Aimee Levitt

Which St. Louis Grocery Store Are You?

Sure, you fancy yourself a socially conscious farmers'-market-lovin' type, lugging around your reusable canvas bags full of heirloom tomatoes and pasture-raised meat -- but, late, sleepless, thinking back on Grandma's Sunday gravy, don't you wonder if you're more of a Schnucks on the Hill kind of St ... More >>

Best and Worst Halloween Candy Countdown Debuts with No. 21

It wasn't all that long ago that Gut Check was donning our finest Disney princess Star Wars character drag outfit and joining the swarms of greedy American children on the hallowed Halloween quest for candy. So we remember well the post-trick-or-treat ritual of sorting the bounty into two piles, i.e ... More >>

Crawfish eaters horrify our readers, but Canada geese and Chris Elbring aren't so bad

Readers question whether anarchists are right to target Cherokee Street and whether prairie chickens are worth it

Adventures in Butter-Churning, Courtesy of The Wilder Life

Two iconic symbols of Little House on the Prairie: A sunbonnet (worn by Pudd'nhead Books children's buyer Melissa Posten) and a butter churn.​If you've ever read any of the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, even if it was more than a quarter-century ago, some things st ... More >>

Your Weekly St. Louis Bestseller List

Aimee LevittEven your dog is reading Henrietta Lacks and listening to Sammy Hagar.​Here's your weekly St. Louis bestseller list for the week ending March 20, as compiled by the St. Louis Independent Booksellers Alliance and based on sales at Left Bank Books, Main Street Books, Pudd'nhead Books ... More >>

Adam Altnether Opens Taste Tomorrow, March 11

​The relocated and reimagined Taste -- formerly Taste by Niche -- will open at 5 p.m. tomorrow, March 11, at 4584 Laclede Avenue in the Central West End. Taste strongly encourages that you have a reservation (for any evening, not just the opening), which you can make at 314-361-1200.Taste is the f ... More >>

Chocolate Is Always the Right Size for Valentine's Day

Laura MillerChocolates at Bissinger's at Maryland Plaza​Valentine's Day is this Monday, February 14. What's that? You haven't done your shopping yet? No worries. On this holiday, it's not the thought that counts -- it's the quality of the chocolate.Gut Check checked in with a few of our favorite ... More >>

Kakao Maplewood Open for Business

Aimee LevittBrian Pelletier behind the counter of Kakao Chocolate's new location on Manchester Avenue in Maplewood.​Nobody thought it would actually happen, least of all owner Brian Pelletier, but on Thursday, February 3, just two months after signing the lease and two days after an ice storm ... More >>

It's Sweetie Pie Day in Mascoutah!

​Manage to get through being housebound without attempting to murder anyone with an axe? You deserve a road trip and pie! This Saturday, pie takes over downtown Mascoutah, Illinois, about 40 minutes east of downtown St. Louis. The town's hosting its annual Sweetie Pie Day, where nineteen bus ... More >>

SLIFF brings Icelandic improv, French rom-com, a Civil War spoof and more through November 21

Grove Neighborhood Wants to Tell You, "You Are Here!"

The Grove, formerly known as Forest Park Southeast, has been rumored for past ten years or so -- ever since they cleaned up the crack pipes that used to cover the sidewalks -- to be the most up-and-coming neighborhood in St. Louis. Some may argue that it was eclipsed first by Washington Avenue and t ... More >>

Stripped: A family loses Native American artifacts while a woman loses her legal battle

Where to Dine Out for Life -- And Why You Should

​Yesterday Aimee Levitt shared information from the Saint Louis Effort for AIDS (EFA) on the state of AIDS/HIV in St. Louis, and why events like Thursday's Dining Out for Life are still necessary. Even though about 5,000 St. Louisans are living with AIDS, many people are under-informed about t ... More >>

Readers look forward to a return of civility in Webster Groves and far-reaching crime via MetroLink

A Blogger's Baker's Dozen: The RFT staff presents a sampler of St. Louis' must-read contributors to the blogosphere

'Pampered Pets' Are Anything But, Says Animal Rights Group

Image via When pampering your pet goes too far. This dog looks like he would rather be in a puppy mill than wear this outfit.​Pampering your pets is good, but Pampered Pets is bad. So says a local animal rights group. Metro East Pet Lovers will be protesting Pampered Pets, a pet store ... More >>

Cherry Pickers: Readers question smoking-ban loopholes and a downtown farmers' market

Where to Observe Your Jewish Christmas (Places to Eat Out on Christmas Day)

flickr.com/photos/mnicolem​Merry Christmas from Gut Check! We'll return Monday to wrap up the Year-End Bonanza. In the meantime, Aimee Levitt suggests which restaurants to visit on Christmas itself. -- IanOf all Jewish holidays, Christmas is one of the most pleasant. It's a day free of the pressur ... More >>

The Top Ten St. Louis Concerts of 2009

We reviewed a lot of shows this year -- nearly 100, judging by the number of posts in the "Show Reviews" archive. Deciding which 2009 concerts comprised the creme de la creme wasn't easy, to say the least. However, the following stood out from the pack. What did we miss? What were your favorites thi ... More >>

Readers think the Boss, birther bashing and anvil shooting is a blast

Chad Garrison wages a lonely protest, while a newlywed takes a bummer of an acid trip in a Fenton park

From the Blog: Lawn-mower drunks, Juan Encarnación now playing politics, and ancient Cahokian savages

What Do Bess and Stephen Colbert Have in Common?

​RFT staff writer Aimee Levitt and her cat, Bess, continue their culinary adventure.Like every other food blogger in St. Louis and probably the country, I went to see Julie & Julia over the weekend. (It was mandatory. There was a memo and everything.) I enjoyed it. A cat played a minor but alm ... More >>

Joe's trolley, the suffering of the Jews and a casino on bottomland

Best Read of the Morning: Appetizers for Cats

fancyfeast.com/appetizersFancy Feast's "Seabass & Shrimp Appetizers in a Delicate Broth"One of our favorite Post-Dispatch scribes, Todd Frankel, has a most delicious story out today documenting a secret operation at Nestle Purina. The project, 3.5 years in the making, is hailed as a plan to shak ... More >>

Review Slideshow: Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que

Jennifer SilverbergMy review of Smoking Joe's Bar-Be-Que is now available online. Smoking Joe's is located at 1901 Washington Avenue. For more information, including the menu, visit the restaurant's Web site.In this week's slideshow, Jennifer Silverberg takes a look at the restaurant and -- more imp ... More >>

Readers on inmates' last meals, idiot Americans and smoking bans

Readers put out a call for more warrior-like bishops and considerate treatment of little people, Soulard residents

Cooking For Your Cat: Cat Munchies

RFT staff writer Aimee Levitt and her cat, Bess, continue their culinary adventure.Bess just hissed.This is a rare occurrence these days. In our old apartment, she hissed a lot, but that was because one of our cat-roommates, Henry, was an asshole. He liked to eat her food and lie on her favorite spo ... More >>

Cooking for Your Cat: Pet Cookies

RFT staff writer Aimee Levitt and her cat, Bess, continue their culinary adventure.Sometimes I try to imagine Bess' cat heritage. The first four months of her life are a mystery to me. I know she had a mother and litter-mates. Someone fed her and taught her how to use the litter box and somewhere ... More >>

Bear Market Sandwich Extravaganza: Oscar Mayer Deli Creations Flatbread Sandwich, Buffalo-Style Ranch Chicken

This week the Bear Market embarks on a great adventure: the sandwich. Last weekend we bought a stack of frozen grocery store panini and flatbread and stockpiled them in the RFT freezer. Barring theft, we will try out a new one every day this week.We had to go back to the supermarket this morning to ... More >>

Bear Market Sandwich Extravaganza: Hot Pockets Steak & Cheese Panini

Aimee's examination of frozen sandwiches continues with the Hot Pockets panini.

Bear Market Sandwich Extravaganza: Alexia Four Cheese Tuscan-Style Panini

This week the Bear Market embarks on a great adventure: the sandwich. Last weekend we bought a stack of frozen grocery store panini and flatbread and stockpiled them in the RFT freezer. Barring theft, we will try out a new one every day this week.A colleague was concerned about our new frozen panin ... More >>

Bear Market Sandwich Extravaganza: Oscar Mayer Deli Creations Flatbread Sandwich, Steakhouse Beef with Garlic Parmesan Sauce

The Bear Market continues its quest to find cheap, tasty sandwiches. Today, an Oscar Meyer Deli sandwich.

Cooking for Your Cat: Faux Sushi

RFT staff writer Aimee Levitt and her cat, Bess, continue their culinary adventure. In hard times, one must learn to make concessions. At least this is the message that has been pounded into our heads for the past two months. Seven years ago, it was patriotic to shop. Now it is patriotic to scri ... More >>

Gut Check: When the going gets tough, the $6 Gourmet gets going

Cooking for Your Cat: Sky King's Marrow Bones

Cooking for Your Cat: Quaker Instant Oatmeal, Maple and Brown Sugar

Cooking for Your Cat: Trident Alaskan Salmon Burger Revisited

Cooking for Your Cat: Shrimp Frozen Yogurt

Cooking for Your Cat: Kitty Breakfast

Cooking for Your Cat: Sardine Heaven

No deadbeats here: A Cardinals exec steps up to the plate regarding the team's tax issues

Hoard Your Matzo!

Restaurant Tidbit: La Dolce Via

Teachers Don't Like 'Em Flat

Holy Cow!

Leave bovines and lawn artists alone.