Table of Contents (October 2008)

OCTOBER 2008 ISSUE

EDITOR'S NOTE

FEEDBACK

THE CURRENT
They Can Stand the Heat
Young cooks slice'n'dice their way to the Culinary Olympics
By Byron Kerman

A Bummer for Hummer?
Lynch Motors contemplates where the road will lead for the gas-guzzling behemoth
By Byron Kerman

A Brief Nelly Update
Is the rapper's modeling career move a wise idea?
By Dan Michael

From Bunsen Burners ... to Busch Stadium?
A new five-day festival seeks to fire a local dialogue on science
By Bryan A. Hollerbach

Vetting the Candidates
Wash U's VP debate and statewide race info
By Margaret Bauer and Jarrett Medlin

This is What It's Like To Run a Haunted House
By Jarrett Medlin

TRANSPORTATION
The Scooter Diaries
Observations of a brand-new scooter commuter
By George Mahe

PHILANTHROPY
Dealing With Dementia
Every 17 seconds, another person is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. That's where Memory Care Home Solutions comes in
By Christy Marshall

HISTORY
Old Haunts
A walk down West Cabanne Place reveals a historic district's spirited past
By Maud Kelly

SCIENCE
The Alternative to Alternative Energy
Three St. Louis researchers are looking for alternative energy sources—but in the most unlikely of places
By Kristen Hare

STYLE
Things We Love
By Nicole Benoist Edgerton

Not Your Run-of-the-Mill Boutique
Valerie Mills takes a page from the age of reason to her new Clayton store
By Nicole Benoist Edgerton

Momma's Got a Brand New Bag
Raquel Hunter launches a stylish line of bags
By Nicole Benoist Edgerton

Stylish Subtleties
Ryan Britton, Shoe Gurru at Neiman Marcus, Plaza Frontenac

Hot Item of the Month

GLITTERATI
United Way of Greater St. Louis’ Young Leaders Society kickoff … Sky Terrace … Neiman Marcus’ Fall Fashion Preview at The Zodiac … Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri’s Big Grand Opening.

FEATURES
The Pit Bull
Chet Pleban wins unwinnable cases, manipulates the media (us included?) and alienates other lawyers. Is he fighting for his clients' sake, or fighting just to fight?
By Jeannette Cooperman

The 35 Best Restaurants of the Year —  and One Restaurant of the Year
Plus: Restaurant Postmortems and Ones to Watch
By Dave Lowry, George Mahe and Rose Martelli

Prix Fixer Upper
The revival of prix fixe—and six other local-restaurant survival tactics
By George Mahe

The Green Restaurant Scene
You've heard of white-tablecloth restaurants? There's a new color in town, and it's challenging and transforming the dining industry
By Ligaya Figueras

Pairing Knives
SLM makes some culinary introductions—and creates a series of one-time chef shots
By George Mahe
Photographs by Frank Di Piazza and Dilip Vishwanat

Non-Stop Flights to Fun
10 fly-to destinations for fabulous weekend getaways
By Susan Manlin Katzman

Sidelined
As a college football star, Muhammad Abdulqaadir seemed destined for the NFL. But when the feds tagged his father as a possible terrorist after 9/11, the offers to play dried up.  Is Abdulqaadir simply not good enough for the league, or has the image-conscious NFL blackballed him because of his father’s past?
By Malcolm Gay

A Conversation With  George Nikolajevich
The Croatian-born architect talks about international design, his favorite St. Louis landmarks and his new building on SLU’s campus.
By Jeannette Cooperman

CULTURE
Datebook: October
Calendar Listings

Forms of Devotion
For Brother Mel Meyer, God comes calling in the forms of paint, canvas, wood, stone, glass, paper and metal
By Ryan Miller

Keeping Up With the Jetsons
On the Sheldon Art Galleries' exhibition "InterActive: New Technologies in Contemporary Architecture"
By Stefene Russell

The Naked and the Lucky
Dan Randant and Mike Newman have more songs up their combined sleeves than a karaoke machine—but they're more rock bards than cover band
By Steve Pick

Staging a Revolt
St. Louis' women-led theater companies are carving out a larger place for female directors, actors and playwrights
By Nancy Larson

In a Dark Time, the Eye Begins to See
Most kids' understanding of "good and evil" comes via a video-game console. At the St. Louis Holocaust Museum, they learn that evil is very real—but so is goodness
By Byron Kerman

Transmission, Fluid
On the show "Transmission/Destination," at COCA's Millstone Gallery
By Stefene Russell

DINING OUT
Review: The Shaved Duck
By Dave Lowry

First Look: Tani Sushi Bistro
By George Mahe

Frugal Foodie: Pam's Chicago Style Dogs & More
By Rose Martelli

Kitchen Q&A: Josh Allen
By George Mahe

Liquid Assets: 55 is Alive!
Heading south can be a good thing when it comes to wine
By Chris Hoel

FLASHBACK
1917: Vanishing Point
By Stefene Russell