The Balkans

Bubblehead or Tragic Medical Condition?: FAQs on Hydrocephalus

In last week's paper we told you about five St. Louis ghost stories that just won't die. One was the sad tale of "The Bubbleheads," a mythical family in north county with heads the size of pumpkins. Urban legend has it that their deformity was caused by experimental drugs or inbreeding. Other theo ... More >>

The 10 Dumbest "Sports" of the Summer Olympics

This week thousands of international athletes will descend upon London to compete in 2012 Summer Olympic games. Some of the dozens of contests that make up the games are as old as ancient Greece; others are relative newcomers; and others are so incredibly inane that the International Olympic Committ ... More >>

Ask a Mexican: How can I clean up dirty mouths?

Bonnaroo 2012: Highlights from A to Z

The team: six 40-year-old men, leaving behind six fairly respectable jobs, five wives and 14.9 children for four days. The tools: a 32-foot RV, VIP tickets, comfortable shoes and enough beer to take down a small fraternity. The task: to do and see as much as physically and logistically possible at ... More >>

St. Louis Fed: The Crisis In Greece Could Happen Here

The St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank (one of 12 such regional banks in our nation) does cool stuff sometimes. One of its missions is to "disseminate economic research that is useful to a wide range of audiences, including the general public." Hence this simple video primer on the crisis in Greece, and ... More >>

In the Galleries - Contemporary Icons: Recent Art from Bulgaria CLOSES May 5 at Webster University

Home is Where the Art Is

Holiday Cocktail Countdown #1: Cinnamontini at Aya Sofia

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 >>

This Week in Gut Check, Regurgitated

George Chronis​This week at Gut Check, we continued to count down our favorite dishes with the lamb burger at the Scottish Arms and the crispy pork spring rolls at Bobo Noodle House. What else did we do this week? We gave an Imo's pizza a makeover. Elie Harir of the Mediterranean Grill sh ... More >>

What's Cooking? Balkan Power Pop and Burek.

Amazon.com​St. Louis has both a thriving music community and a thriving Balkan community. So why don't we have a thriving food-themed Balkan power pop group of our own, like Las Balkanieras? This Germany-based trio of women from Bosnia, Croatia and Russia not only sing, but sing about food. ... More >>

Shakespeare Festival St. Louis Makes Yet Another Predictable Pick for 2012

​Fresh off its annual late-spring run (The Taming of the Shrew), this morning Shakespeare Festival St. Louis up and announced its production for 2012: Othello. You know SFSL, they're the folks who stage one of Shakespeare's plays each year on an outdoor stage in Forest Park and don't charge ad ... More >>

Subway and Avocados and Green Lantern? Movie and Product Tie-ins We'd Rather See

Hey, the Green Lantern's green! And so are avocados! Do you smell a marketing tie-in? And how many Subways will we spot in the movie?​While not watching television the other day, Gut Check looked up in time to catch a glimpse of the new Subway commercial that gets all hot 'n' bothered about av ... 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.

Bob Dylan Academic Conference Coming to UMSL This Weekend

​Tomorrow, March 19, scholars and fans alike will gather at UMSL for a day-long conference to discuss Bob Dylan's connection with the Classics. "Bob Dylan: Immigrants, Wanderers, Exiles and Hard Travelers in the Poems, Songs and Culture of Ancient Greece and Modern America" takes place from 10 ... More >>

Bob Dylan Academic Conference Coming to UMSL This Weekend

​Tomorrow, March 19, scholars and fans alike will gather at UMSL for a day-long conference to discuss Bob Dylan's connection with the Classics. "Bob Dylan: Immigrants, Wanderers, Exiles and Hard Travelers in the Poems, Songs and Culture of Ancient Greece and Modern America" takes place from 10 ... More >>

Washington U. and Saint Louis U. stage Battle Shakespeare

From party girl to Oscar winner, Sofia Coppola's journey to Somewhere

The Futurebirds/Jonny Corndawg/The Dive Poets

9 p.m. Monday, November 15. The Firebird, 2706 Olive Street.

Two Poets, No Waiting

Edith Bunker Bosnian Butcher Shops: Kobasice Means Sausage, Meathead!

Anne GreenspringsJUNK: Edith Bunker's All in the Family Cookbook, ©1971 by Tandem Productions, Inc. Found at Goodwill during a "6 books for $1" special. Features chapters with titles like "Things To Start Your Meal Nice" and "Pancakes That They'll Gobble Right Up." Edith's dimwitted voice grates th ... More >>

Diva Is An Understatement

Drink More, Live Longer? Perhaps.

Drink up! Time published a report that heavy drinkers live longer than non-drinkers. Alcoholics Anonymous has always attributed this to many non-drinkers being recovering alcoholics who damage their bodies beyond repair before they stopped drinking. But a new study claims people who don't drink have ... More >>

The World Goblet Round 3: Greece vs. France

​While scanning the World Cup groups in order to plan our daytime drinking over the next month, Gut Check noticed that most of the great wine-producing nations are represented in the tournament field, including all of those with a reputation for crafting good, value-priced wines. Because Gut C ... More >>

The World Goblet Round 3: Italy vs. New Zealand

​While scanning the World Cup groups in order to plan our daytime drinking over the next month, Gut Check noticed that most of the great wine-producing nations are represented in the tournament field, including all of those with a reputation for crafting good, value-priced wines. Because Gut C ... More >>

Something Fishier This Way Comes

​Bad week for tuna lovers. On Sunday the New York Times Magazine ran a feature warning of the dwindling numbers of bluefin tuna, those big and tasty cash cows of the deep. Now the paper's Green blog brings word that saltwater fish are more apt than their freshwater cousins to cause mercury poi ... More >>

The World Goblet Round 2: Italy vs. Greece

​While scanning the World Cup groups in order to plan our daytime drinking over the next month, Gut Check noticed that most of the great wine-producing nations are represented in the tournament field, including all of those with a reputation for crafting good, value-priced wines. Because Gut C ... More >>

World Cuppage: Argentina 2 - Greece 0; Figurative Feta at Anthonino's Taverna

photos by Keegan Hamilton​The feta burger at Anthonino's Taverna is a delicious mess. It comes sandwiched between two halves of baguette, slathered in tzatziki sauce and heaped with kalamata olives and feta cheese. A half-pound hamburger patty is cooked a perfect rosy pink in the center and it cru ... More >>

The World Goblet Round 1: France vs. Italy

​While scanning the World Cup groups in order to plan our daytime drinking over the next month, Gut Check noticed that most of the great wine-producing nations are represented in the tournament field, including all of those with a reputation for crafting good, value-priced wines. Because Gut C ... More >>

The World Goblet Round 1: Greece vs. New Zealand

​While scanning the World Cup groups in order to plan our daytime drinking over the next month, Gut Check noticed that most of the great wine-producing nations are represented in the tournament field, including all of those with a reputation for crafting good, value-priced wines. Because Gut C ... More >>

The World Goblet: The World Cup of Value Wines

via​While scanning the World Cup groups in order to plan our daytime drinking over the next month, Gut Check noticed that most of the great wine-producing nations are represented in the tournament field, including all of those with a reputation for crafting good, value-priced wines. Because Gu ... More >>

One Night Only! Metallica, Anthrax, Slayer and Megadeth Come to a Movie Theater Near You

Todd OwyoungJames Hetfield in St. Louis in 2008. More photos here.​Tickets are on sale now for what's being dubbed The Big Four Live -- a.k.a. the June 22 movie-theater simulcast of the Sonisphere Festival appearances of thrash legends Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax. (Now I can't stop ... More >>

St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the St. Louis theater scene

St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the local theater scene

New Start, New Space

Notes from Home

Of Parking and Produce

Greece Is the Word

Dinner Is Served

Ian takes one for the team and counts down the ten best restaurant dishes of 2007.

Concerted Efforts

2005 The Four Graces Pinot Noir

Pomme Restaurant, 40 North Central Avenue, Clayton; 314-727-4141.

Go-Go to Boots

Roxy Trading Inc.
Preserved Seedless Olive

$1.49
Seafood City Grocery
7733 Olive Boulevard
University City

You'd Better Run

To Art & Sole

Live a Little

Feel rich and happy at Sofia Bistro

Grecian Yearn

Cancel your plans for the evening -- you won't want to leave Momos

Sofia Mini Blanc de Blancs

World Market, 24 Brentwood Promenade Court, Brentwood, 314-918-7800

Eastern Exposure

Kabob International ups the tally of Middle Eastern restaurants in St. Louis

What Annoys You About Your Co-Workers?

Week of November 28, 2001

Album of Memories

Quince Cycle