Weekend Recap: Soulard Mardi Gras Edition

The time for repentance and fasting is upon us. The time to ask forgiveness of our grievous sins and to give up our wicked ways begins this week when Lent starts on Wednesday. So what do hundreds of thousands of people do the weekend before this solemn time? Gather in my neighborhood for the annual Soulard Mardi Gras, of course.

View looking Southwest towards McGurk's Irish Pub.
{Photo credit}

Rio has the raucous Carnival, The Big Easy has the biggest Mardi Gras celebration in the country, and my little neighborhood hosts thousands of visitors each year with a month of fun beginning with Twelfth Night in early January. Since its inception in 1979 on the steps of Johnny's Restaurant and Bar, Soulard Mardi Gras has welcomed St. Louisans and visitors alike to partake it its parades, its Wiener Dog Derby, and its Taste of Soulard.

Think Mardi Gras is all about the beads? Think again, divas. In 2012, the Beggin' Barkus Pet Parade smashed the Guinness World Record for "most dogs in costumed attire gathered in a single location." N’awlins can’t claim that, now can they?

This year, like the VIP's that we are think we are, we watched the River City Casino Grand Parade from the VIP Tent where we ate, drank, and tried to stay warm. Like any good celebration, Soulard Mardi Gras is about making memories. And if they're good enough, hopefully you'll remember them in the morning.

It's always fabulous meeting Twitter friends IRL, including Martin Casas!

It's not a party until Fredbird makes an appearance.

Soulard Mardi Gras: Booze, beads, and lots o' food.

Fabulous Find: Tabletop S'mores at Kayak's

Last Friday, my boss and co-worker took me out for a very belated birthday lunch at Kayak's.* I was last there in 2011 and I forgot just how much I enjoy the food, the imported free-trade coffee, and of course, the tabletop s’mores.

A haven for Washington University students, Kayak’s has the feel of a Canadian ski lodge with rough timber walls, snow skis mounted on the ceiling, and colorful Tibetan prayer flags hanging in the air. The rustic atmosphere is perfect for studying, relaxing, or reading the RFT by the fire. Enjoy a carefully crafted cup of coffee? Kayak’s, a member of the Kaldi’s family of coffee shops since 2010, is committed to providing its patrons with the highest quality certified organic, certified kosher, and certified free trade coffees and teas. The food at Kayak’s is equally delish: I love that their sandwiches are named after ski towns such as Breckenridge, Jackson Hole, and Telluride. My favorite? The Aspen.

Jeremy gets his kicks at Kayak's.

But we came here to talk about their tabletop s’mores, didn’t we divas? Forget sitting outside in the cold around a campfire, Kayak’s provides the flame and all the fixin’s. If you’re in St. Louis and hunkering down for winter (hello unexpected snowfall), Kayak’s tabletop s’mores are the perfect winter treat.

Tabletop s'mores for two.
{2011}

Want to get your kicks with Kaldi’s Coffee? Follow them on twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

*It turns out, I really do celebrate my birthday all month long!

Fabulous Find: The AMC Fork & Screen Theatre

A night out at the movies ain’t what it used to be, divas. Forget about sticky floors, crying babies, and rude attendants. AMC Theatres has created a whole new movie-going experience. Reclining seats, cocktails, and cheery employees await you at your local AMC Fork & Screen Theatre.

A night at the movies - Fork & Screen style.

To celebrate my birthday, Laura, Sylvia, and I headed to the AMC West Olive 16 to view the Academy Award nominated Les Misérables. One of only ten Fork & Screen theatres in the country, we ordered dinner and drinks all from the comfort of our reclining seats. Need a bag of popcorn? How about some Milk Duds for the movie? A cosmopolitan to get you through “Castle on A Cloud”? No waiting in line and missing a pivotal scene, your friendly seat attendant will pop over to the concession stand for you.

Laura needs cocktail to get her through "Castle on A Cloud."

The menu selections were surprisingly delicious.

In an age where customer service seems to have gone the way of the newsreel, the AMC Fork & Screen Theatre proves that you can have your meal inside an upscale movie theatre and eat it too.

In the St. Louis area? Follow the AMC West Olive 16 on Facebook.

Fabulous Find: The Flying Saucer Starbucks

The famous flying saucer-shaped building on Grand Avenue, not far from the campus of SLU, was destined for demolition when Del Taco vacated the premises in 2011. But saving the building was paramount to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and other preservationists who petitioned to have the building, which was built in 1965 and an example of Mid-Century style architecture, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.   

Saving the day, and the unique building, was an unlikely hero - Starbucks. Recently named one of the "Ten Remarkable Preservation Wins of 2012" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the global coffee giant stepped in and created a space that is comfortable, metropolitan, and uniquely St. Louis. Miss your Tex-Mex fix? Chipotle is rumored to move into the other side of "The Saucer" in the summer of 2013.   

Lovely Lafayette Square

San Francisco has the Painted Ladies. Miami has the art deco hotels of Ocean Drive. And St. Louis has the French-style row houses of Lafayette Square. Last Sunday, many of these stunning homes were dressed in their holiday best for the 2012 Holiday Parlor Tour.

Erin & I dressed in our best Bohemian chic. We had to stay warm somehow!

After brunch at Rue Lafayette, Erin and I braved the spotty rain and chilly weather to walk the historic streets of Lafayette Square. Named after the Marquis de La Fayette (1757 – 1834), a general in the American Revolutionary War, the neighborhood and park have gone through many incarnations since it was founded in 1836. It’s been a livestock pasture, a “pocket ghetto”, and had fallen under years of neglect and disrepair. Thanks to the Lafayette Park Conservancy and the Lafayette Square Restoration Committee, Lafayette Square is now a thriving neighborhood home to families, businesses, and popular restaurants (Bailey's Chocolate Bar and Square One Brewery & Distillery are two of my favorites.)

The shops on Park Avenue.

Declared a historic district in 1972 and placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, Lafayette Square is the oldest city park in St. Louis and one of the first parks west of the Mississippi. In the summer and fall months, it’s bustling with walkers, runners, and an outdoor concert and movie series. 

Napoleon's Retreat Bed & Breakfast

Whether you’re from St. Louis or visiting our fair city, make sure to visit Lafayette Square and all that it has to offer. I’m sure you’ll find it…lovely.  

*I had written this post prior to the tragic events in Newtown, CT. People Magazine put together a beautiful tribute to the victims. To donate to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund through the United Way of Western Connecticut, please click here. 

Fabulous Find: Here is St. Louis by Anastasis Films

I found this video by Anastasis Films on the Explore St. Louis facebook page. With the catchy little soundtrack and images of the people, businesses, and attractions that make St. Louis splendid, they captured the heart and soul of this great city. I'm especially partial to the scenes from my neighborhood, Soulard, including Soulard Farmers Market and Bogarts Smokehouse. 

On this rainy Wednesday (if you're in St. Louis), sit back, relax and enjoy Here is St. Louis.

It's Summertime and I'm Feeling Good

I don’t know of it’s the fabulous summer weather we’ve been having in St. Louis (low humidity FTW!), the amount of quality time I’ve been spending with my family and friends (graduations, weddings, and babies Oh My!), or the freedom and fun that summer brings, but life has been positively positive lately.

Last Friday, I hosted a happy hour and pub crawl through Soulard. Our first stop was dinner and drinks at Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza. It was one of those nights when the weather was literally perfect: there was a slight breeze in the air and the dusk light gave everything a hazy, gauzy glow. It was just us girls and as we talked about Jessica’s upcoming wedding, the jazz trio, B3, played in the background. It was one of those nights when I knew and felt that life was good.

What else has me feeling good lately?

Drinks on the patio:

Summer days spent in the sun:

The Caramel Frappe from McDonald’s (seriously, so good!):

Celebrating important milestones with family and friends:

Frivolous (and steamy!) summer reads:

What has you feeling good lately? 

Fabulous Find: The Kidnapped Chicagoan

Have you seen the 33 year-old male pictured below? His name is Scott, he’s from Chicago and his interests include beer (presumably Goose Island), deep-dish pizza (presumably Gino's East), and of course “Da Bears.” Scott was last seen riding the 'L' and is feared kidnapped.

Or so Explore St. Louis wants you to think.

This unconventional marketing campaign, known as “The Kidnapped Chicagoan”, was first launched in 2010 to attract Chicagoans in their 20's and 30's to visit their southern neighbor, St. Louis. The team at the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) and Hoffman/Lewis, the ad agency behind the campaign, knew that luring this hard to please demographic would require an innovative approach. If they couldn’t draw Chicagoans here by enticing them to visit the Arch, City Museum, and Busch Stadium, then they’d just have to “kidnap” one. 

Never fear though, while in captivity, the CVC allowed the “Kidnapped Chicagoan” to tweet, post photos on Instagram, and even upload videos to YouTube. Re-launched earlier this year with an interactive website, the Kidnapped Chicagoan even had time to “pin” his favorite St. Louis sites on his Pinterest boards (favorites include The Donut Drive-In and Rooster). The native Chicagoan and die hard Cubs fan even took in a Cards game!

Using social media apps like twitter and Pinterest and a guerilla marketing campaign that included blanketing the Chicago L trains with faux "Missing Persons" posters, the Kidnapped Chicagoan garnered a lot of attention, created buzz, and introduced St. Louis as more then just the home of Budweiser.  

To keep track of the Kidnapped Chicagoan, follow his tweets and pins, view his videos, and visit is website.   

{Photos courtesy of the KidnappedChicagoan}

No Money, No Problem - My Top 5 Picks for Free Things To Do in The Lou

I might be the self-proclaimed CityDiva, but with four weddings this year, gas prices on the rise, and fears that the US will enter into a double-dip recession, even I’m on a budget these days.

When the gals and I are looking for something new to try or I have friends in from out of town, I’m always on the lookout for budget friendly inexpensive free things to do. Go ahead and call me cheap, Kiplinger.com, a leader in business forecasts and personal financial advice, recently ranked St. Louis as the #1 City for Cheapskates. After being ranked the saddest, worst dressed, and most dangerous city in America, we’ll take it!        

With seventy-nine unique neighborhoods in St. Louis, there’s always somewhere and something new to explore. Here are my Top 5 Picks for Free Things To Do in The Lou:

1.) The Saint Louis Art Museum: Originally built for the 1904 World’s Fair, the Saint Louis Art Museum is home to priceless works of art by Van Gogh, Picasso, and Monet, among many others and houses fourteen unique collections ranging from Islamic Art to Decorative Arts and Design. The museum is one of the only free art museums in the country, keeping true to its exterior inscription, "Dedicated to Art and Free to All."

Lori and I visit the Saint Louis Art Museum in 2011 

2.) Brewery Tours: St. Louis is known as the home of the “King of Beers”, but the city once built on Budweiser, is now home to over fifteen different microbreweries. I’ve sampled my fair share (all in the name of research) and I recommend taking the free tours given by Anheuser-Busch and Schlafly Bottleworks. A brewery tour with free samples of beer at the end? I’ll drink to that!

Jamie and I all set to tour the historic Anheuser-Busch Brewery

3.) Shakespeare In The Park: Where art thou free performances of the works of William Shakespeare? Why, in Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park of course! This annual summer event is a must see for St. Louisans and tourists alike. Spread your blanket, prepare a picnic and relax under the St. Louis sky as award-winning performers present this year’s performance of Othello.

Enjoying the 2010 season of Shakespeare In The Park

4.) The St. Louis Holocaust Museum & Learning Center (HMLC): Having visited the Dachau and Mauthausen Concentration Camps when I lived in Europe in 2004, I know first-hand that a visit to one of these sacred spaces can leave a lasting impact. Often overlooked, the HMLC is a quiet, contemplative place filled with pictures, memorabilia and personal accounts from survivors of Hitler’s brutal regime. The HMLC is unique in that it focuses on Holocaust survivors who settled in St. Louis after World War II and whose families still live and thrive here.

5.) Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site: Located just fifteen minutes east of St. Louis in Cahokia, Illinois sits the largest prehistoric earthen construction north of Mexico. Designated a National Historic Landmark, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Cahokia was once home to one of the largest cities in the world. The Mississippians who lived here between A.D. 700 and 1400 were part of the Illiniwek subtribe and created a vast community of mounds, homes, and plazas. The fate of these prehistoric Cahokians is unknown, but their legacy (including Woodhenge) lives on.  

Telling Time: The Illiniwek way

Honorable Mentions: These St. Louis hotspots didn’t make my top five, but shouldn’t be overlooked on your free trip around The Lou: Twilight Tuesdays at the Missouri History Museum, Laumeier Sculpture Park, Forest Park, St. Louis Walk of Fame, and City Garden.

I Choose St. Louis

Everyone knows that I love St. Louis. I love eating at Ted Drewe’s on a hot summer night. I love the Cardinals. I love Forest Park and the free amenities that it offers (Free art museum? You bet. Free Shakespeare in the park? Indeed. Free seats at the Muny? If you arrive early enough!) I love the ease and accessibility of this commuter-friendly city. I love the quirky, weird and creative energy found at the City Museum. I love my neighborhood of Soulard. I love our world class symphony.

But St. Louis isn't perfect and, like any big city, has its share of issues. St. Louis and its drivers have been branded the Most Dangerous, our citizens the Saddest, and our locals the Worst Dressed. But despite all that, St. Louis certainly doesn’t suck. At least locals like Aaron Perlut, a Forbes Magazine contributor and Managing Partner at St. Louis-based Elasticity doesn’t think so. Aaron wrote the Forbes post St. Louis Doesn’t Suck in response to this piece in The Onion and in response to the growing negative reputation that often precedes our gateway city. 


For non-St. Louisans, you might ask, “With all of that negativity, why would anyone want to live there?” To answer that question and to "engage conversations with people from different segments of the region about all the great things happening in St. Louis", three locals created St. Louis for the Love. Eric Ratinoff, Ben Kaplan, and Nicole Hudson Hollway wanted to "link people who care about improving the region, and [create a portal] to be an engine of innovation, collaboration, and forward progress for St. Louis."

I was recently asked to contribute to the #stlftl “I Choose St. Louis” campaign. Here’s why I choose St. Louis:

My name is Linda

I live in Soulard

If my neighborhood had a hashtag it would be #MoreThanJustMardiGras

I grew up in Granite City, IL

The best kept secret in St. Louis is our diverse and delicious food scene. Foodies unite!

I can't go too long without going to the Art Museum.

The thing about our region that I’m most proud of is the thriving arts scene.

A successful future for the St. Louis region depends upon civic pride from all corners of the city.

My greatest contribution to the region is/was/will be helping visitors and locals find those hidden St. Louis gems through my blog.

The first thing I show out-of-towners is the view from the Cielo Sky Terrace at the Four Seasons. The view of downtown is simply spectacular.

The hidden gem of St. Louis is Forest Park - Locals know about it, but visitors are always surprised by how big it is and how much there is to do there.

The heart and soul of St. Louis is the people who live here and make St. Louis home.

The true character of St. Louis is shown in the classy way we handle ourselves when we win...and when we lose.

The thing that has most improved about St. Louis in the last 5 years is Washington Avenue.

I choose St. Louis because it's where I went to high school. It's where I went to college. It's where I work and play. It's where my family lives. It's where my friends live. It's HOME.

To feel more of the St. Louis love, follow #stlftl on Facebook and twitter.

New Restaurant Wednesday: Winslow's Home

Nestled on a tree-lined street in the St. Louis suburb of University City sits a two-story, non-descript brick building housing one of St. Louis’ “must try” restaurants, Winslow's Home.

U. City is best known for the Delmar Loop and its eclectic and diverse restaurant, bar, and shopping scene. The “Loop”, as locals call it, is home to such St. Louis staples as the Riverfront Times, Vintage Vinyl, and Fitz's.

But drive just a few miles west of the busy, gritty Loop and the atmosphere changes entirely. Gone are the fluorescent lights advertising the latest art house films playing at the Tivoli. Silenced is the din created by the clanging silverware from the sidewalk diners. And hushed is the background buzz created by the people who live, eat, and shop here. All of the energy of the Loop is replaced by a sedate residential neighborhood with wide sidewalks and historic homes.

I’d wanted to try Winslow’s Home for months, reading the rave reviews about this restaurant in the New York Times, Midwest Living, and Feast Magazine and hearing from my friends who already tried it and loved it. Prior to our Twilight movie marathon, Ruthie and I headed to Winslow’s Home on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon. The restaurant was busy and the line to the counter was long. Think I was stuck in line bored to tears? Think again.

Winslow’s Home first opened as a general store in 1924 and current owners Randy Lipton and Ann Sheehan Lipton pay homage to the original concept with shelves, tables and corkboard walls selling everything from cooking utensils, kitchen accessories and weird little books like eat tweet. In the market for some 100% Kosher soap? They sell it. What about a Bananagram? They’ve got it. Looking for a bottle of wine to go with your white cheddar, fontina, and herb butter grilled cheese sandwich? They have a 500 bottle Wine Room for you to peruse.

Locally grown, organic, and sustainability are words thrown about the restaurant industry these days with few restaurants actually putting these words into action. If the fact that Winslow’s Home has earned accolades from St. Louis Magazine, Sauce Magazine and the RFT weren’t enough, they also know the food they serve. Sitting on four chemical-free acres in Augusta, Missouri is Winslow’s Farm. As quoted on their website, “Living sustainably is not just a trend to us, it is a way of life.”

We only had time to sample their blueberry pie, tea, and iced mocha, but I’ll definitely be back. After all, Home is where the...award-winning, Missouri-raised, grass-fed beef is.

Ruthie enjoying a hot cup of tea at Winslow's Home.

{All photos taken with my iphone, using the Instagram app and the 1977 filter.}    

A Proud Member of Cardinal Nation since 1981

A lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan, inside the "old" Busch Stadium

It’s the crack of the bat that sends our player home.

It’s the Seventh Inning Stretch.

It’s the view of the St. Louis skyline beyond the outfield and The Arch as the dramatic backdrop.

It’s Big Mac Land.

It’s the statue of St. Louis’ favorite son, Stan "The Man" Musial, poised eternally “at bat.”

It’s Fredbird.

It’s “The Wizard.”

It’s the old Busch Stadium and those iconic 96 arches, now gone forever.

It’s the new Busch Stadium and that fabulous view.

It’s growing up with the booming voice of Jack Buck announcing the plays on KMOX Radio.

It’s Game Six.

It’s having a beer and a hot dog at every game. Always.

It’s the majestic Clydesdales making their grand appearance.

It’s Darryl Kile.

It’s beating the Cubs. Always.

It’s the Boys of Summer and, after winning the 2011 World Series (sorry Becky); they’re finally back in town. And as we like to say in St. Louis, “Go Crazy, Folks, Go Crazy!”

Laura and I inside the "new" Busch Stadium, 2011.