REBRANDING Session Taco For more than a decade, St. Louis diners developed a taste for Adam and Jason Tilford’s breezy, California style of Mexican fare; they became so endeared to the brand, they shortened its name to Mission, or MTJ. So it felt like a major blow when the Tilfords were forced to change the name of Mission Taco Joint following a trademark infringement lawsuit. This could have been a death sentence, but the Tilford brothers took the setback as an opportunity to breathe new life into the brand, crowning it Session Taco and leaning into the Cali vibes. sessiontaco.com. MULTICONCEPT ADDITION Marconi Mercato Ambitious. That’s the word that comes to mind when you think of restaurateur Joe Smugala and his chef and partner, Carlos Hernandez. Between the two of…
Susan Gobbo felt like she’d reached the top of her field. In Brazil, her native country, Gobbo led the intensive care unit of a major hospital. She was good at her job, and the work made her feel important. But when her husband’s career with Nestlé Purina transferred her family to St. Louis in 2008, Gobbo gave up everything for the best interests of the people she loved. Besides, she believed the move would probably be only temporary—maybe two or three years. “That was the initial thought,” Gobbo says. “We would come over here and stay for a few years and go back to Brazil. That was our idea as a family; it would be an adventure.” Her husband, however, enjoyed his work in St. Louis. Moving here—even temporarily—represented a…
JANUARY 2026 47 STLMAG.COM Fresh Dishes SMART CHOICES FROM A RANGE OF LOCAL EATERIES 1. UKraft Brunch Cafe SPICY THAI BOWL Mike and Matt Ratz took their healthy-leaning, build-your-own concept to the next level when it relocated to a space adjacent to Kiener Plaza and rebranded as UKraft Brunch Cafe. Even with triple the space, it remains one of downtown’s busiest lunch spots. The Spicy Thai bowl is a customer go-to: It combines a wild rice quinoa blend with edamame, red bell pepper, carrots, red onion, blackened shrimp, and spicy sunflower seeds with soy-chile dressing. It can also be ordered as a wrap or a salad. ukraftbrunchcafe.com. 2. SweetArt Bakeshop & Café OCTAVIA BUTLER CURRY CHICKPEA BOWL For 15 years, Reine Keis, one of St. Louis’ pioneers of vegan cuisine,…
ACUPUNCTURE AEQUA Health & Wellness Providing holistic services and functional medicine techniques, Dr. Dan Fazio offers acupuncture to help encourage healing. aequahealthandwellness.com. FINALISTS Alchemy Clinic Community Acupuncture of St. Louis ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY Friendship Village Activities and events help residents to remain as independent, healthy, and active as possible in a safe, secure environment. friendshipvillagestl.com. FINALISTS EverTrue Laclede Groves McKnight Place Assisted Living & Memory Care AUDIOLOGY CENTER Gateway ENT Whether it’s a hearing aid or surgical or medical therapy, Gateway ENT’s audiologists diagnose and treat hearing loss with sensitivity and skill. gatewaydrs.com. FINALISTS Sound Health Services-Helios WashU Medicine Audiology CANNABIS DISPENSARY Kind Goods With four area locations, Kind Goods staff helps educate and serve customers with a wide range of needs and interests. thekindgoods.com. FINALISTS 3Fifteen Primo Proper Cannabis…
As this issue was going to press this spring, an EF-3 tornado tore through the heart of St. Louis. The storm claimed at least five lives, injured dozens, and damaged an estimated 5,000 buildings, as well as countless century-old trees in Forest Park and far beyond. Mayor Cara Spencer described it as “one of the worst storms” in the city’s history. As St. Louis digs out of the rubble, it’s difficult to convey the scale and impact of the devastation. At the same time, as the sun peeked through the clouds following the storm, the aftermath shined a light on St. Louis’ resilience. First responders worked tirelessly to save lives and reopen roads covered by downed trees. Local nonprofits sprung into action, providing shelter and assistance in myriad ways. St.…
For more than two decades, Bob Brazell has been a force in the St. Louis culinary scene, demonstrating an impressive range that spans from the area's most lauded fine-dining institutions to beloved neighborhood dives. Now, after a five-year hiatus, his most popular brand, Byrd & Barrell, is back and ready for a vibrant new chapter. The man behind the chicken suit recently chatted about his passion for the restaurant business and how it inspires his plans for the future. Where do you think your passion for cooking comes from? Growing up, my grandmother was an amazing cook. You'd go over to her house for Christmas, and she'd been cooking for two days and had enough food prepared for 300 people, even though there were only 10 of us coming for…
COURAGE—OR PERHAPS optimism—may be defined as eating barbecue while wearing white, which we recently did at a new, noteworthy barbecue joint. Expat BBQ spans three floors of City Foundry STL, a former brake rotor factory. The interior is all concrete, sharp edges, and massive iron beams. It's Industrial Brutalism meets Blade Runner. One three-story wall is festooned in nostalgic travel posters; others feature artwork of monkeys doing unnatural things. Private dining “bunkers” are a creative touch. Expat is a Gerard Craft production, so one expects, well, the unexpected. It's barbecue, yes. The definition, though, is somewhat fluid. Sure, brisket's on the menu, for instance. Here, though, it's dressed with a chipotle adobo after having been rubbed with a Yucatecan concoction that beguiles your palate with cumin, oregano, and chilies. The…
Cyclists are calling for safer biking and walking conditions on Gravois in St. Louis, which saw two traffic-related deaths this spring. But even though they have the mayor’s ear, the path forward may be longer than they’d like. ¶ On April 1, a cyclist was struck and killed in an alleged hit-and-run near Gravois’ intersection with Bamberger. On May 12, a pedestrian was killed after being struck by a car just one block away. The deaths galvanized cyclists. ¶ “We know how to solve this problem,” says Matt Wyczalkowski with the St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians. He points to the fact that utility construction in the center of Gravois narrowed the road, creating a de facto median for several months. “Suddenly, crossing became easier and safer, even…
Joy Christensen couldn’t stop daydreaming about a house on the corner of 12th and Lami in Soulard. The former radio personality and restaurant owner has long had a soft spot for historic architecture. In 2015, the year she first spotted the house with a leaky Mansard roof and marbled—albeit warped—front panels, she and her husband, Ron Christensen, were living a few miles west in another historic home. Over two decades, they restored every inch of that property’s 12,000 square feet, built for the founder of soda-cracker company Nabisco. But the drive to resuscitate old houses and commercial buildings had come with a cost. Christensen’s next project, she declared, wouldn’t be like the others: “I don’t want any plaster. I want to see my conduit. I want to see my plumbing,”…
“Rich” is the word that will be uttered before you even get past the appetizers or salads. Yes, even the salads. It’d be challenging to find a restaurant that more consistently delivers a menu that’s the gustatory equivalent of Aida being performed on your palate. Cottle Village Farmstead + Distillery seems a bit incongruous, situated in St. Charles County, where herds of SUVs now roam. What was originally a sprawling nursery has been transformed into 4 acres that are home to a restaurant, a distillery, and an outdoor theater. A towering forest of mature evergreens shades everything; thoughtful construction has integrated the original barn into the distillery. The farmhouse has been enlarged to provide a roomy, high-ceilinged dining area with a massive fireplace, a cool bar, and a cocktail lounge…
Firefighter Cody Carpenter got to the firehouse in Fountain Park, at 6:30 a.m. At roll call, knowing a storm was expected, they went over the usual emergency response plans. Then a normal day began—a couple medical calls, a couple alarms. Carpenter was upstairs at the firehouse when the warnings sounded. Soon, he heard hail ricocheting off the windows. Seconds later, the power went out. “I felt the pressure waves in my ear,” he says, “and all of a sudden, I hear a freight train and think, Man, I know this from the movies.” One of the upstairs windows shattered, and the building to their left collapsed before their eyes. It felt like a gut punch, Carpenter says. And it also felt like time to go to work. They ran outside…
ELECTRICIAN Streib Company From its local beginnings in 1996 as a one-man operation, Streib Company has grown into a comprehensive commercial and residential electrical, media, technology, security, and sustainable energy provider—installing everything from ceiling fans to EV chargers and solar panels—for a range of clients in northwest Arkansas and St. Louis. streibco.com. FINALISTS Hoffmann Brothers Schultz Contracting ANTIQUE AND VINTAGE SHOP St. Louis Estate Buyers The full-service estate liquidation company offers estate buyouts, online auctions, appraisals, and more. Shoppers can find some of its wares at retail stores in West County Center and a South County location as well. stlouisestatebuyers.com. FINALISTS Ditto Family Resale The Hill Antique Market FLOORING RETAILER Advance Carpet One Floor & Home Part of a cooperative with more than 1,000 locations, Advance Carpet One has stores…
In 2023, Kat Beath of Ladue wanted to give her daughters a present they’d never forget. So instead of shopping at a toy store, she grabbed her power tools, stacks of wood, and gallons of paint, and made the gift herself. You could call it the ultimate DIY gift. The playroom she built boasts a custom, life-size playhouse and jungle gym complete with a rock-climbing wall. “It’s fun to give them something I can’t buy,” says the mother of two. “They get so much stuff, but I hope they’ll remember this when they’re older and realize that there was time and thought put into it.” Beath was inspired by an Instagram post about a mom who built a science lab for her children. Beath thought she could create an indoor…
The good news for North Siders whose houses lay in the path of the May 16 tornado: Recovery aid, both public and private, is there. The bad news: Obtaining it can be tough if those houses are owned, on paper, by deceased family members. ¶ In 2023, SLM spotlighted the problem of “tangled titles,” situations where homeowners die without any estate planning, so the legal rights to the property become unclear. By state law, ownership instantly fractures among surviving relatives, and the asset itself can then turn into “dead capital”—it can’t be rented or sold, an existing mortgage can’t be easily modified, and insurance proceeds can’t be easily accessed. ¶ The tornado didn’t create this problem but has forced plenty of families to confront it, according to attorneys with Legal…
BEST NEW ARTIST Soumir While already familiar to some in the scene, Soumir emerged in 2025 as a stand-out performer. From playing at smaller venues with punk bands to performing at this year’s WerQfest, Soumir has already shown promise as one of St. Louis’ most exciting musical artists—a keyboard-wielding breath of fresh air with an obviously bright future. instagram.com/soumir_. BEST MUSIC VIDEO Matt F Basler, “FLRFDL” Matt F Basler’s “FLRFDL” is written from the perspective of a car thief, and its chorus of “F—k life / Ride fast / Die last” was, curiously enough, written by one. Basler’s band’s van had been stolen in February, you see, and when he was able to recover it on the side of the road a few days later, he found the catchy phrase…
Few videos of the May 16 tornado are scarier than the one taken from the top floor of The Hudson apartment complex on DeBaliviere at Pershing. In two seconds flat, its roof lifts away and its walls collapse. That wasn’t an isolated event. Lots of roofs failed in the damage path of this EF3 storm. At least one of its five fatalities—70-year-old Deloris Holmes, who died in her family’s home in St. Louis’ The Ville neighborhood—appears to have been caused by roof failure. And roof failure is bound to happen again in the next tornado unless St. Louis bolsters its building stock in the decades to come. What allows for some hope is that, over the past 15 years, federal researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have…
Like many people before parenthood, Crystal Crews used to be tidy. It wasn’t until her first child became an avid little maker who wanted to keep every bit of trash and transform it into something new that she learned to embrace the mess. “It completely changes you,” she says with a laugh. “I am no longer afraid of messes at all.” After years of running an in-home daycare and several arts-and-crafts pop-ups at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, Rockwell Beer Garden’s Farmers’ Market, and the Macklind Days festival, the now mom of three is ready to help other families experience the same worry-free creative process in her new makerspace: Macklind Make & Play (5353 Devonshire), located in the Macklind Business District at the corner of Devonshire and Macklind. Having hosted Ms.…
ELEMENTS TRENDING SHOP TALK DANIELLE KALISH HAS been dreaming of owning a retail shop for as long as she can remember. “I've only been looking for a space for 18 months, but this has been a pipe dream my entire life,” she says. Kalish, 37, saw her dreams come true with the opening of Abode by Parklyn Interiors, her new home décor and accessories shop, last month in Clayton. The goal is to introduce new brands to her customers and give them a place where they can touch and see the products in person before choosing to buy. Although her vision for the shop is clear, the path to establishing the venture has been anything but direct. Kalish has worked in the fashion space since graduating from Southeast Missouri State University in…
AUGUST LA CAGE AUX FOLLES AUGUST 8 - 14 Stop by The Muny this August for the return of La Cage aux Folles, the groundbreaking 1983 Broadway comedy that fuses drag and family dynamics. Critically lauded for its upbeat soundtrack and heartwarming story, the play is considered a milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the media. La Cage is sure to bring an evening of laughter as it joins The Muny’s summer schedule for the first time in decades. Performances are at 8:15 nightly throughout the show’s run. The Muny, 1 Theatre. WILGO AUGUST 12 Visit The Factory in Chesterfield to see the alt-rock pioneers, including Belleville native and lead singer Jeff Tweedy. Known for landmark albums Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and the Grammy Award–winning A Ghost Is Born, Wilco returns…
When Charles Smith, Annie Brahler’s husband and business partner, approached her with the idea of purchasing an enormous English Gothic church at the corner of Delmar and Union, “I thought he was off his rocker,” she says. Brahler’s firm, Euro Trash, is known for designing inspired spaces in St. Louis and across the country. For years, it had operated its studio and corporate offices in a separate location from its rented warehouses used to store containers of merchandise—including art, antique furnishings, and more—destined for St. Louis from cities across the globe. With high warehouse rental fees and Brahler’s staff traveling back and forth to catalog and select items for installations, Smith went in search of a better solution. “He’s quite talented about thinking in different ways,” Brahler says. Trusting his…
THROUGH JULY 28 SEEDS: CONTAINERS OF A WORLD TO COME From the minds of 10 contemporary artists, this research-based exhibition investigates the relationship among plants, humans, and the land. Through examining various geographical and cultural contexts, the exhibit aims to reframe the understanding of our connection to the natural world. Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, 1 Brookings. MARCH MARCH 7–AUGUST 10 MAKE THE RIVER PRESENT St. Louis is bordered by two of the longest rivers in the United States—the Missouri and the Mississippi. This interactive exhibition at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis invites visitors to strengthen their connections with these great bodies of water through the work of artists who engage with them. The artwork, resources, and activities highlight present-day and ancestral stewardship of the river and its environments…
Since they were roommates and culinary newbies almost a decade ago, Elliott Brown and Brandon Panosh have been dreaming of one day opening a restaurant that would reflect their values as much as their passion for food. Now, with friend and former co-worker Will Rogers by their side as general manager and managing partner, they are finally realizing that dream with the highly anticipated Scout’s. Located in Midtown, the brand-new hot spot bills itself as a welcoming gathering place, akin to dining in the partners’ homes—a fitting atmosphere, considering Scout’s roots as an in-home pop-up, Dinner at the Loft. Panosh and Rogers took a breath from Scout’s opening to share their vision for the restaurant, and how they hope it will help change restaurant culture for those working in the…
Editors' Favorites ENCHANTING FICTION The Melancholy of Untold History Minsoo Kang’s debut is an intoxicating blend of mythology, history, human emotion, and lush prose. At just 240 pages, the novel is a quick read, but it feels sweeping as it weaves together stories of gods and humans across 3,000 years. Kang’s world borrows from sciencefiction and fantasy, but it’s steeped in East Asian history and myth, delivering what Bustle called a “quietly magical debut.” TRUE STORY 3 Shades of Blue The consummate biographer James Kaplan—who has penned volumes on Frank Sinatra and John McEnroe, among others—turned his focus to jazz legends in his most recent offering, 3 Shades of Blue. This wellresearched volume tells the intertwining stories of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans, whose twisting and turbulent tales…
When Ricky Hughes picks up the phone, he’s still running. His heavy, deliberate breaths slow as the sounds of city construction fall behind him. By the time he reaches a quieter corner, the cadence of his answers has also slowed to match his new pace. Hughes started running again five years ago. When he didn’t find a running club in St. Louis that made him feel like he belonged, he created his own. St. Louis Run Crew began as a one-man operation, but today, the club draws anywhere from 50–300 participants on any given Sunday or Tuesday run, at routes widely spread throughout the St. Louis area. “I was an athlete in high school and in college,” Hughes says as his heart rate falls into a normal rhythm. “But then…
The closest thing to Mister Rogers since Ms. Rachel is bringing something beautiful to a neighborhood near you, minus the screens. Parents and educators Laren and Aimee Loveless developed Music & Me in 2022 as a way to provide vibrant, soothing spaces for kids to learn, grow, and play—and for their grown-ups to do the same. “When people sign up for this class, they’re really thinking about it for their kids, and then when they come, they don’t realize how much fun they’re going to have,” Aimee says. “I think with parenthood, sometimes it’s so hard that you have to laugh or cry. So why not play?” It’s rare that activities for babies and toddlers—or their parents—are designed to fully tap into childhood wonder without the overstimulation or scheduling stress.…
On a quiet backstreet of the city’s Marine Villa neighborhood, the elementary school KIPP Wonder Academy recently got some unexpected shine. “That was a shocker,” the principal, Deontá Palmer, tells me, sitting in his office with a smile. ¶ Each year, Missouri gives standardized tests to all public school kids grades 3 through 8 to gauge their proficiency in math and English. In the 2023–2024 school year, only one-tenth of KIPP Wonder’s kids who took the tests scored “proficient” in English. That’s 31 points below the state average. But proficiency is just a snapshot—and, in large part, it’s due to factors beyond any school’s control, such as community and family resources. ¶ Missouri also calculates a growth metric, one that Collin Hitt, the executive director of Saint Louis University’s education…
05.16 TORNADO WATCH ISSUED MAY 16 AT 12:03PM CDT UNTIL MAY 16 AT 7:00PM CDT BY NWS ST LOUIS MO May 16 began sunlit, the breeze soft, the sky tranquil and clear. Dallas Holland-Mims moved her lunch meeting to Brick-Top’s patio. John Pitts got ready to plant more of the roses he babies—Apricot Swirl this time, and a florist-quality red. Rev. Dr. Dietra Wise Baker was running around Webster Groves in flip-flops, doing errands before she donned her faculty gown for Eden Theological Seminary’s commencement. Then the sky went black, and the heavens let loose. The hail was the size of quarters in Weldon Spring. “Oh, it’s going to get bigger than that,” said Steve Templeton, chief meteorologist at KMOV. A report came in: egg-size hail in Harvester. “Just wait,”…
SIR EDDIE C Although Sir Eddie C identifies as a rapper, his approach to rolling out new music incorporates performance art, alternative marketing, and community activism. In 2020, the St. Louis–based artist released “lil Black boy,” a single that snowballed into a fundraising effort of the same name in collaboration with the Village PATH. After blowing past the initial goal of $1,000 in less than 24 hours, the Lil Black Boy Campaign ultimately raised close to $16,000 to provide Black men with free therapy sessions. From using lowercase letters in his song titles to featuring the colors of the Belleville flag on each new release, Sir Eddie C takes an aesthetic approach that looks even better under a magnifying glass. His songs provide plenty of depth for those who like…
When Kelley Hiatt moved to St. Louis from Los Angeles two years ago, she just assumed that she’d have to fly back and forth to Southern California to keep working in her field. A location manager for film and television, Hiatt got her start helping TV producer extraordinaire Dick Wolf find locations in her native Chicago for Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. Eventually she moved to LA, where she found filming locations for Shonda Rhimes’ Shondaland productions. She had 20 years of experience in the industry when it was paralyzed by both actors’ and writers’ strikes in 2023. That’s when Hiatt and her husband decided to move to his hometown, St. Louis, even if it affected her career. But Hiatt needn’t have worried. Coincidentally, in 2023, Missouri lawmakers approved a…
It’s no miracle that Jesus Christ Supercar has resurfaced with fresh music filled with sonic layers and dancy beats. The glammy disco-indie outfit—consisting of guitarist Christopher Bachmann, drummer Tom Blood, and bassist Collin McCabe—is known for throwing down some of the grooviest melodies in town, augmented by quirky keyboards, driving percussion, and catchy lyrics. The trio met as teens at Saint Louis University High School and forged a bond based on their passion for music. In 2018, after a few years of being apart, they decided to form a band after McCabe, who had returned to St. Louis, reached out to Blood and Bachmann. “We got rolling based on a few demos Collin made,” says Blood—who has also played drums with Native Sons and LS XPRSS—of the early days of…
Roughly 150 years ago, in landlocked Missouri, on the calm waters of Creve Coeur Lake, a rowing club was born. Today, as one of the oldest rowing clubs west of the Mississippi, the St. Louis Rowing Club regularly competes in national championships and sends many of its young members to Ivy League institutions on scholarship. As the only rowing club in St. Louis, the club is local rowing culture—but its existence might be considered the area’s best-kept sporting secret. “I think, frankly, a lot of people don’t even know it exists,” says assistant coach Dean Hooks. “They might’ve seen groups of people out on Creve Coeur Lake, but they don’t know that the organization is accessible to them.” THE ROWERS Some members are teens looking for a pathway to college…
In recent years, Missouri schools have earned high marks in an area that might not immediately come to mind for K–12 education: personal finance. According to a national report, public schools in the Show-Me State earned As for requiring students to take personal finance courses before graduation. “After students leave high school, not a day will go by when these young adults will not have to think about money—how to earn it, spend it, and save it,” noted John Pelletier, director of Champlain College's Center for Financial Literacy, which oversaw the study. In that same spirit, local schools are helping students of all ages develop practical skills that stretch beyond the basics. At New City School, for instance, young students learn how economics affects society. “Teaching economics gives students a…
GROUP PROJECT Prints for the City There was much work to do following the May 16 tornado that devastated North City. Among the cleanup and rebuilding, archivist and bookseller Ymani Wince turned her focus to another essential task: preserving North City’s stories and memories. Inspired by guidance put forth by ForTheCultureSTL, Action St. Louis, and Food City STL, Wince began offering resources for submitting images and voice files that could otherwise be lost in the cleanup. The goal, she says, is to eventually publish a community anthology— perhaps as a series of zines or complete book—that captures North City voices. instagram.com/ymaniwince. POWERFUL PLAY Radio Golf at The Black Rep In the American theater, one of the great accomplishments is completing playwright August Wilson’s Century Cycle, also known as the Pittsburgh…
BAKERY Nathaniel Reid Bakery Award-winning pastry chef Nathaniel Reid creates whimsical pastries on par with a Parisian bakery— without having to leave Kirkwood. Enjoy a range of carefully crafted European delicacies, savory or sweet. nrbakery.com. FINALISTS Made. by Lia Missouri Baking Co. BAR Helen Fitzgerald’s Irish Grill & Pub With regularly scheduled live music sets and specials for every day of the week, Helen Fitzgerald’s is a longtime favorite for a reason. Happy hour is also tough to top for its discounted drafts, domestics, cocktails, and more. helenfitzgeralds.com. FINALISTS Narwhal’s Crafted Syberg’s BBQ Mann Meats Bob Mannecke takes care of the grilling and leaves the saucing up to you at his food truck and carryout store. The brisket sandwich—and the pork steak, so tender that it’s “fork steak”—are perfect starting…
If the Arch is the gateway to the West, then Forest Park might be considered the gateway to St. Louis. In so many ways, it’s a microcosm of our city. You can experience a veritable melting pot of people, cultures, ideas, and activities. You can also appreciate the seasons in all of their postcard-perfect glory. And across its 1,300 acres, you can typically find a spot to match your mood. Personally, the park has been the scenic setting for so many seasons of my life—literally and figuratively. Of course, there are memories of our kids barreling down Art Hill on sleds in the winter, riding the train at the zoo, wandering the art museum’s galleries, breakfasts at The Boathouse, summer nights at The Muny… Over the years, however, we’ve also…
RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR MAINLANDER 392 N. EUCLID, CENTRAL WEST END As Old Blue Eyes told Mia, “Walk in that door, and you walk into my life.” Actually, Frank told her just the opposite when Mia went to Splitsville with him, but our version is better advice on strolling into Mainlander. One visit isn't going to be enough. There aren't a lot of restaurants that have so remarkably—and so quickly—established themselves as unique, and multiple visits have become an anticipated highlight of local dining life. You want to know just how extraordinary Mainlander is? Just listen to people who've dined there try to explain the experience: “It has this amazing Tiki bar vibe.” “It's so intimate; you feel like you're the only table in the place.” “The food is… Well,…
Since its founding in 1981, Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate has seen dramatic growth, and 2025 is proving to be an especially exciting year for the company. With a newly expanded production facility and forthcoming café and speakeasy on The Hill, the local chocolatier is making its first foray into the hospitality business, something that, according to co-owner Dan Abel, is a natural extension of the company’s commitment to giving its customers the highest-quality experience. Did you always know you would go into the family business? My parents started Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate in 1981, and my brother, sister, and I were all born after that. I’ve never known anything else. We grew up going to the store on Saturdays to visit my dad when he was working, and we were always talking…
Mayor Cara Spencer hasn’t had time lately to leaf through new nonfiction. She was elected on April 8 and sworn in a week later. But parts of her agenda parallel the thrust of the new bestseller Abundance by Ezra Klein of The New York Times and Derek Thompson of The Atlantic. Their debate-stirring thesis: Democrats can emerge from the political wilderness by ensuring that any city or state government under their control delivers big on people’s basic needs, from housing to transit. ¶ If such a prescription sounds obvious, the book catalogs myriad examples of where left-of-center administrations failed at it—in many cases, ironically, by taking on too much. Municipal overstretch happened to be the crux of Spencer’s back-to-basics campaign message, with which she won the race by 28 points.…
Kyle Pasley remembers the feeling of freedom the first time he stepped on a skateboard. The thrill, he says, is in learning what it’s like to fail—and then recover. “Skateboarding is one of those things where it’s completely normal to get it wrong a thousand times before you get it right once—and then, once you get it right, it’s completely normal to mess up 500 more times before you get it a second time,” he says. Making the decision to get back on the board time and again is a process of growth that Pasley has been instilling in Skate School students since 2022. Since its founding, the school has experienced dramatic expansion, far beyond what Pasley anticipated when it was initially a temporary career pivot between jobs. Due to…
After purchasing his 1912-built Tudor Revival, Peter Gregory waited several years to, as he says, “figure out how the house worked,” before tackling a complete remodel of the kitchen. Over the decades, it had undergone multiple renovations—most recently around 20 years ago. One of its few remaining original features is a beautiful wood built-in butler’s pantry. It was important to Gregory and his girlfriend, Marie McMahon, who shares the home, to preserve the pantry and honor the home’s history while creating a functional kitchen. When it came to the look of the space, Gregory knew there was only one man for the job: master woodworker John Eberhardt. Based in Corvallis, Oregon, Eberhardt had built another kitchen for Gregory 15 years ago, when he owned a home there. “He’s just a…
ON MAY 1, Charles E. Littlejohn, a bearded 39-year-old, recorded a short video. “At 2 p.m.,” he said, “I will be reporting to the camp at USP Marion to begin my five-year sentence.” His eyes were deep brown and calm, his voice a nasal alto. “I've been here in St. Louis spending my last days surrounded by family”—he smiled and gestured behind himself at a wall, which bore a whimsical rendering of the Gateway Arch— “and I just want to take the opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your support. If it had not been for your donations, I would not have been able to cover my legal fees.” This video was posted to a GoFundMe page dedicated to Littlejohn. The page described the crime for…
Dancer and dance teacher Leigh Brockman Horowitz knew that one of the first things she wanted to do when she moved from the New Orleans area to St. Louis was get involved with the dance community. Brockman Horowitz began dancing at age 3 when her family recognized that she needed an outlet for her energy. At age 7, she began classical ballet training at a local studio in Louisiana, and later, she trained as a swimmer to help with her asthma. She continued her training as she grew older and eventually also worked as a paralegal. “I was a paralegal to pay the bills,” Brockman Horowitz says, “and I had to go to ballet class in the morning, then I went back to work. I worked by day, then went…
When the new carnival rides at St. Louis Union Station opened over Labor Day weekend, they kept a larger plan on track for the storied train depot: 1. Add activities for thrill-seeking tweens and teens to the attractions at Wheel Park, including the Loco Motion roller coaster, the Flying Louie glider, and the Wave Swinger. 2. Pay homage to the 1904 World’s Fair, which has historic ties to the station. 3. Become the ultimate family destination for locals and travelers alike “When [Lodging Hospitality Management’s] Bob O’Loughlin bought [Union Station] several years ago, we knew we had something special, but we obviously didn’t have all these things planned yet,” says Todd Hotaling, vice president of sales and revenue at LHM. “What we knew, though, is that we could expand and…
Robin 7268 MANCHESTER, MAPLEWOOD There's obviously something in the water in Maplewood, a neighborhood that's sprouted more outstanding restaurants than Swifties have bracelets. It must be daunting to live up to the reputations of its acclaimed neighbors. So one enters Robin with heightened expectations—and is not disappointed. After a succession of pop-ups, chef Alec Schingel moved into a space on Manchester that's a classy bistro with a chill bar and a prix-fixe menu that rolls with the seasons. ¶ The biggest complaint diners make about eating out today is, by far, noise. Robin is a welcome response: The place is small, intimate, and you can actually hear your tablemates. And chances are, the conversation is going to be mostly about the food. From an open kitchen comes a series of…
In the dark and uncertain days of mid-2020, Nick Williams created a phenomenon that gave people a little slice of joy when it was in short supply in the form of his Instagram-based take-and-bake pizza business, Nicky Slices. Now, on the cusp of opening the concept as a brick-and-mortar, Williams reflects on his journey to becoming chairman of the “coolest club in town” and what he hopes to create in his new location on The Hill. How did you develop such a strong love of cooking—and food in general? My dad was a really good home cook. He got that from his grandma Mabel and his mother, Joyce. All of the [men] on my dad’s side can cook their asses off. As a little kid, I would always be banging…
Mayor Tishaura Jones herself can see the problem. On January 22, at a Missouri House of Representatives hearing on a bill to shift oversight of city police from her office to a governor-appointed board, she was asked by a legislator: Why is it that, regardless of stats showing drops in crime, some people say they still just don't feel safe in the city? Replied Jones: “Perception takes a while to catch up to reality.”¶ It was a tidy encapsulation of Jones’ three-pronged challenge on this front. First, she doesn't have much time for catch-up: The mayoral primary is on March 4 and the runoff a month later. Second, Republicans in Jefferson City who want to strip her police-oversight power reject her reality. She touts St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department statistics…
THREE YEARS AGO Three years ago, architects Susan Bower and Stephen Leet were at a crossroads. Their two sons had left the nest, and they were entering a new phase of life. “We started thinking about the house because it has multiple levels,” says Bower. “After your knees start to give out, you have the conversation: ‘Are we going to sell it and move into a condo?’ We decided that we like it here, and we were going to stay and accommodate this house.” Bower, principal of Bower Leet Design, took the lead on designing an addition for the home, acting as both client and architect—a process she says was at once fun and anxiety-inducing. “When there is no client or, in my case, the architect is the client, the…
When FUFU n’ Sauce chef/founder Adjo Honsou started cooking for people in 2018, she thought it would be nothing more than a series of small dinner parties aimed at introducing her West African culinary traditions to close friends. Now, she has a successful food truck, a new brick-and-mortar restaurant, and a PBS Great American Recipe win all under her belt—and no plans to slow down on her quest to use food as a way to create community. You describe FUFU n’ Sauce as being a culmination of coming to the United States from Togo when you were 14 years old. Tell us about that. Migrating with my parents to St. Louis at the age of 14, I had all of these experiences of seeing how food was such a big…
This month's cover feature hits much too close to home. As I'm writing this, my 8-year-old daughter, Lucy, is home from school during a bitterly cold winter day. So while trying to get some work done, I let her borrow my phone—just for a moment. It's something my wife and I swore we'd never do before Lucy was born. We'd go to restaurants and see children at nearby tables glued to their tablets, like miniature zombies, and shake our heads. We'll never do screen time, we thought. Oh, to be so naïve. Then the pandemic came along, in 2020, and all of us were trapped in the house while juggling work and our newborn son, Max. Suddenly, at a time when chances for Lucy to play with other kids were…
Editors' Favorites SHOPPING & SERVICE NYC-TO-STL FASHION Artemas Quibble Natasha Chekoudjian and Jason Ross founded Artemas Quibble, a line of handcrafted belts, jewelry, and leather goods, in 2012, while living in New York City. Their work quickly garnered attention in the fashion world, appearing in GQ and Vanity Fair, among other publications, and their pieces have been worn by such celebrities as Keanu Reeves, Daniel Craig, and Gisele Bündchen. In 2020, the couple moved to Chekoudjian’s hometown of Webster Groves, where they’re continuing to build the business. artemas-quibble.com. NEW VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE Euclid Vintage St. Louis native Matt Kraus has always been a fan of thrifting. In college, he realized that other people were interested in his finds, which eventually led him to open Euclid Vintage last year. The Central…
You know that one friend who seems to have everything together? We all have one. She works; she parents; she contributes to her community or church. And we all want to know: What’s your secret? We asked three successful St. Louis women who have more than a little on their plates to share their tips, tricks, and hacks. Consider implementing some of their advice to better balance your responsibilities with the same kind of grace and strength. Lona Luo Born in China, Luo learned how to cook at her mother’s elbow, training she brings to Lona’s Lil Eats in the Fox Park neighborhood. “When I grew up, I looked at my mom, and she liked to take things to sell at the market, so I learned early to harvest fruit…
It’s weird, yes, but one reliable sign that a restaurant’s going to be good is that Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five” is on the sound system. This is an axiom that has served The Old Critic well over the decades, and we trusted it—even though the menu listed something called “miso malai chicken tikka,” which sounds ominously like an example of that hellspawn pestilence of the dining world, “fusion.” Once again, though, Brubeck has steered us well. Chesterfield’s Black Salt debuted a few years back. It has been so successful that a second location debuted late last year in Creve Coeur. Even if you don’t know your naan from your dal, you’re likely aware of the recent eruption of Indian eateries around here. Most feature a regional overview of Indian cuisine.…
A lot has changed inside the labs of the St. Louis-based startup Varro Life Sciences. In just a handful of months, its space inside the Cortex Innovation District has gone from mostly empty lab benches to a more vibrant biomedical development space. Varro CEO Tom Cirrito says the company has hired a half-dozen people already this year, and has more open positions it's looking to fill. Just as importantly, there's new equipment, too—typical items like pipettes and centrifuges, along with larger machinery. Toward the back of the lab is the now-completed “clean room,” where the company will make the core part of its pathogen-detecting products: what Cirrito calls a “micro-immunoelectrode.” “That room has an extraordinary series of filtration units and air temperature controls,” he says. “It's essentially going to be…
TASTE HOT SEAT WHEN SIMON LUSKY accepted an internship with the St. Louis Cardinals as a young culinary student, he never imagined that it would set in motion a chain of events that would lead him and his wife, Angelica, into the restaurant business. Now, roughly 15 years later, the Luskys lead a growing restaurant brand that includes three area locations of the health-focused Revel Kitchen, one in Boca Raton, Florida, and Motor Town Pizza, which opened in Richmond Heights in February. Their food has garnered a loyal following—including many professional athletes from the area and beyond—but if you ask the Luskys, the main ingredient in their success has nothing to do with the food. “No. 1 is hospitality; we try to get that right before we even get to the…
COMMUNITY CARE/AMBULATORY CARE Diana Llamas Saint Louis University School of Nursing After serving as an instructor at SLU’s Madrid campus, Llamas is now a simulations operations manager in St. Louis, where she coordinates daily operations of the simulation lab. And though she is an instructor, not a day goes by that she doesn’t learn from her students, she says. On the job’s rewards: “You can see students from when they start as freshmen and then transition to juniors and seniors. You see how mature they are, not only personally but professionally. We are part of that growth, and we make an impact.” On advice to new nurses: “Don’t lose the passion that got you where you are right now—that reason for why you started to do this.” ACUTE CARE/FAMILY PRACTICE/…
With their delicate tulip petals, intricate details, and organic shapes rendered in the color of fresh snow, sculptor Bella Enkel's ceramic home décor is inspired by the world around her, including elements from nature and a special connection to statues of Buddha, which she grew up amid. In 2016, a first-time visit with her mom to the Saint Louis Art Museum jump-started the then-20-year-old's work with clay. Her mom fell in love with the museum's display of Buddha statues and asked her daughter if she would sculpt something similar for her. “I said, ‘Sure, why not?’” Enkel completed the work with next to no experience with clay, she recalls, and she's been working with the medium ever since. Originally from the Cambridgeshire area of England, Enkel and her family moved…
Amy Madej grew up with a passion for the arts. The Florissant native gravitated toward graphic design classes at St. Joseph’s Academy and later pursued the subject as a major in college. But when a freshman-year elective at Central Missouri State University led her into a pottery studio for the first time, Madej was hooked. “After working in 2D for so long, ceramics captured my imagination,” she says. “I love the functionality of it—how a finished work is something you can actually use as opposed to hanging on the wall. And it is so tactile. I don’t mind getting my hands messy.” Madej switched majors and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in art education in 2004. At first, she taught art in a variety of schools. Then, she went on…
Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Mark Mestemacher LANSDOWNE UP Mark Mestemacher and Jackie Joyner-Kersee have long worked to make a difference in the community. With Lansdowne UP, they’re now aiming to reinvigorate East St. Louis by rehabbing or building 20 affordably priced homes to encourage growth in the area. The two are using their collective influence to help drive community investment from the ground up. lansdowneup.org. Aaron Harris FERGUSON YOUTH INITIATIVE Aaron Harris strives to empower St. Louis teens to become positive, productive members of the community. As executive director of the Ferguson Youth Initiative, he has helped establish an after-school open house and a community service program. The latter provides youth with the chance to complete mentor-guided service work in place of incarceration or paying fines. fyifergyouth.org. Muriel Smith ST. LOUIS…
Padded leather gloves, heaven-sent leases, and an extremely passionate community—those are the pillars Jeff Streibig and Matt Krueger have relied on this year to bring the U.S. National Handball Center (USNHC) to life in St. Louis. In January 2025, Streibig and Krueger set out to fill a void they noticed in the handball world: a nucleus for the niche sport’s fandom, play, and competition. Still under construction but now open for partial use, the USNHC is the manifestation of that dream. Much like a baseball or football hall of fame, the facility’s goal is to act as a symbolic hub honoring the game. Streibig and Krueger aren’t just aiming to create a recreational facility, however: They hope that the new Hazelwood facility at 8701 Dunn will soon host national tournaments.…
A second-story window at Geno's Trattoria & Chophouse affords a vista that includes five distinct 19th-century architectural styles, and we wanted to ruminate on just how pleasant this is, but then Geno's seafood-chocked pasta pescatora arrived—and that dish demands one's undivided attention. For years, Gallagher's fried chicken made Waterloo, Illinois, a dining destination. Recently, the folks running St. Louis' celebrated Roberto's Trattoria exchanged “Gallagher” for “Geno” and brought with them much of the same menu and quality of service. Dark, lustrous wood paneling separates booths and tables on two floors, with a third reserved for private parties. Layouts create divided spaces for tables and booths; the effect provides an atmosphere of intimacy. The bar at the entrance is big, with lots of brass and glass—it only needs some guys with…
Editors' Favorites FINAL ACT AT FORTO Osteria Forto “No, really—we’re just too full for dessert. But a wedge of chocolate cake, you say, with approximately the same dimensions of the Titanic’s iceberg? With enough peanut-butter buttercream to frost a ’69 Impala? And a chocolate ganache, because what complements chocolate like more chocolate—and a splatter of salted caramel sauce? OK, but just a taste.” osteriaforto.com. SWANKIEST UNDERGROUND COCKTAIL BAR None Of the Above It could be the subterranean lair of a Spider-Man villain—or the coolest bar in town. Accessed through an unmarked door and a long, shadowy tunnel under City Foundry STL, the speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge offers sleek appointments, shiny brass, and mood lighting as atmospheric as film noir, with suitably late-night hours. Expect très-sophisticated cocktails, some intriguing nibbles—like house-made chips…
Growing and birthing a baby is a profound experience that can range from magical to beautiful to traumatic and everything in between. There’s the fourth trimester, about which no one tells you. There’s the learning curve, for which no one prepares you. There’s the breastfeeding and pelvic-floor struggles, which no one discusses until you’re in that particular hell. There’s the judgments from people who don’t know anything and the endless, middle-of-the-night Is this normal? Google searches. There’s the loneliness, isolation, and anxiety that naturally—and hormonally—occurs when your world simultaneously pivots to full-time recovery and full-time caregiver in an instant. And, of course, there’s the fact that the U.S. makes it nearly structurally impossible to handle it all. That’s why there’s New Mom School, an education and support center dedicated to…
no. 58 The Missouri governor’s State of the State Address on January 28 was thoroughly Mike Kehoe-esque. A jowly former car salesman, Kehoe gripped and shoulder-patted his way down the center aisle of the state capitol’s House chamber, as fluid as ever, then ascended to the podium. His first move was to recognize his wife of 35 years, Claudia, and joke: “Still gets more applause than me.” At one point, he held aloft a folded paper plate, on which he’d scribbled a note to himself; such notes were a lifeorganizing habit he’d learned from his mentor, the late South County Ford dealer Dave Sinclair—yes, he of the TV commercial tagline, “Thank you, and here’s my address.” One of Sinclair’s parting pieces of advice, the governor told his audience, was that…
Never mind the bold designs, his use of timeless colors, and the effortless grace with which he turns a blank space into something beautiful. Jon Lloyd doesn’t see his work as art. And he certainly doesn’t see himself as an artist. “I’ve always considered myself bluecollar,” Lloyd says. “Painting signs is a blue-collar trade.” Yet for the many businesses across St. Louis whose storefronts he has transformed, Lloyd’s work tells a different story. Lloyd runs an eponymous vintage sign-painting operation that has become the go-to for small business owners eager to give their storefronts some handcrafted charm. Even if you don’t know his name, you likely know his work. Lloyd has designed and handpainted the signs for businesses such as Sugarwitch, an ice cream sandwich shop in Carondelet; Series Six,…
Stephanie Regagnon YIELD LAB INSTITUTE Regagnon, now interim executive director of the Yield Lab Institute, has notched a notable career in plant sciences. She's been at the forefront of innovative collaboration, helping recruit and retain companies at the 39North Innovation District (before it became a nonprofit) and spearheading the Cultivar initiative, which seeks to link ag ecosystems here with those in South America. Gabe Gore ST. LOUIS CIRCUIT ATTORNEY Gore spent his first two years as St. Louis circuit attorney righting the rudderless ship of which the governor had appointed him captain. Now in his first term after election, he’s shoring up the office for long-term success, making recruitment, retention, and training top priorities. There was talk of Gore ascending to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, but a Republican ascending to…
St. Louisans who regularly stroll Forest Park may have noticed that its east side is looking rather spiffy these days. The East Waterways project has brought the city’s favorite green space an accessible Jefferson Lake boardwalk, a new pedestrian bridge, and a new education pavilion at Bowl Lake. Forest Park Forever has also released a sneak peek of the team’s next ventures: the Glade and Steinberg Rink. “They are separate projects—one just about complete, the other just about to launch—but together will make the eastern end of Forest Park another of the park’s wonders,” says Dominik Jansky, Forest Park Forever’s director of communications and marketing. THE GLADE AND STEINBERG RINK With an invitation to “experience Forest Park like never before,” the Glade is a sustainable, community-led project to restore Steinberg…
ACTIVEWEAR Alpine Shop Alpine Shop started in 1973, upstairs from a St. Louis home-winemaking shop. Since then, the brand has grown into the go-to place for outdoor enthusiasts, with four locations in Missouri and Kansas. alpineshop.com. FINALISTS Fantastic Finds NCJW The Resale Shop ANIMAL CLINIC Imperial Animal Hospital Vets at the independently owned animal hospital provide quality care for pets, including preventative health care packages, vaccinations, surgery, pet dermatology, advanced diagnostics, and more. imperialvets.com. FINALISTS MetroVet St. Louis Premier Pet Care BANK Commerce Bank Commerce is on a mission to bring financial solutions to individuals and communities. The bank has been doing just that for 160 years, since its founding in Kansas City. Multiple locations. FINALISTS Great Southern Bank Simmons Bank BED AND BREAKFAST The Conner House Bed and Breakfast…
After local startup Benson Hill debuted as a $2 billion public Airport company on the New York Stock Exchange in 2021, it became the go-to success story of St. Louis’ developing innovation community. St. Louis now had claim to a homegrown “unicorn.” But in just a few years, that story crumbled as the company built around innovation in soybean genetics began to struggle, weighed down by physical assets and a bet on plant-based meat protein that didn’t deliver the intended results. The company went through a structural pivot and sought to sell its high-protein soybeans as animal feed, especially for poultry. “That kind of work—making pivots, re-creating new markets, establishing what those value chains are going to look like—it takes time and money,” says Mike DeCamp, president and CEO of…
NATURE The Saint Louis Zoo recently made a blockbuster trade, which saw the departure of beloved polar bear Kali but the arrival of a pair of playful 2-year-old polar bear twins, Kallu and Kallik. Another new attraction: The (ticketed) puppet show Romeo & Zooliet, an adaptation staged in partnership with St. Louis Shakespeare Festival, July 8–August 17. The nearby Jewel Box—the glass greenhouse that’s home to tropical trees, flowers, water features, and more—is free on Mondays and Tuesdays from 9 a.m.–noon. For even more flora, visit the Missouri Botanical Garden on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, when St. Louis city and county residents get in free—including admission to the Children’s Garden—on Saturdays from 7 a.m.–noon. THE MAGIC HOUSE AND MADE FOR KIDS HOST FREE FAMILY NIGHTS EVERY THIRD FRIDAY OF THE…
ART EVENT Saint Louis Art Fair Founded in 1994 and held in downtown Clayton, the Saint Louis Art Fair showcases more than 100 artists, including live performers, and collaborates with more than 260 nonprofit arts organizations. saintlouisartfair.com. FINALISTS Art in Bloom Webster Arts Fair ART GALLERY Soulard Art Gallery The co-op art gallery boasts a variety of work and features local artists with its monthly “call for art” events. The recent Get Your Groove On exhibition revolved around the artists’ relationship with art and music. soulardartgallery.com. FINALISTS Artisans in the Loop Heartland Art Club ART MUSEUM Saint Louis Art Museum The museum is one of the nation’s leading comprehensive art museums and offers easy access to an array of art, plus daily free admissions. Special exhibits this year range from…
Toes in the sand, cold drinks at the ready, and not a care in the world. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing. But they don’t always start that way. The problems aren’t new. But Darren James, director of MidAmerica Airport in Mascoutah, Illinois, feels like his airport has a solution for leisure travelers. The pitch is straightforward: park directly in front of the terminal, easily navigate the small, modern facility, and find your gate within a few minutes of arriving at the airport. “It’s hassle-free,” James says. “When it comes to what travelers can gain from this location, I would offer that it’s a much less stressful experience than they would have at any large airport.” Travelers appear to be responding. The airport served a record 40,000 monthly passengers in…
Think your Mother’s Day was a successful celebration of Mom? How’s it compare to Alec Schingel’s, who named a whole restaurant after his? Robin—opened in late March—is the culmination of several of Schingel’s pop-ups over the past couple of years. It fits into the bustling Maplewood dining scene like the Duck Dance at a St. Louis wedding. Situated in the space that was most recently The Benevolent King, Robin is housed in a cozy, vintage storefront with a bistro feel and an open kitchen that dominates the back. On one side, the bar beckons with just four intimate seats and an equally small but cool selection of hipster beers and cocktails, including a house original: the martini, stirred with “washed” gin, which in this case means infused with the juices…
Years ago, long before cooking professionally was even a passing consideration, Amy Pappas Loli would regularly receive the ultimate compliment from her then-toddler son: “Mom, you’re the best ‘cooker.’ You need to open a restaurant.” Today, roughly two decades later, Pappas Loli is on the cusp of doing just that with Café Amalia (10907 Manchester). Slated to open this spring in Kirkwood, the Greek and Mediterranean restaurant is inspired by her family traditions and culture. It’s not the way she envisioned her professional life going, but the dental-hygienist-turned-chef can’t imagine having it any other way. “I am so happy about this,” says Pappas Loli. “I know it is right, and I am super excited to showcase this food and introduce spirited Mediterranean hospitality to the community.” You grew up in…
Grand Living Artist and chef Tai Davis has found a home in the heart of the city. Tai Davis, St. Louis’ self-described “Black Willy Wonka,” has lived throughout the metro region—University City, Tower Grove, downtown—but there’s something about his current Grand Center address that feels especially like home. “What drew me to this area is my upbringing and my lineage,” says Davis. “I grew up being very fostered in food, arts, music, and culture, so I wanted to be somewhere that surrounded me in all of that. Here in Grand Center, we have all of these amazing restaurants, venues, and institutions. It really fosters community.” For six years, Davis has lived in this arts-fueled slice of the city. Over the next year, he’s planning to add his own footprint with…
Marquitta Kirwan recently had a “huge epiphany.” Her company, Home Sweet Home Rentals, owns nearly 60 properties in the metro area. One is a spacious brick three-story that was built in 1912 just a block from Fairground Park, on the North Side. Its hardwood floors creak when you step on them, and its stained-glass windows glow in the sunlight. Kirwan initially hoped to rehab it into a short-term rental for officials visiting the nearby National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency facility. But at a recent meeting of the St. Louis Metro Housing Collective—a group that connects unhoused folks with willing landlords—Kirwan learned she had another option. She could convert the house into eight bedrooms, outfit each with its own lock and furnishings, and make the kitchen and bathrooms communal to keep the rents…
There are many ways to fail at the MR340. Each year, hundreds of boats launch into this competition along the Missouri River between Kansas City and St. Charles—the world’s longest nonstop paddling race, at 340 miles—and scores of them end up with the status “DNF,” or did not finish. The event’s organizers commonly diagnose that fate as “death by a thousand cuts.” It’s not merely that the paddlers were sunburned, parched, hallucinating, and aching feverishly after several days on the river. Those miseries befall almost everyone out there, to a degree. It’s that, in addition to all those things, they got nasty blisters or maybe puked on their smartphone. Something minor pushed them over the edge. It happens. All of which invites one to wonder why folks endure any of…
TASTE HOT SEAT WHEN JOHN RANDLE first came to St. Louis many years ago for a job as a high school football coach, he had no idea he'd leave that life behind to become a rising star in the area's barbecue scene. Now, eight years after launching his barbecue project in a school parking lot, Randle and his wife, Gloria Howell, are settling into the new Tower Grove East storefront for A Touch of Texas (3559 Arsenal). The couple's humbled that they've already become such a vital part of the neighborhood's dining landscape. People call you Coach Randle, and the nick-name is related to why you came to St. Louis in the first place. What's the story behind that? I was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, and then I got…
BARNES-JEWISH INPATIENT TOWER BJC HealthCare plans to open a 16-story inpatient tower at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in the second half of this year on the site of the former Queeny Tower. The updated tower will feature private rooms for heart and vascular patients, state-of-the-art imaging technology, and advanced surgical preparation and recovery areas. A central feature of the redesign is flexibility. Patient rooms will be equipped to accommodate both intensive care and lower-acuity treatment, allowing care teams to bring expertise directly to patients and minimizing the need for transfers between rooms. The tower will also include dedicated spaces for family members to rest and recharge. Patient privacy is prioritized as well, with 280 private rooms. The facility’s evolution also extends to technology: The tower incorporates the latest MRI and imaging systems,…
ARCHITECT LUDWIG MIES VAN DER ROHE FAMOUSLY QUIPPED THAT “GOD IS IN THE DETAILS,” AND THOUGH HE WAS REFERRING TO A JOB WELL DONE, WE ARE INCLINED TO CO-OPT HIS SENTIMENT FOR ANOTHER PURPOSE: THERE IS SOMETHING DIVINE ABOUT WALKING A CITY STREET OR STROLLING THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD OF OLD HOUSES AND REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING. ¶ OUR BUILT ENVIRONMENT LOOKS THE WAY IT DOES FOR MYRIAD REASONS: TRENDS, PROXIMITY, AND INNOVATION HAVE ALL LEFT THEIR STAMPS ON ST. LOUIS. LET THE PAGES AHEAD PREPARE YOU TO TAKE IT ALL IN FROM THE GROUND UP, FROM THE CITY'S RICH, DEEP CLAY DEPOSITS TO ITS TALLEST SKYSCRAPER. ONCE YOU START NOTICING THE DETAILS—REPEATING PATTERNS, POPS OF COLOR, DISTINCTIVE MATERIALS THAT DEFINE A CITY—IT'S HARD TO STOP SEEING THEM.…
If ever thine eyes see the glory of a new St. Louis Lambert International Airport, it will be because a host of things went right—and the person running point right now is Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge (pronounced HOMM-nee-BREE-gee). As airport director, she has labored to make last year's federally approved master plan a reality by attending to many constituencies: airlines, passengers, businesses, government bodies. This isn't quite the same work that she envisioned for herself when, in the '80s, she applied to the CIA. But early in the process, she took an entry-level job at an airline and never looked back, joining TWA and then American Airlines, where she helped downsize its St. Louis hub. Upon assuming her current role, in 2010, she sensed residual anger over that blow to the region…
Kristin J. Thompson isn’t shy about letting customers know what her business, MyrtleHaus Books & Publishing, is all about. Thompson’s original project, the MyrtleHaus literary magazine, was launched to address the underrepresentation of women in the St. Louis literary community. Now, the project has expanded to include the recently opened brick-and-mortar bookstore and event space (2604 Cherokee), where community is central to its mission. That doesn’t necessarily mean providing a space for everyone, though. Flyers at the center of a cozy sitting area declare “Don’t open for ICE” in bold red letters. Labels proudly remind visitors that MyrtleHaus is a queer, woman-owned space, and the journal copies on display are full of local woman writers. Designer A’iesha Rooks works with Thompson as the shop’s cultural and social integrity director, helping…
STAY UP GET MOVING DIVE IN TREAT YOURSELF GET PARKS & TRAILS A NEW LOOK FOR CHAIN OF ROCKS PARK A multiyear development effort has reimagined Chain of Rocks Park (10820 Riverview) as a place where outdoor lovers can relax, catch a show, and spot some beautiful birds, all a short drive from downtown St. Louis. Located just south of the Chain of Rocks Bridge, on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, the park now features restored wetlands and woodlands areas that will allow for some top-tier bird-watching along the water. There’s also a new picnic pavilion and event lawn that can host outdoor concerts and food truck gatherings, plus bird-inspired public art illustrating the Mississippi Flyway migratory route created by local artist Simiya Sudduth. Great Rivers Greenway received…
On a recent afternoon, as Kristen Sorth strolls through the second level of the St. Louis County Library’s new Clark Family Branch, she stops. Sorth wants to explain all of the giggles and squeals coming from the next room, where kids are running, jumping, and, yes, reading books. “Libraries aren’t quiet anymore,” she says with a smile. Lots of libraries have spaces for children, but most aren’t known for having dedicated video-game hangout rooms, recording studios, 3D printing areas, genealogy research stations, small-business workspaces, and just about any other resource imaginable. The facility in Ladue represents the culmination of the county’s decade-long Your Library Renewed capital-improvement campaign. The upshot: new buildings, upgraded existing branches, and expanded the library’s offerings from books to pretty much any resource that modern citizens might…
The tragedy was unthinkable. In 2019, MaryJane Rabier lost her first child 25 weeks into her pregnancy due to complications from early onset preeclampsia. Her son, Luca, lived for 12 days. Rabier got to hold him only once, while he was attached to a tangle of wires. Even with the support of her husband, Seth, Rabier recalls feeling alone as she tried to figure out how to complete her family, while the risk of a tragedy like this happening again still loomed. Despite her grief, Rabier took this incredibly difficult experience and channeled it into something good. Rabier and her husband decided that surrogacy was the safest way to move forward. But that process proved difficult in its own way. Less than a year after losing Luca, Rabier launched a…
WEDDING CAKES AND DESSERTS Sling ‘N Scoops Bring some ice cream to the big day with Sling ‘N Scoops, the Red Bud, Illinois–based frozen treat shop. Sling ‘N Scoops has several catering packages, including homemade popsicles and an ice cream cart. slingnscoops.com. FINALISTS The Blue Owl The Cakery WEDDING CATERER Orlando’s Orlando’s has been serving weddings and banquets across St. Louis for nearly half a century. With several locations across the metro area, Orlando’s services range from drop-off menus to full event management. orlandogardens.com. FINALISTS Butler’s Pantry Catering St. Louis Events WEDDING DRESS BOUTIQUE Mia Grace Bridal With more than 1,000 designer bridal gowns and 500 bridesmaid dress options, Mia Grace Bridal in Chesterfield makes it a breeze to outfit the bridal party. miagracebridal.com. FINALISTS Clarice’s Bridal The Ultimate Bride…
Wait, so you’ve never dined in a restaurant featuring a wall-mounted display of tiny skulls? Well, you need to address that immediately—or as soon as you can get to The Mexican STL. Mini-skull displays aside, the draw here is best described as “very upscale Mexican fare.” Monkeying around with Mexican cuisine to make it whatever is Spanish for avant garde has long been popular. Mostly, it comes out like putting makeup on a pig—the pork tastes lovely, but lipstick doesn’t really do anything to enhance it. The Mexican STL charts a different course, respecting the basic elements of the cucina but presenting them in a new, refreshing light. The Mexican STL is part of the same fleet as Twisted Tree and Twisted Tavern. If you’re hosting dinner for a large…
Basso 7036 CLAYTON HAPPY HOURS: 4–6 p.m. Monday–Friday SPECIALS: $3–$5 draft and bottled beer, $7 wines by the glass, $7–8 select cocktails; small bites like burgers, meatballs, and pizza range from $6–$9. INSIDER TIP: Basso makes its own gelato, a wonderful intermezzo if you’re having dinner later in the evening. Bistro La Floraison 7637 WYDOWN HAPPY HOURS: 4–6 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday SPECIALS: Several versions of Spritz Hour’s namesake beverage are available for $10; build your own for a dollar more. House wine is $8, and a variety of snacks, including the signature gougères, are available. INSIDER TIP: Can’t decide which goodies to get? Opt for the two-person Tour de France for $36. Big Sky Café 47 S. OLD ORCHARD HAPPY HOURS: 4-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday SPECIALS: Available in Big Sky’s bar and…
For Marcella Hawley, getting the kitchen of her dreams in the home she’s owned for more than 25 years is the culmination of a lot of creative vision, hard work, and collaboration. The charming, 1929-built house she shares with her husband, Doug Scronce, is an explosion of color, pattern, and curated collections—a maximalist fever dream that reflects Hawley’s dynamic, bubbly personality. A creative at heart, Hawley is a graphic designer who has worked for both Martha Stewart Living and Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion. Her greatest design inspiration comes from her late mother, Susan Smith. “Our house was patterned with wallpaper everywhere. Her story weaves all through mine,” Hawley says. A love of floral patterns, in particular, grew from her gardener mother’s obsession with flowers, specifically, rare varieties of daffodils. Floral…
In 2018, Kent Evans and Rachelle L'Ecuyer had the wind at their backs. A real estate developer and community development pro, respectively, the pair were on their way to being majorly involved in the redevelopment of the former Crestwood Mall site—until the pandemic forced them to rethink their paths. Now, five years after their professional lives were upended, the pair have reinvented themselves as cattle ranchers and restaurateurs, with a bold vision to make their cattle brand and eatery, Pierce Creek, into a multifaceted, vertically integrated operation that is not only a source of delicious food but also a place where community can flourish. You were in talks to be involved with the redevelopment of the former Crestwood Mall site. What happened? RL: Kent and I both have real estate…
CREDIT The Best Lawyers in America® and Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America are published by BL Rankings, LLC, Augusta, GA. and can be ordered directly from the publisher. For information call 803-648-0300; write 801 Broad Street Suite 950, Augusta GA 30901; email info@bestlawyers.com; or visit bestlawyers.com. An online subscription to Best Lawyers® is available at bestlawyers.com. DISCLAIMER AND COPYRIGHT BL Rankings, LLC has used its best efforts in assembling material for this list but does not warrant that the information contained herein is complete or accurate, and does not assume, and hereby disclaims, any liability to any person for any loss or damage caused by errors or omissions herein whether such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause. All listed attorneys have been verified as…
A range of local health care programs is working to improve outcomes for mothers and infants, from complex in utero surgical procedures to supporting mothers who are grappling with substance abuse and mental health concerns. Beginnings and Blessings Placentas used to be routinely incinerated along with other medical waste, but a Mercy program now helps ensure that this powerhouse of stem cells and nutrients—among the most promising and useful types of tissue for healing burns and wounds—no longer ends up in the trash. A simple blood test and signature are all it takes for a woman to donate her placenta after childbirth. Through the Beginnings and Blessings program, new mothers can donate their placenta, which nourishes the fetus until it is born. Mercy collaborates with Cardinal Biological, a company that…
Long before a deadly tornado ripped through North St. Louis, decimating thousands of homes and displacing longtime residents, Dara Eskridge was all in on North City. As CEO of Invest STL, Eskridge was two years into the nonprofit’s ambitious three-year pilot program, Rooted, which gave residents of the West End and Visitation Park neighborhoods $20,000 to invest in businesses or homes during a time of gentrification and displacement. Then came May 16 and what Eskridge describes as a major “shaking out.” The tornado, she said, “has required us to very quickly figure out, or very quickly elevate, What is it that we know how to do? What resources do we have at our disposal? And then just figure out, How do we quickly deploy them in service of helping people…
What if you could pull expertise out of the ivory tower and deploy it in the real world? What if top St. Louis academics were encouraged to direct their attention to the region's problems in real time? ¶ Those are the questions being asked by a new initiative that launched in October at Washington University's Brown School, and it's already working to help St. Louis recover from one of its most challenging springs in recent memory. Called the Public Exchange, it was inspired by an initiative at the University of Southern California that's had a big impact over its five years in Los Angeles. ¶ USC's exchange describes itself as “the first-of-its-kind matchmaker and A-to-Z project manager that enables partners working on complex problems to tap the entire spectrum of…
JUNE/JULY 2024 NEW & NOTEWORTHY PLAYSCAPES & PARKS BRENTWOOD PARK To kids, the world is a playground, and in Brentwood, that playground just got an upgrade. It's not often that a community is given the opportunity to dream up new ideas and see them become reality, but that's exactly what happened with Brentwood's newest destination. Brentwood Park playground is an accessible, over-the-top playscape that incorporated specific community requests, such as a zip line, waterfall, climbing wall, net climber, splash pad, and more. “I hope the takeaway from this is what municipalities can do when they really go for it,” says Brentwood mayor David Dimmitt. The project was born out of Brentwood Bound, a $79.6 million flood mitigation project aimed at reclaiming the floodplain between Brentwood Boulevard and Hanley Road. A…
Amy Bunge never planned on a career in floral design. She also never planned on owning a small business. Her background is in speech language pathology, the field in which she earned a master’s degree and spent five years working in early childhood intervention in North Carolina. A native of Mexico, Missouri, Bunge decided in 2011 to move to Dardenne Prairie, back in her home state, while expecting her second son. “I realized pretty quickly that I was burned out,” she says. “Some of the home situations were rough, and I think having little kids just made it hit even harder.” It was time for a change. Bunge began working in communications for a local Montessori school and, during that time, attended a mind, body, and spirit retreat in Utah…
When Jennifer Owens launched Forai years ago, she never dreamed that her vision to empower local refugee and immigrant women would grow to include a stylish boutique in downtown Kirkwood. This past June, however, that’s exactly what happened. ¶ Located at 211 Kirkwood, the new shop sells Forai’s signature line of jewelry and textiles, which are handmade by local immigrant and refugee women. The store also stocks a selection of home and fashion accessories from other socially conscious brands. “Everyone who comes in is so excited that there’s a new store in town, and then even more excited to learn that all the products benefit others,” says Owens. ¶ Each year, Forai (the faith-based nonprofit’s name stands for “Friends of Refugees and Immigrants”) works with eight to 12 refugee and…
TWO DECADES AGO, Tom Niemeier forged his own path in the field of architecture, launching SPACE as a small firm that became the go-to partner for design-conscious restaurateurs. Now, together with Shelley, his partner in life and business, the Niemeiers are preparing to take the next step in SPACE's journey: They sold their headquarters in The Grove and are on the hunt for a larger building that meets the needs of their expansion into building and fabrication. Here, they reflect on the evolution of their firm. —CHERYL BAEHR Did you always know this was your calling? TN: All through high school, I did not think about a career whatsoever because I was going to be a baseball player and go to college for baseball. I ended up getting injured during…
Twenty years ago, the U.S. Figure Skating Championships took place in St. Louis, and the Olympics were held in Turin, Italy. That was also the year Jason Brown, a Chicago-area native who spent his childhood driving back and forth to St. Louis to compete in regional competitions, remembers watching the Olympics for the first time. Fast-forward to today, and Brown— now a 2014 Olympic bronze medalist—will be competing in the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships at the Enterprise Center, and the Olympics will once again take place in Italy. “It’s a full-circle moment, and the fact that I have been able to go from competing in the local rinks here, to now getting to compete at Enterprise Center, that’s crazy and so exciting,” Brown says. “Competing in the Midwest—it feels…
