11 Restaurants
5 bakeries
2 Ice cream shops
It’s been many years, and St. Louis is always worth visiting again.
Friday, October 10th, 2014
Purposely crossed Old Man River at the Poplar Street bridge to see the illuminated skyline framed by that iconic image of America.
Saturday, October 11th, 2014
Working class, somewhat seedy neighborhood
+ Full parking lot
+ Positive energy buzz
= Great diner to start the day
The Lady choose a half order of Biscuits and Gravy and Piggy choose The Wilbur- an omelet filled with fried potatoes, peppers, onions and tomatoes topped with chili; served with a side of grits and a biscuit.
Gateway Arch was built from 1963 to 1965.
The observation platform is 630’ above Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.
Views to the east of the mighty Mississippi and to the west of downtown STL.
Laclede's Landing lies immediately north of the Arch is the original settlement of St. Louis.
Old Courthouse was constructed in 1816 and is most famous for the Dredd Scott case.
A ribbon of parks stretches from the river through downtown.
From 1894 to 1978 Union Station served train passengers.
In 1985 it was transformed into a hotel and entertainment complex including a mall and dining.
The Lady had never been to a Hard Rock Café. Time to remedy that.
Crown Candy Kitchen was started by Greek immigrants in 1913. Today their grandsons run it.
It is apparent the interior hasn’t changed much in 101 years. Awesome!
Fire Chief Special- Two scoops of ice cream, homemade chocolate sauce, strawberries, bananas, pecans, crushed nuts and whipped cream.
Souldard is a historic French neighborhood south of downtown.
This Boston Cream Cupcake went fast. I was able to get one bite in…..
(Who’s the 14 year old?)
The Souldard Market includes vendors of every genre in a 1929 building and adjacent stalls.
Donut Drive-In.
Ted Drewes is THE institution in St. Louis with their Concretes being the star. That is the micro size.
Westport Plaza in suburban Maryland Heights was…lame. You don’t see any patrons since there weren’t any.
However, Delmar Boulevard was alive with pedestrians with many dynamic options of shopping and cafes.
The Lady never had Indian before. Time to remedy that. We went with Lamb Dal and Naan.
Sunday, October 12th, 2014
Situated into a light industrial and residential area, Southwest Diner is a local favorite.
We went with Huevos Rancheros and a Sopapilla.
Sfogliatelle from Missouri Baking Co. and then Blueberry Donuts. Blueberry for the antioxidants so those donuts were health food.
Basillica of Saint Louis was completed in 1914.
The mosaics of this sacred place are awe inspiring.
They contain 41.5 million pieces in 7,000 colors and cover 83,000 square feet. It is the largest mosaic collection in the world.
Located just miles from downtown, Forest Park opened in 1876 and has hosted such luminous events as the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer Olympics.
Among the attractions are an art museum, zoo, science museums, tennis courts, hiking trails, golf course, boating, cricket fields and ice skating.
We spent some time perusing the culture of the St. Louis Art Museum.
The World’s Fair Pavilion was built with proceeds from the fair in 1909.
Headed to the Mangrove neighborhood for lunch. At Sweetie Pie’s with my Sweetie Pie!
Meat and 3: Meatloaf, Collard Greens, Sweet Potatoes and Cornbread.
Located a half hour west in suburban Chesterfield, the Kemp Auto Museum is predominately Mercedes Benz.
Back to Forest Park to amble around the St. Louis Zoo.
The Lady expressed a desire to dine at a real Italian restaurant. So we went to Olive Garden. Gotcha! Headed to the Italian enclave The Hill where everything is festooned with the colors of the Italian flag to have a candlelit dinner at Gian-Tony’s.
Toasted ravioli is a St. Louis thing.
Vitello Alla Parmigiana.
Monday, October 13th, 2014
Made the quick drive NW to the brick carpeted main street of riverside St. Charles.
Breakfast at the local’s Allin’s Diner.
I went with a half order of The Sling- hash browns, hamburger patty, homemade chili, egg, cheese and onion. She dubbed it “heart attack in a bowl”. And then tucked into her Biscuits and Sausage Gravy.
Old Town Donuts in Florissant has long been on the hit list. Their Apple Fritter was pillowy, fresh, soft, sinful, cinnamony, and decadent.
Stop for antique shopping for The Lady at Pink Elephant Antiques.
Successful trip since The Lady loved it!