Two Cents’ Worth

  • Memory Lane: Elsah Landing

    One of my favorite restaurants ever, I came to love Elsah Landing, and indeed the lovely little village of Elsah, totally by accident. My then-husband showed it to me on a drive up to meet his family not too long after we met. Many years later, after a remarkably calm divorce, I would drive the

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  • Flashback: Balaban’s on Euclid

    One of the original members of Joe's Class of '72, the restaurants that he said changed St. Louis dining, Balaban's started hot and stayed that way.  Probably my strongest memories of it come from the sleep-hungry hours after working an overnight shift in an ICU at Barnes. Sometimes one of my colleagues and I would

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  • St. Louis’ Caffeine Love

    Looking for something to do this weekend? Or, better, to escape to during the week? There's a new exhibit at the Missouri History Museum that calls to people like us.  How did St. Louis get so wrapped up in the coffee trade?  The ladies in the picture in the left certainly look pleased with what

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  • Flashback: Riddle’s Penultimate

    How many stories are there about Riddle's? One Sunday night in late November of 1994, I had my wedding supper (the wonderful shiitake mushrooms) there. Alone. Joe was in the hospital recovering from emergency life-saving surgery and we moved the date of our planned nuptials up so I could take advantage of the then-new Family

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  • Anthony’s – The First One

    St. Louis has never had a restaurant more elegant for its time than the original Anthony's. The French sibling of Tony's, it was lush and intimate and left clients feeling as coddled as if they were on eiderdown. Here's a little more about it. And I certainly remember a particular romantic lunch, but that's another story. 

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  • The Parkmoor

    Not having grown up in St. Louis, I only occasionally encountered the Parkmoor until someone put me onto their onion rings tragically late in the history of this St. Louis standard.  But the people that loved really loved it, apparently. Somewhere out there, there surely are car hops with great stories.  In the meanwhile here's this, and

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  • Donuts!

    Free Donuts (their spelling, not mine) on Friday at Jazz at the Bistro. Fifteen different providers with offerings. I'm one of the judges. Drop by when you get up or on your way to work or even on your way to bed. 

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  • Two Cents Plain

    Oh, the stories this place could tell. Or Jack Carl could tell if he'd chosen to. Both in its Gaslight Square and downtown incarnations, there was just something about it…. That was Jack Carl's Two Cents Plain

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  • What’s Up?

    Relative radio silence here is related to a new baby in the family and a college graduation. Things should get back to perking soon. In the meanwhile, I've got some stuff here in the St. Louis Magazine Food Lovers Guide. And there's about to be discussion of a jazz bar. So stay tuned, please.

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  • Flashback: The Sunshine Inn

    It was the first place I ever ate chocolate mousse. the first place I ever ate sunflower seeds. The former picky eater actually scarfed down the date nut bread. It was the Sunshine Inn on South Euclid. Another RIP, to be sure, but what we all learned from it… Here's the Memory Lane piece from

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