The Royale Press-Herald
Steven Fitzpatrick Smith
The Monthly Newsletter of the Royale Food & Spirits
March 2011 Edition (Web Only - Print is Dead)
With the winter now sliding into the (admittedly-very-recent) past,
we’re looking forward to spring hours spent on the patio. Though we’re
not officially open in the yard right now, on nice days we’ve noticed
that a host of good folks have already found their way back there,
enjoying the usual amenities of our patio: a nice, warm fire for those
transitional, kinda warm/kinda cool nights; the option to grab a smoke
in the great outdoors; and that little bit of elbow room, which comes
in handy on crowded nights. While table service is just around the
corner, feel free to come by for some outdoor action, should the
spirit, and temperatures, move you.
In the News, Nationally & Locally
The local coverage this month starts compliments of Metromix. The
site’s been visiting with bartenders at various spots around town and
they’ve recently found time to chat with John Fausz, well-known as a
behind-(and-at)-the bar presence at the Royale. Here’s the Q/A:
http://stlouis.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/article/whos-behind-the-bar/2480644/content
The Royale was also cited as the Best Bar in the city, according to
Metromix. Oh, yeah, we buried the lead. We’re humble like that. Here’s
the clip:
http://stlouis.metromix.com/bars-and-clubs/best-of-award/bar/2402811/content
Nationally, the Royale was discussed by St. Louisan Christopher Orlet
in a piece for the American Spectator. Putting the Royale into the mix
of The Great American Saloon Series, Orlet’s piece is an interesting
read, as is the explosion of comments following the article. We’d
suggest you take a look:
http://spectator.org/archives/2011/03/03/the-royale-treatment#commentcontainer
While not specifically about the Royale, many of our craft brewing
friends were recently featured in a CNN video about the explosion of
craft brewing in town. Here’s the link to the video:
http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/living/2011/02/17/elam.mo.craft.beer.cnn.html
St. Patrick’s Day
While the Royale might not do the same outrageous, open-’til-close
business of venues such as O’Connell’s, Seamus McDaniel’s and
McGurk’s, St. Patrick’s Day has, in fact, become one of the busiest
days on the Royale’s calendar each year. We’re just a few weeks away
from the night: Thursday, March 17. Expect a couple of
holiday-specific specials on food and drink. And don’t be surprised if
there’s not a bit of live music and even some poetry before the day’s
done.
Figure, too, that if you roll in at 8 p.m., you might have a bit of a
wait, so think about stopping through a bit early, or make us a part
of your late-night rounds. We’ll have some Irish-themed records
spinning by that point, compliments of John Gassel (think rock and
ska, as much as pipes and pans), so consider making us your first stop
post-work, or your place for a nightcap. And, as noted, some nice
weather that evening means that the call of the patio might be what
your Irish ears are hearing.
Dizzy Spell Comes to the Royale
The Dizzy Spell is the only night-time Spelling Bee in St. Louis.
Dizzy Spell #7 will be held at the Royale on Wednesday, March 23rd,
starting at 9:30 p.m. Regular bar patrons are welcome to watch and
enjoy but we're suggesting that people pay $10 for entry into the
spelling bee, which will include a free half-pint draft thanks to the
proprietor's non-avaricious tendencies and a shot at a cash prize and
your name on the Dizzy Cup!
You'll compete against other equally gifted local spellers and
sesquipedalians. Or if spelling isn't your forte, just come by and
drop a few dollars in the bucket and enjoy the event. Come by yourself
or with friends, we can’t promise any schadenfreude, but we know
you’ll have a good time as you reach and surpass the limits of your
personal lexicon.
For added info: www.whatsupstl.com
Cocktail Museum Sundays
If you missed our first Cocktail Museum of the month, themed around
New Orleans, we still have a few more to go. Our house mixologist
Robert Griffin, found walking the slats every Sunday and Monday night,
tips us to the latest Cocktail Museum offerings:
3.13: Regent's Punch - George IV's recipe, and a small slate of
obscure cocktails
3.20: Fizz 302 - we are nearly halfway to 100 Fizzes now - on this
night we'll add another batch you've never heard of.
3.27: Seminar in Sour - the only drink paradigm we haven't tackled
yet, partially because it's one of the few that's survived. A much
finer and more versatile drink than many realize, we'll hit some of
the major variations (Jersey Sour, New York Sour) and present a bit of
history on the form as well.
DJs, We’ve Got Them
Some of the best DJs in town find their way behind the ones-and-twos
of the Royale’s monster sound system each month. Here’s a partial list
of our remaining DJs for March.
Tuesday, 3.8: Julie Conway
Thursday, 3.10: JJ
Friday, 3.11: Jason Potter
Saturday, 3.12: Tank
Tuesday, 3.15: Jamie Toon
Thursday, 3.17: John Gassel
Friday, 3.18: Mark Early
Saturday, 3.19: Adam Allington
Friday, 3.25: Thomas Crone of KDHX
Saturday, 3.26: Robert Griffin
Remember, too, that every Monday is Vinyl Side Monday. Bring a platter
of wax, play half of it, qualify for a free beer. It’s that simple.
Just bring something good!
--
Steven Fitzpatrick Smith
Tavern Keeper
The Royale Food & Spirits
3132 South Kingshighway
STL in the MO 63139