This summer, I’m leaving SLM and moving east for law school. Not to go all sappy on you, but two of the things I’ll miss most are St. Louis’ excellent, underrated food scene and the opportunity to write about it. In this space, I taste-tested beer and told stories about my childhood and ate too much barbecue and cracked jokes about Bart Simpson and incontinence. I truly have no idea why my editor let me get away with it, but I’m grateful that he did. As a parting shot, here are five favorite dishes that already have me longing for a return trip (and I could have easily listed 50).
Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio from Pho Grand
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Back when I was moving to St. Louis, a friend offered this advice: Go to Pho Grand. This dish quickly became my regular order, thanks to its ingenious incorporation of chopped-up egg rolls.
Pit Baked Beans from Bogart’s Smokehouse
These beans cook for hours beneath smoking brisket, sucking up all of the meat’s decadent drippings, and there are hunks of pork mixed in for good measure. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve eaten a quart by itself as a meal.
B.A.B.L.T. from Fonzie’s Sandwich Emporium
I previously proclaimed that this bacon behemoth was even better than Crown Candy Kitchen’s. Even bolder statement: The B.A.B.L.T. might just be the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten.
Raspberry Concrete from Ted Drewes
It was like an out-of-body experience: I’d stand in the long line, promising myself that this time I’d order the mini size, but then I’d get to the front and hear myself order the large. Worth it every time.
Pommes Frites from Urban Chestnut’s Grove Brewery & Beerhall
Probably the greatest failure of my journalism career was omitting these thick, rich, salty spuds from my list of the city’s best fries. (They’re the base for a spectacular take on poutine, too.)
