Meet St. Louis

For a milestone episode, we needed to take you to a landmark location. This week’s marks our 300th episode of the Meet St Louis Podcast. We are honored and grateful you join us each week to hear the stories behind the places that make the St. Louis region such a special place. There is no shortage of people to meet in our city, snd this week, we’re introducing you to the man behind a St Louis inst...

The question seems simple: what do you want to do with your life? For Natalie Van Hee, it wasn't simple until she realized her love of candles could be the career path she was looking for. She opened Glow Candle Company a decade ago, and the hand-poured, small-batch candle company based in Webster Groves has a loyal following. In this week's episode, we dive into the story behind the brand, life a...

One decade ago, the Larson family opened a small little coffee shop in Maplewood. Living Room consisted of a kitchen, their roastery and a few tables. Quickly, it found its groove in the neighborhood, and now, 10 years later, they’ve expanded to 100 seats and a much larger roaster. Brother and sister Nate and Hannah Larson work together to bring an inclusive, welcoming and warm environment for peo...

A long-time music venue in The Grove neighborhood is back. Atomic Cowboy shuttered during the pandemic, but new life and new music is happening inside, thanks in part to Drew Jameson. Drew joined us on this week’s episode of the podcast to talk about his life in the music industry locally and across the country. His passion for music started young, and it brought him back to his hometown of St. Lo...

Imagine being a kid in a candy store. That was Dan Abel Jr’s real-life childhood. His father, Dan Abel, started Chocolate Chocolate Chocolate in 1981. The name was for his three children. Now those children are part of the 2nd generation running the business. A business that has grown in recent years after they purchased legendary chocolate company Bissingers in 2019. A sweet partnership in St. Lo...

It’s year two of St. Louis CITY SC and they continue to bring a fan experience beyond the game. We will let the sports folks dive into the wins, losses and ties. Instead, we’re focusing on the fan experience, food and more in this week’s episode. We sat down with Matt Sebek, the team’s Chief Experience Officer to dive into how year two differed from the incredible inaugural season and what’s to co...

We can’t all hop on a plane and head to Hawaii when the craving for authentic poke calls but you can make the drive to the Tower Grove East neighborhood of St. Louis City and find a pretty great alternative. That was the entire goal behind Buzz’s Hawaiian. Thomas Moore, better known to everyone as Buzz, started with a food truck after retiring from a career in aviation. After moving back to St. Lo...

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra kicks off its 145th season this month, and this week on the podcast, we sat down with Music Director Stéphane Denève. This season is a bit unique as it’s a nomadic season, and historic Powell Hall is undergoing a major expansion and renovation. Stéphane shares his excitement for the upcoming season, which includes shows for everyone, including movie lovers, familie...

Located in West County, The Wolf is a neighborhood gathering spot serving up organic food with a heavy focus on sustainability. It's the kind of place owners Bob and Denise Birbin want to visit, which is why they created a restaurant they felt was missing in their community. The two met in the restaurant industry in 1978, and when they got the chance to take over The Wolf, they only wanted to do i...

With two locations, both in residential areas, Sasha’s Wine Bars are your quintessential neighborhood spot. A lengthy but approachable wine list is what makes it such a popular place. We sat down with owner Alexandra Richman, also known as Sasha, as well as the restaurant groups program coordinator Denise Mueller to talk all about wine and community. From their location in Clayton Demun to the St....

If you’re a fan of breakfast all day, stick around because we have an interview for you. UKRAFT started as a food truck and has since evolved to restaurants in Chesterfield and Downtown St. Louis. Their newly expanded and much larger Downtown location is where we sat down with co-owner Matt Ratz to talk about the concept, their growth and the love of creating a space for locals and tourists to gra...

St. Louis is full of great breweries. We’ve taken you behind the scenes of most of them here on the Meet St Louis Podcast, sharing the brewing secrets, the collaborations and the camaraderie. This week we headed up to North St. Louis County to sit down with Robb Wiesen at Ferguson Brewing Company. Robb took over as owner a few years ago but has been with the brewery since they opened their doors i...

This week we’re taking you inside one of our city’s greatest treasures: The St. Louis Zoo. Established in 1910 the zoo holds a special place in the hearts of locals and visitors. It started with the giant birdcage and has grown decade after decade, and the growth continues. With new animals, new exhibits and soon a new park in North St Louis County, we sat down with Zoo Director Michael Macek and...

Located in a historic mansion in Bellville, Grafted Wine Bar brings something unique to the Metro East town known for its German heritage. The wine bar brings a European feel with wines not found in many other spots in town. Magda Gilpin discovered her love of wine several years ago – learning to be a sommelier and then bringing that knowledge to Belleville when their family moved here from Washin...

This month marks six years of the Meet St Louis Podcast. With more than 280 episodes, it has been the biggest joy to share the stories of our city’s local businesses. To mark six years – we thought we’d chat with one of St Louis’ best – Loryn Nalic – the chef and owner of Balkan Treat Box and the recently opened Telva at the Ridge. We first sat down with Loryn back in 2018 – our first year of the...

Comet Coffee is a coffee lover's dream located in St. Louis City, right next to the beautiful Forest Park. They don't have their own roastery but instead source beans from around the world, bringing some of the best coffee to St. Louis. Plus, they have a bakery program that rivals Paris, France. The cafe opened in 2012 and now is under new ownership, with a bit of a new look, a few new ideas but t...

St. Louis loves to wear it’s pride on it’s sleeve – or chest. Walk around a CITY SC game or a nice day in Forest Park, and you’ll see so many people rocking a St. Louis-inspired shirt or tee. For Ashley Blair, when they’re wearing one of her designs she finds that sense of validation that she made the right choice starting her apparel company back in 2016. Ashley started Sweet Momma Blair as a way...

Ono Ikanone always knew he wanted to bring a taste of his home county of Nigeria to his new home in St. Louis. As a teenager growing up in the Midwest, it was hard to find connection to West Africa but he learned to cook and that turned into a passion for sharing his recipes and culture with friends. In 2023 he finally opened a restaurant he says showcases the beauty and food of Nigeria. Levels is...

A new shop for a beloved bakery is now open in Maplewood. Prioritized Pastries made a name for itself, first at the Tower Groves Farmer’s Market and then with a storefront in South St. Louis City. The bakery has a huge following because they are 100 percent vegan and gluten-free. Nothing excites owner Alex McDonnell and assistant pastry chef Shane Clasby more than the face of someone who walks in...

Mike Evans didn’t start off with the dream of running a cookie empire, but that’s the goal he’s currently building on each and every day. He grew up surrounded by the food world but it wasn’t the path he took originally. But a desire for entrepreneurship and a discovery on the internet about the possibility of warm cookies straight from a vending machine launched his company, Alibi Cookies. It sta...

A lot of times, we're taking you inside the best spots around town, but this week we're heading outside. At least in terms of the topic of the conversation. Have you heard of Great Rivers Greenway? If not, you’ve likely experienced and enjoyed their work without possibly knowing the story. Started in the year 2000 the public agency is working to connect St. Louis through a series of greenways. So...

Growing up in St. Louis, the taste of a Dad’s Original Scotch Oatmeal cookie is one of those classic flavors. The crispy, crunchy cookies have been around for more than a century but now the company based out of South St. Louis City is celebrating a new milestone. We sat down with Chad Huber, one of the three brothers who purchased the long-standing business last year. Chad, just like so many of u...

Located in a storefront on Cherokee Street in South St. Louis City is a place where Reginald Quarles says all are welcome. Teatopia is a tea shop and café serving up nearly 100 varieties of tea. The business came out of tragedy, Reginald says he soon realized life is too short not to chase your dreams. So with the love of tea, and passion to create a safe space for all, he opened his doors in 2017...

When Steph Hampton started hiking with her kids, she never imagined she’d create an entire community of people who just want to get outside and explore. But that’s exactly what has happened. Her friends called her the park lady, now she inspires thousands to explore St. Louis and beyond. Her Instagram is Explore STL Parks, and she vividly remembers hitting 100 followers. Now she’s at almost 100K....

Step inside Casa Don Alfonso at the Ritz Carlton in Clayton and your eyes are instantly drawn to the open kitchen. Inside, you’ll watch them craft and create fresh made pasta, on the walls are hand painted tiles. It’s all part of Mario Laccarino's mission to bring you to his homeland of Italy. To his family. The Italian restauranteur is in town from his home in Positano to visit his one and only r...