Why did I spend a weekend in St. Louis?
If you look at my photos, you might think my reason was to eat and drink.
But my real reason was to visit Rease.
You may remember her as my wino buddy in Buenos Aires.
But yeah, we ate and drank a lot too 
The Taste of St. Louis
When Rease told me the Taste of St. Louis would be going on, it seemed like a good weekend to visit. This is the first year they offered a separate ticketed Grand Tasting Event. I’m not a big fan of waiting in line for food, so a special ticketed event definitely appealed to me.
Plus, the restaurants featured would be serving food that is too difficult to do on a very large scale.
What is a very large scale?
Yep, that really is the view of the Taste. I had no idea it was that big of an event.
Enjoy some scrumptious photos and try not to lick the screen.
Duck Confit on Quinoa Cake w/ Cherry Shallot Sauce and Sweet Potato Puree
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup – The fancy take on a classic
Lobster Ravioli
Shrimp with Capers
I don’t remember the official name of this bite, but the capers really made it stand out.
Beet Gazpacho
One of the best surprises of the event.
Mini Candied Apples
How freaking cute are these?!!
Chocolate Mousse Toffee Crunch Bar
This was AMAZING!
Gooey Butter Cake
This is the one thing I was willing to wait in line for at the Taste of St. Louis. Gooey Butter Cake is a specialty of St. Louis. I had never heard of it. Rease was absolutely correct in her explanation that it’s good for a bite or two but so rich you can’t eat too much.
Who provided this delicious food?
Some of the restaurants featured in this post include Mad Tomato, Russo’s, Mike Shannon’s, and Duff’s.
The verdict?
Exceeded my expectations. In fact, St. Louis as a whole exceeded my expectations.
Check out more St. Louis food photos!
What are your favorite St. Louis restaurants or food specialties?
Really? The beet gazpacho was good? Everything else looked incredible, but that one made me kind of wince a little. I’ll take your word for it though, since I can’t remember the last time I tried anything made mainly of beets. I’m not taking your word on the Lobster Ravioli though. I’ll have to try that one for myself.
Steve recently posted..MKTS – Our Secret Musical Past
It really was good. It tasted fresh and not over-sweetened. Probably not for everyone though
There were so many different styles of pulled pork sandwiches that I was also thrilled so see something unique.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Is Portland the Foodie Capital of the US?
That’s some serious creativity going on in St. Louis. Wild imagination has taken shape, especially with that Quinoa concoction. It makes me realize that there’s no limit to what you can do with that healthy and tasty South American rice substitute.
Earthdrifter recently posted..30 Hours in Addis
Quinoa is one of my favorite SA food discoveries. Very cool to see it being used in the US.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Me, a beer, and my goldfish
I’m from the UK but I spent the last month in the US. Now we’re back in London I’m really missing the food in America. Sadly the UK has a lot of catching up to do, especially when it comes to choice and fresh produce.
Becky GlobalGrasshopper recently posted..Palm Springs: what to do in America’s sunniest city
I have only been to London, and while I was impressed with the food in the markets (cheese, meat, bread, etc), I cannot say I was impressed by the food in restaurants… except for the great Indian food on I think it’s Brick Street.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Portland is Brewvana
Yum! That first photo is crazy – it would be hard to decide what to eat with so many options.
Emily in Chile recently posted..The casa particular: where to stay in Cuba
Well, we tried to eat everything. About halfway through the vendors we realized we were going to die. So we started taking 1 or 2 bites unless it was the greatest thing ever. Maybe I should have written a post on how to survive the Taste of St. Louis
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Portland is Brewvana
I could definitely try some of the things!! There do seem some delicacies for vegetarians! Yummy pics
Arti recently posted..A Tourist’s Guide To Tokyo’s Subway Train Network
Lots of pork but a few veggie items too
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..If Portland is weird, then so am I
Those candied apple things looks wicked. I could do a few shots of those… even if they’re probably just fruit lol
I had no clue they grew tiny apples like these. Way cooler than regular apples.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..If Portland is weird, then so am I
Yummm. I would totally go to Saint Louis for this!
Amanda recently posted..Smitten With Split
I’ve never been to St. Louis but now I totally want to. Mini candied apples? Looks like foodie heaven. Nom!
Christina @ Packed Suitcase recently posted..Southern Delaware: Highlights for Culture Seekers
Good food. Good beer. A cool arch. Definitely worth a visit.
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..If Portland is weird, then so am I
Wow that was unusual. I just wrote an incredibly long comment but
after I clicked submit my comment didn’t show up. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all
that over again. Anyway, just wanted to say excellent blog!
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All of you should come visit me in St. Louis and we can eat our way through the city! I don’t live in the burbs anymore, and I have a guest bedroom
Rease recently posted..How to Make Authentic Mexican Tacos
Yea for not living in the ‘burbs and a guest bedroom!
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Coolest playground ever… for adults too!
I want to go back to that Italian place too!
Stephanie – The Travel Chica recently posted..Coolest playground ever… for adults too!