Clayton Kaldi's Baristas Fall Short in Regional Competion

Jacque DesMarais, David Fasman and Nora Brady of Kaldi's coffee made some spectacular coffee in Kansas City last weekend. But was it strong enough for the judges?

Kaldi's Coffee baristas Jacque DesMarais and David Fasman placed second and third in the south central region of the Big Central Barista Competition held in Kansas City last weekend. Nora Brady finished fifth. All three work at the Kaldi's Coffee House deMun location. The champion, Pete Licata of Parisi Coffee in Kansas City, will head to the United States Barista Championship in Boston this April. The contest is part of the Specialty Coffee 25th Annual Exposition. DesMarais was finalist in the national championship last year. You can read a Twitter account of the coffee experts routine on the Kaldi blog. The competitors had to brew four espressos, four cappuccinos and four ‘signature’ beverages of their choosing for four judges in 15 …

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Clayton Kaldi's Baristas to Compete in Kansas City

Three Kaldi's baristas will make coffee for judges with a live and online audience.

Some St. Louis area baristas (professional coffee makers) will be on a big stage this weekend. The Specialty Coffee Association of America’s (SCAA) Big Central competition is this Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Kansas City, and three baristas from the Kaldi's Coffee House deMun location will make four espressos, four cappuccinos and four ‘signature’ beverages of their choosing for four judges in 15 minutes. The SCAA barista competition isn’t for the casual coffee slinger. They’ll be competing with baristas from seven states. They’re judged on their presentation as well as the drinks. “It’s a lot of work, a lot of dedication, a lot of late hours,” Jake Althaus, a Foundation Grounds barista said. He’ll be a judge at the event. He’s 27 and …

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Kaldi's on DeMun Gets New Look

Patrons who've been craving the beloved Clayton coffee spot since it closed for remodeling can now stop by for a look at changes to its menu and interior.

Food Fight

Poll: Vote for Best Brunch in Mid-County

You have until 5 p.m. Friday to vote in our Readers' Choice poll.

The votes are in! We asked Patch readers for your favorite Mid-County brunch spots and got some great spots for our favorite weekend meal. We read your comments on Patch, as well as comments posted to our Patch Facebook pages and Twitter accounts. Here are your choices: Square One Brewery in Lafayette Square and GC Brewery in Creve Coeur also were nominated; however, neither are in Mid-County. Thank you to all those who nominated your favorite local establishments in Part 1 of this Food Fight. Now it's time to pick a winner. Readers have until 5 p.m. Friday to vote for their favorite spot, and we'll announce the winner Saturday morning. Be sure to cast your vote below, and as always, happy eating and drinking!

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Architect Mecayla Cobb Finds New York Vibe in Clayton

The Cannon Design employee with a love of educational facilities recently moved into the DeMun neighborhood.

Mecayla Cobb enjoys planning the architecture of college facilities, performing arts centers and other educational sites. That's because people in those locations generally are open to trying new things, are aware of trends and are willing to try new things. "It's a broad category that, each time I've worked on something, there's more to learn," said Cobb, a senior associate architect with Cannon Design in St. Louis city. She and her husband, Justin, relocated to Clayton's DeMun neighborhood from New York City three months ago. An education in architecture Cobb knew she wanted to be an architect starting in high school. She enjoys the field in part because it is a marriage of art and math. After graduating from the University of Kansas, …

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New Clayton Eatery Features Breakfast Fan, Coffee Connoisseur

Mike Marquard makes coffee to order for customers at Half and Half on Maryland Avenue.

Nestled between the small shops on Maryland Avenue in Clayton is a new hot spot for breakfast, lunch and, more importantly, an amazing cup of coffee. What is this mecca called? you ask. It's Half and Half, located at 8135 Maryland Ave. If you were not looking for it, you might miss it. But owner and chef Mike Randolph said business has been steady since Half and Half opened. Randolph created a menu based on what he enjoys having for breakfast. The most popular dishes are: Regular Half and Half diners sitting next to me at the butcher block bar said it is the best place in St. Louis to get a cup of coffee. I was not disappointed. Mike Marquard, front-of-the-house manager and coffee connoisseur, makes an incomparable cappuccino complete with…

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Clayton Riders Participate in Bike to Work Day

Trailnet sponsored fueling stations on Bonhomme and DeMun avenues.

The prospect of afternoon rain in Clayton didn't keep bicyclists from visiting two sites in the city Friday morning in honor of National Bike/Walk to Work Day. "It's been pretty successful," said Brooke Hendry, a TravelGreen intern with Trailnet, which sponsored the fueling stations. She said attendance wasn't as high as it might have been because of the uncertain weather. She and Anna Kusnierkiewicz, a special events specialist with the Gateway Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation staffed a table in downtown Clayton outside of The Patio Cafe on Bonhomme Avenue. The cystic fibrosis group is sponsoring a Sept. 24 biking fundraiser in O'Fallon, MO, and St. Paul, MO, called Cycle for Life. The Patio Cafe donated coffee and bagels for the…

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James Mense

2:26 pm on Monday, May 23, 2011

Thanks for the info, Cindy. Hey, what's for dinner?   more ›

Crescent Plaza Soiree Draws Guests to See Sculpture, Businesses

The Clayton event featured the unveiling of Gerard Tsutakawa's sculpture “Uzumaki Curve,” and a portion of restaurant sales benefited the Clayton Century Foundation.

The Crescent Plaza Sidewalk Soiree held Wednesday evening in Clayton attracted a large crowd of people who showed up to see the unveiling of Gerard Tsutakawa’s sculpture Uzumaki Curve and find out about businesses in the neighborhood. “It's a real honor to have such a great piece of art by a renowned artist here, and we're so glad to add this to our collection of public art,” Mayor Linda Goldstein said. The block party-style event ran from 5 to 8 p.m. with businesses opening their doors to the public and inviting them inside to see their wares and services, sample food and mingle. “I think that events like this, where people can sample our food, come in and visit our establishments, just give people an opportunity to get to know us, visit …

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The Virtual Life

Coffee Shops in Clayton and Beyond Prove Welcoming for Virtual Workers

St. Louis Patch editor Holly Edgell reviews six local eateries based on ambiance, layout, the meeting factor and more.

When the tools of your trade can fit into a briefcase, backpack or computer bag, the world is your oyster. A person living the virtual life may work from her sofa, the library or community center, a park bench, a "third space" or—of course—a coffee shop. In the first installment of this column, I focused on Saint Louis Bread Company (Panera) bakery-cafes. The greater St. Louis area also has a wide range of neighborhood coffee shops and eateries that provide good environments for conducting business. Here are a few where I've plugged in: Kaldi's, Clayton My Daddy's Cheesecake, Clayton Deer Creek Coffee, Ladue Picasso's Coffee, St. Charles St. Charles Coffee House, St. Peters Lindsay's Chocolate Cafe and Coffee House, O'Fallon

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Patch Picks

Patch Picks: Five Places to Get a Truly Clean Glass of Cloudy Brown Liquid

Brown isn’t always bad. We find five delicious brown drinks that you’ll be happy to see in a glass.

In honor of Missouri American Water's assurances to Clayton residents that the brown, cloudy water that came from taps earlier this week was entirely safe to drink, we rounded up five places to get a cloudy brown beverage you’ll be proud to drink.

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Jeff Brandt

1:47 am on Friday, April 15, 2011

Brilliant!   more ›