Ann Lemons Pollack

  • A pretty quiet time of the year for theatre openings, and much of what I'm writing about food is going to St. Louis magazine. But here's this from their blog – maybe not so much resolutions as a wish list. https://www.stlmag.com/dining/dining-critic-ann-lemons-pollacks-wish-list-for-2018/

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  • Bacon Potato Bites

    We’re now getting into the party season and that brings up the frequent question – whether to others or our own internal dialogue – of what should I bring? The sweets are everywhere this time of year, but as much as I like to do pastry-type stuff, sometimes a change of pace is welcome. I

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  • Remnant

    A somewhat more subtle message about the meaning of Christmas comes from Remnant, the holiday offering of Mustard Seed Theatre. In the play, by Ron Reed, it’s 75 years into the future after some sort of plague, whether literal or figurative, has swept North America. We find Barlow Sho’r (Ryan Lawson-Maeske) and his wife Delmar

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  • A Jewish Joke

    In the years after World War II, there was a lot of Jewish humor. People in small towns in the Midwest heard words like schmaltz and saw The Goldbergs on television, to say nothing of late-night shows with Borscht Belt comedians. Television was, even more than movies, a precursor to the internet in that it provided a way to

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  • A Behanding in Spokane

    St. Louis Actors’ Studio’s newest offering is in its tradition of off-kilter shows. Artistic Director William Roth obviously has a taste for work that’s absurdist or close to it, and it’s come to be something regular audiences at SLAS expect. A Behanding in Spokane fits right into that. The uninitiated might expect from the title

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  • Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley

    There’s a delightfully good time being had at the Rep this month. How so? Let me explain We live in an era in which Jane Austen has once again become popular. For the young, in particular, that’s a good thing, reading fiction that’s so well done and learning (whether by print or film) that the

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  • Steel Magnolias

    Steel Magnolias isn’t your usual holiday play. But as Stray Dog Theatre’s artistic director said opening night about the play he directed, “It’s about closeness, it’s about celebration, it’s about family, both blood and chosen. And isn’t that what the holidays are, really?” He’s right, of course. And why shouldn’t a play set in Chinquapin,

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  • Brunch: Polite Society

    It’s always pleasing to find a good brunch served on both Saturday and Sunday. It’s even better when it’s a menu that goes beyond the expected. I understand there are folks out there whose constitutions are so delicate – or strong-willed – that they do not take morning food beyond the well-beaten paths of American

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  • The King and I

    The Fox has kicked off the holiday season with – well, not quite a bang, but the sound of a gong being struck, thanks to its production of The King and I. This is the Lincoln Center production that won a Tony in 2015 for Best Revival. “Revival” hardly begins to describe it. It’s a

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  • Brunch: Frazer’s

    Recover from the rigors of Black Friday with brunch at Frazer's on Saturday. No outside dining this week, I'm sure, but it's nice and sunny to go with your mimosa. Here's what I said about it on the St. Louis Mag's Dining blog. And may all your turkeys be bright!  

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