Posts Tagged ‘Il Bel Lago’

Ann Wagner

She came a long way from Ballwin, Mo., to become U.S. Ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and previously co-chair of the Republican National Committee for four years.  That’s Ann Wagner, who dined Tuesday night on a bone-in veal chop at Il Bel Lago with members of her family. The Cor Jesu Academy grad – once a  state director for the re-election of President George H.W. Bush and Veep Dan Quayle – confided she might run for U.S. senator or governor of Missouri in 2012.  “It depends on what (Lt. Guv.) Peter Kinder will do,” she said.  “We need more balance in power.”  As for the health care reform bill, she said it’s too expensive for the U.S.  “In socialized Europe, I have seen what happens when a government is pervasive in business, politics and education,” Wagner continued.  “They don’t have ownership of their full freedom.”  As for same-sex marriage, Wagner opined, “I’m a proponent of rights to any human being. But for now, our number one priority is supporting Roy Blunt‘s race for the U.S. Senate.”  Does she miss Luxembourg?  “Not at all,” she concluded. Wagner raised a toast to her mom, Ruth Truesdale, on her 70th birthday. Dad Earl and Ann‘s daughter, Mary Ruth Wagner, also joined in the celebration. Ann’s hub, Ray Wagner, a veep with Enterprise Rent-A-Car, was unable to attend.

Juli Niemann with Carmello Gabriele at Il Bel Lago

So, it was shave, shower and shoot – the columnist’s new semi-automatic – at Bulls Eye Range on Manchester and then to Il Bel Lago for lunch with financial analyst Juli Niemann, who predicted “We’re looking at double-digit recession – and increasing – by summer or fall.”  As for foreclosures?  “We’ll see more foreclosures, because of the reset in adjustable mortgages,” she said. Despite the many bank woes, Niemann paid tribute to Commerce Banks, U.S. Banks and United Missouri Banks “because they didn’t do any of that lousy lending,” she pointed out. Niemann got kudos for her 20th anniversary as an analyst in the 12 noon block at KSDK, Channel 5.

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.”

Il Bel Lago was where Bonneville St. Louis Radio Group entertained clients and partners by introing radio show hosts Annie Henson of The Cornbread Morning Show and Bo Matthews of 92.3 WIL, along with The Fast Lane’s D’Marco Farr, Randy Karraker and Bob Ramsey of 101 ESPN.  Bonneville was repped by chief John Kijowski, Kevin Robinson, Keith Kraus, Ben Granger, Kim Grant and Charlie Hartung. . .Pi in the CWE was where a barefooted 25th Ward Alderwoman Lyda Krewson jumped upon a table to tub-thump her legislative achievements at her fundraiser.  Faces in the crowd, who knocked off a total of 45, 16-inch pies such as those named “Lincoln Park,” “North Beach Classico,” “The Hill,” “Bucktown,” “East Loop” and “South Side Classico” were: Pete Rothschild; Annette and Alan Mandel; aldermanic prez Lewis Reed; Vince and Lois Schoemehl; Lance LeComb; Chester Himes; John and Anna Roach; Todd Epstein; Marvin and Linda Nodiff; Jim and Nicki Dwyer and Ald. Steve Gregali.

George Clooney and our town’s Bob O’Loughlin have teamed up to buy the Sofitel hostelry in Los Angeles. “We became friends, when we shot baskets at St. Louis University, when he was here on the shoot of ‘Up in the Air,”’ said O’Loughlin, who is chairman of St. Louis-based Lodging Hospitality Management. O’Loughlin also said he has under contract to buy the Cheshire Inn and Lodge, for which reconstruction should be completed by the summer of 2011. With LHM’s regional salesmanager, Barbara Koenig, at Il Bel Lago, O’Loughlin continued that his company is poised to buy the Wyndham Hotel in Chicago and Le Meridien in Dallas, Tex.

Lester Miller, owner of Lester’s restaurants and other business interests, bought the first item at the auction of Ponzi schemer Bernard L Madoff’s ill-gotten spoils at the New York Sheraton Hotel.  Miller reportedly spent $100,000 on items and $3,500 for a bracelet. Money raised at the auction will go to the victims’ fund, according to federal marshals.  Miller told The New York Times he spent the money to help victims – some of whom are his friends in Palm Beach, Fla. Miller told the Times, “I think it’s a nice thing, the more you can bid, the better off you are.”. The newspaper further reported, “On a cruise from Los Angeles to Mexico this week, he said he plans to give his daughters and granddaughters (14 in all) the bracelets he bought and present them with a lesson: “If it’s too good to be true, it’s not right”… More than 100 employees  have been pink-slipped at Plaza Motors in the last year and 50 more will be laid off after Thanksgiving,” said, Rick Keeler, with his wife Cathy at Il Bel Lago.  Keeler retired from Plaza after having been one of the original salespersons in 1974.  Nearby, Susan and attorney John Kilo said that his brother, Dr. Charles Kilo, will conduct a symposium over the weekend at the downtown Hyatt Hotel before 400 doctors, nurses and dieticians. Dr. Kilo, an endocrinologist, and will present updates on diabetes and the newest discoveries, according to John Kilo…

Al and Nancy Malnik with Michael Jackson

DON’T STOP THE PRESSES; THEY MAY NEVER START AGAIN!: The Post-Dispatch’s Tony Messenger was bylined in a page-one scoop, outlining the connection of erstwhile Democratic campaign consultant Milton “Skip” Ohlsen to the investigation of the 2008 bombing in a private Clayton parking garage, that injured an attorney. The article sourced “a search warrant obtained” by the newspaper. That raises a couple of Berger-worthy questions:: who gave the search warrant (and several supporting documents) to the newspaper? and which local news managers are now kicking themselves for not pursuing the lead as assiduously as the tireless Messenger? If you have answers, let me know.

WARREN RAPP HAS SOLVED THE MYSTERY, THAT HAS ENTHRALLED CARDINAL NATION:”(Cardinals pitcher) John Smoltz told me, that in his first practice session with the Redbirds, Chris Carpenter confided in Smoltz, that he tipped his hand by the way he held his glove,” said Warren Rapp, general manager of Il Bel Lago Restaurant. Smoltz continued to admit, that he knew which pitch was coming and had the best outing of the year. Stoltz dined with his uncle, St. Anthony’s wunderkind Dr. Anthony Tensigni.

WHEE, THE PEOPLE: Banker Joe Imbs is brushing up on syntax of a speech he’ll deliver in 2010, when he becomes the Mysterious Majesty of Khorassan or the Veiled Prophet. .The lilting language of the prince of prose has returned to your screen with a bon mot about Michael Jackson from the late icon’s frequent host in Palm Beach, Al Malnik. Former St. Louisan, businessman and philanthropist Malnik said that when Jackson houseguested at Al and Nancy Malnik’s Palm Beach estate, “he could compose two songs at once. He could write a song in five minutes,” recalled Malnik. . .Gregg Wurm, yesteryear Ladue police chief-turned-secuirty chief has been bounced from his $200,000 a-year job at Centene Corp. Centene is also where former KSDK, Channel 5 anchor Deanne Lane is rumored to be toiling. . .Over in Forest Park, rumors are rife, that Broadway vet and frequent Muny headliner, Lee Roy Reams, may be paged to succeed productions chief Paul Blake. Muny officials are still burning over Blake’s 20-minute onstage eulogy for performer Gretchen Wyler a few seasons back. “Ninety-nine percent of the audience had never heard of her,” commented an angry official. Also at the Muny, beloved boxoffice guardian George Walsh retired after a 69-year gig there. . .The beleagured Dr. Bill Landau of WashU med center’s neurology dept. has not only been ousted from the ACLU for uttering the “n” word, but also faces a number of angry docs. The contentious Landau harps about the dearth of “secretaries” at clinical staff meetings and frequently uses his battle cry, “I’ll sue.” After the meetings, docs complain they have double-digit numbers of cases to Landau’s few. Another kind of brouhaha took place years ago there, when the department’s chief Dr. Dennis Choi threatened to evict Landau. Choi backed off after Landau threatened to sue. . .And, August Busch, IV, is telling pals, that he “has left Dodge City for the Ozarks” where he is spending most of his time these days.

THREE-DOT JOURNALISM, CONT.: Retired P-D reporter Bill Lhotka has scribed a tome about crime in our town, “St. Louis Crime Chronicles: The First 200 Years,” featuring 50 historic events. Among the stories is the one about the murder of Native American Chief Pontiac in Cahokia, Ill., who was buried around Broadway at Chestnut St. The pageturner is due to hit the stalls in October from Reedy Press. .Sam Koplar was spotted checking out the Clayton real estate market with what friends say is a possible move of Koplar Enterprises from its downtown Jello-tower of indecision. . .Carlene Goddard Mazur is now a permanent resident at Delmar Gardens on outer US-64. The unfortunate woman collapsed from a stroke in her kitchen and was left unattended for three days. . .Don’t invitems to the same party: electrical wizard David Payne and wife, Amy, and Sugo Restaurant bossman Michael Del Pietro – all over the eatery’s outstanding debt of $60,000. . .Are the former Harriet Cella and hub Doug Marshall getting separate mail?… Celebrated chef/owner of Niche Gerard Craft, is eyeing the purchase of the venerable Chez Leon in the CWE

NO ENNUI AT SLU: Prez of St. Louis University the reverend Lawernce Biondi, SJ has been the butt of a few jokes. Some of the administrators refer to the Jesuit priest as “L.B.J”

TO PONDER: Why the shakedown at our fancy shmancy markets? I mean, they’re touting Kobe Beef, when actually the meat is Kobe mixed with American cattle. A customer was overheard telling a meatcutter at Straub’s, “Real Kobe would be about $400 for six sirloin steaks.” The butcher shot back, “Is there a real American car?”

Bogart and Bacall

IT’S ONLY MONEY: And, the top-grossing mom & pop restaurant in our town (as opposed to a chain operation) has to be Annie Gunn’s out in Chesterfield, which rang up $6 million last year, according to an insdier.  For this columnist, Annie Gunn’s is a marvelous retreat and the house disease is nostalgia. It’s the kind of place I would imagine could be a fanatastic movie set. Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart might have been embracing in one of those private hutches near the bar. Mixologist Eve Perlmutter excused herself from the brokers and broken  to create whiskey sours for the twosome. Bogie got a tic in his upper lip as he had in “The Maltese Falcon,’ in which he played private eye Sam Spade.  He said to Perlmutter, “In a paternity case, it’s always her child; in a divorce, it’s her children.

ALL OF MY WASTED LIFE I’ve never seen so many new buildings that are studies in sterility and lone cranes no longer hoisting girders out of a sea of mortgages. There was a time, when topping off of a new building downtown became the lead story. In those days we’d gather for a 35-cent dinner at Garavelli’s on Grand at Olive Street, our baseball heroes were the Browns at Sportsman’s Park on Grand at Dodier Street, where we entered with a Knothole Gang card. I wonder if nostalgia attracts many living people these days. But, back then, anyone worthwhile wore Threadneedle Street shoes from Boyd’s (packaging chief Bob Ragsdale still has a few like-new pairs) and then there were crewcuts. My crewcut appeared as if I had been readied for a prefrontal lobotomy.!