Consumer Non-Cyclicals

Pigs and Pints Festival Brings Barbecue and Beer to Civil Life Brewing Company

Not much goes together better than beer and barbecue do, which is why Gut Check applauds the upcoming Pigs and Pints festival at the Civil Life Brewing Company (3714 Holt Avenue). This Sunday, May 19, from noon to 6 p.m., the Tower Grove-based brewery will tap two new beers, strong bitter and an E ... More >>

Put Down The Night Cheese -- Ben & Jerry's Announces New 30 Rock Ice Cream

When Gut Check learned that season seven of 30 Rock would be the show's last, we were sad to say the least. This Thursday, January 31, we'll say goodbye to 30 Rock for good when it's season finale airs. Here's an excerpt from a memorial Gut Check penned this past spring when the show's final season ... More >>

Schnucks Offers 15 Percent Off 6 Bottles of Wine on Wednesdays

Last week Gut Check shared a list of a half-dozen wine values you could find at your neighborhood Schnucks. Why six? Because Schnucks will knock 10 percent off the price if you buy six bottles -- any six bottles -- of wine. See also: - Six Solid Wine Values from the Shelves at Schnucks Well, the g ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events This Weekend: Jan. 4-6

Friday (Jan. 4): Happy Hour @ Vino Nadoz Treat yourself to half price wines, cocktails and local beer on tap, along with bar plates. 4 to 6 p.m. Murder in Maybury @ Lemp Mansion Restaurant & Inn Enjoy a comedy-mystery dinner over a multi-course meal that includes soup, salad, chicken entree with ... More >>

Schadenfreude Overdose: National Restaurants Anti-"Obamacare" Policies Hurt Business

Last month, following the reelection of President Barack Obama, Gut Check examined five national restaurant chains sticking to anti-"Obamacare" policies. Papa John's chief executive John Schnatter threatened to raise pizza prices and cut employee hours to part-time to side-step paying for health ins ... More >>

Cheap Cigs Spent Big Money Defeating Missouri's Prop. B

Tobacco companies financed the bulk of the paid opposition to last week's Proposition B that would have raised cigarette taxes in Missouri.Two off-brand cigarette manufacturers -- Cheyenne International and Xcaliber International -- each contributed more than $900,000 to the Missouri Petroleum Marke ... More >>

Beer Book War! Updated Anheuser-Busch Biography Available as E-Edition

Last week Riverfront Times told you about Bitter Brew, the new biography of the Busch family that comes out this month from publisher HaperCollins. But Bitter Brew isn't the first book to examine St. Louis' first family of beer, nor is it the only book about the brewer to go on sale this fall. Under ... More >>

Busch Unbottled: Divulging secrets from the sudsy to the sordid, a new book pops the top off St. Louis' beer-brewing dynasty

Kermit Mix? Woman Finds Live Frog in Bagged Salad

Oh, indeed, it ain't easy being green. Yes, that's a frog -- a living, breathing frog, in fact -- inside a package of bagged salad. A Lake County, Florida, woman says she found the frog inside the salad, which she bought from Wal-Mart.

Tour the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Factory! (Oompa-Loompas Not Included)

Last week, local confectioner the Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate Company cut the ribbon on its new factory at 5025 Pattison Avenue on the Hill. With visions of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory dancing through our head -- except for the Oompa-Loompas, who still give us the capital-C Creeps -- we ... More >>

Rockville MO Horse Slaughter Plant Update: Nothing Doing So Far

In June of this year Sue Wallis, the CEO of Unified Equine, announced that a shuttered cattle processing plant in Rockville, Missouri, would soon be home to her company's first horse slaughterhouse in America. Work was to begin immediately so that horses could be processed for human consumption as s ... More >>

Heat Wave has Missouri Winemakers Sweating

St. Louis Public Radio reported this week that heat-ocalypse 2012 is "good news for Missouri winemakers." Not so, says Jon Held, vice president of Stone Hill Winery (1110 Stone Hill Highway, Hermann; 800-909-9463). Those precious booze-making grapes aren't exempt from the sweltering heat that has sh ... More >>

Ben & Jerry's "Chocolate Nougat Crunch" Ice Cream Voluntarily Recalled

The important thing to do as you hear the news in this blog post is to remain calm. Take a deep breath. Close your eyes and picture puppies frolicking in a field. Take another deep breath. Do you practice yoga? Go over into the corner and assume whatever position puts you in touch with your inne ... More >>

The Nasty Details of the Tuna Scrape Recall

Since last month Gut Check has been following Moon Marine's voluntary recall of frozen Nakaochi Scrape, which is tuna backmeat that has been scraped from the bone. In the United States, consumers are most likely to encounter this product as the tuna inside spicy tuna rolls. In response to last week ... More >>

Texas Eatery Holds Patrons Hostage Over Tip Dispute, We Grouse About Automatic Gratuity

Working in the food service business is a two-way street. Sometimes patrons offend with rude behavior, tiresome substitution requests or by carting along their obnoxious children who cry, run amok and spoil everything for everyone. And then, sometimes, it's the restaurant, chef or waitstaff who disa ... More >>

American Craft Brewing Closed?

Another mystery for your Tuesday afternoon -- though the solution to this one seems far more obvious. Our friends at STL Hops report that American Craft Brewing & Distilling Co. (1821 Cherokee Street; 314-932-1222), the brewpub and microdistillery formerly known as The Stable before a change in own ... More >>

How to Make a Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Without a Strawberry

Rick Jordan has one word of advice for Valentine's Day shoppers: "Stop asking for chocolate covered strawberries when they're out of season!" Jordan proclaims wearily from his west county chocolate store, RJ Chocolatier (14882 Clayton Road, Chesterfield; 636-230-9300). Jordan, in chocolate-making c ... More >>

Cold? Snuggle Up to a Local Brew

If you haven't had the chance to become acquainted with the craft-brewing scene in St. Louis yet, don't fret. Plenty of opportunities exist on the horizon to get a taste of what's brewing in your own back yard. On Thursday, January 12, at 6:30 p.m., PW Pizza (2017 Chouteau Avenue; 314-241-7799) pre ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events This Weekend: December 9-11

​Saturday (December 10): Holiday Open House @ Downtown Dutchtown Dutchtown merchants offer special deals on food, clothing, antiques, candy and more. Stop by Maude's Market for cookies and hot apple cider, shop for art and crafts and Urban Eats Café, and enter a contest for a chance to win a ... More >>

Report: AB-InBev Outraged Over World Series Bet Excluding Budweiser

Cardinals and Budweiser: Nothing to make light of.​St. Louis gossipmeister Jerry Berger writes this week that Anheuser-Busch InBev "is pissed" with a friendly wager that Mayor Francis Slay made with Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck over the World Series. The bet would have Slay winning some Texas stea ... More >>

Perennial Artisan Ales Opening in Carondelet -- Our First Look

Sarah BarabaPhil Wymore, who founded Perennial Artisan Ales with his wife, Emily​If it feels like the list of local craft breweries keeps growing -- you're right. To that never-ending list add Perennial Artisan Ales (8125 Michigan Avenue; 314-631-7300), a brewery and tasting room nestled in t ... More >>

Try the Pre-Prohibition Pilsner at Six Row Brewing Company

​The stars of the beer universe aligned when Six Row Brewing Company (3690 Forest Park Avenue; 314-531-5600) decided to put out its latest release, Plant No. 1 Pre-Prohibition Pilsner. The midtown brewpub wanted to release its first lager at the same time that it was filling out a new expansion i ... More >>

Bobby Flay's Spicy Mango Six Other Diet Pepsis No One Wants

Thanks, Bobby Flay. The Spicy Mango Diet Pepsi and Pineapple Chipotle Diet Pepsi you commissioned for your "Tacos & Tequila" event last weekend most certainly increased the Patron consumption. At least PepsiCo had the good sense to not put these flavors on the mass market. They already have enough ... More >>

Sanctuaria's Joel Clark Creates the Schweddy Ball Fizz Cocktail

Sarah Baraba​Gut Check tried Schweddy Balls ice cream last week. We found the gimmicky ice cream to be surprisingly tasty! Meanwhile, the name of the flavor alone has left a bad taste in these ladies' mouths: One Million Moms has started a letter writing campaign and boycott to pressure Ben & ... More >>

Ben & Jerry's in the Loop Drops Its Schweddy Balls On Saturday -- Gut Check Couldn't Wait

Chrissy WilmesSchweddy Balls -- more than a gimmick?​As reported yesterday, Gut Check's been on a quest for Schweddy Balls. After hours of phone calls met with laughter, disbelief and rejection after rejection, the Town & Country Whole Foods (1160 Town and Country Crossing Road, Town & Country ... More >>

Food Bloggers Fooled, Flabbergasted by ConAgra PR Stunt

​The New York Times today has a story that's riling the food blogosphere: A group of food (and mommy) bloggers say food behemoth ConAgra and the PR agency Ketchum concocted a fake underground restaurant from celebrity chef George Duran to trick them into sampling new Marie Callender's-brand items. ... More >>

Attend a Tea Cupping at London Tea Room

Image via​Care for a cuppa tea? Lipton might never forgive us for saying it, but the American tea market is pathetic. For years, the only options were Lipton or Celestial Seasonings. Now of course, the market is growing. The artisan coffee shops are doing their part to offer a wider variety ... More >>

James Brown Is a Sex Noodle Machine

From the Department of Awesome Stuff People Send Me Apropos of Nothing, here are two ads for a Japanese noodle company featuring James Brown:

Biz Journal's "30 Under 30" Features St. Louis Food Folk [UPDATED]

The St. Louis Business Journal released its annual "30 Under 30" list of local business up-and-comers. Five honorees are from the food-business sector, ranging from small-business entrepreneurs to rising bigwigs at huge local corporations. Anthony Bommarito Jr. is poised to operate A. Bommarito Wi ... More >>

Francine Katz, Anheuser-Busch Exec Alleging Discrimination, Wins Again

Francine Katz: Former Anheuser-Busch exec wins another round against her former employer.​Francine Katz, who served as a vice president at Anheuser-Busch before resigning her position and filing a lawsuit alleging the company encouraged a "frat party" atmosphere and discriminated against female em ... More >>

Eat at Hardee's -- Help Joplin

Hardee'sEat this at Hardee's to help the victims of the Joplin tornado. ​ If you're searching for ways to donate to disaster relief efforts following the deadly tornado that ripped through Joplin on May 22, Hardee's has a couple of options -- and one involves biscuits. On Thursday, June 2, s ... More >>

Food Revolutionaries Murray Handwerker and Wallace McCain Die

Wikimedia CommonsFamous Nathan's, which Murray Handwerker made really famous.​Over the weekend two people who played major roles in the modernization of the food industry died. Murry Handwerker, 89, of Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs passed away on Saturday. Canadian potato entrepreneur Wallace McCai ... More >>

Diet Pepsi Empowers with Women's Inspiration Network

sodahead.com​ Diet Pepsi's taken some flak over the introduction of their new skinny can, intended to appeal to women concerned with the slimness and attractiveness of their diet beverage cans. The market of women who feel bad about themselves because of their soda cans is huge, we tell you. ... More >>

$1.5 Million to Settle Wrongful-Death Suit? Busch IV Has Paid Bigger Bar Tabs

...and death, too!​The Post-Dispatch reports this morning that August Busch IV will pay $1.5 million to settle a wrongful-death suit brought on behalf of the son of his deceased girlfriend, Adrienne Martin. Martin died of a drug overdose at Busch IV's suburban St. Louis home in December. Prosecuto ... More >>

Wine of the Week: Coastal Vines 2009 California Pinot Noir at Garland Wines

Gut Check loves us some wine. We want a bottle with bang and a bang for our buck, so every week we will visit a local wine shop, where the experts will recommend a good-value wine priced under $15. We'll drink some and tell you wether we want to continue -- because the only time Gut Check has our no ... More >>

Gluten-Free Summit Planned, and Not a Moment Too Soon

freakingfitness.com​One person in 133 is gluten intolerant, and they're joining forces to hold the first Gluten Free Food Labeling Summit. The group 1in133.org will host the May 4 event in Washington, D.C., in an attempt to get legislators and food producers to follow the 2007 Food Allergen La ... More >>

Amputations at Anheuser-Busch Can Factory Remind Daily RFT of Halloween Joke

​The Occupational Safety and Health Administration this week slapped Metal Container -- an Arnold-based can maker for Anheuser-Busch InBev -- with a $107,000 in fines for 14 violations of federal safety standards. The OSHA crackdown follows two amputations at the plant, in which one employee lost ... More >>

The Music of the Ice Spheres

This week, in lieu of a restaurant review, I look at how the use of ice -- yes, ice -- is changing cocktail culture. One of the most fascinating advances in ice making is the use of a mold that creates perfect spheres of ice. To our knowledge, no mixologist in St. Louis employs one of these -- yet - ... More >>

Belleville Historical Society Plans Saloon Museum

stag-beer.com​ Belleville loves its bars and taverns. They dot corners through the town, impervious to fads and trends, most of them still advertising Stag Beer, which moved production from Belleville to Milwaukee in 1988. The Belleville Historical Society is in the early stages of celebrati ... More >>

Circuit Court Ruling Puts Raw Milk Cheesemaker Out of Business

image viaThe Cheese House at Morningland of the Ozarks is no more.​The battle over raw-milk cheese has come home to Missouri. On Tuesday the Howell County Circuit Court upheld a ruling by the Missouri State Milk Board that Morningland of the Ozarks, a dairy in Mountain View, would have to dest ... More >>

The Compostable Sun Chips Bag Is Back! And Still Kinda Loud!

Last year, Frito-Lay pulled its new compostable bag for Sun Chips from the shelves because the bag was too gosh-darn loud. (Except in Canada, where the company instead offered a jovial eff-you to the haters.)Now the compostable Sun Chips bag is back in new, supposedly-not-as-loud form. As this video ... More >>

El Pollo Loco Closes Only St. Louis Location

Jennifer SilverbergThe El Pollo Loco in south St. Louis County has closed.​Following up on a post on the Post Dispatch's "Eat at Joe's" message board, Gut Check can confirm that the only St. Louis area location of the fast-food chain El Pollo Loco (4103 South Lemay Ferry Road, South St. Louis Coun ... More >>

Egyptian Hardee's Close Due to Revolution, Not Snow

image viaHardee's in Cairo.​Another reason to be glad you're in St. Louis today instead of Cairo: Even though there's sleet and snow, you can still go to Hardee's, which remains open, even when other stalwarts like the Courtesy Diner have closed, and warm yourself up with a Thickburger. The B ... More >>

Tyson Foods Visionary Dies.

Donald J. Tyson, who turned his father's Arkansas chicken business into one of the largest meat producers in the world, died yesterday. He was 80 years old. The New York Times has his obituary, featuring the story of Tyson Foods' massive growth under Mr. Tyson. He retired in 1994, but not before fin ... More >>

Smithfield Pork Exposed by Humane Society, Boycotted by Bittman

Paula Deen may love Smithfield Foods pork products, but Mark Bittman's not a fan. Neither is the Humane Society of America, who released a report on inhumane conditions at Smithfield's large pig farms. Bittman took to his website yesterday to call for a boycott, and issued a plea to stop supporting ... More >>

Researcher: InBev Pushes Anti-Booze Program That's Destined to Fail

​ St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch (which is now, of course, part of the InBev conglomerate) has long been a font of carbonated sustenance to college kids across the United States, appealing to thirsty scholars and rabid game-day fans alike. Through i ... More >>

St. Louis Happy Hours: North County

Missouri Ranked 47th in Protecting Kids From Smoking

​Twelve years after the tobacco industry agreed to a multi-billion-dollar settlement with the attorneys general of 46 states, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids is out with a new report examining how -- if at all -- those funds are being used to prevent youth from smoking.  The study isn't ki ... More >>

$12 Wine Flight

The Crossing, 7823 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton, 314-721-7375

Side Dish

Vince Bommarito of Tony's is known for his goodnatured charm. But there's one thing that makes him hopping mad.