Roly Poly is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Roly Poly - Find a Location

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Roly Poly is a sandwich shop that specializes in wraps. They have a ton of different wraps to choose from. If you can imagine it then they can put it in a wrap for you. Roly Poly is a place similar to a fast food joint. Items are ordered at the counter and then the food is made and you pick up the food at the counter. The different variety of sandwiches consist of turkey, chicken, roast beef, ham, tuna and more. From each meat selection there are about 10 different varieties of sandwiches. There is also the option to roll your own. This allows you to pick any combination of meat, toppings and dressings. The wraps come hot or cold.

I went to the Roly Poly in St. Peters. This is a small little place with about 5 tables. I ordered the Chipotle Cheese Steak, which is described as sliced grilled sirloin steak, melted cheddar and jalapeno cheeses, tomatoes, onions, ranch dressing, grilled and served with a side of salsa. This was very good and very cheesy. I would definitely order this again.

Prices: About $5.50 for a Chipotle Cheese Steak wrap.

The St. Louis Rams are a Joke

I now see why the Edward Jones' Dome is so dull on a Sunday. The Packers had more fans at the Dome than the Rams did, and I don't blame Ram's fans. The music is the last thing the front office and the players of the Rams should be worried about. How about you fix the whole fan experience, and this starts on the field. How do the St. Louis Rams expect fans to get excited about such a dull product. Do something for me to get excited about. Don't expect me to get all excited when you can't tackle an opposing player.

Another thing that this franchise does not get is that everyone in the building represents the Rams. From the ushers, to the concession stand workers. Everyone of these workers seem to make the experience worse. I know that some of the concession stand workers are volunteers for fundraisers, but whoever started this concept is a moron. This is not little league baseball where parents have to work concession stand duty, this is an NFL football team. I started waiting in line for food about 5 minutes before kickoff. I didn't get to my seat until 5:30 left in the first quarter. The guy serving the food didn't care if anyone saw the game, he had to be there so he was going to work slow. When I did get to the line, I ordered some nachos and he only filled the cheese cup up half way. When I asked him to fill it up all the way he got an attitude and looked at me like I was asking too much. Let me pay you $6 for nachos and only put half the cheese in the container. That sounds like a good deal to me. These sports franchises don't get it. It would be better to hire people to work the stands and then just donate some money to the organizations. If the Rams were to hire people to work the stands then the lines would move faster, the Rams would make a lot more money, and they would not have so many pissed off fans. When I got back to my seat, I was angry. There was no way I would ever get excited for a product as terrible as the Rams franchise.

I loved the fact that I pay outrageously high prices for everything and don't get my monies worth. That is why people don't cheer or be loud at the games. Your franchise is gouging them for every cent they have. What a joke. Take a hint from the St. Louis Blues. While they still have outrageously high concession stand prices, the front office acts like they care about the fan.

People Cannot Drive on Highway 270 in St. Louis

I don't think I have driven on Highway 270 from Tesson Ferry to 40 in the morning or on the return trip in the past two weeks without seeing an accident. It is getting ridiculous. And when there is an accident, everyone has to come to a complete stop to look at it. A few weeks ago there were three accidents, one right after another on 270. I guarantee that this was caused by dumb assess having to look at the accident when they drove by.

Everyone always says that we should feel lucky, because the traffic isn't near as bad in St. Louis as it is in other places, like Chicago, Boston or New York. Maybe that is true, but those places also have 3 and 4 times the amount of people, and we still have terrible traffic. Those cities are also more developed than St. Louis.

I think that people from Illinois cause the traffic. They come to the west side and it is like they are driving in a different world. They never know where they are going, always cutting people off, and always driving slow.

When you are on highway 270 in South County and West County don't worry about what anyone else is doing. Just drive your car to where you are going. St. Louis has the worst stop and go traffic in the country. I don't even want to think about what this streach of highway will be like when 40 closes.

White Castle is the St. Louis Place to Eat

White Castle - Find a Location

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White Castle could be one of the best places to eat in St. Louis. I would eat everything that is on White Castle's menu. They do not have one bad thing on the menu. Maybe that is why they are so good. Instead of offering 300 different things like every other fast food joint, White Castles offers about 15-20 different items. Most of the different items are just cheese varieties and double hamburger options. And everything they offer is good.

I don't think I have ever been to a White Castle where there was not at least one person in the drive thru. Everyone loves this place. I went to the White Castle on Lemay Ferry just south of Highway 255, and there were four other cars in the drive thru. The wait was not long at all. I ordered waited for a few minutes and I was off to enjoy my fresh White Castle's.

White Castle is one of my favorite meals. It is cheap, fast, and delicious. The burgers are so tender, and you can't beat an order of chicken rings with cheese. I ordered the jalapeno cheese burgers, and an order of chicken rings with cheese. I dip the chicken rings in the honey mustard from White Castle, and put spicy mustard and ketchup on the cheese burgers. We should feel lucky here in St. Louis because we have an abundant of White Castle restaurants.

Prices: About $4.50 for three jalapeno cheeseburgers and an order of chicken rings with cheese.

The Drunken Fish is the St. Louis Place to Eat

The Drunken Fish - Multiple Locations

We went to the Central West End location. The Drunken Fish is a sushi restaurant with a lot to offer. Inside The Drunken Fish on a weekend night is filled with twenty and thirty somethings, dressed up and ready for a night in the Central West End. The inside is also very modern and has plenty of tables. We went at 7:30 on a Friday and there were multiple tables open. There is no wait to get a table.

The menu offers a wide variety of sushi, fried rice, and other Japanese favorites. They even offer a wide variety of cooked items for those people who are afraid to try sushi. Most of the food is priced pretty reasonable and you can get a sushi roll for about $6.

The drink prices at Drunken Fish are out of control. A beer cost $4 and a martini cost $7. Half of our bill was alcohol at this place. They do look like they have some good happy hour specials. Monday - Friday from 5 - 7 pm they have 1/2 price martinis, 1/2 price exotic drinks, $2 bottled beer, $1 infused sake shots. They also have 1/2 price makimono rolls $1 sushi pieces and $1 off appetizers. This happy hour might be worth checking out.

We ordered four sushi rolls between the two of us. The wife ordered the spicy tuna and the California roll, and I ordered the Philly roll and the spicy salmon roll. This Philly roll was the best thing, by far. It was salmon, cream cheese and other fillings, and it was all flash fried. The spicy salmon and tuna rolls were very good as well. The service was very fast and we got our food very quickly.

Prices: $55 for four sushi rolls and four drinks.

Jefferson's is the Belleville, Illinois Place to Eat

Jefferson's
6980 W Main St
Belleville, IL 62223

Jefferson's Restaurant is located in Belleville, Illinois and is a bar and grill style place. From the time I walked in, I could smell the hot wing sauce. This place smells like it has some good chicken wings, but I did not have any this time. The place is wide open with video games and darts. We went for lunch and there were plenty of places to sit. Jefferson's has a little "hisotry" of the place on their menu, and they are famous for customers sticking dollar bills to the walls and ceiling of the place. I looked around and there were not many dollar bills stuck to the walls or ceilings.

The food was good. We ordered fried pickles as an appetizer, and they were very good. The fried pickles were dill pickle slices dipped in batter, fried and then served with a side of ranch. I ordered the Jefferson burger. This was a 1/2 pound hamburger with bacon cheese and BBQ sauce. The burger was very good as were the fries that came with it. They had a special going on for the burger and it only cost $4.99. Jefferson's is a great bar and grill in Belleville, Illinois.

Prices: $4.99 for the burger and fries special.

Big Mama's Bar-B-Q is the Belleville, Illinois Place to Eat

Big Mama's BBQ
5110 N. Belt W
Belleville, IL 62226
Phone Number: 618-239-0695

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Big Mama's BBQ is located in Belleville, IL in a small little corner place. The inside is a lot bigger than what it appears to be from the outside. Big Mama's is a sit down BBQ place that serves great food. I could see the meat smokers from the parking lot. The inside is decked out with chalkboard paint and written on the chalkboard are different specials that the restaurant offers. Inside of the restaurant it has the feeling of a down home restaurant, and that the people want to serve good food. Big Mama's BBQ is a great lunch spot and the food comes very quick.

I ordered the special. It was a pulled pork sandwich, one side, and a cup of chili. This only cost $4.99. The pulled pork sandwich was good, but the pork was already mixed in BBQ sauce. I wish they would leave the BBQ sauce off and let me add it if I want it. The chili was very good. And, the side I ordered was the corn casserole. This was corn and some corn bread mixed in. It was very sweet and very good. The place was great. It was cheap, and I would definitely go eat there again.

Prices: $4.99 for the lunch special

Macaroni Grill is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Macaroni Grill - Find a location

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Macaroni Grill is an Italian joint that serves plenty of pasta and Italian combinations. Macaroni Grill is a chain restaurant, and I would compare it to Olive Garden and The Pasta House, but Macaroni Grill is a bit more expensive. We went to the Macaroni Grill in the Chesterfeild Mall parking lot, and the place was pretty packed for lunch. The place has many different pasta, salad, and many other Italian dishes. On the tables are paper table cloths and crayons to draw on the paper table cloth.

A meal at Macaroni Grill starts off with a loaf of bread and some olive oil for dipping. The bread is covered in garlic and taste great with the pasta. I ordered the fettucini alfredo. The fettucini alfredo was served in a huge bowl and was covered in a cream sauce. The pasta was very good and the bread was perfect to soak up the extra sauce.

Prices: About $8 for a lunch serving of fettucini alfredo

Humphrey's Restaurant and Tavern is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Humphrey's Restaurant and Tavern
3700 Laclede Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone number: 314-535-0700

Humphrey's Restaurant and Tavern is a St. Louis University bar. It is close to the campus and frequently visited by St. Louis University students and other college students on weekends and big drinking nights. But, they also serve food. Humphrey's is a large place that is multileveled and has a nice feel to it. I wish the menu was a little bigger, but the food I had was good. The menu consisted of mostly appetizers, a few sandwiches and a few salads. The prices were just about where you would see other bar and grill prices.

I ordered the Philly sandwich. The menu stated that the Philly came with chips. I thought they would be the homemade style chips, but they were ruffles. Humphrey's should change their menu to say that the chips are not homemade, or they are ordinary potato chips. If I would have known they were ordinary potato chips, then I would have gotten fries. The Philly sandwich was good. The sandwich was covered in chese, but it was a little small. I left the place feeling a little hungry still. The sandwich is good, the chips were not, but I would eat there again.

Prices: About $6.50 for a Philly sandwich and chips

Crazy Bowls and Wraps is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Crazy Bowls and Wraps - Find a Location

I went to the Crazy Bowls and Wraps on Lindell, close to the intersection of Vandeventer and Lindell. The location is very close to the St. Louis University campus. This was not a big place, so it is a good thing we got there around 11:30. This place was packed and there were not alot of tables. The service at this Crazy Bowls and Wraps was very fast, considering the amount of people that were in the place. One reason that I love Crazy Bowls and Wraps is due to the fact that they offer a salsa bar. You cannot beat a place that lets you pick your own salsa or sauces.

I ordered the teriyaki chicken bowl with steamed vegetables, and an order of chips. You have to get the chips for the salsa bar that is offered. The chicken bowl is very good, it fills you up and leaves you feeling healthy. One reason I like Crazy Bowls and Wraps is that when you leave the place you don't feel let down like you do at a lot of other fast food restaurants. You will leave Crazy Bowls and Wraps with a good feel and you will feel full at the same time. It is delicious.

Prices: Teriyaki chicken bowl, chips, and a drink cost around $7.50

Laclede Street Bar and Grill is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Laclede Street Bar and Grill
3818 Laclede Ave
St. Louis, MO 63108
Phone Number: 314-531-1600

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Laclede Street Bar and Grill is known to pack that place with St. Louis University college kids at night, but it is also a good place to grab lunch. Laclede Street is a typical Bar and Grill, that turns into a dance club at night, or at least it did when I was in college. We went there for lunch and the place was empty. There might have been four other people in the place the whole time. Laclede Street has a typical bar menu, but I really didn't look at it because they had a 10-inch pizza and salad special for $7.99.

I ordered the 10-inch pizza and salad. The salad was good, because of the dressing. The ranch dressing was peppery and very good. The pizza was a thin crust, St. Louis style, and that was good as well. It was filled with cheese and a topping, I picked bacon. This was a very good deal for $7.99. It looks like they have about four daily specials. All of them were reasonably priced.

Prices: $7.99 for a 10-inch pizza and a salad

The City Diner is the St. Louis Place to Eat

City Diner
3139 South Grand
St. Louis, MO 63118
Phone Number: 314-772-6100

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The City Diner is a contemporary diner in the Tower Grove Park area in St. Louis. The City Diner is a big place that has a huge menu. The menu consists of the usual diner food, the breakfast all day long, burgers, fries, but they also have a good vegetarian menu. One thing that is disappointing is that the whole place is not smoking. I am not a smoker, but I expect diners to be smoking, it just adds to the atmosphere.

I ordered the Southsider, and this consist of 2 eggs, hash browns, and a biscuit and gravy. I also ordered a cup of chili. The cup of chili was sweet tasting and not very warm. The Southsider was very good and the biscuits were some of the best that I have ever had. The prices were pretty high for a diner. They were not what I expected them to be. To sum it up, the food was good, the prices were high and the service was slow.

Prices: About $12 for a cup of chili, and the Southsider.

Vito's Pizzeria is the St. Louis Reastuarant of the Day

3515 Lindell Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone Number: 314-534-8486

Vito's is a Pizzeria bar located just off St. Louis University's campus. Vito's looks fancy and a very nice place, but it was a spot that a lot of business people and students ate at. We arrived at about 11:40 am and we were able to find a seat, but by the time we left, there wasn't a table available. Vito's is located on Lindell close to the soccer fields at SLU. There is a pizza buffet for lunch Monday-Friday.

The pizza buffet was better than any CiCi's or Pizza Hut buffet that I have ever been to. But, it was also more expensive than those places. Vito's will run you about $9. The buffet is stacked with pizza, like pepperoni, sausage, cheese, vegetable, etc. And the salad bar is also a decent sized salad bar with a variety of different toppings. Baked mostcaccoli, and soup is also available and included in the buffet. All of the food on the buffet is very good and I would eat it again. Vito's is a very good pizza buffet located by St. Louis University.

Frailey's Southtown Grill is the St. Louis Place to Drink

Frailey's Southtown Grill
4329 Butler Hill Rd
St. Louis, MO 63128
Phone Number: 314-892-1866

Frailey's Southtown Grill is located at Highway 55 and Butler Hill Road in South County, St. Louis. The inside is a typical bar and grill type atmosphere with a bar area and a separate dining area. There are a few video games to entertain the kids or adults. There was plenty of seating when we arrived at about 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night.

I went to Frailey's to meet some friends on Friday night and to watch the St. Louis Blues hockey game. To my surprise, Frailey's has $1.50 beer of the day specials. On Friday the beer of the day was Budweiser. It was delicious. I don't know if the beer of the day special is just on weekdays or if it is on weekends also. This is a great deal. Some of the cheapest drinks in St. Louis. I also know that Frailey's serves good food as well. I didn't eat any on Friday night, but I am sure I will be back to eat and take advantage of the $1.50 beer of the day special.

Prices: $1.50 for the beer of the day

Blues City Deli is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Blues City Deli
2438 McNair
St. Louis, MO 63104
Phone Number: 314-773-8225
Website

Blues City Deli is a great little deli that is close to Gravois and Highway 55. From the minute I walked into this place I knew this was a good deli. The feel of Blues City Deli encompasses what a deli should be. A deli should be simple. And this place is simple. There is a counter to order sandwiches and about 10 tables for customers to sit.

I arrived at about 11:30 and there was not a line and about 2 tables that were open. I walked right up to the counter and ordered my sandwich. But, by the time I left the place was packed and there were no seats available at all. The staff was friendly and brought my sandwich to me when it was ready. Blues City Deli has all of the sandwiches that you would expect from a deli. They have roast beef, turkey, salami, ham, meatball, and they have some original sandwiches like pulled pork.

I ordered the Italian beef and a salad with the house dressing. The salad was good. It was a bed of lettuce, provelone cheese, and tomatoes. The house dressing was an Italian dressing that was pretty good. The Italian beef was very good. The roast beef was very tender and the peppers were spicy. Blues City Deli is a great place to eat lunch in St. Louis. I can't wait to go back.

Prices: $4.95 for an Italian beef and $2.95 for a house salad.

Norton's Cafe is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Norton's Cafe
808 Geyer
St. Louis, MO 63104

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Norton's Cafe is a restaurant in Soulard that serves Louisiana, and Cajun types of dishes. The following is a description of Norton's from their website:

Norton’s Café, located in Historic Soulard, provides a warm and cozy dinning atmosphere. The Café is known for award-winning American, Creole, and Cajun cuisine.

The restaurant features cozy fireside dining throughout, guaranteeing an enjoyable experience. During the summer months, Norton’s Café boasts a large New Orleans style courtyard that seats 200 guests.

Inside of Norton's there are plenty of places to sit. We went for lunch and the place was not even close to full for the whole time we were there.

For lunch I ordered the Cajun Combo. This was a dish with chicken, sausage, a crab cake and jumbalaya. It was very good, although a little pricy for a lunch dish. The chicken had some great spices on it. The sausage was spicy. The crab cake was fried and topped with some sort of lemon sauce, and the jumbalaya was very good. The menu is posted on the walls, so there are no actual paper menus. Overall the place was good, but the price was a little too high for lunch.

Prices: About $11 for the Cajun Combo.

Broadway Oyster Bar is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Broadway Oyser Bar
736 S Broadway
St. Louis, MO 63102

The Broadway Oyster Bar is a small little place with a nice patio on Broadway close to Busch Stadium. The Broadway Oyster Bar's menu is loaded with southern Louisiana cajun style favorites. The menu is filled with Jambalaya, and southern favorites. The inside of the Broadway Oyster Bar is a small place with a bar. The outside patio is covered and enclosed in the winter. This looks like a nice place to hang out on a chilly fall evening.

I ate at the Broadway Oyster Bar for lunch. We arrived there at about 11:45 a.m. and we the only ones in there for the whole time we were eating. But, the food here was great. I ordered the shrimp grinder. This was a loaf of soft french bread filled with cajun style shrimp. This was a very good sandwich and came with fries. I wanted to try the Jambalaya and I will the next time I eat there. I would definitely go back to the Broadway Oyster Bar.

Prices: About $8.50 for a Shrimp grinder and fries.

The Bean House is the St. Louis Place to Eat and Drink

The Bean House, La Casa Frijole
1100 Lemay Ferry Rd
St. Louis, MO 63125

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The Bean House is a Mexican Restaurant at the intersection of Lemay Ferry and Telegraph. From the outside of the building the place looked like it had a nice patio, but it was too cold to sit outside. The inside of The Bean House was not decked out, and didn't look like every other mexican restaurant that feels the need to put up that ugly fake Mexican decoration. This was a very straight forward place. The menu did not have the 50 combination dinners that other places have. It was very simple and the prices were very cheap.

I ordered the chicken chimichanga and two tacos. The chicken inside the chimichanga was outstanding. It was not covered in spices like other mexican restaurants, but it was shredded and very moist. The tacos were not anything special, but they were still good. If you go to this place order something with the shredded chicken. It is very good.

Downstairs in The Bean House, there is a little sports bar area. This is a cool little space with a bar, a few T.V.s and darts. We had a few beers down in the basement after dinner and it was a good time. The place was not that crowded and there were definitely places to sit, which is always nice.

Pizza Hut Buffet is the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Pizza Hut - Multiple Locations

I was working in DeSoto yesterday so we went to the Pizza Hut, because we wanted to eat the buffet. It is hard to find a quality buffet, but when I do it is magical. I did not expect much from a pizza hut buffet, but I expected a little more than this one had to offer. Pizza Hut was not busy at all.

The buffet offered a salad bar, various pizzas and a few desert items. The salad bar was usual, it was lettuce, a few toppings and about 5 different dressings. The pizzas that were offered were a little disappointing. There were usually about two different pizzas to chose from. Not much of a variety. The pizza buffet at CiCi's is much better. I would probably want to eat somewhere else before I ate there again, but the place was OK.

Price: $5.95 for the pizza buffet

Red Burrito is the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Red Burrito

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I have seen the Red Burrito's being put into the Hardee's locations over the past few years. I guess Hardee's can't live on their burgers alone. Didn't Hardee's try to differentiate themselves from all of the other fast food restaurants by just offering burgers and nothing else? Well I guess they are not concentrating on their burgers, because those are not even that good anymore. But, to put in a Red Burrito? That just goes against their whole plan.

Anyway, I went into Hardee's on Lemay Ferry, in the Deirberg's Plaza to get breakfast one day and I saw that they have a salsa bar for the Red Burrito part of the place. Any place that has a salsa bar, or sauce bar of any kind is one step ahead of the other restaurants. I like to get as much of something or as little of something as I would like.

Red Burrito is just like Taco Bell. I was really hoping that Red Burrito would have a fish taco, but to my disappointment they didn't. I ordered a soft taco, and a chicken quesadilla. They tasted just like Taco Bell. But, if I had a choice of going to Taco Bell and Red Burrito, I would choose Red Burrito. This is solely based on the fact that Red Burrito has a salsa bar. Taco Bell should really look into getting one of those. I bet they will do much better business.

Prices: One soft taco and a chicken quesadilla - $5.71

Hardee's is the Place to Eat Breakfast in St. Louis

Hardee's - Multiple Locations

I went to Hardee's for breakfast the other day and it was delicious. Hardee's should just stick to breakfast, because their burgers are worthless. Breakfast is what they have going for them. I went to the South County location, and it is located on Lemay Ferry in the Deirbergs Plaza. I went on a Sunday morning around 10 a.m. and the place was packed. It was mainly old people. When I walked in the line was about four people deep. It took forever for me to get to the front. After I ordered it took forever for me to get my food. But the wait is well worth it. As I mentioned the place was packed with old people, so they were doing what old people do best, they were complaining like crazy about how long it took to get the food. It was kind of funny actually, because they all crowded together and would complain to one another. It was like a bunch of little girls starting gossip in a middle school. They were trying to be quiet, as to not let the workers hear.

Anyway, after the long wait and listening to old people complain I finally received my food. It was a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, an order of biscuits and gravy and a hash brown. The bacon egg and cheese biscuit was good. Much better than McDonald's, but the biscuit and gravy was not as good as McDonald's. I think McDonald's has some of the best biscuits and gravy around, they are very underrated. That is a different story. The Hardee's breakfast was good. The long wait sucked and so did the old people complaining, but the food was good.

Prices: About $5.50 for a bacon egg and cheese biscuit, biscut and gravy, hashbrown and an orange juice.

Seamus McDaniel's is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Seamus McDaniel's
1208 Tamm Ave
St. Louis, MO 63139

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Seamus McDaniel's is a bar and grill located in the heart of Dogtown. Seamus McDaniel's is a pretty big place with three different rooms and an outside patio. We went for lunch around 11:45 and we were able to get a table, but by the time noon rolled around the place was packed. Seamus McDaniel's has all of the bar food favorites like the potato skins, nachos, burgers, sandwiches and plenty of other great food. Seamus McDaniel's is also a great place to hang out and drink some beer.

I ordered the philly sandwich. The philly sandwich was piled high with roast beef, peppers, onions, and cream cheese. The cream cheese makes the sandwich. I wish more places would put cream cheese on their philly. The sandwich was huge and it was on of the better philly sandwiches that I have had in a while. This thing was good. The sandwich came with a side of fries. All of the sandwiches at Seamus McDaniel's are huge. I definitly got my monies worth at Seamus McDaniel's. I would go back and order the same thing again. The sandwich was great.

Prices: $7.50 for a huge philly sandwich and fries.

Show-Me's is the St. Louis Place to Eat

Show-Me's - Multiple Locations

We went to the Show-Me's on the famous St. Louis Landing, because we were working at a place on Washington Ave. It was weird going to the landing, because I have not been there since my days of being under 21 and being 21, and I have not been there in a few years, except to on drunken nights when some one gets a bright idea to take a cab to the President Casino. But, in that case we go to the President, try not to get kicked out and then go back to my friends resting place in Soulard.

Back to Show-Me's. The inside looked like a bar I would like to be in. It was smoky and looked like a bar. They had a row of tables and a row of booths for seating, and all of the tables were filled around noon. It was a kind of place that I would like to go with the wife, or friends and have a few drinks. But, the food was unexpectedly good, and cheap. Show-Me's has a lunch menu, and all of the sandwiches on there are under $6. They even come with fries or a salad. Show-Me's tries to copy off of the Hooter's outfits. But, the talent in Show-Me's is not as good as the talent in Hooter's. But, who cares, the food is much better, and much cheaper at Show-Me's

The food was good. I ordered the club sandwich. It was a roast beef, ham, and bacon sandwich, and it was a hot sandwich. It was very good and cheesy. I was feeling healthy so I ordered the salad as well. The salad was nothing special. It was just lettuce, and cheese. The dressing that comes with the salad is a pre-packaged ranch. But, the club was very good and I suggest checking out Show-Me's for lunch.

Prices: About $6 for a sandwich and fries or a salad

Shogun Japanese Steak House is the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Shogun Japanese Steak House
10550 Baptist Church Road
St. Louis, MO 63128
Phone Number: 314-842-8889

For more restaurants be sure to visit www.stlstuff.com

I have never been to Shogun before, but I always have fun at the place where the people cook the food in front of you, so I was excited. We sat at a table that seats eight, there was six of us, so I felt sorry for the two people that were stuck with us. Inside Shogun there is a bar with a sushi bar. There are also tables around the bar area that do not have the grill, if you are looking to order something that is not cooked in front of you. We wanted to be entertained so we sat at the table with the grill. The menu for what you can order and have it cooked in front of you consists of chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, and lobster. And they also have various combination of two meats. Most dinners came with fried rice, soup, salad, and two shrimp.

I ordered the combination of steak and scallops. Our salad and soup were the first things to come out. The soup was just a broth of some sort, but the salad had a good tasting oriental dressing to it. After we were done with the soup and salad the chef came out and brought all of the food. He started out by lighting a big fire on the grill and threw the rice on shortly after. When the rice went on the grill he also threw the vegetables on the grill, started chopping them up and throwing them at people. I didn't catch one. But, he did squirt a bunch of sake in my mouth out of the bottle. It was a nice surprise. I was expecting water, but it felt like I was in Cancun again with people blowing whistles and squirting alcohol down my throat. Back to the food. The chef did all of his little tricks and cooked the food, portioned it out and went about on his way.

The steak was very good and tender, but the best part of the meal was the scallops. These scallops were tender and delicious. Next time I go I am going to get all scallops. That's how good they were. All in all it was a great experience and I would go again.

Prices are a little expensive. It is about $20 for a dinner. Some are a little more and some are a little less.

Buffalo Wild Wings is the St. Louis Place to Eat and Drink

Buffalo Wild Wings - Find a Location

I went to the Buffalo Wild Wings in the South County Mall parking lot. It was a Friday night and the place was pretty packed, but we did not have to wait for a table. Inside Buffalo Wild Wings is a big open space with a bar area and bar tables for smoking and regular tables in the non-smoking section. There are televisions all over the place and they were tuned to all of the different sports channels. Buffalo Wild Wings is a great place to watch a game or many games at once. They also had the trivia game going. That is always an entertaining thing to do while drinking and waiting for the food to come out.

Buffalo Wild Wings has some good wraps. I ordered the chicken queso wrap. This was very good, but needed to be a little spicier, so I had the waiter bring me one of their 20 sauces that are available. They have a variety of mild and hot sauces to go with any item on the menu. The chicken queso wrap was good. I would order it again, but I would try something else next time. The beers were pretty expensive. A bottle of Bud Light was $3.25 The food was good, but the beer is too expensive for my kind of sports bar.

Prices: Chicken queso wrap - $6.95; Bud Light bottle - $3.25

Malle's is the St. Louis Bar of the Day

Malle's
3506 Hampton Ave
St. Louis, MO 63139
Phone Number: 314-352-5566

For more bars visit www.stlstuff.com

Malle's is a nice little bar in South City on Hampton. It is about a mile or two south of Highway 44 on Hampton. You better be looking for it or you will miss it. It is hard to catch when you are driving by on Hampton. They need a sign. Inside Malle's is a bar spanning across one of the side walls. There are tables and chairs scattered throughout, and there is a stage for live music and karaoke. In the back there are games such as darts, Golden Tee, Silver Strike, and Bags. I can't beleive Bags is actually a video game. I admit I enjoy playing it, but how many games can they really have that copy the famous Golden Tee track ball.

I always order buckets of beer when I go. I think they are around 13-14 bucks. Malle's is great because there is always a place to sit, if you are looking to have a good time hanging out with friends. There is also a jukebox that has the latest and greatest hits. Get there early to get a hold of that thing or else you will be hearing South City hoosier rap and the latest playlist from Z1077 over the jukebox. When we can, we get a table right in front of the jukebox and hog it all night, and play muisic from the best era ever, which is the 70s and 80s. We will mix in a little of everything throughout the night, but there is nothing better than controlling the jukebox. Go to Malle's it is a great place to hang out and drink. You always have a place to sit.

Sam's Steakhouse is the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Sam's Steakhouse
10205 Gravois Rd
St. Louis, MO 63123
Phone Number: 314-849-3033


Sam's Steakhouse in Affton is a great place to eat. Be prepared to spend around $100 on two people. The inside was nice. There were two sections. One was for non smoking and the other was the bar area and it was smoking. The bar area looked much nicer than the non-smoking section, so we sat in the bar area. The non-smoking section looked dated and from the 80's. The smoking section was very nice and looked like it had an original feel to it. Plus, the Blues game and ALCS game was on at the time, so the woman, and I wanted to watch those. The only TV was in the bar area. There was even a live piano player in the bar area, which made the atmosphere even better. The service was very good. Our meal was not too long and not to short. I hate when I am waiting forever for the next course. They did not do that at Sam's everything was perfect.

The daily special was a filet and lobster for $37.95 and the wife ordered that. I ordered the filet and shrimp for $33.95. Both came with a salad and a side. The Filet was very good. I ordered mine, medium. The steak was still red in the middle, just the way I like it. The Steak was tender, and juicy. And when it was topped with the Sam's Steak sauce that was put on it it was very good. The shrimp were very good as well. They were huge shrimp. They were a little spicy and really buttery. They were very good as well. I had a piece of lobster, but I think the shrimp were much better. I would suggest ordering the shrimp. Overall the place was very good and I would go back to get the same thing.

Prices: 33.95 for a 10oz filet and shrimp, salad and a side. $37.95 for the daily special. $4.25 for a bottle of Bud Light. $4.50 for an Amberbock Draft.

Kaldi's is the St. Louis Restaurant of the Day

Kaldi's Coffee - Multiple Loacations

Be sure to visit www.stlstuff.com for more

Kaldi's Coffee is a coffee shop that is like a mix between Starbucks and The St. Louis Bread Company. Kaldi's offers a variety of coffee, breakfast food and lunch food. Kaldi's has a nice variety of sandwiches, soups and salads on the lunch and dinner menu. This is a great place to eat, have a cup of coffee, and do whatever you need to do in a coffee house.

I went to the Kaldi's in Kirkwood and I ordered the half sandwich and a soup or salad deal. I got the roast beef sandwich, and a bacon, lettuce, and tomato salad. The roast beef sandwich was very good. It was better than any of the sandwiches that I have ever ordered at the Bread Company. And the salad was alright. It was nothing special, but I would eat it again. Kaldi's Coffee is a great lunch spot. It is very comparable to the St. Louis Bread Company, but I think Kaldi's is just a bit better than the Bread Company.

Prices - About $9 for half sandwich, salad and a drink.

October 18, 2007: P'sghetti's is the St. Louis Place to Eat

P’sghetti’s Pasta and Sandwiches
Phone: 314-849-5332
5540 S. Lindbergh Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63123

Be sure to visit www.stlstuff.com for more

P'sghetti's Pasta and Sandwiches is a great little family owned Italian place. They have a variety of pastas, sandwiches and salads. They are famous for the sweet tasting bread that makes everything it is made with delicious. I like to the bread when I make a pot of chili. It is so good. P'sghetti's is a great place for lunch and dinner. There are some great dinner specials available that would feed an army for a very decent price. If you have not had this South County staple, I suggest you check it out and get something with the bread.

At P'sghetti's I ordered the roast beef sandwich and two au jus. One au jus is never enough. The roast beef sandwich is great on the sweet bread. The sandwich is piled high with roast beef and covered with cheese. I also like the pasta with a side of cheese garlic bread, and I dip the bread in the sauce. Can you tell that I like the bread? Go to P'sghetti's and get some good Italian food.

October 17, 2007: Fazoli's is Not the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Fazoli's - Find a Location

I went to the Fazoli's on the St. Charles Rock Road the other day for lunch. Fazoli's is known as Italian fast food. The menu is filled with all of the Italian favorites, like pasta, pizza, salads, and they have some sandwiches. I have not been to Fazoli's for a long time and I remember it being good. Maybe it was the location that I had wrong. There were flies all around on the inside of the restaurant, and when I see that at a restaurant it really kills my appetite. And whatever happened to someone walking around with breadsticks. I had one breadstick and I ate it right away because I thought that someone would be around handing them out. That made me mad.

I ordered the rigatoni romano, because it was a new item and the picture looked good, and a salad. It was disappointing. The salad was fine, but the rigatoni romano did not taste as good as it looked, maybe because there were flies all around inside the restaurant, or maybe because I did not have any breadsticks to eat with my pasta. But the taste was unsatisfying and I was disappointed because I wanted a really good lunch. Oh well when I go back, it will not be to this location, and I am going to order a traditional favorite.

Prices:$8.01 for a pasta dish, salad and a drink

October 16, 2007: Jack in the Box is the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Jack in the Box - Multiple Locations

Remember to visit www.stlstuff.com for more great places to eat

Jack in the Box is a great place to get a cheap quick bite to eat. They have a variety of food like fish, chicken, hamburgers, tacos, different kinds of sandwiches and breakfast. There are plenty of Jack in the Boxes all over St. Louis and there should be one near you. You can't beat their prices on tacos. Two tacos for $.99, you can't get a deal like that anywhere.

I went to Jack in the Box for lunch, because I love the tacos, and they are even better when you dip them in the buttermilk sauce that they have at Jack in the Box. I ordered four tacos, it only cost me two bucks, and I asked for four buttermilk sauces to go with it. I love the fried goodness of Jack in the Box tacos. They are also one of the best drunk foods around. I have plenty of stories of being drunk, hungry and going to Jack in the Box for some delicious tacos. But, the buttermilk sauce is just as good as the tacos. Jack in the Box made their buttermilk sauce to go perfectly with everything on the menu. I will put the buttermilk sauce on everything I order from Jack in the Box. I have tried it on other food, and it just does not taste as good as when I eat it with Jack in the Box food. Get some tacos and get some buttermilk, put them together and you will not be disappointed.

Prices: Cheap - Four tacos for $2

October 15, 2007: Krieger's Sports Grill is the Place to Eat in St. Louis

Krieger's Sports Grill - Multiple Locations

Krieger's Sports Grill is a typical sports bar that serves pretty good food. I went to the South County location which is located in the Holiday Inn at Highway 55 and Lindbergh Blvd. The wife and I went on a Saturday night, so we could watch the Mizzou game while we ate, and there were all kinds of places to sit. I thought the place would be packed considering there was a big Missouri football game on. Good thing for us, because we were able to walk right in and get a table. Krieger's looks like any typical sports bar. They have about 7 T.V.s tuned to various sports channels.

The food at Krieger's is very good. They have the usual bar food like, pizza, nachos, buffalo wings, hamburgers, and plenty of other sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. I ordered the blackened tuna club, which I did not expect to see on the menu, and it was very good. It had a little kick to it and ended up being a very good sandwich. The service at Krieger's was surprisingly good. It looked like our server had a lot of tables, but our beer was always full and our food came out in a timely manner. Krieger's is a good place to go, eat, have a few drinks, and watch a game, because there are always tables open.

Prices: Blackened tuna club sandwich, and fries is about $7. Bottles of Bud Light around $3.

LETS GO BLUES

Three words says it all about what is going on in St. Louis tonight - "LETS GO BLUES". I will be there because it is our fourth annual home opener. I will be a drunk bluesier tonight. There is nothing better than being at a Blues game watching the action on the ice and hearing the "Oh when Blues go marching in" song after they score. It gives me chills just thinking about it.

The time has come, and it is hockey season. And to take a quote from the greatest sports movie of all time, Slap Shot, I will be "puttin' on the foil" for tonights game.

See you there and if you don't like hockey then you don't know what you are missing, because there is not one sport I would rather go see than hockey.

October 8, 2007: Oktoberfest is the Place to Eat and Drink in St. Louis

Oktoberfest
8th and Lafayette in Soulard

Oktoberfest is a St. Louis tradition in Soulard. It is Located just south of the Soulard Farmers Market and is free to everyone. There are beer tents food tents and live music. There were people dressed up in their best German attire and dancing all around. Oktoberfest is a big party with big beers and live music everywhere. At the end of the night we almost got to see a chick fight. We were sitting under the big tent and out of nowhere these two chicks start yapping at each other. I don't know what it was about, but I wish I would have seen a chick fight. So close.

The beers were huge. They were served in the giant mugs and they were delicious. The mugs did cost $12 for the first one and $8 refills after that.

I may have had one of the best bratwurst that I have ever had. The brat that I had at Oktoberfest was great. The brat was huge and it was good. I don't know how they cooked it and I don't know how much it was. I couldn't really remember the end of the night, because I was smashed from the monster beers.

Go to Oktoberfest if you have a chance next year. Get the big beers and a brat, you will not be disappointed.

October 3, 2007: Ted Drewe's is the Place to Get Ice Cream in St. Louis

Ted Drewe's
6726 Chippewa St.
St. Louis, MO 63109
or
442 S. Grand Blvd
St. Louis, MO 63111

Ted Drewe's is was a great place to eat along the American highway, Route 66, and it is still a favorite among many St. Louis people. The place is constantly packed with people lined up waiting to get a taste of some of the best ice cream St. Louis has to offer. Ted Drewe's has been a summer time favorite for families after Cardinal baseball game, a trip to the zoo in Forest Park, or just a great place to get a good desert on a hot St. Louis summer night. Ted Drewe's is famous for making their concretes so thick than you can turn them over an you won't lose a drop of goodness. Ted Drewe's also has great traditional favorites like banana splits, hot fudge sundaes, or any ice cream concoction you can think of they can make it.

I ordered the chocolate chip and cherry concrete. It had their frozen custard mixed with chocolate chips, and cherries. This is the best thing they have. If you want something good to cool you off then make your way to one of the Ted Drewe's.

October 2, 2007: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church is the Place to Eat in St. Louis for Today

Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
1755 Des Peres Rd
Des Peres, MO 63131
Phone Number: 314-966-2255

Let me start off by saying I am neither Greek nor Orthodox, but this place was good. They only serve lunch on Fridays and it was one of the best lunches I have had in a long time. The Friday lunch is open to everyone. The place was packed with people, there were a lot of old people there, but there were some young people there as well. It is a cafeteria type setup, and I got to pick the food I wanted. They serve a variety of Greek food, check out the menu. It looks like they change the menu each week. I cannot wait until I am in West County on a Friday again, because I am definitely going to this place.

I got the Shrimp Saganaki with Rice and it was great. It was shrimp in a tomato sauce with feta cheese, all served over rice. I also got the Greek salad which good, and I had to try the Baklava, which was also very good. They also had gyros and a variety of other Greek food available as well. If you are in the West County area and are looking for a place to eat on Fridays, check out the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.

Prices: $7 for the Shrimp Saganaki with Rice, and $3 for the salad

October 1, 2007: The Boathouse in Forest Park is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

The Boathouse in Forest Park
6101 Government Drive
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone number: (314) 367-2224

Be sure to visit www.stlstuff.com for more places to eat in St. Louis

Here is a description from The Boathouse website.

The menu at the Boathouse is designed to be family-friendly, featuring angus burgers, chili, hand-tossed pizzas, and delicious salads, along with some signature dishes such as flank steak rarebit and salmon BLTs. When the weather turns and there is a chill in the air, our housemade soups and hearty stews will be sure to warm your spirit. On the weekend, come by with the morning newspaper and enjoy a relaxing brunch by the lake. Parties of 10 or more may make reservations by calling Ann at: (314) 961-7588 Ext. 251. Reservations are not accepted for Sunday Brunch (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).

We feature live entertainment outside in the beer garden Friday and Saturday evenings, weather permitting.

The above description sums up what The Boathouse has to offer. The Boathouse is a great place to sit outside for lunch or dinner, and look over the lake in Forest Park. The Boathouse is a great place to start off a day in Forest Park with a little lunch, or it is a great place to end the day with a nice dinner outside on the dock. The Boathouse is perfect if you are looking for a nice dinner or just a place to enjoy the weather.

Our experience at The Boathouse was a long one. We at about 7:30, put our names in and they said it would be about a two hour wait. That was fine with us, because we were in no rush, and we knew the wait would not take two hours. It was a great night and the band outside was very good. While waiting for a table, we were able to order drinks at a window, and sit on the various rocking chairs and benches that are set out on the patio. We ended up waiting for a table for about an hour.

We were then seated outside over looking the lake, it was very nice. We waited about 15-20 minutes before anyone acknowledged our table and took our drink order. We saw that our server was also serving a pretty big party, and a few other tables. We knew this was going to take a while.

So, when our waiter finally got around to our table we were ready to order. We ordered the nachos for an appetizer and I ordered the Salmon BLT for dinner. The nachos came about 30 minutes later, and they were huge. They are made on a 12 inch pizza dish and are covered in toppings. A very good appetizer for four people. When the nachos came out, one of the four salads that we ordered came out with it. This waiter was getting annoying, I know he was taking good care of his big table, but we would not even look at our table when he walked by. After we ate the nachos we were ready for our food. The waiter struggled to keep our drinks full, and it was getting old.

There was a table that sat down about 45 minutes after us and got their food about 20 minutes before we did. They did not have the same waiter as us. When our food finally did come it was very good. The Salmon BLT was done perfectly, and I had a bite of pizza which was good as well. The food at The Boathouse was excellent, but the service was not so great. I think the bad service we had was the exception, because there were other people there that got their food in a timely fashion. After we received our food the waiter cam up to us and explained what happened. He said he forgot to put our order in because the other table had him do a bunch of stuff. The computer where every waiter was putting in orders was two feet from our table. I hate when waiters try to make excuses to tables. I was a waiter once and I can understand a lot of thing, but I hate when waiters make excuses.

Prices are very reasonable and the outside deck is great when it is nice out like it was on Saturday.


Prices: Nachos - $6.95, Salmon BLT - $7.50, Pizza - $8.95, Beers $3.50, Mixed drinks $5.75

Recommended St. Louis Restaurants

I wanted to drop a 'Recommended' list on here to get started on a good note. Plus now I can look back at this and see which restaurants I still need to write up and/or revisit for more inspiration. These places are sure to tickle your fancy:

Terrene
Sen Thai
Sekisui Pacific Rim
Bar Italia
Duff's
Bar Louie
Chi / Cha Yoon
Wasabi
Everest Cafe
Cafe Eau
Balaban's
Soulard Coffee Garden
Sage
Drunken Fish
Senor Pique
Vin de Set
Juniper Grill (probably most underrated)
Kitchen K
Finale
I Fratellini
Pho Grand
OR Smoothie

And if you want to see something straight out of Studio Walk at the MGM Grand, go to ~scape in the new section of Maryland Plaza. Bring your suit.

I Fratellini is a Restaurant of Choice in St. Louis

I Fratellini is an intimate, upscale Italian restaurant in Clayton near the intersection of Hanley Rd and Wydown. It's a bit of a hidden gem, even among people that are hip on the restaurant scene in St. Louis.

I've been to I Fratellini 3 or 4 times this year and every time it has been phenomenal. On this occasion, we went down for my mom's birthday with a party of 4. The dining room is really small, meaning you better get reservations or you're going to wind up at the bar (done that) or being rushed out cause some bigwig is coming in at 8 (done that). But just get in there and get a seat cause the food is superb.

The menu offers up a nice mix of dishes you'd expect at a fine Italian restaurant and those that you're likely going to have to ask for clarification on. Antipasti options include a few versions of bruschetta, 4-5 distinct salads and some off the menu items that have always included a soup when I've visited. The soup last night was a tomato base oyster soup with various veggies and spices to accompany. Awesome. Honestly, if you ever go to I Fratellini, just order the soup without even asking. I can't remember all the combinations I've had this year but I always feel on top of the world after eating them. All these starter options run between $8 and 15, so not bad.

Entrees include a section of pasta and a section of fine meats. They do offer up more seafood options (in both sections) than you're likely to find at most St. Louis Italian spots, especially the ones on the Hill that chalk up a lot of beef and a lot of nothing else. There is a swordfish entree that comes with two swordfish steaks along with fennel and escalloped potatoes. Like most swordfish it's got a sweet lemony thing going on. The menu also features trout, a seafood linguine (scallops, shrimps, mussels, etc.), and a rotating fish option that comes baked with those finger potatoes and vegetables. Last night's was red snapper and that's what I opted for, served up in full form with the head and tail and all. While it was kind of tedious to pick through the bones, it was cooked to perfection.

You also can't go wrong with their veal chops, or, if they bring it back, the veal cannelloni. All the entrees range from $19 to upwards of $30 I believe. Simply put, it's a nice restaurant and you're going to spend about $50 a person.

I didn't get a chance to look at the wine list but I've had a littany of reds and they've all been top notch. Yes, I drink red wine with fish. I'm not 50, I'm 24. The wife usually goes for the pinot grigio / reisling, which are wines I care so little about I'm not even looking up the spelling. But they've got them. And they've got Hendrick's gin. Best f'n gin on the planet.

You will probably notice that when you walk in there is a Baskin Robbins-style freezer with gelato and ice cream at I Fratellini. So yes, the dessert menu is extensive as well. I'd recommend the blueberry dish. But it's probably impossible to go wrong.

For an intimate dinner in a high class setting, head on down to Wydown and see what the regular patrons probably wish you didn't know existed - I Fratellini. Oh and by the way, its owner also owns Zoe Pan-Asian on McPherson in the CWE. I went there a few weeks ago so I'll look to give my two cents on it in the coming days - also good.

September 28, 2007: Culver's is the Place to Eat in St. Louis for Today

Culver's - Multiple Locations around the St. Louis Area.

Remember to visit www.stlstuff.com for tons of other restaurants and bars.

Culver's is always packed. It is packed because it is good. Culver's is fairly new to St. Louis and they have made a big splash. If you like Steak n Shake hamburgers, then you will love Culver's. Culver's is a step up on taste, and quality. Culver's has a variety of foods. They have the usual burger, but they also have some different items such as the pot roast sandwich, which I had a bite of and it was excellent. Culver's is a fast food restaurant that serves better food than most sit down restaurants.

At Culver's I always order the Double Butter Burger with everything on it. And as a side I get the Cheese Curds. The Butter Burger is never a disappointment and one of the best burgers in St. Louis. Yes, I know it comes from a fast food restaurant, but if you have to give respect where respect is due, and if you have ever eaten a Butter Burger from Culver's you know what I am talking about. The Cheese Curds are little fried cheese balls that are very good as well. But, one thing Culver's severely lacks in the sauce department. The ranch is no good, the horseradish is no good, and the honey mustard looks like a goo. But, Culver's is so good that I don't need sauces.

Prices: About $6 for a ButterBurger, fries and a drink

Pickles Deli is a Restaurant of Choice in St. Louis

Pickles Deli is brand new deli and sandwich shop in the Central West End. It is located at 22 North Euclid Avenue, just across from the Park East Tower and the new Park East Lofts.

Already getting rave reviews on Sauce Magazine's site, I was excited to see Pickles going in on Euclid because the West End was in need of a non-commercial sandwich place. Seeing as I'm moving into the lofts across the street, the fiancee and I can came in with high hopes - and Pickles did not disappoint. One thing that can be tough to find in the Central West End is good, quick carry-out food. We were heading over the St. Louis Symphony's outdoor concert in Forest Park, so we needed picnic food. The time for Pickles had come.

While I was expecting a little more of a Subway setup, from the second you first walk in you can tell that Pickles only serves up the freshest of meats and cheeses. They have each of them still wrapped up and waiting to be sliced just like they do at real-deal delis and grocery stores. Very, very nice.

The menu has all of your typical sandwich options, from Corned Beef or Pastrami, to a Club sandwich and a Veggie offering. I went for the Club just to give an old favorite a try in a new place. You can choose your bread from about 6-7 options (which includes Pretzel bread), and you can choose a cheese - both at apparently no extra charge than the retail price of the sandwich. The price on the Club was $7.95 and most sandwiches are in the $6-8 range.

Of course there is the obligatory chip rack, which had a nice selection of Krunchers, Jays, Sun Chips as well as all the regulars. I got to talking to the owner and what was apparently the co-owner for a few minutes - friendly and down to Earth guys. They told me the cupcakes are made fresh by the owner's sister (they looked tasty). I got to telling them that I would be moving into the area in the near future and that I'd definitely stop by.

Once we got over to FoPo and got to dig in, I was happy at what I ended up with. It's a notch above any Subway sandwich (or the like) that you can find in town. Thumbs up.

Cheap, quick, fresh. That's Pickles. Right in a convenient spot in the CWE.

September 27, 2007: McAlister's Deli is the Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis

McAlister’s Deli has three locations around St. Louis. Find one.

I have written about McAlister's Deli before, but this time I ordered on of the spuds.

Last time I was at McAlister's, I noticed everyone ordering baked potatoes piled high with toppings and they looked really good. Get to McAlister's early because the place gets packed by about noon. There was a line all the way out the door, which is a good site to see, because this is a very good place to eat. McAlister's serves high quality food at a good price. It is hard to find a place that does this any more. They also have great service at McAlister's. They have workers walking around filling peoples drinks.

So, I had to order a spud, because they looked so good and they were huge. This is two pounds of potatoes and toppings. They had a variety of different toppings that went on the baked potato, such as, chicken, chili, cheese, ham, turkey, beef, and more. I ordered the chicken fajita spud, which is chicken, peppers, onions, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and jalapeno peppers. This thing was delicious. It filled me up for the rest of the day. I highly recommend ordering anything from McAlister's because it is a great place to eat.

Prices: About $6.50 for a huge potato and toppings.

September 26, 2007: Chuck's Bar and Grill is the Restaurant of the Day

Chuck's Bar and Grill
1181 Colonnade Ctr
St Louis, MO 63131
Phone Number: (314) 984-0970

Chuck's Bar and Grill is a little place that serves big portions. Chucks is a small bar in a shopping plaza in Des Peres, Missouri. It is around Manchester and 270. Inside Chuck's there is a small little dining area with about 20 tables, and a bar. We went to lunch at 11:30 and by the time we left, the place was full of people. The portions of food were huge. I would look to see what everyone was ordering as the waitress would bring the food out of the kitchen, and every plate was piled high with food. Chuck's has the typical bar menu but the food is good.

I ordered the patty melt burger with a side of fries. The burger was served on marble rye bread, with swiss cheese, and covered with the patty melt sauce. The burger had a little spice to it and was very good. Chuck's serves crinkle fries like the ones at White Castle so that is a plus. The crinkle fries are the best. I don't know what it is about the crinkle fry, they always seem to taste better than any other fry. The person I was with ordered the turkey club and it was huge. It was probably 4 inches high, and looked very good. Go to Chuck's, and you will get a ton of food for your money.

Prices: About $6.50 for a burger and fries.

September 25, 2007: Bandana's Bar-B-Q is the Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis

Bandana's Bar-B-Q - Multiple Locations

Remember to visit www.stlstuff.com for more.

Bandana's is a Bar-B-Q place that makes their home in St. Louis, MO. Bandana's has quite a few locations, but I went to the one at the intersection of Lindbergh Blvd and Gravois. They try to make the inside of the place a more rustic setting so it gives that old western look. Bandana's is a very casual place and you could go in and have lunch or dinner, or call in an order and pick it up. Bandana's smokes all of their meats. On the menu they have beef, port, chicken, turkey, and more. They have lunch plates and dinner platters. With the lunch plate you get your choice of one type of meat and two sides. The dinner platter comes with a choice of two meats and two sides. Bandana's also had a variety of BBQ sandwiches if you were looking to go that direction.

I went to Bandana's Bar-B-Q for lunch and ordered the lunch plate and had pork as my meat, and my sides were fried corn, and potato salad. The fried corn was very good. It was corn on the cob that looked to be pan fried. The potato salad was nothing special, but it was still good. And the pork was very good. The pork was tender and juicy. Bandana's has a variety of bar-b-q sauces on the table for the meat and anything else you would like to dip. There is a flavor for everyone, because there are four different flavors: Sweet and Smokey, Hot, Original, and Spicy. The "Hot" BBQ sauce had some kick to it and was the best, in my opinion. Bandana's was overall good, but I think I make the best Bar-B-Q so no restaurant will ever be better than me at grillin.

Prices: About $6.95 for the lunch plate.

September 23, 2007: Hammerstone's at 9th and Russell is the Bar and Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis

Hammerstone's at 9th and Russell
2028 S. 9th Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
Phone number: 314-773-5565

For more bars and restaurants in and around St. Louis visit www.stlstuff.com

Hammerstone's gets it. What a contrast this place is compared to Phelan's, another Soulard bar. Read about Phelan's here. Hammerstone's has great food, cheap beer and they know how to treat thier customers. This place actually had people in the bar.

Hammerstone's is located at 9th and Russell in Soulard. The inside of Hammerstone's has a few booths, some tables, and a bar streching the whole length of the place. Hammerstone's has live music seven days a week. There is also an outdoor patio, which is very nice. An outside bar is situated in the back corner of the patio. We went there on a Friday night to eat and drink. We got to Hammerstone's around 7 p.m. and we were able to get a table outside on the nice patio. A strange thing that I did not know about Hammerstone's is that people can bring their dog if they sit on the patio. The waitress brought some dog treats and water. It was a great atmosphere. The inside was packed with people listening to the band play. The outside was full of tables and people sitting around drinking and talking. Like I said, the patio was very nice and it seemed like a private courtyard.

Hammerstone's serves all of the favorite bar foods. Hammerstone's has some bar food appetizers and they even have hummus dip and oysters on the half shell. They also have sandwiches, burgers and house specials, like pizza kebabs, fajitas, and pasta. One thing I saw on the menu is that Hammerstone's had a breakfast that consist of two eggs, two pieces of bacon, and two pieces of toast for $2. If I lived in Soulard I would eat here for breakfast every day. The food at Hammerstone's was delicious. I ordered the steak kebabs with mushroom gravy. The kebabs come with two skewers with steak on them, served with grilled peppers, grilled onions, and mushroom gravy. The steak was done perfectly and and went great with the peppers, onions, and gravy. I recommend this plate very much. It had a very reasonable price of $8.95. I would get it again if I went back. I also got to taste a hamburger, and philly cheesesteak. They were both very good. The philly cheese steak was excellent. The meat was tender and it was very cheesy. I am looking forward at eating at Hammerstone's again.

After we were finished with dinner we stayed to drink. Hammerstone's has some great deals. When we were there on a Friday night Hammerstone's had $4 pitchers, and $1 drafts. The prices were at the outside bar on the patio. These are some refreshingly great prices for a bar, especially in Soulard. We originally went to Hammerstone's for dinner, but once we saw the cheap prices on beer we stayed to drink for the rest of the night. We sat outside on the great patio and drank all night. This is a great bar in Soulard. There are spots to hang out and talk and there are spots to listen to live music. You are not forced to listen to blaring music if you don't want to. By the time we left, at around 1 a.m. the outside bar was packed with people. I had a great time at this bar. Hammerstone's is a great place to hang out in Soulard. I will be going back very soon.

Food Prices: I paid $8.95 for the kabobs. Prices are very reasonable
Bar Prices: $4 for a pitcher of beer, and $1 for draft beer. Prices are very cheap.

September 21, 2007: Applebee's is the Place to Eat in St. Louis for Today

Applebee's - Multiple Locations

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It pains me to say this but I ate at Applebee's and they actually had something good. There are Applebees all over the St. Louis area, and I went to the one on Manchester. Applebee's is a generic chain restaurant bar and grill just like T.G.I. Friday and other places like that. Serve food that appeals to the regular American person. They serve burgers, chicken, and a bunch of other fried food and salads. Inside Applebee's there is a bar and tables all around the bar.

I can't believe Applebee's has something that I like. I used to call the place Crapplebee's. It just seemed like they didn't try to make good tasting food. I went to Applebee's with a partner at my firm for lunch and he convinced me to get the crispy orange chicken bowl. It is pretty expensive, around $9.50. The orange chicken bowl was good, and was filled with rice and vegetables. This was a big bowl and was more than enough for a lunch. I usually don't like going to Applebee's but I would go and eat the crispy orange chicken bowl.

Prices: About $9.50 for a crispy orange chicken bowl

September 21, 2007: Taste of St. Louis Will be the Place to Eat in St. Louis this Weekend

Taste of St. Louis
8th and Market

This weekend is the Taste of St. Louis. From browsing the website it looks like there is a lot to eat and drink. I am looking forward to doing a lot of both. I will give you a report on the experience on Monday.

September 20, 2007: Crazy Bowls and Wraps is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

Crazy Bowls and Wraps - Multiple Locations

For more restaurants in the St. Louis area visit www.stlstuff.com

Crazy Bowls and Wraps is an under rated place to eat in St. Louis, MO. CBW is a fast food restaurant and serves food that does not taste like it is a fast food restaurant. With a variety of wraps and bowls with chicken, rice and vegetables. Some favorites that Crazy Bowls and Wraps are the buffalo wrap, teriyaki chicken, and ceasar chicken wraps, just to name a few. Crazy Bowls and Wraps also has a variety of bowls with chicken, vegetables and rice. Crazy Bowls and Wraps also has a good vegetarian and vegan menu for the people who don't eat animal product. One of the best things about CBWs is that they have a salsa bar with a about five different sauces. They have pico de gallo, buffalo sauce, cilantro and jalapeno salsa, corn salsa, and a few others. I love when places let me choose how much sauce I want to put on my food. To wrap it up, at Crazy Bowls and Wraps, the food is fast, the food is fresh and they have a salsa bar with multiple different salsas.

At Crazy Bowls and Wraps I ordered the hot and spicy chicken bowl. This was grilled chicken, nappa, carrots, and onions seared in a jalapeno cilantro sauce and served over rice. This was very good and the best part was that the salsa bar has the jalapeno cilantro and I added more to spice it up a little. I ordered the small bowl and this was the perfect size for lunch. I should have gotten a bag of chips for and extra 50 cents. If I would have ordered chips I could have dipped them in different salsas from the salsa bar. This was one of the better lunches I have had in a while. Crazy Bowls and Wraps is a great spot to eat lunch and dinner. It is quick, good and well priced.

Prices: Hot and Spicy Chicken Bowl for $5.46 with tax

September 19, 2007: Schottzie's is the Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis for Today

Schottzies Bar and Grill
1148 Concord Villiage Ave
St. Louis, MO 63123
Phone Number: 314-824-7244

One step into Schottzie's bar and grill and you will be smelling like smoke for the next three days. But don't let the smoke filled place scare you away. The inside is an open room with about 20 tables and a bar along one wall. Schottzie's has some of the best food in South County, MO. The menu is stacked with the usual bar food, and even some unexpected food that is not found in all bars. They have chicken fried steak, shrimp, meatloaf, and all kinds of other stuff. The best thing at Schottzies is the pizza. The pizza at Schotzie's is some of the best in St. Louis. The pizza has a good sweet sauce and has a crispy thin crust. Schottzie's is also a great place to drink and hang out for a few beers.

I went to Schottzie's for lunch and ordered the chicken fried steak sandwich, and a house salad. The best part of the house salad is that it comes with a hot, soft pretzel. The country fried steak sandwich could have been better but it was still good. It was not as good a Kenrick's steak sandwich, but it is still good. The salad was a good salad with a lot of cheese, and a hot soft pretzel. While the menu is full of sandwiches, dinners, and other bar food, the pizza is a must have at Schottzie's.

Prices: $4.75 for a sandwich, $1.75 for fries, $4.50, and $1.25 for an iced tea

September 18, 2007: Kilroy's is the Bar in St. Louis, and The Cardinals' Game and Paddy O's are NOT the Places to Drink

Kilroy's
720 S. 7th Street
St. Louis, MO 63102
314-621-1960

I went to a Cardinals' game over the weekend and it is always a good time when the Cubs are in town. Before the game we went to the bar Kilroy was Here, which by the way is a terrible name for a bar. I don't know why they named it that, is it because that is what the rock opera was named by Styx? But, Kilroy's is a good place to drink before and after a Cardinals' game. Kilroy's has plenty of places to sit outside on their huge patio. The best part about Kilroy's is that they have $5 24 oz. cans. You can't beat that price anywhere else. Every time I walk by Kilroy's they are always cooking something that smells good. You can't beat the price of beer or the smell of bar-b-q any where else before or after the Cardinals game.

Prices: $5 for a 24 oz. beer

On to the places that will make you go broke.
Paddy O's
St. Louis, MO 63102
Phone number: 314-588-7313

We went to Paddy O's after the Cardinals' game, and we had to buy $8.50 beers in the Cardinals' game. But, Paddy O's is just as bad. Paddy O's is a bar that is on the south side of the Busch Stadium and has outside tents with bars underneath. At Paddy O's I had to pay $6 for a 16 oz beer and $7 for a Red Bull and Vodka in a little plastic cup. This place is a huge rip-off. We left and went to Kilroy's after the first drink. Even if I wanted another drink it would have taken forever to get one. The place was packed, so I guess that Paddy O's is doing something right. I wonder why people complain about paying such high prices at a St. Louis Cardinals' game and then come to this place and pay even higher prices.

Prices: $6 for a 16 oz beer, $7 for a Red Bull and Vodka

September 17, 2007: KFC is the Place to Eat in St. Louis for Today

Kentucky Fried Chicken - Multiple Locations

KFC has many locations in the St. Louis area. My experience is from the South County location. KFC is a fast food fried chicken place. They serve fried chicken, mashed potatoes, chicken strips, cole slaw, corn, mac and cheese, baked beans, green beans, sandwiches and more. KFC is a fast food place where you place your order, the workers put it on a tray and you bring it to your table.

We went into KFC around dinner time and there were only two people in line ahead of us. KFC has the worst system for taking orders and getting the food to the customers. The person who would take our order would have to package all of the food, and get it plated. This process takes forever, because the worker has to put the mashed potatoes and gravy in the container, put the chicken on a plate, put coleslaw in another container and it is not a quick process. What they should have is someone taking orders and then someone getting the food together.

I ordered the KFC bowl. The KFC bowl is mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, chicken bites, and cheese. The bowl is the best thing that is at KFC. It has everything that is good at KFC all in one bowl. I would recommend getting the bowl at KFC if you go. It is pretty big too.

Prices: About $5 for the KFC bowl.

September 13, 2007: Flannery's Pub is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

Flannery's Pub
1320 Washington Ave
St. Louis, MO 63103
Phone number: 314-214-8885

Flannery's is located on Washington Avenue in Downtown St. Louis, where people are know building lofts by the hundreds. I ate Flannery's for lunch. The inside of Flannery's is a bar atmosphere. They have about 12 flat screen televisions, a few wooden booths and a bunch of bar tables. The menu has a variety of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches, and salads. It has all of the usual pub and bar food. I don't know what it is about these places on Washington Avenue that makes them think that they can price their food so high. I would rather go get some good food at a cheaper place than go to these places. The menu at Flannery's didn't have a burger on it for under $8. The service was good at Flannery's. I had nothing to complain about, so if I don't notice that the server is doing a bad job, then the service is good. If you are looking for a good bar atmosphere and a place to eat lunch in the city, Flannery's would be a good place to go

I ordered the Taco Burger. This was a burger topped with salsa, jalapenos, and taco cheese. For the side order I got some fried corn. The burger was a huge patty and was pretty good. I have had better burgers before, and I have had much better burgers for less than the $8.25 I paid at Flannery's. The fried corn things were delicious. They were little balls of sweet cream corn, coated and fried. I would get an order of those next time. The food at Flannery's was pretty good, prices are a little high, but the Cardinal's game was on so that made my experience better.

Prices: $8.25 for a hamburger, and a side.

September 12, 2007: The Side Bar is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

The Side Bar
1317 Washington Avenue
St. Louis, MO

The Side Bar on Washington was a borderline decision on whether I wanted to make it a Restaurant of the Day, or NOT the Restaurant of the Day.

As always visit www.stlstuff.com for more restaurants and bars
The Side Bar is located on the newest hotspot in St. Louis, Washington Avenue. Why can't St. Louis appreciate old bars and restaurants. Every thing has to be new in St. Louis for people to like it. I went there for lunch with some co-workers. It was a nice day so we sat outside on the patio. It was nice but it was also kind of annoying because there were 18 wheelers driving by and it was loud. I did not go inside but, it looked like they had a bunch of bar tables set up where people could eat. The service was fine, except for one thing. When the waitress came over and asked if we would like this on separate checks we said yes. The waitress got an attitude and stormed off. I wanted to tell her that if you didn't want to split the bill then don't ask, dumbass. The food was expensive for a lunch. I don't think there was a sandwich on the menu for under $8. But, my food was good, this is why it is the restaurant of the day today.

I ordered the fish tacos from The Side Bar, and it came with a side salad. The fish tacos were little chunks of fish with rice grilled inside of a tortilla. It came with a side of lettuce, tomato, jalapeno peppers, salsa, and sour cream. The fish tacos were very good, but I can't think of a way to mess fish tacos up. The side salad was good as well, after I had to ask for more dressing because they barely put any on it. A co-worker I went with ordered the house salad with chicken on it, and she said the chicken was chewy. Another co-worker ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich and liked it very much. All in all, I think this would be a good place to go have lunch if you are in the Downtown St. Louis area and don't mind spending a little extra money.

Prices: Almost $9 with tax for an order of fish tacos and a side salad

September 11, 2007: Yemanja Brazil is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

Yemanja Brazil Restaurant
2900 Missouri Ave
St. Louis, MO 63118
Phone Number: 314-771-3457
Website: www.brazildining.com

Yemanja Brazil Restaurant is locatd close to the Anheuser Busch Brewery on Missouri Avenue in St. Louis City. Yemanja has a nice mix of Brazilian food. They have beef, pork, chicken, seafood and vegetarian dishes. The dishes have some spice to them and taste very good. When you walk into Yemanja you walk into a little bar, or lounge area. This is a cool little area where you can order a drink, wait for a table, or wait for friends to show up. Be sure to get the house drink, the Caipirinhas, which is lime, sugar and Brazilian rum. It will run you about $6 but it is strong and will give you a nice little buzz. Yemanja has an outside patio, and an inside dining area. I wish we could have sat on the patio but it was raining on the night we went. But, the inside dining area was nice. It looked like a converted building with exposed brick. The place is very casual. It has a nice laid back atmosphere.

The food at Yemana Brazilian Restaurant is very good, but, it is a little pricey. I ordered the Salmão Barra da Tijuca, which is sauteed salmon in a white wine sauce, served with black beans, rice, farofa, and potato salad. The salmon was good, but it was not $18 good. It was a little pricey for a small filet of salmon. The beans and rice were excellent. They had nice flavor to them. One of my friends ordered the Feijoada de Ogum - The National Dish, which is Black beans stewed with Brazilian dried beef, smoked sausage and smoked pork ribs; served with rice, "farofa", collard greens, and oranges. This came out with a bowl of the stew and a plate full of rice, farofa, and collard greens. The waitress told him to mix all of the stuff together. I had a bite of this and it was good. But, the dish did cost $19 dollars.

I would recommend eating at Yemanja Brazilian Restaurant, but if there are other good Brazilian restaurants in the St. Louis area that are cheaper, let me know, I would like to try them.

Prices: $18 for a salmon dish; $12 for a double Caipirinhas, the house drink; $4.50 for a rum and coke

September 10, 2006: Fuddrucker's is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

Fuddrucker's
10752 Sunset Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63127
Phone number: 314-966-3833

Or

12322 Dorsett Rd.
Maryland Heights, MO 63034
314-434-5565

There are two Fuddrucker's in the St. Louis area that I am aware of. One in South County in Sunset Hills and on in West County off of Dorsett. Fuddrucker's is known for hamburgers and toppings bar. On the inside of Fuddrucker's there are pictures of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Elvis and more. Fuddrucker's is the type of place where you order your food at the counter, they cook the food and then call you name to pick it up from the counter. At Fuddrucker's you have your choice of many different varieties of burgers. You can order a from a 1/3 pound hamburger up to a one pound hamburger. Fuddrucker's also has chicken, fish and nachos. The great thing about the nachos is that they have hot cheese sauce in a container and you can put as much cheese on the nachos as you want. The self serve sauce and toppings are is the best thing about Fuddrucker's. You can get as much of the sauces as you need. They have ketchup, mustard, ranch, honey mustard, and my favorite is the hot cheese sauce. There is also a toppings bar with tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, lettuce and more. If you go to Fuddrucker's you have to put cheese on everything.

When I went to Fuddrucker's I ordered the Southwest hamburger. The Southwest burger comes with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, and bacon. The first thing I do when I grab my burger is walk over to where the cheese sauce is and pile it on. I also put ketchup and mustard on the burger. My burger was thick and juicy and it was made even better because I got to choose my toppings that went on the burger. I always make sure to get fries when I go, because I get a bunch of the free cheese sauce and make cheese fries.

Prices: About $10 for a 1/3 pound burger, fries and a drink.

September 9, 2007: Phelan's Pub and Grill is Not the Bar in St. Louis for Today

Phelan's Pub and Grill
1730 S. 8th Street
St. Louis, MO 63104
Phone number: 314-241-8282

For more information about bars and restaurants visit www.stlstuff.com

We had a terrible experience at Phelan's on Saturday night. Before I get into that I will tell you about the bar. Phelan's is located in the heart of Soulard, about a block south of the famous Farmer's Market. I have some friends that live in Soulard and I can see the place from their front door. We were there on Saturday night to watch the Cardinal's game because they have a few small T.V.s. Inside there is a small bar, some tables to sit, a golden tee machine, and dart boards. There eight of us that went and inside there was one other person at the bar.

The night started out fine, and we were ordering beers and mixed drinks like crazy. We watched the Cardinal's game and we were having a good time. There was a group of four of us that had all of our drinks on the same tab. When it came time to pay, the receipt was a hand written tally sheet with what we ordered. I was very skeptical of this system. The four of us, two couples, and we drank three buckets and 10 mixed drinks. The bartender brought the tab over and it said $152, when I tried to figure out what my girlfriend and myself needed to pay the bartender kept snatching the bill out of my hands and demanded payment. As I got more looks at this bill it read three buckets for $49 and 10 mixed drinks for $42. The bartender kept cussing at us and demanded that we pay $152. I said no, and that I am walking out if you don't add that up again. The bartender went and got a calculator, added it up and the amount came to under $100. I can't believe she tried to make us pay an extra $50. While all of this is going on she is still cussing at us and giving us the finger as she is running our credit cards. I definitely saved my receipt from this night. Needless to say she did not get any tip at all and we will not be giving that place any more business. The sad part for Phelan's is that we would bring a big group in every other weekend or so and we would be the only ones in there all night.

If you are thinking about going to a bar in Soulard do not go to Phelan's unless you want to get scammed and cussed at while trying to have some drinks and give the place some business.

Prices: I don't know they tried to scam us. Don't go to this bar.

September 6, 2007: Peking Garden Chinese Restaurant is the Place to Eat in Collinsville, IL for Today

Peking Garden
604 W. Main St
Collinsville, IL 62234
Phone Number: 618-345-0804

For more restaurants and bars around St. Louis visit www.stlstuff.com

The Peking Garden Chinese Restaurant is located in Downtown Collinsville, IL. They claim to serve "gourmet Chinese food", but it tasted like every other Chinese restaurant I have been to. Inside the place there are different rooms to sit and have lunch or dinner. We went for lunch and the lunch menu is a laminated menu with a list of lunch specials. The lunch specials are cheap. All of the specials are around $5.50 and come with and entree, soup, crab rangoon, and rice.

I ordered the orange chicken lunch special. It was good, but it wasn't "gourmet" like the Peking Garden claims. This place is nothing special, but it is good food for the price.

Prices: About $5.50 for a lunch special.

September 5, 2007: The Pasta House is the Restaurant in St. Louis Today

The Pasta House Company - Multiple Locations -Find a Location

The Pasta House Company is a St. Louis favorite for many people. The Pasta House is a casual dining spot that has locations all over the St. Louis area. The Pasta House serves Italian food. They have great salad, which has their famous dressing, artichokes and covered in parmesan cheese. They have many varieties of pasta and other Italian dishes. The Pasta House is not the best pasta I have ever had but it is pretty good for the price.

I went to The Pasta House restaurant for lunch the other day and ordered the Rigatoni Roma, which is rigatoni pasta served with a meat sauce, peas, prosciutto, and topped with a cream sauce. It is my favorite thing to order from the Pasta House. With the lunch special a salad also came with the rigatoni roma. One complaint that I have about the Pasta House is they never give me enough bread. I always have to ask for more. They should put a basket of bread on the table and let me eat as many pieces as I want. It feels like I have to ration my bread. I don't like to ration my food.

Prices: Rigatoni Roma lunch special with a salad is about $8

September 4, 2007: The St. Louis Sports Zone is the Bar of the Day

St. Louis Sports Zone
113 Kenrick Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63119
Phone number: 314-961-3366

The St. Louis Sports Zone is located on Watson Rd around the Shrewsbury area. This bar was recently re-done and the bar was moved to a different wall. This remodeling really opened the place up. The St. Louis Sports Zone has a ton of T.V. and all tuned to different sports channels. There are plenty of places to sit at The St. Louis Sports Zone, but I have not been there when a big game is going on. The place probably gets packed for big games, but I think it would be a cool atmosphere to go and watch a Blues, Rams or Cardinals game. The St. Louis Sports Zone also has pool and darts.

We went to the St. Louis Sports Zone on a Saturday night around 10:00 p.m. and when we walked in it seemed like there wasn't anyone there. But, the place is so big and open if just felt that way. We were already pretty drunk because we were at my friends condo which is right behind the Sports Zone. We ordered buckets and these came with 5 beers and cost $13.00. Well drinks cost $3. We had quite a few drinks and walked back to the Condo at about 1:30 a.m. A good night in my book.

Prices: Bucket of 5 beers for $13.00; Well drinks $3.00

September 3, 2007: Las Margaritas is the Restaurant and Bar of the Day in St. Louis for Today

Las Margaritas
403 Watson Plaza
St. Louis, MO 63126
Phone Number: 314-965-2042

Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant is a fairly new establishment on Watson, near Crestwood mall. This place does try to be like every other Mexican restaurant by making the interior a cantina like atmosphere, and having 20 different combination platters to choose from. What makes Las Margaritas different than every Mexican restaurant in St. Louis is the food. The food at Las Margaritas is very good. It is much better than the run of the mill Mexican restaurants that are all over the St. Louis area.

Las Margaritas is also a good place to drink. When you walk in and go to your right they have a nice little bar area with a plasma screen T.V. They also have 32 oz. beers of Bud Light for $3.99 and Dos Equis for $4.99. These beers are huge. Drink a couple of them and you will be feeling pretty good. The bottles of Bud Light cost $2.75. These beers are huge. Margaritas are $5. The margaritas are priced pretty high but I go there for the beer anyway.

To eat, I ordered the shrimp chimichanga. This was a massive tortilla that was filled with shrimp and fried. This was a very good chimichanga. It even came with guacamole and sour cream on the side. I have found lately that not very many mexican restaurants give you this with the meal anymore. I have to order it on the side. We also ordered two hard tacos, a chile con queso, a cheese enchilada, a soft taco and a chicken burrito. At Las Margaritas you will get a lot of food. All of the food was very good, and the best part was it was all covered in the good mexican restaurant cheese.

Prices: Chimichanga - $9.99; Chicken Burrito - 3.15; Soft taco - 1.49; Combo platter with a chili con queso, two hard tacos, and a cheese enchilada - $8.25; 32 oz. Bud lights - $3.99; Bud Light bottles - $2.75; 32 oz. Dos Equis - $4.99; Margaritas - $4.99

August 30, 2007: Syberg's is the Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis for Today

For more on restaurants and bars around St. Louis visit www.stlstuff.com

Syberg's has multiple restaurants and bars throuhgout the St. Louis area. Find one.

Syberg's is a classic St. Louis establishment. They are famous for their chicken wings and wing sauce. They also have the famous shark chunks that are served at Syberg's. I have never had them but I hear they are good. I have been to two Syberg's. I have been to the one on Gravois in Affton, and the one by Westport. Both locations have the bar atmosphere. During the day Syberg's is a nice restaurant and grill. And at night Syberg's becomes a place where people gather to drink. At the Westport location on weekend nights there is live entertainment and the bar is packed with people. But at the Gravois location they play loud music over the speakers and the bar gets pretty packed with people. At the Gravois location they have a nice outside patio.

I ate lunch at the Gravois location. I got there at about 11:50 and there were plenty of places to sit. The menu at Syberg's is huge. It has a ton of stuff on it. You have your choice between a ton of appetizers, sandwiches, burgers, pizza and more. I ordered the cajun chicken philly sandwich. This was a grilled chicken breast covered in cajun spices, peppers and onions. This was a very good sandwich. The spices on the chicken gave it a different taste, it was good. The sandwich also came with a side order of fries or home made chips. I ordered the chip and they were good as well.

Prices: $10.05 for a chicken philly, home made chips, and a drink

August 29, 2007: Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen is the Restaurant in St. Louis for Today

Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen
34 S Old Orchard
Webster Groves, MO
314-968-0061

Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen is a fairly new place in Webster Groves in St. Louis. Go to this place hungry, because you will get a lot of food. This place goes for the southern setting. They serve hearty food that is very filling. Hwy 61 Roadhouse has live entertainment on the weekends. They have live blues and other bands on the small stage in the wide open dining room. On the huge wall behind the stage, there is a mural of all of the hotspots up and down the southern Mississippi River.

The food served at Hwy 61 Roadhouse is great. I ordered the pan fried chicken, and this was an order of three chicken breast, fried and served with white gravy. The crust was not too crusty but done just right. This comes with two sides. My favorite sides are the corn soufle, and teh macaroni and cheese. The corn souffle is cornbread with some corn baked into it. It has kind of a sweet flavor and is very good. The macaroni and cheese is very cheesy and topped with a crust. Other features on the menu are ribs, pork steak, shrimp, red beans and rice and countless other southern favorites. If you like southern cooking and getting alot of food then this is the place for you.

Prices: About $11 for three fried chicken breasts and two sides. This is a lot of food.

August 28, 2007: Jimmy John's is not the Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis for Today

Jimmy John's is a sub sandwich shop that is fairly new to the St. Louis area. On the inside of the Jimmy John's there are signs that try to be funny. Jimmy John's claims to make subs "so fast you will freak." It is not hard to make subs that fast when you have no options on what goes on the sub. I used to like Jimmy John's when they first came to St. Louis, but then I thought why am I eating this when I could be eating Penn Station or the countless number of other sandwich shops which serve both hot and cold sandwiches. You can't compare a Jimmy John's to a Penn Station, Penn Station is 10 times better. I guess my problem with Jimmy John's is that I got sick of their food. It doesn't sound good to me anymore.

Jimmy John's does have good bread. That is one thing that is good about them. They also have a variety of sandwiches, but it is basically a choice between cold turkey, roast beef, ham, or salami, and if I wanted one of those sandwiches I could find 10 other places I would rather get one. Their meats are average and the toppings are the usual lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise. When I go I get the Bootlegger Club. This is a turkey and roast beef sandwich, but it doesn't come with cheese, what a rip-off. I have to ask for cheese and it cost extra.

Prices: About $6.25 for a sandwich

August 27, 2007: Kenrick's Meals to Go is the Restaurant of the Day in St. Louis for Today

Kenrick's Meat Market and Catering
4324 Weber Rd
St. Louis, MO 63123
Phone Number: 314-631-2440

For more places to eat in and around the St. Louis area visit www.stlstuff.com

Kenrick's Meat Market and Catering is a small little market on Bayless or Weber road close to I-55 in South St. Louis County. It looks like they specialize in meats and small groceries. We went there for lunch and they have a little deli and sandwich stand with about 8 tables to sit and eat. The menu is loaded with different sandwiches like the special, loaded roast beef, chicken and bacon sandwiches, hot sandwiches. They have some good looking sides as well like baked macaroni and cheese, and mashed potatoes and gravy.

I ordered the country fried steak sandwich. This was a country fried steak with white gravy on a hoagie roll. This thing was delicious. For a side order I got the mashed potatoes and gravy. The mashed potatoes and gravy were ok, but the country fried steak sandwich was great. I definitely recommend going there for lunch and ordering one of there sandwiches. You have to get there early though, because this place gets a little crowded. This is a must eat lunch spot for me. What made it even better is the prices. My sandwich only cost me $4.89 where else can you get a great tasting HOT sandwich for this price. Next time I go, I am going to get a ribeye steak sandwich, which they have on the menu for a low $5.89. Is there anywhere else you can get a steak sandwich for that cheap?

Visit their website at www.kenricks.com

Prices: Cheap. $6.25 for a country fried steak sandwich and some mashed potatoes.