Meet St. Louis

A long-time music venue in The Grove neighborhood is back. Atomic Cowboy shuttered during the pandemic, but new life and new music is happening inside, thanks in part to Drew Jameson. Drew joined us on this week’s episode of the podcast to talk about his life in the music industry locally and across the country. His passion for music started young, and it brought him back to his hometown of St. Louis where he started Jamo Presents, an independent concert promotor. Bringing musicians and bands of all sizes to venues across town, he knew there was a need for smaller venues. So he decided Atomic needed to make a comeback. We talk about the ins and the outs of the music business here in St Louis and what the future holds for St. Louis popular entertainment district The Grove.

Imagine being a kid in a candy store. That was Dan Abel Jr’s real-life childhood. His father, Dan Abel, started Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate in 1981. The name was for his three children. Now those children are part of the 2nd generation running the business. A business that has grown in recent years after they purchased legendary chocolate company Bissingers in 2019. A sweet partnership in St. Louis. We sat down with Dan Abel Jr. to talk about it all. From the ins and the outs of the candy business to the expansion coming down the road and, of course, the favorite items you love.

It’s year two of St. Louis CITY SC and they continue to bring a fan experience beyond the game. We will let the sports folks dive into the wins, losses and ties.

Instead, we’re focusing on the fan experience, food and more in this week’s episode. We sat down with Matt Sebek, the team’s Chief Experience Officer to dive into how year two differed from the incredible inaugural season and what’s to come. New partnerships, increased efforts to make the game and team more accessible to all fans and a bit of a battle of the BBQ between CITY SC and rivals Sporting KC.

For a deep dive into the food and flavors at CITY Park, take a listen to Ep. 208 where we introduce you to some of the chefs behind the restaurants including Gerard Craft, Steve Ewing and more.

We can’t all hop on a plane and head to Hawaii when the craving for authentic poke calls but you can make the drive to the Tower Grove East neighborhood of St. Louis City and find a pretty great alternative. That was the entire goal behind Buzz’s Hawaiian. Thomas Moore, better known to everyone as Buzz, started with a food truck after retiring from a career in aviation. After moving back to St. Louis after years in Hawaii, he missed the food of the islands. He shares the story behind the business, which has expanded to a brick-and-mortar restaurant, including the can’t miss items on the menu that will have you taking a vacation via your taste buds.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 145th season this month, and this week on the podcast, we sat down with Music Director Stéphane Denève. This season is a bit unique as it’s a nomadic season, and historic Powell Hall is undergoing a major expansion and renovation. Stéphane shares his excitement for the upcoming season, which includes shows for everyone, including movie lovers, families and kids, and the most enthusiastic symphony fans.

The season kicks off with their free concert in Forest Park on September 19. For more information and the full schedule of shows for the season, visit slso.org and if you haven’t seen the renderings for the future of Powell Hall, head to our Meet St. Louis Instagram and Facebook pages.

Located in West County, The Wolf is a neighborhood gathering spot serving up organic food with a heavy focus on sustainability. It's the kind of place owners Bob and Denise Birbin want to visit, which is why they created a restaurant they felt was missing in their community. The two met in the restaurant industry in 1978, and when they got the chance to take over The Wolf, they only wanted to do it if it could be exactly what they wanted in a restaurant. It's become a staple in Ballwin, known for their healthy options, but it's much more than a lunch spot. It's a pizza spot, a place to see live music and a spot to sneak away for a late-night bite or drink in their lounge area.

With two locations, both in residential areas, Sasha’s Wine Bars are your quintessential neighborhood spot. A lengthy but approachable wine list is what makes it such a popular place. We sat down with owner Alexandra Richman, also known as Sasha, as well as the restaurant groups program coordinator Denise Mueller to talk all about wine and community. From their location in Clayton Demun to the St. Louis City Shaw neighborhood, both restaurants offer a little something for everyone, and that’s always been their goal to make everyone feel welcome and to learn to enjoy a great glass of wine.

If you’re a fan of breakfast all day, stick around because we have an interview for you. UKRAFT started as a food truck and has since evolved to restaurants in Chesterfield and Downtown St. Louis. Their newly expanded and much larger Downtown location is where we sat down with co-owner Matt Ratz to talk about the concept, their growth and the love of creating a space for locals and tourists to grab a bite.

The new Downtown location is open at Peabody Plaza Mon-Friday 7 a.m.-3 p.m., and weekends, 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

St. Louis is full of great breweries. We’ve taken you behind the scenes of most of them here on the Meet St Louis Podcast, sharing the brewing secrets, the collaborations and the camaraderie. This week we headed up to North St. Louis County to sit down with Robb Wiesen at Ferguson Brewing Company. Robb took over as owner a few years ago but has been with the brewery since they opened their doors in 2010.

The brewery has been through some tough times, including protests and unrest in the Ferguson community and a bad fire, but through it all, they’ve stood fast as more than just a brewery but a community gathering spot. We sat down with Robb during the busy lunch hour to talk about 14 years in business.

This week we’re taking you inside one of our city’s greatest treasures: The St. Louis Zoo. Established in 1910 the zoo holds a special place in the hearts of locals and visitors. It started with the giant birdcage and has grown decade after decade, and the growth continues. With new animals, new exhibits and soon a new park in North St Louis County, we sat down with Zoo Director Michael Macek and Director of Conservation Education Jared Bixby to get the inside scoop of our beloved attraction.