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Photographer: Kevin A. Roberts
The Dark Room
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Photographer: Kevin A. Roberts
Planter’s House
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ashley gieseking
The Fortune Teller Bar
St. Louis, Cherokee
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Photographer: Kevin A. Roberts
Nathalie’s
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Angela Allen
Dirty Muggs
Cocktails
Planter’s House
Long before Ted Kilgore opened his own gin joint, he was known to whip up a mean cocktail. During his stints at Niche and Taste, nearly every publication in town (including ours) proclaimed him one of St. Louis’ top mixologists. Then, last year, after much anticipation, he and business partner Ted Charak opened the doors to a super, premium-cocktail bar near Lafayette Square. The food menu is just fine (complete with liquor-pickled veggies), but the emphasis is on cocktails. Find a seat in the 25-seat Bullock Room, select a cleverly named concoction, and sip slowly. 1000 Mississippi, 314-696-2603, plantershousestl.com.
Beer Drinker’s Paradise
Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
There’s been a boom in microbreweries opening here in recent years, but none have expanded as rapidly as Urban Chestnut. In 2012, just a year after opening its Midtown Brewery (3229 Washington) in a former garage, one-time Anheuser-Busch employees Florian Kuplent and David Wolfe added on the Biergarten. Then, as demand grew, they expanded to a second location: a 70,000-square-foot Brewery & Bierhall in The Grove. St. Louis’ largest craft brewery, it opened in late Feb-ruary. Beer lovers will appreciate the expansive beer hall and impressive food menu, though not as much as that long row of taps behind the bar. 4465 Manchester, 314-222-0143, urbanchestnut.com.
Sports Bar
The Wheelhouse
The name’s apt, given the previous work experience of co-owners Stephen Savage, Jared Ater, and Lou Groff. Before opening their Clayton sports bar last year, the trio worked together at Harpo’s Bar & Grill, the Mizzou institution in downtown Columbia, Mo. Though The Wheelhouse has the typical fixtures (flat-screen TVs, burgers, and beer), they added some pleasant surprises (craft cocktails, lobster mac and cheese, and roasted-zucchini ratatouille), taking the sports-bar game to the next level. 15 N. Central, 314-726-7955, wheelhousestl.com.
Eclectic Hangout
The Fortune Teller Bar
The crowd is almost as unpredictable as the decor at this Cherokee Street bar. On any given night, you might see tarot-card readers, bikers, artists… Co-owners Sam Coffey, Kristin Dennis, and Matt Thenhaus have filled the space with animal mounts, odd artifacts, and no shortage of spirits. The result: a bar you won’t soon forget. 2635 Cherokee, 314-776-2337, thefortunetellerbar.com.
Picture-perfect Spot
The Dark Room
With the rise of digital cameras (and smartphones), darkrooms might be a thing of the past. Enter this Grand Center gallery and wine bar, which pays homage to photography—and drinks. The International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum curates rotating art exhibits, while the Kranzberg Arts Center’s director of theaters and events, Chris Hansen (who also helped develop Lola, Atomic Cowboy, and The Demo), oversees operations. Our advice? Put down the iPhone and soak in the ambience. 615 N. Grand, 314-531-3416, thedarkroomstl.com.
Intimate Music Venue
Nathalie’s
To reach the theater at this one-time funeral home, patrons pass portraits of owner Nathalie Pettus’ family that hang along a grand staircase, arguably the nicest restaurant bathrooms in town, and a heavy curtain. There, in a tucked-away corner of the sprawling building, is one of the coziest places around to hear live music, where popular musicians like Erin Bode perform on a small stage in an Egyptian-themed room. And downstairs, you can sometimes find live music by the bar. 4356 Lindell, 314-533-1580.
western addition
The TAP Restaurant + Brewery
The list of reasons to visit Jerry and Maria Berhorst’s new 6,000-square-foot hot spot is exhausting: personal table taps, a Chill-Rite beer-delivery system that can cool draft brews to 32 degrees, a wine-tap system… Then there are the food-related features, including an enormous keg-shaped smoker and a hot-sauce cart. (That’s not to mention the popular toasted ravioli—a must for any visit.) Entertainment? There are 20-plus TVs throughout the restaurant. In all, it’s a welcome addition for those in St. Chuck—and a reason for city dwellers to head west. 3803 Elm, St. Charles, 636-724-4242, gotothetap.com.
Artsy Addition
ArtBar
Part art gallery and part undersea adventure, this colorful spot along Cherokee Street captures the imagination as soon as you walk through the door. Eye-catching murals, gentle curves, and elaborate floors complement an ever-changing wall lined with local art. ArtBar has five St. Louis beers on tap and a carefully curated cocktail list, and guest chefs and bartenders occasionally drop in to share their talents. And with not a single television in the space, you can pay attention to what matters: the creative atmosphere and energy behind the place. 2732 Cherokee, 314-769-9696, artbarstl.com.
Gathering Place
J Greene’s Pub
Juliet and Jason Greene know St. Louis. She attended high school in Kirkwood, while he went to school in Webster Groves. They met while working at Soulard staple McGurk’s Irish Pub and Garden. So it only made sense that the husband-and-wife team would open an Irish pub near their old stomping grounds, in the alma mater–neutral territory of Warson Woods. The pub has earned rave reviews for its food and atmosphere, filled with flat-screen TVs—and of course, plenty of St. Louis memorabilia. 10017 Manchester, 314-394-2330, jgreenespub.com.
Comedy Club
The Improv Shop
Improv is all about thinking fast on your feet, and the same could be said for how The Improv Shop went about opening its theater. Its founders avoided loans and credit, funding the new digs entirely from students’ tuition saved over years. Since opening the doors of the new venue in February, the group has continued doing what it does best, hosting workshops, classes, long-form performances, and audience-driven shows. Don’t miss Harold Night, every Thursday, when performers take their cues from the crowd. 510 N. Euclid, 314-932-5540, theimprovshop.com.
Underrated Wine Bar
Ernesto’s Wine Bar
It’s not as trendy as other wine bars, but there’s a certain charm to Ernesto’s. The place pays homage to Papa Hemingway, with photos and books scattered throughout the dining room. A quaint patio with a fireplace sits across from Fremont Park. The manager gets to know guests, forgoing the obligatory “How is everything?” The food is delicious, with nightly specials like steamed mussels and pan-seared tilapia. Oh, and the wine list? There are 30-plus options by the glass and nearly 75 by the bottle—as if you need another reason to visit this Benton Park gem. 2730 McNair, 314-664-4511, ernestoswinebar.com.
Multitalented DJ
DJ Nune
Lamar Harris’ repertoire goes far beyond the turntables. He also plays trombone, trumpet, tuba, and keyboard—and sings. He can seamlessly switch from jazz to R&B to hip-hop. He’s played some of the biggest events around town and with big names like Common and Earth, Wind & Fire. And offstage, he oversees The B.E. Initiative, an effort to teach entrepreneurial skills to high-school students with artistic interests. lamarharris.org.
Party Band
Dirty Muggs
In case you’re wondering about the name, funk legend Bootsy Collins suggested it—so it’s no surprise both funk and showmanship are part of the band’s repertoire. Lead guitarist Gary “Dee Dee” James (who founded the band and has performed with the likes of Collins, George Clinton, and Paula Abdul), Edgar “Boni” Hinton, Jason “Dirty Lint” Moore, Kalvin Dobbins, Justin Clay, and Cassandra Llea do choreographed moves while performing funk, hip-hop, pop, and more—a sound and sight that’s caught the eye of St. Louisans at shows from Twilight Tuesdays to Fair U City. dirtymuggs.com.
Stargazing
Broemmelsiek Park
Whether you’re on a date or with the kids, gazing up at the night sky makes for a fun (and affordable) weekend night. In satellite images, the Astronomy Site at Broemmelsiek Park appears like part of a crop circle, with geometric lines branching out from a central point. At ground level, an inscription in the sidewalk is visible: “Thus shall you go to the stars. —Virgil.” On Fridays year-round, the Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri hosts public viewings here (1615 Schwede, 636-949-7535, asemonline.com).
Saint Louis Science Center
In the city, the St. Louis Astronomical Society hosts Star Parties at the Saint Louis Science Center (5050 Oakland, 314-289-4400, slsc.org) on the first Friday of each month. Beyond the telescope viewings, the Planetarium’s Orthwein StarBay shows Live Sky Tonight, highlighting what sights are currently visible in the night sky.
Editor's Note: This article has been updated from an earlier version to reflect that Ted Charak is co-owner of Planter's House.
