creve coeur
The Ritchie Boys, a free pop-up exhibit on the elite specialized intelligence team in Nazi-occupied Europe during World War II, is set up in the lobby of the St. Louis Kaplan Feldman Holocaust Museum and will remain open through Feb. 7. Approximately 20,000 soldiers trained at Camp Ritchie in northern Maryland, thus the name adopted by this remarkable unit, of whom about 2,000 were German Jewish refugees who had fled persecution only to return in support of the Allied war effort. After eight weeks of training, they were assigned to mostly American units, many landing on Normandy Beach at D-Day in June 1944 and fighting in battles to finally liberate “Fortress Europe.” But their chief role was to gather and analyze intelligence, and their knowledge of German language and customs helped them stay under the radar. At least 45 Ritchie Boys had connections to St. Louis, and the experience of one, 1st Lt. Werner Daniels, is richly detailed in the exhibition. The Ritchie Boys interrogated Nazi POWs, and many were active in the postwar Nuremberg Trials. The museum is on the campus of the Jewish Community Center at 36 Millstone Campus Drive.

chesterfield valley
The Blues Brothers, John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd of the original Saturday Night Live cast were legendary, known for their honest-to-goodness love of rockin’ blues music and role as bandleaders for a crack outfit that included Memphis greats like Steve Cropper on guitar and bassist Donald “Duck” Dunn, who played themselves in the 1980 Blues Brothers movie. In that comedy vehicle, the music and passion were real—some even claimed they “were on a mission from God.” It remains to be seen—and heard—whether Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers can muster the same level of reverent enthusiasm as did Belushi and Aykroyd in their day. You can decide for yourself when they storm The Factory in Chesterfield Valley for a show Oct. 24 at 8 p.m. If you’re a fan of classic Memphis musicianship, you can’t do much better than the guitar slingers and two original Blood Brothers, Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia. They are award-winners who are part of the generation carrying that tradition forward, mixing traditional blues with rock energy and strong songwriting. The X factor, of course, is comic genius Bill Murray, who is anything but predictable in performance. Can he sing? Well, could Belushi? Irrespective of his vocal chops fronting this band, which has played upwards of 50 shows since forming in January 2025, Murray will also hold forth as a comic actor, sharing stories from the road, reminiscences from his career and maybe even bringing surprise guests to the stage. The Blood Brothers are ready for anything—and their audience should be, too. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster. For more on this nutty production, visit billandbloodbrothers.com. 

the metro
Have trouble following a recipe? Do your souffles taste and look sauteed, or does everything just burn to a crisp? Zoom to the rescue! Operation Food Search has scheduled three virtual cooking classes this month through our county library. The first was a show-and-tell session on the making of a Mexican street corn bowl, and should be on the library’s YouTube channel by now—a recording of each virtual program will be posted to YouTube within three business days. So, anyhow, level up your cooking skills with creative, affordable, and nutritious recipes that are easy for anyone to make at home. Participants will receive Zoom information via email immediately after registering, which is required. Here are details of the last two virtual sessions.

  • Lentil Chili: Looking for a new twist on an old favorite? This recipe has all of the deep flavors of a classic chili, with an affordable plant-based twist. Oct. 16, 2 p.m.
  • Thai Coconut Curry: Learn to prepare this quick, affordable dish that packs flavor and can be made in a variety of ways based on your preferences. Oct. 30, 2 p.m.

For more information, visit slcl.org.

notable neighbors
richmond heights
Phil the gorilla. Raja the elephant. Kali the polar bear. Sigfried the walrus. Many metro residents know that these all are current and former residents of the Saint Louis Zoo; why, either their names or species would give them away! Accomplished illustrator Richard Bernal of Richmond Heights has delightfully rendered them in two dimensions for a recently released children’s book on the zoo, and has also rendered them in 3-D, like the walrus pictured with him in our photo. He’s working on another clay rendering, this of an eagle native to Africa. “Like Harry Potter is aimed at children, hopefully the general public will find this interesting,” Bernal says. So, add youth and adults to potential fans of his oeuvre. There may not be a flick in the future based on Bernal’s portfolio, but he’s been a freelance illustrator since 1980, and his work is worth looking at, and perhaps searching for. Dozens of his images populate the latest book from Reedy Press, The Story of the Saint Louis Zoo, by 20-year zoo veteran Carolyn Mueller Kelly. Across its 32 pages, you’ll find lush and imaginative portraits of familiar friends with fur, feathers, fins and fangs—creatures with four, six or eight legs (or none at all) live in the zoo’s varied habitats, many of which date back just after our premier (and always-free) St. Louis destination started to grow smack dab in the middle of Forest Park throughout the 20th century. He certainly aligns with the current zoo tagline as it continues to evolve, “Animals Always.” The soft-spoken Bernal is partial to critters, and estimates he’s spent about nine workdays out of 10 on freelance projects illustrating educational children’s books geared to K-12 audiences. And he’s kept pretty busy, judging just by the volumes he could recall off the top of his head: The Ants Go Marching One by One, illustrated by Bernal, was published in hardcover in 1993 and reprinted in paperback by Scholastic Inc. in 1999. Published in the early 2000s, Brother Jerome and the Angels in the Bakery is a children’s picture book based on a story about Brother Jerome Leo, a baker who worked with the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. In 2003, he illustrated Jag, a 40-page children’s story—by country star LeAnn Rimes—about a young jaguar who must overcome her fear of water while learning about friendship, courage and standing up to bullying. In 2013, he illustrated Patriotic Pals: Tails of Civil War Dogs, a 32-page children’s picture book that follows two modern dogs, Chuck and Tilly, as they learn about mid-19th century-era canine mascots and heroes such as Sallie and Brutus. Personally, although much of his output is bright and whimsical, he’s particularly fond of Rembrandt, the world-famous Dutch master known for his dark, moody paintings. “They say, ‘Many are called, but few are chosen,” Bernal observes. “Rembrandt was chosen.” One might say Richard Bernal was chosen just a few centuries later for his lighthearted approach. Visit reedypress.com for more.