Snoots, Slingers & Saints

As you may have guessed by the title, I went to St. Louis over the weekend.

Friday February 1

How lucky am I weather wise? I missed a big snowstorm in St. Louis by one day. The shuttle driver told me they got 8 1/2 inches of snow at the airport.

After getting my car (I switched to a SUV because of the snow, but it proved to be unnecessary), I drove to the western suburb of Ladue to eat at Busch's Grove,


(the above photos were taken Sunday morning) which appeared in several of the old Roadfood books.

Open since 1890, this place oozes old money. Even though I didn't have a reservation, I had no trouble getting a table at 8:30. When the hostess asked where I wanted to sit, I asked to see the different rooms. Once I saw the Grove Room, I knew that is where I had to dine. This beautiful room is two stories, with a spiral staircase leading to the second floor, which is used primarily for wine bottle storage. Darkly lit, with hunting party photos lining the wood walls, a huge iron chandelier completes the scene.

I started off with a bowl of the Tuscan Tomato soup. What was funny was they first brought me an empty bowl. When they sat it down and there was no soup in it, I immediately thought about the commercial where the couple are excited to eat at this fancy restaurant, but shocked to see how small the portions are. Afterward, they hungrily attack a grocery store. There was another person carrying the soup in another bowl who poured that into my bowl. Maybe this is a common practice, which shows how often I go to fancy restaurants, but it is the first time I have ever seen this. Anyway, the soup was thick and delicious and stayed piping hot.

By the way, the room was so dark, my food photos turned out unusable. The one exception was the lobster macaroni and cheese side I ordered.

Full of large pieces of lobster, I was very happy with this dish.

For my main course, I ordered the filet mignon, which was cooked perfectly. The sides were whipped potatoes and asparagus. To drink, I had a glass of Layer Cake Shiraz. They did have many interesting choices for dessert, but by now it was late and I was anxious to get to my hotel, the Comfort Inn by the airport.

http://www.buschsgrove.com/

I did stop at the Steak & Shake across the street from my hotel and got a mint chocolate shake.

Much more to come and I promise plenty of interesting food photos.....

Saturday February 2

I thought when I showed up at Connelly's Goody Goody Diner

when they opened at 7:00AM, I would be the first one in the door. Instead, there was a table with four policemen, halfway through their breakfast, which is almost always a good Roadfood sign.

Slingers are popular here in St. Louis and here at the Goody Goody Diner, the slinger known as The Wilbur is their signature item.


This is an omelet, full of home fries, green peppers and onions, all smothered with a delicious chili and topped with cheese. Here is a close-up shot of the inside.

I have had The Wilbur before, but I had forgotten just how good it was. You also got your choice of breads and I received an excellent hot biscuit,

which was great for mopping up the extra chili. A bowl of grits completed the meal.


As usual, my picture taking drew attention and the owner, Richard Connelly came over and introduced himself. When he found out I was a visitor to the city, he sat down and chatted for a while. I had lots of questions and he told me the family's history with the business. Also interestingly, he said that the big neon sign on the front of the building is one of the very few businesses in St. Louis grandfathered in to be allowed flashing lights.

Anyway, I really enjoyed spending time with Mr. Connelly and before I left, he gave me a commemorative (this is their 60th year) coffee cup, which I really appreciated.


http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=1178&RefID=1178

Before heading out of town, I went looking for another interesting St. Louis food, Gooey Butter Cake.

Much more to come.....

Buffetbuster,
Can't wait... especial' fo' them snoots.
Keep the good detective work coming!
Barnacled To The Spot For Awhile, Ort. Carlton in Amazing Athens.

Ort-
You sound like a snoot man from way back! Sorry, but you are going to need to be barnacled there for quite a while.....snoots was my last meal before I flew home. That will give me incentive to try and get the report done in a more timely manner.

Saturday February 2 cont.

Before my trip, I searched the forums for advice on where to get Gooey Butter Cake. A place recommended by local St. Louis tipster Extreme Glow looked promising. So I headed for Park Avenue Coffee.


The people inside were incredibly nice (a common theme throughout the area my entire trip) and answered all my questions. They advertise having 64 different varieties, with 15-20 available any given day. Here is their display


Every single one the guy helping me named sounded good, but I settled on a butterscotch toffee

chocolate peanut butter

and of course I had to try the traditional, too.


Since this is my first experience with GBC, I wasn't too sure how representative what they sell at Park Avenue Coffee is. But, I can tell you they were delicious! Ultra-sweet, Gooey Butter Cake is the perfect name, because they are extremely gooey, which is a wonderful thing. The chocolate peanut butter was too rich for me, but the butterscotch toffee was wonderful. And the traditional was easily the best and reminded me of eating a gooey version of chess pie.

Extreme Glow-
Thanks for the great tip!

http://www.parkavenuecoffee.com/home.asp

By the way, I spoke with my cousin Johnny when I returned and he mentioned our grandmother used to make Gooey Butter Cake. I didn't know that!

Much more to come.....

Saturday February 2 cont.

After leaving Park Avenue Coffee, I ran into a bit of a stumbling block. Road after road I tried to get on was closed due to the Mardi Gras parade that was soon to start. Many, many young St. Louisians walked by my car wearing beads as I sat in traffic I wasn't expecting. Finally, I made it onto the freeway and headed east into Illinois.

My destination was Carbondale and after a nice almost 2 hour drive, I arrived at my destination, Mary Lou's.


As soon as I walked in the door, I fell in love, in a Roadfood sort of way.


Although there is another room to the left with tables, I appreciate a place that has so many counter seats. I sat down and asked the waitress what they make best. She immediately answered biscuits and gravy. Since it was 11:30AM by now, I had my mind made up for lunch. She then said most people get the hamburgers. Once I started looking around, I realized that everyone and I mean EVERYONE was eating the biscuits and gravy. So, I called the waitress back and ordered that.

I can't promise the biscuits were homemade, since I forgot to ask, but they sure did taste that way. And the peppery sausage gravy was outstanding! It is easy to see why this is so popular. I was conveniently sitting right in front of the gravy holding area

and probably no more than 30 seconds ever went by without one of the waitresses coming over to get another plate of biscuits and gravy.

I thought about eating a burger, too, but decided to try some pie. But my waitress informed me they don't have pie on Saturdays, which I thought was a little odd. So, I paid my bill of under three bucks and left. It is easy to see why this place is wildly popular with students from Southern Illinois Universiy just down the street.

Speaking of SIU, their bookstore was my next destination, where I bought myself a t-shirt. SIU has one of the best college sports team nicknames, the Salukis and a pretty cool logo.


On the way out of town, I stopped at an interesting bakery I had spotted.

Wasn't Christadous the name of a villian in a James Bond movie?

After looking over the pastries in the case, I decided it was easier to scan the list on the front of the case. One of the things listed was a butterfluffette. I don't know what they were, but I decided I had to have one! Unfortunately, they were out. So, I had to settle for a black and white cookie

and a devil's food heart.


While I was driving on SR 127, just south of Pinckneyville, I passed a place called Dixie's Cup Cafe that looked promising. The parking lot was full of pickup trucks and it had a great Roadfood look about it. But being on a bit of schedule, I didn't have time to stop. Anyone ever been there?

I got back on I-64 and headed back to St. Louis.

Much more to come.....

bb, you absolutely amaze me. And as I posted before you are the quintessential Roadfooder!!! Continue to enjoy!

I second that. You're like a Roadfood divining rod! That biscuit and the biscuits and gravy looked mighty fine. Can't wait to see the rest of the report. I really love your ability to talk to the owners and proprietors and get the backstory on the places you eat at and the food you eat. I wish I could do more of that.

You, sir, are the roadfood prince(the Sterns remain king and queen) Loved your report and I envy your visit to Southen Illinois. My favorite Saluki is probably former New York Knick Walt(Clyde)Frazier.

You the man BB. There's some mighty good trip reporters here that run a close second but you're the leader of the pack.

Saturday February 2 cont.

One of my favorite moments of the trip occurred when I was driving back to St. Louis from Illinois. Around the 8 1/2 mile marker, you come around a bend in the interstate and all of a sudden the city skyline is there, with the Arch framing a tall building. Beautiful sight and I wish I could have pulled over and taken a photo!

Once I got back in the city, I headed to The Hill, home of St. Louis' Italian community. My first stop was Amighetti's.


Known for their excellent sandwiches

I ordered the famous Amighetti Special.


The sandwich comes wrapped in butcher paper, closed with tape that says, "Amighetti's Special Often Imitated-Never Duplicated."

Although the quality meat, cheese and toppings help, what really makes this sandwich is the excellent homemade baked bread. Fresh and chewy, it is baked right next door.

In fact, I saw several people come in and just buy the bread.

They also make lots of pasta and salads and what I saw on other tables sure did look good. But, I knew I had another place to hit on The Hill, so I moved on.

At the church next door to Amighetti's, they have a cool statue dedicated to Italian Immigrants.


More to come.....

Buffetbuster,

As usual you outdid your self!

One thing though.....Grits and Biscuits??!!! In St. Louis???!!!

Next thing I know they're going to be serving Lobster Rolls in Natchez Mississippi!

WJ, Half the population of the Ozarks relocated to South St. Louis after WWII, of course there are biscuits and gravy and grits!

Buffetbuster, I haven't been to St. Louis for about 9 months. You sure make me want to go back. Great report.

quote:

Originally posted by zataar

WJ, Half the population of the Ozarks relocated to South St. Louis after WWII, of course there are biscuits and gravy and grits!

Yes, Zataar,

You're right!
I forgot about the Ozarks
I had the the "blue collar" "rust belt" city with the mixed ethnic enclave in my mind similar to buffetbuster's Pittsburgh!

I am loving this report my husband and son and I are going to St Louis for the very first time ever this May for our 9 year anniversary/family vacation lol awesome pictures!!!

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew

quote:

Originally posted by zataar

WJ, Half the population of the Ozarks relocated to South St. Louis after WWII, of course there are biscuits and gravy and grits!

Yes, Zataar,

You're right!
I forgot about the Ozarks
I had the the "blue collar" "rust belt" city with the mixed ethnic enclave in my mind similar to buffetbuster's Pittsburgh!

Missouri was a Southern state that didn't secede. Still thinks that way.

BB - I am loving this trip so far, looking forward to the later editions and the snoots. I also see you are keeping up the tradition, why only buy and eat one dessert by the traditional and some others for comparison. That is going to be my knew RF philosphy!!

WJ - Grits, I was thinking, what is this Yankee doing ordering grits, then I remembered BB is no typical Yankee.


Edit: That Lobster Mac looked AWESOME!!

lleechef-
Thanks again for the compliment! Coming from you, it is genuinely very much appreciated.

billyboy-
Thank you also. Seeing all the great trip reports from you and others on here make me want to keep trying to get better at it to keep up. So thank you for that, too.

I rarely go into a restaurant looking to meet the owners. More times than not, I just want to blend in, although in the south, as soon as I open my mouth and they hear me speak, that goes out the window. This past weekend in St. Louis, I wore my Mizzou sweatshirt, just so they would think I was a local. But, it can be difficult to be inconspicuous when you are taking photos of everything!

I imagine it would be much harder to converse with the owners where you live in NYC. First of all, the restaurants up there are usually so much busier, they usually don't have time. And they are also most likely much more used to having out of towners patronizing them. When I walk into a place like the Cypress Grill in North Carolina, they are shocked and thrilled that someone from so far away is eating there. They are just as curious about me as I am about them.

mr chips-
Once again, much appreciated! I had never been to the southern part of Illinios before, so a trip over to Carbondale made a lot of sense. And I had been curious about Mary Lou's since buying the 1992 Roadfood book. I just had a feeling this place would be a really good one and it was. By the way, I had no idea Walt Frazier went to SIU. Go Salukis!

CajunKing-
I thought you would be upset at me for not having eaten any pie this past weekend, but luckily the gooey butter cake was close enough. Wait until you see what I ate at the Crown Candy Kitchen!

By the way, this Yankee has a mama born in Hazard, Kentucky and I grew up eating lots of good Southern dishes.

One more thing.....as good as that lobster macaroni & cheese was, it was so rich and luxurious, I did have a hard time finishing it. A bigger portion would have gone to waste.

Leania 1stone-
I'm glad you are enjoying the trip report and it is so timely for you. I can't tell you how many times someone posted something here in the forums that came in handy just before I visited another city. I'm glad I can do it for someone else for a change!

quote:

Originally posted by wanderingjew



One thing though.....Grits and Biscuits??!!! In St. Louis???!!!

I was thinking along the same lines when I went into Mary Lou's in Carbondale, IL. When the waitress suggested the biscuits and gravy, I immediately fluffed it off. But when I saw everyone else was eating it and I remembered a recent thread here on Roadfood saying that southern Illinois has more in common with the south than it does Chicago, I changed my mind.

Now, I recently ate at a place called Schmucker's in Toledo where the reviewer recommended the biscuits and gravy. I just couldn't see me ordering that there.

Saturday February 2 cont.

My next destination was less than a mile away, Lou Boccardi's.


The bar was full of revelers from the Mardi Gras parade, but the dining area was practically empty. But then, it was only about 4:30 in the afternoon. I got seated in the upstairs back dining room, which has some attractive murals on the wall.


The reason for my visit here was to try another food St. Louis is famous for, toasted ravioli. Eight come to an order

and although I have certainly had similar dishes back home, these were especially good and firm and were delicious! Good salad with the house Italian dressing

and I ordered the cannelloni as my main dish.

I can be very picky when it comes to red sauce, but this was quite good. Lou Boccardi's gets a big thumbs up!

By this time, I was really, really full, so I decided to go back to the hotel. But, not before making one more stop. Bissinger's

is a local upscale candy store with multiple locations. I went to the one on Maryland Plaza.

I can tell you this is the first time I ever felt underdressed in a candy store. There is no doubt that the candy here is expensive, but everything I bought and tried has been terrific. This includes chocolate covered cranberries

cinnamon bark (which I had never heard of before)

and several others small pieces including a chocolate marshmallow bar called Heavenly Hash.

From talking with the young guy waiting on me, the thing to get here is the chocolate covered fruit, which is what Bruce & Sue mention in their review. Unfortunately, they are only available a very limited amount of time during the year and February sure isn't that time. I am looking forward to getting some shipped to me this summer.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=3152&RefID=3213

Back to the hotel to relax for a few hours.

More to come.....

Buffetbuster, I haven't been to Lou Boccardi's in 12 years, I'm so glad to see that the quality has kept up...

If you ever return to St Louis, Mama Campisi and Cunnetto House of Pasta also get a huge thumbs up....Unfortunately I can't say the same about Rigazzi's.

WJ-
I knew you would be pleased I went to Lou Boccardi's. I chose there because of recommendations from you here in the forums.

I did see Cunnetto across the street, but figured two meals on The Hill was enough for one visit. Next time for sure!

What a great report.Your pictures are so crystal clear-you really capture the essence of the food.All looks yummy!!

What a great review, and the pictures are making me so hungry. Can I go to lunch now? Where's that cinnamon bark?

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

CajunKing-
I thought you would be upset at me for not having eaten any pie this past weekend, but luckily the gooey butter cake was close enough. Wait until you see what I ate at the Crown Candy Kitchen!

By the way, this Yankee has a mama born in Hazard, Kentucky and I grew up eating lots of good Southern dishes.

I was smiling the whole time reading about the GBC, you did yourself proud.

I said you are not the typical Yankee, a mama from Hazard? hmmmmmm now it all becomes clear.

I have a good friend down in that neck of the woods, that produces some of the best "Kan-Tuck-Ee Electric Spring Water" if you know what I mean. Smooth, slightly sweet, warms your innards.

Quite a trip. Nice pics

Will you please finish this report? That way, I can tell you how much I enjoyed -all- of it. You're among my insirations in the trip report game.
I wish you could have written or at least taken a picture of a brain sandwich. Does it come with mayo..? Inquiring minds want to know.

wanderingjew wrote:===Next thing I know they're going to be serving Lobster Rolls in Natchez Mississippi!===

They do. It's called a crawfish po'boy. The truth of the matter is crawfish are nothing more than lobsters who have walked down the Misissippi. By the time they get there, that's what they look like.

mark

doggydaddy-
Thanks for the kind words! And welcome to the army of Roadfooders now invading restaurants everywhere and photographing their food!

I am having all kinds of trouble with my laptop, but I should be able to finish the report tonight. I hate to keep Ort waiting for his snoots photo.

Sorry, but no brains sandwiches on this trip. I just plain ran out of time. Darn!!!

Saturday February 2 cont.

After relaxing at the hotel for several hours and getting my appetite back, I decided it was time to look for another one of St. Louis' unique foods, a St. Paul sandwich.

Usually, I am obsessive about planning ahead of time of where exactly I am going to eat, but these sandwiches are supposed to be readily available at one of the many chop suey parlors all over the city, so I thought I would just find a place once I got here.

While driving from my hotel to Connelly's Goody Goody Diner, I noticed a small chop suey place in a strip mall. So around 9:00, I called to see if they carry St. Paul sandwiches. They said yes and I was on my way.

The name of the restaurant is Year of the Dragon.

and they carry many different varieties of St. Pauls.


I ordered two, one pork and one chicken. In case you are unfamiliar with this food, it is basically an egg foo young patty, between slices of white bread and topped with pickle, lettuce and mayonnaise.

Here you can see the crispy edges of the pork St. Paul

and here is the chicken St. Paul with the lid off.


I have to admit, I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this item. And the two together were less than five bucks.....a real bargain. It made an excellent late snack.

After the St. Paul sandwiches, I went to bed, knowing I had a busy schedule the next day.

More to come.....

Sunday February 3

For breakfast, I arrived at O.T. Hodge

in the north suburb of Ferguson just as they were opening at 8:30AM.

O.T. Hodge used to be a chain of chili parlors that dates back to 1904 and at its peak, had 17 restaurants in the St. Louis area. Eventually, they all closed down and this one was just built a few years ago.

For breakfast, I wanted to try another slinger.

Since I knew I still had lots of food to eat later in the day, I went for the 1/2 slinger, which means you get one cheeseburger patty and one egg instead of two. The chile is the typical Midwest beanless chile and although I thought it was quite good, I definitely preferred The Wilbur at Connelly's Goody Goody Diner.

There were many other really interesting items on the menu here and would certainly like to come back and try some more of them.

http://www.othodge.com/overview.html

With some time to do a little sightseeing, I headed downtown. This was my first chance to check out the new baseball stadium.

This place is massive and seems to be ideally situated in the middle of downtown. I have only ever attended one Cardinal home game and that was the last year of the old Busch Stadium, so I was able to look over and see the new one being built. I would really like to return this summer to St. Louis to see a game.

I had about an hour to walk around downtown seeing some sights and of course, I have to include at least one photo of the Arch!


Soon, it was time for my next destination to open, so I got back in my car and headed north.

More to come.....

Edited to correct what the difference between a slinger and 1/2 slinger is.

Great report as always, BB. But I don't know if I can wait-------what's a snoot?

EdSails-
Unfortunately, snoots (spelled snouts on the menu) are exactly what you think they are.

Well HOLY CANNOLI. I too am waiting on "snoot"s... but in the meantime I second ALL the superlatives.

Also:
1. The lobster mac & cheese looks fantastic! (Since I complimented the RoD on the lobster benedict the other day, this is another that would be high on my list to try!)

2. Carbondale: I'll send a separate email about it but I want to say that I attempted to visit Mary Lou's in 2006. I drove like a batouttahhell to get there by closing time, and pulled up at 5 til [3??] and they were locking up because they were empty. I was SO sad. I asked for a recommendation, started driving to it and realized it was too far away - I was that hungry. And by then my only choice was a supermarket (though fwiw it was a fantastic supermarket, I forget the name).

3. I want to try a St Paul sandwich now!!!

quote:

Originally posted by doggydaddy

wanderingjew wrote:===Next thing I know they're going to be serving Lobster Rolls in Natchez Mississippi!===

They do. It's called a crawfish po'boy. The truth of the matter is crawfish are nothing more than lobsters who have walked down the Misissippi. By the time they get there, that's what they look like.

Duh! NO WONDER I adore crawfish po'boys!!! I am a HUGE lobster roll fan. I never actually associated the two in the taste bud compartment of my brain.

Sunday February 3 cont.

I was the first person in the door at Crown Candy Kitchen

when they opened at 11:00AM. Located in a bit of a rough neighborhood, I'm not 100% sure I would come here at night by myself. But this is my third visit during the day and I have always felt safe.

Walking through the front door is like taking a step back in time.



And they do have plenty of candy for sale,

but most come here for the homemade ice cream. Here is a list of the flavors available

and from what I have seen, they don't change too much. Lots of great options on how you want your ice cream.


After looking around and taking lots of photos, I finally settled down in one of the old, white booths and ordered a hot fudge sundae.

This sundae was a three scooper, with good hot fudge and whipped cream. But the highlight was the sweet toasted pecans.

Since there is always room for a little more ice cream, I went ahead and ordered a chocolate malt and added a banana.

There is a solid three glasses worth of malt in that silver beaker. And this malt, with the pulverized banana in it is STRONG! Definitely not for the ice cream faint of heart.

After taking a few more photos, I headed out the door for my final stop.

http://www.roadfood.com/Reviews/Writeup.aspx?ReviewID=297&RefID=297

More to come and snoots finally make an appearance.....

quote:

Originally posted by cecif


1. The lobster mac & cheese looks fantastic! (Since I complimented the RoD on the lobster benedict the other day, this is another that would be high on my list to try!)

Since I had both of those dishes, I can tell you the lobster benedict at Porthole was vastly superior!

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

Since I had both of those dishes, I can tell you the lobster benedict at Porthole was vastly superior!

Oh maaaaan. My eyes get greener every day!!!

This is amazing I wanted to go to Bissingers AND crown candy kitchen as well my friend Linda that I'm going up there to see said Bissingers is amazing she loves the chocolate covered blackberries but she said it was very expensive so it was definately a treat she only could have once in a while and she is taking us to Ted Drewes while we are up there I'm just excited about the whole trip and I am very excited to see what else is in store with this report because so far you are hitting just about everywhere I wanted to go already lol :)

Sunday February 3 cont.

My final stop was C & K Barbecue.

I noticed that the sign has a #3 listed after the word barbecue. Did there used to be three of them?

I got there a little early and had to wait outside until they opened at noon. The one woman I was talking to said that she was picking up bbq for her sick friend and then she had to be in Illinois by 1:00 to play bingo! So when the doors finally opened, we let her go first.

One of the options on the menu here is the pig ear sandwich and although I consider myself a somewhat adventurous eater, I'm not quite that adventurous! Still, I did order the combo dinner, which is snoots (spelled snouts on the menu board) and rib tips

along with sides of baked beans

and potato salad.


I have to admit, the snoots looked nothing like I thought that they would,


although I'm not really sure what I was expecting. They have a somewhat crispy exterior (I'm assuming they are fried) and really didn't taste too bad. Still, I only ate two of them and I much preferred the delicious rib tips. The thin, sweet barbecue sauce was especially good and they give you four pieces of white bread to mop up the sauce. I did buy a bottle of the sauce to take home.

The baked beans didn't make much of an impression, but the potato salad was rather odd. It had more of a consistency of whipped potatoes, with smaller chunks of potato in it and was quite good.

I washed it all down with an orange soda.

By the way, everything is take-out and I ate mine in my car in the parking lot.

After finishing my meal, I drove straight to the airport and was home by the second quarter of the Super Bowl.

Thanks again to everyone for reading this trip report!

Chocolate and Bananananana

Crown is an awesome place, my fav is the hot fudge split, gee BB more chocolate and banananas

Snoots after chocolate and banana????? My friend you have an IRON stomach.

CajunKing-
I saw that hot fudge split listed after I had already ordered my sundae. Next time, it will be mine!!!!!

Ears can be a little fiberous, even if you cook em to death

The potato salad sounds interesting, did it have a vinegary taste or ????

CK-
I will take your word for it about the the pig ears!

I really don't remember a vinegary taste.....I would classify it more as a sweet potato salad.

And thank you, BB, for trying snoots. You have cured me of the temptation!

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster
Sunday February 3 cont. My final stop was C & K Barbecue. I did order the combo dinner, which is snoots (spelled snouts on the menu board) and rib tips. I have to admit, the snoots looked nothing like I thought that they would, although I'm not really sure what I was expecting. They have a somewhat crispy exterior (I'm assuming they are fried) and really didn't taste too bad. Still, I only ate two of them and I much preferred the delicious rib tips. The thin, sweet barbecue sauce was especially good and they give you four pieces of white bread to mop up the sauce. I did buy a bottle of the sauce to take home.

Buffetbuster,
Yeah, I had depicted something slightly different as well. Seems the old R. Crumb comic where the drunken blues musician wakes the poor visitor up with a skilletful and says "Now we has snoots!" (or something similar) made me vastly epicurious.
If I ventured to St. Louis, I'd surely try them by themselves and not laugh about doing so. "A little peppery sauce... or added pepper sauce... and they're pretty good. Not much food value to 'em, though," an old friend from St. Louis once told me.
I'm really enjoying your travelogue here, and especially liked seeing your Toasted Ravioli. Remember, if you only ordered one to taste it, it would be a Raviolus! As the late Miss Comer (my tried-to-be Latin teacher would say, "Keep Latin alive!" She even answered her telephone at home in Latin, but that's another story. Dear lady, she has been ABSUM from this mortal plane for quite a few years.
Under The Weather A Tad (Instead Of Under The Stadium With Seymour Butts!), Ort. Carlton in Nice, Warm Athens, Georgia.
P. S. And thank you mightily for turning us onto a St. Paul sandwich. There's another "must-order" for me in St. Louis.

BB, in KC, snoots were called Gatelifters, as per a conversation I had long ago with Mr Trillin on the Mike Murphy show. I am daring but not reckless, and as such have never tried same. my hat's off to you.

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss
BB, in KC, snoots were called Gatelifters, as per a conversation I had long ago with Mr Trillin on the Mike Murphy show. I am daring but not reckless, and as such have never tried same. my hat's off to you.

Bill,
My hat's off to you for mentioning Calvin Trillin, The Patron Saint Of Roadfood! Who else would take two weeks in France searching for the perfect Tripes De La Caen? -- It is because of him that I saw a short side jump from French Tripe Soup over to Mexican Menudo; I loved the stuff on first taste, and have ever since.
If Calvin Trillin suggested to me that I ought to BBQ old fashioned sour grapefruit and pour mole sauce over them, I might just try it. -- I tried Minty Asparagus Salad once, and wished he had been there to pass judgement.
And God rest Alice!
Only Semi-Curmudgeonly (Right Kneecap Hurts Like Hell = Arthritic Flare), Ort. "Da Gimp" Carlton in 30601-Land, where it continues to be warm.

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!

BB, excellent finish... snoots, I shoulda known. Holy... um... pig nose !!!!

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!

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

Your trip reports are always fantastic - I am living vicariously through your words and pictures!

i'm still drooling over the lobster mac n' cheese....yummm...
great report - carry on, buffetbuster!

There used to be a place here in KC called Pig Snoot Heaven. It was really good.

Buffetbuster, don't know how long you'll be here, but try to make it to Jerry's Woodswether
Cafe, 1414 W. 9th, in the West Bottoms where the stockyards used to be. They are only open until 1pm on Saturdays, but are open until 3pm Monday - Friday. Very good breaded pork tenderloin sandwiches.

Have a great visit, I'll be looking forward to your KC report.

zataar-
Thanks for the suggestion and the compliments earlier. My plan is to fly into MCI and then head into Kansas for the rest of the weekend. I will most likely only be eating one or two meals in the KC area.

But, since I have never been to a Royals game and KC is so easy for me to get to, I anticipate coming back during the summer. There are so many great places to eat in the area, that would be a VERY busy weekend.

bill voss-
Where I am going to eat at in KC Friday night really depends on if my plane lands on time. If it is on time, I will be eating at The Golden Ox. Saturday morning, I will be at Niecie's not eating a pig ear sandwich.

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

zataar-
Thanks for the suggestion and the compliments earlier. My plan is to fly into MCI and then head into Kansas for the rest of the weekend. I will most likely only be eating one or two meals in the KC area.

But, since I have never been to a Royals game and KC is so easy for me to get to, I anticipate coming back during the summer. There are so many great places to eat in the area, that would be a VERY busy weekend.

bill voss-
Where I am going to eat at in KC Friday night really depends on if my plane lands on time. If it is on time, I will be eating at The Golden Ox. Saturday morning, I will be at Niecie's not eating a pig ear sandwich.

Well you can hit the drive thru at GCG, but here's a couple of helpful places:
http://www.explorekansas.org/
http://flyoverpeople.net/v-web/bulletin/bb/index.php
and don't forget, I'm planning on joining WJ and the Travelin' Man in Omahaha
ffor the CWS

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss

...and don't forget, I'm planning on joining WJ and the Travelin' Man in Omahaha
ffor the CWS

Something tells me that the topic of this trip will come up some time on the upcoming drive from Orlando to Mobile and back.

quote:

Originally posted by The Travelin Man

quote:

Originally posted by bill voss

...and don't forget, I'm planning on joining WJ and the Travelin' Man in Omahaha
ffor the CWS

Something tells me that the topic of this trip will come up some time on the upcoming drive from Orlando to Mobile and back.

and hopefully you will be saying nice things about Bill and I.

quote:

Originally posted by Leania_1stone

This is amazing I wanted to go to Bissingers AND crown candy kitchen as well my friend Linda that I'm going up there to see said Bissingers is amazing she loves the chocolate covered blackberries but she said it was very expensive so it was definately a treat she only could have once in a while and she is taking us to Ted Drewes while we are up there I'm just excited about the whole trip and I am very excited to see what else is in store with this report because so far you are hitting just about everywhere I wanted to go already lol :)

I am really happy I could provide you with a sneak preview of what to expect at Bissinger's and Crown Candy Kitchen. I think you will enjoy both as much as I did.

Can I assume you won't be eating snoots?

Uhm no no snoots for me lol I'm a very adventurous person as far as food goes but even there are some limits to what I will eat :)