Fire Truck Parade on Washington

I heard the sound of a lot of sirens, and it sounded like something big, so I went to check it out. Turns out, it was a parade of fire trucks.

If You'd Like to Help in the Garden Next Door...

I contacted Gateway Greening and they put me in touch with the Garden Leader for the shared garden with DCC and Imagine Prep. Her name is Alicia and she and her father generally are there once a week to work on the garden on Wednesdays between 9:00-11:00 AM. She says you are more than welcome to come down and talk with her, and they could always use volunteers.

I know a few people were interested in perhaps planting in that area on their own, so I replied and asked her if that might be possible in the future. She said that she would like to meet and discuss this possibility, so let me know if you are interested in this.

If you'd like to contact her, either go see her on Wednesday or I can forward you her contact information if you'd like to email her any questions.

Downtown Resident's meeting hosted by the Partnership!

Downtown St. Louis…What's Next?
A Dialogue About the Future of Downtown St. Louis

Where:
Crepes in the City
500 North 14th Street

When:
April 28, 2009
6:30-8:00 pm

Who Should Attend:
Residents, Businesses, Developers, Property Owners
Talk about our downtown's turn around and offer input on what needs to happen next to maintain momentum for continued sustainable growth. Ten years ago, leaders adopted the ambitious Downtown Now! Development Plan. Since then, downtown has experienced more than $4.3 billion in investment, 5,000 new residents, more than 100 new shops and restaurants and 2500 new hotel rooms. While this success is noteworthy, there is still much work to be done to sustain that success well into the future and now is the time to talk about what comes next.
This is an important opportunity to engage in a dialogue with staff of the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis and with your neighbors, with downtown’s businesses and investors about what needs to be done to make our downtown a better place to live, to work, and to do business.
Please join us!

Snow!

WAVE STORAGE

Hi neighbors!!

If there is anyone that could use extra storage space, I have the place! Beau, the owner of WAVE Storage came by Tuesday. He is a super nice guy with a really nice storage facility down the street from us. The facility has 24 hour surveillance and is assessable any time of day or night. He is offering us 50% if we sign a lease by February! For more information call 314.241.9283 or visit their website at www.wave-storage.com

One other really cool feature not many storage facilities offer is a volleyball court! He will be forming leagues in the next few weeks so I asked him to keep me updated. I know there are a couple residents interested already so if you are too let me know!!

Jenni

Getting Borracho

In the mood for Mexican? Luckily for Motor residents, there is a new place just a stone's throw from home. Located at 20th and Locust in the space formerly occupied by Nectar, El Borracho serves up traditional Mexican fare with traditional Mexican flair.

You'll be overwhelmed when entering this restaurante by the attention to detail in the decor. They really went the extra mile in this regard, and the effect makes the restaurant unique among many restaurants in the area. With pictures of luchadores and mujeres in thick frames covering every inch of the wall, you can sit for hours looking at all the different things they found to fill their space. Accented by unique lighting and real wood, you'll feel transported to a warm and festive place far from St. Louis.

Another nice surprise about the restaurant is the drink menu. All the drinks are made with real juice - not a mix. Margaritas and sangria are available at happy for a mere $3. They are tasty and a very good size. You only need a few of these deep glasses before dinner to become a little borracho.

While enjoying a margarita; your complimentary hot, crunchy chips; and two types of salsa, you can peruse the menu. The menu fits on a long card, and breaks your choices for a meal into four categories: Starters, Taqueria Borracho, Favorites and Sides. Starters include standards like guacamole and nachos, but also include traditional dishes like queso blanco and posole. We opted for the guacamole, and it came in a heaping bowl that was more than enough for four people. Again, only fresh ingredients are used for this dish, unlike other places which add mayonnaise to their guacamole.

For the entree, you can pick from either the Taqueria or Favorites section of the menu. The tacos are traditional tacos, served on corn tortillas (or wheat if you like them gringo style) and offer you a choice of fillings such as shredded or barbecued pork. The choices on the Favorites menu include classics like burritos and tamales. To accompany your meal, you can pick from a list of sides. Of course beans and rice are available, but there are a few nice surprises like the camote which is a whipped sweet potato dish with a flavor reminiscent of sweet potato pie. Maiz Mexicana is another interesting side. Similar to elote, it is barbecued to a chewy consistency and covered with queso fresco and spices.

Vegetarian options (in case anybody besides me cares : ) are limited in a way since some dishes use traditional ingredients such as lard and chicken stock. I talked with Gary and his head chef the first time we went there, and they took a lot of time to listen to my concerns. They informed me about the dishes I could eat, and I think they talked with their staff because our server had a list of vegetarian dishes in her pocket the next time we went.

El Boracho is a great addition to the downtown restaurant scene. In an area that really needed a Mexican restaurant, this place fills the void in a big way. With festive decor, fresh ingredients, traditional food, and good prices, El Borracho is a great destination for Motor residents, and is only a few blocks away.

El Borracho
2001 Locust St.

The Good Pie

Simple Elegance

Inside a rehabbed brick building on Olive, the owners of The Good Pie make a pizza that is very unique to the St. Louis area, and we are lucky enough to have it close to us. The pizza is Neapolitan style, which adheres to traditional rules and ingredients, but the main thing that gives this pizza its unique flavor is the oven. The owners imported a special oven from Italy, which took them a long time to get into the country. It was extremely heavy and they were barely able to fit it through the door. (It's the big stone thing behind the guy in the picture) The oven is fueled by wood and has a temperature inside of 900 degrees, so the pizza is popped in for a few minutes and brought to your table. This technique gives the pizza a crispy crust, while leaving the simple toppings steaming hot.

Everything in this restaurant seems to follow an idea of making things simple but good. The salad mista is arugula, olive oil, lemon, and Gorgonzola. It's not smothered in ingredients, but lightly mixed for a nice balance of flavor and greens. The olive mista is an olive plate brightened up with a hint of lemon on the olives. The funghi e taleggio is a cooked mushroom dish topped with a tasty cheese. The pizzas also follow this idea of simple elegance. A few good ingredients are all that is needed.

The restaurant has a very relaxing, warm feel to it. While music plays in the background you can order a drink from the small bar. There are a few beers on tap, or you can get a carafe of wine for $10. The staff is very friendly and the service is great. It's open most days from lunch through dinner *Sauce link* but I think word is getting out about this place because it was really starting to fill up yesterday, so try to get there if you can.

The Good Pie

3137 Olive Street

St. Louis, MO 63103

289-9391

The Lot Festival

Each year the Schlafly Tap room hosts the Lot Festival, which is put on by Metropolis St. Louis. This year there was food, beer (of course), and music. There were also several booths around the edges of the parking lot with products and information related to St. Louis.

The excitement could be felt as soon as I walked out the front door of our building - the pounding music, the lights in the distance from both the Lot Festival and an event at Lumen - there were people milling about, and it gave the night and the city a feeling of energy and vitality.

The combination of the good music and Schalfly beer made the event both popular and fun. Check it out next year, it's only a two block walk away!

Tudor Street Festival

The name is a bit confusing because there is no Tudor Street. Maybe it should have been called the Tudor - Street Festival. Either way, it was held on the street in front of the new Tudor building. It was a small, neighborhood gathering to make people aware of this new development on Washington Ave. The street was blocked off, and food and music were available. People could stroll around and look at some of the businesses housed in the new building.

So far, it looks like there will be a pet store, a clothing store, and a barber shop. Not to be outdone, across the street there is a combined barber shop / clothing store. I believe there is also talk of some sort of bakery or coffee shop planned for the Tudor.

The festival was nice. People from the surrounding bulidings ventured out to mingle. Food and drinks were available from f15teen, Onesto, and a few other places. There was a stage with music, and people got their groove on. All-in-all it was a good event for WestTown or Downtown West Loft District. It shows that there is a lot of potential for future events in our area.

Community Garden Next Door

It looks like Gateway Greening strikes again. Besides the nice plants and flowers they've planted on Washington, it looks like they've started a community garden on 22nd.

This is still a developing story, so check back in a couple of days. By then, I should know who planted it, what in the heck EHLA means, if they need any volunteers, and if we will be able to take some of the bounty.

Fresh, red tomatoes out the back door, in the city? You gotta love it.

****Update****

It didn't hit me until this morning driving down Jefferson. E-H-L-A Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy. That's who the garden belongs to. I contacted the principal to find out the scoop on the garden.