Dining Patron: I say, that softshell crab was the finest ever consumed by man. Garçon, you must give my compliments to the chef.
Waiter: I will, sir. Now, would the gentleman be interested in dessert, or perhaps a coffee, port, or sherry?
DP: What kind of a port selection have you?
W: Well, in addition to those on the menu, our featured ports include a fine 1988 Sandeman Black Label Reserve, a 1996 Angry Aborigine (an underrated selection from Australia that’s just now gaining in popularity), and (glub glub glub)
DP: What’s that?
W: glub glurgle glub glub
DP: GOOD LORD, MAN! WE’VE JUST DRIVEN OFF THE CONTINENTAL SHELF!
I agree on the Ted Drewes (I’d rather have soft serve, thanks) and Imos pizza is nasty, but I have to eat it whenever my family and I visit because it’s my mom’s favorite.
Toasted Ravioli, however, is fantastic, if it’s made right.
As for other food choices… you weren’t in the city, were you? My brother lives a block from a brazilian restaurant (very good) and a jamaican bar (kinda good) and a bistro of eclectic tastes.
They eat Thai at a great restaurant (The King and I, I think) and eat better local pizza than I can get around here.
I’m not sticking up for St Louis, as I hate it there, but to say they don’t have good food is simply wrong. Unless, that is, you’re in St Ann or St Charles or, god forbid, St Peters. That’s not St Louis.
Anyone tells my brother I stuck up for St Louis gets a swift kick in the privates. 
Oh dear God yes.
St. Charles County: Like Overland Park, but without the culture and glamour.
Or:
St. Charles County: Like Raytown, but with 20% fewer dueling banjos.
No St. Louis food thread would be complete without mention of the St. Louis Bread Company and O.T. Hodges. Dem’s some good eatin’.
Is Naugles still around? I grew up there but haven’t been back since I left for college in 1988. I used to eat at Naugles (NAW-gulls) all the time - like Taco Bell, only slightly less crappy. I used to love the commercials with “Señor Naugles” - now there’s a name that just rolls of the Spanish tongue. 
I moved to St. Louis two years ago (for grad school) and I think that was the single biggest culture shock I received. Provel cheese is processed foulness.
(Of course, I also think thin-crust pizza isn’t really deserving of the name. And now I’m starting to miss Chicago again…)
If you were looking for a cheese, you should have looked at Provisions in Creve Coeur. If it ain’t there, it ain’t anywhere.
Toasted ravioli is junk food; not cuisine.
Your other gripes are apples and oranges.
Imo’s ain’t Chicago Style Pizza for sure. However, it’s different than any other and I like it for a change.
Now as to Ted Drewes, I gotta vigorously disagree. It’s frozen custard not ice cream. If you want ice cream it’s not what you’re looking for; but if you like frozen custard, it’s great.
But to say Saint Louis doesn’t have good restaurants is insane: Candiccis, First Watch, Oh My Darlin’ Cafe, The Posh Nosh deli …
Okay, I’ll give you Big Ed’s Chili Mac; but there’re other great choices. I’ve only been here a month but I’ve not experienced the religious devotion to toasted ravioli, Imo’s or Ted Drewes you’ve mentioned.
Candiccis…yum! We love that place. One of the better meals I have ever had. Of course, the company had something to do with it, but still…simply lovely.
The rest of the “cuisine” you can keep, but to say there is nothing good to eat in St. Louis is a gross calumny.
Heathen.
Now don’t you all go dissing St Ann, Forever Home. Unfortunately the municipality is becoming all too much like St Louis, for the bad. The population and housing is aging. Northwest Plaza, once the world’s largest shopping center, is now a pathetic shell of its former self. Pick on St John’s, instead.
Imo’s Pizza is different than the usual pizza. But it is certainly better than Pizza Hut, Domino’s or Little Cesar’s. I know that is not saying much.
The best pizza in St Louis is Fortel’s, with locations just about everywhere.
Ted Drewe’s frozen custard is a St Louis institution much like Forest Park or Anheuser-Busch. The frozen custard isn’t that bad.
Everyone knows, or should know-- the best ice cream in St Louis comes from Crown Candy Kitchen. The ice cream is 14% butterfat. Yeah, the neighborhood is a little dicey, but there always seems to be a St Louis Police Dept. cruiser parked out front. Did I mention the ice cream is 14% butterfat.
Dooku Naugles closed some time ago, probably 1989. The one on Grand by SLU is now a del Taco.
Homebrew, don’t know if you have been to ZuZu’s yet.
As far a ethnic restuarants go, we went to a Nepalese place on Washington Ave recently. I thought it was okay, everyone else thought the food was very good.
Just today as a matter of fact. Maybe my standards are too high, being from Texas, but I’m still lookin’ for Tex-Mex. It beats Taco Bell; but not Zapata’s in Texarkana and especially not O’Jeda’s or Herrera’s in Dallas.
Am I even going to find a Chicken-fried steak here?
Jobs are few, the government is corrupt, a hurricane will kill all of us one day but thank God I’m in New Orleans and never want for good food!
Can’t help you with the name, sorry! We rolled into town after last year’s Grand Prix at Indy, and after a sorely needed shower and a few cold ones was whisked off to the joint. I wasn’t paying attention to details, but I remember the food was “most excellent”, even by West Coast standards (I used to dine frequently in the “Little Tokyo” district in Los Angeles, so I can spot faux cuisine easily. Jeez, what a food-snob I must come off as!)
If it helps, it was in a U shaped shopping center, about in the middle of the U. That clears it right up, doesn’t it?
(Yes, I’ve been into the homebrew tonight)
Thank you very little for making me spit out my wine on my computer.
You know, with all this food talk, I’m seriously contemplating offering to buy any SD St. Louis native a beer. Now, for me that means a Guinness, just to clarify things…
Thanks all for informing me on other places to eat as my time in your fine city dwindles down!
(One other mini-rant about St. Louis: Why are there 500 individual cities in the metro area? Is that so everyone can be a mayor at least once in their lifetime?)
Just think, with all the heathens like me, that’s all the more deep-fat-fried Pickles and Candy Bars on a stick for you…
I’m merely performing you a service!
I don’t know from Tex-Mex, to be honest, but I’ve noticed, with some curiosity, a place called El Indio on Manchester (now if I could only remember where on Manchester–it’s somewhere between Brentwood and Kirkwood). The sign claims that they serve authentic Mexican cuisine.
Also on Manchester in the same general vicinity is Nacho Mama’s. Never been there, but heard good things. RFT review here–
http://listings.riverfronttimes.com/gyrobase/Dining/Listing?oid=5004
I searched the RFT to see if maybe they’d reviewed El Indio (they don’t seem to have), and found a place called Tejas. It’s at 44 N Brentwood.
http://listings.riverfronttimes.com/gyrobase/Dining/Listing?oid=5349
Maybe some of the other stuff listed under “Mexican” would be worth checking out.
When I think of chicken fried steak, I think of school cafeteria meals. I’ve never had it anywhere else, and it was never the sort of thing I’d ever find myself wishing for, so I don’t imagine it was the version you’re used to. There’s a Southern/Soul Food listing at the RFT, and though none of them mention chicken fried steak, they might be the places to look first.
usar_jag is not exaggerating much. There are 93 municipalities in St Louis County, not sure why there are so many–but part of it might have to do with another quirky thing about the St Louis area. The City of St Louis and St Louis County are separate political entities. The great “Divorce” back in 1876 limited the growth of the City to the then existing boundaries.
I think that since the City was not able to expand and gobble up newly settled sections of the County, a lot of little petty kingdoms arose.
Tejas is wonderful food. Steaks cooked the way you want them, and actually the way you want them. No medium when you ask for medium rare. But I’d call it New American or even New Southwest before I’d call it Mexican or Tex-Mex. The chef uses elements from Mexican food but comes up with unique cuisine that I highly recommend; like mashed potatoes with poblano peppers. The spicy meatloaf is a real surprise treat. And they have Shiner Bock on tap.
So that’s why the place looked familiar.
Years ago I moved to Raytown from south St. Louis County (Affton actually. One of the 200 burbs in the County). The place reminded me of somewhere vaguely familiar - and shazam, your post brought it all back.
For years I jonesed for a Ted Drews until Custard’s Last Stand arrived in Lee’s Summit. A few years later in LS my beloved Imo’s showed up. Operated by a complete idiot the store went out of business. Whatever that place was cooking, it wasn’t Imo’s.
All I can say about the OP is that some people don’t Like Ted Drews, Imo’s , or Budweiser. Then again, some people don’t like baseball, mom, or apple pie either. :dubious:
Oooh. I’ll have to put it on my list of “places I want to try.” It sounds lovely.
Yes, and it’s my turn next Thursday.