The St. Louis Business Journal reports that Claus Schmitz's Loft District tapas restaurant Mosaic (1001 Washington Avenue) will expand, nearly doubling its current size.- Ian Froeb
Fernando de Sousa, Wikimedia Commons Dara Strickland is a leading expert on sneaking food and drink into the movies. She reports on her exploits for Gut Check (from an undisclosed location) every Monday.Show: The International, an anemic thriller/travel porn about the laughably transparent evilness going down at an international bank that meets in Eero Saarinen's rec room when he's not using it.Food: Snacks for two people totalling no more that $12 from Jay International Food, including at least
Fernando de Sousa, Wikimedia Commons Dara Strickland is a leading expert on sneaking food and drink into the movies. She reports on her exploits for Gut Check (from an undisclosed location) every Monday. While Gut Check is on vacation this week, check out some of Dara's best work:The International vs. Jay's International (March 2, 2009): The clear winner of my group was the flan. I love flan like Heloise
loved Abelard, though I doubt she ever hoisted him over her head in an
international groce
Aaron Corey, Wikimedia Commons​Yesterday was the annual La Tomatina festival in Buñol, Spain, a giant tomato food fight. Or, as we like to call it here at Gut Check International Headquarters, Wednesday. On Saturday, September 5, the popular Hill tapas bar Modesto (5257 Shaw Avenue; website) will hold a tomato festival of its own.
This week I visit Ice Kitchen, a "fusion tapas" restaurant at Westport Plaza: "So you're familiar with tapas?"I don't fault the server for asking the question. On two previous visits to Ice Kitchen, two different servers had made the same inquiry. They were just following orders, I'm sure. Yes, I'm familiar with tapas. You're familiar with tapas. All of us in St. Louis, in this unexpectedly lovely late summer of 2009, are familiar with tapas.
Well, this one caught me by surprise: Central West End institution Balaban's is being reborn in (wait for it...) Chesterfield as (wait, again, for it) Balaban's Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar. The new Balaban's will be located at 1772 Clarkson Road, in a Dierberg's shopping center. The Balaban's website predicts a November opening. Steve McIntyre, who bought the original Balaban's from Herbie Balaban in 1986 and owned it for most of the next twenty years before selling to Brendan Marsden and Harlee
As I reported on Monday, Steve McIntyre, who owned Balaban's in the Central West End for a good portion of its 36-year run, is opening Balaban's Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar this November at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield.Today I received the official press release announcing the opening, and it suggests that retail wine sales will play a large part in the new venture. A couple of choice bits after the jump...
As I reported last week, Central West End institution Balaban's is making a comeback of sorts as Balaban's Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield. Steve McIntyre, who owned Balaban's for much of the twenty-year period between 1986 and 2006, is behind the new location, which is slated to open in November. (The original Balaban's location at 405 North Euclid Avenue is now Herbie's Vintage 72.) Last Friday, I had the chance to speak with McIntyre about the new Balaban's.
Balaban's Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar (1772 Clarkson Road) has named Kevin Sthair chef. Sthair previously served as sous chef at the original Balaban's, thus giving the new restaurant another tie to the Central West End institution. The new Balaban's is owned by Steve McIntyre, who bought the original restaurant from Herbie Balaban and owned it for much of the next twenty years, and Brian Underwood.Sthair, a St. Louis native, graduated from the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona. Locally,
