We’re proud to unveil the 2019 A-List, St. Louis Magazine‘s tribute to the region’s finest. Discover nearly 500 winners and finalists in dining, nightlife, shopping, culture, and more, as selected by readers and editors.
This year, we expanded the size of our A-List readers’ choice poll to more than 150 categories and received more than 317,000 votes (almost triple last year’s tally), with more than 26,000 readers weighing in on everything from their favorite Vietnamese restaurant (Mai Lee) to their favorite actor (John Goodman).
On July 11, we invite you to celebrate the 2019 A-List winners with us at The Sheldon. The party will feature live music, food from A-List restaurants, creative cocktails, and more. Join the conversation online at #aliststl.
Readers’ Choice A-List Winners & Finalists
Editors’ Choice A-List Winners
TEAM OF THE YEAR
VISIONARY AWARD
DINING & NIGHTLIFE
Soulard’s historic goût de terroir is still, properly, French. Smoky cassoulet and Burgundy- braised lamb shank taste right at home amid the cozy eatery’s inviting old wood and brick. Tables fill quickly, and good wine, dispensed by the bar squirreled into an intimate corner, flows. Conversation’s easy in the relaxed atmosphere. It’s a place in which to linger—and one to revisit often. 808 Geyer.
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HIGH-STEAKS DINING
Morton’s The Steakhouse
With the wealth of steakhouses in Clayton (Ruth’s Chris, 801 Chophouse, The Capital Grille), Morton’s announced in 2017 that it would be moving downtown. The reimagined restaurant—a sleek modern departure from its more traditional predecessor—reopened at Lumière Place Casino in December. Today, you can still find steakhouse staples (a catcher’s mitt–size piece of cow, lobster bisque, and creamed spinach, with all the starchy formalities) in an atmosphere marinated in swank. 999 N. Second.
CREATIVE CUISINE
Savage
Creative? Savage left “creative” back at the station. Think beet chicharróns. Such ingredients as burnt hay, fermented mushrooms, and roast yeasts worked into amuse-bouche–size courses come out over a long evening. Electric wine pairings add flair to one of the city’s most amazing dinners. 2655 Ann.
BEST SPINOFF
BrassWELL
Gerard Craft can now add brewery fare to his long list of culinary achievements. The all-star chef’s Niche Food Group opened BrassWELL in the new Rockwell Beer Co. late last year. Reinvented dishes from Brasserie’s happy hour and former lunch menu include quarter-pound burgers, chicken sandwiches, brats, and the signature fries, which complement Rockwell’s menu of microbrews. 1320 S. Vandeventer.
BEST EDIBLE CANDLE
Hamilton’s Urban Steakhouse& Bourbon Bar
Best Edible Candle is always a crowded field, but this year’s award for Outstanding Edible Centerpiece goes to this cool steakhouse’s delectable lighting. A slab of solidified bacon fat equipped with a wick is lit and renders slowly as patrons swipe hunks of coarse yeasty bread through the fragrant drippings. We’re talking the most romantic candlelight dining ever. 2101 Chouteau.
MUSSELS
Elmwood
It’s hard to mess up mussels—and even tougher to create a distinctive take on them. Elmwood scores, big time, with a bowl of the bivalves that shimmers with a smear of tingly Szechuan spices. It tops (get this!) fresh-fried shoestring potatoes. The aroma alone is mouth-watering. It’s a mélange of smoky, exotic seasoning and those luscious fat mussels. 2704 Sutton.
Nudo House (pictured): Qui Tran’s acclaimed restaurant serves ramen, pho, and noodle-less dishes. 1143 Olive.
Wok O Taco: A fusion of Asian and Mexican staples.10633 Page.
Poke Doke: Andrew Shih weighs in on the poke trend, with a fun name to boot.8 S. Euclid.
Yummi Tummi: This mashup of subs, sushi, poke, and ramen has a most “kawaii”name.3001 S. Big Bend.
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BEST REINVENTION
J. Devoti Trattoria & Grocery
The Hill’s hippest bistro has been reinvented as, um, The Hill’s hippest bistro. The menu’s less Italian, more hearty, with beautifully seasonal American fare, including locally sourced meats and rustic vegetable presentations. The sauces are brilliant. A focaccia bun sprinkled with sea salt helps make for a stunning burger. Windows looking out on a charming courtyard add much to the experience. 5100 Daggett.
PIEROGI
Frisco Barroom
As soft and fluffy as a MyPillow, the pierogi at this always-crowded joint are plumped with either mashed potatoes and caramelized onions or farmer’s cheese, each sautéed in brown butter. Think of ’em as glossy, fat dumplings. Add a mug of one of the place’s cold pils-ners, and dinner is complete. 8110 Big Bend.
MEMORABLE DÉCOR
Cobalt Smoke & Sea
The rustic crab and steer logo telegraphs a most unusual fusion restaurant that features globally smoked meats, fresh seafood, a masterly duck fat burger, and the lightest rendition of tempura green beans in the city. The suspended skeleton of a pygmy whale and LED-enhanced ginkgo trees drive home the curious land and sea theme. 12643 Olive.
BEST REPLACEMENT
Il Palato
Located in the former Remy’s space, Clayton’s newest hot spot by restaurateur Mike Del Pietro checks off all the boxes: handsome atmosphere, prompt service, and (above all) good food. It’s open for lunch and dinner, with a frequently changing mouthwatering menu. Try the roasted carrots, and sample the wine list. 222 S. Bemiston.
NEW BASEBALL HANGOUTS
The Midwestern and Quattro Trattoria + Pizzeria
Located steps from Busch Stadium, in the former Flying Saucer space, The Midwestern serves high-quality barbecue by chef Ben Welch and offers an extensive drink menu, with custom cocktails by bartender Tony Saputo. Quattro, the new flagship restaurant in the Westin St. Louis, features fresh Italian fare with local ingredients by executive chef Josh Wedel. 900 Spruce; 811 Spruce.
RUM SELECTION
Rhone Rum Bar
With its sandy terrace, maritime décor, and indoor volleyball court, Rhone Rum Bar embodies restaurateurs Paul and Wendy Hamilton’s love of the British Virgin Islands. The main attraction, however, is the rum collection—around 130 bottles painstakingly sourced from the Caribbean, Latin America, and beyond. Let the bartenders explain their nuances and help you find a sippable rum that appeals to your palate, or lounge with a frozen cocktail or boat drink of tropical fruits, spices, and liqueurs. 2107 Chouteau.
COASTAL COCKTAILS
Yellowbelly
Come to Yellowbelly for the seafood, stay for the coastal cocktails. The CWE hot spot boasts an island-inspired bar with custom creations by bar manager/co-owner Tim Wiggins. Rum anchors many of the drink, including popular daiquiris, the Yellowbelly, and the Jungle Bird. 4659 Lindell.
SALAD MEETS SOPHISTICATION
Oaked
You’ll dig the chic piano alcove, the magnificent wood floors, the low-key cool of the two patios, and the Moby Dick–size wine menu. But pay attention to the simply superb salad of asparagus spears with prosciutto leaves, soft-boiled egg, pickled onion, and a decadent knob of burrata—a starter that hits all the right notes for texture and flavor. 1031 Lynch.
FRIED-OYSTER TACOS
Veritas Gateway to Food & Wine
Bacon, mushrooms, and spicy mustard sour cream? They sound good in a taco, yes, but there’s more: The centerpiece is a fried oyster. All of this arrives in a crispy corn tortilla at Veritas. (We could happily dine on the appetizers alone.) It’s bliss, a fine accomplishment by the ever-welcoming Stitt family. 15860 Fountain Plaza.
In addition to longtime favorite Three Sixty (1 S. Broadway), with its unparalleled view of Busch Stadium, several new rooftop bars opened this year: Form Skybar (705 Olive), atop Hotel Saint Louis; a remodeled Sky Terrace (999 N. 2nd) and bar at the Four Seasons, featuring Brazilian-themed cuisine from Gerard Craft’s Cinder House; The Last Rooftop (1501 Washington), crowning The Last Hotel; and the 13th-floor Angad Rainbow Terrace (3550 Samuel Shephard), top the art-centric Angad Arts Hotel.” alt=”20190516_AngadRooftopTerrace_0014.jpg”>
CONCEPT SWITCH
Pop
On a wild night in January, Dave and Kara Bailey introduced their new restaurant with as much drama as a sommelier sabering a bottle of Champagne. Employees scraped the L’Acadiane decal from the window and transformed the space into Pop, a new sparkling-wine restaurant for celebrations big and small. 1915 Park.
UNEXPECTED FUSION
Yummi Tummi
The Maplewood restaurant that started as Toasty Subs and then became Toasty Subs and Sushi is now Yummi Tummi, serving subs, sushi, ramen, and poke. The odd combination of offerings might not make sense, were it not for the skillful preparation. The meaty subs are satisfying, as is the rich tonkotsu ramen. The sushi is beautifully presented and the poke fresh and bright. 3001 S. Big Bend.
WEST COUNTY REVIVAL
Westport Plaza
Under the stewardship of LHM, Westport Plaza’s rejuvenation has been a story of incremental progress. The nearby World Wide Technology and Edward Jones headquarters have boosted midweek traffic significantly, and new venues Westport Social, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and Smoothie King have provided much-needed fresh concepts. Other Maryland Heights developments, such as the O’Fallon and Six Mile Bridge breweries, have drawn interest, too. And this could be the year that the revival fully bears fruit: Kemoll’s recently relocated to Westport from downtown, and Everest Café and Robata are planning second locations there. 111 W. Port.
Dream Team
Seven years ago, Mueller opened Rise Coffee House in The Grove. It quickly became an oasis in a caffeine desert—and so much more. It served as a gathering place where locals could fit in and join in. (She’s hired and trained several to be baristas.) A central element is Mueller’s Coffee for the People board, where customers prepay for those in need. On Mother’s Day, one coffee sleeve read “one latte for a mom with a baby in the NICU,” and there’s a sign that reads, “Compassion is the radicalism of our time.” So that she could attend to her young family, Mueller sold a controlling interest to ace barista Aaron Johnson, who honed Rise’s coffee program, food offerings, and staff. Now back at the helm and with the operational mechanics fully in tune, Mueller has more time for her true calling: empowering others through community-centered events and fundraisers. “We all benefit when we lift each other,” she says. “Do that, and we change St. Louis.” 4176 Manchester.
” alt=”dreamteam2.jpg”>Growing up on a Missouri farm, surrounded by cattle, pigs, and chickens, Kwan became a vegetarian at age 9. When she learned that vegetarians can also become overweight and out of shape, she refined her diet, which begat an exercise regimen and a career involving both disciplines. In 2012, she opened Frida’s Deli in University City, the city’s first vegetarian deli. The expanded restaurant, now simply called Frida’s, touts itself as “St. Louis’ premier vegetarian destination. No sugar. No butter. No bull.” It’s somewhat ironic, because the menu at Frida’s includes six burgers (though none includes beef) and a robust build-your-own section. She often leads classes at Pedal Pedal, a cycling studio that she opened around the corner, and oversees Stretch, her yoga studio next door. Coming this summer: Diego’s, a sister restaurant in the same block featuring Texas border town favorites. In her spare time, she and her husband rehab houses. “I’m the bricklayer and the tile setter,” she says. Of course she is. 622 North and South; 630 North and South.
” alt=”dreamteam1.jpg”>You may recall Davis from his appearance on Food Network’s Halloween Baking Championship or remember his creations from the now-shuttered Element. Instagrammers went snap-happy when he introduced The Chocolate Pig’s Peanut Butter Bomb, a dark-chocolate globe that explodes under poured hot berry sauce, exposing peanut butter mousse, cookie crumbles, and nitrogen-frozen berries. Davis recently left his executive pastry chef post there to focus on a multifaceted solo career. Look for classes and popup events under his Aether banner, along with restaurant consulting and training services. Davis is also a personal chef for hire. The chef plans to continue with Alchemy Bakery, offering custom chocolates and cakes—especially wedding cakes, which he will display artistically at local galleries (a 5-footer positioned under flowers cascading from the ceiling is in the works). A coffee table book featuring his creations is also forthcoming. Next year, the up-and-comer would like to open a hub facility to consolidate the many spokes. alchemybakery.com.
” alt=”190520_STLMAGdreamteamDAVIS-19497.jpg”>Barry seems to have found the perfect stage. Lured from celebrated Chicago gastrolounge Sable Kitchen & Bar, the musician/actor/expert mixologist now serves as beverage director of the new Angad Arts Hotel. You can often find Barry ensconced behind one of the hotel’s bars with a supersonic silver shaker in one hand and a 50-centimeter bar spoon—a device wielded with the intensity and precision of a conductor’s baton—in the other. Your cocktail show may include a discussion of its genesis, why certain ingredients (such as tomato powder and even gold dust) make sense, and the importance of balance. (We recall a recentcocktail with seven layers of flavor that unfolded one by one.) The artist often steps back to evaluate the potion, then swoops in close to apply a pinch of magic dust. But the performance always ends the same way: with a proud and impassioned smile. This is masterpiece theater. Barry should take a bow. 3550 Samuel Shepard.
” alt=”dreamteam5.jpg”>After launching two popular restaurants, Nippon Tei and Tei Too, Ann Bognar and son Nick converted Nippon’s lounge into Ramen Tei, the city’s first ramen shop, in 2015. Nick’s next revolutionary step was to hone his sushi skills (in Cincinnati and at Austin’s legendary Uchiko) before returning to Nippon Tei to apply his signature and create what’s evolved into arguably the region’s best sushi menu. This year, Bognar was named a James Beard Award semifinalist, and he’s now unfurling his next chapter: iNDO, a 46-seater in Botanical Heights with a different focus than the mothership. The chef describes iNDO as a mixture of bold, rustic Southeast Asian flavors that’s also seafood-oriented, “with a ton of sashimi and a little sushi.” At lunch, the khao soi with crispy duck is mandatory; at dinner, the hamachi with candied garlic and yuzu kosho (a Japanese citrus chili paste) is similarly memorable. 14025 Manchester,1641 Tower Grove.
” alt=”dreamteam6.jpg”>TIMELY CONCEPT
Fried
Attitudes about marijuana are changing nationwide, with Illinois recently legalizing recreational use, and interest in CBD has extended to restaurants and bars serving CBD oil in cocktails, smoothies, and more. St. Louis was ready for a restaurant like Derek Schulze’s Fried, branded a late-night “stoners’ palace.” Cure the munchies with deep-fried nuggets (chicken, shrimp, tofu, or veg), CBD oil–infused sauces (or “strains”), and such carb-heavy sides as the creamy mac and cheese. 1330 Washington.
KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN
Kimchi Guys
If one of the Cutlery Building’s walls hadn’t partially collapsed in 2015, the space might have continued as a branch of restaurateur Munsok So’s Drunken Fish. Instead, So created Kimchi Guys, introducing downtown to a modern Korean phenomenon. The key to good Korean fried chicken is a second frying for an extra-crispy finish and the sweet, spicy Original sauce, featuring gochujang and gochugaru. 612 N. Second.
ABOVE & BEYOND
The Brass Rail
Every year at Thanksgiving, The Brass Rail goes beyond the call of duty. The O’Fallon, Missouri, restaurant has delivered dinners to families in need for the past five years. Last year, it delivered more than 10,000 dinners—and added a winter clothes donation to the annual tradition. After hearing volunteers describe houses with no electricity and school-age kids with no hats and no gloves, owner Scott Ellinger and team made a decision: “If we can feed them for a day, we can put hats and gloves on them as well.” 4601 Highway K.
Loryn and Edo Nalic moved from food truck to brick-and-mortar restaurant at warp speed. In just two years, they’ve made their delicious Bosnian food eminently relatable. “Ćevapi is grilled and seasoned beef,” explains Loyrn. “Our döner is similar to a good grilled chicken sandwich. The pide is a photographer’s dream: a canoe-shaped flatbread, not unlike pizza but different than anything else in town.” 8103 Big Bend.
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NEW NEIGHBORHOOD JOINT
58hundred
When The Block’s Marc Del Pietro and Brian Doherty decided to create a restaurant where carnivores and vegetable lovers alike could dine, they wanted to do so with an approachable menu and affordable pricing. That combination—plus creative, expertly executed food and a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere—have made 58hundred a South City favorite since it opened last fall. 5800 Southwest.
HYPERLOCALl CUISINE
Bulrush
“Hyperlocal” is a new buzzword in restaurant circles, but at Bulrush, chef-owner Rob Connoley lives the age-old concept. He uses only foods that are seasonally grown, foraged, and preserved within a narrowly defined geographic area. He’s explored the history of the Ozarks, creating intriguing dishes that incorporate the best practices of the past. “I’m not a nostalgic person,” he says, “but I look at what people did here in the 1800s and ask, ‘Why aren’t we doing this anymore?’ Then we do it.”3307 Washington.
HIDDEN GEM
Peno Soul Food
On a side street at the southern end of Wydown’s restaurant strip, Pepe Kehm’s cozy spot is somewhat hidden but well worth discovering. The neighborhood-centric trattoria is the new equivalent of the checked-tablecloth restaurants of yore. The pizza’s good, but Kehm’s particularly gifted when it comes to seafood, maybe as a result of his trips to Sicily.7600 Wydown.
CULTURE & ARTS
At the end of last year, former president Barack Obama tweeted out his Best Songs of 2018 list, and St. Louis’ own Tonina was on it for her version of “Historia de un Amor”—to which we say, respectfully: No duh. The Berklee-educated singer and bassist has a classic voice that’ll be giving goosebumps to St. Louisans, presidents, and the whole world for generations.
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VERSATILE PERFORMER
Linda Kennedy
It’s notoriously more difficult to put on a one-woman show than it is to act with a cast, which makes Kennedy’s performance of Upstream Theater’s Chef this year all the more remarkable. Kennedy’s well known on the St. Louis theater scene as both performer and coach. It was in Chef—in which she plays a prison cook…no, a prisoner who is a cook…make that a fine–dining chef in prison—that we saw her command the stage and reveal layers and layers of her character in a way few others can.
MUNY SUCCESS STORY
Kennedy Holmes
For one season of NBC’s singing competition The Voice, all ofSt. Louis was rooting for Holmes, the 14-year-old Florissant native and Muny performer with a powerhouse voice and a confidence beyond her years (we seriously swooned when she sang a duet with her idol, Voice judge Jennifer Hudson). She proved what we knew all along: The Muny is a training ground for the best and brightest in the next generation of talent.
GLOBAL YOUTH PROGRAMMING
St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra
St. Louis is spoiled for choice when it comes to live music options, but there was something special about watching the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra—a partnership between the symphony, Saint Louis University, and the Association of American Voices—this season. St. Louis is the only host city in the country. Maybe that something special was Diyar Jamal, 20, a bassist, and Lawan Taha Hama Ali, 22, a violinist. The two young musicians came to St. Louis this year from Kurdistan. 718 N. Grand.
ORIGINAL SERIES
Smoke City
Cami Thomas, who grew up in Florissant and went to high school in Ladue, has been translating two very different versions of St. Louis all her life. Her web series, Smoke City, continues the conversation. In it, Thomas visits various neighborhoods and interviews their residents, painting a picture of a city navigating its own beauty and tension
MOST ANTICIPATED LITERARY PROJECT
The High Low
Sure, you can write anywhere you can set up with a laptop. But a space that’s dedicated to the art form can only inspire, and coffee definitely helps. Writers and readers alike are eagerly awaiting a new offering from the Kranzberg Arts Foundation: The High Low, opening in August. It’s a library, gallery, café, and event space for storytelling, poetry, and book signings. A writers-in-residence program is also planned.
There’s never been a better time to see a show at Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, the Shakespeare Festival, the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, or the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, because new talent—Andrew Jorgensen at the opera, Tom Ridgely at the Shakespeare Festival, Hana Sharif at The Rep, and Stéphane Denève at the symphony—have taken over these arts institutions, and they’ve already started making their marks. Ridgely and the Festival’s Shakespeare in the Streets program will present SFSTL’s first urban-rural production, based on stories from Normandy, Missouri, and Brussels, Illinois, in September. Denève’s inaugural season will be celebrating the connections between France and the United States with classics by Gershwin, Ravel, and Saint-Saëns and works by newer voices, including Adams, Higdon, Puts, Kernis, and Connesson. This year, Jorgensen’s New Works, Bold Voices series includes Fire Shut Up in My Bones, based on a memoir by New York Times columnist Charles M. Blow. Sharif’s tenure only began in June, but we can’t wait to see what new works, new perspectives, and new talent she brings to the stage. ” alt=”CreditSLSO.jpg”>
TRAILBLAZING PHOTOGRAPHER
Jess T. Dugan
Dugan’s intimate portraits delve into a dizzying array of private worlds. The work examines gender and identity, and the mindfulness that goes into the relationships Dugan forges with her subjects is obvious in the raw access they provide. Her groundbreaking work with aging transgender andgender-nonconforming people, To Survive on This Shore—on which she worked with Vanessa Fabbre, a social worker and assistant professor at Wash. U.—gives voice and visibility to living history.
ANTICIPATED SECOND COLLECTION
Justin Phillip Reed
Reed blazed onto the poetry scene with his National Book Award–winning volume Indecency in 2018, following his 2016 chapbook A History of Flamboyance. The self-described “three-time high school expellee” received an MFA in poetry from Washington University. His poems run sex and sexuality, race, and literary allusion through his muscular and invigorating verses. A follow-up, The Malevolent Volume, is set for a spring 2020 release.
LOCAL COMEDIAN
Rafe Williams
If you’ve been to The ImprovShop, you’ve probably seen Williams—either generously “yes, and”-ing fellow improvisers or convulsing the room during one of his hilarious solo sets featuring his earthy takes on life. When Nashville label 800 Pound Gorilla came calling to record his first album, he persuaded them to do it at The Improv Shop.
BLOCKBUSTER ART EXHIBIT
SLAM’s ‘Kehinde Wiley: Saint Louis’
In most of the country, Wiley is known for painting the official portrait of Barack Obama, but here, he’s known for creating an exhibition of his classically posed large-scale portraits with city residents as models. The show, at the Saint Louis Art Museum, was a love letter to our city—and the feeling was mutual. 1 Fine Arts.
ORIGINAL WORK
The Black Rep’s Canfield Drive
At its best, theater provokes us to examine ourselves and our world with fresh eyes. And what’s more worth a (painful) look than racism and our complicated responses to it? The Black Rep commissioned a work to sort through the still-raw fallout from the killing of black teenager Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson in 2014. Canfield Drive’s emotional punch comes in the form of two journalists covering the subsequent events through different lenses. 6662 Olive.
MOST ST. LOUIS DANCE PERFORMANCE EVER
The Big Muddy Dance Company’s Lemp Legends: A Ghost Story
Dance can be captivating, but it’s even better when it’s entertaining…and more interesting when it involves ghosts. Enter The Big Muddy Dance Company, in particular this year’s performance of Lemp Legends: A Ghost Story, which told the tale of St. Louis’ most tragic and mysterious family while steering clear of tabloid salaciousness.
NEW PROGRAMMING
Shakespeare Festival St. Louis’ In the Works
Audiences have never been able to get enough of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis—we’ve got a thing for the Bard. Productions in Forest Park and the streets have paved the way for the festival’s most ambitious project yet: In the Works presents contemporary American plays inspired by Shakespeare’s beloved classics, kicking off with Into the Breeches! We can’t wait to see what this season will bring.
DOCUMENTARY
Where the Pavement Ends
Jane Gillooly’s impressionistic look at segregation in North County, Where the Pavement Ends, was originally conceived as a historical examination of the literal roadblock separating all-black Kinloch from formerly all-white Ferguson and how Kinloch was hollowed out by an airport noise-abatement program. During research, though, Mike Brown was killed in Ferguson, and the film became as much about the present as about the past.
ART GALLERY THAT’S NOT REALLY AN ART GALLERY
Angad Arts Hotel
To spend a night at the Angad is like being transported to a Soho gallery with comfy beds. The boutique hotel boasts rooms in four poppy color motifs—red, blue, green, yellow; choose based on your mood—with edgy murals painted by four local artists. Even if you’re just stopping by for a drink on the terrace (seriously, the view), you’ll get to enjoy the rotating gallery of local art in the Chameleon Lounge. 3550 Samuel Shepard.
ACTIVIST INITIATIVE
projects + gallery’s For Freedoms
Two months before the 2018 midterm elections, a series of billboards popped up along I-44 and I-70. “Ride, walk, drive, march, vote,” one read. “All Lies Matter,” blared another. Organized here by projects + gallery (as part of a 50-state initiative), the activation—titled For Freedoms after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s idea of four universal freedoms—and corresponding exhibition were meant to start a dialogue about elections, art, race, and more. What they gave us: a new way of encouraging people to talk about politics. 4733 McPherson.
CREATIVE HIVE
MADE
Where can you laser-cut, 3-D print, sew, screenprint, and try your hand at wood- and metalwork—or at least take a starter class for the maker-curious—all in one place? The MADE maker space. Open the door to the 100-year-old brick building on Delmar and watch the place buzz not only with the whirr of machines but also with the energy of ideas and collaboration by St. Louis artists, entrepreneurs, and designers. 5127 Delmar.
VIDEO GAME COMPANY
Graphite Lab
Here’s something we’d never seen before: a video game that flashes “made in STL” while loading. But it was a must for homegrown video game developer Matt Raithel and his video game company, Graphite Lab, in designing the Metroid– and Contra-inspired Hive Jump. “I think the thing that I’m most proud of with the game is that it was an original concept that grew here in St. Louis,” he says. Luckily, the space marines and alien menace are not based on anything here.
ANTICIPATED EXHIBIT
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
St. Louis keeps raising the bar when it comes to powerhouse art exhibits, and the Kemper at Washington University is getting in on the action when it reopens after a renovation and expansion with “Ai Weiwei: Bare Life.” Starting September 28, visitors will be able to take in around three dozen pieces of the Chinese activist’s artwork—sculptures, installations, and more—relating to the refugee crisis and China’s cultural legacy.
SHOPPING, SERVICE & WELLNESS
After the success of the hands-on fitness studio’s original location (1560 S. Lindbergh), PLNK opened a second location in the CWE (4647 Lindell). Owner Brooke Meek says the chain’s now looking to expand to Chesterfield. What’s so compelling about the 50-minute workout? The Lagree Method, a high-intensity, low-impact workout on a Megaformer machine that combines cardio strength, core, flexibility, and balance.
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CBD-INFUSED SPA TREATMENTS
The Spa at Hotel Saint Louis
“No, you don’t get high,” a massage therapist told us when we tried the spa’s most interesting service: the CBD Infused Signature Massage. Embrace tranquility as the oil is massaged into your back. You can also choose to have it brushed onto your face before an electrotherapy tool gently pulses low electric currents through your skin, purportedly to combat acne, scarring, and hyperpigmentation while replenishing your skin with oxygen. 705 Olive.
KIDS’ CLOTHING STORE
Honeycomb
Owners Zoë Kaemmerer and Angela Giancola understand children and parents—Giancola once managed a daycare in Washington, D.C., and has two children of her own—and they designed their Botanical Heights store to allow kids to play while their parents shop. The store stocks sustainably made toys, gifts, and unisex clothing designed to be passed down from one kiddo to the next. 1641B Tower Grove.
FASHION IMPORTS
Merch
Saint Louis Fashion Fund co-founders Susan Sherman and Tania Beasley-Jolly are bringing global brands to town, with plenty of merch in tow, in what the two have likened to Tupperware parties. In April, a polo lounge–styled pop-up featured Mansur Gavriel. Next up, Merch hosts Proenza Schouler designers Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez. themerchstl.com.
PERSONALIZED PRODUCTS
Gin & Kin
Sisters Emily Duddy and Jenny Chao specialize in all things monogrammed. They named their shop after their grandmother Ginny, whose sewing, crocheting, and embroidery wisdom led the two to open the DeMun shop last August. Choose from 34 color threads, six embroidery fonts, and 12 fonts that can be stitched into everything from handkerchiefs to throws. 6334 N. Rosebury.
FLORAL DELIVERY
Rudy’s Flower Truck
On almost any given day, you might spot the vintage blue truck with a bedful of eucalyptus, snapdragon, and peonies doing deliveries or at pop-ups outside local coffee shops and brunch spots. As owner Brittany Sarhage says: “It’s not every day you’re going to be able to come up to a 1958 Jeep truck and purchase flowers. Nobody else in the country has a truck like ours.”
ON-TREND NAIL SALON
Tints Polish
The Ladue salon’s atmosphere is as on-trend as its color selections. Sip coffee or wine while getting a fresh coat on your nails. Beyond the à la carte menu, you can choose from a membership level, from one mani and pedi per month to unlimited color swaps. 10281 Clayton.
Local boutiques are sprouting up and expanding in new spots, making for endless shopping strolls. This spring, St. Louis–inspired Arch Apparel (2335 S. Hanley) opened its first brick-and-mortar, where crowds swarmed for “Play Gloria” playoff tees. Naked Boot & Shoe expanded beyond Webster, opening a Chesterfield location (1590 Clarkson). MOD On Trend recently opened its sixth location in Town and Country (1192 Town and Country), and Leopard Boutique (7407 Manchester) rolled out its third location in downtown Maplewood this past November. And, vintage store May’s Place relocated to The Grove (4180 Manchester) from Ivanhoe Avenue.” alt=”MaysPlace-2638.jpg”>
NEW GIFT SHOP
David Kent Richardson
DKR Interior’s David Kent Richardson playfully dubs his shop on The Hill “the gift collection of a high-class hoarder.” The shop is a curated, mystifying, and eclectic ensemble of the unexpected, with an ever-revolving door of treasures. 1923 Marconi.
PRE-LOVED GARMENTS
The Golden Fig
Owner Sarah-Marie Land curates her 600-square-foot Midtown shop by color, with pre-loved steals ranging from French brands (Comptoir des Cotonniers, Claudie Pierlot) to vintage garments—including some she’d like to see in her own closet. “One of my favorite pieces were these beautiful French leather loafers,” says Land. “I wouldn’t have been able to squeeze into them. Otherwise, I would have kept them for myself.” 3041 Olive.
PERSONALIZED SKINCARE
Lark Skin Co.
At one time, Lisa Dolan struggled to find skincare products that she felt were safe and luxurious. So last year, she opened a brick-and-mortar filled with them, and within months the shop had expanded to accommodate facial appointments. At the Ritual Bar, customers can pick up personalized products: custom clay masks, facial oils, body oils… The store also stocks toners with witch hazel, Vitamin C serums, and CBD products. The bestseller? A coconut oil–based multi-use balm, the first product that Dolan created. 8709 Big Bend.
FRESH RETAIL IDEA
C. Oliver Coffee + Flower Bar
Looking for a fresh start to your day? Check out the former Orbit Pinball Lounge space in downtown Maplewood, where co-owners Olivia Medina and Alyssa Schuler are opening a coffeehouse–meets–floral shop. (The moniker pulls from Medina’s former café at her church and Schuler’s father’s first initial.) The concept includes coffee drinks, treats from Great Harvest Bread Company, and fresh handmade bouquets. 7401 Hazel.
ENTERTAINMENT & AMUSEMENTS
A train station–turned–aquarium? Yes, it’s a bold idea, but LHM has a knack for bringing fresh life to St. Louis landmarks. Slated to open later this year, in time for Union Station’s 125th anniversary, the two-story, 120,000-square-foot aquarium will house 250,000-gallon saltwater shark tank, devil rays, otters, and piranha, urchins, and crabs. And beyond the aquarium, guests can soon expect a 200-foot-tall Ferris wheel, a mini golf course, a merry-go-round, and three restaurants, including a World’s Fair–themed gastropub, an old-fashioned soda fountain, and a family-friendly café. For downtown, which has already seen its share of significant renovations—at the Arch and Kiener Plaza, along Wash. Ave., around the ballpark—it’s yet one more sign of a significant sea change. 1820 Market.
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NATURAL ADDITION
Forest Park’s Forthcoming Natural Playscape
It isn’t what you might imagine. There won’t be plastic swings or slides. Instead, the 17-acre play area, slated to open next year, will comprise all-natural materials and span a range of ecological areas: a spring, a wetland,a meadow… Located between the World’s Fair Pavilion and the Jewel Box, the area is intended to encourage kids to embrace the outdoors while restoring the park’s natural habitat. It’s a timely idea.
NEW AMERICAN BAND
Elliott Pearson and The Passing Lane
Last fall, the band released its debut three-song EP, Devil’s Paradise, and kicked off a tour across the heartland. The group—comprising experienced local musicians Pearson, Dylan Doughty, Ian Daugherty, and Jeremy Reidy—might best be described as delivering Americana with a heavy dose of country, a tinge of rock, and no shortage of heart-felt lyrics.
PARTY BAND
Vote for Pedro
Perhaps not coincidentally, the band was formed just a few years after Napoleon Dynamite hit theaters, but the eclectic setlists continue to evolve. Lydia Caesar, Jeff Faulkner, Chris Bosslet, Jamie Perryman, and Paul Kriege perform old-school classics (Kool & The Gang, Aretha Franklin, Prince) and modern hits (The Weeknd, Taylor Swift, Meghan Trainor), keeping the party going for more than a decade.
RACING REVIVAL
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway
Less than a decade ago, the Madison race track sat empty, void of revving engines, checkered flags, and adrenaline-fueled crowds. In fact, it was just weeks from being sold when Curtis Francois, a former racer and real estate developer, toured the track. Over time, he’s worked tirelessly to revive it, pumping more than $35 million in renovations into the facility, bringing back IndyCar and NASCAR (hosting a double header earlier this year), and finding new sponsors. Even larger plans are in store for the track, though. World Wide Technology plans to introduce new STEAM initiatives, technology, and diversity initiatives. As WWT co-founder/chair David Steward noted at a press conference to introduce the new name, “I never understood why there wasn’t a whole lot of diversity in racing.” 700 Raceway, Madison, Illinois.
HOOPS STAR
Napheesa Collier
The stats are staggering. In her senior year at UConn, Collier averaged 20.9 points and 10.5 rebounds per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the field. The Incarnate Word grad ranked third in scoring, fourth in rebounds, and seventh in blocks in her college career. This year, she was named AAC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year and led the voting for the Associated Press All-America team. Not surprisingly, she’s now playing in the WNBA. lynx.wnba.com.
NEW FAMILY ATTRACTION
Play Street Museum
The Streets of St. Charles’ new play area is a perfect pint-size destination. At the 2,400-square-foot children’s museum, kids can pretend in a small-scale town, complete with a mini restaurant, vet’s office, grocery store, and fire truck. They can also play with games and toys, and make crafts. Visit the museum’s website (playstreetmuseum.com) to look for special events, such as Mommy & Me Yoga and Sensory-Friendly Playtime. 1650 Beale, St. Charles.
PLACE TO TIDE YOU OVER AS YOU WAIT ON THE AQUARIUM
City Museum’s Artquarium
St. Louisans eager to see the 10-times-larger Union Station aquarium can get a preview of the life aquatic with a visit to the whimsical second-floor aquarium inside City Museum. The 11,000-square-foot Artquarium’s offerings include enormous sculptures of a crab and “septopus” (remember Hank in Finding Dory?), as well as actual sea creatures swimming in tanks surrounded by slides and tunnels. 750 N. 16th.
This summer, Becky Sauerbrunn and Team USA aim to take home the World Cup once again, as they did in 2015, during the most-watched soccer match in U.S. history. But the St. Louis native’s also a star off the pitch, using her platform to fight for equal airtime and pay. She recently appeared in Adidas’ She Breaks Barriers campaign to raise visibility for women’s sports, and she and her teammates filed a federal gender discrimination lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation advocating for equal pay. “We wanted to be as visible as possible because we know that in sports and in other work areas all across the world, there are women who are being paid less for the same quality of work,” she says. “That’s something we feel is worth the time and energy.”” alt=”USWNTBS05152019108.jpg”>
LOCAL PODCAST
Who Raised You?
Treasure Shields Redmond and Karen (Jia Lian) Yang’s podcast asks a simple question with a not-so-simple answer. Each episode is intended to “explore how culture, family, and intersecting identities pave our way toward liberation.” Sometimes, that means taking a look at how poetry helps grade-schoolers from opposite sides of the Delmar divide understand each other; others, it’s talking about race, religion, and sexuality. The podcast weaves relaxed conversations with deeper truths.
OVERDUE EXPANSION
Fitz’s SoCo
No place in St. Louis bottles up nostalgia like Fitz’s. Watching the vintage bottling line at the flagship Delmar Loop location is almost as much a rite of passage for young St. Louisans as visiting The Magic House or Grant’s Farm. Not coincidentally, when owner Michael Alter decided to expand, he chose family-friendly South County. The centerpiece of the new location: a dairy bar, where soda jerks serve up floats, shakes, and (natch) bottomless mugs of root beer. 5244 S. Lindbergh.
CREATIVE PARTNERSHIP
The Magic House@ MADE
It’s fitting that the beloved children’s museum, where hands-on educational activities abound, would open its first satellite location in a maker space. The new 7,000-square-foot shop offers all the tools necessary for a business-minded tyke: a maker workshop, an art studio, a design lab, and an entrepreneurial marketplace. 5127 Delmar.
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