Dining out is always a good idea. Dining out and doing good at the same time is an even better one.
On Thursday, May 2, the Saint Louis Effort for AIDS will host its 26th annual Dining Out for Life event, where participating local restaurants across St. Louis will donate at least 25 percent of their checks to the EFA. All of the money will feed directly into the organization, which offers HIV and STD testing five days a week, and includes an on-site clinic and pharmacy.
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HIV/AIDS treatment has come a long way since the 1980s and 1990s, when patients had to take handfuls of medication a day and overall health outcomes were low. Now, people who catch the disease early can live until their 70s, and most treatments consist of a one-pill-a-day regimen.
Still, there are challenges. More than 6,000 people in the St. Louis area are diagnosed with HIV, yet only about 50 percent are in treatment. That’s because the disease often affects people who don’t have access to regular medical care. With its wraparound services, the EFA seeks not only to test and treat those who might have come into contact with HIV—regardless of ability to pay—but to educate those who might be at risk about the HIV prevention medication PrEP.
Last year, Dining Out for Life raised $150,000. This year, there are more than 80 restaurants participating—and it’s an all-star lineup. Where would we start? How about Rooster for breakfast. If we ate our way through the lineup? Pastaria for lunch, Bailey’s Range for dinner, the new Pop Champagne bar for an after-dinner drink, and Clementine’s for a cone following.
A list of participating restaurants is below; to find out how much each is donating as well as which meals they’re serving, visit the EFA’s website.
- 764 Public House
- Adam’s Smokehouse
- Airedale Antics
- Amsterdam Tavern
- Anthonino’s Taverna
- Avenue
- Aya Sofia Restaurant
- Baiku Sushi Lounge
- Bailey’s Range
- Baileys’ Chocolate Bar
- Basso at the Cheshire
- Blood & Sand
- Boundary at the Cheshire
- Brasserie by Niche
- Bridge Tap House & Wine Bar
- C.J. Muggs (Clayton and Webster Groves)
- Cafe Napoli
- Cafe Ventana
- Cellar House
- Chava’s Mexican Restaurant
- Clementine’s Naughty & Nice Creamery (Clayton and Lafayette Square)
- Copper Pig
- Cravings Restaurant, Bakery & Catering
- The Dam
- Edibles and Essentials
- Eleven Eleven Mississippi
- Ernesto’s Wine Bar
- Everest Cafe & Bar
- Ferguson Brewing Company
- Fortel’s Pizza Den
- The Fountain on Locust
- Four Muddy Paws
- Frazer’s Restaurant & Lounge
- Gamlin Whiskey House
- Hamburger Mary’s
- Hamilton’s Urban Steakhouse & Bourbon Bar
- Hammerstone’s @ 9th & Russell
- Hartford Coffee Company
- Hendrick’s BBQ
- Hiro Poke Co.
- House of India
- Hugo’s Pizzeria
- Joanie’s To Go
- The Joint at 12th & Allen
- Juniper
- Laredo on Lafayette Square
- Layla (The Grove and Webster Groves)
- Malone’s Grill & Pub
- Massa’s (Ballwin, Bridgeton, New Town, Town & Country, Winghaven)
- Maya Cafe
- MoKaBe’s Coffeehouse
- Molly’s in Soulard
- O’Shay’s Pub
- Onesto Pizza & Trattoria
- The Pasta House Co. (Creve Coeur, Ellisville, South Lindbergh, University City)
- Pastaria
- The Pat Connolly Tavern
- Pickles Deli (CWE, Dogtown)
- Planter’s House
- Pop Sparkling Bar & Restaurant
- PW Pizza
- Rehab Bar and Grill – Keith’s Burger Joint
- The Restaurant @ Seven Gables Inn
- Retreat Gastropub
- Rise Coffee House
- Rooster (Downtown, South Grand)
- Sanctuaria Wild Tapas
- Sardella
- Schlafly Bottleworks
- The Scottish Arms
- The Shaved Duck
- The Sliced Pint Tap & Pizza
- Small Batch
- Square One Brewery & Distillery
- SqWires
- Sub Zero Vodka Bar
- Sushi KOI
- Taste
- Three Sixty
- Triumph Grill
- Tucker’s Place Soulard
- Tucker’s Place West
- Urban Chestnut Brewing Company
- Vin de Set Rooftop Bar & Bistro
- Westport Social
- Yellowbelly
