St Clair Square Mall

Guess what's moving into the former Hanley's Grill and Tap at the mall?

An Ohio chain of restaurants plans to bring its next eatery to a vacant spot alongside St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights.

Max & Erma's is moving into the former Hanley's Grill and Tap at 315 St. Clair Square, where it will open later next month. The restaurant is known for its quirky decor and menu, which includes Garbage Burgers and an all-you-can-eat sundae bar, where the sweet toppings are served in an antique bathtub.

The new metro-east locale is hiring 100 new employees and will add to the chain's 73 restaurants in 10 states, including in St. Louis.

Max & Erma's reoccupies a space originally built for J. Buck's, which opened in September 2005 but closed in January 2008. Hanley's Grill & Tap opened there in August 2009 but closed earlier this year.

Women's clothing and apparel retailer Maurices will open a new store this week on the lower level at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights. It is the third metro-east locale for the chain, which will open Thursday next to J.C. Penney in the mall. You can also find maurices at 5711 Belleville Crossing Street in Belleville and 2316 Troy Road in Edwardsville.

Metro-east Target stores are adding and expanding to their food departments. Following the Shiloh store's recent addition of groceries, the Belleville, Fairview Heights and Edwardsville locations are also following with in-store grocery stores. Remodeling and expansion efforts are underway at all three stores.

Commercial real estate developer Johnson Properties Inc. in Fairview Heights has been working with three new businesses to develop a new central location in O'Fallon. Company president Terry Johnson said two restaurants and a beer lounge are part of a new retail center that could be built on Regency Drive. One of the tenants is Golden Brew Tap House and Lounge, which will serve 250 micro-brewed, craft and imported beers. The planned development may also include the area's first Egg and I restaurant and the second Bella Milano restaurant in the metro-east. Bella Milano opened it's first Italian restaurant in the area in Edwardsville in 2004. Egg & I is a chain of eateries that caters to the breakfast and lunch crowd. The development Johnson is proposing is modeled after the one his company developed that houses its offices and other tenants in Fairview Heights. The project is pending final approval from the city. If it gets the green light, Johnson said construction could begin by next month and the new businesses could open in April.

Gay Geeks Guide to St. Louis' Top Comic Shops

I’ve never been one to stereotype.

I don’t like to put labels on the bars I go to, on the people I interact with or the porn I watch. I’m versatile. I like to change it up. I don’t like to be pigeon holed, most of the time. But, when it comes to pop culture, judge away, because I am a gay geek, a homo nerd and a fag for superheros.

In St. Louis, we have a multitude of safe harbors for people like me. I’m not referring to the muliti-plex, which is, at press time showing 4 films that make a nerd’s heart go all aflutter. It’s the local comic store that a true pop culture junkie seeks. A haven for superhero groupies, graphic novel connoisseurs, movie buffs, RPG fans and everyone in-between.

Perhaps the most visible, Star Clipper ( 6392 Delmar Blvd, 63130) in The Loop area of STL is a veritable wonderland of comics, books, games, toys and art. They’ve been around since 1988, increasing it’s inventory to include most any obscure title you seek. Their website, www.starclipper.com you can pre-order upcoming issues, browse their array of merchandise and check out which local artist is going to be featured in their gallery. The store also stocks local publishers and authors and boasts a helpful staff, willing to search to the ends of the Earth to find what it is your collection needs to be complete.

I recently made a trip to Fantasy Books ( 1977 West Highway 50, 62208 ) in Fairview Heights, Illinois, just down the street from St. Clair Square Mall and about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis. I was impressed with their horror movie merchandise, t-shirts and fair pricing on back issues of hard to find tittles. The stores shares a space with Fantasy Games , a treasure trove for the RPG fan in your life. In my visit, I came across a set of “Charmed” comic books, a “Daily Planet: Press” T-shirt and even a “Gremlins” Figurine. I will definitely be back to scour their shelves soon. You can find them online at www.fantasybooksinc.com. They have a second location in Belleville, Illinois at 1113 East Main Street, 62221.

My third favorite s top for nerdy collectibles is any of St. Louis’ Slackers locations. They have 11 stores all over the area, from Alton, Illinos to Jefferson City, Missouri. Although they are known for selling Cd’s and video games, It’s always fun to stop by here to kill some time, because each location stocks different merchandise. You can find rare posters, action figures, comics and toys at most stores. Their glass cases never cease to amaze, filled with old NES cartridges, random Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle figurines and Pokemon cards, you can waste your life away rifling through their offerings. Their website, Slackers.com, can help you find the closest location or give you a quote on trade-able games and music.

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The need for a model day care center at the St. Clair Square mall in Fairview Heights, Illinois