Illustration by Andrew Rae
Award-winning actor and native St. Louisan Jon Hamm recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live, where the late-night host surprised Don Draper with a pizza taste test, pitting Imo’s, which Kimmel described as “terrible” and “terrible, terrible,” against a pie he made himself at home. Hamm tasted both pizzas and gave the nod to the square-cut, Provel-topped Imo’s, saying “You can taste the Gateway Arch; you can taste 11 World Series victories.” Inspired by this playful dispute, we imagined their takes on a few other St. Louis classics.
The Arch
Kimmel: “You go up. You come back down. It’s a glorified, claustrophobic Ferris wheel.”
Hamm: “Ahem, actually, it’s the iconic symbol of westward expansion, Manifest Destiny, American ingenuity, the American dream, and did I mention America?”
Gooey Butter Cake
Kimmel: “This stuff is so stupidly sweet, you can feel the sugar granules gritting between your teeth.”
Hamm: “What makes a great dessert? Butter, sugar, and some carbs to hold everything together. Gooey butter cake is that recipe for success in its most elemental form. The only thing better would be injecting sucrose directly into your veins.”
Toasted Ravioli
Kimmel: “Terrible, terrible, terrible.”
Hamm: “It’s the state-fair model of culinary excellence: All you need to take any food from good to great is a deep fryer.”
Where'd You Go to High School?
Kimmel: “This question is provincial, unwelcoming to outsiders, and amounts to a veiled way to ask people about class and race.”
Hamm: “Burroughs rules! But yeah, I got nothing for you on this one.”
