Wednesday. Hump Day. Congrats, you've made it halfway through the work week! Unfortunately, you still have two days to go.
Dunno about you, but in order to survive the midweek blues, we're going to need a drink. Which brings us to our Wednesday Gut Check feature:
"Gut Check's Hump-Day Cocktail Suggestion"
Each week we take you to one of our favorite St. Louis bars (and, oh, the list is long) for a drink (or two) we -- in consultation with the bartender -- highly recommend.
According to a few of the bartenders, the hippest, most happenin' place to be in Frontenac on a Wednesday evening is Brio Tuscan Grille (1601 S. Lindbergh Boulevard, Frontenac; 314-432-4410).
Wednesday night is martini night at Brio, which means $5 martinis with names such as "Razzberritini" and "Flirtini." Wednesday night is also when the cougars come out in droves to stalk their prey. No, wait, that's every night.
Brio has a reputation for attracting "cougars," older, attractive women who like to flirt with and date younger men. Gut Check had heard about this phenomenon at Brio, and not only did we witness it for ourselves, but the (cute, young, male) bartenders confirmed it.
"It always looks like Boca in here," one of the bartenders told us. "It's the dead of winter, and everyone's tan and dressed up fancy."
"Yeah, this guy over here's been getting gifts from customers," another bartender said gesturing to a third bartender. "I mean, you can't tell them to stop bringing you things. That's just not fair."
Look, we don't begrudge anyone -- cougars or otherwise -- a good time. But if you're going to get a cocktail at Brio, please be a man about it and order something that's not pink in color. Like a dry, dirty martini.
Brio has a full bar, but the cocktail list consists mainly of martinis. The dirty martini is made with Sobieski vodka, dry vermouth, a splash of olive juice and two bleu-cheese-stuffed queen olives. The olive juice and vermouth make the vodka go down easier, and the olives take on a pungent bite if you let them soak up some vodka before you eat them.
And while the flirtinis and I-want-to-drink-without-tasting-alcohol-tinis may still pack a punch, just one dirty martini will leave you feeling pretty, pretty, pretty good. So good, in fact, that you might be tempted to mosey on over to that lovely cougar sitting at the other end of the bar and strike up a conversation. Meeeeeeow!
