Gillespie
Gillespie, IL · Local Life
townandstyle.com
Talk of the Towns: 2.18.26
Grand south grand / frontenac | Journalists across the metro have covered the debut and/or demise of countless eateries, but only I can tell you of the demise of one dear to my stomach and the resurrection of another within the last month: RIP, Canyon Café at Plaza Frontenac, and welcome back with a wide-open mouth to classic Persian cuisine at the Gin Room, formerly Café Natasha, 3200 South Grand Blvd., just southeast of Tower Grove Park! Café Natasha was founded in 2001 by Hamishe Bahrami and her late husband, Behshid, and named after their daughter, Natasha. Hamishe came out of retirement and is again cooking and presenting her Persian dishes at the Gin Room, working alongside Natasha as a mother-daughter team. When I lived in Tower Grove East from 2010 to 2015, it was a favorite walk-to culinary destination that I introduced to many friends and my second wife, Cate, with great enthusiasm. Shish kebab, ooh la la! Once I became a U. City resident with a salmon aficionado for my better half, Canyon Café was a short hop from Delmar to the Plaza Frontenac for her frequent must-have: the lemon salmon. The half-pound bacon cheeseburger from there was more than enough to satisfy my incessant urge for a big hunk of charbroiled beef, its bun baked with shreds of jalapeno and other hot peppers right inside, like nothing else east of New Mexico. Alas, the torches outside the restaurant had been extinguished for good as of Jan. 25.
5 On Your Side
Historic club where legends took the stage now facing demolition
stlmag.com
Best croissants in St. Louis
WIth so many excellent bakeries in St. Louis proper, you might wonder if the drive to Blackbird Bakery and Cafe in Staunton, Illinois is worth it. One bite of its excellent, beautifully layered pain au chocolate and you understand the answer is an emphatic “yes.” If you’re more of a savory person, this family-owned scratch bakery also offers an excellent ham and swiss croissant. 123 East Main, Staunton, IL.
stlmag.com
Expert tips for elevating your coffee at home
Bonnie Mann may be the founder and producer of St. Louis Coffee Fest, but when it comes to brewing coffee at home, she insists she’s an average Joe. “I can produce a great event, but I’m no coffee scientist,” Mann says with a laugh. “But I have seen that there is a trend right now with people making coffee at home, not only because it is expensive to go out but because there are so many resources to make better coffee at home.”
Broadway World
Steve Martin & Martin Short to Perform at The Fabulous Fox
The Best of Steve Martin and Martin Short Tour featuring Jeff Babko and Steep Canyon Rangers will come to The Fabulous Fox in St. Louis on Saturday, October 10 at 8:00 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, February 27 at 10:00 a.m. The Best of Steve Martin & Martin Short...
kshe95.com
Michelle Villmer from Union, MO joined the Real Rock Army today!
Listening to KSHE makes Michelle happy and she enjoys the on-air personalities and their interactions with callers. She especially appreciates A.D. Rowntree, as she was also raised in the U.K., so she sometimes catches him saying little phrases that she hasn’t heard in a long time. Michelle thinks she...
5 On Your Side
MassageLuXe franchisees sue after franchisor shuts down three St. Louis spas
ST. LOUIS — Three St. Louis‑area MassageLuXe franchise operators filed suit Friday accusing the spa chain’s franchisor of abruptly terminating their agreements late Thursday and crippling their business operations. In a filing Friday in St. Louis County Circuit Court, ABTB ML Kirkwood LLC, T & E LLC...
stlmag.com
Inside St. Louis’ sake boom with Darryl Vennard
If your idea of sake has anything to do with shots of warm, rocket-fuel tasting beverage at a hibachi restaurant or sake bombs at the frat house, Darryl Vennard has news for you. For 25 years, the longtime wine and spirits professional has been setting the scene for a sake boom in St. Louis that has really taken off since 2020. In this episode of Arch Eats, George and Cheryl get the inside scoop on this surprisingly healthy beverage that is showing up on drink menus beyond the area’s Japanese restaurants thanks to its food-friendly characteristics. They also dispel several myths, including the notion that sake must be served warm. Whether you’re a sake aficionado or a curious newcomer, you’ll walk away with a newfound appreciation for this multifaceted beverage. Listen and follow Arch Eats on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever podcasts are available.
laduenews.com
Emily Rauh Pulitzer curates anniversary exhibition as Pulitzer Arts Foundation turns 25
See into the past – and the future – as the Pulitzer Arts Foundation marks its 25th anniversary with a landmark exhibition. “Dialogues & Conversations,” running from March 6 to Aug. 9 at the lauded museum in Grand Center Arts District, is sourced from Foundation founder and board chair Emily Rauh Pulitzer’s own collection assembled with her late husband, Joseph Pulitzer Jr., and independently.
familydestinationsguide.com
The Best Hash Browns In Missouri Are Hiding Inside This Legendary Diner
Sometimes the most extraordinary culinary treasures are hiding in plain sight, sizzling away on well-seasoned griddles that have been turning out breakfast perfection for decades. At Courtesy Diner in St. Louis, those treasures take the form of what might just be Missouri’s most magnificent hash browns. Golden, crispy, and...
KICK AM 1530
Is This the Best Stadium Food in Missouri?
Part of the fun of going to a St. Louis City SC match is taking a lap around the concourse to make food decisions for pregame and halftime. The St. Louis MLS soccer team has elevated the pro sports food game in the Gateway City since beginning play in 2023 with local favorites from across town lined up in one place. For 2026, there are some nice additions to the food choices at Energizer Park.
unewsonline.com
‘The Mousetrap’ invites intrigue to the stage
Saint Louis University’s theater students are nailing down lines and sharpening their knives for upcoming performances of “The Mousetrap” on Feb. 26–March 1 in Xavier Hall. “The Mousetrap” is the only play written by famed mystery novelist Agatha Christie. The play follows newlyweds Mollie and Giles...
artdaily.com
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents its spring/summer exhibitions
ST. LOUIS, MO.- The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis presents the exhibitions featured in our spring/summer 2026 season, on view March 6–August 9, 2026. And I Saw New Heavens and a New Earth: The Partnership, Art, and Activism of Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore. Claude Cahun (b. Lucy Renee...
myleaderpaper.com
Foundation forms to open music museum, theater, program in De Soto
Local businessman Jim Thomas purchased the former First Baptist Church of De Soto campus more recently known as the De Soto Community Center in December, and he has big plans. Thomas, a 1983 De Soto graduate, has led the charge to bring an Amtrak stop to town, and is known as the man behind the town’s Frank Wilcox Festival and the 12-year-running Mel Bay Jazz Festival.