So You Wanna Be a Locavore

There are all kinds of ways to be a locavore. In fact, there’s no reason to stop at eating locally. You could also source furniture from a 100-mile radius.

We know Crate & Barrel is your home away from home, but designers are innovating right under your nose. Open Lot, a studio and venue that promotes local furniture design, has juried an exhibition called Contemporary Furniture in its Natural Habitat. Check out a chair that turns in three directions as well as a cluster of lighted tree stumps that’ve been fashioned into side tables. These and the other nine pieces on display may or not be for sale – you’ll have to ask. Make sure to tell the designer it’s for a good cause.

Sauce pick: Cool, local furniture
Where to get it: Sat., May 17 – 6 to 10 p.m., Open Lot, 1310 S. 18th St., St. Louis
Info: 314.588.2191 or www.openlot.org

Shandy Season http://www.saucemagazine.com/sadmin/daily/images/hyperlink.gif

It was a good winter for beer, wasn’t it? So many big brews kept us warm during the cold months. But we’re ready to lighten up.

On a warm day, there’s nothing like a Shandy – short for Shandygaff, a British mix of beer and lemonade, ginger ale or other soda. Or you could just crack open Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy, now back on shelves for a second summer season. It’s light and lemony – just right for a cookout or softball game. Which you can schedule as soon as it stops raining.

Sauce pick: Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy
Where to get it: Your favorite supermarket or liquor store
Info: www.leinie.com

A Grand Circus

It’s almost that time of year again, when a red-and-white tent appears in the heart of Grand Center, transforming the area into a haven for circus-lovers. Yep, it’s Circus Flora time.

This summer the action centers on Robin Hood and his merry men, who just so happen to be thrilling acrobats, equestrians and high-wire performers. Familiar faces, including Giovanni Zoppe as Nino the Clown and our own St. Louis Arches, will return, along with the kid-friendly Little Top Wednesdays, featuring an abbreviated one-hour version of the show. An original score is also on tap, not to mention animals ranging from horses to goats.

We’re most excited, however, by the arrival of a new performer who’s mastered the “one finger stand.” (And here we thought a yoga tree pose was tough!) Not to mention a revamped seating arrangement, which boasts swanky bucket seats in place of those not-so-comfy metal bleachers.

What: Circus Flora presents Sherwood Forest
When: Thu., June 5 to Sun., June 22: Tue. to Fri. – 7 p.m., Sat. – 2 and 7 p.m., Sun. – 1 and 5 p.m. On June 11 and 28, Little Top Wednesdays begin at 10 a.m. (Tickets are now available.)
Where: The red-and-white big top in Grand Center adjacent to Powell Hall, at the corner of Grand Boulevard and Samuel Shepard Drive, St. Louis
Cost: $8 to $35 (Little Top Wednesdays are $8 to $15.)
Info: 314.289.4040 or www.circusflora.org