Snoots, Slingers & Saints

Your report and photos make me want to eat snoots as soon as I can find them. Everything tastes better with BBQ sauce. Yummy.

mark

Cliff, Cliff, Cliff.....am I wrong or have you exponentially upped your trips to every weekend now? I don't recall this intensity in the past or maybe I wasn't paying attention. KC next weekend? WOW!!!!!!!
You are the man. beth

Beth-
You are right, I don't normally go away EVERY weekend. But as the year goes along, I will most likely find my time more limited as we go, by work. I am going to enjoy this while I can.

The fact I don't have a girlfriend for the first time in three years might have something to do with it, too. It is kind of boring at home right now.

Buffetbuster,

I am curious about the snoots (snouts?). Are they mostly fat and skin -- is there any meat on them at all? The pictures look appetizing, but even if I could get past the name, I don't know if the snoot is something I would enjoy. Guess I would just need to give 'em a try to find out!

Your report and pictures are wonderful -- thanks!

Ivyhouse

Those "slingers" look good. I was trying to figure out what a slinger was, because of the differences in the two that you showed in your (excellent) account. I went to Wikipedia, which had an article that stated:

The Slinger is a Midwestern diner specialty typically consisting of two eggs, hash browns, and a hamburger patty (or any other meat) all covered in chili (with or without beans) and generously topped with cheese and onions. The eggs can be any style. The Slinger is considered to be a St. Louis late-night culinary original. It is described as "a hometown culinary invention that might account for St. Louis' high rate of heart disease: a mishmash of meat, hash-fried potatoes, eggs, and chili, sided with your choice of ham, sausage, bacon, hamburger patties, or an entire flippin' T-bone steak. It's dirt cheap, damn good and a drunk's dream."

Is this accurate? The first one in your article seemed to have no meat, and the second one looked to have no eggs.

Miami Don-
Outstanding question!!! This is something I meant to explore a little further and forgot.

You are correct that what I was served at O.T. Hodge was quite different than The Wilbur at Goody Goody Diner. And you are also correct that The Wilbur did not have any meat. But, my slinger at O.T. Hodge did have an egg, which was quite hard to see, since it was in the back and mostly covered in chili. Here is a different view where the egg is more visible on the left side of the plate.


From the definition you provided, the slinger from O.T. Hodge looks exactly right. But The Wilbur from Goody Goody Diner doesn't look like it should qualify. Just to be sure, I went to the restaurant's website and they just call it an omelet, not a slinger.

http://www.goodygoodydiner.com/

I wish a St. Louis food expert would chime in here.....

Thanks again Don for bringing this up!

Slinger is not really a "Midwestern" thing it is a "St Louis" thing, you rarely find them outside of the STL area. Sort of like Cincy style chili, it is specific to the town.

In my experience with them, in general

hash browns, meat of some sort, eggs anyway you want them, covered in chili or white gravy and topped with cheese. (onions also for the chili version)

a slinger is really good with sausage as the meat, the spicier the better.

The Late night version is usually the chili smothered version, while the breakfast version is the one with the white gravy.

All full of fat and goodness, dam* yall are making me HUNGRY!!!


Edit: I just went to the Goody Goody Diner website, they call "The Wilbur" an Omelet, so maybe not a true "slinger" but most of the ingredients are there (except the meat)

CajunKing-
I appreciate your input on the matter. I'm just not 100% sure.

The one disappointment on the trip was not being able to eat at Ted Drewes. I have been to St. Louis about a half dozen times, but have only been able to get a concrete once, since I always seem to be there in the middle of winter. I will absolutely have to visit again this summer!

As for St. Louis' other unique food, brain sandwiches, I think I will go for the pig ears before that!

BB, I'm sorry that the snoots weren't exactly what you were looking for as far as a taste sensation. From the picture, it looks to me like they may have not been rendered down enough like most of the locals around STL like it. I've been a snoot afficianado since I moved to the STL metroeast and they are hard to come by in great form. To me, they are 100% crispy and if you can imagine a pork rind BBQ'd w/ more substance, I think you're on the mark. It takes a long time to render out the fat to get that crackly tetxure and slow BBQ'ng after that to get the infused STL style sauce. Just my humble opinion.

DetectDave-
It is nice to hear from a local and a snoot expert on that. Had they been a little more crispy and a little less chewy, I probably would have enjoyed them more. But not having ever had them before, I really don't have anything to compare them to.

Ivyhouse-
Thanks for the kind words and I hope DetectDave answered your question.

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster
As for St. Louis' other unique food, brain sandwiches, I think I will go for the pig ears before that!

Pig ears are almost 100% gristle and skin. If you have ever sucked the "marrow" from a beef or ham bone or a turkey neck, you have eaten the same meat as brains. On a brain sandwich the brains are sliced, battered and fried, but when I was a child I many times ate pork brains chopped, mixed with scrambled eggs and then fried, which I loved. The brains cooked this way have much the same consistency as the scrambled eggs and a delicious mild pork flavor. By the way, beef brains are very hard to come by these days because of "mad cow" disease.

Still waiting on the snoots.

I am interested in your take on them. After trying them three times at two St. Louis locations, I have decided that they are a taste I will not aquire.

Thanks for the great report!

Keith

I have a few notes on St Louis from a local point of view.
Ted Drews frozen custard is available in small containers in most local stores frozen section. I know it is not nearly as exciting as getting a concrete and seeing it flung upside dow as it stays stuck in the cup or the extras that make up their variously named Sundaes like my favorite The Dutchman. At least you can get a quick fix till your next visit.

O T Hodges Chile I understand most or all of them are gone now. I read on the internet(so who knows) but it was said that their chili was the product that is sold in loal supermarkets as Edmunds Chili which is frozen in a roll like a pound of sausage. It really tastes very close to me. I like to add the cup of water to cook it in but add a can of Brooks Chili Hot Beans and a normal can of diced tomatoes.

Regards
Ray

oh those slingers are something else...I'm a slinger virgin....boy do they look like something I want to try!!!!!!

I read elsewhere here on Roadfood that the O.T. Hodge I visited is now closed down. Too bad, since it was the only one. But truthfully, the slinger I had there was nowhere near as good(pardon the pun) as the one I had at the Goody Goody Diner.

This forum certainly doesn't need yet another trip report from me about St. Louis.  But since that is where I was over the weekend and I have a few photos to share, it is easier just to tack them on to the end of this old thread.
 
The reason I was even in town was that Travelin Man was here for business.  Since I love this town and he had Saturday free, I flew out to join him.  Surprisingly enough, every restaurant we tried was open, but he did still have plenty of influence on the local roads.

 
After arriving on Friday night, we had a fried chicken dinner at Hodak's.  You get half of a heavy crusted, juicy bird here, plus fries and cole slaw for under $8.00. 

Quite a bargain.  You can order your meal with their hot sauce, which is basically just bbq sauce.  I believe St. Louisians use this sauce on their chicken, but I was dunking my fries in it instead.  And of course, we had to start our meal with an order of that local favorite, toasted ravioli. 

Maybe a touch harder than I would have preferred, but they were well seasoned and tasted fine.
 
The waitresses at Hodak's seemed to take a liking to us and were making restaurant recommendations for us to visit.  The woman who waited on us seemed to get the idea of eating local and was making good suggestions, while another thought the best way to eat St. Louis was White Castle and Steak 'n Shake.  Uh, no.....
 
On Saturday morning, I ventured out by myself for a slinger breakfast.  My destination was South City Diner.

This place is a big, airy, nicer diner, with vintage movie posters on the wall.  Really nice atmosphere here.  The slinger was a real beauty, too.

Underneath that pile of melted cheese and heavy, meaty chili is hash browns, sausage and a couple of over easy eggs.  What a great way to kick start your day.  Next time I come here, though, I may go for that meatloaf omelet I spotted on the menu.
 
More to come.....

Lunch was at an old Route 66 Landmark, Carl's Drive-In.  There are two entrances to this places, each side with eight counter seats. 

The grill and waitress area is in the middle.  Here is the classic drive-in menu.

 
We had about a five minute wait standing just inside the door until some seats opened up for us.
 
Among the things this place is most famous for is their root beer and root beer floats.  That my friends,

is a big ol' mug full of frothy goodness!  In the background, you can see the huge barrel, where they draft the homemade root beer.  This alone would be enough for me to fall in love with the place.  The smallish, crispy edged burgers were also terrific.  I believe this is a double cheeseburger. 

TTM mentioned afterwards that you can really tell it is made with fresh ground meat.  The foot long chili dog

didn't work as well for me.  As you can see, the wiener is way to long for the bun and the dark chili itself was fine.  But the cheap shredded cheese on top ruined it for me.  Still, Carl's gets a big thumbs up and I'm looking forward to coming back and trying the Curly Q Hot Dog and other things.
 
Next stop was St. Louis University, so I could buy a sweatshirt.  But since I was here with you know who, they were closed for Fall Break.  Still, we decided to check out the campus and find ourselves some pelicans billikans.  Just in case you are unaware, billikens are the SLU mascot, which is one of the more unusual ones I have encountered.  Here is mr. chips TTM makes friends
by rubbing his belly for good luck.  But quite possibly, the highlight of the day was finding the giant topiary billiken.

That looks like a lot of different things, but a billiken wouldn't be the first thing that leaps to mind.
 
More to come.....

no ruebendog or chili and tamales at carl's? I would like to taste those. I'm not sure at the same time though.

Ohmigawd. I am so lucky I was subscribed to this thread (those emails surprised the heck out of me...!). Yay!  Psyched to follow this trip.

But confused... to me St Louis is home to Wash U! (Several friends are alums and a friend's son - someone you even know, BB! - goes to school there...) So why SLU and not WU?!

And fwiw if you did not have a CONCRETE on this trip, you are a dead man. Both of you!!!! ;o)

p.s. I looked at my old posts... I didn't know about Ted Drewes last time (doh!) and I guess we hadn't yet started commonly using the term "TTM'd"... that's what happened to me in Carbondale.

buffetbuster



 

 
Next stop was St. Louis University, so I could buy a sweatshirt.  But since I was here with you know who, they were closed for Fall Break.  Still, we decided to check out the campus and find ourselves some pelicans billikans.  Just in case you are unaware, billikens are the SLU mascot, which is one of the more unusual ones I have encountered.  Here is mr. chips TTM makes friends
by rubbing his belly for good luck.  But quite possibly, the highlight of the day was finding the giant topiary billiken.
 

More to come.....

Who'se the guy that's rubbing TTM's belly for good luck!

cecif-
I realize that Wash U is an excellent academic school.  I even have a really interesting Wash U story, which I can't repeat here (ask me the next time you see me).  But, SLU plays division I, at least in basketball, so I usually go with them.  Unless of course, a school has a really cool mascot and colors, like Williams College in Massachusetts.
 
Oh, and what is a concrete?

That slinger looks great! (and probably about 3,000 calories )

Just down the street from SLU is the gorgeous Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. 

I have been outside several times, but have never really been able to explore the inside.  Unfortunately, there was a wedding soon to start and as you can see in the earlier photos, we weren't about to blend in with the wedding crowd.  That didn't stop us from taking a quick peak and it does look incredible.  Hopefully, next time.
 
After all this taxing driving around, we were ready to eat again.  A while back, I was at home, flipping through the channels when I came across an awards show.  The category they were talking about was best bbq.  So, I watched.  It turned out to be the Steve Harvey Hoodie Awards and the winner was Roper's Ribs in St. Louis.  Needless to say, I put it on my list for the next visit to town.  Which was now.
 
Once again, Jerry Garcia and myself didn't exactly blend into the neighborhood.  Since it is on a corner,

there is no parking lot.  We pulled in to a shopping center across the street.  As we were waiting at the crosswalk for the light to change, a young woman walked over and stood next to us.  We greeted each other and I asked if Roper's Ribs was as good as I heard and she confirmed it was.  She then went into the restaurant with us, walked to the back and was soon at the window to help take our order.
 
Above the window,

is the large, two piece menu board. 


Lots of interesting stuff here to order.  I foolishly asked for the rib tips, while TTM went for the baby backs.  The young ladies at the window were very nice and we were discussing with them winning the award.  They said they normally have that playing on a loop on a tv in the dining room.  Just a few minutes later, the owner, Carl Roper came out to set up the tv.  He was very nice and took the time to explain the fine points of bbq with us.  When he asked us what we ordered, he was disappointed that I got the rib tips.  I asked if it was too late to change it to a half order of the St. Louis style ribs.  He went into the back and changed it for me, even though my food was already being prepared.  That was very considerate of them.
 
Before he left, I asked if he would pose for a photo.  He said yes, but wanted to change aprons.  Now, the one he had on was covered in bbq sauce stains, which sure seemed apprpriate to me.  Instead, he came out in an apron with bbq written all over it.

 
Here is TTM's order of baby backs. 

He shared one with me and these are some of the best tasting, meatiest ribs I have had in a long time.  As much as he got, hard to believe that it is only a half order.  TTM went with the crinkle cut fries as his side.  Here is the professional rib inspector at work.

 
Soon after, my St. Louis style ribs came out. 


Okay, I am so glad I was able to change my order because these were excellent.  A cleaner cut of meat, these are just the meat and bone.  The sauce is difficult to describe.  Neither sweet nor too spicy, it worked well with the meat.  My order of bbq beans

had a lot of sauce in it and was quite good.
 
We were both very happy with our visit here and would definitely go back.
 
http://www.ropersribs.com/

Despite being completely full, TTM still agreed to accompany me to Crown Candy Kitchen. 

Afterall, isn't there always room for ice cream?  I have written about this place several times in the past, so my love for CCK is well known.  I can't recall what TTM ate, because, well, I was distracted by eating my own ice cream.  I do remember the words Black Walnut in there somewhere.  Mine was a Swiss Chocolate Sundae. 

Really good homemade ice cream, great toppings, all in a wonderful old time atmosphere.  What's not to love?  Oh yeah, the neighborhood.  But even that is making a remarkable comeback.  We noticed several new businesses have moved in nearby and a huge construction project going on across the street.  Very happy to see these improvements.  Just a few doors down the street, I spotted this nice window painting.

 
We were both getting tired at this point, but we did have enough energy to stop and take some photos of a giant woman's shoe made out of other shoes.

No surprise this is located in front of a shoe store.
 
We both headed back to our respective hotels for a nap.

Haha, I'd need a nap after that too...it looks amazing!

We didn't get rolling again until well after 9:00PM.  The plan was to to eat at O'Connell's Pub and then a late night snack at Ted Drewes, which closes at 11:00PM.
 
O'Connell's

is a place that TTM has visited several times before, but it would be the first visit for me.  He described the roast beef he had for lunch on Friday and that was more than enough to convince me I needed to eat here, too.  It is a big place, with two main rooms.  Both the bar side and the dining room are very dark.  We sat in one of the big wood booths in the back of the dining room.
 
TTM started with a bowl of the turkey rice soup,

which he seemed pleased with.  For our entrees, we decided to order a roast beef sandwich and a burger, cut them in half and share.  The burger is a medium sized beauty. 

Cooked just where we wanted it at medium rare, you can tell this is quality beef on an excellent sesame seed roll.  It is easy to see why they are frequently mentioned among St. Louis best burgers. 
 
Believe it or not, the roast beef was even better. 


These were surprisingly thick slabs of juicy, tender, pink beef.   You get so much meat on this sandwich, I was frequently tearing off chunks and eating it by itself.  The soft roll was made even softer by dunking it in the provided au jus sauce.  Delicious!
 
As usual, we screwed around so much, we were in danger of missing out on Ted Drewes.  We left the parking lot at O' Connell's at ten 'til and pulled up at Ted Drewes right at 11:00PM.  But we shouldn't have worried.  There was still a large crowd outside,

many of them huddling around the heat lamp.  It shows you just how much the locals love this place, considering it was a 30 something degree night.  They have a large menu of custardy desserts,

but there was never any doubt that a concrete is what you must order.  I went for the raspberry and once again, I forgot what TTM ate.  Notice how when it comes to eating frozen treats, I seem to be rather focused on my own?  Anyway, here he is

holding his upside down, showing the powerful thickness of the custard.  Sorry, photos of mine did not turn out. 
 
It was cold enough that we decided to eat in the car.  There must of been a formal going on, because quite a few cars of dressed up teenagers were arriving, even as late as 11:30PM.  After this, we called it a night.

On Sunday morning, I was quite happy to just relax around the hotel room and TTM and I eventually met at Park Avenue Coffee

for some gooeey butter cakes around 10:30AM.  This is another place I have written about in a couple of previous trip reports, so obviously, I am a fan.  Of gooey butter cakes and Park Avenue Coffee.
 
TTM first had a bagel (health nut!) and then a caramel apple and chocolate chip cookie dough gooey butter cakes.  I grabbed three for myself.

Clockwise from left, that is red velvet cake, caramel apple and pumpkin.  Truthfully, I have never had gooey butter cakes from anywhere else, but I can't imagine they could be better. 
 
When I was here in January, I brought some back to the ladies in the office, who really enjoyed them.  This time, I asked for a box of a dozen assorted gooey butter cakes to take with me. 

They did an excellent job of boxing them up and labeling them, so we would know what they were.  Customer service wise, this place is hard to beat.
 
From here, TTM had to go to work and I went on my own to eat another slinger.

Oh, this is a well spent calorie count!

I typically listen to the Steve Harvey Show in the mornings on the way to work and a couple months back they were taking nominations for the Hoodie Awards, and in the category of best Fried Chicken, Price's Chicken Coop was in the top 3.  So if there is such a thing as concurrent validity for the Hoodie Awards, I would pretty much eat anywhere the Steve Harvey Show listeners suggested.

buffetbuster

When I was here in January, I brought some back to the ladies in the office, who really enjoyed them.  This time, I asked for a box of a dozen assorted gooey butter cakes to take with me. 

They did an excellent job of boxing them up and labeling them, so we would know what they were.  Customer service wise, this place is hard to beat.
 
From here, TTM had to go to work and I went on my own to eat another slinger.

I am extremely jealous of "the ladies in the office". I have GOT to get out there and try some of those!

Ok,

I think I'm finally beginning to deal with all the "relaxing" and "napping" although  if it were me, I think a power walk from Ted Drewes to downtown would have been the end to a perfect evening

BUT!!
TTM getting a BAGEL- In St. Louis???!!!
ok I'm ready to IMPLODE now!

Those O'Connell's sandwiches look awesome!  What kind of cheese is on the burger?  It doesn't have the processed appearance that so many have.

Brad

Brad,
I want to say that it was American cheese.  O' Connell's also has daily specials like baked ham on Mondays and roast pork sandwiches on Thursday that are probably really good, too.  Can any St. Louisians confirm this? 

Next up was a visit to Eat Rite Diner. 

A tiny rectangular building, this has to be one of the smaller Roadfood buildings.  There is one curved counter with approximately ten seats.  When I went in, there was only one other customer, who left soon after.  The majority of the time, I was here by myself with the two waitresses.  A couple photos from the inside.


Neither of the two ladies was particularly friendly, but no big deal.
 
I did come here for the slinger. 

They did ask if I wanted onions or not.  While I did like the sausage patties and the eggs were fine, the chili was too thin for my taste and I think chopped onions work much better in a dish like this.  Of the four slingers I have eaten, this one comes in dead last.  The pies also looked like they have been sitting around for a while, so I passed on those, too.
 
Because I seem to frequently come to St. Louis in the winter, I often miss out on Ted Drewes. 

So, I was determined to make up for lost time!  There were much fewer people here during the middle of the day, but I was still impressed that customers would come out in the cold to stand around eat frozen custard.  Here is the young lady

holding my cindermint concrete upside down, before she passed it through the window.  Unfortunately, by the time I walked around and took exterior photos, my concrete

was quite melty when it came time to take a picture of it.  Still, with crushed chunks of peppermint in vanilla custard, it was every bit as good as expected.
 
I had hopes of visiting Gooey Louie, another famous place for gooey butter cakes.  But, I was running short of time and headed for the airport and home.
 
Hopefully, TTM will add on some of his photos to the end here.  No doubt, he has much better pictures of the ribs than I do.

Man...too bad about Eat Rite...I've heard great things about that place....I mean if buffetbuster passed up the pie...!!!

Does Ted Drewes close for the winter? If so...when?

ETR-
If you had described Eat Rite Diner to me, I'd think it would be right up my alley.  Unfortunately, no.  Maybe I just came at the wrong time.  Since they are open 24 hours a day, a night time visit would have shown more personality.  And that slinger is more of a 2:00AM after a night of carousing type of food. 

Ted Drewes only closes for a couple of months.  On my previous visit, I missed their opening by just a few days, which I think was in February.

While Janet dips her toes in the Pacific with her Mother next weekend (Halloween) Pov Pete and I are going to slip over to St Louis for a long day trip to check out a couple of the places you visited, BB. I want to try some of the various ribs available at Ropers

Wow, where have I been?  I missed parts 1 and 2 of this thread.  Excellent posts by BB.

If you make it to Gooey Louie (just up the street from Ted Drewes) be sure to get some gooey butter cookies.  Gooey Louis is mostly mail order but they do have a retail counter... you have to park in the back and walk around front to get in.

You can get O.T. Hodges recipe chili at Eovaldi's Deli on The Hill. The owner is a relation and has the original recipe.  However, you can't get a slinger. Back in the day, an O.T. Hodge's slinger had two cheeseburger patties under the pile.  Eovaldi's is the same group that makes Oldani salami.

Ted Drewes on Chippewa is open through Christmas although you will have to share the parking lot with Christmas trees, which they sell at that time.  They do close for a couple of months and will open in late February or early March.  The Ted Drewes on S. Grand is closed from Labor Day to Memorial Day.

If you are trying BBQ in St. Louis, I recommend a stop at one of the newest places, Pappy's. Pappy's is on Olive near SLU.  Beware, lunch time lines can get long.

Eovaldi's - http://www.delionthehill.com

Pappy's - http://www.pappyssmokehouse.com/

bill voss

[id="quote"]quote: [id="quote"]Originally posted by buffetbuster

Ort-
As always, I love reading your insight and unique take on things. I hope you are feeling back over the weather soon!

bill voss-
Funny you should mention what snoots are called in KC, because that is where I am going this weekend. I appreciate you telling me what gatelifters are in case I see them on a menu. I think I've had my fill for now!

[id="quote"]
They were never a big item in KC (this was 20 years ago). Calvin mentioned a place in the West Bottoms that used to acquire them from the then nearby stockyards. (now gone, as is the place)
What are your dining plans for KC so far? Don't forget GoChicKenGo

That may have been my uncle's restaurant. He used to have a place near the stockyards called The Hog House. He served all the various parts of the pig, and giant burgers.

It's a bit late, but thanks for the great report.  It takes some serious courage to chow down on those snoots (snouts) no matter how long ago it was.  That concrete sounds like a heavy duty bit of ice cream.

buffetbuster


ETR-
If you had described Eat Rite Diner to me, I'd think it would be right up my alley.  Unfortunately, no.  Maybe I just came at the wrong time.  Since they are open 24 hours a day, a night time visit would have shown more personality.  And that slinger is more of a 2:00AM after a night of carousing type of food. 

Ted Drewes only closes for a couple of months.  On my previous visit, I missed their opening by just a few days, which I think was in February.

As home of the slinger you'd hope it'd live up to the hype...that one just looks watered down and wrong. I'd bet there are a few other places nearby that have a great version.

I've really got to get out to Ted Drewes soon then....maybe I'll run into mayor al and Poverty Pete.

I have been extremely limited on Internet connection and even more limited by time since my arrival in NY.  I do have some additional photos - but I suspect buffetbuster may be laying unrealistic expectations at your feet if he thinks that my photos are going to be better than his.  I'll see if I can upload them from my camera and get a couple posted soon - but, BB really did cover the trip well.

Al-
Excellent!  I will be very much looking forward to hearing what you and Poverty Pete think of the ribs at Roper's.  Where else in St. Louis are you thinking of going?
 
BTW, between Janet going to CA and you going to STL with PP, who is getting the better trip? 

Extreme Glow-
When I was writing the first part of the trip report last year, I was wondering why you hadn't chimed in.  Now I know why.  Many thanks for the tip to Park Avenue Coffee.  Do you think Pappy's is better than Roper's Ribs
 
TTM-
In general, I'm happy with the photos from this trip, but that white background behind the ribs was killing me.  I don't like my photos from Roper's at all.  Looking forward to any and all photos you got, when you get the chance.

 I found the menu boards at Ropers caught my thinking...How many samples of the various BBQ items can I do in one meal. Both the ribs you guys ordered looked good. I would like to check out the Beef Rib Tips, and some of the other stuff as well.

RE Janet's trip... I have a very traditional relationship with my M-I-L. A good definition of Mixed Emotions (for me) would happen if she were to drive my truck off a cliff.    Janet will be paying her dues with an obigitory trip to ONT. M-I-L still has very large Parrots flying free in her apartment. Nasty, dirty birds.

    I will put up with PP grouching around looking for Brew-Pubs he visited 40 years ago. My trip will be sort of like riding with WJ in a closed car with no A/C or radio, in hot muggy weather, in traffic.  However the rare Roast Beef Sandwich you photographed, and some very good BBQ will make it all worthwhile. We may do another stop or two, including Ted Drewes before heading back for Hoosier country for a Saturday dinner.  A swing South to Doe's in Paducah may also fit the itinerary.

mayor al


RE Janet's trip... I have a very traditional relationship with my M-I-L. A good definition of Mixed Emotions (for me) would happen if she were to drive my truck off a cliff.     

    I will put up with PP grouching around looking for Brew-Pubs he visited 40 years ago. My trip will be sort of like riding with WJ in a closed car with no A/C or radio, in hot muggy weather, in traffic.  

Al, you are killing me!!!  Throw in Doe's and you have the making one seriously great food weekend!

mayor al


 I found the menu boards at Ropers caught my thinking...How many samples of the various BBQ items can I do in one meal. Both the ribs you guys ordered looked good. I would like to check out the Beef Rib Tips, and some of the other stuff as well.

RE Janet's trip... I have a very traditional relationship with my M-I-L. A good definition of Mixed Emotions (for me) would happen if she were to drive my truck off a cliff.    Janet will be paying her dues with an obigitory trip to ONT. M-I-L still has very large Parrots flying free in her apartment. Nasty, dirty birds.

    I will put up with PP grouching around looking for Brew-Pubs he visited 40 years ago. My trip will be sort of like riding with WJ in a closed car with no A/C or radio, in hot muggy weather, in traffic.  However the rare Roast Beef Sandwich you photographed, and some very good BBQ will make it all worthwhile. We may do another stop or two, including Ted Drewes before heading back for Hoosier country for a Saturday dinner.  A swing South to Doe's in Paducah may also fit the itinerary.

 
And you should consider that an honor and a privelage.

Dale,
   OH, Believe Me, It will be an unforgetable experience.

Cliff,
   I have Ropers location pinned down from their website. What can you tell me about O'Connell's location (address?)

Al-
Try this link:

http://www.saucemagazine.com/oconnells/

Al,

O'Connell's is very close to both the Missouri Botanical Gardens (http://www.mobot.org/) and St. Louis' legendary "Hill."  I don't know what is happening at the Gardens when you will be in town, but when I first went there, we saw an excellent Chihuly exhibit.  It was a nice stop....if you are looking for something non-food, beer related.

Thanks for the input TTM and BB,  We are going over next Friday(the 30th)..should be in St Louis by noon (Janet leaves at 6am from SDF). We plan to follow your tracks (roughly) stay in St Louis Friday evening then head back on Saturday keeping our options open then.  Maybe Does in Paducah, Maybe the Fried Chicken at the Lincoln Inn near E-ville, IN...and maybe a run thru the BBQ pits from Land between the Lakes to Elizabethtown,KY. We will be back here by Saturday night. Dogs stay home for a night, but thats about as long as I want to trust them.
Neither PP no I are much on the candy stuff, but the ice cream sounds like a good reason to drive !  I have all three places, Ropers, OConnells, and Drewes in the GPS. Now to find a cheap motel. Just a simple ride, but it will help me get out of here for a couple of days.

By the way the color here is really beautiful today. We are due some heavy rains for the next two days, so this may be the best of the fall colors !

O'Connell's is adjacent to I-44 at Kingshighway.  

Just two blocks west on Shaw, you'll find Adriana's.  Excellent sandwiches at a lunch-only place. I always get the simple "Mary's Special".  Hot roast beef, cheese, and garlic butter.
http://adrianasonthehill.com/

It could be worse, Dale. Well, perhaps not. Al already likes Rush.

I alternate my travelin' music...Merle Haggard, AC/DC, Oak Ridge Boys, Beach Boys, Black Sabbath, and finish up the ride with Confederate Railroad and the track from the Blues Brothers Movies (Both of them). Rush is NOT on the playlist.  PP will probable sleep all the way to St Louis anyway.

Actually I usually ride in silence when alone on the road. 
We'll pass on BB's regards to the Roper's folks.

Al, I have no doubt that Mr. Roper and the ladies will remember the visit from TTM and myself!  Don't be surprised to receive a call from me on Saturday, just to make sure you two are staying out of trouble.

I may haul my laptop along to show Mr Roper and the neighborhood your review of his place. I say MAY because my Laptop is a 17", which is nice on a hotel room desk in the evening, but is often too large/clumsy to fit on some BBQ restaurant tables!

Did you see anyone with the Brisket at his place? Also, Did he give a reason for steering you away from the Rib Tips?  I am serious about trying a little of all the BBQ meats. I can pass on the chicken and seafood, but the Beef and Pork sound and look pretty good!

It looks like we will be there Friday afternoon (early), then do the motel check in and  ad a couple of places in S W part of town before visiting Ted Drewes and O'Connells. Our motel will probably be in that area as well. PP wants to try some of that Chili-mess...I don't think my system can handle that so we will be looking for a Saturday morning breakfast that includes the Chili-Egg stuff for him and some toast and ham for me.

We found a Days Inn not far from from Ted Drewes (and I-44) that should do quite well for our Friday night "campout"! Now if I can just find a way to silence PP's constant chatter about  how he started the brewing industry in Evansville !

The boss will be in Carlsbad-by-the-Sea (on the beach) for the weekend then spend two days with her Mom buying the Ontario Mills Mall !! The only part of her trip I am envious of are the potential food stops at Farmer Boys, Rubios, and a couple of my favorite food/train-watching locations along Hesperia Road on the High Desert !!

Has anyone heard if Al and Poverty Pete made bail?

The Travelin Man


Has anyone heard if Al and Poverty Pete made bail?

Seriously?

 
This got me thinking its skillet time of the year. I like the way this looks, most of the time you see these they are a mess on the plate.
You really have me thinking about the Meatloaf Omelet. Man I miss Diner food................Great pictures and great report...........Thanks Bill

  I heard that they spent all bail money on BBQ, and are now waiting for the scotties to tunnel them out! 

AHI MPLS


  I heard that they spent all bail money on BBQ, and are now waiting for the scotties to tunnel them out! 

If the pups smell ribs, they will surely be out in no time.
 
Actually, with the popularity of AL and PP, we took up a collection and had no trouble gathering up $27.11 in small change and coupons.  This might take a while!