Check Out The All-New Social House -- Opening Soon!

 If Social House were a tech startup, you would call what's going on at 1551 S 7th Street a pivot. Gone are the painted ladies and the glass-walled showcase room. Instead, you'll find plenty of televisions, sleek booths, sports memorabilia and a completely different atmosphere. I really hope the chicken strips remain or we are going to have issues. Driving by you'll also notice a sweet new patio out front. I hear there are garage doors that can be opened on nice days. 

Check out this walkthrough of the completely renovated space. An opening date is not set, but I'm told that it is coming soon. In the meantime, you can check out Social Bar & Grill at 4265 Reavis Barracks Rd. 

Have You Been To BooCoo Yet?

 In case you didn't know, there's a functioning restaurant at 1031 Lynch Street again. BooCoo opened back in early February in the space previously occupied by Oaked, Lynch Street Tavern, Fleur de Lilies, Gusto 314, Holiday Spirits Pop-Up Bar and Sage in recent memory. 

Check out this write-up from Feast Magazine and get over there for some "New Orleans-inspired fare" and a dipstick.

Be on the lookout for some popular Soulard bartenders that you know (and probably love) from other establishments.

City Covid-19 Vaccine Information Page Goes Live

 The City of St. Louis recently launched a Covid-19 vaccine information page. Here you'll find plenty of information about the vaccine and updates on where the City is in the process. 

Most importantly, if you live in the City you can sign up to get be notified when you can get the shot in the arm yourself. Remember, if you want to party in the streets of Soulard with beers, beads, and hurricanes then get the damn shot.

Here's the link. 

Thanks go to Alderman Jack Coatar for posting the link on his Facebook page and spurring me to resume posting here. It's been a minute. My bad.

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

MLS2STL Proposal Is Good For Soulard And St. Louis

The April 4th general election is a big one here in the city of St. Louis. The city will most-likely elect it's first female mayor, Lyda Krewson. How cool is that?

Among the propositions on the ballot Tuesday, Propositions 1 & 2 have probably received the most press. 

Proposition 1 would raise the sales tax 1/2 of a percent. The expected $20 million in yearly proceeds would go to things like transit and public safety. 

Proposition 2 is tied to Prop 1. If Prop 1 passes, the city's use tax will automatically go up that same .5 percent. Prop 2 would authorize that increase in the use tax, expected to be $4 million per year, to be used to build a 20,000-seat outdoor stadium. Among other events, the stadium would be the home of St. Louis's entry in Major League Soccer. 

A .5 percent increase in the sales tax would cost you 50 cents on a $100 purchase. Keep in mind that the food tax is 3% lower when you see reports of a high base sales tax in the city. The use tax is something businesses pay on out-of-state purchases. 

This proposal is good for the city of St. Louis. 

It is good for the city's youth according to Demetrious Johnson and according to the co-founder of World Wide Technology, David Steward. 

In addition to that, it is good for Soulard. In Minnesota, proximity to the new Minnesota United stadium is influencing home-buying decisions. 

We all see how busy Soulard is with Cardinals and Blues fans on the days those teams are playing. People visiting before heading over to the games or taking the Soulard shuttles to the games, help keep these businesses in business the rest of the year. Crowds also help deter crime. 

People looking to rent apartments make their decisions partially on being close to things they like to do. There are plenty of young professionals that will see being close to an MLS stadium as a perk of living in Soulard. 

The city of St. Louis will earn tax revenues from things that happen at the stadium. These tax dollars will go to pay for needed city services. Over the course of the next twenty years, these tax dollars generated for the city will be more than if the stadium didn't get built. The city's contribution is capped and can only be paid for from that increase in the use tax. General revenue funds can not be used. The owners of the MLS team are responsible for any construction cost overages. 

Vote whatever way you think is best for St. Louis on Tuesday. Keep an open mind about Propositions 1 & 2 and the benefits they could have for Soulard, in particular.

P.S. Vote For Jack Coatar too. 

The Wood Shack Opens In Old Feraro's

The Wood Shack is now open in Soulard.

The old Feraro's finally has a new tenant. The Wood Shack is now serving sandwiches at 1862 S 10th Street. The Riverfront Times had the story on the restaurant's opening, which happened Tuesday. The RFT describes The Wood Shack as a "playful little sandwich shop."

Many, including this writer, will remember the location as the old Feraro's. The pizza shop with the fantastic deep dish pie left The Island in 2013. Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza has a carryout location in South County and their main location at 7704 Ivory in South City. They still deliver to Soulard so, you can give them a call at 314-256-0500.

Before Feraro's, 1862 S. 10th was apparently the private dining room for Mike and Min's. Most recently, it was Spring Center Gourment. It had signage for a new sandwich shop that was always "opening soon," but never opened.

Chris Delgado and Patrick McGinnis co-own the restaurant with Delgado serving as the chef. He most recently spent six years at One 19 North Tapas. The sandwich shop will smoke their own meats in-house and make delicious sandwiches from it. Delgado will also make his own sides, including potato salad and mac 'n' cheese.

Check The Wood Shack out on Facebook or on their other Facebook page, apparently.

Verizon Installs Temporary Cell Sites For Mardi Gras 2016

Verizon has again installed temporary cell sites in Soulard for the biggest events of the 2016 Mardi Gras season.

Two temporary cell sites were recently installed and different locations in the neighborhood. The temporary sites are called COLT sites, or Cell on Light Truck sites. They support both 3G and 4G networks, according to a representative of the company.

Cellular telephone service is notoriously spotty for the big Mardi Gras events in Soulard, Taste of Soulard, Beggin' Pet Parade and the Bud Light Grand Party.

While we suggest you have a plan that doesn't rely solely on having cell service, these temporary sites have helped in years past. Also, make sure you show up to Soulard on Saturday with a full battery, it's not like there are just outlets all over for you to plug you phone in at.

How can you ensure you have a fun and safe time even if you don't have cell service?

If you are meeting friends, plan on meeting them at a set location at a set time. The intersections along Ninth are usually some of the more crowded points. We suggest 8th & Soulard, Allen & 10th or anything South of Russell as a meeting point.

That goes for when it's time to go home too. Don't get left behind or be the bad friend that leaves someone behind. We suggest planning on meeting around 6 or 7 pm at the latest to at least talk about your exit strategy.

NEED MORE TIPS FOR HAVING A GREAT TIME AT SOULARD MARDI GRAS? CLICK HERE

What To Eat At Taste Of Soulard 2016

The menu is out for the 2016 Taste Of Soulard event happening this weekend. If you aren't familiar already with the event, you have really been missing out. $25 gets you a booklet with six food vouchers and one voucher good for a Southern Comfort cocktail. You then get rally your best buds together and form your own pub crawl through the neighborhood using your vouchers. The event goes from 11am - 5pm this Saturday (Jan. 30) and Sunday (Jan. 31). While the event is technically happening on Sunday too, many restaurants aren't participating on Sunday due to the traffic they experience during the Beggin' Pet Parade.

The list of offerings for Taste 2016 has been made available in advance of the event so that you can plan your attack before Saturday. I've combed the menu, made my color-coded map and now share with you six suggestions of places to hit as well as a few dessert ones.

These are submitted in no particular order and are by no means the only things your should shoot for. I have very particular tastes, meaning I don't like spicy foods and my choices reflect that.

2016 Taste of Soulard Suggestions

DB's 

Old Man Sandwich

House-roasted brisket and corned beef covered in Swiss and Provel. Add horseradish and put in all on marble rye. It's amazing. 

Franco

Bacon and Caramelized Onion Flatbread

For many of us, Franco is a luxury that we don't get over to enough. Take this opportunity to visit and enjoy.

Molly's Bar

Nola BBQ Shrimp with French Baguette

If there's one thing Molly's does great, its Nola seafood dishes. 

Soulard Preservation Hall

Fried Hot Dogs

What kind of person could say no to this?

Twisted Ranch

Big Kid Mac and Cheese

You are doing yourself a disservice if you haven't dined at Twisted Ranch yet. Take this opportunity to try this delicious dish.

Epic Pizza and Subs

Slice of Cheese Pizza

I have enough of these so, believe me when I say to try it. It's also likely the most filling choice on the menu.

Dessert

You're going to want to use one of your vouchers for a dessert option.the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce at Soulard's is a personal favorite of mine. Also, you can't go wrong with mini cupcakes from Sweet Divine. You'd rather drink your dessert? Try a Red Bird with a SOCO floater at Tropical Liqueurs.

Ticket booklets are available at all participating establishments or online through Mardi Gras, Inc.

Looking for more of my ramblings about the 2016 Mardi Gras season? Check out this post I wrote for RealLifeSTL.