St Louis Dining
Jan 2nd, 2003, 02:53 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
Dear Kristen:
Just returned from X-mas visit with in-laws in St. Louis, so I have some first-hand updates on some of the places we used to frequent when we lived there.
The Bluewater Grill is still a pretty good, casual-but-upscale seafood restaurant, but not anything you would not find elsewhere. Seafood is not what I would call a local specialty of St. Louis!
True "local flavor" can be found at the home-grown Bandana's barbecue restaurants, which started out in the St. Louis suburb of Arnold and now has several locations around town (check their website - not sure if spelling is Bandana's or Bandanna's). Not fancy, but the barbecued ribs are fabulous - and where else can you get fried corn on the cob?
Another "unique" place is The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery, located south of St. Louis off I-55 (Imperial exit) in the tiny community of historic Kimmswick. This lunch/brunch/tearoom serves home-style Midwestern comfort food, but its real claim to fame are the incredible cheescakes, cookies, and other pastries produced by the bakery. (Check their website). Go hungry if you go there.
Other places we didn't stop at this visit: Many good Italian restaurants like Cunetto's are located on the "The Hill" (Italian neighborhood in St. Louis), but while these are long-established local favorites, Italian restaurants are scarcely "unique" to St. Louis. We used to enjoy The Smokehouse (in the far west suburb of Chesterfield), but we haven't been there since they dried out and rebuilt after the Flood of '93, so I don't know if it's still as good as we recall. The original Ted Drewes (frozen custard-like desserts) is a "unique" St. Louis institution located on Gravois Ave, but I think it is closed during the winter.
Just returned from X-mas visit with in-laws in St. Louis, so I have some first-hand updates on some of the places we used to frequent when we lived there.
The Bluewater Grill is still a pretty good, casual-but-upscale seafood restaurant, but not anything you would not find elsewhere. Seafood is not what I would call a local specialty of St. Louis!
True "local flavor" can be found at the home-grown Bandana's barbecue restaurants, which started out in the St. Louis suburb of Arnold and now has several locations around town (check their website - not sure if spelling is Bandana's or Bandanna's). Not fancy, but the barbecued ribs are fabulous - and where else can you get fried corn on the cob?
Another "unique" place is The Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery, located south of St. Louis off I-55 (Imperial exit) in the tiny community of historic Kimmswick. This lunch/brunch/tearoom serves home-style Midwestern comfort food, but its real claim to fame are the incredible cheescakes, cookies, and other pastries produced by the bakery. (Check their website). Go hungry if you go there.
Other places we didn't stop at this visit: Many good Italian restaurants like Cunetto's are located on the "The Hill" (Italian neighborhood in St. Louis), but while these are long-established local favorites, Italian restaurants are scarcely "unique" to St. Louis. We used to enjoy The Smokehouse (in the far west suburb of Chesterfield), but we haven't been there since they dried out and rebuilt after the Flood of '93, so I don't know if it's still as good as we recall. The original Ted Drewes (frozen custard-like desserts) is a "unique" St. Louis institution located on Gravois Ave, but I think it is closed during the winter.
Jan 2nd, 2003, 04:57 PM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Giovanni's on "The Hill" is one of the top Italian restaurants in the USA. It's in a large home and you eat in the living room, maybe 20-25 tables total.
Very warm environment.
But it's not cheap, casual fare.
Pretty expensive, excellent service, great wine list.
Very warm environment.
But it's not cheap, casual fare.
Pretty expensive, excellent service, great wine list.
