Posts Tagged ‘Andy Newman’

Remarkably generous philanthropist Lester Miller will debut Lester’s Tavern at 4651-4653 Maryland Avenue in four months, said his vibrant companion, Cindy Lieber.  Miller, who lives in the present for the future, was toasted in absentia on the patio at Provisions by Lieber and Judy Blum, both of whom glowed in the sunshine radiance with over the top fashions and Lieber’s 12-carat diamond ring. Miller also owns Lester’s Sports Bar & Grill in Chesterfield and the money machine at Lester’s in Ladue. . .Attorney Peggy Newman tipped that her dad-in-law, Eric Newman, will be feted next May in New York City on his 100th birthday.  Eric is married to Evelyn Newman, 90, and is a universally revered numismatic historian and scholar and established WashU’s Money Museum.  Evelyn is the retired PR pioneer and heiress of the Edison Brothers Co., which plunged under the leadership of their son, Andy Newman. . .St. Louis expatriate Travis Gorline has tapped the power of fashion with his Chicago-based necessaryexTRAVagance salon. Couture designs featured by Gorline include those by  Mary Radcliffe Hametiaux of Webster Groves.  Both Gorline and Hametiaux originally hail from Greenville, IL.,. . .Anna Crosslin of the International Institute of St. Louis and Susanne Evens of AAA Translation have merged their firms to broaden access to high-caliber interpretation and translation services to St. Louis businesses and throughout the world.

Halos on street lamps over empty sidewalks that knew the tread of feet long ago. So I say hail to a long stretch of Manchester, from McCausland to Big Bend.  As the city grows away from itself, it grows more deeply into itself, perhaps in self-protection.  But it is the last of the constants, where one can hardly find the mythical faubourg on a map. It gets high marks in the minds of night crawlers, columnists and real estate agents. In sum, it is a point of view that points to itself with pride. One of the jewels on the avenue is the born-again Monarch Restaurant, which held a private pouring Saturday night before its opening on Monday. The National Chidlren’s Cancer Society (NCCS) benefited from the event, helmed by Donna Wilkinson. Bob and Carol Jones, heiress to the late oil exec Sam Goldstein, were front ‘n center.  Mary Deverman and David Steward, II, of Nicene Brands announced they will aisle walk Nov. 23 in Chicago.  Steward is the heir of David Steward of World Wide Technology fame. The grand dame of flowers and landscaping, Martha Tobin of St. Louis Blooms, arrived with her son-in-law, Mike Mertz.  She recalled an incident years ago, when she worked for the late Jon Prel. “My daughter asked Prel what his function was at his flower shop.”  According to Martha, Prel shot back, “To kick little girls like you out of the store.” Columnist Deb Peterson diligently worked the room, while lights impinged on her dazzler, given by her new husband, Dr. Tom Steinberg. Peggy and Andy Newman were toasted on their eight grandchildren. Food maven Catherine Neville, with her partner, Jennifer Schoemehl, confided to pals, that copies of her new  publication, Feast, went through the roof.  Asked what her favorite restaurant is, Neville replied, “the Persian restaurant, Cafe Natasha.” Robust wine bar owners Stanley and Arlene Browne were there as were: the Beacon’s Bob Duffy with Marty Kaplan; Marilyn and Dr. Steve Teitelbaum, whose son, Aaron, is partnered at Monarch with Jeff Orbin; Stephanie Arndt with Steve Cox and  Joan Quicksilver, who wore what one bitchy guest described, “Mother Teresa is wearing a practical peasant dress.” Past the new modern American dining room and into the kitchen, the columnist cornered celebrated chef Josh Galliano, while he prepared house specialties: crawfish etouffee, lima bean hummus and grilled spicy steak with onions.

But, the highlight of the evening was Donna Wilkinson‘s tip, that Goldie Hawn has been signed to highlight NCCS’s Oct. 30 gala at the Ballpark Hilton.  Wilkinson also added, that at the event, the organization will unveil a new toy, “Laffy-A-Lot,” that emits 20 different laughs and is capable of recording children and their parents’ messages.

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.