Champagne is overrated. Those of you who prefer to toast the New Year with a pint of beer instead will be happy to know that several of St. Louis' best beer bars and restaurants will be hosting New Year's festivities, and -- who else? -- Mike Sweeney has the rundown at STL Hops.- Ian Froeb
Robin Wheeler writes for the blog Poppy Mom. She also has a strange attraction to drinking establishments with jars of pickled -- or possibly fossilized -- eggs. She reports on these dives for Gut Check every Friday.Consider dive bars in Alton, Illinois, for a moment. Your mind went straight to Fast Eddie's Bon Air, didn't it? Understandable. It's one of the most famous dive bars in the country. Famous dive bars -- that's an oxymoron. Not that I have a problem with Fast Eddie's. If you want
I've never been to the U.K. My idealized concept of British pubs was born from rich legend. Surely our drinking establishments are inferior.My friend Sally, a native Londoner, held similar stereotypes about American bars. They were either "Cheers" or like a bar from her childhood called "The Dive Bar" at the British embassy in Moscow.I'm still not entirely sure how Sally knows about bars in Cold War-era Moscow.Sally's wish list for her first visit to St. Louis had three items: go to the top of
The challenge of working in the restaurant and bar industry as a recovering alcoholic. Good article. (New York Times)Zimbabwe faces severe hunger issues despite increased crop yields. (AFP)Superstar Chicago chef Grant Achatz sells his memoirs. (New York Times)
Robin Wheeler writes the blog Poppy Mom. She also has a strange attraction to drinking establishments with jars of pickled -- or possibly fossilized -- eggs. She reports on these dives for Gut Check every Thursday.While Gut Check is on vacation this week, check out some of Robin's best work:The Dive Bomber Believes in the Office (April 3, 2009):Gruff bartender. A leering pool player who snuck up behind me and told
me to put his digits in my phone and call him later. A steady stream of
people
"We qualify for exemption from the ban -- Scout's honor." The bill that could go before voters banning smoking in some St. Louis County establishments would rely on the word of bar owners to determine whether or not their tavern should be excluded from the ban. As the bill currently reads, casinos and bars that generate 75 percent or more of their sales from alcohol would be excluded from the ban. But the county does not plan to check the sales receipts from bars and taverns to make sure they
Photo: Jenn SilverbergHannegan lighting up at one of his favorite haunts, Herbies' Vintage '72.St. Louis' most tireless smoking-ban opponent Bill Hannegan stopped by the Riverfront Times the other day. In so doing, Hannegan hinted how his Keep St. Louis Free plans to topple the ban in the city that is slated to go into effect January 2010.The strategy, says Hannegan, would be to challenge the ban's exemption that allows for smoking to continue unabated in St. Louis casinos. A quick refresher
