When we first heard about chef/owner Ben Poremba's innovative vision of turning an old South City house into a fine-dining restaurant (Elaia), and the retired service station next door to it into a wine bar (Olio), we were a bit unsure of just how it would work out. Since the dual concepts have been up and running for a while now, we finally stopped in for dinner at Elaia and are pleased to report the project is quite the success.

Across

We’ve all been on antibiotics at some point in our lives, and most parents have given their children antibiotics by the time they go to school. However, physicians are warning that we can no longer afford to be so cavalier about the drugs we once thought were all but harmless bacteria killers. That’s because more and more bacteria are adapting to evade the effects of antibiotics.

For such a little gland, it can cause some big problems. The thyroid is a small gland in the neck that secretes hormones needed to regulate metabolism. Everything from body temperature to weight to energy are metabolically modulated, so an imbalance in thyroid function can cause a range of unpleasant symptoms.

Feeling a little green-eyed towards someone else’s green thumb? MoBot horticulturists explain how can homeowners achieve formal gardens in St. Louis backyards.

John Mineo's Italian Restaurant has been a fixture in Town & Country for 40-plus years, emphasizing traditional Italian dishes and upscale service. Tucked away in a small shopping area on Clayton Road, the eatery had escaped our attention for far too long, and we were happy to remedy that oversight recently.

Elaine Blatt welcomes guests into her contemporary Ladue home with a warm smile and cup of frothy cappuccino. The day she welcomed me was particularly cold and snowy. She was busy packing for an upcoming photo journey, destined “to get out of the cold.” She also was completing work on From Field to Fork…The Plants We Eat, her photography exhibit opening March 15 (through May 31) in Monsanto Hall at the Missouri Botanical Garden. It the first time I have seen the petite and stylish redhead casually dressed without one of her signature hats atop her head.

Story: Paul and Julianne have a problem. Their 3-year-old German Shepherd dog, Carrot, is overly aggressive with Paul and, to a lesser extent, their teen daughter Brittany. Paul has the bandages to prove it when he answers the door to their posh Florida residence to welcome Vadislav.

When Nicki Myers’ son, Reece, was 18 months old, he itched so much he bled from scratching. Reece suffers from eczema, a non-contagious, inflammatory skin condition that may be caused by an array of triggers. “He had a moderate to severe rash on his lower legs and arms that became so inflamed and irritated he would scratch in his sleep,” says Myers. “He’d wake up with open wounds, and it was quite hard to manage.” The Ladue mom recalls slathering her child’s legs with various prescription and over-the-counter creams and ointments, and then wrapping them with gauze and compression bandages to prevent Reece from continuing to scratch.

About one in seven people experiences a random nosebleed at some point in his or her life, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Children and people older than 50 are the most likely to have a sudden nosebleed, and the trigger can be as minor as blowing one’s nose too hard or as serious as a clotting disorder.

Let me start off by saying that had I written my traditional list of Oscar predictions—for which I have a remarkably accurate record. Well, I would have failed miserably this year. This had to have been one of the most unusual, scattered, unpredictable, Academy Awards I have ever seen. That being said, I am prepared to eat a little crow and perhaps do a little Monday morning-quarterbacking.

Across

Edgewild Restaurant & Winery opened in the fall of 2011 in Chesterfield, and soon developed quite a following in West County and beyond.

When David and Thuy Smith first were approached about the possibility of building an ‘active house’ for their new home in Webster Groves, the couple was turned off by their admitted misconceptions of what a green home would entail.

How are you faring during this cold and flu season? The answer depends, at least in part, on how your body’s immune system is protecting you from the many viral and bacterial illnesses that gets passed around every winter.

When the Walker family moved to Frontenac five years ago, they immediately were greeted with a friendly welcome. Stephanie, a North Carolina native, is a former attorney and homemaker; and her husband Chip, originally from Virginia, is a managing director at Wells Fargo Advisors. The couple has two children, 9-year-old Thornton and 8-year-old Emmi, who attend Conway Elementary. Simon, a yellow Labrador; Macie, a Goldendoodle; and a cat, Trixie, are the family pets. Stephanie told us more about what she and her family enjoy in Frontenac.

While it may seem obvious to showcase red items for the month of February, I have not completely abandoned featuring an actual trend. Red was big for fall and is continuing to be a strong color for spring (yes, spring is slowly arriving into stores).

I will be brief. When Arnold Schwarzenegger uttered the now-infamous line, I’ll be back, we all cheered in white-knuckle anticipation. Oh, he’s coming back all right. And he’s going to crack some skulls.

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, romance is in the air. For inspiration, we surveyed a group of St. Louisans about their idea of a romantic evening. 

Story: Martin leads a structured existence. He is an architect who designs award-winning structures. He speaks impeccable English and is quick to point out the grammatical errors of others. He lives in a clean, sterile house with his refined wife Stevie and his slightly uptight teen-age son, Billy, who has told his parents that he is gay.

Story: Martin leads a structured existence. He is an architect who designs award-winning structures. He speaks impeccable English and is quick to point out the grammatical errors of others. He lives in a clean, sterile house with his refined wife Stevie and his slightly uptight teen-age son, Billy, who has told his parents that he is gay.

Catherine Hanaway has been throwing her weight around for a long time. After all, she was the first woman ever to serve as Missouri’s Speaker of the House; she won the Republican nomination for Secretary of State; and was named by President George W. Bush as the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri. Today, she’s a top attorney in John Ashcroft’s law firm, the Ashcroft Group.

In the world of professional gardening, winter brings on different tasks. Hopefully, most of these jobs will be indoors when the weather is at its worst, as snow-shoveling and ice-chipping rank near the very bottom of our favorite jobs list. About the only things lower on that list are cleaning up the bird messes under the seed feeders, mucking out the pond on a cold spring day or spreading ripe manure in the heat of the summer. Gardeners usually use the winter season to plan future plantings, research new materials, order specialty items and peruse plant catalogs.