Archive for the ‘The Greatest Sports Town’ Category

Sports broadcaster  Joe Buck, 42, and his wife,  Ann,  are separated “They’re taking a break,” said Joe’s mom, Carol Buck.  Buck, the son of the late legendary sportscaster Jack Buck, helms “Joe Buck Live” on HBO and continues his chores on FOX.

Aaron Teitelbaum, chef and partner at Herbie’s, was mum the other night about rumors, that he and his group will convert their successful Monarch Restaurant ’s menu into all-creole fare.  As for Herbie’s, the staff is now boasting about its all gluten-free menu
as well as the blue plate special offered between 5-6 p.m. . .St. Charles High alum Ryan Coyne will be on the card Saturday on HBO.  Coyne is the three-time Golden Glove  winner and undefeated  in 14  fights.  He played football at Mizzou for two years under Gary Pinkel and then turned to boxing.  He graduated from Lindenwood University with a 3.5 GPA in political science and public management. . .There they were, dropping charisma all over the place.  I mean “the birthday group,” who have been celebrating each other’s natal day for 30 years.  This time it was at Frank & Helen’s Pizzeria.  Through the years they have been supportive of each other and their families through illnesses, deaths and their newbies.  The group is comprised of Joanne Campbell, Mary DeLong, Joanne Fehling, Sue Reid, Maggie Ryan, Mary Kaye Sullivan and Gina Murphey.  Class?  You bet. They always reserve a side table or booth to avoid annoying other diners. . . Plaudits for Sinatra song-stylist Mark Richman, who currently fills the bill at The Sands (nee Frailey’s sports bar) in Kenrick Plaza.  The guy is getting standing ovations at a number of casinos where he performs. He does it his way and does it well.

The Blues gather for Olympics

Most of the St. Louis Blues Hockey players were whooping and cheering at Il Bel Lago Friday, while watching on the bar’s television screen the U.S.  entry  in the Winter Olympics hockey competition, that included the Blues’ Erik Johnson and David Backes.  That was after the team mates gorged themselves with rigatoni a la Oprah and the dinery’s classic hamburgers.  On the sidelines, T.J. Oshe offered that his favorite hangout  “is on my couch at my place in the Central West End.”

The best restaurant in town is a good one in which you are known to the owner; the second best is the one that serves consistently good food whether the owner knows you or not. That’s Leon Birnbaum at his new Chez Leon in Clayton all over. Is it a religious experience? Hell no!  We’ve all been bored in church, temple or mosque.  There’s nothing to be boring about. The classic French cuisine bourgeois prepared by chef Colby Erhart or the lounge lizards, who swoon over the interiors, created by Birnbaum and Dan Byrne. “It’s Selkirk chic!,” exclaimed hair stylist-to-the-stars Randall Jones of Larz Salon to his best pal, the stunning Elizabeth Danforth Sankey, heiress to Bill Danforth. “Yes, more urbane than urbane,” added Sanky. She informed the columnist that she and Elizabeth “Lydie” Wallace have bowed an estate jewelry buying and selling firm, Elizabeth’s Estate. A few tongues wagged about Trudy Busch’s 84th birthday on the day before and that she was much too ill to celebrate. Here ‘n there were Linda and Tony Karakas with Janet and Smith McGehee, who celebrated the birth of triplet grandchildren.  Genya and Jim Human, along with Steve Anstey, were there praising the sales at the Janet McAfee real estate office. . .

Downtown at Tony’s, Kelly and Blues CEO Peter McLoughlin were bullish about the team and he lamented,  “I wish Dave Checketts had bought the Rams.”  Bryan Cave mouthpiece Harold Blatt with his charming Elaine graced a table with Marilyn and Bernard “Bunny” Edison, whose family empire, Edison Bros. Shoes, collapsed under the stewardship of Andy Newman and Martin Sneider, who had been teaching essentials of retailing at WashU (go figure!).  Also at Tony’s, barrister Gerard Carmody and his wife, Susan, with their daughter Ryann, settled down after a retreat at the Four Seasons with his law firm, Carmody MacDonald. . .

Over at Beffa’s there was celebration over the upcoming nupts of Rachel Crocker (Eureka, Mo.’s Byrnes Hills Stables, LLC) and Robert Brake (Brake Landscaping and Lawncare, Inc.) with his uncle, former cop Ed Beffa. . .

And, at the Palladium party house on Fourteenth Street and Park Avenue, a sumptuous feedbag and cocktails were underway, when the columnist arrived to join in the launching of the EcoLifeSTL.com website and the honors awards presented to the City of St. Louis, AmerenUE’s PurePower and Sustainable St. Louis.  They were chosen for significant contributions they make to promote and encourage Green living in the region.  Said Mayor Francis Slay, “The greatest way to recycle in St. Louis is to save historic buildings like the one we’re in tonight.  The Greenest building is one that already exists and also preserves history.”  Cindy Bambini accepted the award on behalf of PurePower,AmerenUE’s voluntary renewable energy program, and she noted, “Currently, there are 6,000 residential and 200 businesses PurePower customers receiving 100 percent of their energy from the five wind farms in our area.” Emmis Broadcasting’s John Beck was front ‘n center getting plaudits on the broadcast chain of stations involvement in promoting the program.  John Weber of Wells Fargo and his soon-to-marry Jennie Logan of KPNT, The Point radio station, chain smoked as Weber joshed about energy, “Before we left the house, I turned on all the lights, left the fridge door open, turned up the heat and turned on the microwave.”

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WITH THE POLICE COMMISSION:  St. Louis police commissioner Vince Bommarito, owner of the award-winning Tony’s restaurant downtown and shoo-in candidate for Best Uncle of the Year, now has a public relations agent to deal with the simmering (and sauteing?) controversy swirling around his Mardi Gras Get Our of Jail Free call to a St. Louis police supervisor.  Savvy Peggy Lents, who also reps the Missouri Botanical Garden, is now speaking for him.

Tom Klein has defected from the Post-Dispatch to join the Cardinals.  He was sports copy editor at the daily and is expected to ditto on the baseball club’s publications. . .

The St.Louis Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists will bestow honors on those inducted to its Print Hall of Fame at a luncheon on March 11.  The inductees are: former broadcast scribe and commentary page editor Eric Mink, St. Louis magazine’s Ray Hartman and Print Hall of Fame founder Frank Absher – all of whom will participate in a panel discussion on their careers and the journalism industry of today.  Mark Vittert, another inductee to the Hall of Fame, never a journalist, but his financial support made possible the birth and operation of The Riverfront Times and the Biz Journal. The bash is at noon at the Lucas Park Grille.