Amsterdam

The 5 Best St. Louis Bars to Watch the Man City vs. Chelsea F.C. Match at Busch Stadium

This Thursday, May 23, soccer hooligans will descend upon Busch Stadium. That's right, the world's most beautiful game will be played on a baseball diamond-turned "pitch" (that's British for "field," you noobs). The match kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and features two of the top contenders in the British P ... More >>

Soccer Bars and Farmers' Markets: An Updated Guide to Tower Grove

St. Louis' neighborhoods are gems in their own right: full of history, great people and, as far as Gut Check is concerned, fantastic food. Each week we'll take you into a specific neighborhood and point you in the direction of the best places to grab some bites. View Tower Grove in a larger map Tow ... More >>

The Dam to Open Next to Amsterdam Tavern

Animal lovers, rejoice! No, not actual animals. We're talking to lovers of "The Animal," the famous triple patty burger from the late, lamented Big V's Burger Joint, which closed its tiny Delmar Loop counter in 2007. Michele Coen-Racanelli, former co-owner of Big V's, is opening a new burger resta ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events This Weekend: May 18-20

Friday (May 18): Rhythm and Ribs @ St. Charles Community College Campus Enjoy ribs from Bandana's-Bar-B-Q, Ethyl's Smokehouse, Mannino's Market and Stumpy's House of BBQ and Catering along with cold drinks, snacks, and live music. Admission is $5, with food and drink packages available for $25 or ... More >>

Getting Maced in the Kitchen

Welcome to Spice World, in which Gut Check zeroes in on overlooked spices from around the globe, introducing those you may not own -- and probably should. Kristie McClanahanWhole mace from Penzey's Spices.​ History: Mace is the webbing that encases a nutmeg, itself a kernel from the fruit of ... More >>

Netherlands Here, Not There

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis art scene

Zone Offense

The 5 Best Places to Watch the 2010 World Cup Final

The World Cup trophy is pretty darn ugly. But nothing says balls like the Golden Cup!

World Cuppage: Germany 4 - Argentina 0; A Blitzkrieg At the Amsterdam Tavern

photos by Keegan HamiltonHow do you say "dominate" in German?​This was complete and utter destruction of the Argentinians by the Germans...and the majority of the crowd at the Amsterdam Tavern couldn't have been more pleased with the annihilation. Still, there were a few blue and white striped jer ... More >>

Gut Check's Week in Tweets

​Don't you know? Gut Check has a Twitter account. You can follow us @gutcheckstl.Here's some of what you missed on the Twitter feed this week: Starbucks finally caves, to offer free "one click" Wi-Fi: http://bit.ly/aVUcgK Via Eater, Hooters donating waitresses' used pantyhose to help Gulf oil ... More >>

World Cuppage: Switzerland 1 - Spain 0; Coffee and Cigarettes at the Amsterdam Tavern

photos by Keegan HamiltonIt's soccer 24/7 at the Amsterdam Tavern in Tower Grove​It wasn't a good sign for the Spanish contingent when Rob, the co-owner of the Amsterdam Tavern, started rattling off the final results of the previous winners of the EuroCup in the World Cup. Like some soccer Rain Ma ... More >>

Best Places to Watch the 2010 World Cup in St. Louis

Image sourceThe gold is actually foil and there's milk chocolate underneath.​The 2010 World Cup is finally here. Well, it's actually in South Africa, but thanks to the modern miracle known as ESPN, the games will be broadcast live at dozens of bars and restaurants in St. Louis.There's nothing quit ... More >>

St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the St. Louis theater scene

The Rep opts for a 1997 re-adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank. Oops!

Does K2 Synthetic Weed Really Get You High?

Image via The Pitch K2: it's just like pot, only not.​If you believe the hype, the synthetic marijuana product K2 is the most potent pot available this side of Amsterdam.Both the Post-Dispatch and Daily RFT's own Chad Garrison reported this morning on Missouri lawmakers following Kansas' le ... More >>

St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the St. Louis theater scene

A Table for How Many? at Seki

User "Alton," Wikimedia Commons​To my left, a nine-year-old boy stared intently at his Nintendo DS, his fingers moving a mile a minute. Next to him, his teenage sister rapid-fire texted her friends until she sadly announced that her phone battery had died. To my right, a college professor played ... More >>

Show Review Photos: Peter Bjorn and John and El Perro del Mar at the Gargoyle, Friday, November 13

Todd McKenzieBjorn!​ Peter Moren and Bjorn Yttling are a study in contrasts. Bjorn, disheveled and in black, lumbers slowly across the stage. When he approaches the microphone, he drapes his mustachioed upper lip directly on the device, as if it would be too much effort to step back a few inc ... More >>

Where in St. Louis to Watch the USA-Mexico World Cup Qualifier Today

www.mouthpiecesports.com/blogmedia​So you may have heard that the United States has never won a soccer match in Mexico. When the gringos visit Estadio Azteca (perhaps the most historic fútbol stadium in the world, not a chain restaurant) they are 0-18-1. Blame the crazy urine-chucking fans, ... More >>

Review Photos Setlist: Guster at Live on the Levee, Under the Arch, July 31

The cloudless, nearly cool Friday evening cleared a space that could only be filled by a free outdoor concert. And so there was Guster to answer the call and cozy up under the Arch as part of Live on the Levee, with its sunshine-y, fan-friendly folk-pop. Annie Zaleski​ Since forming as an aco ... More >>

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St Louis arts scene

St. Louis Art Capsules

Jessica Baran encapsulates the St. Louis arts scene

Featured Review: Christopher Orr & J. Parker Valentine & Rezi van Lankveld

Renaissance man Eugene Chadbourne brings a rake — and outspoken politics — to St. Louis

The Monads Do Europe: Tour Diary Entry, Number One

(Last week, we told you that the Monads were going to be invading Europe. The band is going to be kind enough to send along some dispatches from the road. Here's the first installment!)Hey all, it's your good friend Patthew writing you from far across the Atlantic Ocean in a country called Belgium. ... More >>

The Monads Touring in Europe in March

Matt Shivelbine of the Monads dropped me a line to say that the energetic twang-punk quartet is going to be heading to Europe next week for a series of shows in Belgium and the Netherlands. He says the trek was set up via a European booking agency called Surfing Airlines, which has brought over Amer ... More >>

The Modern Skirts, Tuesday, April 15 at the Gramophone

The Modern Skirts

Go! 3/21-3/23

Special Día de los Muertos Edition

Don't let not a little thing like not being Mexican stop you from buying those sugar skulls!

They Futzed with Anne Frank!

Wendy Kesselman's updated Diary of Anne Frank script is no longer new.

He's Really Doing That

Week of January 18, 2007

Paintings Inspired

Film Openings

Week of August 10, 2005

The Camera's Weeping Eye

A photographer visits an Indian brothel, where heartbreak finally meets hope

Cherry on Top

We're over the moon for this delectable new fusion spot

Best Thoroughbred Trainers

Ralph and Raul Martinez

Best Place to Buy Vinyl

Euclid Records

Meaner Streets

Scorsese looks at the roots of New York's violence, with mixed results

Damn, That DJ Made My Day

Jam Master Jay, 1965-2002

Loco Gringo's Crusade

Singer/songwriter Ray Wylie Hubbard is back among the living