Hold Fast Onto the Good Life in the May/June Issue of Sophisticated Living St. Louis
Forward by Grayling Holmes
Every morning, the headlines arrive with a familiar urgency. Turn on the television, open a newspaper, scroll through a feed—there is always something new, and rarely is it quiet. The world, it seems, is in constant motion. And yet, the moment I sit down at my computer and open the pages of Sophisticated Living St. Louis, that motion finds its focus.
For nearly four years, I have had the privilege of working with this publication—one that consistently reflects what is best about our city. Each article we bring to life is more than a story; it is a window. Digitized and shared across platforms, our content travels well beyond the region, offering readers everywhere a glimpse into the richness of St. Louis. True to our moniker, we present St. Louis’ finest—while also expanding our lens to include the very best in travel, motoring, jewelry, and fashion from around the globe.
Now in our 14th year, the rhythm continues. Sophisticated Living St. Louis remains a steady reflection of a luxury lifestyle that, while not untouched by the world’s broader challenges, continues to endure with grace. It is a testament to a community that not only appreciates the finer things, but understands the importance of giving back. Across the city, galas and philanthropic gatherings fill the calendar—each one a reminder that generosity remains at the heart of St. Louis. Many of you have graced these pages in our Celebrations section, and it is with sincere gratitude that I thank you for your continued support and commitment to moving our city forward.
With May comes a new issue—one that, like each before it, offers a sense of place and perspective. Whether it arrives in your mailbox, is picked up at a favorite advertiser, or discovered through our digital channels, it serves as a reminder of what is good here. Of what endures. Of what still inspires.
In this issue (click here to read it), we explore how St. Louis continues to leave its imprint on the world stage. Our cover story, “The Rooms That Speak: Lou Bopp and the Art of Photographing Absence,” is a deeply moving piece that left a lasting impression on me—a poignant look at the creation of a 2026 Oscar-winning documentary by a St. Louis photographer. It is, quite simply, unforgettable.
Toward the close of the issue, I invite you to experience a piece that is especially close to me. My feature on Al’s Restaurant in downtown St. Louis offered not only the opportunity to write about a storied institution, but to spend several hours immersed in its legacy. At 101 years old, Al’s is more than a restaurant—it is a living embodiment of fine dining as it once was: unhurried, refined, and deeply personal. A true St. Louis treasure, it awaits both discovery and rediscovery.
As always, our team—writers, photographers, and the remarkable individuals who share their stories—has come together to create something engaging, elegant, and uplifting. Something that reminds us, even amid uncertainty, of what it means to live well.
After all, as we reflect on 250 years of this nation, it is these ideals that endure—life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
The Rooms That Speak: Lou Bopp and the Art of Photographing Absence
By Craig Kaminer | Photo provided by Netflix
St. Louis-based photographer Lou Bopp
Excerpt:
In a culture saturated with images — scrolling, disposable, instantly forgotten — there are still photographs that refuse to be glanced at. They demand stillness. They insist on presence. They linger.
And in the case of St. Louis-based photographer Lou Bopp, they ask something even more difficult: to confront what is no longer there.
That confrontation has now reached the highest stage in film. “All the Empty Rooms,” the documentary short built around Bopp’s quietly devastating photography, has won the Academy Award — an extraordinary moment for a project that was never meant to be loud; never meant to be celebrated in the traditional sense.
From the beginning, this work was about something else entirely.
“It’s never been about me,” Bopp says. “Even in this project, it was never about me. It’s about the families and it’s about the issue.”
For more than four decades, Bopp built a career photographing powerful, recognizable figures — people whose identities were unmistakable — whose presence filled the frame.
Then came a call from Steve Hartman of CBS News.
“My friend Steve Hartman called me about eight years ago, presented this idea to me and I thought it was great. I immediately said yes,” Bopp recalls.
The idea was simple in concept, almost impossible in execution: photograph the preserved bedrooms of children killed in school shootings.
Not stylized. Not interpreted. Just… documented.
A Family Heirloom
By Grayling Holmes | Photo by Zach Dalin
Gary Neal, husband of Al’s Restaurant owner Pam Barroni Neal
Excerpt:
In 1968, Richard Nixon won the election for U.S. President. The Cardinals won the National League pennant. The Gateway Arch was officially dedicated. And Al’s Restaurant began its ascent into the rarefied air of luxury dining from its origins as a welcoming tavern serving egg sandwiches.
Then, women arrived at 1200 North First Street at Biddle on the riverfront dressed to the nines and men wore dark wool suits, starched white shirts and neatly knotted ties. It was a time when fine dining meant exactly that — fine dining: formal, exacting service, curated menus and an atmosphere of quiet elegance. Al’s has long checked every box.
In 2026, the world has changed. Al’s has not.
The décor remains. The ambiance endures. Most importantly, the food holds fast to its traditions.
A New Brand of St. Louis Patronage
By Craig Kaminer | Photo by Zach Dalin
Stifel Financial Corporation Chairman and CEO Ronald J. Kruszewski
Excerpt:
On a cold night at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina, Italy, the light is sharp and cinematic. Racers drop. Edges bite. Time fractures into hundredths.
And carried across the mountain, in the rhythm of the broadcast, a name repeats: Stifel.
For Ronald J. Kruszewski, that moment — quiet, global, unmistakable — is the point.
He runs a firm most people will never physically touch. Stifel Financial Corporation deals in trust, capital advice — intangible things. So he made a decision. If the business is invisible, the brand cannot be. That decision now lives everywhere.
On the jerseys of the St. Louis Blues and the St. Louis Cardinals. Above the marquee of the Stifel Theatre. And, perhaps most powerfully, on the global stage of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
But ask Kruszewski why, and he doesn’t start with marketing. He starts with place.
“First of all, I love St. Louis,” he says. “I’ve been here 28 years, and the thing I noticed — besides it being a great community — was how much it loves its sports.” That observation became insight. And that insight became strategy.
He continues, “The iconic brands that the Blues and Cardinals have — not just in St. Louis, but across the country— for us to associate with such quality organizations… it’s not only a matter of civic pride, but it’s good business.”
That duality — civic pride and business discipline — sits at the center of everything he’s built. Because these weren’t just sponsorships. They were statements.