St. Louis on the Air

Ten years ago, an intrepid restaurant critic at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch decided to put a hefty meal on his food-writing plate: Listing, and ranking, the top 100 restaurants in St. Louis. That effort is still running a decade later. Food critic Ian Froeb discusses this year’s picks and shares his insight and reflections on the St. Louis food and restaurant industry in 2025.

St. Louis’ downtown has its share of well-documented challenges: large-scale vacancies, companies moving their offices and streets that can feel devoid of activity. The city has made progress on two prominent vacant buildings in its downtown the past year, but rebounding from what the Wall Street Journal has described as a “real estate nightmare” will take many more years. STLPR economic development reporter Eric Schmid talks about efforts to revitalize downtown and recent successes in bringing business and residency to the neighborhood.

The St. Louis Science Center is nationally recognized among museums and STEM institutions. Its new President and CEO physicist Ray Vandiver shared what he’s most excited for now that he’s at the helm of the Science Center in his hometown. He also reflects on a career dedicated to making science fun and accessible to all.

Over a four year period starting in 2021, St. Louis’ use of electronic monitoring for defendants awaiting trial more than doubled. Advocates say it’s a way to prevent overcrowding in jails and keep people from being imprisoned. But opponents say there have been technological mishaps, privacy concerns, and high costs — and that many people who are forced to wear the devices would have otherwise been out on cash bail. Taylor Tiamoyo Harris, a St. Louis-based journalist and investigative fellow for the New York Times, discusses her story on the topic which was co-published by the New York Times and STLPR.

For renowned fiddle player Liz Knowles of Portland, Maine, St. Louis Tionól is a must attend event each year. “It really parallels events that we've been to in Ireland,” she says. Knowles reflects on the annual festival and St. Louis' Irish music scene in this bonus podcast episode. For more on tionól events happening this weekend, and for a deep dive into St. Louis’ Irish music scene, check out our other recent podcast episode: Why St. Louis is home to one of the nation’s best Irish music scenes.

Teachers and students have spent years clashing over the presence of cellphones in the classroom. This year, schools in the St. Louis region rolled out new bans that restrict how, when, and where students can use their devices during the school day. To learn how cellphones are impacting schools, we turn to the Edwardsville School District: Here student advisors like junior Josie Proctor and senior Amulya Girada helped superintendent Dr. Patrick Shelton craft the district’s new policy — including the consequences for breaking it.

Cara Spencer will become St. Louis’ 48th mayor when she’s inaugurated next Tuesday. Spencer, currently the 8th Ward alderwoman, soundly defeated incumbent Mayor Tishaura Jones by 28 points. STLPR’s Jason Rosenbaum and Rachel Lippmann talk about Tuesday’s election results — and Spencer called-in to discuss her victory and next steps.

Colson Whitehead, author of Pulitzer Prize-winning novels “The Underground Railroad” and “The Nickel Boys,” began his career as a journalist writing about television, books, and music. Whitehead is in St. Louis to accept the 2025 St. Louis Literary Award, presented annually by the St. Louis University Libraries. He discusses his work, its lasting resonance, and its adaptability to the screen.

St. Louis is a premiere destination for traditional Irish musicians from across the pond and throughout the U.S. We explore the people and institutions that have fostered the region’s Irish music scene since the 1970s and get a preview of this year’s St. Louis Tionól — an annual, four-day Irish arts and culture festival featuring music, dancing and community.

Two St. Louis chefs are finalists for James Beard awards. The recognition represents a milestone in two very different journeys: Vicia’s Jane Sacro Chatham, nominated for Emerging Chef, immigrated to St. Louis from the Philippines 17 years ago. Meanwhile, Balkan Treat Box's Loryn Nalic, nominated for Best Midwest Chef, started out working in a food truck. Chatham and Nalic discuss the significance of the award and their work at two of St. Louis’ top restaurants.