Pepsi-Cola

12 St. Louis Food and Drink Deals and Freebies for Tax Day

Today is Tax Day, also known as mass chaos at the Springfield Post Office Day. Whether today finds you scrambling to get your info in order or basking in the smug satisfaction of submitting your taxes weeks ago, there is a reward: food and drink deals at restaurants across the St. Louis area. Once ... More >>

Sixteen Songs Forever Ruined By Their Commercial Parodies

Most people who meet me learn within about thirty minutes that I'm in a state of constant agony. Not because of some sort of tragic childhood or traumatic physical ailment, but because I have television commercials circa 1987 to 2000 stuck in my head at all times. The word "bucket" triggers the song ... More >>

Screwball Economics: As another season begins, MLB faces an unsustainable future, and you're picking up the tab

Two New Barbecue Joints Ready to Open in South City

In November of last year, we spotted Wilson's BBQ, a new barbecue joint preparing to open at 4904 Devonshire Avenue, just west of the intersection with South Kingshighway Boulevard in the Southampton neighborhood. The restaurant's neon Open sign was dark and its front windows were soaped when we sto ... More >>

St. Louis Zoo Says There's No Evidence Employees Were Poisoned

Apparently, some of the animals at the zoo can be found outside the cages. At least two workers at the St. Louis Zoo have complained that someone intentionally put chemicals in their beverages. A supervisor and his employee in the maintenance department both say they got a nauseating shock after le ... More >>

Lawsuit Settled Alleging Mouse in Mountain Dew

As bizarre lawsuits go, it was the case that kept on giving. In 2009, Ronald Ball of Granite City sued PepsiCo, claiming he'd gotten sick from drinking a can of Mountain Dew.It wasn't the soft drink, though, that caused him to vomit up the neon green beverage. It was the mouse he says he found insid ... More >>

Taco Bell Test Markets MTN Dew A.M. Breakfast Cocktail, Gut Check Proposes Ten Alternatives

This week, Reddit reported that select Taco Bell locations are test marketing a new breakfast cocktail comprised of one part orange juice, one part Mountain Dew. Dubbed "MTN Dew A.M.," the drink is described as a "mixology" of the two beverages, proving that Taco Bell has no idea what "mixology" mea ... More >>

The Best Super Bowl Commercials by the Music

The Darkness saved Samsung's ad from spiraling down into forgettable territory. ​Let's be blunt. This year's Super Bowl was dismal for Midwesterners. Sure, there were exceptions. Transplants from Boston, New York City or New Jersey may have enjoyed the game. Some may have had a rooting intere ... More >>

Seven Commercials That Led to the Taste Test Comedy Revolution

​Cheese is awesome, but it can't replace love. Or car keys. Your computer. Your job. Some Second City alumni try to prove that cheese isn't a substitute for non-food items, and trying to force the issue will break a woman. In doing so, Kraft's Cracker Barrel Cheese (not to be confused with ... More >>

Moneyball and an All-American Snack Banquet

Walking into Moneyball, it's hard not to anticipate the stereotypical baseball movie: chewing tobacco, player enlightenment, inspirational pep talks from the coach before the big game, maybe even some angels in the outfield. But above all, you expect a show, a tense series of games that eventually r ... 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 >>

Eight Awful Uses for Terrible Flavored Vodkas

Hey vodka makers? You're out of control. It was cute and interesting many, many years ago when the likes of Absolut, Stoli, and Smirnoff got the bright idea to make flavored vodkas. Vodka with pepper flavor for bloody Marys? Great! Citrusy vodkas with tonic? Perfection. But come on. With the annou ... More >>

Happy Birthday MTV! Eight Food Commercials Revolutionized by Music Videos

​Happy birthday, MTV! Although you take a lot of whacks for not playing music anymore, there's no doubting the swift and massive change in American culture after your debut. Not only did video kill the radio star, it smacked the crap out of staid old food advertising. In a few brief years, we ... More >>

Pepsi Contest Could Help Local Children With Their Science

Courtesy of Pepsi​The Pepsi Refresh Project sounds like a mildly sinister plan for the newest attempt to defeat Coke: Pepsi With Lime, Pepsi With Rum, Pepsi Less Than Zero, Pepsi Is Better Than Coke. The real result, at least if applied to the St. Louis area, could be something much more akin ... More >>

The New Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine Is Peachy Keen

Ian FroebCoca-Cola's new Freestyle soda fountain at the Ferguson Wingstop​On Monday, Gut Check told you about the slick new devices from Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Pepsi's "social" vending machine is still just a prototype, but Coca-Cola's Freestyle soda fountain is now available in St. Louis at the Win ... 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 >>

Coke, Pepsi Introduce Futuristic New Soda Fountains and Vending Machines

​Perhaps realizing that the "battle" between the world's two most iconic soft drinks (sorry, Dr Pepper) is simply a matter of whether you prefer the achingly sweet flavor of one or the other, both Coke and Pepsi are looking past the beverage to the beverage-delivery system as a new way to differen ... More >>

Proctor & Gamble Ditches Pringles. Seven Other Foods They've Abandoned

larryfire.wordpress.comAnd go they shall ... to Diamond Foods.​ An era ended this week when Proctor and Gamble sold Pringles to Diamond Foods for $2.35 billion. For the first time since the mid-1860s when they got big on making lard, P&G is out of the food game. As they pass from the kitchen ... More >>

Real-Deal Diner: The G-B Grill in Alton, Illinois

Suzy RustDon't believe everything you read: The G-B Grill only serves breakfast and lunch; it closes at 3 p.m.​The G-B Grill (1858 East Broadway, Alton, Illinois; 618-465-9896) sports a big plate-glass window that looks out onto the brownfield that once was Alton's booming industrial corridor. ... More >>

This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

​This week we found out that St. Louis is more of a slow food city than one might expect, especially considering our penchant for food trucks. In other matters of national ranking, St. Louis was named the drunkest city in the Midwest. What else did we do this week? Pepsi's slim, fashionabl ... More >>

Super Bowl Commercials Are So Last Millennium

This trio is no longer limited to a flatscreen.​Quick: What's your bet for the first Super Bowl ad on Sunday - Budweiser, Pepsi or Ford? Or, how about Option 4: Who cares? That's the attitude of Washington University marketing Professor Seethu Seetharaman, who opines on the Wash U. website ... More >>

Farmhaus' Eric Scholle: Featured Bartender of the Week

Welcome to Girl Walks into a Bar, a weekly Gut Check feature that spotlights local bars and bartenders. This week Alissa Nelson profiles Farmhaus bartender Eric Scholle. Below is a Q&A with Scholle, followed by a video of him mixing an Eggnog Martini. Alissa NelsonYou wanna make an Eggnog Martini? ... More >>

Pepsi Wants You to Snackify

Time to snackify your soft drinks. The Wall Street Journal says that Pepsi believes customers wants to "snackify" their drinks. What the hell does that mean? It means they're looking for ways to market a new fruit puree that's thin enough to drink but thick enough to be a food. Apple, grape, and che ... More >>

Vote, Often, For Solar Panels For Parkway North

Courtesy Wendy LowVote for us, darn it!​A few years back, Parkway North High School student Wendy Low and some of her friends thought it would be a great idea for the school to use solar panels to meet its electrical needs. The administration was all for it. Just one thing: Solar panels cost money ... More >>

In Defense of Spaghetti Tacos

image via​Really, there's no defense for spaghetti tacos, a creation that outraged the food blogosphere recently with rants from the New York Times, New York Magazine, the Atlantic and yes, even Gut Check. Spaghetti tacos were introduced on the Nickelodeon show iCarly, where they even got th ... More >>

Robin Murphy of Bailey's Chocolate Bar, Rooster, and Bridge, Part 2

This is part two of Robin Wheeler's Chef's Choice profile of Robin Murphy of Baileys' Chocolate Bar, Rooster and Bridge. Part one is available here; part three, a recipe, we'll publish on Friday. Robin Wheeler​Did your family cook when you were a child? If so, what meals stand out? My mom was ... More >>

St. Louis Kids Served Parasite-Contaminated Fruit Cups

Some children in a St. Louis federally-funded summer lunch program were served fruit cups contaminated with parasites. In a press release from the city's Department of Health, the meals were provided by Preferred Meal Systems. So far no one has become ill, and it's unclear how many children might be ... More >>

Probably One of the Most Devoted Fans in St. Louis Blues Hockey History Has Died

Ronald H. "Mr. Hockey" Schmidt​They called him "Mr. Hockey." When 72-year-old Ronald H. Schmidt of Mehlville died in his sleep early Tuesday morning, the St. Louis Blues lost not just a fan. They lost a fan who attended the franchise's first home game in 1967 and who came to know announcers, journ ... More >>

The Morning Brew: Friday, 12.18

​ Pepsi will not advertise during the 2010 Super Bowl. (Wall Street Journal)Meat cocktails turn absurd with the McNuggetini. (NBC New York)A Jewish woman's dreams of the feast of the seven fishes come true. (Philadelphia Inquirer)Educate yourself on cottage cheese. (Columbia Daily Tribune)

Sneak of the Dead

​Pay attention: In the event of a zombie apocalypse, the information I'm about to give you may be the difference between having your cranium cracked open like the sugar crust on a crème brûlée and parlaying a considerable stash of vodka and ammo into living the good life with a harem somewhere ... More >>

That Other Rumble in the Jungle: Documenting an epic concert in Zaire, Soul Power puts on quite a show

The Best of Gut Check: Hecho en Mexico

While Gut Check is on vacation, enjoy highlights from the past two years. Every few years I fail miserably to overcome my adolescent's addiction to Coca-Cola. I make it a few weeks or months -- but then, usually without thinking about it, I'm dropping fifty cents into the office soda machine or snag ... More >>

Elvis Costello Announced as Special Guest for July 11 Sheryl Crow Concert Under the Arch

This in from Major League Baseball, Elvis Costello will be that previously announced "special guest" at the Sheryl Crow concert on July 11 beneath the Gateway Arch."I cannot think of anything better than sitting in with Sheryl and her band for a few surprise numbers and a rocking good time in St. Lo ... More >>

President Obama to Throw Out First Pitch at All-Star Game

strictlyfitteds.comWe know who President Obama will be pulling for -- the American League. This just in from Major League Baseball: PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA TO THROW OUT FIRST PITCH AT MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL ALL-STAR GAMEObama to Become the Fourth U.S. President to Throw Out First Pitch at MLB All-Star ... More >>

Day of the Dead: How do you share your condolences with a grieving Mexican family?

Craig Newmark speaks at victim's memorial in wake of Craigslist killings

RFT readers weigh in on charter schools, the flu, barfing and artery-clogging food. What fun!

The Morning Brew: Wednesday, 2.11

Congress issues a subpoena to the head of Peanut Corp. of America after he refuses to testify voluntarily. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)The extraordinary birthday party planned for Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe in a country where most of the population is in desperate need of food aid. (The Times)You mi ... More >>

The Really Important Stuff About the Super Bowl -- The Commercials

We witnessed one of the greatest single games in the history of NFL football last night. The flurry of momentum and lead changes, the outstanding performances by players both known and unknown, and a finish that actually outdid last year's dramatics. Simply outstanding. But, really, does anyone ... More >>

A Strange Wind in Chicago: Blago Arrested, Tribune Going Bankrupt, Cubs Still Spending Like Crazy

You know, as a Cardinal fan, I'm always happy when bad things happen to the Cubs. I know, I know, I shouldn't feel that way, but I just can't help it. When black cats charge the field, I find myself laughing and cheering for the cat. When a Cubbie fan reaches out and plucks victory away from an outf ... More >>

Drink of the Week: Citrus Plunge

Bruno's American Grill
2652 Hampton Avenue
314-769-9331

Second Spin: Tommy Cash, Rise and Shine

Gut Check: When the going gets tough, the $6 Gourmet gets going

The Dish: Boylan's Natural Cane Cola

SonyBMG Launches Platinum MusicPass Album Download Cards

Ba Le and Cheeburger Cheeburger break the chain mentality.

Fast food ain't necessarily bad food.

The Unreal Guide To Soulard Mardi Gras

Welcome, Willkommen, Bienvenue, Aloha, Shalom, Howdy!

Gossip Folks

Thanks to The O'Reilly Factor and Pepsi, Ludacris got a bad rap

DAMMED TO ETERNITY

James Scott was sentenced to life in prison for causing a destructive levee break during the Flood of '93. But was he simply an easy scapegoat for a town raging at its devastation?