St. Louis Blog

​Just a reminder that the open call for nominations for the next Fight Club Sandwich continues. Once again, this new battle will pit two martinis against each other. Feel free to suggest a bar or restaurant, in general, or a specific drink at a bar or a restaurant. Leave your suggestions as a comment here, or you can Tweet them to me @gutcheckstl.

​The Battle of the Burgers was just the beginning. After too much gin this weekend careful deliberation, I've decided that the next Fight Club Sandwich battle will pit two (or possibly more) martinis against each other.

So: Who makes a great martini? It can be gin or vodka or...well, I don't know. Surprise me.

All suggestions will be considered. Leave yours as a comment.

 Yesterday I posted the (somewhat delayed) Battle of the Burgers, the inaugural edition of Fight Club Sandwich. I promise that future battles won't take so long to come to fruition.

That said, I'm open to suggestions on what the next battle should be. I'm game for pretty much anything -- except burgers, of course.

Hot wings? Martinis? Restaurants for people-watching? Grocery-store delis? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

 Finally, after a couple of delays, we're ready for the first edition of Fight Club Sandwich, the Battle of the Burgers, with the contestants that you chose: O'Connell's Pub vs. Seamus McDaniel's. I've eaten both burgers -- not for the first time, mind you, though I hadn't visited either restaurant in a while -- considered many important factors and am ready to declare a champion. First, the contenders:

So here I was, all ready to follow your votes and pit the burgers from O'Connell's Pub and Seamus McDaniel's against each other in a no-holds-barred, steel-cage battle to the death. Except...

O'Connell's Pub has been closed all week. Won't reopen till next week.

When I'm on vacation.

So. Um. Yes.

The inaugural Fight Club Sandwich battle is postponed until the week of July 13.

Gut Check International Headquarters will be shuttered for the Fourth of July holiday tomorrow. Next week, I'm on vacation, but the blog never sleeps, so check back for highlights of the past few years as well as new posts on Match meat and more.

Have a great weekend. And next week. And next weekend. Eat something good.

Well, the results are final -- and decisive. The first Fight Club Sandwich battle will pit the burgers from O'Connell's Pub and Seamus McDaniel's against each other. Look for your requested battle on Thursday afternoon.

The response to this first Fight Club Sandwich contest has been fantastic. All of you provided great ideas for both burgers to try and specific battles to stage. I decided it would be easier to choose from among five different battles -- a few suggested by readers, a few put together from your ideas by yours truly -- rather than vote for individual restaurants.

Here are the five possible Battle of the Burgers match-ups:

Blueberry Hill vs. Fast Eddie's Bon Air

Burger Bar vs. White Castle

Carl's Drive-In vs. Cardwell's at the Plaza

Fatted Calf vs. Bussone's Wine & Spirits

O'Connell's Pub vs. Seamus McDaniel's

(I wanted to include the "Baseball's Best Burger" at GCS Stadium, but the Gateway Grizzlies will be on the road when I plan to visit the restaurants.)

Vote for the battle you want to see in the poll below. Voting will remain open until the end of the day Monday, June 29. Look for the battle results at the end of next week.

Yesterday's post on the inaugural Fight Club Sandwich, pitting your choice of two burgers from local restaurants in a battle to be decided by your struly, has received an awesome response so far. Keep suggesting burgers in the comments thread of that post or to Gut Check's Twitter feed (twitter.com/gutcheckstl). I'll post a poll tomorrow so you can choose the combatants!

OK, folks, here's the deal: Beginning this week, Gut Check will be holding battles pitting the same dish at two restaurants against each other. I, your intrepid gastronaut, will eat the dish at both joints, evaluate the competitors and declare a winner. The winner will receive a shiny platinum plaque the thrill of victory.

"Wait, Ian. The headline clearly states, 'Audience-Participation.' This sounds like the same reviewing crap that you always do. What gives?"

What gives is that you, dear readers, will get to choose each week's competitors. I'll declare a topic and then open the floor -- i.e., the comments thread and Gut Check's Twitter feed) -- to your suggestions. Once I have a workable list of possibilities drawn from your and my own ideas, I'll put together a poll so that you can determine which two restaurants I should visit.

We'll begin with something straightforward: Burgers. Where do you want to see me eat a burger?  The only limit is your imagination. Be creative. Be cruel. I'm at the mercy of your whims.

Again: Leave your suggestions in the comments or as a Tweet to @gutcheckstl.