Fourth of July

What To Do With All Those Peeps You Don't Want to Eat

Another Easter has come and gone. We've gorged ourselves with festive, pastel-colored candy (only the best kind though), we've found most of the eggs that we hid in the yard (that'll be a nasty surprise next year) and we've enjoyed spending time with family and friends (now we don't have to again 't ... More >>

21 Worst Halloween Candies Of All Time

Gut Check isn't so old that we don't remember the hierarchy of Halloween candy: i.e., good stuff and crap. While neighbors who neglect to buy the best sweets suffer at the hands of t.p.-ing teenagers, Gut Check's house remains unscathed. Stay on the good side of neighborhood ne'er do wells by avoid ... More >>

The Ten Black Pop Stars Who Should Go Country

[Editor's note: Country Time is a new biweekly column for our sister music blog in Seattle, celebrating that city's favorite musical genre: mainstream country.] By Mike Seely With the nation's major-party political conventions drawing to a close recently with a rousing reelection appeal from the n ... More >>

Washed Out or Still On? St. Louis Labor Day Weekend Events

The rain from tropical depression Isaac is pattering softly down right now, but forecasters are predicting five inches or more before the weekend's over. And this being Labor Day weekend, there are -- or were -- a ton of festivals and events scheduled. So what's washed out, what's pushed back and wh ... More >>

St. Charles Confirms First Heat Death of Summer; Death Toll for Region Now 24

County medical examiner Dr. Mary Case has confirmed that a man found dead on July 7 died from the heat, marking the first such death for St. Charles County and the 24th heat-related death for the St. Louis region this year. Lawrence Detterman, 64, was found in his mobile home, which had had its air ... More >>

Hitler Reacts to the County Fireworks Ban

[UPDATE: The video's been yanked from YouTube by the studio for copyright issues. Sorry you missed it.]The Hitler Downfall meme has been around for a long time -- so long that it's kinda fallen into disuse. Maybe it's because it's out of fashion now, or perhaps it's because this version is so well-w ... More >>

Amazing Fireworks Misfire in San Diego

Because of a reported technical error, the Fourth of July fireworks in San Diego Bay last night were set off not just a few minutes early, but all at once. Just like that, 15 minutes worth of professional-grade fireworks detonated in about 30 seconds.I don't know about you, but I think this is the w ... More >>

Fireworks Are Canceled Everywhere; Is This the Year Without a Fourth of July?

The region's continued dry stretch and the oppressive heat are forcing municipalities to cancel or delay Independence Day fireworks displays. The risk of fire is just too great, and so Arnold, Chesterfield, Columbia (IL), Ellisville, Eureka, Farmington, Kirkwood, Pacific, Potosi, Washington (MO), We ... More >>

Riverfest 2012

Red, White and Boom! Nothing says "Happy Birthday, America" like a 500-gram cake

Get outta dodge! Sometimes, the best way to survive summer in St. Louis is to make like hell for the exit

Outside's In

Luminary Center for the Arts Headed to Cherokee Street

Jennifer SilverbergLuminary Center for the Arts Directors Brea and James McAnally​​So many things have been heading south lately -- the temperature, the economy -- and so is the Luminary Center for the Arts. But for the four-year-old gallery, performance space and arts incubator, south is on ... 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 >>

Stupid People Tricks: The raw crawfish conundrum

Man Arrested for Firing Fourth of July Shots Into the Air

​We know the Fourth of July is the time to celebrate our country's Declaration of Independence, which, of course, was inspired by the Revolutionary War, which, of course, involved lots and lots of shooting. Patriotism = Guns! Unfortunately, one poor fellow found out the hard way that in conte ... More >>

Wine of the Week: Peltier Station Hybrid Petite Sirah 2007 at Robust

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 an expert will recommend a good-value wine priced under $15. We'll drink some and tell you whether we want to continue -- because the only time Gut Check has our nos ... More >>

A Lil' Acoustic Patriotism for Your Friday

​It's sunny outside. It's 2 hours and 33 minutes until the Fourth of July weekend. You'd rather be outside, sittin' on a porch, doublefisting Budweiser and a popsicle. If you're like A to Z, installed in a cubicle and lit by romantic fluorescence as another gorgeous summer afternoon shimmers ... More >>

Pyrogastronomy: A New Trend to Blow Up the American Menu?

A smokin' holiday dish from Chateau Chat Noir.​Just in time for the Fourth of July, Gut Check presents the cutting-edge "pyrogastronomy" practiced by chefs Bertrand Petard and Julian Fusée de Bouteille. In a short but technique-packed video (embedded after the jump), the chefs, equal partner ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events this Weekend: July 1-4

Laura Ann MillerVin de Set's rooftop bar​There are plenty of ways to get barbecue and fireworks fixes this holiday weekend. Check out the Red, White and Brew Bash at Llywelyn's in St. Charles or visit Fair St. Louis. Alternatively, avoid the hustle and bustle of big crowds altogether by checki ... More >>

This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

Jennifer Silverberg​This week, Gut Check awaited the Fourth of July weekend and the barbecue that comes with it but also had time to check out the chicken salad at Cuisine D'Art, beer and pretzel caramels from the Caramel House and Mediterranean grazing menu from Remy's Kitchen and Wine Bar. ... More >>

Essence Music Festival 2011: What to Expect, What to See and More

​The Essence Music Festival is the premiere mainstream R&B festival -- but its ambitious scope encompasses a whole lot more. The main events are evening concerts with more than 40 household-name acts in R&B, urban contemporary, soul, hip hop and jazz, including mainstage shows stacked with hea ... More >>

Cardinals Red, White and BOOO!

Pinnacle Chocolate Whipped Shot, Erney's 32 Degrees

Image via​One of our crew is leaving us to spend the summer doing volunteer work in India. We celebrated her imminent voyage by exposing her to a different kind of exotic cultural experience, namely the gay bars on Manchester Avenue on a Saturday night. Her inaugural drink came from the shirtl ... More >>

A Treasury of Videos of Exploding Watermelons

This week's weirdest food news? The mystery of the exploding watermelons in China. The most likely culprit is the overuse of forchlorfenuron, a growth accelerator. Sadly -- for us, at least -- none of these explosions seem to have been captured on video.Thankfully, YouTube is a treasure trove of vid ... More >>

Owner and Chef Eric Winbigler Discusses Crostini

Ian Froeb​Last week, Gut Check told you about Crostini Restaurant & Lounge, a new venture at 4501 Manchester Road in Forest Park Southeast's Grove. Today I had a chance to speak with Eric Winbigler, Crostini's owner and chef.Crostini, says Winbigler, will be an "old 'Mama'-style Italian restau ... More >>

Look Up!

For Fourth of July Entertainment, Alton Housing Complex Shoots Fireworks at Cops, Firefighters

Image sourceIn Alton, they shoot fireworks at the firefighters.​For their dose of Fourth of July fireworks this year, some poor suckers piled up on the riverfront at Fair St. Louis. Some braver souls shot off cherry bombs in their backyards and alleys. But the residents of the Oakwood Housing ... More >>

This Week's Tip of the Tongue Newsletter

Sign up for Tip of the Tongue here.​Gut Check not providing enough dining tidbits for you? Consider subscribing to Tip of the Tongue, the Riverfront Times' weekly e-mail dining newsletter. This week, find out what goes into making a La Pizza pizza and read about Vin de Set's fun and filli ... More >>

Kids Going Hungry in Missouri? Let Them Eat Hardee's 2/3 Pound Monster Thickburgers!

Just in time for the Fourth of July, Health.com presents "50 Fattiest Foods in the States," which we quickly bookmarked for our next road trip. Representing Missouri: Hardee's 2/3 Pound Monster Thickburger, which weighs in at "[a] mind-blowing 95 grams of fat and 36 grams of saturated fat -- more th ... More >>

Four for the Fourth

"Redneck Games" on July 4th in Cape Girardeau to Feature Toilet-Seat Horseshoes

Image viaDon't sit on it, Lonnie, throw the damn thing!​In what might be interpreted as an amusing gesture of regional self-deprecation, our Missouri brethren down in Cape Girardeau will be raising money for veterans by holding the "Redneck Games" on the Fourth of July weekend.This olympiad of hoo ... More >>

Summertime St. Louis comes alive with the sound of music

St. Louis Tea Party to Slowly Roll Through St. Charles Saturday

Epic Eagle.​The St. Louis Tea Party is planning a circuitous route (here's a map) through St. Charles County on Saturday, leaving at 10 a.m. from the Target parking lot in O'Fallon (2300 Hwy K.)Anyone who's been in a Target parking lot on a Saturday knows it's nothing short of bustling, so t ... More >>

RFT readers abhor Peeping Toms, particularly the one in Dardenne Prairie, who they blame for the feud that's long divided a quiet neighborhood

Strike a Pose: Tom Ford's A Single Man: It's better to look good than to be good

Has Republican State Rep. Mike Cunningham Proposed a Bill to Save Christmas?

house.mo.gov/gallery/010203-142.jpgThe Missouri House of Representatives in Jefferson City​Missouri formally recognizes only four public holidays. Martin Luther King Day and Columbus Day, you're already familiar with. Jefferson Day (April 13) or Lincoln Day (February 12), perhaps not. And that's i ... More >>

Disabled Actors Can't Get Cast as Disabled Characters

Jennifer SilverbergAna Jennings with DP director Joan Lipkin.​"If I was able to break into entertainment, I'd change people's attitudes," says Ana Jennings, an actress in the DisAbility Project, the subject of this week's RFT feature story. "I'm a pretty good singer. I do comedy pretty well. I've ... More >>

How to Launch an Anvil 200 Feet in the Air

Our feature story this week delves into the wacky world of anvil shooting. According to esteemed anvil historian Richard Postman, anvil shooting is an American tradition that's been around for almost 300 years. It originated as a way for people to celebrate holidays with bang. A really, really big b ... More >>

It Ain't Rocket Science: Like the man says: People talk about the joy of sex, but it don't last nothin' like shootin' anvils

St. Louis Food Blog Digest: 6.27-7.2

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs.A Veggie Venture: Alanna makes her own bread & butter pickles.St. Louis Eats & Drinks: The Pollacks visit the bar and grill Joey B's on the Hill.The Cupcake Project: Cupcakes to celebrate the Fourth of July.Feast: George Mahe has news on ... More >>

Battle of the Burgers Postponed!

So here I was, all ready to follow your votes and pit the burgers from O'Connell's Pub and Seamus McDaniel's against each other in a no-holds-barred, steel-cage battle to the death. Except...O'Connell's Pub has been closed all week. Won't reopen till next week.When I'm on vacation.So. Um. Yes.The in ... More >>

Happy Birthday, America

Large-Bore Percussion

A Humdinger of a Holiday

Don't blow off Fair St. Louis

Ready, Vin de Set, Go!

Raise your forks for the Fourth

Swimmer’s Last Lap

Wave the Flag of Fashion

Hamburger Help Her

This Chuck-A-Burger is new, but its food is classic and delicious

'Cue, Part II

Following the smoke signals to more of this town's best barbecue