urbanSTL

stl555 wrote:^ that's fricken hilarious, can't believe there's a Wikipedia article on that.

It seems there's a Wikipedia article on just about everything!

Try finding a good bbq pork steak anywhere else in the country

^You know, a friend who moved here for grad school about 2 years ago had one of those St. Paul sandwiches. She called me up and said she had her first taste of St. Louis cuisine. I had to tell her that I have lived in St. Louis all my 46 years, and have never heard of any such sandwich. And still haven't.



I wonder if it isn't just 1 or 2 restaurants that invented this, and then as a sales gimmick they claims it is a "popular St. Louis tradition". Heck, I could invent a salami, spaghetti and cucumber sandwich and claim it is a St Louis tradition, even though no one else has ever heard of it.

I think it depends on what part of the city you grew up in... my mom lived in North St. Louis back in the 50's and I think I've heard her mention a St. Paul sandwich, but I've never had one myself.

The Food Channel did a sandwich special a couple of years back and featured the St. Paul as our contribution. Kind of funny to see it listed with the Philly steak and cheese and the Chicago hot dog. They shot the episode at a Chinese place on Gravois near Utah. Haven't had one in years but just talking about it makes me want to stop by and pick one up on the way home tonight.

There's a "Chinese" food place on Park just west of Truman. A coworker who was going there for lunch brought me back a St. Paul sandwich. Sounded and looked gross, but was absolutely scrumptios.

southcitygent wrote:The Food Channel did a sandwich special a couple of years back and featured the St. Paul as our contribution. Kind of funny to see it listed with the Philly steak and cheese and the Chicago hot dog. They shot the episode at a Chinese place on Gravois near Utah. Haven't had one in years but just talking about it makes me want to stop by and pick one up on the way home tonight.

But what seems odd to me is that, I'm sure everyone in Philly has heard of a Philly steak sandwich, and everyone in Chicago is aware of their famous hot dogs (or deep dish pizza), but no one I have talked to in St. Louis has ever heard of a St Paul sandwich.

shadrach wrote:Collective shame on all of us. And this is a metaphor for St. Louis.

Why the shame on all of us? What I'm arguing is that this is not the "St. Louis institution" it is being credited with.

shadrach wrote:
Go have a St. Paul sammich this weekend and tell everyone you know!!

NO!!!



But I will have a Volpi salami sandwich instead!

aren't people here forgetting one of the most popular fast food restaurants exploding across the country? St. Louis Bread Co. aka PANERA? Man, I wish it was till named SLBC.. but then again what does Boston Market do for Boston? obviously bread co is a lot better than boston market. Panera is fast food and healthy- the starbucks of fastfood. their stock is up like 100% every month..almost..

SLBC is good, but it's not really nostalgic. As much as I like it, it just doesn't invoke the same feelings as a gooey butter cake or a good BBQ pork steak that reminds me of family parties back in STL.



I'm in Minnesota and I can skip over to Panera for lunch. It's not the same as the toasted ravs that I crave and can't find! Every time I come home for a visit, I have to get some T-Ravs and a St. Louis style pizza. You won't find those outside of the Lou!

aimster wrote:Every time I come home for a visit, I have to get some T-Ravs and a St. Louis style pizza. You won't find those outside of the Lou!

I used to think that, until about 3 months ago I was in Vegas for a conference, and at happy hour they had toasted ravioli! I almost fell over! It was certainly the first time I had seen them outside of town.

I actually had ravs at a bar in Dallas a few years ago. Of course, they weren't as good as they are here.

I had them at a restaurant in Chicago - but they were cheese filled. Not nearly as good as the kind you get on the Hill. And Olive Garden has them on the menu now too.... before long they'll be everywhere and nobody will know that they're a STL original.



When I lived in Boulder a few years ago I made gooey butter cake for some volunteers I worked with at the humane society. They all raved about it and asked for the recipe.... but they were all floored when they saw all of the butter and sugar in the recipe. Come on - what did they think made it taste so good!?

I moved to Florida when I was fresh out of college, and living in St. Pete...I worked at a Macaroni Grill down there and showed one of the chefs how to make Toasted Ravioli. They served ravioli on the menu, but I had them bread it and fry it. It quickly became one of the more popular dishes served at that store.

There's a St. Louis-themed jazz & ribs restaurant. It's one of the hot spots here. I haven't been yet... its $$$ so I'd only go if it was on the corp card or for a special occasion.



Apparently Danny Meyer, a St. Louis native, is a mover and shaker on the restaurant scene and was integral in opening the place.



Who knows, maybe he'd consider a St. Louis location?



Link:

Blue Smoke

http://www.bluesmoke.com/



Danny Meyer

http://www.bluesmoke.com/blue/secondary/danny.html

212,



Thanks for that, he sounds pretty accomplished. Hopefully he would be willing to take a look at his hometown now that he's successfully conquered the scene in New York City. Maybe Larry Forgione (sp?) needs to drop him a line to let him know of the great market that STL is turning into.