St. Louis: Mardi Gras & More

 

When I think of Mardi Gras, I automatically think of New Orleans. When I heard that St. Louis had the second biggest Mardi Gras celebration, I knew I had to finally make that trip to St. Louis. My schedule was not going to permit me being in either city for Fat Tuesday, but that did not stop me from partaking in the pre-Mardi Gras festivities St. Louis had to offer.
 

 

First stop on my Mardi Gras trip to St. Louis was the event, Wine, Beer and Whiskey Taste. The price for the event was quite reasonable considering all you can drink and eat. It was also my favorite out of the two events I attended. What I really liked about this event was that as a first-timer to the city, I was able to try three of St. Louis' top BBQ spots; Pappy's, Salt+Smoke, and Sugarfire and I thoroughly enjoyed all three (way too much that I kept going back for seconds, thirds, etc.)
 

 

 

I liked the BBQ at the event so much so that, I made stops at both Pappy's and Sugarfire the next day. I didn't get a chance to visit Salt+Smoke (which may have been a little overkill anyways). My further investigation (not gluttony) led me to believe that Pappy's is great for pulled pork and if you get to any BBQ spot too late in the day, they will run out of the good stuff.
 

 

Sugarfire ran out of ribs by the time I got there too, but the brisket was off the chain. The white BBQ sauce is noteworthy as well. Sugarfire is the brisket spot.
 

 

The second Mardi Gras event I attended was the Cajun Cook-Off. The drink flowed throughout the event which of course included the New Orleans original drink, the Hurricane. This event was a Cajun cook-off but the food was just okay and limited. We weren't allowed to sample the food the chefs prepared for the cook-off and what we received was not chef worthy so for that alone I would avoid this event especially if you want that good down south Cajun cooking.

 

If you are looking for a more authentic Cajun experience and love live music, Broadway Oyster Bar is the place to go. I was able to get my Cajun fix (gumbo and chargrilled oysters) and had the added bonus of jamming to a live band. The vibe was great all around.

 

If you happen to be in St. Louis for any other reason besides Mardi Gras, a great thing about this city is that almost all the museums are free and there are a lot of options. Best of all, the Zoo is free. I would recommend summer instead of winter for a visit to the zoo, only because some exhibits were closed due to snow and a lot of the animals were brought inside, however I loved it because there was barely anyone there and it felt like the zoo had shut down for the day for little ol' me.

 

I also enjoyed the St. Louis Science Center. What can I say, I'm nerdy and I love science. I found the center to be geared towards kids but adults can still have a lot of fun too.

 

There are also several art museums, including the Saint Louis Art Museum, Contemporary Art Museum and the Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts. I visited the Saint Louis Art Museum. It's art, it's subjective, but enough variety to find something to like.

 

The fun part of any trip though is the food. St. Louis surprisingly has quite a lot of unique foods native to the city. For instance, the St. Louis style pizza from the Imo's Pizza. I not saying it's gross, I'm just saying it must be an acquired taste that I just happened to not like.

 

I did like the St. Louis Fried Ravioli or in the case of Anthonino's Tavern, Toasted Ravioli. The Fried Ravioli is offered at many place including Imo's. Just please don't try it there and go to Anthonino's for that.

 

New Orleans originally put me on to Gooey Cake. So, all the times I was downing slices of this stuff, I had no idea it originated in St. Louis. Park Avenue Coffee is a great place to try or just eat a lot of Gooey Cake. They offer several different flavors/types to choose from and they don't force you into buying an entire cakes like many other places.

 

Nothing is really better than food other than alcohol. If you like Budweiser then this is where it all started and Anheuser-Busch Brewery may interest you. I don't so I ended up going to Schlafly Brewery instead. I loved their options and the uniqueness of their beers. The atmosphere was chill and the bartender was very nice and helpful.

 

Also worth visiting is Square One Brewery. I'm my opinion Schlafly is better but a visit is worth it, simply to get an idea of other local brews. I didn't have a meal there, but the Pretzel appetizer was pretty awesome.
 

After all of that, if you want to see something outside of the city. A shortly drive to Illinois will take you to Cahokia Mounds, a historical Native American site built from 600-1400AD. It's pretty cool based on the the history behind it, but looking at it, it's just a mound (almost looks like a Florida landfill). Still it is a nice open area for a little exercise, fresh air and change from the city.

 

In the end, St. Louis gets a stamp of approval from me. Although I can never imagine living there, I liked visiting there and liked that there are a lot of free things to do.

 

There are many other Mardi Gras events coming up so think about St. Louis for a change from your usual celebration.

Pittsburg: The Unexpected City

Pittsburgh was never on my radar. I never had the desire to go there, truthfully I did not think about the city period. The only reason I ended up here was because my travel junkie tendency and need to always try and go someplace different. When I saw that Spirit had a great deal on a flight (less than $50 roundtrip, no bags included of course), I said why not. So I booked my ticket (this was months ago), added it to the calendar and didn't think about it again until a couple week before the trip when I decided to try and plan things out.

It was at the time I discovered my Spirit Pittsburgh flight doesn't actually fly to Pittsburgh, but to Latrobe, a city over one and a half hours outside of Pittsburgh. I had a mini panic attack but managed to compose myself. I mean, I couldn't really do anything about it at that point.

When I arrived in Latrobe, I had a bit of a culture shock. This was not the Pittsburgh I had envision. Don't get me wrong, Pittsburgh is not a big city but it is far from this small country town. There was a benefit to flying through this airport though, the typical airport process was quicker and easier and if you have a car or are from the Pittsburgh area, there is FREE parking so its up to you if the good outweighs the bad. In any case, there is a KFC nearby and I was able to get some Nashville Hot Chicken.
 

 

The drive from Latrobe was not very scenic and was mostly local road disguised as highway, but we made eventually we made it to Pittsburgh. 
 

 

 

I stayed at the Homewood Suites Pittsburgh Airport, a newer hotel near the actual Pittsburgh airport for a really good rate which included free parking, wifi and breakfast. The room was also a suite with a full kitchen.
 

 

If you love bridges, you'll love this city. As a city built on steel they utilize it in as many ways as possible, likely to mostly build cars, but in my head, for building a mass load of beautiful bridges.

 

As far as things to do, if you love art, you'll love the Andy Warhol museum. It's a multi story museum which showcases a lot of his work amongst the work of a few other artists. There is also a lot of history about his life and some interactive exhibits to enjoy. Its fun.

 

 

If you like drinking whiskey, head to Wigle Whiskey. They are a small distillery with quite a few different and unique options to try. They also have some cocktails if straight up isn't your thing; in other words if you can't handle your liquor. It is also right in the Strip District so you can walk from there and make a stop or several stops at one of the variety of restaurants in the area.

 

 

If you can't handle your whiskey and rather get your beer on, then head to Grist House Brewery instead. I loved their Tripel Grist but they have plenty of other great options in a cool, laid back atmosphere. They are dog friendly too. The best part though is that they always have a food truck on site.

 

 

If you love food, don't walk, but run to Gaucho Parrilla. One word, PHENOMENAL!!! I'll let the photos speak for itself.

 

Want to do a little bit of sightseeing? Take the climb up one of the cities two inclines. I only took one, the Duequesne Incline, which seems to be the more popular of the two. Both offers amazing views of the city.

 

If you are spending the winter/holiday season in Pittsburgh, visit the Peoples Gas Holiday Market at Market Square and the outdoor Ice Skating Rink.

 

If you want to venture outside of the city and have an appreciation for architecture, please do yourself a favor and go see Fallingwater. It may be in the middle of nowhere and the ride from the city feels like something out of a horror film, but you will discover the beautiful Fallingwater home designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. A gem well worth the hour and a half ride.
 

 

I'll admit I really thought I was going to hate Pittsburgh and wrote it off as a place I would never come back to, but the little voice inside me is still chanting, black & yellow, black & yellow! It was a great city and I would gladly return, but unfortunately, I still even after this visit, I still don't like ketchup (sorry Heinz).