St. Louis Sushi Restaurant Takes City By Storm

The newest sushi restaurant makeover in St. Louis has to be on your radar! The original restaurant was owned by the same family, but revamped to cater to the growing St. Louis sushi scene. If you are in the market for affordable, yet delicious sushi and a wonderful night in the city, do not hesitate to book your ride with Chesterfield Taxi! Contact us for more info!

If you want the best value for your money in St. Louis dining right now, you can’t beat the nigiri omakase at Nippon Tei. For $18, chef Nick Bognar prepares five immaculate pieces of nigiri sushi. Your selection likely will include a sushi standby like salmon, but even here Bognar might treat you to sake toro, salmon’s sweeter, more luscious belly meat. And Bognar doesn’t mechanically affix this sake toro onto rice smeared with wasabi paste. Instead, he brushes the fish with nikiri (sweet soy sauce) and then garnishes it with grated real-deal wasabi root.

Or Bognar might torch the salmon belly and balance its now steak-like fatty richness with lemon zest. He’ll set this beside whichever specials have arrived on the most recent flight from Japan: snowy, fleetingly sweet hirame; oily, intensely briny mackerel; shima-aji, its balance of body and sweetness the ideal midpoint between the hirame and the mackerel.


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Nigiri omakase with madai, saba, sake toro, maguro and Wagyu A5 at Nippon Tei in Ballwin. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

If you’re lucky, there will be a luxurious serving of uni from Hokkaido, Japan, creamy as custard, its flavor pure, cold ocean distilled. Is that a sliver of A5 Wagyu beef from Japan, basted with tare, lightly torched and melting in your mouth like steak butter? It is, and it, all of it, whatever you receive, is $18.

If you prefer sashimi, Bognar’s sashimi moriawase, with 12 precisely cut pieces and accompaniments, including a rainbow of roe, is enough for two people and also a steal at $36.

For those of us who have despaired of the state of sushi in St. Louis, Nippon Tei is a revelation. Or, really, it’s two revelations. Not only is the 26-year-old Bognar trying to bring the St. Louis sushi scene into 2018, he’s doing so at the restaurant his mother, Ann Bognar, opened in 2001, when he was 10, a place that years ago settled comfortably into the bland shopping-plaza-scape of Manchester Road near Ballwin.

Growing up as the son of a chef, Bognar felt pressure not to enter the restaurant industry himself, he told me in a phone interview. Inevitably, though, as a teenager, he worked part-time in his mother’s restaurant, and he studied in the culinary-arts program at South Technical High School in Sunset Hills. He learned about preparing sushi at Nippon Tei, he worked catering gigs with his high-school culinary instructor, and he realized he loved cooking.

“I had a drive to get really good at something,” he said, “and I was lucky to be at (Nippon Tei) and talk to the sushi chef.”


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The dining room at Nippon Tei in Ballwin. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

(One of the Nippon Tei sushi chefs he learned from was his aunt, Whitney Yoon, who now opeartes Sushi Koi in the Central West End. Coincidentally, about a month ago, doing research for next year’s edition of the STL 100, I ate a fine meal at Sushi Koi and wondered how I’d missed the place for so long.)

Bognar attended culinary school at Forest Park Community College and went to work as chef and manager at Tei Too, his family’s Thai restaurant in Webster Groves. (Ann Bognar is originally from Thailand.) In 2015, he helped kickstart the area’s ramen boomlet by opening Ramen Tei in what had been Nippon Tei’s bar. I was tough on Ramen Tei in my 1½-star review. In hindsight, the food notwithstanding, I didn’t appreciate how appealingly ambitious the young Bognar was to undertake such a project.

(Bognar has recently revamped Ramen Tei’s operation. I didn’t include it in this review, however.)

Meanwhile, one of Bognar’s childhood friends had moved to Austin, Texas, and was a server at the sushi restaurant Uchiko, where chef Tyson Cole, among many plaudits, had won the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef: Southwest” award in 2011. Bognar used his connection to land a job there.

“That’s when the real learning began,” Bognar said. “They were doing things I’d done before, but it was all being done in a better way.”

Dishes didn’t appear on the menu until they had been studied and tested for weeks. The ethos, Bognar said, was daunting: “Anything can be improved. Anything can be pushed to its limits.”

After a year, Bognar moved to Cincinnati to be with his girlfriend and oversaw a new sushi concept in that city. His mother liked the more contemporary style of sushi he’d learned in Austin and showcased in Cincinnati and thought it was time for a change at Nippon Tei.


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Tonkatsu at Nippon Tei in Ballwin. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com


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Sake toro maki at Nippon Tei in Ballwin. Photo by J.B. Forbes, jforbes@post-dispatch.com

Bognar hasn’t changed the look of his mother’s restaurant. It remains a pleasant retreat from the strip-mall hustle, its ambiance part generic sushi restaurant, part hotel-lobby bar. Bognar’s menu isn’t expansive: a few salads, excellent versions of familiar starters like gyoza ($7) and crab rangoon ($7); rice bowls and pork tonkatsu.

I’m generally ambivalent about the multiple-ingredient sushi rolls popular at American restaurants. At Nippon Tei, I recommend looking for what Bognar himself seeks in assembling his nigiri omakase: the best fish, the fish in season. So on one visit I enjoyed a spider roll ($14) with tempura-fried soft-shell crab and, for a potent seasonal accompaniment, asparagus. The gorgeous sake toro is the heart of its self-named roll ($14), its richness doubled with avocado and cut with lemon zest, ponzu and the heat of togarashi.

You can order nigiri sushi and sashimi a la carte, though you’ll be hard-pressed to assemble the balance of quality and value that the omakase and moriawase selections do. And if the value doesn’t tempt you, know that Nick Bognar hasn’t just made Nippon Tei the biggest bang for your dining buck; he’s also transformed it into one of St. Louis’ most exciting restaurants.

Where Nippon Tei, 14025 Manchester Road •Three stars out of four •More info 636-386-8999; nippon.teistl.com• Menu Sushi and other traditional Japanese fare • Hours Lunch Tuesday-Friday, dinner Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday)

Go! Sneak Peek from St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Go! Magazine’s go-to guide for the weekend’s best entertainment in and around the Lou, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/reviews/nick-bognar-transforms-nippon-tei-into-st-louis-most-exciting/article_88b91f18-f749-590b-ab88-d1061effb8bb.html

Farewell Artists Last Stop in St. Louis

As popular artists age, the announcement of “farewell tours” seems almost inevitable. Most artists choose the most popular cities to visit for their last tour ever. In country artist Shania Twain’s case, her farewell tour ended up not being her final one. Twain visited St. Louis in early May for another concert tour. What are your thoughts on farewell artists? Check out this article for a list of “farewell” artists!

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/bye-bye-bye-farewell-concert-tours-don-t-always-mean/collection_bab0b88d-7786-58ae-8f54-0646696182a2.html

Best Buy says it was hit by same data breach as Sears, Delta

It seems that every big company these days is having some sort of data breach or personal information being made public of their customers. One of the better parts of not being such a massive corporation, is not being the target of these hackers, so our customers information and credit card payments are not at risk:

Best Buy said on Friday that some of its customers’ credit card information may have been compromised in a data breach that also hit Sears and Delta Air Lines.

All three companies use a third-party firm, called [24]7.ai, to provide online and mobile chat services for customers.

Best Buy said in a blog post that [24]7.ai told the company that an “illegal intrusion” occurred between September 27 and October 12, 2017.

RELATED: 13 simple things you can do to keep your family’s data safe

“As best we can tell, only a small fraction of our overall online customer population could have been caught up in this [24]7.ai incident, whether or not they used the chat function,” the post said.

Best Buy says it was hit in the same time period when Sears Holding Corp. and Delta Air Lines customer data was exposed in a cyberattack.

Sears and Delta were the first to say they were impacted. The companies said Thursday that some of their customers’ payment information might have been compromised during online chat support.

Related: Sears and Delta customer data might be exposed in cyberattack

Sears said that data from “less than 100,000” customers might have been exposed, but Sears-branded credit cards were not affected. Delta didn’t say how many people were affected.

[24]7.ai said, in a statement after the Sears and Delta cyberattack was revealed, that it was “confident that the platform is secure.”

Business Briefing from St. Louis Post-Dispatch

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Source: http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/best-buy-says-it-was-hit-by-same-data-breach/article_be3ef0c0-508d-54ac-9c8d-2668ba97fd83.html

Judge’s ruling on St. Louis’ parking operations sends jolt through City Hall

Parking around the city has always been a pain in the neck, and the rules and regulations that surround it has always been fuzzy. Now with this new ruling, it becomes even more confusing on who is in charge of the duties when it comes to monitoring the parking. Instead of trying to make money, parking should be easier.

ST. LOUIS • A circuit court judge’s decision to void two state laws governing parking operations in St. Louis has some city officials celebrating what they deem a victory for home rule, one with broad implications for the millions of dollars generated by the city’s parking meters, garages and lots.

On Thursday, Judge Michael Stelzer ruled that statutes creating St. Louis’ Parking Commission and tasking the city treasurer with supervising it violate the state constitution. An article in the constitution bars laws that determine the functions of offices in cities with their own charters.

The St. Louis treasurer’s role overseeing the parking division is an unusual one, and it has drawn ire for years from city aldermen who have sought to tap into more of the city’s parking revenue.

A lawsuit filed in January 2017 by James Wilson, a former city counselor under Mayor Vincent Schoemehl Jr., sought to bring St. Louis’ parking operations under municipal control.

The total operating revenue from parking meters, violations, city-owned garages and lots and rental property for fiscal 2017 was roughly $18 million before expenses were paid, but under the state statutes challenged in the lawsuit, only a portion of that money — about 40 percent, after expenses — makes it into the city’s coffers.

St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones has already vowed to appeal, but if the ruling ultimately stands, it marks a long-sought victory for city officials who want to spend more of the money residents and visitors fork over to park in St. Louis.

“We desperately need it, to provide the best quality of city services we possibly can,” said 22nd Ward Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, who joined the effort to sue the state and city in August. “What it means in a nutshell is the city of St. Louis will finally be able to govern its own parking operations.”

Implications of ruling

Before Thursday’s ruling, there were parallel provisions dealing with parking in St. Louis: state laws and city ordinances.

In February, the Board of Aldermen passed a contingency plan: a board bill sponsored by Boyd, stating that if the state parking statutes were held unconstitutional, the Parking Commission as established under city code would assure the commission’s functions “continue without interruption, and that the Parking Commission’s financial obligations are timely met and satisfied.”

Mayor Lyda Krewson signed that bill into law this month.

“The effect of this decision is, the (state) statutes fall away, and it’s all regulated by city ordinance,” City Counselor Julian Bush told the Post-Dispatch.

The ordinance and laws are similar, Bush said, but the city rules boost the amount of money from the parking meter fund that can be transferred to the city’s general revenue fund.

Under city code, the treasurer is still the chairman of the Parking Commission. But that could change, Boyd said.

The broader impact of the ruling is that the St. Louis Board of Aldermen now has the power to change that formula, or the composition of the Parking Commission, as it sees fit. Bush noted that the city would never be able to access 100 percent of parking revenue due to bond obligations.

“With no state laws applicable to these subjects, the power to reconfigure the parking operations is now vested in the Board of Aldermen,” Bush said. “That’s substantial.”

Jones has warned, however, that that power comes with expensive responsibilities.

“Parking enforcement and revenue officers were city employees before the treasurer took them on,” Jones said in a previous sit-down with the Post-Dispatch. “We take on about $15 million in expenses out of the general revenue fund per year. They talk about how they want more (parking) revenue, but they’ll have to take the expenses too. And the debt. Which last time I checked, was about $65 (million) and $70 million.”

The ruling

Boyd and Wilson’s lawsuit centered on the argument that the state laws dealing with parking in St. Louis were unconstitutional because they imposed additional duties on officials in a charter city.

St. Louis operates as both a city and a county, and its treasurer is an independently elected “county” office, deriving authority under state laws.

The treasurer’s office contended that the Parking Commission wasn’t a municipal entity at all but a “county” office.

Stelzer disagreed, noting that the laws in question clearly require the city director of streets, the chairman of the Board of Aldermen’s Streets, Traffic and Refuse committee and the city comptroller to serve on the Parking Commission, therefore creating and fixing duties of municipal officers, which is unconstitutional.

The judge also took issue with the defendants’ push to simply remove those three city officials from the Parking Commission, rather than striking down the laws, leaving only two members: the treasurer and the director of parking operations. Without the other officials, Stelzer wrote, the two remaining members would be approving their own budget and policies.

“The supervisor of parking meters and the parking division would have no oversight as intended by the statutes, and would become the city’s authority for overseeing public parking,” he said. “It is clear the legislature intended the Parking Commission to have oversight over the supervisor of parking meters and the parking division.”

Politics

Jared Boyd, Jones’ chief of staff, said in an email that the treasurer’s office was still getting up to speed on the ruling and its implications.

“We are still reviewing our options, but we always knew this case would be decided by an appellate court,” he said. “The city’s cross-claims was brought against the state of Missouri, so they will also have the opportunity to appeal this ruling.”

A spokesman for Attorney General Joshua Hawley could not immediately provide a comment. Hawley had asked the judge to uphold the statutes governing the St. Louis treasurer and the Parking Commission, echoing Jones’ argument that both were “county” entities.

From the beginning, Jones has maintained that the lawsuit is politically motivated, stemming from “sour grapes” over her near-victory in her campaign for mayor against Krewson and Boyd last year, and her win over Boyd to become treasurer in 2012.

In February, Boyd and Jones’ feud spilled into a hearing room at City Hall, when Boyd subpoenaed Jones to discuss parking operations. She accused Boyd of harassment and questioned why no other “county” office, such as the sheriff or record of deeds, faced the same level of scrutiny.

“If there’s one thing about politics I’ve learned since running for Mayor, it’s never be surprised at what people who are afraid of you will do to try to destroy you,” Jones wrote in a social media post on Friday.

Boyd said he felt “vindicated” by Thursday’s ruling.

“I feel like I won the lottery personally,” he said. “There were so many people suggesting I was just being petty, that it was all personal, and it’s never been personal with me. It’s always been about good government.”

It’s unclear whether the treasurer or the state will ask the court for an injunction pending appeal. But in the meantime, Boyd says he’s meeting with the city counselor’s office next week to work on a transition plan.

“We have an opportunity to right a wrong,” Boyd said. “Now we will operate parking like other municipalities across the world. It just made no sense the way it was set up.”

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/crime-and-courts/judge-s-ruling-on-st-louis-parking-operations-sends-jolt/article_e6d73676-0378-57ce-a4e0-1c8968095bfc.html

New St. Louis Restaurants to Try

This past year, many new restaurants opened their doors in St. Louis.  Restaurant critics in the area have rated the top 10 and they are mentioned in the article below.  They all range in type of cuisine, price and environment.  We think you should go to a few and try them out!  What’s better than finding new spots to eat?

St. Louis’ 10 Best New Restaurants of 2017

By Cheryl Baehr 

Vicia: Critic Cheryl Baehr’s pick for the best new restaurant of 2017.

It was a very good year for the St. Louis food scene, if nowhere else. The year 2017 saw the city’s chefs, bartenders, owners and restaurants staking their claims and finally coming into what they were meant to be. It also put St. Louis on the national map, pushed into the spotlight by two restaurants in the conversation for the best new restaurant in the entire country.

These places don’t play it safe. One comes from a hometown son who realized that striking out on his own meant coming home and reclaiming the soil. The other took ownership of what it means to be a Mexican restaurant in 2017 America by brazenly throwing off preconceptions.

They weren’t alone. The city also saw immigrant restaurateurs boldly gamble on Midwestern diners’ willingness to embrace modern Chinese food and Bosnian chefs who, after years of seeing their cuisine fly under the radar, finally got the respect they deserve. A tenacious grocer and burger cook made it his mission to redefine the food system, while a James Beard Award-winning chef reclaimed the joy he felt in cooking.

We have a lot to look forward to in 2018 (including a handful of restaurants that opened too late to be reviewed and included in this list). But if there is any one thing the new guard can take away from the class of 2017, it’s that knowing who you are and being fearless in showing it is the path to success. And it tastes pretty damn good too.

1. Vicia

If you want to know why Vicia (4260 Forest Park Avenue, 314-553-9239) is the best restaurant in St. Louis, you have to look beyond the food, the hospitality and even the environs. All are, of course, impeccable. Chef Michael Gallina’s mastery of flavor and texture can make you feel like you are eating a beet for the first time, even as, under his wife Tara Gallina’s thoughtful direction, every last person on the staff treats your dining experience as if it is of the utmost, personal importance. Then there is the design, a light-filled room that feels modern and warm at the same time. All of these elements make Vicia great. What makes it the best can be summed up in a scene I witnessed on one of my visits. It was a busy dinner service, and the restaurant was bustling, but chef Gallina not only made time to meet with one of his purveyors, he called all the staff members he could find to gather around his chef table to examine and learn about their wares. It wasn’t just his sous chef and line cooks who got in on the fun. He had servers, bartenders, servers’ assistants and even a dishwasher there, empowering them with a sense of a shared ownership that, in turn, translates to the guest experience. There is national buzz about this restaurant; it’s even a serious contender for USA Today‘s best new opening of 2017. If Vicia takes home the top prize, it’s because the Gallinas have created more than just good food; they’ve created a culture.

2. Nixta

With Nixta (1621 Tower Grove Avenue, 314-899-9000), restaurateur Ben Poremba and chef Tello Carreon did not just defy the cliche of what a Mexican restaurant should be; they basically created a culinary fusion never before seen. Playing around in the kitchen of Poremba’s flagship Elaia, the Israeli restauranteur and the Mexico-born chef came to appreciate how beautifully Mediterranean and Mexican flavors work together. From that realization came Nixta, a tangentially Mexican restaurant that refuses to be pigeonholed by preconceptions. Just consider the one of the restaurant’s most exciting dishes, the tlayuda, which pairs pomegranate molasses with guajillo chiles for a “Mexican Pizza” that is just as much Middle Eastern as it is Central American. Though he is no longer with the restaurant, much credit must be given to Carreon, who used the cuisine of his native land as a jumping off point for global culinary exploration. The flavors are riveting, and the restaurant pulsates with a sultry energy. It’s no wonder the national press took notice of this thrilling spot.

3. Sardella

If Gerard Craft’s Niche made you feel like you had to sit up a little bit straighter in your seat, its successor, Sardella (7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-773-7755), gives you permission to sink back into it. The difference is intentional, born of the James Beard Award winning chef’s desire to shake off the heaviness he felt at his former flagship in favor of something lighter, breezier and more accessible. He’s achieved that in Sardella, not just by breaking free of Niche’s self- imposed hyper-local confines, but by giving diners, his staff and himself permission to have fun. You would have never sat in the old dining room for a burger, a whole roasted chicken or lasagna, but Sardella proves that you can have all those comforts while still enjoying the polish you’d expect from Craft and his team. “We open the restaurants we want to eat at,” Craft said when he announced Sardella. It turns out, we want to eat there too.

4. Cate Zone

In the not-so-distant past, St. Louis diners had basically two options for Chinese food: The cloyingly sweet Americanized stuff that bears no resemblance to actual Chinese cuisine or the old guard traditional restaurants and dim sum spots that line Olive Boulevard. Recent years have seen a striking change to the Chinese culinary landscape as a crop of young, often first-time restaurateurs have given St. Louis a peek into what it’s like to dine out today in the bustling metropolises of their homeland. Bing Bing, Corner 17, Yummy 17 and last year’s honorable mention Tai Ke have all disrupted our ideas of Chinese food, and perhaps none more so than Cate Zone Chinese Cafe(8146 Olive Boulevard, University City; 314-738-9923), the quizzically named eatery from Daniel Ma and Quincy Lin. Both had toiled away at Americanized spots after first moving to town from China, dreaming that they could one day open a fiercely authentic yet thoroughly modern place of their own. They’ve achieved that in Cate Zone, with a menu of flawlessly executed and complexly spiced dishes that run the gamut of Chinese regional cuisine. One taste of the mouth-numbing Sichuan peppercorn-coated “Hot Crisp Fish” will have you realize what St. Louis has been missing.

5. Nudo House

When they started their journey into the world of ramen over three years ago, Qui Tran and Marie-Anne Velasco weren’t just looking to develop a good bowl of broth and noodles: They were on a mission to bring to St. Louis the absolute best. Their quest took them across the country, from New York to Los Angeles, where they learned from top chefs, including famed Japanese ramen chef Shigetoshi Nakamura. After teaching them his craft, he looked at them and said, “I have no doubt you will be successful.” The man knew what he was talking about, as Nudo House (11423 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; 314-274-8046) has set the standard for ramen in St. Louis — if not the entire Midwest. St. Louis waited what seemed like an eternity to taste the duo’s classic pork tonkotsu, schmaltz-laden “Hebrew Hammer” and shockingly luscious vegetarian “Shroomed Out”; Tran and Velasco show that good things come to those who wait.

To see spots #6 – 10 continue reading at https://www.riverfronttimes.com/stlouis/st-louis-10-best-new-restaurants-of-2017/Content?oid=12446559

Future Beer Festivals in St. Louis

In the next few months you can look forward to several events related to beer and brewing (if you’re of age and enjoy this category of beverage, that is).  There is no need to feel the wintertime blues when you can plan on attending at least one of these six events.  Read about each beer festival happening around St. Louis in the article below, and if you end up going to one don’t drink and drive!  Rely on a safe ride from a taxi/car service like Chesterfield Taxi or a designated driver!

Mark your calendar for 6 upcoming St. Louis beer festivals

By Ian Froeb | Feb 15, 2018

Yes, it’s only February. But spring training has begun, we’re tired of being housebound and we’re already drinking a beer. So why not preview some of the beer festivals taking place over the next few months?

Centennial Beer Festival

When Thursday through Feb. 24 • Where Moulin Events & Meetings, 2017 Chouteau Avenue • How much $40-$43 • More info centennialbeerfestival.com

The 10th annual Centennial Beer Festival promises some 200 beers available for tasting from local, regional, national and international breweries.

The tasting event is divided into three sessions: 6-9 p.m. Feb. 23 and 2-5 p.m. and 6-9 p.m. Feb. 24. The Feb. 23 session is $40; each Feb. 24 session is $43. (Prices do not include tax and ticket fees.)

Each session features live music, and Feb. 23 includes a home-brew competition.

A VIP ticket, which includes tastings of rare and limited-release beers, is $25 in addition to the general admission ticket.

Other Centennial Beer Festival events include a five-course dinner at 6 p.m. Thursday with beers from Cathedral Square Brewery paired with dishes by chef Ryan Luke. Tickets are $65 (plus tax and a 20 percent service charge).

From noon to 1 p.m. Feb. 24, the Local Brewers Brunch will offer three courses paired with local beers. The cost is $40 per person. Make reservations by calling 314-241-8989.

Old Bakery Beer Buzz’d Beer Festival

When 1-5 p.m. March 4 • Where 400 Landmarks Boulevard, Alton • How much $30 • More info oldbakerybeer.com

The Alton brewery honors its third anniversary with a celebration of pollinators, with beers featuring honey, flowers and fruit. More than 20 local breweries will offer tastings. There will be food available for purchase and live music.

Festivale

When 7-10:30 p.m. March 23 • Where The Midway at St. Louis Union Station, 1820 Market Street • How much $65-$85 • More info festivalestl2018.eventscff.org

The 10th annual Festivale is slated to feature tastings from more than 40 local, regional and national craft breweries to support the Gateway Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. A $65 ticket includes beer and food tastings as well as a tasting glass. The $85 VIP ticket lets you begin tasting an hour early at 7 p.m.

Schlafly Stout & Oyster Festival

When 5 p.m. to close March 23, 11 a.m. to close March 24 • Where Schlafly Tap Room, 2100 Locust Street • How much Free • More info schlafly.com

Tens of thousands of oysters are shipped to the Schlafly Tap Room for this beloved annual event pairing the bivalve with several variations of stout. Admission to the Schlafly Stout & Oyster Festival is free, with food and drink available to purchase. However, for $150 you can get the Pearl Pass, which includes unlimited oysters and beer (with private restrooms) from 5 to 9 p.m. March 23. There will be live music throughout the festival.

St. Louis Microfest

When May 4-5 • Where Forest Park • How much To be announced• More infostlmicrofest.org

The annual St. Louis Microfest features more than 100 beers for tasting over three sessions: 6-10 p.m. May 4 and 1-5 p.m. and 6:30-10 p.m. May 5. Tickets for these sessions and VIP packages (including tastings of rare and limited beer, a plate lunch or dinner, and a private hospitality area) go on sale March 1. Other activities include a home-brew competition, live music and the Goose Island Beer Co. demo tent.

4 Hands Brewing Co. Lupulin Festival

When Noon-4 p.m. May 19 • Where The Midway at St. Louis Union Station, 1820 Market Street • How much $55 • More info lupulincarnival.com

4 Hands’ annual carnival celebrating the release of the brewery’s War Hammer IPA returns to Union Station for the second year. The event features tastings from several breweries (the exact list has yet to be announced) as well as live music and traditional carnival entertainment. Designated-driver tickets are $15.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/bars-and-clubs-other/hip-hops/mark-your-calendar-for-upcoming-st-louis-beer-festivals/article_3c2a7494-2672-531c-acb8-df170e6751fc.html

Luke Bryan Stadium Tour Coming to St. Louis

Yesterday, country music artist Luke Bryan announced he will be headlining a stadium tour across the United States this summer. One stop will be at Busch Stadium, home to our Cardinals, in August! We know this will be a popular event for Missouri residents, so plan to buy your tickets and arrange transportation early. Get more details on the tour below.

Luke Bryan headlines the “What Makes You Country Tour” heading to Busch Stadium on Aug. 25. Sam Hunt, Jon Pardi and Morgan Wallen are also on the bill.

Information regarding ticket sales is coming soon.

Get more information at cardinals.com/luke.

The Cardinals tweeted the concert announcement Tuesday afternoon.

As country fans know, Bryan typically performs two nights at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre ever summer.

Bryan is a new judge on the ABC reboot of “American Idol,” alongside Katy Perry and Lionel Richie.

This is the first time in history that Busch Stadium will host back-to-back concerts. Journey and Def Leppard are Aug. 24.

Go! Sneak Peek from St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Go! Magazine’s go-to guide for the weekend’s best entertainment in and around the Lou, delivered weekly to your inbox.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/kevin-johnson/luke-bryan-sam-hunt-coming-to-busch-stadium/article_ef751dcc-411e-58ce-a275-1333c749a934.html

A Personal Driver for the Lt. Governor

Our Lieutenant Governor Mike Parson has asked for more money to hire a personal driver. We know of a company fit for the job. We know that a lot of government officials at the state and national level (including our President) have personal drivers and/or motorcades, so is this request a big stretch? Get more details in the news article below.

JEFFERSON CITY • At a time when Gov. Eric Greitens is seeking to slash funding for colleges and universities, the No. 2 statewide official is again asking lawmakers for a boost in his budget.

In testimony Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Mike Parson said he wants a $50,000 increase in his office budget to hire a driver to help him traverse the state.

“I don’t have anybody to help drive,” Parson said. “The state of Missouri is a big state. It takes a lot to travel.”

Parson, a former state senator from Bolivar, said he traveled to 150 destinations in the state in his first year as the state’s lieutenant governor.

Travel records show he was reimbursed $4,622 in mileage expenses last year, the most of any statewide elected official.

Parson recently returned from a two-day trip to Hawaii to welcome the USS Missouri, a nuclear submarine, to Pearl Harbor. The trip was paid for with private funds.

The request for more money in his $541,000 budget is smaller than what he wanted last year. During budget negotiations in 2017, the House budget plan gave him the added cash, but it was carved out by the Senate.

• Greitens hopes $800 million in tax cuts will turbocharge the Missouri economy

• Explore salaries in the lieutenant governor’s office

• Top GOP leaders ready to drop portions of governor’s budget plan

Two weeks ago, Greitens unveiled a $28.7 billion budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1. In order to balance sluggish revenue growth against rising costs in other parts of state government, the governor called for nearly $70 million in cuts to higher education.

The lieutenant governor, with a salary of about $86,600, is the lowest-paid of Missouri’s statewide elected officials and has the smallest staff.

In addition to added money for a driver, Parson is asking for funding to pay for legal assistance.

Among the tasks his office undertook in 2017 was an eight-month investigation of the St. Louis Veterans Home. He said his staff could have used some legal advice while dealing with the probe of the troubled nursing facility.

“We don’t have anybody on legal staff at all,” Parson said.

The House and Senate are working toward a May deadline to send Greitens a spending plan.

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/missouri-s-lieutenant-governor-wants-a-personal-driver/article_9b8ecf04-6c77-5d99-ac45-3c6b92f852cd.html

Concerts Coming to STL in 2018

Go into the new year with a plan to get out and do fun things!  Concerts are a great thing to do with friends or family that provide fun memories.  If you don’t know which artists and bands are coming to St. Louis in 2018, check out the article below!

A peek at 12 must-see St. Louis concerts in 2018

By Kevin C. Johnson St. Louis Post-Dispatch Dec 29, 2017

Here are a few must-see shows from the long list of concerts coming to town in 2018:

U2

U2. Photo by Will Heath/NBC

8 p.m. May 4 at Scottrade Center ($41-$425, livenation.com) • The cancellation of U2’s September show at the Dome at the America’s Center was followed just two months later by news of a new U2 tour. Two major differences: The show will come to Scottrade, and instead of “The Joshua Tree Tour,” U2 fans will get the “eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018.”

Kenny Chesney •5 p.m. July 21 at Busch Stadium ($63.50-$259.50, cardinals.com/chesney) • Busch Stadium hasn’t hosted country music — until now. Country superstar Kenny Chesney’s “Trip Around the Sun Tour” comes to the ballpark with Thomas Rhett, Old Dominion and Brandon Lay.

Sam Smith

Sam Smith

8 p.m. Aug. 17 at Chaifetz Arena ($48-$125, ticketmaster.com) • Sam Smith’s mopey love songs again will fill Chaifetz Arena, this time for his “The Thrill of It All Tour.” Given how quickly acts catapult into larger venues these days, it’s surprising Smith is making a second appearance at Chaifetz.

Taylor Swift

7 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Dome at America’s Center ($46-$496, ticketmaster.com) • Are you ready for it? Taylor Swift descends upon the Dome at America’s Center in the fall with her “Reputation” stadium tour.

Lorde

7 p.m. March 2 at Chaifetz Arena ($49.50-$99.50, ticketmaster.com) • Lorde brings her “Melodrama” album and more to Chaifetz Arena in a real get for the venue. We wouldn’t have predicted Run the Jewels in the opening slot if given a hundred guesses, but we love it.

Tiffany Haddish

This image released by Universal Pictures shows Tiffany Haddish in a scene from “Girls Trip.” Haddish stole the whole of “Girls Trip” right out from under her more famous counterparts as the bawdy, take-no-prisoners Dina. (Michele K. Short/Universal Pictures via AP)

7 and 10 p.m. Jan. 26 at the Pageant ($45-$55, ticketmaster.com) • Despite her time on NBC’s “The Carmichael Show,” most of the world didn’t know Tiffany Haddish before her breakout role in “Girls Trip.” But the movie has made her the talk of some awards circles.

Ed Sheeran • 7 p.m. Sept. 6 at Busch Stadium ($39-$119, cardinals.com/sheeran) • The cancellation of September’s sold-out Ed Sheeran concert at Scottrade Center was a big blow; little did fans know at the time that the star was on the verge of announcing his 2018 stadium tour, which includes a show at Busch.

Trevor Noah • 7:30 p.m. May 11 at the Peabody Opera House ($42-$92, ticketmaster.com) • Following a sold-out show in April at the Touhill Performing Arts Center, “Daily Show” host Trevor Noah is back for more laughs and insight.

Jethro Tull • 8 p.m. June 19 at the Fox Theatre ($35-$195, metrotix.com) • In February, Jethro Tull celebrates 50 years together. The legendary group released its debut album, “This Was,” in 1968. The anniversary tour promises “surprise virtual guests.”

The Killers • 8 p.m. Jan. 19 at Chaifetz Arena ($25-$95, ticketmaster.com) • Rock band the Killers will jumpstart the 2018 concert season with its “Wonderful Wonderful Tour” with Alex Cameron. In addition to its “Wonderful Wonderful” album, the band also recently re-released four albums on vinyl.

Big K.R.I.T. and Ty Dolla $ign • 8 p.m March 16 ($25-$125, ticketfly.com) and 8 p.m. March 10 ($29.50-$35, ticketfly.com) at the Ready Room • These two shows are bound to go down as hip-hop highlights. Big K.R.I.T.’s new album includes contributions from T.I., Jill Scott, Bun B, Bilal, Keyon Harrold and others; his “Heavy is the Crown” tour features rapper Cyhi the Prynce. Ty Dolla $ign’s new album is “Beach House 3,” featuring Pharrell Williams, Lil Wayne, Tory Lanez, YG, Wiz Khalifa, Future and more.

Pink • 7:30 p.m. March 14 at Scottrade Center (sold out, ticketmaster.com) • Here’s what we know about Pink’s “Beautiful Trauma World Tour”: She’s going to do a lot of high-flying stunts while belting out her hits. It wouldn’t be a Pink tour without that. Pink’s latest album is “Beautiful Trauma,” which includes “What About Us” and “Whatever You Want.”

 

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/kevin-johnson/a-peek-at-must-see-st-louis-concerts-in/article_30d5d1a5-85be-55fc-a251-531f8e8151c8.html

Foodies Should Visit St. Louis!

St. Louis was recently ranked at #17 on the “most exciting food cities in America” list!  We think that that is something worth sharing because St. Louis is typically not thought of when considering foodie-worthy cities.  Check out the article below that explains how we got on the list, and mentions some restaurants worth visiting.

Yes Indeed, St. Louis Is One of the Most Exciting Food Cities in the U.S.

Posted By on Thu, Dec 21, 2017 at 6:55 AM

Mabel Suen

Hi-Point Drive-In: monstrously good.

The national buzz just keeps coming for the St. Louis food scene — now Zagat thinks we’re awesome too.

In a roundup of the 30 “most exciting food cities in America,” the Google-owned site placed St. Louis at No. 17 — ahead of heavyweights Minneapolis and Nashville and just two spots behind New York City. Hot damn!

Writes Zagat,

This year, chefs in The Gateway City prove there’s no place like home. Vicia — the year’s biggest opening and a Bon Appétit best new restaurants finalist — brought chef Michael Gallina (previously Blue Hill at Stone Barns) back to his hometown, and NYC’s Danny Meyer makes a homecoming of his own with the opening of the state’s first Shake Shack.

The item also praises Balkan Treat Box, Guerrilla Street Food, Nudo House, Nixta, Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Mac’s Local Eats (all of them the recipients of raves from the RFT, thank you very much).

And special mention goes to chef Mike Randolph, the only chef with two spots to make the list, along with newcomer Logan Ely: “Local chefs are working to present elevated concepts in an accessible way, like Privado from chef Mike Randolph (Público, James Beard semifinalist), serving intimate tasting menu dinners twice a week, and Square1 Project, a pop-up concept at a secret location from St. Louis native Logan Ely.” Yay, team!

It’s worth noting that many of the same places were also featured in Food & Wine‘s recent plug, which argued that the St. Louis restaurant scene is “seriously good right now.” If the national experts keep saying it enough, do you think all those nattering nabobs lurking in local comment sections might finally start believe it? Hey, a civic booster can dream!

We welcome tips and feedback. Email the author at sarah.fenske@riverfronttimes.com

 

Source: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/foodblog/2017/12/21/yes-indeed-st-louis-is-one-of-the-most-exciting-food-cities-in-the-us