Category: News and Features

Posted in News and Features

It’s Patio Weather! Here Are 8 Patios to Check Out in Franklin County This Season

Posted on by Amanda

Although it’s been a rainy week so far, we’re fully in patio season in Franklin County and I wanted to put together some suggestions on where to eat and drink outdoors in the area.

Muddy Banks Brewing, Sullivan
The outdoor dining area is ample and includes tables under an overhang to provide shade, as well as an area with cornhole boards and space for kids to play. And, there’s more than beers available to sip on at this brewery. The non-alcoholic options include iced tea, lemonade, coffee, and bottled craft sodas. In addition to the craft beer selections, there’s also cocktails and mead. Pair your bevy with any of the delicious menu offerings that include burgers, wings, salads, and appetizers.

Oak & Front Kitchen + Bar, Washington
Located in downtown Washington, Oak & Front has a lunch and dinner menu, as well as brunch offerings. Find coffee, tea, and soft drinks as well as a selection of wines and cocktails to sip on the patio that faces Front Street.

Hagie’s 19, Union
The varied food menu ranges from pub style bites like mozzarella sticks, wings, and toasted ravioli, as well as mains like burgers, wraps, salads, pizzas, and entrees. Drink choices include tea and soft drinks, as well as beers and cocktails. Hagie’s patio features fans and heaters, as well as roll-up windows that let in sunshine and can be opened or partially closed depending on the weather.

Undergrounds Espresso Bar, Washington
Tucked on the corner of Front and Cedar Streets, the patio at underGROUNDS Espresso Bar is the perfect spot to sip on an iced coffee or other drink. The menu also includes breakfast and lunch offerings like frittatas, sandwiches, and salads, as well as delectable pastries.

Cobb salad and an iced latte at underGROUNDS Espresso Bar’s patio. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

John G’s Bier Deck, Washington
With both an upper and lower deck that each gives diners a spectacular view of the Missouri Riverfront, John G’s Bier Deck is a place to unwind with friends, family, and pets. Dine on everything from shareable appetizers to burgers and sandwiches, or enjoy the daily special, any of which will go well with the beer selections or other beverages available.

Pacific Brew Haus, Pacific
This partially shaded outdoor dining space has a mix of high and low-top tables, many of which have attached umbrellas for additional shade, as well as bar seating at the outdoor bar. Find a food selection with items like burgers, sandwiches, salads, pizzas, pastas, and more. There’s a varied bevy menu that includes beer, wine, cocktails, sodas and other soft drinks.

Mangia Bella at Elijah McLean’s, Washington
With a covered eating space and climate controlled area, this outdoor dining space really sets the vibe. This former private mansion turned fine dining establishment offers guests a menu of items like pastas, soups, salads, and entrees with an Italian flare, as well as an extensive wine menu, cocktails, and non-alcoholic selections.

River & Rail Tavern, Labadie
Located in the heart of downtown Labadie, the patio faces Front Street, giving diners a prime view of the historic buildings in the area and features a number of tables complete with umbrellas for shade. Choose from casual dining fare like burgers, sandwiches, salads, soups, wraps, and pizza, as well as a wide beer selection, wine, cocktails, and soft drinks like sodas, lemonade, and tea.

Honorable mentions

Old Bridgeview Brewing, Washington
While it’s not a patio, when the weather is nice the large roll-top windows at the front of the brewery are often open. They allow in a gentle breeze from the riverfront and there are tables along each window, giving you the feeling of sitting outside, while still being under roof.

Enjoying a couple beers at Old Bridgeview Brewing in Washington when the windows are open is a unique experience. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

Riverbend Coffee, St. Clair
The coffee shop offers sidewalk seating via a couple of bistro-style tables that the establishment will place on the sidewalk in front of the business when the weather cooperates.

I know this isn’t a full list of places to dine outdoors in the area. If you have a favorite patio dining space that isn’t included here, leave a comment on my Facebook page and be sure to tag the restaurant in your comment so I can follow them!


Posted in News and Features

Cultivate a Green Thumb at the Community Garden in St. Clair

Posted on by Amanda

In 2021 I fell in love with gardening, but at that time, it did not love me back! In those days I was living in a second floor apartment with only a balcony to use as a growing space. I purchased a few containers, some herbs, and a couple plant starts (tomatoes and one cucumber plant) and was confused and discouraged when everything died.

In the late winter of 2022, I went to my local library and borrowed as many books on gardening as I could get my hands on. I figured out what I did wrong with my first container garden. The long story is that basically it was hot and sunny on my balcony, which I thought was a good thing, but since I was growing stuff in plastic containers, that just made the plants overheat and wilt. Combine that with how I knew nothing about the important role that pollinators play in a garden, and well, before everything died, I had a whole lot of leafy plants and not much fruit.

Later in 2022 when we moved to Franklin County and into a house with a yard, I was determined to successfully grow my own food. While I’ve had ups and downs thanks to pests (squash bugs are the devil’s minions, you won’t convince me otherwise!), and crazy weather patterns (I’m looking at you summer of 2025), I’ve mostly been successful. One year I had so much success with pickling cucumbers that I ended up with over four dozen jars of refrigerator pickles 😀 I gave a lot of those away!

Tomatoes, zucchini, and watermelon plant starts I was gifted from a fellow gardener I met at the community garden. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

Even though I have a yard now, I still take advantage of the free garden beds at the community garden in St. Clair. If you didn’t know, the Scenic Regional Library St. Clair Branch has a community garden with around 20 or so garden beds that are able to be “checked out” from the library, the same way you’d check out a book, DVD, or other library materials using your library card. I like gardening at the library because it’s a slightly different environment than my home garden in that the area gets sun throughout the entire day, and it has other gardeners there, which is something I don’t get at home.

For me, that’s such a bonus because when I’m tending to my community garden bed in the middle of the brutal summer heat, battling weeds and pests, it’s reassuring to see a fellow gardener doing the same to their garden bed. Conversations naturally occur over commiserating about things like squash bugs or pesky squirrels and birds taking nibbles out of your tomatoes.

There are a couple drawbacks to having a garden space that isn’t at your own home, mainly that you have to remember to make a trip to the library to check up on your growing space, as well as water and maintain it. If checking out a garden bed isn’t something you’re interested in, there’s also a seed library inside the library that you may get a few seeds from for your home or community garden bed.

If you’re not familiar, a seed library means that there’s a variety of seed packets – everything from heirloom tomato varieties to lettuce and other greens, and flower seeds – and this can also be accessed with your library card.

Visit the Scenic Regional Library St. Clair Branch at 515 E. Springfield Road in St. Clair to find out more, or just to take a stroll through the community garden to take a peek at what’s growing.

Posted in News and Features

Franklin County Sports Club Brings Elite Level Coaching to Franklin County Youth

Posted on by Amanda

Started by Alex Moraes, Franklin County Sports Club provides a high-quality, competitive soccer experience to the youth of Franklin County, ensuring that every player reaches their full potential both on and off the field. The organization provides elite training and coaching opportunities for players of all backgrounds.

Its focus is on youth athletes ages four to 18 in Franklin County and the surrounding areas, it has been well received by families in the area, and its programs are growing. FCSC has partnered with local organizations, schools, and soccer professionals to provide an environment where young athletes can grow their skills, build character, and compete at the highest levels.

Players in the FCSC programs come from schools across the county, with athletes playing alongside each other although they may not attend the same school. Photo via Franklin County Sports Club on Facebook.

“The goal is to elevate Franklin County athletes and to be more competitive,” Alex shares.

Currently Franklin County Sports Club has a number of programs, including competitive soccer, a high-level training and game environment for dedicated players looking to challenge themselves and grow in the game, MLS Go Rec Soccer, which is a program that prepares players to go from recreational play to the pros. There are also programs built around specific skillsets like ball mastery and goalkeeping, as well as improving overall athletic performance, and soccer camps.

The club operates under the guidance of four core values – community, integrity, excellence, and respect. 

“Our four values reflect the organization’s leadership,” he says.

Alex is the current president, executive director, and head coach at FCSC. There are three other board members – Scott Alberson, vice president and treasurer, David Pope, secretary, goalkeeping coach, and assistant coach, and Jason Schmelz, advisor, goalkeeping trainer, and head coach.

Getting the organization started

Organizations with a big vision and strong leadership like FCSC’s don’t just form overnight, but Alex shares that once he had the idea for the club, things came together quickly – in about one year. Taking a leap of faith and encouraged by his wife Maria to do something for the youth of Franklin County, Alex created a business plan and marketing strategy to ensure the organization’s success.

“We knew we wanted to do a nonprofit because we didn’t want anybody to own Franklin County Sports Club,” he explains.

Another area of importance was to integrate elements of Franklin County history and the value of community into every aspect of the organization, right down to its badge. The three curved lines at the bottom represent the three rivers present in Franklin County, the Meramec, Missouri, and Bourbeuse, and the badge itself features a minimalist design that is reminiscent of historic German soccer badges, to honor the German settlers in Franklin County.

Elements from Franklin County are represented in the FCSC badge, such as the three rivers represented at the bottom. Photo via Franklin County Sports Club on Facebook.

Once the plans were in place on paper, the organization gained momentum quickly, and received the necessary licensing needed, as well as recruiting board members and sponsors. Franklin County Sports Club obtained its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status in 2024 and launched its first spring league in 2025.

Alex points to numerous people and organizations within the Franklin County community with helping FCSC gain its footing so quickly – from Brenda Kleinheider, original developer and former owner of N-Sports Rec Center in Washington, to gaining sponsors like Bank of Washington.

Educational and sports background

Alex was born and raised in Honduras, and soccer was a major part of the culture he grew up in. He is a former semi-professional goalkeeper as well as a former member of the Honduras U-17 Youth Men’s National Team. Prior to launching FCSC, he coached with St. Louis Scott Gallagher SC and Lou Fusz Athletic, leading teams to regional playoffs and tournament titles.

Alex Moraes poses with youth athletes at the club’s Golden Goal Night event. Photo via Franklin County Sports Club on Facebook.

Alex attended Lindenwood University and was a triple undergraduate major in political science and government, public administration, and economics. He also holds an MBA in international business from Lindenwood. 

In February 2025, after nearly a decade and a half of living in the U.S. under a student visa and later an H-1B visa, Alex became an official American citizen.

“I always wanted to study abroad and I came here to change my family tree,” he shares. 

With his drive to help others succeed, his commitment to building a sports club that will change the lives of the youth in Franklin County, and leading an organization that’s fostering community, Alex is a living embodiment of what it means to chase the American Dream in today’s world.

To find out more about Franklin County Sports Club, follow them on Facebook, Instagram, or visit its website. 

Posted in News and Features

American Street Edge, a Self-Defense School Led by Fourth Degree Kenpo Karate Blackbelt Instructor, Now Open in St. Clair

Posted on by Amanda

Earlier this month American Street Edge, a self-defense school, opened in St. Clair. The school focuses on practical street safety, situational awareness, de-escalation, boundary-setting, and character-building for kids ages 6 to 12 as well as adults. 

With a 40 year martial arts background that spans across multiple disciplines including Kung Fu, Taekwondo, and a fourth degree black belt in American Kenpo Karate, owner and instructor Tim Fancher has a passion and commitment to helping people increase their personal safety and security. 

Between his extensive martial arts knowledge and drawing on a diverse professional background and numerous degrees that include criminal justice, theology, and sociology, Tim uses his professional experiences as a former police officer, private investigator, church security instructor, and a unique thirst for knowledge to form the American Street Edge program, which is a methodology that differs from many other self-defense courses and martial arts schools. 

Instructor Tim Fancher poses inside his newly opened St. Clair self-defense school. Photo credit: The Socialite_Amanda Bretz

American Street Edge focuses on equipping students by helping them to recognize predatory behavior as well as body language and behaviors that are often pre-fight indicators. Students also learn how to de-escalate situations and manage due to fear tense scenarios and daily life.

“I can’t stand unwarranted fear and when someone is feeling afraid in everyday situations. I know if someone can give me a couple of hours, I can make a difference,” he says.

As someone who has been in high adrenaline situations, he’s taken an academic approach to study the psychological and physiological effects of fear on the body by reading countless books on the subjects. Tim helps his students learn through scenario-based training that replicates situations that have been in the news, and helps them understand what to do, as well as what not to do, if they face a similar situation.

Bringing American Street Edge to Franklin County

While Tim has operated American Street Edge schools before in other parts of Missouri and in Oklahoma, the St. Clair school has been a long time in the making.

American Street Edge focuses on fear management, self-defense, and de-escalation strategies. Logo via American Street Edge on Facebook.

Before he opened the current location, Tim offered some instruction sessions at St. Clair gym Priority Fitness and credits gym owner Jennifer Gratzer with encouraging him to open a school.

“From the very beginning Jennifer told me, ‘you’ve got to open a school.’”

The motivation to get the martial arts school off the ground significantly increased after a health related issue he experienced in the fall of 2025 put him in the hospital in critical condition. Tim recalls that sobering moment with clarity months later. 

“I was lying in the hospital bed and facing the possibility of life-altering surgery the next day and that’s when I really broke down in tears. I remember thinking ‘am I ever going to be able to teach again?’” 

He points to that moment as the shift that changed everything and reignited his commitment to teaching self-defense.

“I made a decision that if I got my health back, that I’d take American Street Edge to a level it’s never been before and I began to think about legacy and what I will leave behind,” Tim shares. 

Working with Kids

Part of that legacy-building includes his drive to equip kids with self-defense tactics against would-be child abductors. The core of his teachings stems from a belief that most child safety and self-defense courses are rooted in fear. Rather than focusing on the “stranger danger” model that advocates that children have what he considers an unhealthy suspicion of all unknown adults, the American Street Edge model focuses on instilling skills and confidence, while also giving kids a practical framework that keeps them safe.

Tim instructs kids ages 6-12 at the St. Clair martial arts school. Photo via American Street Edge on Facebook.

While instructing a group of children of varying ages after a long day of school or other commitments can come with challenges for any teacher, Tim handles it with grace and a confident demeanor. He gently guides kids to keep them engaged with the lessons by reminding them to “focus their mind” and retain their defensive stance and posture throughout the 45-minute session. 

“I call it the Mr. Myagi effect,” he says. “Kids really respond to instruction and guidance because they’re often craving that.”

Looking ahead, Tim will speak at a Mental Health Conference, which is happening May 15-16 at First Christian Church in Union. The conference is free, and open to the community and will feature keynote speakers, breakout workshops, and community resource access. 

Currently, the school is open a few evenings a week, with group classes offered for adults and kids each day that it is open. Tim has offered Small Town Socialite readers a way to try the school for free. Contact American Street Edge and mention this article to gain one-time free admission to a group class. 

American Street Edge is located at 960 Plaza Dr. Suite B, in St. Clair. Reach out to Tim to learn more about American Street Edge via email at americanstreetedge@gmail.com. You can also visit the website or follow the school on Facebook to learn more and find the current class schedule.