Your party just got cooler
I knew what I was getting into, staying in St. Louis for yet another sweltering summer. And at the inevitably sweaty backyard parties, I know better than to complain. Instead, I’ve found a solution – chilled party drinks that are as fun, and almost as easy, as old standards like beer and Jell-O shots. To…
Former Stranded Lad finds himself in flamenco guitar
There was a time when Lliam Christy was one of the hottest rock guitarists in St. Louis, with a reputation as someone who was plenty versed in jazz, as well. His notoriety in town was probably cemented with a long run as the lead guitarist in The Stranded Lads, a pop-rock group that never enjoyed…
Who needs ‘Project Runway’ when St. Louisans are already decked out in Beqi?
Don’t be too quick to discount St. Louis as an unfashionable, less-than-hip Mississippi port town. The fashion landscape here is changing, and our emerging designers are something to brag about. And local fashion is becoming easier to find. Earlier this summer Soundart, a fashion-meets-rock-show event, was held at Atomic Cowboy, featuring the quirky T-shirt stylings…
Sour is Sweet: More foodies are making and collecting vinegar
“How could I not buy The First Original Bavarian Beer Vinegar?” Jonathan Yordy asked. Since he had arrayed roughly two dozen bottles of vinegar on his granite countertop, I considered this to be a rhetorical question. Yordy is a vinegar enthusiast; he’s been collecting for years. He explained that as public relations coordinator for the…
Lettuce Move On: Time is ripe for colorful, versatile vegetable salads
Consider it official: July is crunch time in River City. Crunch time? Ab-sculpting crunches? If you insist. Number crunching? Yes, but only calories and carbs. A Nestlé Crunch bar? Sure, but moms are right: “Eat your veggies first.” Crunch time starts in the produce section and ends on the kitchen table. It’s the season when…
The Not-Too-Sweet Life: Versatile Italian desserts are a delight to explore
The kitchen of La Dolce Via bakery and cafe in Forest Park Southeast looks a lot like mine in the middle of a pie-making project. Measuring cups and silver mixing bowls are stacked in tall, old-fashioned cabinets. Baked crusts sit ready for owner Marcia Sindel to fill. Sindel is making a Strawberry Cake Roll. As…
Review: Busch’s Grove in Ladue
GUY’S PERSPECTIVE As far as cotillions go, our Veiled Prophet Ball can take all comers. We know how to debut our young ladies to polite St. Louis society. Like all debutante balls, ours epitomizes a see-and-be-seen event. Now, tweak that annual one-night glitzy party into a high-end restaraunt and music lounge, and you’ll come damn…
Review: Terrene in St. Louis
I must confess, I’m a huge fan of the readers’ choice poll. Sure, it’s fun to read, but my reasons are much more selfish. You, the ridiculously informed readers with highly developed palates, do all the heavy lifting for this piece. When your votes are cast, all I have to do is to eat, drink…
Riddle’s Homegrown Corn Relish
• Shuck the corn, remove the silks and cook the ears in boiling water for 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the ears to cool. Cut the kernels off the cobs; there should be 4 or 5 cups of kernels. • Place the corn, bell pepper, green onion, celery and fresh basil in a large mixing…
Dollars and Sense: Restaurants find it’s good business to be good to the environment
When Schlafly Bottleworks opened in 2003, the brewpub didn’t look at its parking lot just as coveted parking space in crowded Maplewood, but as a spot where it could make a positive difference for the environment through the creation of a community garden. “The company wanted to incorporate environmental considerations into its breweries and restaurants.…
Favorite daily breakfast: Chris’ Pancake and Dining offers classic favorites
When Roseanne Saracino predicted, “Cook good food and give plenty and they will come,” she couldn’t have been more accurate. Her son, Chris, opened a neighborhood establishment called Chris’ Pancake and Dining in 1987, and today customers regularly crowd its tables. As much as for the good, basic food the restaurant serves, customers come back…
Favorite nightcap: A splash of chocolate for sweet dreams
Baileys’ Chocolate Bar: three words that would bring a smile to my face, even if I didn’t know whether the “Bar” referred to a form of chocolate or a drinking establishment. “The whole idea of Chocolate Bar,” owner David Bailey said, “was that we would have all those things that would make you happy, so…
Favorite chef: Brian Hale takes to the stage at Monarch
There are three things that Brain Hale needs to excel: a creative environment, a steady paycheck and a stage. “And I’ve found those things. I am so blessed, honored and grateful to be part of this organization. If I didn’t have a family to support, I would do this for free,” said Monarch Restaurant &…
Best use of local ingredients: Riddle’s has a corner on the market
With his full beard, long ponytail and wide grin, Andy Ayers attracted attention like bees to honey as he walked the Wednesday evening Maplewood Farmers’ Market. His signature red newsboy cap with a St. Louis Cardinals emblem sat solidly on his head. He waved to his farmer friends. A patron of Ayers’ restaurant, Riddle’s Penultimate…
Artists open their doors for City-Wide Open Studios
Studio visits bring the work of an artist full circle by breaking open how his or her projects are rooted, constructed and conceptualized. They allow patrons, visitors and the public to explore the creative spaces we often only know through conjecture. On July 8, art-lovers will have the opportunity to replace conjecture with experience during…
Favorite Place to do a wine tasting: The Wine Merchant covers the bases with classes and samplings
As I looked at the readers’ choice categories this year, I anticipated receiving the same assignment as last year: favorite wine list. But when Andy Ayers and Riddle’s Penultimate Café and Wine Bar won again, I was charged with something new. The ambiguity of the favorite wine tasting category made me look at all areas…
