St. Louis, MO

Our first stop on the global food tour is a little city right in the heart of America- St. Louis, MO. The food culture of  St. Louis has a long history and broad range of influences. The cuisine's influences primarily stem from Italian, German, Irish, and French cuisines, but it includes many American contributions. Some of their most famous local dishes include: BBQ, frozen custard, gooey butter cake, and toasted ravioli. We will explore a little more about each of the delicious foods.  

1. St. Louis Style BBQ

St. Louis-style barbecue involves direct grilling rather than indirect heat and smoking, as well as a larger volume of the style's sweet, sticky, and acidic tomato-based sauce. Some of the most popular restaurants to pick up some good ole STL BBQ are: Sugarfire Smoke House, Bogart's Smokehouse, and Pappy's Smokehouse made frequented by the infamous Adam Richman from "Man v. Food". 

2. Frozen Custard "Concrete"

The local ice cream shop, Ted Drewes, originated "Concrete", frozen custard mixed into a milkshake so thick that you could hang a spoon in it upside-down. This was imitated, years later, by Dairy Queen as the Blizzard. American Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay has even remarked on how incredible Ted Drewes concretes are here!

3. Gooey Butter Cake

It’s difficult to believe that this scrumptious creation was originally made by accident! This signature St. Louis dessert is a mouth-watering coffee cake made with cream cheese, yellow cake mix and plenty of the namesake “gooey butter” smear. It’s soft, it’s sweet and it’s simply irresistible. You can even try making this delectable on your own following this recipe! Let us know what you think!

4. Toasted Ravioli

This breaded, deep-fried dish is undoubtedly the favorite appetizer at any Italian restaurant this side of the Arch. Classically stuffed with beef or cheese, these hearty pasta shells are best served golden brown, crispy and dusted with parmesan cheese!

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