An Interview with Anthony Bartlett of Acclimate
If you want to learn about history, ask a historian. How to perfect a sourdough starter? Ask a baker. If you want to learn about St. Louis, ask Anthony Bartlett. To oversimplify, Bartlett sells St. Louis. And after more than a decade in business with his company, Acclimate, he’s become quite good at it.
We tapped Bartlett for a greatest hits list of his St. Louis favorites and learned a bit more about his work. He’s all about bringing the nation’s top talent to our city and convincing them to stay, whether they’re enticed by getting pedicures, smoking cigars or riding a train at a kids’ museum.
But there are a few places he draws the line. “I’m utterly petrified of chewing gum, margarita salt and unmatched Tupperware lids. They all send me running out the door in terror.” Those are just a few of the surprising facts the amiable host and tour guide shared about himself for this Q&A.
What are some things people may not know about you if they met you in your professional life?
It’s ironic, but I cannot stand moving. I’ve only done it a handful of times in my life. So it always goes, right? We teach what we need to learn the most and the cobbler’s children have no shoes.
Oh, and I’m not a transplant myself. Even calling myself a “re-plant” is a sketchy stretch at best.
Does that get in the way of your job?
Not really. I try to spin it into an asset by explaining that since I personally find moving so excruciating, our company is extremely invested in helping individuals find a life they don’t want to leave in St. Louis—and thus don’t have to move again for a long, long time, if ever. Most play along and take pity on me. Others are more skeptical. [Laughs.]
Are there hard parts of the job for you personally?
For sure. I mean, I never really wanted to watch a clock, and I pretty much live to work – so having zero work-life balance isn’t so much of an issue on my end. But as with anything in hospitality, hours can be brutal and all over the place. It’s not infrequent that our day begins at 2 p.m. and goes to 11 p.m.—when job candidates have finished with their interviews or have time to tour and connect. Also, dozens of visits throughout the year have fallen on weekends or even holidays. Sunday is far and away our busiest day of the week.
Getting attached to wonderful people—then having to let go—isn’t easy either. While I’d love to say that everyone we host ends up here forever, try as we might, it’s not always in the cards. Sometimes St. Louis just isn’t a fit or things don’t move forward with the company for whatever reason. There we were, out on the road together for days breaking bread, sharing family stories and otherwise just bonding – only to have to say goodbye.
Or let’s say all goes well with the offer and they do move—making new friends or joining inner circles, including my own. Contracts end, departments relocate and companies get acquired, any of which can see transplants leave for reasons outside of their control. I’ve attended some pretty rough going away parties over the years and left the departures lane at Lambert practically in tears more than once. St. Louis has lost some dear friends and change-makers for sure.
Still, I try not to define those scenarios as a total loss, difficult as they are. Most of the employers and institutions for whom we work prefer that their recruits remember their time here fondly and have a positive St. Louis experience, even if it’s not permanent. And I think all parties involved in the hiring process like knowing they did everything they could to put their best foot forward and leave it all on the field.
It’s clear that your work is deeply intertwined with your personal life. But what are some of your hobbies outside the office?
Left to my own devices, I prefer to do a lot of the same things that I do on the job—which, again, is probably not an accident. I love deep diving into area neighborhoods, driving Missouri roads, shopping or grabbing a coffee. I also enjoy being poolside, hanging by a real fireplace or having a sip on the patio with friends.
Another happy place is undoubtedly at the grill, stove or kitchen counter – and the prep before. Grocery shopping and cooking are perhaps the only things I do where I literally don’t think about anything else. And doing the dishes. I LOVE doing dishes. Good, bad or indifferent, looking at the bottom of a clean sink every night, I feel like the needle has moved in life.
Outside of all that, I won’t say no to a poker game, round of chess, pool or ping pong with a trash-talking nephew. Pickleball seems to be taking over the world down here and could be a natural fit. It’s on the bucket list for sure!
So you like to grocery shop? Can I ask? Dierbergs or Schnucks?
Haha, oh, man. Fighting words! But that’s a great question. I warn all of our clients: There are a few regional chains in town, many of which are seriously next-level. But at some point, you’ll be asked to choose. For the most part, I’m Schnucks. My mother is Dierbergs. We can still hang out on Thanksgiving. [Laughs.] People moving also like to know that they can have their Whole Foods, Fresh Thyme, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Sam’s Club and Costco—and you can find me at nearly all those places every now and again too.
For years, I’ve been a regular at more specialty spots like Straub’s for a few things, Pan-Asia Supermarket, Tower Grove Farmers Market, El Toluco Taquieria & Grocery, Bolyard’s Meat and Provisions, Parker’s Table, Global Foods, Smokehouse Market and The Wine and Cheese Place, to name a few. One or more of those places also end up on almost every tour we have.
When circling back with clients, I love hearing things like, “Welp, you called it, I’m officially a Dierbergs girl” or “The Fields Foods by our house is unbelievable” or “You weren’t kidding about that Straub’s chicken salad, by the way. We can’t get enough!”
Other than for food, where else would you say you like to shop?
If we’re talking fashion, friends and loved ones mercilessly abuse me for what could aptly be called a cardigan “problem.” Actually, it’s more like a compulsion. Like, if it would look good on Mister Rogers, I have to have it. Every color and material. It’s bizarre and I’m not sure what that’s about. But I’m always looking high and low, virtually anywhere clothing is sold. Sometimes Mister Guy carries the brands I especially like.
Sandy and the team at Erker’s Fine Eyewear ruin my life and bank account. And the kind folks at Timekeepers aren’t much help either—I literally could (and do) stay in there for hours. As a giant human with a yo-yo-ing muffin top and an extra-high instep, finding shoes and clothes that fit is no joke. So I spend far too much time at Cobblestone Shoe Repair and St. Louis Alternations, where the former yells at me for asking them to stretch shoes that don’t fit and the latter lovingly (yet begrudgingly) likes to say, “Anthony, next time you look at a bagel, think of Irina!” Those bagels, by the way, were usually from The Bagel Factory in Creve Coeur before it closed. I’m also looking forward to trying Lefty’s and Union Bakery.
I’m not sure the level to which Fortune 500 companies around here can fully grasp how a decent bagel keeps talent in the region.
For gifts, my personal go-tos are Green Shag Market, Treasure Aisles, Ladue Pharmacy, Neiman, Saks, Byrd, Sammysoap, Arch Apparel and Civil Alchemy. Hats from the Normal Brand or t-shirts from STL-Style are also a can’t-miss. For odds, ends and things around the house, I think Schnarr’s Hardware is one of the last bastions of professionalism left on Earth that makes humanity worth preserving.
As someone who takes people out to eat for a living and tries all the great spots, what are your personal favorites?
This is another dangerous question that gets me into trouble. As I said earlier, if we’re on the job, clients’ tastes and interests lead the way. But if we’re talking about me personally, left to my own devices—and I’m squirming as I say this—you can usually find me at the same handful of places, some of which, funnily enough, have been around for decades (back to my townie status). These are Mai Lee, Kreis’, Louie and Michael’s—covering nearly all the bases. Breakfast is Winslow’s Table. My drive-thru is Lion’s Choice. My bakery is Union Loafers.
Since I spend most of my days helping people find the opposite of St. Louis-style pizza, I do sneak off for a Deluxe at Imo’s and stock the freezer with Dogtown Pizza when I can. (And just like that, my New York clients have probably stopped speaking to me!)
As for drinks, I’m at Sasha’s in summer, Fox and Hounds in winter and Brennan’s pretty much year-round. I like to “happy hour” at Clayton Winehouse who’ll open up any bottle and snacks you buy in the store right then and there. I also like keeping it simple and old-school at The Famous Bar. While we utterly adore the local breweries who positively crush it hosting our clients (4 Hands, Civil Life, Schlafly, Rockwell, 2nd Shift, Perennial and Urban Chestnut, to name a few), I personally drink Busch beer and Stag in the can or Budweiser bottles. I stop for the bone broth at Bolyard’s when it’s cold, Miracle Green at OR Smoothie when it’s hot and, for tea, it’s Teatopia all the way. As for coffee, well, I love and drink it all—as long as it’s iced. Although without the likes of Northwest, Picasso’s, Sump and Blueprint to name too few, I’m not sure the region would recruit a soul—and I’m only half kidding.
And if it’s the client’s call on where to eat?
Just to give you an idea, receipts from the past quarter have been the fire brunch at Beast Butcher and Block and breakfasts at Songbird, The Wolf, Turn and Southwest Diner.
Lunches were Taco Buddha, Companion, The Piccadilly at Manhattan, Anthonino’s and J’s Pitaria. Snacks and stops were Sweet Art, The Annex, Nathaniel Reid, Mideast Market, Balkan Treat Box, Gobble Stop, Diana’s Bakery, Donut Drive-In, Pastaria Deli & Wine, Lefty’s Fried Rice, Kohn’s, Havana’s Cuisine, Clementine’s and Yummi Tummi.
For drinks, it’s been a lot of Golden Hoosier, LIT, Basso, Tamm Avenue, 33, ‘ssippi, and Sophie’s Artist Lounge.
Dinners have been everything from O+O Pizza, Turmeric and Diego’s to Sugo’s, Tiny Chef and Tai Ke Shabu Shabu. And now we know why Anthony has gained a thousand pounds since starting this job. [Laughs.]
What do you think are the best local sights to take people when they visit?
Ha. Again, the short and annoying answer is that I don’t have any. We always say, the best tour of St. Louis is their tour, where “itineraries” go right out the window. Maybe it’s visiting wineries, boutiques or horse farms. Others it’s meeting with piano teachers, museum curators or chefs. Of course, we’ll roll by the Gateway Arch and Forest Park and all that stuff to say hi. But people don’t really need me to find those sorts of things.
We operate on Maya Angelou’s mantra around here (shoutout to a St. Louis native!) that it’s most important to leave clients with a feeling that they are seen, known and understood—and, most notably, that they can find a life here to enjoy. Once you’ve done that, then I think it’s best to select the specific sights a person needs to see or experience at the time. After someone uncovers that taste of home or has their immediate needs addressed, they can move on to the local foods, tourist attractions or history tours run by actual professionals who are credentialed in that sort of thing, unlike me.
Our days with folks look more like hanging out at the MAC, Demun Park or Life Time Frontenac. Maybe we’re taking a car full of kiddos to the Missouri Botanical Garden or building Legos at MADE—showing Mom or Dad a few neighborhoods and schools along the way. Maybe it’s none of that, and the client just needs to decompress by walking around CAM, hitting The Vault and grabbing a glass of wine before going back to the hotel.
We had someone recently who couldn’t absorb a thing until understanding the healthcare options for herself and her growing family. Our days consisted of touring Palm Health and visiting the likes of Blue Fish Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital Specialty Care Center and the NICU at Mercy. We even stopped at some Total Access Urgent Cares and the MoBap ER for good measure. So while medical offices or hospital waiting rooms might not sound like a rockin’ good time, those sights were, for her, the best in St. Louis that day—and a “VIP” experience for sure.
How about sports, music or the arts?
Historically, I haven’t been too big into the “sports ball,” as friends lovingly poke fun at me. (Recruiting Cubs and Patriots fans to St. Louis for a living is an occupational hazard that requires one to be far more neutral than most natives can stomach). But I do get sucked into Cardinals baseball, like any mere mortal—and find myself fist pumping, yelling and monitoring the heart rate regularly come October. Although the experience of Busch Stadium is nothing short of spectacular, I have just as much fun at divey sports bars screaming at the TV. For Blues hockey, though, there is just something about being there in person. While Amsterdam Tavern has been my go-to on countless tours for soccer fans over the years, the powers that be really hit it out of the park with the new stadium and our soccer culture here in general. That whole Midtown / Downtown West corridor is just bananas and makes my job infinitely easier—especially when bringing young, creative, and/or international talent to the area.
As for shows, while I love to take people by The Muny, Stifel Theatre, Enterprise Center, Fabulous Fox, Pageant and whatever they call Riverport Amphitheatre these days, I am personally more of a Duck Room, Joe’s Cafe, Blue Strawberry kind of a guy. Maybe Off Broadway or The Sheldon if I want to get crazy with a “crowd.” The Rep is arguably my favorite spot to see a play. And I spend more money at Helium on comedy acts than I’d like to admit.
Few cities have the kind of intimate venues we do—with the same levels of gritty authenticity, cool factor and soul. I mean, if I have a music lover in tow and they catch likes of Marquise Knox at Broadway Oyster Bar, get to pop into Powell Hall or see Jake’s Leg at a place like Venice Cafe, it’s pretty much over.
Anthony P. Bartlett is the founder of Acclimate, which helps companies attract, hire and retain top talent within the St. Louis region by connecting prospective candidates and new hires with the lifestyle, communities, preferences and affinity groups that maximize their quality of life. This interview is also published on Acclimate’s blog.
Photos of Laclede’s Landing and Brennan’s are courtesy of places and businesses named.