This week we are taking you to the heart of the holidays in our area – Main Street St. Charles. This year marks 50 seasons of holiday festivities where you can step into the history of Christmas. From characters to carolers, chestnuts and Santa, there’s a little bit of everything. But for the small businesses on Main Street it also makes the holidays especially merry as tens of thousands of people walk the cobblestones streets to finish up their gift buying. We sat down with Lydia Crespo, who owns Cozy Shop on Main Street, as well as Jack Frost (yes, the beloved holiday figure) to talk about the magic of the season and the importance of supporting local.

For dates and times of Christmas Traditions, check out their website www.discoverstcharles.com/events/christmas-traditions

Most days of the week you will find Diane and Mike Wood inside their bake shop, Trolley Stop Bakery in Chesterfield. Located in a strip mall, you hear the old-fashioned ding of the bell when you walk in, and you're greeted by the delicious smell of cookies. Mike greets customers while Diane takes charge in the kitchen. The couple could be living the retired life, but instead, they’re living out Diane’s dream of an old-fashioned bakery. And it all started with a love of baking cookies. Now she shares that knowledge with other bakers who use the kitchen as a co-op. From macarons by The Tipsy Goat and gourmet nuts by Pete’s Snack Shop, there’s something for everyone’s taste buds. Many local businesses have graduated to open their own shops; that’s always been the dream for Mike and Diane.

Open Tuesday – Sunday at 67 Forum Shopping Center, Chesterfield, Mo.

Tis the season to shop local, a motto more important than ever this holiday season. Many small businesses make up the bulk of their sales over the next few months, and Aaron Park, the owner of Arch Apparel, joined us to talk about building a business and growing it over the last decade. The streetwear inspired clothing brand started in 2016, one of the first to help people rock their love of St. Louis beyond a sports logo. We chat about the ups and downs of retail, the opening and closing of brick-and-mortar stores and how they’re working to continue to bring unique and innovative designs to your closet.

Shop Arch Apparel in person at their Ballpark Village store or online at archapparel.com

Located in Union, Missouri, Nobletons Distillery may only officially be nine years old. But the tradition of distilling goes back generations for Demetrius Cain and his family. They can trace the beginnings to 1575 with the start of distilling in 1824. If it wasn’t for prohibition, they never would have stopped. Demetrius shares his deep family history and knowledge of whiskey and spirits in this week’s episode. At Nobletons, they pride themselves on the idea of crafting something from ground to glass and have since expanded beyond whiskey to a lineup that includes vodka and gin.

You can visit the distillery in Union and even experience a tour to see the artistry of their craft for yourself. For more information: https://www.nobletons.com/

Like so many, Matt Longueville started his business as a passion project. STL Barkeep started small but has turned into one of the premier cocktail businesses in town. Crafting cocktails for events around town and at their bar, The Vandy, in the Grove neighborhood. That’s where we sat down for a conversation about spirits, the changing hospitality industry and the opening of his new bar in Webster Groves Off Elm.

Off Elm was set to open November 21 but due to construction delays the opening has been pushed back to November 26

If you walk down Euclid in the restaurant-filled Central West End, you might miss one of the city’s most popular new restaurants.

Mainlander is a bit hidden. Tucked away in an intimate space that transports you when you walk through the door. Chef Blake Askew and his partner Gordon Chen opened the restaurant in 2023, hoping to create an intimate dinner party vibe. With a prix fixe menu, they hope to take the decision-making out of the dining process and allow guests to sit back and enjoy.

We dive into a lot in this episode from the inspiration, the fun twists on classic Midwest dishes and the restaurant’s big move to a larger space in the coming months.

Mainlander received a James Beard nomination for Best New Restaurant. Reservations open the first of the month and can go quickly. The Central West End restaurant is open Tuesday-Saturday.

For a milestone episode, we needed to take you to a landmark location. This week’s marks our 300th episode of the Meet St Louis Podcast. We are honored and grateful you join us each week to hear the stories behind the places that make the St. Louis region such a special place. There is no shortage of people to meet in our city, snd this week, we’re introducing you to the man behind a St Louis institution. 43 years ago, Charlie Gitto’s opened on The Hill. The space once housed another St. Louis historic spot - Angelo's. It was in that restaurant Charlie Gitto Jr first got the taste of the hospitality business. Growing up in the kitchen of the restaurant, he took the step to open his own in 1981. He shares it wasn’t an immediate success. But 43 years later, they continue to share their family recipes and continue the tradition.

The question seems simple: what do you want to do with your life? For Natalie Van Hee, it wasn't simple until she realized her love of candles could be the career path she was looking for. She opened Glow Candle Company a decade ago, and the hand-poured, small-batch candle company based in Webster Groves has a loyal following. In this week's episode, we dive into the story behind the brand, life as a parent and entrepreneur and how important it is to shop local this upcoming holiday season.

One decade ago, the Larson family opened a small little coffee shop in Maplewood. Living Room consisted of a kitchen, their roastery and a few tables. Quickly, it found its groove in the neighborhood, and now, 10 years later, they’ve expanded to 100 seats and a much larger roaster. Brother and sister Nate and Hannah Larson work together to bring an inclusive, welcoming and warm environment for people to gather, drink coffee and eat food. A menu crafted by the siblings and their employees, their café is a team effort and one they don’t take for granted.

Living Room is open 7 days a week for breakfast and lunch.

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.