More Words on the St. Louis Bar Scene

Openings and Closings

* The swank rat pack themed bar/restaurant the Summit downtown has been bought out and will soon close. Booo! Sources say that the place had a bit of a fire after it was shuttered.

* Colorado, the former midtown restaurant and bar by the SLU fortress has reopened their new space aptly called Space. It is on the Hill right by the recently reopened Rigazzi's and has really cool signs. Look for it as you go on the southbound rail overpass on Kingshighway.

* Riley's on Arsenal and Arkansas is still not open! This is a surefire popular place if it is done right. And if it ever opens.

* Mississippi Nights is still open!

* Nadine's stealthily took the place of the old school dive bar Ted and Judy's in Soulard.

* Bosnian Inn Closed at Hampton and Chippewa and is now a sports bar with clover leafs in the sign. It is nice to see that it still has an ethnic touch.

* International Sports bar on Cherokee and Gravois seems to be open-- no... closed, no... open. Okay, the hours seem irregular.

* The recently opened Stardust on Wash Ave. has now bitten the dust. And so goes the inane dance club cycle.

* Disco club/restaurant Z still open and operating despite persistent rumors. For the record, the Z property is not owned by real estate mogul Pete Rothchild. He is a part investor in the business, not the landlord, who is actually Pablo Weiss. Z is also starting to book bands that are not named Dr. Zhivegas. They have not been exactly going wild with their new lineups, but to their credit they have occasionally gone outside of the safe zone in booking.

* Bistro Europa has closed, but the word is that the Jazz series in the space will continue. The Bistro Europa, owned by high end catering company Ces and Judy's, was the restaurant half of this Midtown restaurant and jazz club.

What's new

* SLU looked into the Firehouse space as a performance space. Lets hope they try to get someone in there that knows the scene and reopens it for its full use.

* Food in the bars? Sushi is the food of the moment, especially at the hipster bars. My hope is that it will get as popular as the hot dog. Carry out sushi has been spotted at the CWE Straub's, Schnucks La La on Clayton and Wild Oats, but it is now being seen (thank God!) at some bars in town such as the newly opened Jade Room on South Grand, the Kitchen in Ladue, Rue 13 on Wash Ave, Miso in Clayton and the Sheraton in Clayton. Hopefully someday sushi will be as available at bars as beer nuts. Well, maybe not in my lifetime, but someday.

* The West County high end Bevo knockoff Schneithorst is supposed to be "the" place to go on a Sat nite with a parking space not to be found in the lot and the second floor patio filled to over capacity.

* The hometown hero and singer Jeannie Trevor who was a regular performer at the now defunct Summit apparently has had heart trouble that sent her to the hospital to undergo surgery.

Ch-ch-changes

* The controversial new alignment of the wards may throw off all the restrictions placed on the liquor licenses in the new wards. The 18 law is still in contention. The Creepy has a "cage" for the the adults at the bar while some of the others don't like the Rocket. Not all the dance clubs have yet to change back to the supposed self imposed ban on allowing the 20 year olds to mingle with the kids just months older.

* The no booze kid club collective Centro Sociale on the Hill has officially reopened as the Tin Ceiling. It is just as punk rock, and now has more live theater.

* The exclusive hip stir fry Hungry Buddha on Wash Ave. had briefly extended into evening hours on the weekends, but they unfortunately changed their minds and are back to only lunch.

* Hopefully this trend will continue on: Beer and wine at the movies at the Chase Park Plaza. Then again, what would the fights be like at the Ronnie's Theater parking lot if they were to serve beer there? I am willing to take my chances at the wet theater in the West End.

* There is a most mysterious looking "private club" on north Taylor south of Doctor King Drive. Does anyone know what that is? There are cars lined up and down the street on late Saturday nights.

Word on Wash Ave

The Wash Ave curse continues-

* The ever so long streetscape improvements continue to block off this major street between 15th and 17th, although it doesn't stop some motorists. It will be all out hell when they try to do this between 14th and Tucker. Say it ain't so.

* The monthly Webster Film series at Beatnik Bob's in City Museum has had continued success with a wide cross section of folks coming to see these off beat B films. This funky wet bar with corn dogs has had showings of actual films for a modest entry fee. This could easily be a weekly thing.

* Young entrepreneurial types are still seen scribbling down #s on all the buildings in the area. Now if those speculators will actually sell some of those properties at a reasonable price...

* Charlie Santagello's hip Wash Ave. convenience store, The Bodega, closed down. Now the well off loft dwellers will have to gut it out at the not nearly as hip 7-11 like everyone else to buy their booze and essentials. Word is that jacked up rent by speculators killed this much needed store. And so the cart continues to be put in front of the horse.

* A video wall has been installed inside the AD Brown building at the intersection of Tucker and Washington Avenue. Various pieces are being shown 24/7 of film makers and video artists to passing business people and club goers.

* Art XI skipped a month over the summer, but it continues to be a very popular active art opening by working artists on Washington Avenue. This is a place to be seen and a place to get a cheap beer before, or instead of, frolicking at the clubs.