Beijing

Breathtaking Beacons

Paul French

Abigail Washburn on Earl Scruggs and Getting Into an Old-Time Trance in China

It's safe to say that of all the ambassadors for old-time music - from Bill Monroe to Pete Seeger to Ralph Stanley - Abigail Washburn has had, through her passion for and knowledge of China, the most remarkable of international impacts. At one time, the singer, songwriter and instrumentalist had pla ... More >>

#47: Veggie Breakfast Burrito at the Mud House

On Cherokee Street hungry diners can find a burrito for any time of day or night, and the Mud House(2101 Cherokee Street; 314-776-6599) has your breakfast needs covered with a veggie breakfast burrito that's almost too big for its plate. A giant flour tortilla is stuffed with black beans, tomato, c ... More >>

#48: Lengua Tacos at La Vallesana

Evan C. Jones​There are many tempting options available at La Vallesana (2801 Cherokee Street; 314-776-4223), but whether you're getting quesadillas, burritos or tortas, there's something on the menu that leaps out to most people as something to avoid: tongue. Offal is something that most Am ... More >>

#49: Hummus and Balela Platter at Nosh Bistro

Bryan Peters​When Nosh Bistro (1135 South Big Bend Boulevard, Richmond Heights; 314-781-4734) closed a few months ago, we sank into a brief, but profound, funk. We'd grown terribly fond of their hummus and balela salad platter, and we didn't want to know a world without it. So you can imagine ... More >>

#51: Root Beer Float at Dr. Jazz

Julia GabbertRoot beer float at Dr. Jazz​ Dr. Jazz Soda Fountain and Grille (29 N. Gore; 314-961-5299) is a homey little restaurant in charming Webster Groves. Dr. Jazz serves up your typical club sandwiches, burgers and lots of comfort food like chili fries and onion rings. The best part, th ... More >>

#52: Le Croque Monsieur at LaBonne Bouchée

Ashley AtkinsLe Croque Monsieur!​LaBonne Bouchée (12344 Olive Blvd, Creve Coeur; 314.576-6606) offers the Francophile a wide selection of authentic French cuisine, ranging from le quiche du jour to le vol au vent to petit fours. But Gut Check's favorite way to eat à la française is to devou ... More >>

#54: The Gracey at Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium

Emily Wasserman​Fozzie's Sandwich Emporium (1170 South Big Bend Boulevard, Richmond Heights; 314-932-5414) serves up a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, burgers and hot dogs, offering selections for red-meat-loving carnivores, but also vegetarians. The ingredients are fresh, and many of the ... More >>

#55: The Sun-Dried Tomato Pizza at Katie's Pizzeria

Emily Wasserman​Katie's Pizzeria (6611 Clayton Road; Clayton; 314-727-8585) is a small establishment serving up delicious, albeit unique, pizza. With ingredients ranging from smoked salmon to speck, Katie's pizzas aren't for the culinary faint of heart. Each pizza is uniquely crafted and made ... More >>

#57: Fish and Chips at Llywelyn's

Following closely on the heels of fish and chips in terms of prevalence on any pub menu is the sandwich version - a piece of fried fish on a bun. Fish sandwiches can range from the blah to the greasy, but at Llywelyn's Pub (4747 McPherson Avenue; 314-361-3003), the full flavor of fish shows up in th ... More >>

#58: Chicken Kabob at Al Waha

Kristie McClanahan​Chicken and rice is ubiquitous the world over: Stick it in a tortilla and call it a Mexican dish in Chihuahua, or blend it with coconut milk and curry in Chiang Mai and call it Thai. No wonder, though -- chicken and rice is uncomplicated, versatile and, when flawlessly prepa ... More >>

#59: Seafood Ravioli at Gian-Tony's Ristorante

Erika MillerSeafood ravioli at Gian-Tony's comes drenched in the best flavors of Italy.​There's nothing more relaxing than lounging in a steaming hot tub, letting the hot water soothe away the day's tensions. For food, the equivalent of relaxing in a hot tub has to be sitting in a simmering, f ... More >>

#60: Raw Veggie Burger at PuraVegan

Bryan PetersNo buns allowed, no buns needed.​St. Louis is no stranger to veggie burgers -- from the divine at SweetArt to the pedestrian at too many places -- and it's important to understand this context. In fact, the owners of PuraVegan first started making veggie burgers at their old restau ... More >>

#62: Mixed Grill Platter at Flaco's Cocina

Chrissy Wilmes​Letting oneself get too hungry is a dangerous thing. When blood sugar runs low, tempers can run high, and the simple act of ordering something new becomes a high-risk roll of the dice. For those times of extreme hunger and limited patience, it's important to reserve a few favori ... More >>

#63: Arancini From Mangia Mobile

Robin WheelerOnly one Mangia has arancini.​ What's in a name? If you're food truck Mangia Mobile, a lawsuit from a similarly-name local restaurant. Mangia Mobile compensates for name overlap by bringing Italian street food to St. Louis. Specifically, Sicilian-style arancini. Owners Catherine ... More >>

# 68: Lamb Burger at The Scottish Arms

Erika MillerThe lamb burger is an American classic with a Scottish Arms twist.​Pubs seem to come in one of two varieties -- those filled with kitsch and bland fish and chips, or those filled with authentic food, drink and conversation. The Scottish Arms (8 South Sarah Street, Central West End; ... More >>

#69: Crispy Pork Spring Rolls at Bobo Noodle House

Robin WheelerCrispy and flavorful, the pork spring rolls at Bobo Noodle House​So ubiquitous, the pork spring roll. Or egg roll. By any name, it's the same creature -- usually crispy on the outside, wrapper still a little chewy on the inside, filled with a pulverized blend of...stuff. Not at ... More >>

#70: Turkey Melt and Field Greens Salad at Schlafly Bottleworks

Chrissy Wilmes​Schlafly's brewpubs, although known primarily for their craft beers, put just as much effort and though into their menu, seeking out high quality food from local sources. From the grilled cheese to the pulled pork to the ribs to the pizza, every dish has a little something extra ... More >>

#71: The Vegetarian Platter at Ranoush

Emily Wasserman​Entering Ranoush (200 North Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood; 314-726-6874) is like stepping into a scene out of Arabian Nights. Sequined tapestries line the walls, brass lamps hang from the ceiling and intricately carved metal rings hold the napkins and silverware. Gut Check uncovered ... More >>

This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

Jennifer Silverberg​This week, we lunched on a mandarin orange-and-chicken salad from 6 North Café, brunched on a frittata at Schlafly Bottleworks and continued our countdown of favorite dishes with sizzling rice soup from Hunan & Peking Garden and vegetarian meatballs at Lucas Park Grille. ... More >>

#72: Vegetarian Meatballs at Lucas Park Grille

Lucas Park GrilleWho needs meat with veggie meatballs this good?​Downtown St. Louis isn't exactly a vegetarian's paradise, but Lucas Park Grille (1234 Washington Avenue; 314-241-7770) keeps it real for the herbivores with one of its menu's staple entrées: Vegetarian Meatballs. We've embarrass ... More >>

#73: Sizzling Rice Soup at Hunan & Peking Garden

Robin Utz​In Gut Check's experience, there aren't enough Chinese restaurants in the St. Louis area offering sizzling rice soup on their menus, and Hunan and Peking Garden's (1262 Old Orchard Center, Manchester; 636-227-6445) is worth the jaunt to West County. The soup is designed to be shared ... More >>

The Great Outdoors

Karate Kid remake too cynical to catch a fly with chopsticks

Sing For China Tour

8 p.m. Wednesday, September 2. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

Cultural Bailout

InterActive: New Technologies in Contemporary Architecture

Raindrops Keep Falling on our Heads

Anyone feeling a wee bit wet lately can look to the record-breaking St. Louis clouds for the reason.Remember the floods in the spring and in the fall? (Photo from O'Fallon, Missouri in September. More photos here.) That's right. In a year of historical benchmarks -- first black president e ... More >>

Jaw-Dropping and Awe-Inspiring

Wow. Just wow.

St. Louis' Paralympian Kerri Morgan Rolls Into Fifth Place -- Again

St. Louisan and Paralympian Kerri Morgan Set for 100-Meter Race in Beijing

In Beijing, a St. Louis Paralympian Rolls Into Fifth Place

Paralympian Kerri Morgan Set for 200-Meter Race in Beijing

Live (Almost) From Beijing: Paralympian Kerri Morgan

Live (Almost) from Beijing: Paralympian Kerri Morgan

Happy 808 Day!

The Morning Brew: Friday, 7.11

The Morning Brew: Friday, 2.22

China Syndrome

Companion Mun-cha’i-ya Peking

Vegetarian Roast Duck
$1.29
Jay International Foods
3172 South Grand Boulevard

Runway Wishes, Fashionable Dreams

Crème de la Club

Kyo aims for the heights -- but altitude sometimes gives way to attitude

Technicolor Yuan

China's most expensive film looks lovely but feels empty

Brawl's Well

That ends well

All Together Now

Chen Kaige extols the power of music in a time of change

Film Openings

Week of May 8, 2002

Kicked Butt

Inept editing, gaping plot holes, unintentional absurdity: What more does a movie need?

Shower

Co-written and directed by Zhang Yang

China Town

A film crew from mainland China comes to St. Louis to make a movie about the cultural conflicts that occur when East meets West