TOWN TALK
k l a t OF THE TOWNS by bill beggs jr.
u. city
Unless you’ve got a jones for BBQ and bourbon at Salt + Smoke or a pub experience unlike any other at Blueberry Hill, a certain section of the Delmar Loop isn’t the only spot to dine out in U. City. Of course, there’s a limitless lode of Asian restaurants along Olive on the northside of town. But go west, and just past McKnight as you enter the Costco ‘neighborhood,’ and you’ll find a new chain restaurant seems to open every day. We’ll argue that the chicken fingers served at Raising Cane’s are a religious experience—both crispy and tender, I’m sure they make a darn good sandwich. The efficient, very personable ‘NRO’—new restaurant opening—crew was there from
Texas for a few days to handle the grand-opening a couple weeks ago. Be still, my heart (and arteries)! Thank goodness a brand-new Panera just opened next door to Cane’s, so anyone so inclined can add greens to their diet. There’s a Chipotle out there now, and heaven knows what sort of destination eateries are in store at the hotel property or properties under development. (An observation: We’re just about Applebee’s-ed out around here, thanks.) Two of the businesses sacrificed when earth was moved and strip malls demolished were a Vietnamese bistro and a doc-in-the-box, I mean urgent-care clinic. No worries. A few miles to the southeast, a somewhat quaint slice of Tuscany was razed for a new urgent care at Old Bonhomme and Delmar. The one-time Rich & Charlie’s-cum-Pasta House moved into a spot in Ladue Marketplace. But it appears as though anyone waiting for the next brand-new urgent care that took the place of everyone’s nearly favorite Italian place will still have to wait awhile. Total Access Urgent Care is to occupy the new building that has stood there, completed and without signage, for months. A city official acknowledges that ‘it’s been there for a minute,’ but had no information regarding when it would be open for business. Meanwhile, the landscaping looks great.
BILL BEGGS JR. HAS WORN MANY HATS AT NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES AND IN MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS SINCE BEFORE THE ERA OF THE FLOPPY DISC. NOW HE JUST WEARS A HAT TO KEEP HIS BALD SPOT FROM GETTING SUNBURNT. YOU CAN REACH HIM AT WRTRS.BLCK@GMAIL.COM
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| OCTOBER 18, 2023
hi-pointe
The new permanent home of the St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF), Nov. 9 through Nov. 19, is just about as close to the city’s border in the county as you can get: Hi-Pointe Theatre, 1005 McCausland Ave. Films also will be shown, and events held, at Washington and Webster universities, Alamo Drafthouse, and even in St. Charles County, which lends just a little international flava to our border-conscious metro. SLIFF’s 32nd annual screenings and discussions, both formal and informal, will begin with a celebration: At the opening night party Nov. 9 at the Hi-Pointe, the fest will tip a glass to “50 Years of Hip-Hop in St. Louis,” as explored through both film and music. The festivities include a tribute to the Hi-Pointe Café’s pivotal role in shaping the genre’s evolution, showcasing the Lou’s significant influence. (IMHO: If you’ve never heard Ebony Eyez, at the very least, you’re missing out.) Attendees will be treated to cocktails and conversation, plus a screening of the 1990 film House Party, directed by Reginald Hudlin of East St. Louis. Hudlin is slated to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award at the awards party on Sunday, Nov. 19. Didn’t we say international? Indeed, we did. Cannes award-winner La Passion de Dodin Bouffant (Taste of Things), France’s official submission for Best International Feature at the next Academy Awards in 2024, will screen Nov. 12 at the Hi-Pointe. Did we mention women in film, LGBTQ+ features, documentaries, shorts … and, gosh, anything else? Well, consider this merely a teaser for everything. For the whole nine, visit cinemastlouis.org/sliff/festival-home.
downtown west
The latest benefit concert for Gratitude House, the first women’s sober-living home planned in St. Louis County, is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 4, at Red Flag in Downtown West. Not familiar with the Jason Nelson Band? Well, they deliver a fantastic tribute to Queen, the beloved art-rock band that recorded songs as diverse as “Another One Bites the Dust,” “We Will Rock You / We Are the Champions,” “You’re My Best Friend,” and “Somebody to Love.” Queen, dubbed classic rock by radio stations, is a little more complicated. It can be symphonic, but fans rock out, sing along and dance like there’s no tomorrow… sometimes all three in the same song. The bane of many a wedding D.J. is a group of well-oiled frat boys who insist on commandeering the microphone to shout and act out “Bohemian Rhapsody” in its entirety. This show is all for a good cause, of course. “We continue to be inspired by the generosity of St. Louisans,” says Christine Intagliata, Gratitude House co-founder. “We’re getting even closer to our goal of providing a safe residential setting for women in a supportive environment.” Gratitude House is to be established in 2024 as the response to a dire need for a dignified, comfortable sober-living home for women suffering from the disease of alcoholism, drug abuse and prescription pill abuse. For more info and tickets, visit gratitudehousestl.org.
TTvia tri ☛
WHAT SONG OPENS WITH THESE LYRICS? “She keeps Moët et Chandon / In her pretty cabinet / ‘Let them eat cake,’ she says / Just like Marie Antoinette…” And who wrote it?
LAST ISSUE’S Q&A What happened in the Philippines in December 1898? On July 4, 1946? In December 1898, following the end of the SpanishAmerican War that August, Spain ceded control of the Philippines and several other ‘possessions’ to the United States. Then, on July 4, 1946—170 years to the day after our 13 colonies declared independence from British rule—the archipelago declared its own independence.