2008 Woodie Awards
More than the Arch
By: Kim Nolan
Issue date: 3/2/06 Section: LifeStyle
- Page 1 of 1
A passion for Welsh authenticity pours from the Double Dragon tap at Dressel's Pub, 419 North Euclid Ave. Framed portraits of legendary icons like E.E. Cummings and St.. Louis' famed Scott Joplin adorn the pub like wallpaper.
The bar stretches from the entrance almost to the kitchen in the rear with wooden tables scattered along the sides and in any other little nook. Stained-glass windows, brick walls, a fireplace and an all-classical soundtrack add to the essence of Gaslight Square that Dressel's has captured.
Patrons can access Dressel's second floor Wednesdays through Saturdays separately named "A Pub Above." This ornate bar echoes a European feel with its copper lamps, velvet-lined booths and a dense selection of liquor. Seemingly devoted to a cigar smoking lounge perfect for intimate conversation, this room becomes a stage for local ragtime pianists to pay tribute to Scott Joplin on the first Sunday of each month.
Often considered "The King of Ragtime," Joplin wrote "The Entertainer" among other famous rags while living in St. Louis from 1900 to 1903.
Friends of the Scott Joplin Society keep the monthly tradition going stepping out of the spotlight only four times a year when The St. Louis Ragtimers take the stage with the famed Trebor Tichenor.
Owner Benjamin Dressel said he is aiming to make acoustic folk music a regular feature in the pub his parents founded in 1980.
The weekly musical roster ranges from Argentinean folk music to bluegrass to blues.
"If you've got something to share, you're welcome to do it (here)," Dressel said, referring to the Argentine couple that will be performing for the next few weeks while they're visiting St. Louis.
Whether you're going for the perfectly poured Guinness, the ploughman's plate, the weekly poetry slam or the ambience Dressel's remains a sophisticated gem of the Central West End.
"(Dressel's) is a pub that focuses on arts, literature, and established forms of music," Dressel said.
The bar stretches from the entrance almost to the kitchen in the rear with wooden tables scattered along the sides and in any other little nook. Stained-glass windows, brick walls, a fireplace and an all-classical soundtrack add to the essence of Gaslight Square that Dressel's has captured.
Patrons can access Dressel's second floor Wednesdays through Saturdays separately named "A Pub Above." This ornate bar echoes a European feel with its copper lamps, velvet-lined booths and a dense selection of liquor. Seemingly devoted to a cigar smoking lounge perfect for intimate conversation, this room becomes a stage for local ragtime pianists to pay tribute to Scott Joplin on the first Sunday of each month.
Often considered "The King of Ragtime," Joplin wrote "The Entertainer" among other famous rags while living in St. Louis from 1900 to 1903.
Friends of the Scott Joplin Society keep the monthly tradition going stepping out of the spotlight only four times a year when The St. Louis Ragtimers take the stage with the famed Trebor Tichenor.
Owner Benjamin Dressel said he is aiming to make acoustic folk music a regular feature in the pub his parents founded in 1980.
The weekly musical roster ranges from Argentinean folk music to bluegrass to blues.
"If you've got something to share, you're welcome to do it (here)," Dressel said, referring to the Argentine couple that will be performing for the next few weeks while they're visiting St. Louis.
Whether you're going for the perfectly poured Guinness, the ploughman's plate, the weekly poetry slam or the ambience Dressel's remains a sophisticated gem of the Central West End.
"(Dressel's) is a pub that focuses on arts, literature, and established forms of music," Dressel said.