What with the hurly-burly of modern life and the unbearable heat that comes this time of year, who has the time or the stamina to make a nice dinner? No one. These are the nights of cold cereal and ice-cream suppers over the kitchen sink -- and that's not good for anyone. You need a good, solid meal, and you need it now, before you open another quart of Heavenly Hash.
So it is most fortuitous for you (and your pants) that the St. Vincent Home for Children's annual Kookin' for Kids event provides all the food you'd need and also affords the benefits of celebrity servers, a totally boss auction and absolutely no cooking or clean-up on your part. How's that for a deal?
From 6 to 10 p.m. at the Missouri Botanical Garden (4344 Shaw Boulevard), some of St. Louis' best-known restaurants (Café Provençal, Frazer's Traveling Brown Bag and Joanie's Pizzeria, among many others) will prepare their signature dishes, and famous people will dish 'em out. Imagine having Frazer's crawfish etouffée plated by St. Louis Fire Chief Sherman George or receiving a dish of Mike Shannon's Chicken Flamingo from Fox 2 News' Elliott Davis. Who paid for it, Elliott? You did, of course. Tickets are $55 and are available by phone at 314-261-6011, ext. 124, with all proceeds going to help St. Vincent's in its mission to aid victims of child abuse. Visit www.saintvincenthome.org for more information, and save the ice cream for a midnight snack. -- Paul Friswold
The Art of Housecleaning
Sell it all and start over
SUN 8/1
This World's Fair mania has caused quite a bit of retrospection in St. Louis. The St. Louis Artists' Guild (2 Oak Knoll Park; 314-727-6266) rides the nostalgia wave toward the future, however, with its Art-World's Fair. From 4 to 8 p.m., Artists' Guild members will sell off the unwanted or no-longer-needed items from their studios, clearing space for new works of art. Books, art supplies, good-luck charms and works of art will be available to anyone with the asking price, which means great bargains on gently used art necessities. This sans-garage garage sale will also feature a potluck table and artist demonstrations. Admission is $12; tickets are available through the guild (www.stlouisartistsguild.org). -- Paul Friswold
Steal Art?
No, Steel Lounge!
THUR 7/29
During its events, the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis protects the floor (and the art on it) by allowing only clear or white drinks. And really, there aren't enough of these kinds of adult beverages. Sure, there are white wine and tonic-and-vodka/gin mixes, but what if you really want a Jack and Coke, translucent-style (a Jack White, shall we say)? Well, you'll just have to wait until Mr. Daniel invents non-brown whiskey and Crystal Pepsi hits the shelves again. In the meantime, come by the museum at 3750 Washington Boulevard from 5 to 9 p.m. for the Steel Lounge happy hour. White drinks aren't free but admission is, so check out the Great Rivers Biennial exhibition (if you haven't already), listen up as Hafiz Huda and Killer Buddha provide a soundtrack, and gulp down a few cocktails -- but watch your drunken step! For more information call 314-535-4660 or visit www.contemporarystl.org. -- Alison Sieloff
Metal Mania
FRI 7/30
After the opening of the Craft Alliance's Emerging Artists show, meet us around back of the building (6640 Delmar Boulevard; 314-725-1177) for the hot thrill of your life. At 8:30 p.m. Dan Barnett boils about 15 pounds of bronze to 2,050 degrees and then pours an original sculpture. Said sculpture (might we suggest Gimli from Lord of Rings?) will then be auctioned off -- once it has cooled down enough to handle, of course. Raffle tickets are free (one per person, grubby), as is admission to the show. -- Paul Friswold
