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.
