Wrapping Up

Before I depart St. Louis for the superior seafood and baseball of Boston, a best of list for those of you looking to explore the city, somewhat off the beaten path!

Food

Best Italian (Quantity over Quality style): Favazza's

Best Sushi: Blue Ocean Sushi

Best Pizza: Blackthorn Pizza

Best 2AM Wings (and only at 2AM!): Pointers

Best Asian: Mai Lee

Best Burger: (For the Price): Bar Louie on Tuesdays

Drink

Best Neighborhood Bar: Thurman Grill

Best Atmosphere: The Wine Press

Best Beer Selection: 33

Best Public House: Newstead Public House

Best Piano Bar: The Big Bang

Best Trivia: Mike Duffy's on Wednesdays

And if you haven't spent a summer in St. Louis yet, here are some things not to miss:

Jazz at the Botanical Gardens - Wednesdays
Theater at the Muny - Sit in the free seats in the back
Swimming after work - Doesn't matter where, better if you play water polo
Patio seating - Everytime you eat or drink, make sure you do it right
Music at the History Museum - Tuesdays
Cardinals Games - I recommend the all-inclusive Homer's Landing for quantity
Moishe House St. Louis - Swing by for Shabbat!

And please let me reiterate, if there are two places you need to go in St. Louis, it's the Wine Press, for the incredible beer and wine selection and friendly service, and Thurman Grill for the most Cheers-like atmosphere you will find!

And don't worry, you'll be sure to hear from your faithful correspondent out in the field in Boston! Go Sox!
Read More......

What Not to Name Your Child

A New Jersey couple is upset that their son's name, Adolf Hitler Campbell, wouldn't be spelled out on his third birthday cake. How about not naming your son after a murderous dictator?

I am intolerant of intolerance. Oxymoron, I know. But seriously, who names their child Adolf Hitler? I found this article on my morning perusal of msnbc.com (the story is courtesy of AP)... it must be a slow news day. The headline reads "3-year-old Hitler can't get name on cake." While portraying the Campbell family as accepting of all races, you can tell there is tension between Heath Campbell and his conflicting message. The author wants you read the whole piece because it finally rationalizes the parents' name choice at the end...

Heath Campbell said he named his son after Adolf Hitler because he liked the name and because "no one else in the world would have that name." He sounded surprised by all the controversy the dispute had generated.

Hello! Someone already had that name, and it didn't end too well for him. By the way, they did end up getting little Adolf's name on a cake... thanks to Wal-Mart. Let's hope this tyke grows up with a little more perspective on life than his parents did. Why couldn't they name him something normal, like Robot Blanket Campbell? Or Apple Bronx Campbell?

More to come from me on my latest endeavors into Judaism... I realize it has been a while since I've posted. Hey, will you be at the Zeda's Beat Box CD release party on Friday? I'll see you there, St. Louis.

LC
Read More......

Pizza For the Kids

If you're like me, you're always looking for an excuse to eat good pizza...

Well on Wednesday, the St. Louis Area Dance Marathon is giving you one. If you eat at Il Vicino in Clayton between 4 and 10, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to Dance Marathon, a local organization that raises money for children's hospitals in the area. Having been a part of this great event, I will definitely vouch for it, but check it out for yourself here

Here is the schedule for the rest of the benefit nights this month:

-Monday, October 6: Cold Stone
-Wednesday, October 8: California Pizza Kitchen
-Wednesday, October 15: Noodles & Co.
-Wednesday, October 29: Cicero's

And if you are interested in participating in Dance Marathon itself, the date is October 25th-26th, and registration is still open for another week. Click here to sign up and join me to help this awesome cause.
Read More......

The Scottish Arms

Just got back from the best meal I have ever had in St. Louis, no joke...

The Scottish Arms, a hidden gem (at least to me) in the CWE, boasts authentic Scottish food, as well as one of the most extensive Scotch menus in the world. Rosh and I went on a whim (and a Fish n Chips recommendation) after a hard fought game of water polo. I could not give this place a stronger recommendation... A quick run-down:

When you go, wear more than just gym shorts and sandals, although they treated us well, Rosh and I learned this the hard way. This is a little nicer than your typical corner pub, so don't be afraid to dress like it.

Beer: I had the Scottish Belhaven Twisted Thistle, which was the perfect mix of amber ale with some fruity undertones. Rosh when with the Smithwicks, which if you have never had is a good introduction into darker beers. They have an extensive list of beers on tap from a host of countries. This would be a great bar to go to in addition to a great restauarant.

Appetizer: We bit the bullet and ordered the haggis, which if you don't know what it is, probably for the best. This haggis was fried and came as a fritter, which gave us the nerve we needed to order the traditional Scottish dish. Jew Alert!!!!: It tasted a lot like chopped liver, which we all know is a good thing. Definitely a good gamble

Entree: You never can go wrong with fish n chips, but here, you can actually go right. Tender, sweet, delicious. Really really really good, and if something so simple is prepared so well, I can only imagine what some of the more imaginative menu items (pork chop, cornish hen) are like

Dessert: Rosh had the goat cheese cheesecake (you saw that right) and I went with one of the dozens of Scotches they offer. Both unique, both delicious, both something that I would come back for. You know that burning feeling you get after a shot of Jack, or even Johnny? Well I had one of the cheapest Scotches they offer, and there was none of that. Just sweet Scotch goodness. Scotch scotch scotch, I love scotch... never truer.

In short, don't wait any longer to try out the Scottish Arms, its a great date restaurant and is certainly one of the more interesting places you can try in St. Louis.
Read More......

The Sanctuary

So Y? already teased this in talking about the weekend, but Friday's Shabbat dinner and "after-party" deserve more than just a passing mention. Luckily, I am here to pick up the pieces for you all who missed out. So Y?'s parents were in town, which meant Shabbat dinner at the sanctuary. Granted, I had to bring my own chair, beer, and candles, but I scored an invite. (Sidenote: Schnucks's in the CWE only sells Shabbat candles in packs of 72, so the candles are on me for the next 35 Shabbats!) Anyway, dinner had all the amazing interactions you would expect when two parents (one of whom is a rabbi deeply learned in Torah) enter the world of the young professional on a Friday night. Save for the candles, challah and wine, nothing and no one was sacred as the chicken marsala and potato chips flowed like honey from the kitchen.

So, around 11:30 (four hours after the dinner began) we decided that it's probably time to conquer the world beyond the sanctuary. As we are determined to find new things to do in the city, we headed out to check out some SLU bars, figuring that its a major urban university (albeit Jesuit) there's gotta be something good going on. And was there ever...

So we get down to SLU and park by a place called Magnolia's. Everyone's pumped up and ready to go, fat and happy from dinner, when the bouncer tells us it's a $3 dollar cover plus a one drink minimum. A ONE DRINK MINIMUM? Sounds kiiiinda like an East Side joint you're thinking? Us too. So we move on, only to be greeted at the window of the next bar by stereotypical white shirtless dude. So now we're stuck. I mean, this is St. Louis so of course there are only those two bars within walking distance. So, being the resourceful smart Jewish folk that we are, we ask some passerbys what exactly is Magnolia's? "A gay club dude."..."No, really, man, what is it?"... "It's a GAY CLUB."

So we start looking around, really paying attention to our surroundings, and the tight pants give it away, that Magnolia's really is a gay club! Not that there is anything wrong with that, and it certainly was the most popular place around SLU that night, but not quite what we were looking for when we set out for some Shabbat night exploring.

I guess the lesson here is that when you commit to finding new things in St. Louis, you gotta be ready for anything. So when you come out with us, consider yourself warned, you never quite know where you might end up. But in a place like St. Louis, where so much is too often the same, isn't that a good thing? Read More......