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On Friday, May 18, St. Charles Community College (SCC) will be hosting its third annual Rhythm and Ribs event. Gut Check spoke with Betsy Schneider and Kasey McKee of SCC to get the lowdown on what to expect.

The name "Rhythm and Ribs" says it all. The SCC campus will be transformed into a giant block party with live music, succulent ribs, drinks and all-around good times. Ribs will be brought in from four different restaurants: Bandana's Bar-B-Q, Ethyl's Smokehouse, Mannino's Market and Stumpy's House of BBQ and Catering. If you're in the mood for something other than ribs, Chick-fil-A will also be on site with its trademark chicken sandwiches. As for vegetarian options, there won't be much other than side dishes from Missouri Kettle Corn and gourmet nachos by Quintessential Catering. But hey, after all, it's not called Rhythm and Veggies.

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Jennifer Silverberg

The dining room of Chez Leon in Clayton

Rumors started swirling online yesterday, and now Gut Check can cofirm that Chez Leon (7927 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-361-1589) has closed.

"Times aren't the best," owner Leon Birnbaum tells Gut Check.

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'Tis not a man. 'Tis a remorseless eating machine.

Meet Bill Wisth. This Thiensville, Wisconsin, man -- who looks and also kind of sounds like Rick Majerus' younger brother -- was enjoying the all-you-can-eat fish fry that a restaurant called Chuck's Place holds every Friday.

Then, after twelve pieces of fish, the restaurant cut him off. As you'll see from this local news report, even the offer of eight more pieces of fish to go wasn't enough to assuage Wisth's anger.

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Deborah Hyland

Guess where we drank this berry smoothie and win $20 to Tee's Golf Grill (103 Chesterfield Valley Drive; 636-489-2848). Hint: We drank this smoothie at a cafe in south city.

Rules: To be eligible, you must leave a valid e-mail address (or Twitter handle or Facebook profile URL) in the comment-entry field. One guess per e-mail address. Employees of the restaurant in question and Riverfront Times are not eligible.

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- We're a couple of weeks late with this news, but Sassy JAC's is now open at 1730 South Eighth Street in Soulard. The restaurant and bar from chef Andrew Ladlie and his wife, Jennifer, features southern cuisine on its menu: deviled eggs, fried pickles, a crawfish-salad sandwich.

Sassy JAC's is open 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, it's open for brunch only 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 314-932-1280 for more info.

Page through for news about the new breakfast menu at Blues City Deli...

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Liz Miller

The "Super Hero" sandwich at Planet Sub.

Summer blockbuster season is upon us and, as usual, that means a handful of new superhero movies -- and we ain't mad about it. The first of the flurry is, of course, Joss Whedon's The Avengers, released on May 4. In true curmudgeon style, Gut Check waited a week to see the flick, not because we weren't bursting with excitement, but because we hate crowds among other old-crank concerns. We were also resolute to pair our movie night with a hero sandwich, which proved much harder to pinpoint than we expected.

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Emily Wasserman

The brioche French toast with lemon curd at Brasserie by Niche.

Where: Brasserie by Niche (4580 Laclede Avenue; 314-454-0600)

When: Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We Tried: The brioche French toast with lemon curd ($8) and the quiche du jour ($8)

The Verdict: To some, weekend brunch is an exclusively American pastime. We congregate to restaurants because we don't feel like cooking and indulge in one too many Bloody Marys. However, Brasserie by Niche puts a French twist on an American tradition, taking standard brunch fare to a new level.

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The St. Louis Business Journal breaks the news in its latest print edition (subscription required to read online): Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a Dallas-based chain with fifteen locations across seven states, will open at the Cupples 9 building, currently under renovation at 1120 Spruce Street downtown.

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Win these!

Don't say Gut Check never gave you anything -- at least, the winner of these baseball tickets can't say that, anyway. We have a set of tickets to tomorrow's (May 15) Cardinals day game at 12:45 p.m. against the Cubs. The seats are in section 137, row 21, seats fourteen and fifteen in the first base field box. Entry rules are after the jump.

Update: Congrats to commenter Will Fru, who answered: "Chili cheese dog from Steve's on the Hill!"

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Copper Run Distillery un-aged corn whiskey moonshine.

Last week Gannett profiled Copper Run Distillery out of Walnut Shade, calling it the first legal distillery to crop up in the Ozark Mountains since Prohibition. Copper Run produces un-aged corn whiskey, also known as moonshine, from a blend of 80 percent corn and 20 percent wheat. The end result clocks in at a staggering 75 to 80 percent alcohol content per bottle.The distillery also makes whiskey, vodka and rum from black-strap molasses.

The distillery is a family-owned and -operated business, founded by artisan distiller Jim Blansit. Currently Copper Run products are only available at three locations in the state: the distillery's headquarters in Walnut Shade, the Brown Derby International Wine Center in Springfield, and the Palate Fine Wine and Provisions in Branson. Though its moonshine and other assorted imbibers aren't yet available in St. Louis, the curious can get their fill at the distillery tasting room and take a tour of the operations, which are both made available daily for the public.

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