[MikeLM]

We're planning a long weekend in StL in the near future, and would appreciate some nice restaurants - ethnic, local-specialty, and the like. We're not looking to see how much money we can spend.

Thanks,

Mike

[shroomgirl]

Pho Long, Olive and 170 in the Nobu shopping center has incredible pho.....Nobu is great sushi, open for lunch

Riddles Penultimate on Delmar in the Loop has great local food and the best wine list in town, probably 20 wines by the glass. Kinda funky....they have a band several times a week.

Niche for "cool" interesting food.....prixe fix around $35 for 3 course.....if gnocchi is on the menu get it. Matthew Rice the pastry chef is phenominal.

Fine dining on a budget. Larry Forgione's American Place 9th and Washington downtown across from the Convention Center has a Prixe fix for under $30 if you eat before 6:00 (or 6:30?) and a few bucks more for later dining. This is a really gorgeous room.

Dubliner has killer Guinness and their charcuterie is made in house. (pass on the fish) 11th and Washington.

Atlas, good eats most entrees with sides (veg/starch) in the teens. On Pershing by the History Museum sorta. dinner only.

Balabans just reopened, the chef is wonderful....CWE open 7 days....lunch/dinner. alittle pricier than the others for dinner.

I've not been but Five is supposed to be good, it's in a rough neighborhood....open for lunch/dinner....across the street is my fav. cafeteria, Sweetie Pie's.....oh man, the owner is from Mississippi and the food is GREAT!!!! mac and cheese exemplary, buttermilk cornbread ditto, fried chicken wings....I have no idea how they stay so crisp and big.....desserts are not good....pass on them.

Thousands of natives love Ted Drewe's custard, I live 8 blks from it and never stop.....doesn't do it for me but hey, it's an institution Chippewa at Jamieson.

Stellina Pasta, Mon-Sat. great eats.....local scratch huge portions....organic pasta made in house, sandwiches, salads, great desserts....small dining room but worth the visit on Watson near Fyler. They close early.....open lunch and dinner.

Funky food shops to explore if you're into that>
1) Soulard Farmer's Market on 7th and Broadway Sat. mornings is a hoot....best brats are on the southside of the market in the middle....
Actually Franco's is across the street and has great eats......open for lunch on Sat. they serve good food....it's new and hip design.

2) Jay's on South Grand......Ethnic market at it's best, I've visited grocery stores around the country.....this one is a true gem.

3) G & W .....REAL GERMAN BUTCHER.....they close at 3pm on Sat. if it's busy they'll ask if you want a free beer while you wait. Liverwurst is phenominal, as are most of the sausages.

4) Volpi on the Hill.....Fun, hole in the wall store front.....some of the best Italian charcuterie in the nation. They also have abbreviated hours.

If you're bringing kids STL has incredible places to visit, actually the City Museum is pretty exciting for adults too.

Crown Candy Kitchen....ok, bizarre throw back in questionable neighborhood...North STL on St. Louis Street.....known for their ice cream sundaes and malts....really good, old timey, actually they've not redecorated in 60 years, busy all the time but the tables turn rapidly. BLT has at least 12 pieces of bacon.....if they'd only use mayo instead of Mircle Whip.....

There's always a brewery tour, AB and Schlafly.....and of course there are a whole lot of wineries around STL. Let me know where you decided to go and how it was would you?

[shroomgirl]

local specialty....toasted ravioli (actually deep fried with red sauce)....
pizza with provel, sticks to your teeth and is "cheese food", if you grow up eating it's apparently the only pizza you crave, cracker thin crust
Gooey butter Cake....um again it's an acquired taste
St. Paul's Sandwich, egg foo young on white bread with mayo, american cheese...
brain sandwiches, hard to find but I've not looked hard.

We have lots of wonderful restaurants and great local food but the specialties indigenous to STL have something to be desired IMHO....I wasn't born here, but choose to live here guess that says it all.

[MikeLM]

Shroom'...

Thanks very much for your effort and suggestions. I have copied them and put them in our planning package. We haven't fixed a schedule yet, but I'll let you know how things turn out.

Actually, I'm a "native" - born in Clayton quite a few years ago. My folks moved to Washington, DC when I was about four, and I grew up on the east coast.

Mother from Troy, MO, and father from Jackson, just up the road from Cape Girardeau. Both families go back in MO well before the Civil War. Still like to go back (we've been to the Arch), and looking forward to knocking around St. Louis for at least a long weekend.

Thanks again.

Mike

[shroomgirl]

Let me know when you're coming and I'll let you know if any special food events are happening. Those are familiar tiny Mo. towns....most farmers I've worked with are around those areas. I get my pigs from Karlios Heikebien in Cape G.