Grubs Up! St Louis Style!

One of the many joys or travelling is being able to sample food form all over the World. I couldn't wait to get my mouth around tasty Thai grub, and sample the steak in Argentina. The States too had a world of food available for me to munch through!

I always remember my first time in New York, I just wanted to take some time to walk around a supermarket. Not to buy anything, but just to see what was available. Take a look at some of the junk you hear so much about. Some of my friends think its a little strange (and I might almost agree with them) but I love just walking around food stores and markets abroad checking out some of the local delights.

Whats better than looking is eating though and I was getting my chance all over the place already. You only have to take one look at the photo of my brunch in Chicago to know what that was like, but pizza in New York and, well, more pizza in Chicago. Two legends in the pizza making business. Now here I was in St Louis, where more food awaited me!

Whilst the aforementioned places are world famous for their slices of pizzas, St Louis is not. However it does have its unique brand. Unlike its Chicago counterpart St Louis pizza is thin and I mean super thin! Packed to the brim with toppings (I'm still yet to understand the New York one topping pizzas that seem to have been adopted by Pizza delivery companies throughout the country) and incredible tasty! Its certainly my preference out of the three cities pizzas.

I'd managed to meet up with a friend of mine who lives out here and talking to her before I left she mentioned two things I MUST try while I'm in town. Toasted Ravioli and Ted Drewes. The night we met up I got to sample both!

Toasted Ravs as the locals seem to call them is a St Louis speciality. Basically Ravioli breaded and deep fried and often (as ours was) served with a maranara style sauce. Its considered an appetiser so when we went into the restaurant and ordered two lots of Toasted ravs we were looked upon with scorn. No that was it, that's all we wanted. It appeared we were taking up valuable table room and with our minimal order. Still, it wasn't going to stop me sampling these delights. They looked like a heart attack waiting to happen and tasted like one but certainly weren't horrible. I'm not sure I'd order them again but sampling these things is a part of the trip for me and one i thoroughly enjoy!

If Toasted Ravioli is a local tradition then Ted Drewes is a local institution. Its Ice Cream, but not just any ice cream. Possibly the best ice cream anywhere in the world!!! A custard based concoction that is sold strictly just in St Louis. You can find a few pots of the stuff in the local grocery stores but the real deal is to be had from one of, what I believe are just 2 Ted Drewes counters. The one we visited was well out Downtown (as I believe the other is) and really only accessible by car (thankfully Emily had hers and was able to drive us around). Its a bizarre location for such a place. Something virtually every St Lousian knows about is so far detached from a town centre. Was it worth it? Hell yeah! If it wasn't ice cream I'd have filled my bag full of the stuff!

Travelling is about so many things to me and its a thrill to be able to sample local goodies wherever I am. Its something that just makes this trip even more of a thrill than it already is. So if anyone ever asks you what there is to do in St Louis apart from watch baseball and see the arch, you can tell them to eat the food! Its well worth it!