St. Louis Magazine September 2024

“Forest Park has been a perennial ALister for me, even before all the recent and planned improvements for this year and next.” —George Mahe, Dining Editor “The Annex Coffee and Foods is my consistent pick for a perfect coffee date. From perfectly concocted caffeine fixes to live music on the patio, it’s a real gem.” —Emily Adams, Deputy Editor “The bar staff at Alamo Drafthouse are on my personal A-List. The best way to kill time before a movie is chatting with the friendly, fun staff, and they’re always ready with a beer rec based on your preferences.” —Christine Jackson, Managing Editor…

THE FIRST TIME you walk into the new Clark Family Branch of the St. Louis County Library, you know you’re in for a treat. Even before you reach the front doors, you notice the book returns are electronic. Inside, the space is soaring. The ground floor offers a sprawling collection of books, of course, but there are also vast meeting rooms for community gatherings, a computer lab, a gallery showcasing local artwork, and self-checkout kiosks. The surprises continue on the second floor. The genealogy and history section offers easily searchable touch screens and scanners—a far cry from the dusty libraries of old. The nearby children’s area boasts an imaginative playspace, complete with a miniature grocery store, café, fire engine, interactive learning wall, light tables, and comfy seating for care providers.…

Editors' Favorites FINAL ACT AT FORTO Osteria Forto “No, really—we’re just too full for dessert. But a wedge of chocolate cake, you say, with approximately the same dimensions of the Titanic’s iceberg? With enough peanut-butter buttercream to frost a ’69 Impala? And a chocolate ganache, because what complements chocolate like more chocolate—and a splatter of salted caramel sauce? OK, but just a taste.” osteriaforto.com. SWANKIEST UNDERGROUND COCKTAIL BAR None Of the Above It could be the subterranean lair of a Spider-Man villain—or the coolest bar in town. Accessed through an unmarked door and a long, shadowy tunnel under City Foundry STL, the speakeasy-inspired cocktail lounge offers sleek appointments, shiny brass, and mood lighting as atmospheric as film noir, with suitably late-night hours. Expect très-sophisticated cocktails, some intriguing nibbles—like house-made chips…

Editors' Favorites ENCHANTING FICTION The Melancholy of Untold History Minsoo Kang’s debut is an intoxicating blend of mythology, history, human emotion, and lush prose. At just 240 pages, the novel is a quick read, but it feels sweeping as it weaves together stories of gods and humans across 3,000 years. Kang’s world borrows from sciencefiction and fantasy, but it’s steeped in East Asian history and myth, delivering what Bustle called a “quietly magical debut.” TRUE STORY 3 Shades of Blue The consummate biographer James Kaplan—who has penned volumes on Frank Sinatra and John McEnroe, among others—turned his focus to jazz legends in his most recent offering, 3 Shades of Blue. This wellresearched volume tells the intertwining stories of Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Bill Evans, whose twisting and turbulent tales…

Editors' Favorites SHOPPING & SERVICE NYC-TO-STL FASHION Artemas Quibble Natasha Chekoudjian and Jason Ross founded Artemas Quibble, a line of handcrafted belts, jewelry, and leather goods, in 2012, while living in New York City. Their work quickly garnered attention in the fashion world, appearing in GQ and Vanity Fair, among other publications, and their pieces have been worn by such celebrities as Keanu Reeves, Daniel Craig, and Gisele Bündchen. In 2020, the couple moved to Chekoudjian’s hometown of Webster Groves, where they’re continuing to build the business. artemas-quibble.com. NEW VINTAGE CLOTHING STORE Euclid Vintage St. Louis native Matt Kraus has always been a fan of thrifting. In college, he realized that other people were interested in his finds, which eventually led him to open Euclid Vintage last year. The Central…

Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Mark Mestemacher LANSDOWNE UP Mark Mestemacher and Jackie Joyner-Kersee have long worked to make a difference in the community. With Lansdowne UP, they’re now aiming to reinvigorate East St. Louis by rehabbing or building 20 affordably priced homes to encourage growth in the area. The two are using their collective influence to help drive community investment from the ground up. lansdowneup.org. Aaron Harris FERGUSON YOUTH INITIATIVE Aaron Harris strives to empower St. Louis teens to become positive, productive members of the community. As executive director of the Ferguson Youth Initiative, he has helped establish an after-school open house and a community service program. The latter provides youth with the chance to complete mentor-guided service work in place of incarceration or paying fines. fyifergyouth.org. Muriel Smith ST. LOUIS…