Ann Lemons Pollack

  • Molly’s Hammer

    "Molly's Hammer" opened this past weekend at the Rep Studio. Like "Georama", also seen on that stage earlier this season, it's a product of the Rep's Ignite! New Play Festival. And like two other plays at the Rep this season, those on the Mainstage, it's essentially a political play. That's a good thing, on the

    read more

  • Reeds American Table

    Restaurant fiends like me know about cursed locations, spots that, no matter who opens what kind of eatery, cannot sustain a successful restaurant. But after eating at Reeds American Table I have begun to consider that theory's opposite: The blessed location. Reeds had rather a lot to live up to in the site of the

    read more

  • A Few Words About Joe

    Today marks four years since Joe Pollack left us. His influence remains, far beyond here at Chez Pollack. Lynn Venhaus, on behalf of the St. Louis Film Critics Association, sent me the following:   The St. Louis Film Critics Association has received the engraved plaque that they wanted to honor their esteemed colleagues Joe Pollack

    read more

  • Breaking News. And Eggs.

    Big news in the world of Morning Food. Imo's has added a breakfast pizza. It's eggs, bacon, sausage and cheese, plus whatever add-ons the eater chooses. It will be available at any hour – at least at any hour your Imo's is open, so I'm thinking having it for an 8 a.m. meeting won't be

    read more

  • American Idiot

    Every generation seems to have to go through spasms of rejecting society. That rejection creates not only societal tension, it also creates art. That brings us to New Line Theatre's St. Louis debut of American Idiot. Based on the Green Day album of the same name, it's a rock opera, three young men (always men…have

    read more

  • Flashback: Rossino’s

    Watch and don't hit your head on those pipes — it's dark in here! And the pizza – why is it in a rectangle? It's Rossino's. Or it was.And once home of the stars.

    read more

  • LoRusso’s on Grand

    Visitors to Grand Center are perpetually in search of dinner sites, places where they can park once for the entire evening. We're going to investigate a few new ones, starting with LoRusso's on Grand. At the northwest corner of Grand and Washington, Rich LoRusso is serving an all-you-can-eat buffet on nights when there's action in

    read more

  • Beautiful – The Carole King Musical

    Is Top 40 music still inescapable any more? Even after I stopped listening to the stations that carried it, it seemed to be everywhere, mall shops, supermarkets, pouring out of cars at stoplights. Maybe it was easier then because lyrics were easier to hear. No matter the reason, it's something to think about as one

    read more

  • Cod Squad 2016

    One of the more interesting fish fry experiences I've had since I hit the Cod Trail a couple of years back came from a visit to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Ferguson. It's close to I-70 and the UMSL campus, and not nearly as crowded, at least on this visit, as some others I've hit.

    read more

  • Flashback: Busch’s Grove – the old one

    Certainly not a place I remember from my childhood – small town teachers' kids didn't frequent such establishments – but a keystone to some folks, Busch's Grove was a landmark. We're talking about the original, not the one with the Lalique door handles, of course. Here's a little bit about it from St. Louis Magazine's blog

    read more