The casino offers plenty of flash for a night out. In addition to the usual table games and a poker room, some 2,000 slots feature the latest in video technology. Nonsmokers take note: The smell of smoke hangs pretty heavily in the air. You also can hit Horseshoe St. Louis for dinner. Enjoy an upscale meal at The Wok, scarf down a plate full at The Kitchen Buffet & Bistro or sip a beer and catch a game at Ozzie's Sports Bar & Grill. Phone (314) 881-7777 for the casino.
The vibe is similar at the Hollywood Casino St. Louis (777 Casino Center Dr. in Maryland Heights). There's a poker room with more than 20 tables, 31 Black Jack tables, six roulette tables, five craps tables and 2,100 slots, and there are nonsmoking areas. The casino's Boogie Nights club has dancing Friday and Saturday nights. Phone (314) 770-8100 for the casino.
Laclede's Landing (710 N. 2nd St. on the banks of the Mississippi) is an area of eateries, bars and entertainment venues occupying former warehouse buildings.
For live music, The Loop is tops. Rock, pop and blues bands jam it up several nights a week at the Duck Room , inside the Blueberry Hill diner (6504 Delmar Blvd.). For schedule information phone (314) 727-4444. Pop, rock, acoustic and metal bands and comedians, including some big names, perform at The Pageant (6161 Delmar Blvd.). Patrons can chill out at the venue’s Halo Bar before and/or after the main show. The Halo Bar also has live performances and DJ sets most nights, and there’s no cover. For concert info phone (314) 726-6161.
Local scenesters congregate at Pin-up Bowl (6191 Delmar Blvd.), a lounge where the bartenders whip up killer martinis and specialty cocktails in outlandish colors. The kitschy décor includes display cases full of vintage bowling and pin-up paraphernalia. There are eight lanes here as well, but if you’re serious about the game this is not the place to work on your delivery. Phone (314) 727-5555.
In the Grand Center arts district, Jazz at the Bistro (3536 Washington Ave.) is an intimate jazz club where you can have dinner and catch local talent as well as name acts. Reservations for music performances are recommended; for tickets phone the box office at (314) 571-6000.
Two downtown watering holes are especially popular for live music. BB's Jazz, Blues and Soups (700 S. Broadway) brings top jazz and blues musicians to town. Memorabilia adorns the walls of this old brick building. Within spitting distance of BB’s is The Beale on Broadway (701 S. Broadway). Down-home blues is the music of choice here, with dashes of R&B, old-school soul and roots rock. Phone (314) 436-5222 for BB's or (314) 621-7880 for The Beale on Broadway.
Off Broadway (3509 Lemp Ave. in the Cherokee-Lemp Historic District) is basically a dive bar, but it’s also one of the best spots in the city for live music. Acts run to folk, alt country, blues and rock, plus the occasional tribute show (Jerry Garcia, Gram Parsons and the like). This is also a good place to catch up-and-coming local bands. Another plus: The smoking area is outside. The Focal Point (2720 Sutton Blvd. in the suburb of Maplewood) provides a casual showcase for folk and acoustic performers, local singer-songwriters and bluegrass musicians. The eclectic offerings extend to poetry slams and folk dancing. Phone (314) 328-4810.
The Moolah Theatre & Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd. near the St. Louis University campus) is housed in a renovated, Moorish-style brick building that was once the Moolah Temple, a meeting place for the Shriners. The screen is huge, and the theater has a beautiful ceiling dome. A full bar and a retro eight-lane bowling alley downstairs encourage hanging out afterward, but arrive early to snag one of the comfy leather sofas that make up the front rows. Phone (314) 446-6868.
Is there a better way to spend a summer evening in St. Louis than attending a Cardinals game at Busch Stadium ? A stone’s throw from the Arch, the ballpark is invariably packed with die-hard Cards fans cheering on their team. So grab a dog and a couple of bags of peanuts and take a seat under the stars. Evening home games usually start at 6:15. Single game tickets can be purchased at the 8th Street ticket windows, located just north of Gate 3, Mon.-Fri. from 9 a.m. until 2 hours after game time; to charge by phone call (314) 345-9000.
Note: RFT (Riverfront Times), a free newsweekly available all over town, has arts and entertainment listings.