Find the unexpected in St. Louis
Work-hard, play-hard attitude imbues city known as the gateway to the U.S. Midwest
St. Louis is my home away from home. It’s where I was born, and while I wasn’t raised here, it’s where I spent the bulk of my childhood vacations chowing down on gooey butter cake with grandparents and feeding goats at Grant’s Farm with cousins. It’s also a place I’ve learned to appreciate, in its own right, as an adult.
Last year, I visited five times, and between toasted ravioli (t-rav) crawls on the Hill — the Italian neighbourhood where the deep-fried finger food was invented — I uncovered a deeper appreciation for the Lou.
The city, just a hop across the Mississippi River from Illinois, is a modest one. It has a rich musical history tied to the blues, but you don’t hear people bragging. It has a colourful beer history tied to Anheuser-Busch and, some solid craft brews, but no one puts on airs over it. And it has a fun food scene, laying claim to a number of unexpected originals (such as that toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake, for starters).
It’s also home to the Eero Saarinen-designed Gateway Arch, arguably the most recognizable monument in the Midwest. And Forest Park, dotted with free museums and a zoo, is in one of the largest urban parks in the country.
A work-hard, play-hard attitude is the sod beneath it all. The locals I know are happy that, among mid-size cities, it has maintained a small-town friendliness and easy-to-get-around comforts.
GO: Local Faves
New York has Central Park. Chicago has Grant Park. And St. Louis has Forest Park. There’s a world to discover in this cultural campus, which measures in at 182 hectares larger than Central Park.
Beyond the rolling green grass, forests, lakes and, yes, waterfall, there are three museums (Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Art Museum and Saint Louis Science Center) and the Saint Louis Zoo, all of which are free.
You can also play a round of golf, take in musical theatre at the Muny amphitheatre, rent a standup paddleboard, kayak or canoe and row around two islands in Post-Dispatch Lake. Grab a lakeside cocktail and a bite to eat at the Boathouse, and so much more. It’s a great place to take a Frisbee or just flop in the grass and watch Missourians in their habitat.
There really is no other museum like the City Museum, and its name is spoken with reverence by all who have sweated here. (Exploring is a workout!) Imagine a museum that’s a little bit Goo
nies, a little bit Willy Wonka and a lot funhouse, where you can tunnel through caves, barrel down slides, discover secret passages and burrow through rooftop tunnels, most of which are constructed from reclaimed items from St. Louis and beyond — a school bus here, two airplanes there, a pipe organ and Ferris wheel for good measure. The 182,880-square-metre building once was home to the International Shoe Company and has been transformed by visionaries and artisans into an urban playground complete with a cantina, barbecue joint, cafe, bar and sandwich shop for quick refuelling.
GO: Guidebook musts
Not only is admission to Grant’s Farm free, so is the beer. (Although, parking costs $13 U.S.) The petting zoo, park and landmark is the ancestral home still owned by the beer-famous Busch family and operated by Anheuser-Busch.
Guests age 21 and up get two complimentary beer samples at the Bauernhof (that’s German for “farmstead”), and can enjoy those samples on a lovely patio while snacking on bratwurst and pretzels. Before and after you enjoy the beer, there’s plenty to do at this Bavarian-style farm. The outdoor space is lined with stables and has an old carriage house that still displays the family’s collection. On a tram ride, you can catch a glimpse of the cabin where Ulysses S. Grant lived before he became president, pass by a fence made of rifles that were used in the Civil War and spot dozens of animals, including elk, deer and bison.
The real crowd-pleasers here are the goats and their kids. For $1.50, you can buy a bottle or a grain cup and watch the goofy animals fall over each other to have a hand-held snack.
If you’ve never been to the top of the Gateway Arch, you’ve got to do it. And if it’s been a while, do it again. While the192-metre edifice remains the same skyline icon it has been since opening in 1965, the surrounding area has been transformed, and the formal reopening is set for July 3. The $380-million renovations replaced a parking lot with a welcoming riverside park — established as Gateway Arch National Park in February — complete with walking trails, an amphitheatre and plenty of picnic space. Before the changes, the arch was separated from downtown by a freeway. Now, thanks to a landscaped pedestrian bridge, it’s accessible by foot and acts as a kind of front yard to the city. If you plan on taking the tram to the top of America’s tallest man-made monument to peek out the narrow windows, you might want to book your ticket online and ensure yourself a seat.
EAT: Local faves The hot salami served at Gioia’s Deli is serious business. Like any processed meat, you don’t necessarily want to know what goes into it. You just want to eat it. And “it” is as fall-apart tender as it comes, served on either white, wheat or garlic cheese bread (as if there’s any question, go for the garlic cheese), toasted and topped with your choice of cheese and garnish. It is sandwich perfection. The restaurant has multiple locations, including one in St. Louis’ famous Italian neighbourhood — the Hill — and is celebrating its 100th year in business. Last year, it was honoured by the James Beard Foundation with an America’s Classic award.
Union Loafers Cafe and Bread Bakery is home to the holy trin- ity of carbs: pizza, sandwiches and bread, although you can’t always get them at the same time of day. That’s because this cosy establishment only doles out its heavenly sandwiches — such as the roasted pork with country ham, dill pickle, mustard and garlic mayo — at lunch Tuesday through Sunday (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.); and the delec- table pizzas at dinner Wednesday through Saturday (5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.). By the way, bread is available only until it runs out. That bread, of course, is the key to all of the above. The artisanal dough recipes are based on old-world techniques and natural leavening, coaxing out flavours and textures you’ll just want to keep eating. The style of pizza here is somewhere between New York-style and Neapolitan. That’s a change from many local pizzerias, which crank out the St. Louis style of pie: a cracker-thin crust, square-cut and topped with stick-to-your-teeth Provel, a processed white cheese. At Union Loafers, it’s all mozzarella (and parmesan and pecorino) all the time.
EAT: Guidebook musts In some cities, you do a bar crawl. In St. Louis, I do a toasted ravioli crawl. Toasted ravs are a signature dish of the Gateway City. Start your crawl in the city’s famous Italian neighbourhood, the Hill, at Anthonino’s Taverna, a Greek and Italian joint that sets the fried pasta bar high. Here, the plump puffs of ravioli are filled with a delectable mélange of beef, ricotta and pecorino Romano, then coated in bread crumbs, fried and served steaming hot with a tangy marinara. Have a local beer (Schlafly will do) and head on to the next spot. You can find toasted ravioli on menus around town, with a range of fillings.
I have never known, nor do I wish to imagine, a world without gooey butter cake — especially the ones from Park Avenue Coffee. With a sweet, slightly crumbly crust on the bottom and a kind of buttery baked custard on top (that’s the “gooey”), this sugar-coated cake demonstrates a scientific mastery of cramming the most sugar and butter into one dense area. Park Avenue creates 73 different flavours of gooey butter cake, including banana split and apple cinnamon. I recommend starting with the original, then follow your sweet tooth. Pro tip: Be sure to order a large coffee to counteract the crash that’s coming after the bloodsugar spike.
SHOP: Local faves I’m a sucker for cute, locally owned gift shops with cheeky socks and irreverent books, and Phoenix Rising, in the Delmar Loop, scores on all fronts. On a recent browse, I noted sloth socks, bacon bandages, books on crafting with cat hair and even a President Trump candle that smells of suntan lotion and steak — all the things you never needed, right in one place. Bonus: It’s surrounded by eclectic boutiques, so you can easily make it part of a larger shopping spree.
I’ve spent many Christmases in St. Louis, and my go-to for last-minute gifts has always been Christopher’s, where you can find something for every family member — even that eccentric uncle — and yourself.
There are delectable smells (candles, lotions, balms and soaps), fun coffee-table books and cookbooks, olive oils, teas, conversation-starting serving dishes and clothing. It’s easy to lose track of time wandering into the different sections of this store.
Guidebook musts The Vault Luxury Resale doesn’t seem like a resale store. Every item is in impeccable condition, whether it’s a Louis Vuitton bag, a Tory Burch dress or anything by Chanel. Really, only the prices shout “resale,” and that’s how owner Sue McCarthy wants it. McCarthy and her daughters have made enviable careers out of reselling items by sought-after brands — Fendi, Gucci, Prada, Hermes — that they buy directly from closets of fashionable women across the country. The lightfilled store is quite generous with area non-profit organizations, so you can shop and know that your dollars are doing some good.
It seems as if every cool city now has a standout gift boutique brimming with crafty artisan items. In St. Louis, that store is Urban Matter. You can find handmade pottery, funky jewelry, art, woodwork, purses, garden gear and other selections made by more than 100 artisans, many of whom are locals. It’s all beautifully staged with the feel of a small, yearround craft fair.
STAY: Local fave The lunar-themed Moonrise Hotel, which has what it terms “the world’s largest man-made moon” rotating on its roof, is smack-dab in the middle of the Delmar Loop action. That means you have easy walking access to fun restaurants, bars and shops. The rooms are fun, with mid-century modern decor, bright colours, an abundance of moon-themed art and, in the bathroom, cartoon-like drain covers. The Rooftop Terrace Bar is a draw for locals and visitors looking to sip craft cocktails while taking in pan- oramic views of the area, all beneath the real moon.
STAY: Guidebook must It’s likely that you’ll see a bride or two if you stay at the Chase Park Plaza Hotel. The historical Royal Sonesta hotel, which dates to 1922, is an understandably popular spot for weddings.
For one, the art deco digs are enormous, with three restaurants and gorgeous ballrooms with terraces. Plus, it’s in the Central West End neighbourhood, so you can walk to restaurants and bars, as well as nearby Forest Park. And while the rooms and suites are lovely, the real draw here is the lavish outdoor pool, where food and cocktails can be had.
EXPLORE: Local fave One of my favourite spots to lose a day is the Delmar Loop. The six-block area near Washington University has been named one of the “10 Great Streets in America” by the American Planning Association, and there are dozens of boutiques, galleries, bars, coffee shops and restaurants, as well as a star-studded sidewalk dubbed the St. Louis Walk of Fame. A perfect day might include grabbing a frosty mug at Fitz’s Root Beer, where you can watch a soda-bottling line in action. Next, shoe up for quick game at the vintage-style PinUp Bowl, followed by a little shopping and some street tacos at Mission Taco Joint. Then, head up to the Rooftop Terrace Bar at the Moonrise Hotel for a nightcap or catch a live show at the Pageant or Blueberry Hill.
EXPLORE: Guidebook must If it was good enough for Wil- liam S. Burroughs, Kate Chopin, T.S. Eliot and Tennessee Williams to make home, the Central West End is well worth an afternoon of exploration for visitors. The area sits on the eastern edge of Forest Park. It was named one of the “10 Great Neighbourhoods in America” by the American Planning Association, and its art galleries, boutiques, antique shops, sidewalk cafes and bars bring a touch of European flair to the Lou. Plus, the CWE is home to the World Chess Hall of Fame, and you can grab a game at the oversize chess board right in front of the building.