MEET ME IN ST.
LOUIS
Pound City
It’s OK to indulge a little bit
at these St. Louis hot spots.
Tony’s
A recipient of the coveted AAA
Four-Diamond award, this ven-
erable family-owned restaurant
offers fine dining in an elegant
setting. saucecafe.com/tonys
Crown Candy Kitchen
This vintage malt shop serves
the best BLT in St. Louis, along
with thick malts, sundaes, and
house-made chocolate candy.
crowncandykitchen.net
Mike Shannon’s
Former Cardinals third base-
man and broadcaster-turned-
restaurateur Mike Shannon
opened his steak and seafood
joint downtown. Enjoy a ten-
derloin filet, hand-cut fries, and
plenty of baseball memorabilia.
shannonsteak.com
Pi Pizzeria
Sink your teeth into a deep-
dish cornmeal crust topped
with everything from zucchini
to locally produced prosciutto.
restaurantpi.com
Niche
For affordable, modern
American fare, reserve a table
at James Beard–nominated
Gerard Craft’s restaurant in
Benton Park. nichestlouis.com
Pappy’s Smokehouse
Come hungry and enjoy a full
slab of ribs cooked daily for up
to 14 hours, served with a side
of fried corn on the cob.
pappyssmokehouse.com
Annie Gunn’s
House-made charcuterie,
steaks, and seafood are favor-
ites at this landmark restaurant
in Chesterfield, where longtime
chef Lou Rook III’s menu lists
the farmers who supply
his fresh ingredients.
smokehousemarket.com
140 | Spirit
All American Levee High Caramel
Apple Pecan Pie at The Blue Owl
Restaurant and Bakery
Eat
Resist the urge to eat
dessert first, but save
plenty of room!
YO U WO N ’ T G O H U N G RY in St. Louis,
where you’ll find ethnic cuisine from
A (Afghani) to V (Vietnamese). But the
city’s claim to culinary fame is an Italian
one—toasted ravioli.
While no one knows exactly when or
where it was invented, legend has it that
a local cook dropped ravioli into boiling
oil instead of boiling water. The result?
Pillows of deep-fried, meat-filled pasta
served with a thick tomato sauce for dip-
ping. Many casual eateries serve toasted
ravioli, but the following restaurants
make it cooked to order: Charlie Gitto’s
“On The Hill” (charliegittos.com), Trat-
toria Marcella (trattoriamarcella.com) in
Leaders in Education
For dessert, head south to Kimms-
wick’s Blue Owl Restaurant and
Bakery (theblueowl.com), where
they make Levee High Caramel
Apple Pecan Pie with 18 apples! And
mckendree.edu
Sweetie Pie’s in The Grove—owned
by Robbie Montgomery, former
backup singer for Ike and Tina
Turner—was recently named Best
Soul Food in Town by local alterna-
tive publication Riverfront Times.
(One bite of Robbie’s famous mac ’n’
cheese, and you’ll see why.)
Some neighborhoods are known
for their ethnic cuisine: Italian on swic.edu
The Hill, Mexican on Cherokee
Street, Asian on South Grand, and
continental cuisine in the Central
West End. “You can find excellent
food here, whatever you are looking
for—we have it all,” says Bob Bon-
ney, chief executive officer of the
siue.edu
Missouri Restaurant Association.
In the words of this city’s French
founders, bon appétit! Developing the Region’s Work Force
E’VE G O T
W
THRILLS!
St. Louis Hills, and all of the Lombardo’s
restaurants (lombardosrestaurants.com),
including one in northwest St. Louis
Heart-pounding Rides!
County and two downtown.
Other local specialties include gooey
One of the country’s
butter cake (made with unspeakable premiere theatres, the Fox
amounts of butter), pork steaks (a par- is listed on the National
ticular cut, a half-inch thick) and the Register of Historic Places. FREE Water Park!
“slinger”—two burgers, hash browns, an The Fox hosts the first
national tours of Broadway
PHOTOGRAPHY BY K ATHERINE BISH
egg covered with chili, and toast.
It’s decadent dishes like these that have shows, holiday spectaculars
landed St. Louis eateries in the spotlight. and a variety of concerts in
A few of them have enjoyed 15 minutes of
fame on Food Network: For lunch, grab
an opulent setting. For a
current schedule of events,
Glow in the Park Parade!
a peppered pork sandwich at Iron Barley visit FabulousFox.com.
in south St. Louis (www.ironbarley.com).
527 N. Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO For ticket information visit sixflags.com