Mabel Suen

Recent Openings: Piccione Pastry on the Delmar Loop, Prasino in St. Charles

Geez. I leave town for a few days, and everything at Gut Check International Headquarters goes bonkers. Specifically, Gut Check might have given you a malware warning when you visited late last week. If so, 1) our sincere apologies; 2) you missed some good stories, including the news that Piccione P ... More >>

A Free Jazz After Party: Weird Out With Chikamorachi

Chikamorachi: Chris Corsano & Darin Gray Saturday, April 20 FOAM at 3359 S. Jefferson Ave. 8 PM, $10 Record Store Day attracts the collector and show goer alike as area stores pile live bands on top of limited releases. The whole affair recalls a certain holiday spirit fueled by feedback and wax. T ... More >>

Spelling Bee Outs "Joe Sly," Alleged Undercover Cop Posing as Punk Fan

We here at RFT Music can barely breathe this is so awesome. St. Louis's own Spelling Bee has apparently outed an undercover police operation in Boston. The cops' goal: Breaking up DIY punk shows by posing as fans. "Basically I think the cops should have something better to do," says drummer and vo ... More >>

Last Night Blowfly Stole My Girlfriend and Called My Dick Puny

The Firebird. 2/6/2013. "Yo, this is fucked up. Listen." Blowfly shuffled on stage last night to spit his piece on pussy hell, incredible fucks and the real first rap. In a world with justice, it would have been shoulder-to-shoulder and cramped, but the Firebird was only half full, with enough roo ... More >>

Homespun: Spelling Bee

Caterwaul
spellingbee.bandcamp.com

The Meticulous, Furious Cacophony of Spelling Bee: Review

Together, Joseph Hess and Mabel Suen make St. Louis a much noisier place. As light-night DJs on the KDHX (88.1 FM) program Wrong Division, the couple spins sides from labels like Skin Graft and Touch and Go with special attention paid to local bands, past and present. Their website, wrongdivision.co ... More >>

The 2012 RFT Music Showcase Lineup for June 2

RFT Spring Arts Guide 2012: Dance

Music from Final Fantasy at Powell Hall, 3/23-3/24/12: Review, Photos and Setlist

Distant Worlds: Music from Final Fantasy Powell Hall March 23 and March 24, 2012 The most interesting aspect of a Final Fantasy concert could be the audience. The orchestra was often met with thunderous applause and screaming between pieces or at the start of familiar and popular songs -- more like ... More >>

First Look: Nico

A brand-new restaurant has joined the Delmar Loop's league of lunch and dinner destinations just in time for this year's early spring, readily equipped with an outdoor patio, plenty of elegant indoor seating and a fully stocked bar. Nico (6525 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-0200), the yo ... More >>

N. Nomurai and Demonlover at Smash Bar, 2/15/12: Recap and Photos

​N. Nomurai | Demonlover Smash Bar February 15, 2012 N. Nomurai was assembled close to the entry way, with Eric Hall seated atop a small drum riser and his cohorts planted in a triangle. Jim Winkeler (of the Conformists) shook the walls of Washington Avenue's Smash Bar with his thousand-pound bas ... More >>

First Look: Parker's Table Reopens at Oakland and Yale

Mabel SuenThe Parker's Table storefront with vintage refurbished mail truck turned food cart.​Jonathan Parker grew up in markets. As an adolescent, his family owned a small bell foundry and sold utilitarian bronze bells in arts and crafts fairs. Many years later, when he first arrived in St. L ... More >>

First Look: Root Features Old-School American Cuisine

Mabel SuenCreamed lobster with brandy and fried bread.​Envision a warm, open hearth with a pot of stew or suckling pig roasting. This was the image that chef Brian Hardesty imagined while dreaming up his concept for Root (1135 South Big Bend Boulevard, Richmond Heights; 314-781-2345), the spac ... More >>

Mike Warhover of Baileys' Range, Part 2

This is part two of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Mike Warhover of Baileys' Range. Part one can be found here. Part three, a recipe from Warhover, will be published tomorrow. Did your family cook when you were a child? Yes. My mom cooked all the time, and that's where I found my love for fo ... More >>

In the Kitchen with Mike Warhover of Baileys' Range

This is part one of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Mike Warhover of Baileys' Range. Part two, a Q&A, will be published tomorrow, and part three, a recipe from Warhover, will be available on Thursday. ​Mike Warhover has firmly grounded St. Louis roots, and his humble experience as a lin ... More >>

Plush Opens in Midtown

​Over at RFT Music, my colleague Kiernan Maletsky reports that, at long last, Plush has opened its doors at 3224 Locust Street in Midtown.The 40,000-square-foot -- that's not a typo, by the way -- restaurant, club, bar and concert venue has been in development for two years, though owner Maebelle ... More >>

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #7: The Silver Ballroom's Silver Ball Toddy

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #8: Danno's Miracle on 34th Street

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Belleville's Trauma Harness Brings Post-Punk Gloom to the Midwest

Mabel SuenTrauma Harness dismisses the stage and performs on the floor at Illegal Tone in Belleville. ​ The Wicked Witch of Belleville likes to throw musicians into a dirty black cauldron. She vigorously stirs the pot, concocting odd bands that creep and slither their way into nearby cities. T ... More >>

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #9: Mangia Italiano's The Grinch

Like any red-blooded American, Gut Check uses liquid medication to cope with holiday stress. Not only does a good winter cocktail make it possible to tolerate family members, say, inquiring about your procreation plans, it helps keep you warm, too. From now until Christmas, we're calling upon local ... More >>

Maude's Market: Recipe for Apple-Stuffed Acorn Squash

Maude's Market offers locally raised heritage turkeys for Thanksgiving this year in addition to a plethora of seasonal items. Read on to see how Maude Bauschard makes the most of the season's harvest with her recipe for apple stuffed acorn squash.Mabel SuenA selection of squash from Maude's Market.T ... More >>

Maude's Market Offers Heritage Turkeys for Thanksgiving

Mabel Suen​Turkey time is quickly approaching! If there's still no word on your bird, consider a locally raised heritage turkey from Maude's Market (4219 Virginia Avenue; 314-353-4219) for the dinner table this year. Maude's Market, a year-old shop in up-and-coming south-city neighborhood Dutc ... More >>

Author Amanda Doyle Talks About Finally, A Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis By and For St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood

Mabel SuenIn warmer seasons, Rue Lafayette offers toy sailboats that children can take across the street to Lafayette Park.​Yesterday we introduced Amanda Doyle's new book, Finally, A Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis By and For St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood. We sat down w ... More >>

Amanda Doyle Presents Finally, A Locally Produced Guidebook to St. Louis By and For St. Louisans, Neighborhood by Neighborhood

Mabel SuenAmanda Doyle with a croissant and cappuccino from Rue Lafayette, a destination in her guidebook.​Sometimes it's fun to be a tourist in your own town. And now, local writer Amanda Doyle makes it easier than ever to enjoy all the sights, sounds and tastes of St. Louis with her brand-ne ... More >>

Bailey's Range Now Open for Lunch

Mabel Suen​Last week, Dave Bailey's newest venture, Bailey's Range, debuted with its soft opening in downtown St. Louis. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, the restaurant began offering lunchtime hours as well. Gut Check caught up with Bailey for a glimpse into the brand new burger-and-shake eatery's offe ... More >>

Melt-Banana At Cicero's, 10/17/11: Review And Setlist

Photo by Stephen HouldsworthMelt-Banana​Melt Banana | Spelling Bee | Yowie Cicero's October 17, 2011 Upon hearing that Melt-Banana was coming back to St. Louis, and specifically Cicero's, fans were a bit confused. Cicero's? Seriously? Isn't that where sappy singer-songwriters and Widespread P ... More >>

Jimmy Hippchen of the Crow's Nest, Part 2

This is part two of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Jimmy Hippchen of The Crow's Nest. Part one can be found here. Part three, a recipe from Hippchen, will be posted Thursday. Mabel SuenChef Jimmy Hippchen in the Crow's Nest's kitchen.​Did your family cook when you were a child? My mom ... More >>

Jimmy Hippchen of The Crow's Nest

This is part one of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Jimmy Hippchen of The Crow's Nest. Part two, a Q&A, will be posted tomorrow, and part three, a recipe from Hippchen, will be posted on Thursday.Mabel SuenChef Jimmy Hippchen in The Crow's Nest's "prep dungeon."​Jimmy Hippchen started hi ... More >>

Todd Lough of Bixby's: Recipe for Shrimp Soft Tacos

This is part three of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Todd Lough of Bixby's. Part one can be found here. Part two, a Q&A with Lough, is published here. Chef Todd Lough's cooking is likened to the overall setting at Bixby's. Located on the second floor of the Missouri History Museum with a ser ... More >>

Todd Lough of Bixby's, Part 2

This is part two of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Todd Lough of Bixby's. Part one can be found here. Part three, a recipe from Lough, will be posted on Thursday. Mabel Suen​Did your family cook when you were a child? Not really. I started cooking for the family when I was twelve. Fir ... More >>

New Fall Menu with Todd Lough of Bixby's

This is part one of Mabel Suen's Chef's Choice profile of Todd Lough of

Spelling Bee Returns From A Tour That Included A Break-In And Several Great Bands

Photo by Mabel Suen​Noise-rock duo Spelling Bee recently embarked on a tour that took members Joseph Hess and Mabel Suen to Washington D.C., Baltimore, Bost and more. We explored the band's approach to D.I.Y. in a feature as the tour was kicking off. Now that they've returned, we asked drumme ... More >>

NeighborGood Foods Delivers Farm-Fresh Produce To A Doorstep Near You

Mabel SuenJohn Doelling and Andi Smith, co-owners of NeighborGood Foods.​Imagine getting a big lush box of fresh, local fruits and vegetables each week without even having to set foot outside of the house. NeighborGood Foods, a brand-new company operated out of Maplewood by couple Andi Smith a ... More >>

Dough to Door Opens in Delmar Loop

Mabel SuenManaging partners Tamika Moore and Jonathan Weinberg in the kitchen​Dough to Door opened on Friday, August 5, at 567A Melville Avenue, just off Delmar Boulevard in University City. As Gut Check learned during a preview visit last month, Dough to Door offers  made-to-order cookies, b ... More >>

Write a Dunkin' Donuts Prostitution Pick-Up Line and Win Four Tickets to Raging Rivers!

Mabel Suen​While local franchisees busily plan to open Dunkin' Donuts locations across the greater St. Louis area, Dunkin' Donuts employees in New Jersey and Boston have been hard at work tweaking the menu. While one employee decided to add a special ingredient to the infamous DD coffee, anoth ... More >>

Spelling Bee Sets the Example For 21st-Century DIY

Preview: Dough to Door, A Cookie Delivery Business in the Delmar Loop, Set to Open Soon

Mabel SuenManaging partners Tamika Moore and Jonathan Weinberg in the kitchen​There's nothing like a warm cookie fresh from the oven. The sweet, comforting smell of leavened butter and sugar-infused treats wafts from seemingly a mile away, ensnaring all within its path. Now, imagine having th ... More >>

Advice To New Bands From Spelling Bee's Mabel Suen And Joseph Hess

Photo by Andy Peterson​Spelling Bee's Mabel Suen and Joseph Hess have thrown themselves into more-or-less every corner of DIY music -- their relentless efforts are detailed in this week's feature. Their band kicks off its sixth tour this Friday at Pig Slop Studios. As you might expect, there ... More >>

Heavy Anchor's Jodie Whitworth and Joshua Timbrook: Featured Bartenders of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks Into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week, Mabel Suen profiles The Heavy Anchor's Jodie Whitworth and Joshua Timbrook. Below is a Q&A with the pair, followed by the recipe for their concoction, the Rusty Anchor. Mabel SuenJoshu ... More >>

Interview: Joy Christensen Talks About The Fountain On Locust's New Menu

Mabel SuenJoy Christensen, owner of The Fountain On Locust​July is National Ice Cream Month, and the Fountain on Locust (3037 Locust Street, Midtown; 314-535-7800) delivers just in time to celebrate with an updated menu featuring plenty more drinks and frozen treats, plus a couple of brand new ... More >>

Dunkin' Donuts Begins Building in Florissant

Mabel SuenAn assorted dozen from Dunkin' Donuts​Over a decade ago, the last remaining Dunkin' Donuts in the area closed down, leaving a giant donut-shaped hole in St. Louis' donut-hole-loving soul. Still with us? All faith was restored in March of 2010 when the east-coast branded donuts return ... More >>

A Visit to Shameless Grounds -- A Different Kind of Cafe

Mabel Suen​Back in February, Gut Check previewed Shameless Grounds (2650 Sidney Street, Benton Park; 314-773-9900), a sex-positive coffeehouse connected to the Koken Art Factory. Tip of the Tongue checks back in with owner Andrew Mueller to see how things have been running since SG's opening i ... More >>

Ten Best Food Events this Weekend: June 17-19

Mabel SuenKerry Soraci, owner of I Scream Cakes​This weekend, treat yourself to some cheap thrills by attending a free burlesque show at Al Waha Restaurant & Hookah Lounge, tuning into a free concert at Tower Grove Farmers' Market's Harvest Sessions or grabbing some from-scratch ice cream and ... More >>

The Ten Best Things To Do This Weekend in St. Louis: April 8 to 10

​It's FRIDAY, FRIDAY! Gotta get down on FRIDAY! Here's where you can find this weekend's FUN, FUN, FUN and partyin', partyin' (yeah), starting with locals Bikini Acid at Floating Laboratories and ending with Lil' Wayne and a few of his famous friends.

Eleven Things To Do This Weekend: October 1-3

This weekend? Busy. Very, very busy. Check out some of our critic's picks on the RFT's music page -- and read on below for much, much more to do. Friday: Taste of St. Louis -- Downtown There's a little something for everyone at this annual event: Soul-funk (JJ Grey & Mofro), rock (Sister Hazel) and ... More >>

Tomorrow! Spelling Bee Tour Kickoff at Apop Records

Spelling Bee is a newish noise/experimental duo featuring Mabel Suen (Ultraviolents) and Joseph Hess (ex-Sleep State) who's starting to earn some buzz around town. Next week, the pair is heading out on a very cool, unorthodox Southern tour -- and has graciously agreed to keep a tour diary for us. Bu ... More >>

The Ultraviolents

The Ultraviolents
(self-released)

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