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Stopping by Ted Drewes after a Cards victory. Accepting a dare to touch the Arch with your tongue on a chilly day. Making brazen love to a drunken stranger in a Laclede’s Landing alley during the VP Fair Weekend just after the REO Speedwagon concert. These are the things that make us St. Louisans.
Also, buying an ice cream and a paper fan at the Muny in the heat of August. That’s one of our little fetishes, too. And come 2014, the Muny has announced, there will be a new $1 million renovation project to the concessions and pre-show area ready for visitors.
The east side of the Muny entryway has a concessions area with sort of a “summer-camp look,” says Laura Peters, Muny director of marketing and publicity. What she means, but we’d never expect her to actually say, is that yes, this rustic building was long overdue for a makeover. And thanks to a $1 million donation from the David B. Lichtenstein Foundation, Muny-goers will be able to buy ice cream from a much snazzier walk-up.
The “Café One” project calls for a summer 2012 and 2013 evaluation of the Muny’s needs, with construction on the café, pre-show performance area, and upgraded restrooms to be completed by the 2014 season.
Lucie Springmeyer, Muny director of development and civic affairs, says that an evaluation of the Muny snack bars’ menus will certainly be part of the changes, but it’s way too soon to predict a final menu. “With the big changes, we certainly can accommodate new and innovative offerings,” she did say, optimistically.
For the foreseeable future, theatre patrons will continue to enjoy the best-selling, locally made Ronnie’s Rocky Mountain, from inimitable hometowner Ronnie Ryan (his amusing SLM Q&A is here), a sugar cone packed with vanilla ice cream, dipped in chocolate, then rolled in peanuts, almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts, an item that's been lovingly compared to "a Drumstick on steroids." The other big sellers, reports Springmeyer, have been the strawberry sorbet cone (also from Ronnie's), popcorn, beer, and daiquiris.
If there’s any sort of solicitation of public opinion for the Café One changes, we’d like to officially cast our vote for a homemade toasted ravioli. It’s great as a snack or a meal, kids love T-rav's, and there are no noisy-to-open wrapper issues. Just crunch 'em quietly, please.
(Editor's Note: In the off-season, the Ronnie's Rocky Mountain is sold at Carl's Drive-In, King Edward's, Double D's Pizzeria, Mathew's Kitchen, and the Fire & Ice Cream Truck.)
