St. Louis Artist Eric Nichols

Eric Nichols is one of those artists who is hard to classify. He's certainly an artists to be reckoned with across several mediums: watercolor, mixed media, sculpture, ceramics. His style is futuristic feeling, yet drawing inspiration from very organic sources.  Eric's is actively exhibiting his work at various Saint Louis area galleries. He's also been landing shows in Chicago and on the West Coast.

Check out more of his work online at: http://backwards-e.com/

Breakfast is Good at Allin's

I found myself at Allin's again this weekend enjoying a large plate of eggs, hash browns, toast and coffee. Allin's is tucked out of the way, yet easy to access off I70(First Capitol near the Lindenwood campus). This is a cosy little joint where the photos of local patrons fill the walls. Most of the patrons live nearby. Great food and conversation draw them in. Homemade and made to order. While there are plenty of chain breakfast options nearby (Denny's, IHOP, Waffle House, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel), Allin's Diner you get a one of a kind local dining experience. Next time you're going to be in St. Charles stop in for a cup of coffee (the good stuff) and a stack of pancakes. I can only speak to breakfast as I have not had the opportunity to enjoy lunch. Word is it is equally delightful. They are typically closed for dinner.

Not So Incredible...But Still Fun

Our first visit to America's Incredible Pizza Company was on New Year's Eve 2006 in Springfield, MO. It was a fun diversion for the kids then...as it was for the kids today when we visited their location in St. Peters. A couple things to note if you are considering taking your kids (and you probably don't want to go if you don't have kids). First off, lower your expectations. You're not going for the food. If you go in with low expectations then you might be pleasantly surprised by the pizza and buffet fare. Go early, in fact I'd recommend going between 3-4 PM so you can take advantage of the lunch pricing. Also would recommend Fridays where you get an additional $10 in game credit for every $20 spent. We fed 10 people and $60 worth of game credits for our 4 kids for a total bill of around $100. Not bad. Our expectations were low. We had the place to ourselves. The kids had a blast riding go karts, manning the bumper cars and sampling the other games. All walked away with prizes from tickets won. And the adults had a good time as well. So to recap. The pizza's not incredible (if you want that hit Dewey's or Pi). The games are good and more diverse than say Chuck E Cheese. This doesn't have to break the bank (go early and take advantage of special food and game offers). You can have fun. However, if you stop by and the parking lot is packed...just drive away and come back another day.

Coffee Anyone?

Where I grab coffee in this city depends on how much time I have, how much money I've got in my wallet, and how out of the way I want to go to guarantee a good cup.

If I'm in St. Charles (home) it is usually a quad shot latte at Picasso's.

I try to avoid Crooked Tree's overcooked coffee.

Saint Charles Coffeehouse is good, but out of my way.
Same with Cappuccinos in O'Fallon (MO).

If I'm in the loop I grab a large cup of black goodness at Meshuggah's.

In Lafayette Square I'll go to Park Avenue.

In Benton Park it's the Mud House or Foam.

Soulard Coffee Garden is good.

I like Foundation Grounds on Manchester, but am rarely over that way.

Coffee Kartel is alright (in the Central West End).
Kayak's is alright (near Wash U. and Forest Park).

I'm not a huge Kaldi's fan (I've been to the Kirkwood and Chesterfield locations).
Nor am I a fan of BreadCos coffee.
[But will drink both if that's the only option.]

I am ok with Peet's...but there's just the Lumiere location.

Starbucks is a safe (if I must) default.
I actually thought the Starbucks in Webster was pretty nice...lots of space...lots of local flare.

There's a host of others I have yet to try.
Recommendations welcome.

Benton Park Cafe

The intersection of Lemp and Arsenal serves as a gateway to Benton Park and the Cherokee neighborhoods. It also is the intersection where you'll find Gus's Pretzels and Benton Park Café.

You'll find fresh-brewed coffee and breakfast served all day: overstuffed omelets, sweet pancakes, loaded burritos and scrumptious breakfast pizzas. And if you need a little spike in the coffee to warm you on a winters day, that’s available for you. Lunch and dinner fare are excellent as well.

If you come in on a regular basis you’ll get to know Jeremy, John, Jess, Eddy and the rest of staff. If frequent the Benton Park area you may find a neighbor or co-worker or local artist occupying a nearby stool or table.

The front dining room is dotted with photography, coffee carafes, and an array of cozy tables. The back dining room is a bit more homey with lights and trim. The kitchen is there too.

Thursday nights get a little loud as crowds gather to test their trivial wit and imbibe in a local brews: Budweiser (you can see the brewery out the front windows) and Schlafly (brewed not too far away).

Benton Park Café offers great breakfasts to start your morning; a convenient place to meet a friend for lunch and a homey space to gather with friends and family over dinner, drinks and appetizers.

Benton Park Café. 1900 Arsenal Street. Saint Louis. 314-771-7200

www.BentonParkCafe.com
 

Blanchette Park (Saint Charles, MO)

Blanchette represents St. Charles well. People of all colors, ages, economic strata. Baseball, swimming, tennis, horseshoes. A large playground. Memorial hall--where you'll find worship, weddings, pancake bakes, card games, family reunions, city meetings and so on. Boys and Girls club. Parks and rec. A beautiful English garden (pictured here) and more. Oh yeah...and one of St. Louis' best sledding hills is here as well.

Serendipity Ice Cream (Webster Groves, MO)

I was in the mood for ice cream.

My son was invited to go out for ice cream following his Jazz ensembles concert as Webster University. The location of choice was Serendipity Ice Cream.

The shop occupies a couple storefronts of the downtown strip. The main room houses the large ice cream cooler. (I wish they had a board of flavors. Maybe I missed that.)

Fortunately the Gold Coast chocolate caught my gaze. Black as midnight. And then a nearby bin of home swirled ice cream with big chunks of cherries in it. I decided the two would mix well in a malt. My one son had a banana ice cream malt. The other a strawberry-banana fruit smoothie. The three set us back $12. But it was worth it.

Very rich. But not so much that I would have needed one of the free lact-aids they offered at the register.

The second room is seating. Could be nicer. But worked well for my son and his friends.

Would definitely recommend if you're in this neck of the woods.