1. B-Sides

Grind It Up | Makin' a List

Ruka Puff dabbles in movie-making, while the members of Ludo share their Christmas wish lists.

By Keegan Hamilton and Annie Zaleski

Published: December 26, 2007

"I just woke up one morning and said, 'I'm going to write a fuckin' movie,'" is not a statement the average person tends to make. Then again, all it takes is one quick glance at Ruka...

2. Cafe

Dinner Is Served

Ian takes one for the team and counts down the ten best restaurant dishes of 2007.

By Ian Froeb

Published: December 26, 2007

In the past twelve months, I've reviewed 62 restaurants (and one minor-league baseball stadium). I've traveled to Columbia and the Metro East. I've sampled the cuisines of Korea, Japan,...

3. Critics' Picks

Verve Pipe

8 p.m. Thursday, December 27. VooDoo Lounge at Harrah's Casino, 777 Casino Center Drive, Maryland Heights.

By Shae Moseley

Published: December 26, 2007

Verve Pipe frontman Brian Vander Ark has released two solo albums and has played sporadic shows with different members of the band during the past few years. But this month's swing...

4. Critics' Picks

Clint Harding Benefit

7 p.m. Friday, December 28. The Focal Point, 2720 Sutton Boulevard, Maplewood.

By Roy Kasten

Published: December 26, 2007

Clint Harding was an early programming pillar at KDHX (88.1 FM), but left the station in 2004 to move to Columbia, Missouri, where he resumed broadcasting his show "Blue Highways"...

5. Critics' Picks

The Ghost of the Forest

9 p.m. Friday, December 28. Bluebird, 2706 Olive Street.

By Annie Zaleski

Published: December 26, 2007

The Ghost of the Forest already wins the competition for having the cutest merchandise in town, what with its Scooby Doo-esque haunted forest T-shirts and the Pac-Man-like ghost icon...

6. Critics' Picks

Zeda's Beat Box

7 p.m. Saturday, December 29. Off Broadway, 3509 Lemp Avenue.

By Mike Appelstein

Published: December 26, 2007

Friday night is when observant Jews put aside worldly concerns in favor of Shabbat's spiritual joys. Kabbalat Shabbat is the service that kicks off the traditional Jewish day of rest,...

7. Critics' Picks

Dirty Dozen Brass Band

11 p.m. Saturday, December 29. Broadway Oyster Bar, 736 South Broadway.

By Christian Schaeffer

Published: December 26, 2007

The most interesting brass bands out of New Orleans tread the line between tradition and innovation — perhaps by using, say, sousaphones, trumpets and saxophones to play a Michael...

8. Critics' Picks

Tiësto

9 p.m. Sunday, December 30. Home Nightclub, 1260 South Main Street, St. Charles.

By Michael Alan Goldberg

Published: December 26, 2007

Superstar DJs are kind of like top female porn stars: They rise up from the pack, dominate the scene for a while and then all but disappear after giving way to the next hot new...

9. Critics' Picks

Hello Operator

7 p.m. Sunday, December 30. Cicero's, 6691 Delmar Boulevard, University City.

By Annie Zaleski

Published: December 26, 2007

Don't hold it against Hello Operator that it's opened for Hilary Duff, Simple Plan and Loverboy: This Canadian duo specializes in the type of eye-popping keyboard-pop that made new-wave...

10. Drink of the Week

Drinks of the Year

Kristie raises a glass to her favorite drinks of 2007.

By Kristie McClanahan

Published: December 26, 2007

We didn't officially take over the helm of the Drink of the Week booze cruise until mid-June this year, after the column's founder, Randall Roberts, set sail for the West Coast. For...

11. DVDish

Pause & Rewind

The best DVDs of '07 made old movies feel new again.

By Robert Wilonsky and Jordan Harper

Published: December 26, 2007

Blade Runner: The Final Cut (Warner Bros.) — It's the collector's-set briefcase that seals the deal, a gunmetal-gray case that all but shouts "Completist dork!" Also: There's...

12. Film

Moolah for Mullahs

All aboard the '80s way-back machine for Mike Nichols' good time Charlie.

By Robert Wilonsky

Published: December 26, 2007

Hell of a thing, getting Mike Nichols to adapt the yer-kiddin'-me story of Charlie Wilson, the congressman from Lufkin, Texas, who damned near single-handedly helped the Afghans kick...

13. Game On

Gaming's Greatest Hits

A look back at the best of 2007.

By Gary Hodges and Chris Ward

Published: December 26, 2007

Best Sleeper Hit: WordJong (Nintendo DS) — It may not sell like Mario, but this mishmash of Scrabble and mah-jongg hooks you like handheld crack. Already a word-of-mouth hit,...

14. Homespun

The Transmitters

Receiver
(self-released) 

By Christian Schaeffer

Published: December 26, 2007

Singer and guitarist Kip Loui has served time in bands such as Belle Starr and the Rockhouse Ramblers, playing country- and folk-indebted songs across St. Louis. But for the past few...

15. Stage

The Show Goes On

Dennis gazes back admiringly at St. Louis theater's year that was.

By Dennis Brown

Published: December 26, 2007

For the past two years this column page has featured a mid-December progress report on the Professional Theatre Awards Council, which administers the Kevin Kline awards. We did not...

16. Stage

St. Louis Stage Capsules

Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold suss out the local theater scene.

By Dennis Brown and Paul Friswold

Published: December 26, 2007

Kiss Me, Kate This farcical account of flaring egos during an out-of-town tryout of The Taming of the Shrew is being given mouth-to-mouth resuscitation at the Rep. The show has been...

17. What Else Is New?

What Else Is New?

Our top DVD picks scheduled for release this week.

Published: December 26, 2007

American Pie Presents: Beta House (Universal) The Brothers Solomon (Universal) Eastern Promises (Universal) Galactica 1980: The Complete Epic Series (Universal) The Heartbreak...

18. Music

The Spirit of St. Louis

Two of the Lou's famous rockers fill us in on their favorites of 2007 — and what the next year holds.

By Annie Zaleski

Published: December 26, 2007

Many St. Louis musicians hightail it out of the city as soon as they can, with the hope that the sunnier pastures of Los Angeles or the chillier climes of Chicago will be more welcoming...

19. Music

Face the Nation

We find out what rocked across the country in 2007.

By John Nova Lomax, Michael Gallucci, Gray, Chris, Jason Harper, Dave Segal, Niki D'Andrea, Jennifer Maerz, Arielle Castillo, Lina Lecaro, Sarah Askari and Jonathan Cunningham

Published: December 26, 2007

The holidays are a time of family, schmaltzy Christmas commercials that somehow make you cry and — if you are involved in music journalism — list-making. Lots and lots...

20. Night & Day

Hot for Teaching

By Nicole Beckert

Published: December 26, 2007

The world wants to know: How does he do it? In his book Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire, Rafe Esquith reveals the methods and madness of room 56 at Hobart Boulevard Elementary School...