St Louis

[Wilfrid]

Since a Mississippi/Alabama trip looks complicated, I am thinking of a simple few days in St Louis. If anyone has been there at all recently, comments appreciated. I have noted the hot salami; maybe I should also try the St Paul Sandwich (basically, egg foo young on white bread).

This is what I have on my list so far:

Restaurants: Wright’s; Brasserie by Niche; Vicia; Robin; Gioia’s (hot salami); Pappy’s Smokehouse                                  

          Bars: Planter’s House (cocktails and food); ‘ssipppi (natural wine); The Hideaway (piano bar); Pop’s Blue Moon

          Museums: Contemporary Arts Museum; Kemper Art Museum; St Louis Art Museum; St Louis University M of A; Scott Joplin House; Griot Museum of Black History; Missouri History Museum; National Blues Museum

[Steve R.]

It's been a long time since I lived there (45 years!) but I'd recommend O'Connell's Pub (family owned old style with good roast beef sandwiches, beers & atmosphere), Ted Drewes (soft serve "custard") & Blueberry Hill (which has a walk of fame outside).  Since the Mason/Dixon Line went thru the middle of St Louis (around Forest Park), there's a ton of race history throughout the city.  It's also been home to many musicians like Scott Joplin, Chuck Berry & I believe there's a St Louis Wall of Fame mural celebrating Tina Turner, Miles Davis and others.  Tina has her own mural in the city as well. Washington University is the site of the 1904 Worlds Fair ("Meet Me in St Louis", Judy Garland, the ice cream cone, etc) and its worth walking around the area of the campus where the old buildings are.  Maybe there's a plaque somewhere with my name on it as "best grad student ever"?  Don't waste time going up the Arch but its an interesting site/area.

[Steve R.]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Walk_of_Fame

[Wilfrid]

Most useful, thanks. I think I have the Black history and music lined up.

And 'ssippi is a funny name for a wine bar.

[Wilfrid]

I should have Olive + Oak in the restaurant choices.

[Wilfrid]

St Louis trip is on. Booked Olive + Oak, Robin, Brasserie by Niche and Planter's House. Plus my airbnb is about a five minute walk from Pappy's Smokehouse. 
 

 

[Wilfrid]

National Blues Museum shut down at the end of March: not economically sustainable. Bah.

[Wilfrid]

Those who can tolerate Instagram will have seen me posting about the trip. I can add photos here for anyone Instagram-phobic.

This is not a walking city, even downtown. There are a few neighborhoods with street life -- I have seen Central West End and The Grove -- but it's pretty spread out and apparently empty.

Sad to see so many boarded up businesses, especially downtown, as well as neighborhoods which were clearly once densely populated kind of emptied out. People tell me the effects of last year's tornado are still felt, but the demolition of some neighborhoods goes back much further.

Museums are spectacular and for the most part huge. I thought I could do the Missouri History Museum, the Kempner museum at WashU and the St Louis Art Museum today. Too much for one day. The latter is on a scale approaching the Met so I just did the contemporary galleries (heaps of Beckman) and surrendered. 

 

 

[Wilfrid]

I planned on only the relatively modest Contemporary Art Museum and the vast St Louis University Museum of Art today, but then I found the Pulitzer Art Foundation with plenty of modern European art and a Serra on the terrace.

STL Uni had a very good show of modern Australian art, but I was relieved the 4th floor was temporarily closed. I am all arted out.

[Wilfrid]

A few notes on food, because I was impressed by the quality and originality of some of the cooking. (Pictures on IG, but if anyone wants more details or pictures here, just ask).

Brasserie by Niche. Open on a Monday, which is uncommon, and is also why the manager told me they were busy and selling out of stuff. I had planned on the duck confit, but that was already 86'd. I switched to braised beef with pommes purees and carrots, but was told the potatoes were gone. The manager suggested fries or mac'n'cheese but I asked for another vegetable. Green beans with almonds? Sure. When the plate arrived, it was accompanied by the beans and an extra (huge) side dish of carrots -- and the pommes puree were there after all. Even so, the manager comped the entire course. More importantly, the beef was good. Went away feeling positive. Before dinner, Brennan's is a popular, very well run cocktail bar.

Olive + Oak. This was a drive from the center and I expected a little neighborhood restaurant. No: vast and very busy on a Tuesday evening. Visiting the restroom I passed a door to a massive and bustling pub. When I mentioned this to my server, she told me they also have an event space down the street. They have a pizzeria too, so big family empire. Oysters offered six ways and you can name the number you want and mix them up (I took raw Pacific coast and "Buffalo fried"). Server recommended a small green tomato salad and she was right: the small was plenty big enough. Then the originality: copious braised rabbit leg meat piled on a large but delicate crepe, the latter interleaved with almost melted gouda. Very good dish, unseen elsewhere.

Robin Restaurant. This is a small neighborhood restaurant, but quite cool and modern. About 24 covers plus four bar seats, open kitchen. Four course prix fixe for $75. Add a plate of delicious little snacks (liver and corn cookie sandwich) for $8. Wines by the carafe rather than glass. The originality here: a take on Minnesota hot dish, the potatoes replaced by crisp puffed rice, the ground beef by mushrooms in a cream sauce. Before that, venison tartare, after it lamb loin and rib with garnishes including a spinach and ramp sauce. After cheeses, a complimentary serving of "gooey butter cake," not something I would have ordered but good to taste it.

Pappy's Smokehouse. Touted as best ribs in the city and I have no argument with that. I went early, between 11 and 12, and the dining room was almost full, there was a (short) line to get in, and I saw constant pedestrian and drive-thru pick-ups. I guess they can afford the large and charming wait staff. Half slab of ribs, $19.99 including two sides.

Might as well mention Planter's House, more about excellent cocktails than food. Manager was excited enough by my order of a St George Botanivore martini that she had the mixologist make two, one for her. And 'ssippi, the delightfully named natural wine bar; the kind of neighborhood place where the arrival of a stranger seems surprising.

Finally, two historic delicacies. Hot salami at Gioia's (1918):  hot fresh sausage and Provel cheese on crisped bread. If you melted some cheese on fried Dominican salami, it would be similar. St Paul sandwich at Chong Wha: a generous egg foo young omeletter sandwiched between two ordinary slices of bread. This you could definitely make by ordering from any Chinese take-out and providing your own bread. But it was a little bit of history.

Overall, good trip (flawless travel). Must have been because I could have added a day or two to see more.