News Taffy

St. Louis is a great city for a fun weekend getaway. You can watch a Cardinals game, catch a concert or enjoy St. Louis’ many other attractions like the City Museum. St Louis is also a foodie’s dream. My husband and I just visited our daughter and have a list of great places to try. My motto says “life is too short to eat bad food” so the restaurants I’m recommending serve food that is lovingly prepared with fresh, wholesome ingredients, not a bunch of chemicals and preservatives. That isn’t to say all the menu options are completely healthy and calorie free; discretion must be used!

The Block prides itself on serving a locally inspired and seasonally changing menu. Trust me when I say the flash fried Brussel Sprouts appetizer with house smoked bacon, caramelized onions, toasted almonds and a hint of lemon is not to be missed. The rest of the menu is equally amazing and reasonably priced for the quality of the food.

I am a pizza snob - I don’t eat it unless it has a good crust and quality ingredients. Pi Pizza serves up a wonderful, thin cornmeal crust with interesting ingredients like prosciutto, goat cheese and arugula on the Central West End or slow cooked pork, Swiss and mustard on the Cubano. They also have a large selection of craft beers and serve great ice cream for dessert.

For a special occasion, try The Preston inside the Chase Park Plaza. Preston serves up extraordinary cocktails and cuisine with a pleasant, knowledgable wait staff. The portions are small and meant to be shared, like tapas so you have the pleasure of trying several different dishes. Our favorites of the evening were the Charred Octopus with Gnocchi and the Soy Braised Beef Cheeks. Who knew octopus could be so delicious or that beef could be so incredibly tender and flavorful? For dessert, don’t skip their signature dessert, gelato encased in a chocolate shell with hot caramel poured over it. Three of us shared it of course.

If you are looking for a quick and inexpensive meal, Mission Taco will delight your tastebuds and at $3 to $3.50 a taco, dinner won’t break the bank. Try the BBQ duck, the vegetarian portobello mushroom or the spicy chorizo, my favorite. They also serve burritos, street corn, empanadas and many other interesting dishes. Service was lightning fast despite the crowds.

While on the topic of Latin food, Sanctuaria serves Latin and South American tapas with a modern twist using local foods, even produce from their own garden. The delicious artisanal salad we had featured tomatoes, radishes, peppers and cucumbers from the garden. We loved the plantains topped with mozzarella and guava jelly and the frita sliders with chorizo and chimichurri. Sanctuaria boasts an extensive cocktail, wine and beer list. The decor was fun and funky, lending a party atmosphere to our evening.

When in the mood for ice cream, head for Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had better. Jeni’s uses fresh ingredients, never synthetic flavorings, dyes or mixes and it shows. With interesting combinations like goat cheese with red cherries, Thai curry pumpkin or darkest chocolate, you can’t go wrong.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day so get your start at Whitebox Eatery. Whitebox uses the best local ingredients with an emphasis on healthy. The egg, cheddar, bacon jam and avocado on brioche was so filling, not to mention delicious, that I didn’t even need to eat lunch. My husband really liked the breakfast veggie sandwich with egg, cucumber, tomato, avocado and walnut aioli. Wash it down with their popular spicy kale juice with apple, ginger and lemon.