SLM contributor Joe Bonwich weighs in on local food events, happenings, and dining news of note. Look for his observations every other week in On the Burner, SLM's dining e-newsletter.
SUDS SUGGESTION: PART 1
Around here, beer festivals tend to sell out fast. So it's worth noting now that tickets for the Missouri Beer Festival, slated for March 18 in Columbia, Missouri, are available for purchase. You can also buy tickets for the sixth annual Lupulin Carnival, scheduled for April 1 at Union Station; it will feature the release of the much-anticipated 4 Hands War Hammer. You have been warned.
SUDS SUGGESTION: PART 2
Sure, they’re called “limited edition” for a reason, but there must be an easier way for local beer lovers to buy limited-edition brews. Assuming it’s legal, how about some “Dutch auctions,” in which the price starts high and is reduced until there are enough bidders to buy all the bottles? The producers would then maximize their profits—and standing in line wouldn’t be the only condition for purchasing the beer.
SWEET AND SOUR
When dining critics recommend restaurants, we take the outcome personally. So when I recently recommended a restaurant on the U. City Asian strip, I never would have expected my friends to wait 30 minutes for the server to take their drink order—and then for them to be told (not asked) to move to another table. They did enjoy the food, but the experience was at best sweet and sour.