Retro and active

A NOT-SO-CRAZY GUY in St. Louis opened an eight-lane bowling center last December. Joe Edwards designed and built Pin-Up Bowl, "the world's first bowling/martini lounge," and the in-crowd is renting shoes and knocking down pins.

The tenpin center, minuscule and uneconomical by present-day standards, is part of a booming business/entertainment area in University City, making it one of just two commercial bowling establishments in St. Louis.

"We're very glad we got into the bowling business," says Edwards, who owns a thriving restaurant, Blueberry Hill, in U. City, and has put his money where his mouth is as he promotes his neighborhood. Conde Nast Traveller magazine last spring rated the top 30 night spots in the world, and Pin-Up Bowl was among the 14 in the U.S.

"Most of our bowlers are walk-ins. Many of them drop by for a martini or something after attending a rock concert at the Pageant Theater (a 2,300-seat structure owned by Edwards), which is a few doors away. Some couples bowl, while others just watch their friends bowl. Recording star Nelly has the house's top score so far, a 257."

The art deco motif includes numerous drawings of pin-up girls popular in World War II and the years after. Edwards commissioned an artist to create them, and they all obviously are avid bowlers. Edwards also sells a "Pin-Up Bowl" calendar for $15.

The "Stiletto" ($8) and the "Emerald ($7) are standbys, but a lengthy drink list also mentions a vodka concoction, the "Orange Creamsicle," and a "Tootsie Roll" (don't ask). Bowling ranges from $3.50 per game on most weekday afternoons to $5 on Friday and Saturday nights, when all guests must be 21 or over.

"We hope that within a year, we'll have a 2.2-mile trolley that [also] will loop around a state-of-the-art historical museum in St. Louis," Edwards says. No matter what, it appears that the Pin-Up Bowl will continue to be worth a look.

COPYRIGHT 2004 Century Publishing
COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group