tradition when inspired to do so, Nudo House serves a selection of different preparations including a classic tonkatsu, a chicken ramen called the “Hebrew Hammer,” and a vegetarian mushroom ramen that is so luxurious it is perhaps the restaurant’s most decadent offering. They may have learned from the best, but one bowl of their world-class ramen shows that these students are on the verge of becoming the masters. n
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20 WAYS TO BE A STRANGER
New in town or just wanting to network? Try our time-tested tips for making friends in a city that can sometimes feel unapproachable
D
BY DANNY WICENTOWSKI
uring her travels through China during World War II, war correspondent and St. Louis native Martha Gellhorn bet her thenhusband, Ernest Hemingway, that a foreigner she’d spotted on a train hailed from her hometown. “I think it’s a law,” Gellhorn wrote in Travels With Myself and Another. “When you get to the worst farthest places, the stranger has come from St. Louis.” Being a stranger need not be such an ominous condition, and certainly not in present-day St. Louis. Maybe you’re a new transplant. A tourist. A recovering hermit. Perhaps you’re feeling the sudden need to get off your couch, turn off Netflix and
2. GET CULTURED It might not always seem that way, but St. Louis history has much more to it than Germans brewing. Starting the first Saturday in April, the St. Louis Landmark Association (www.landmarks-stl.org) operates walking tours that explore downtown’s significant buildings and neighborhoods, covering not only mainstays like the Arch and Union Station, but also the little-known histories behind the Grand Center arts district and Washington Avenue — it wasn’t always a street of trendy bars and restaurants, you know. If a bus tour is more your style, hop on one of the quirky tours offered by Renegade STL (renegadestl.com) and learn about the city’s unexplored corners and underappreciated personalities. Rather not walk outside, ride a bus or spend any money? Then take advantage of free admission to the world-class Saint Louis Art Museum (www.slam. org) and attend a group tour or gallery talk; you’ll be surprised at how much depth the institution contains — and how much you’ll enjoy delving into it.
You’ll quickly make new friends over beer (and song). | DISOBEYART STUDIO
interact with other humans. And that’s OK! Don’t let anyone try to convince you that St. Louis can’t be friendly, or doesn’t have a place for the outsider. It just takes that first step. And we’ve got nineteen steps for you — suggestions for venues, events, clubs and activities that bring people together. You might find a diversion for a couple weekends, a story to tell at a bar or friends for life. What do you have to lose? You can always just head back to the couch and unpause Netflix.
1. RAISE A STEIN, AND YOUR VOICE, WITH THE BEER HALL CHOIR With the opening of Das Bevo, the Beer Hall Choir (www.beerchoir.com) found its perfect home beneath the soaring ceiling of the recently renovated Bevo Mill. It’s not a formal choir, per se, but a monthly “social drinking experience.” Just grab a beer, a songbook and a seat at one of the long communal tables; then follow along with maestro Michael Engelhardt, drinking accordingly along the way. To Engelhardt, it’s not the beer, or even the music, that makes the “secret sauce” of the Beer Hall Choir so special. “It’s social connection,” he says. “There’s just something that happens inside when you hear everybody singing together. You’re part of that.”
3. READ A BOOK (COMMUNALLY) St. Louis is positively bursting with book clubs, and if you can’t network into one by asking around, you’ll find your local book store is often more than happy to make the connection. (See our complete guide to local bookstores within this very issue.) Your local branch of the public library also likely offers a club. And if you haven’t yet downloaded NextDoor (nextdoor.com), the neighborhood app is a good starting point as well — beyond the ongoing is-that-fireworks-or-gunshots conversation in most city neighborhoods, you can often network in with book clubs that have been going strong for years.
4. GET INVOLVED IN POLITICS Whether you’re red or blue, it’s hard not to look at America’s current political climate as anything but a dripping garbage fire. But you — yes, you! — can do something about it (and sometimes even get paid for it). You don’t have to harbor presidential aspirations to get involved with canvassing or collecting signatures for a petition or candidate, and the upcoming midterm election season is a great place to start. Research your alderman, state reps and congressmen. Want to support them? Oppose them? You’re not alone. Contact the state campaigns or, if you’re in the city, shoot a friendly email to your representatives on the Democratic Central Committee (www.stlcitydems. com). The next time an election comes around, you Continued on pg 50 won’t be a bystander. C I T Y G U I D E 2 0 1 8 | R I V E R FFOLIO R O N T TGOES I M E S . HERE C O M 493
DON’T BE A STRANGER Continued from pg 47 5. GET JACKED
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6. GO FOR THE GLORY No force in the world can suppress a competitive spirit, and there’s no reason you can’t let that spirit fly in St. Louis. Multiple groups offer mainstays like softball, hockey, co-ed kickball and cornhole — and if you’re adventurous, the St. Louis Curling Club (www. stlouiscurlingclub.org) is always looking for members. Take care, as particular leagues tend to come and go, and therefore it’s worth some googling around in the winter to gauge your options as the weather warms. Thankfully, many leagues include the option to join as a “free agent,” so you won’t have to assemble your own collection of castoffs to vie for a trophy. See www.stlouis.sportsmonster.net for a large listing of options.
7. ROLL THE DICE OVER A BOARD GAME
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If improving the body politic isn’t your speed, take a shot at improving your actual body at group workout sessions. Local gyms and community centers like the JCC and YMCA offer hundreds of options, but lower-cost and free sessions are at your fingertips through Meetup groups like the St. Louis Adventure Group (www.meetup. com/StLAdventurers/). Looking for something contemplative that will also stretch your limbs at interesting angles? Yoga Buzz (www.yogabuzz.org) hosts “Yoga plus” events at locations all over the city, combining the shared anguish of a workout with a twist of culture, food or beer.
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Stretch and sweat all you want, but a sedentary pastime is nothing to scoff at either. Head over to Pieces STL (www.stlpieces.com), a board-game cafe in Soulard that has quickly become the epicenter of St. Louis’ dice-rolling and card-playing crowd — a crowd that easily has room for one more. Co-owner Laura Leister notes that groups have the option to signal their openness to unattached players, while those coming in alone can alert others that they’re willing to join any group that needs them. Flying solo on a weekday? That doesn’t mean you can’t play. “Some people just come to sit at our bar to have a beer by themselves,” she says, “and they end up playing a game with their bartender.”
MAINSTAGE
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Yoga Buzz brings fitness lovers together. | DAVID TADEVOSIAN
8. MASTER CHESS There are games, and then there’s chess. St. Louis is arguably America’s chess capital, and if you’re keen to hone your skills or to start your journey to becoming a grandmaster, the Chess Club and Scholastic Center of St. Louis (www.saintlouischessclub.org) could be your new home. The Chess Club hosts daily classes and lectures, and the group’s Central West End headquarters functions as a cerebral community center that bustles with students of every age and experience level. Whether you’re interested in casual games or tournament prep, or just taking chess instruction, the Chess Club is a sound opening move.
9. CHASE KARAOKE STARDOM There’s a reason karaoke persists, immune to the passage of time and the fickle tastes of youth. For those two or three minutes — or six minutes, if you’re one of those marvelous lunatics attempting Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” — you are the undisputed headliner, the belle of the barroom ball. And even if you walk into a karaoke bar knowing not a soul, the aura of communal performance anxiety makes for a fantastic ice breaker. Plus, the venues usually attract their own cadre of regular singers to befriend. St. Louis’ karaoke palaces range from the violet-hued disco heaven of Mike Talayna’s Juke Box Restaurant, which carries karaoke every night of the week, to neighborhood bars like Carson’s (www.carsonssportsbar.com), which offers options from Wednesday to Sunday. And don’t miss Karaoke BOOM, which travels between the Monocle, Foam and Sophie’s Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club (see each bar’s Facebook page for more details). Time to Continued on pg 52 start practicing those high notes.
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DON’T BE A STRANGER Continued from pg 49 10. MAKE A DIVE BAR YOUR OWN By definition, you can’t be a stranger in a place where everybody knows your name. Maybe that’s the underlying magic hidden inside neighborhood dive bars, the sort of places you might pass without a second thought during your morning commute, establishments with names like the Heavy Anchor or Rhonda’s Place (pro tip: Google “the Real Drinker’s Guide to St. Louis’ Best Dive Bars,” and you’ll find this publication’s finest work). Just pick one, and go there a few times. Bring a friend. Drink a beer after work. If they have a TV, watch a game. Tip the bartender. Talk to the bartender. Get really good at pinball. Talk to someone older and bettertraveled than you, and maybe realize how little you know about motorcycles and proper car repair. Listen to the craziest stories you’ve ever heard. Start learning people’s names before you drink so much you forget them — and that’s the dive-bar magic starting once again.
11. BECOME A SOCCER LOULIGAN The story of soccer in St. Louis didn’t begin with the effort to put an MLS stadium downtown, and it certainly didn’t end when that effort failed to sway city voters in 2017. The city’s ties to the sport go back a century, and our present-day soccer culture is in the midst of a revival that’s ravenous for more fans — a fan like you, perhaps. The St. Louligans (www.stlouligans.com), the largest club of soccer supporters in the metro area, consistently populates a raucous fan section at STL FC matches, and they bring an exuberant abandon that should make the Cardinals jealous. And once the World Cup rolls around this summer, bars like the Amsterdam Tavern, Barrister’s and Tigín will be packed with fans of the beautiful game. To mix metaphors: Jump on the soccer bandwagon, the water is fine.
12. RELIVE ANIMAL HOUSE WITH THE HARRIERS Like the platypus, the concept behind the Big Hump Hash House Harriers (www.big-hump.com) sounds like it shouldn’t be possible. For nearly two decades, the group — which touts itself as “St. Louis’ Original Drinking Club with a Running Problem” — gathers weekly to engage in “hashing,” a non-competitive “hare and hounds” running game that’s practiced by clubs all over the world. The “hares” leave chalk symbols on the ground, which direct the trailing “hounds” to the route, which includes some 52
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false trails and dead ends; that route, in turn, features stops for beer. St. Louis’ iteration hosts weekly runs open to any athletic level, with most routes including a walking option. For newbies, the instructions are simple: Contact the organizers, grab $7 and just “show up and be 21, since there is drinking,” advises veteran hasher Angela O’Hanlon, the group’s president. If you’re not into nicknames, though, be forewarned: You’re going to get one. “Lazy Ass” and “Slips in Shit” are already taken. “Come with an open attitude,” O’Hanlon laughs. “It’s all about making fun of yourself.”
13. BE OF SERVICE When MLK said “Everybody can be great ... because anybody can serve,” he wasn’t talking about selling trucks. Nothing so easily shatters a feeling of being “other” than reaching out to people who are spinning on the margins of survival, homelessness and poverty. For a start, consider your skills and talents. Where could they be applied? Can you help out a classroom, mentor a high school student or help build a house? Click around the United Way’s searchable database of local positions (www.stlvolunteer.org). Considering St. Louis is particularly strapped for resources to support its homeless population, you may find the greatest impact with groups like the St. Patrick Center (www. stpatrickcenter.org) and Peter & Paul Community Services (www.ppcsinc.org).
14. JOIN ST. LOUIS’ PET PEOPLE Fido probably loves going outside no matter what, but it’s time to show him the world beyond the immediate blocks around your place. Get to know the region by its parks and pet-friendly bar patios, and you’ll find that many, many other dogs are dragging their humans to the same places. If you’re in Midtown near Saint Louis University, you’ll find your fellow dog folks arrayed around the abstract art in the Ellen Park Sculpture Park. Or head to the far western rim of St. Charles, to Broemmelsiek Park, where the admission is free, the acreage is plentiful and the lakes are perfect for doggy-paddling. And if you’d prefer a more passive experience, the Mauhaus Cat Café (www.mauhauscafe. com) is a temple to the endearing-but-also-sometimesdisinterested affections of a creature who doesn’t care if you’re a stranger, as long as you provide good petting. Find lots more options at bringfido.com.
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A Sauce Magazine Favorite Steak House 9 Years Running Voted #1 Steak 19 Years In A Row - RFT Restaurant Polls 1999-2017 Voted Best Steakhouse - 2015, 2016 & 2017 Best of St. Louis Readers Poll
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DON’T BE A STRANGER Continued from pg 52 15. BECOME A SUPERFAN It’s easy to get caught up in huge musical acts coming through St. Louis — but it’s the ones right here that are way more fun to follow, from small bar to bigger bar to maybe even a particular alt-weekly’s annual music showcase. Try seeing what all the fuss is about by catching the ultra-polished Sleepy Kitty, the cataclysmic rock of Bug Chaser or the joyful Bruiser Queen — and then realize you can’t get the opener’s third song out of your head, and before you know it you’re at the opener’s show, and then suddenly you’re three bands down the line and shouting lyrics in a mosh pit in a basement and you are alive as fuck. Don’t worry about being pretentious or worry that actually liking something makes you weird. Try liking a band and then being around other people who like that band too, Perennial’s classes let you make new friends even as you reuse old items. | and see where it goes. It’s as simple as a COURTESY OF PERENNIAL three-note chord, and poses the same infinite 17. MAKE ART potential. Check out the RFT’s local music listings, which run in the paper every week, to see who’s Bob Ross spent a career softly shading clouds and playing where. adjusting the mood of his trees, and the guy had it
16. TILL THE EARTH Gardening isn’t just something to do in your window box or, uh, in a locked shed containing a hydroponic weed empire. Instead, join the agricultural revolution at EarthDance Farms (www.earthdancefarms.org) in Ferguson. Each season, the fourteen-acre organic farm accepts around two dozen apprentices who work the land, plant the seeds and see the effort through to harvest — the result of which finds its way to the patrons of the Ferguson Farmers Market. The apprenticeship is more than just labor; it’s a hands-on education with experienced farmers who will run you through a curriculum that’s 12,000 years or so in the making. By the end you’ll learn the ropes of sustainable farming, and from there you can join one of the more than 200 gardens in the Gateway Greening Community Garden network (www. gatewaygreening.org) — or even start one of your own. Be part of a community that grows together. You might like it, and at the very least your salads will improve. 54
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right about art: “Talent is a pursued interest,” he once said. “Anything that you’re willing to practice, you can do.” If it’s practice you’re looking for, and fellow practicers to practice with, Craft Alliance (www. craftalliance.org) offers one-day workshops or longer classes to suit your creative itch, from pottery to quilting to glass-blowing and pretty much everything in between. Feeling more like an upcycling Martha Stewart? Check out Perennial (www.perennialstl.org). The nonprofit offers classes that will make you take another look at the “creative reusability” of objects around you. If you’ve found some wooden pallets in an alley, turn them into something cool and useful at one of the regular community workshop days, with staff on hand to lend DIY guidance. And even if your art is useful and sustainable and all that, there’s nothing wrong with adding a splash of decoration to that new bookshelf. We suggest some happy little trees.
18. BECOME A TRIVIA CHAMPION Grab some clever colleagues, or at the least some colleagues who’ve watched a few episodes of The Simpsons, and take advantage of the fact that virtually any day in St. Louis is a good day for
challenging yourself to remember pop culture trivia while drinking. For instance, you’ve got Geeks Who Drink (www.geekswhodrink.com) at Handlebar, Layla and Blueberry Hill, and Tenacious Trivia (www. facebook.com/TenaciousTriv) covering a host of south-city bars, including Ryder’s and Tower Pub. Will you win? Probably not. But you can still delight in nailing a thorny question about ’90s boy bands, military history or anime — and everyone knows the best part of trivia is picking a train wreck of a pun for your team name.
19. GET SPIRITUAL — OR NOT If Abraham could hack it as a stranger in a strange land, so can you, though you probably don’t need all the desert wandering that went with it. St. Louis is overflowing with churches, mosques and synagogues, and you’ve got your pick of traditional congregations. (Boy, are you in luck if you like giant Catholic churches.) And if you’re not totally convinced the world is only 6,000 years old and would rather talk about cool science stuff, the Skeptical Society of St. Louis (www. skepticalstl.com) would be happy to have you at its talks and pub meetups. And don’t overlook the Ethical Society of St. Louis (www.ethicalstl.org). A humanist congregation, the Ethical Society hosts Sunday services in a breathtaking temple of its own in Ladue, and with a full slate of sermons, mindfulness rituals and community services that prove you don’t necessarily need God to deal with the big questions of life and still have hope for the future.
20. BE FUNNY The last bastions of scoundrels are the improv stage and the open mic — but if you’ve got your heart in the right place, a knack for comic timing and a desire to not be the creepy guy who only knows ethnic jokes, then check out St. Louis’ comedy scene. The Improv Shop (www.theimprovshop.com) hosts some of the city’s most talented and transgressive comics, and you too can your hone your comic timing, build confidence or find a partner to help polish those skit ideas you’ve been squirreling away for years. Granted, improv isn’t for everyone — thank God — but there’s something elemental about the open-mic experience that everyone should try at least once. You may not know it, but the crowd at the monthly 90-Minute Mic at Gezellig (www.facebook.com/pg/gezelligstl/events/) is dying to hear your favorite bar story. Don’t leave them hanging. n 9
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THINGS TO DO IN
ST. LOUIS BEFORE YOU DIE
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t. Louis is overflowing with entertainment options, from sports and concerts to parks and restaurants. But in the midst of so many choices, how do you know which are the truly must-do activities? To answer that question, we’ve rounded up the 40 things you should do in St. Louis before you die. With this bucket list, you’ll never be bored — and can truly live it up, St. Louis style. 1. Get free seats at the Muny. New Yorkers can keep their sky-high Broadway ticket prices, thankyouverymuch. 2. Visit the Arch, and actually take a ride to the top. You know it’s time you soared 630 feet above the city in an egg. 3. Eat good St. Louis-style pizza. We’re looking at you, Pirrones and BJ’s. 4. Skip through the splash pad at Citygarden. Come to this downtown park for the sculptures; stay for the perfect excuse to play like a five-year-old. 5. Go to a Cardinals game. If you haven’t been to Busch Stadium, are you really a St. Louisan? 6. Get sauced up to your elbows. Your St. Louis barbecue bucket list should include, but definitely not be limited to, Pappy’s, Salt + Smoke, BEAST Craft BBQ Co. and Big Baby Q. 7. Paddle a boat in Forest Park. Post-Dispatch Lake is calling. 8. See a movie at Moolah Theatre & Lounge. Why go to a megaplex when you can have a gorgeous single-screen movie theater (with couches!), a bowling alley and a bar, all under one roof?
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9. Dine above the city at Three Sixty. It’s high time you watched the sun set while sipping top-notch cocktails. 10. Get lost in the City Museum. Bonus points for going down that ridiculously tall slide. 11. Say hi to the animals at the Saint Louis Zoo. It’s free, it’s fun and they have cheetah cubs. What’s not to love? 12. Gawk at the Cathedral Basilica. There’s a reason they call St. Louis “Rome of the West.” 13. Stroll along Cherokee Street. Antique shops, concert venues, real-deal Mexican food, art galleries, the occasional Trump piñata — this quirky-cool street has a character all its own. 14. Indulge in stellar Bosnian cuisine. We might have the best options outside Sarajevo. 15. See the St. Louis Symphony. Best of all, catch its free annual concert in Forest Park. 16. Go to a show at Jazz at the Bistro. Dinner and drinks in an intimate cabaret setup is just the thing. 17. Get a dozen delights from an old-school doughnut shop. In most of these no-frills spots, you can drop a Hamilton and still have money left for coffee and the newspaper. 18. Get a slinger at Courtesy Diner. Preferably when you’re good and toasty. 19. Go back to the ’20s at Thaxton Speakeasy. Yes, you have to enter through the alley to reach the password-protected entrance.
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Via artist website
22.
2.
13.
And yes, it’s awesome.
store devoted to it?
20. Take a turn at human foosball. You can’t play a life-sized version of the classic tabletop game just anywhere.
30. Sled down Art Hill. Winter in St. Louis isn’t complete otherwise.
21. Visit Crown Candy Kitchen. Bonus points if you can complete this old-school soda fountain’s malt challenge — five malts in 30 minutes. 22. See Kim Massie sing at Beale on Broadway. You’ll see why she’s earned the right to be called a living legend. 23. Walk the perimeter path at Tower Grove Park. It’s the prettiest three-mile stroll in the city. 24. Check out the National Blues Museum — now open in a place where the blues aren’t just music but a state of mind. 25. Visit Lee “Stagger Lee” Shelton’s grave. The St. Louis criminal inspired a folk song — and is forever remembered at the historic Greenwood Cemetery. 26. Catch a show at the Sheldon. The acoustics are perfect. 27. Visit the Scott Joplin House. You know “The Entertainer”? Yeah, Scott Joplin wrote that — and he used to live on Delmar Boulevard. 28. Go to a Blues game. Yelling “Let’s go Blues!” at the top of your lungs with a big crowd of like-minded fans is so much more satisfying than watching at home. 29. Consume your weight in gooey butter cake at Gooey Louie. We invented this amazing dessert; any wonder we have an entire 11
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31. Stroll through Candy Cane Lane. Stop by Ted Drewes for a Christmas tree and a concrete on the way home for the yuletide trifecta. 32. Get tipsy at Planter’s House. Don’t forget to check out the beautiful Bullock Room tucked off the main room. 33. Repent for your sins at one of the city’s myriad Lenten fish fries. They’re on a whole other level. 34. Explore our downtown library. We can describe it in one word: gorgeous. 35. Eat some toasted ravioli, for God’s sake. They’re fried meat and carbs — it’s no mystery why the whole city loves them. 36. Geek out at the World Chess Hall of Fame. Play chess under the shadow of the world’s largest chess piece. 37. Learn to blow glass at Third Degree Glass Factory. You have to see it to believe it. 38. Visit the Bevo Mill. The restaurant now known as Das Bevo is also a windmill fit for a beer baron. 39. Take a trip to Grant’s Farm. Bonus points if you actually get in there and mix it up with the baby goats. 40. Stay until last call at a 3 a.m. bar. Cheers to you if you’re still standing. CITY GUIDE 2018 | RIVERFRONTTIMES.COM
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advertisements. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missoui. The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon The choice of a lawyer is an important decisionrule andofshould not be based solely upon advertisements. is required the Court of Missoui. The choiceThis of adisclosure lawyer is an importantbydecision andSupreme should not be based solely upo advertisements. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missoui. advertisements. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missou