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A 2020 eG Gathering in STL? (Bulrush + ?)

Alex

By Alex
in The Heartland: Dining

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Alex

Alex

Posted
Posted (edited)

Last July, eight (iirc) eG'ers and friends/SO's made our way to St Louis to eat at @gfron1's pioneering restaurant Bulrush, spend some time with Rob at the Tower Grove Farmers Market, and otherwise enjoy the city. You can read about it via a handy link in Chris Hennes's thread about his return visit to Bulrush. He also posted links to forums about starting the restaurant and about an eG trip there as part of last year's Chocolate Workshop.

 

Ms. Alex and I decided we'd like to revisit the restaurant and the city this summer. Our schedules aren't as flexible as they were last summer, so rather than wait for the eG planning process, we went ahead and made our travel and lodging reservations. It'll be the last weekend in July, with a Saturday (the 25th) dinner at Bulrush. (The 25th also is Dog Day at the Farmers Market!) We hope that some eG'ers are ready, able, and willing to be there, too.

 

Other dinners together are possible, including the highly regarded Vicia and Savage. There's also a great assortment of museums, a botanical garden, Forest Park, and the Cardinals (playing the Cubs that weekend).

 

If logistics are the same as last year, we'll need a head count and reservation time decision by the third week of May. So if you're interested, or if you have any questions, please reply in this forum.

Edited by Alex (log)
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"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted

Nice idea: summers are tough for me (work is very busy) but STL is close enough for me to come for just the weekend. I think you can count me and my  +1 in for at least dinner at Bulrush. Later in the evening is better since I’ll be flying that day.

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Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

kayb

kayb

Posted
Posted

Count me in. Hopefully I will not have to leave early this time.

 

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Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

Alex

Alex

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
On 2/25/2020 at 7:08 PM, Alex said:

Other dinners together are possible, including the highly regarded Vicia...

 

Vicia is home to 2020 James Beard Award semifinalist Michael Gallina. I fully expect to see Bulrush's (and our) Rob Connoley on that list before long.

  • Like 1

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

kayb

kayb

Posted
Posted
6 hours ago, gfron1 said:

You better! I served a whole round of menu based on our conversation during sorghum season!

 

If that's on tap again this fall, I'll come up just for it!

 

  • Like 1

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

chefmd

chefmd

Posted
Posted

I am tentatively in plus one.  Looking forward to meeting my imaginary eGullet friends and to eating at @gfron1 restaurant 

Alex

Alex

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Unfortunately, the sale is for rooms only through June, but just in case anyone plans to be in StL before our gathering, Travelzoo has an offer for stays at Angard Arts Hotel. Chris Hennes stayed there during last year's gathering.

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted
On 3/6/2020 at 12:41 PM, Alex said:

Unfortunately, the sale is for rooms only through June, but just in case anyone plans to be in StL before our gathering, Travelzoo has an offer for stays at Angard Arts Hotel. Chris Hennes stayed there during last year's gathering.

And on my last visit: it's a really cool hotel. Good drinks and a good view at the top floor bar don't hurt a bit!

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

  • 1 month later...
Alex

Alex

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Just a quick update. Rob told me, via PM, that if all goes well, he hopes to be back open by early June. Even if it's early July, that bodes well for our eG gathering. Assuming museums etc. will also be open, Ms. Alex and I intend to be there. 

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

  • 2 months later...
Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted

Well, it sounds like Rob has managed to get Bulrush back open, but only for very limited seatings. I'm still game for a "gathering" of sorts (I'm happy to wave at y'all from across the room, anyway), though I think at this point this has turned into a road trip, since I'm not anticipating doing anymore flying this year. @Alex have you talked to Rob about our getting seats on that day under his new seating scheme?

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

Alex

Alex

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
Just now, Chris Hennes said:

Well, it sounds like Rob has managed to get Bulrush back open, but only for very limited seatings. I'm still game for a "gathering" of sorts (I'm happy to wave at y'all from across the room, anyway), though I think at this point this has turned into a road trip, since I'm not anticipating doing anymore flying this year. @Alex have you talked to Rob about our getting seats on that day under his new seating scheme?

 

Funny you should mention this. Contacting Rob was on my agenda for next week. I hadn't taken a look at the new plan yet, so thanks for the heads-up. Maybe we can rotate seats every couple of courses. 

 

Given the seating change, and, especially, the price increase (is the wine pairing still $100? -- I didn't see anything about that), I guess we need to open the attendance question back up to potential attendees.

 

Our initial list was this:

Alex +1

Chris Hennes +1

kayb

chefmd +1

cdh (maybe)

 

 

"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted
56 minutes ago, Alex said:

Maybe we can rotate seats every couple of courses. 

No, I really mean it: I'm happy to wave from across the room. I have to work with the public in my day job, I am sticking to a my-household-only social distancing scheme outside of that, and it doesn't look like that's going to be ending anytime soon, if the last couple days' numbers are any indicator.

 

Regarding the price, I hadn't heard anything about the beverage pairing changing, but especially under the circumstances I'm happy to pay whatever Rob needs to charge to keep paying the bills.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

kayb

kayb

Posted
Posted

I'm tentatively planning on taking off on my first trip since the pandemic outbreak on the 19th. I'll have to see if I can manage a swing through StL on the way back. May be a bit out of the way, but so what? 

 

I'm getting out, cautiously. I've been to breakfast and out for coffee, and I think I'm going to make my first foray for either lunch or dinner next week for my birthday. So, tentatively, count me still in. And potentially, a +1; I will check and see if my friend at whose condo I camp out when I'm there is in town and wants to go, as he's very much a foodie.

 

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
Posted

Don't take anything as rule right now. The price is temporary while we're at low quantity seating. I don't expect it to stick once we're back at full capacity because to balance the price we've upped the courses, but by upping the courses we've take the dinner to just beyond 2 hours which means we can't turn the tables at all.

 

Late July will be a whole new world I suspect. I know the city has announced that we can be at full capacity by July 1. 

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Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

gfron1

gfron1

Posted
Posted
12 hours ago, Chris Hennes said:

So you're saying I should come twice? :) 

In all seriousness - who knows! The menu will certainly change as it always does for us. Last year we did over 100 new or evolved courses and with our larder of misos, kombuchas, kefirs and cures constantly growing, I don't expect that to change. But as far as price...once we're at regular price again I am leaning toward going back to normal simply for the math of it all.

Chef, Bulrush & Squatters in St. Louis, MO

BBC Write-up

Smithsonian magazine story

Alex

Alex

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

Well, a cancelled flight was the first domino that led to our deciding to not travel to St Louis this summer. Disappointing, but I hope and trust that Bulrush will be around for many more.

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"There is no sincerer love than the love of food."  -George Bernard Shaw, Man and Superman, Act 1

 

"Imagine all the food you have eaten in your life and consider that you are simply some of that food, rearranged."  -Max Tegmark, physicist

 

Gene Weingarten, writing in the Washington Post about online news stories and the accompanying readers' comments: "I basically like 'comments,' though they can seem a little jarring: spit-flecked rants that are appended to a product that at least tries for a measure of objectivity and dignity. It's as though when you order a sirloin steak, it comes with a side of maggots."

 

A king can stand people's fighting, but he can't last long if people start thinking. -Will Rogers, humorist

Smithy

Smithy

Posted
Posted

It really couldn't happen for me this summer, but I do hope to get the chance sometime in the future.

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
Host, eG Forums - nsmith@egstaff.org

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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted

In light of this, I'm going to head up a bit earlier in July, on the 11th, instead of waiting until the 25th. I'm still happy to wave at any other eG'er from across the room, but obviously now is not a great time to be planning a group outing.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

kayb

kayb

Posted
Posted

Guess I'll put my trip off until the fall, in high hopes we'll be back to some degree of normalcy by then.

Don't ask. Eat it.

www.kayatthekeyboard.wordpress.com

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