Catch an Asian-inspired episode of Feast TV at this season's first Taste & See event, tour Maplewood's booming dining scene or celebrate gin at the 2nd Annual Gin Festival.
Friday
From dim sum and steamed buns to ramen, sushi, tacos, sake and wraps, experience the best of our region’s Asian cuisine and learn how to roll your own. Enjoy free tastings from LuLu Seafood and Dim Sum, Hiro Asian Kitchen, Guerrilla Street Food, Seoul Taco, Nami Ramen, K-Bop STL and BaiKu Sushi Lounge, plus Urban Chestnut beer and wines from Augusta and Montelle wineries. The event kicks off with live music and will feature segments from Feast TV, interviews with local chefs plus sushi and dim sum demos. From 7 to 9pm. Tickets are $15 per person, available here.
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"Join us for the 5th annual St. Louis Caffeine Crawl as we explore the city's best in coffee, tea and chocolate! 12 local roasters and cafes will unite for a weekend of caffeinated learning, tasting, and connecting as we meet the makers behind your morning latte, artisan chocolate treat or afternoon cup of tea. Friday and Saturday routes with multiple time options are available – grab your travel mug and we'll see you there!" Tickets are $24-$30, available here.
"The Wentzville Downtown Business Association is proud to be partnering with the St. Louis BBQ Society and Sugarfire Smoke House to bring the first and only sanctioned BBQ contest in St. Charles County to Wentzville Days Fair and Music Festival scheduled for in downtown Wentzville. Experience pitmasters from all over the region compete for $5,000 in cash prizes and bragging rights and the opportunity to move forward competitively. Competitors will be competing in the categories of chicken, ribs, beef brisket and pork. The "People's Choice" contest is scheduled for Saturday, May 21 from 3-5pm and offers the public the opportunity to taste and judge the competitors and taste "Wentzville Chop," which is a thick cut pork chop prepared with a craft beer brewed by Friendship Brewing Company. In addition to the Q and Brew BBQ contest, Wentzville Days will host activities such as the Poage Chevrolet Craft Beer, Wine & Spirits Garden; the Blues & Classic Rock Festival featuring Petty Cash Junction, The Muddy Horse Band, Steve Scorfina & the Blues Offenders, Danny Liston & the Brothers; the Crossroads Arts Council "Chair-Ish Wentzville" art exhibit and auction; musical acts including Doc Holiday, Well Hungarians, Smash Band and others; a carnival; the Children's Village; The Miss & Teen Wentzville Pageant; art and craft vendors; vintage motorcycle and car show and much more!" Friday, from 6 to 11pm; Saturday, from 12 to 11pm; and Sunday, from 12 to 6pm. Tasting ballots are $10 per person and may be purchased in advance here.
"This unique festival in the heart of Missouri wine country draws visitors each spring from across the Midwest. Complimentary cheese and crackers are provided in the tasting area under the wine tent, with a variety of snacks and gourmet foods on sale in the festival area. Admission to the wine tasting is $15 in advance, $20 at the door, and includes a souvenir wineglass. Visitors to the wine tasting area will also have the opportunity to win a special wine basket prepared by a participating winery. Held adjacent to the wine tasting pavilion, the Art Fair is a juried selection of Midwestern artists featuring exhibitions and sales run by the Arts Council of Washington in conjunction with Downtown Washington, Inc. Items on sale include watercolor paintings, photography, pottery, woodwork and more. Admission is free. Sip and Savor Sunday is designed to provide seasoned wine tasting guests or first time visitors with a truly memorable experience that will allow them to celebrate spring, indulge their senses and learn more about pairing great area restaurant foods with fabulous Missouri wines. Wineries will pick one or two of their event wines and pair them up with an area restaurant to showcase their pairing. Celebrity judges from Feast Magazine will be on hand to award the traveling trophy to this year’s winner. Visitors won’t be left out though as their is also an award from peoples’ choice." For more information, visit downtownwashmo.org.
"We're brewing up something special as Panorama at the Saint Louis Art Museum Executive Chef Ivy Magruder partners with 4 Hands Brewing Company to deliver an evening of great art and a savory four-course meal, each paired with the perfect beer from the celebrated local brewery. Art at the Table begins with a docent-guided tour of the collection. Dinner starts with a salad of arugula, snap peas, white asparagus, apricots and burrata cheese topped with a champagne-passion fruit vinaigrette paired with Passion Fruit Prussia, Apricot Session. The second course is chicken and waffles with Airline chicken breast, aged Cheddar, waffle, corn pudding, bittersweet balsamic-spiked maple syrup paired with City Wide APA. The main course is a sous-vide boneless lamb roast with barley “risotto,” wild mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, fresh herbs and brown butter paired with Constellation Mosaic, Incarnation. Dessert is a chocolate Napoleon with bourbon-caramel cherries and vanilla whipped cream paired with Madagascar." Tours begin at 7pm and diners are seated at 7:30pm. Tickets are $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity ($65 for Museum Members). Reservations are required; call 314.655.5490.
Saturday
"Cherokee Street and The Grove once again join forces to present IndiHop 2016. IndiHop is a unique event showcasing two of St. Louis’ most eclectic neighborhoods. Pick up your IndiHop tasting glass in either neighborhood and sample up to 50 different types of locally made brews. Participating businesses in both neighborhoods will provide a unique beer for your sampling quest. As you travel from venue to venue, enjoy entertainment by an assortment of live musicians, artists and street performers. Ready to hop to the next neighborhood? Board one of six IndiHop shuttles, running all day from 12pm through 8pm. Come early or stay late and enjoy lunch or dinner at your favorite spot." From 1 to 7pm. Tickets are $25 per person, available here.
"Barkin' and eggs, anyone? Join us the weekend of May 21st & 22nd for Barking Brunch at Barrister's with Stray Rescue of St. Louis! We're opening at 9am on both Saturday and Sunday for the fun! 20 percent of brunch sales on both Saturday & Sunday will be donated to our friends at Stray Rescue of St. Louis. Call and reserve your table in the restaurant or on the patio with your pups at 314.726.5007." Admission is free.
Wrap up St. Louis Gin Week with the 2nd Annual Gin Festival. Enjoy tastings of over 70 local, regional, national and international gins, meet distillers, or participate in a Negroni workshop or barrel-aging seminar. Food from Cafe Natasha will also be on offer. From 12 to 4pm. Tickets are $65 per person, available here.
Enjoy delicious German food and drink, plus live music and dance performances! Continuous Entertainment will be provided by The Deutschmeister Brass Band & Die Spitzbuam Bands, Kinder-Tanzgruppe, Mittlere Tanzgruppe, Jugendgruppe, Wir Tanzen & Volkstanzgruppe Dance Groups. Saturday, from 4 to 11pm and Sunday, from 12 to 5pm. Admission is free.
"The Taste of Maplewood Festival brings together foodies, shoppers, and music lovers to enjoy the bites, sights, and sounds of a city known for everything hip and happening!" Participating vendors include Bolyard's Meat & Provisions, Las Palmas, Maya Cafe, Kakao Chocolate, Strange Donuts, The Muddled Pig Gastropub, Traveling Tea, Water Street and more. There will also be live music and a celebrity food competition. From 12 to 9pm. Admission is free.
Sunday
"Perennial hosts its first Annual ‘Picnic for Perennial’ in Tower Grove Park. Instead of taking a stiff seat at a traditional gala, come plop down next to your friends and neighbors and relax in one of the most beautiful parks that St. Louis has to offer. Put on your greenest outfit and gather your friends at a private blanket or take a seat at the community blanket. Be sure to coordinate your picnic meal with the earth in mind. Pack reusable dishware and cook with local produce because the folks from St. Louis Earth Day will be there to score you on your eco-picnic savvy. The most sustainable blankets will win a bounty of local goods – extra points for upcycled decor! Some of Perennial’s favorite sustainable friends will be in attendance to show you how to make a big impact on your health and happiness while making a smaller impact on the planet. Find resources for growing your own produce, making herbal remedies, or raising a few feathered friends in your backyard, all while enjoying the great outdoors in the middle of the city! Grab your adventuresome friends and gather ‘round the picnic blanket for an green afternoon of sustainable fun!" From 12-4pm. Tickets are $20 per person, available here.
Nancy Stiles
Nancy Stiles is a freelance writer based in St. Louis.
