ST. LOUIS TOUR: DAY
3
Begin your final day with breakfast at the City Diner, near Tower Grove Park, no doubt the only place in town with meatloaf omelets and a wall full of '50's rock album covers. Then, continue heading south or southwest with several options. Combining history and lifestyles of the rich and semi-famous is Grant's Farm. Not only was it the residence of Ulysses S. Grant — his wife, Julia Dent, was a St. Louisan — it's the ancestral home of the Busch brewery family. Visits consist of a tram ride around part of the farm, which is full of exotic animals, plus views of the Grant cabin, close-ups with the massive Clydesdale horses and, as at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery headquarters, free beer samples for adults.
For lunch, visit the Kirkwood location of Pi Pizzeria, an up-and-coming local pizzeria that specializes in San Francisco-style deep dish and counts President Obama among its devotees. After lunch, if you have children with you, the place to go is the Magic House. This isn't rabbit-out-of-the-hat magic, though you will find plenty of intriguing activities based on science and literature that will tickle children and amuse adults. Those without children may want to venture further west toward Augusta, where Missouri wine country begins along the scenic bluffs overlooking the Missouri River.
If it's not the right time of year for outdoor activities, head for the Delmar Loop, a neighborhood that's full of shops, cafés, restaurants and galleries, all in easy walking distance of each other. Pi has a location here too, or you can lunch at Blueberry Hill for hamburgers and inspect the memorabilia and the jukebox. This is a particularly appealing neighborhood for music lovers, between its music venues and tune-centric shops. Chuck Berry, one of the fathers of rock 'n' roll, does a set at Blueberry Hill every month or so, and nearby Streetside Records is a St. Louis institution. St. Louis is also a good town for record collectors, who'll enjoy Vintage Vinyl. Other shopping possibilities include City Sprouts for contemporary kids' ware and Plowsharing Crafts, a non-profit that offers clothing, jewelry and decorative items from third world countries.
Dinner tonight should be at one of the nine steakhouses downtown. You could choose F15teen, a popular steakhouse where the menu and the décor are expansively contemporary, or Carmine's Steakhouse, a favorite amongst St. Louisans, who flock there for its signature toasted ravioli. Just south of downtown, local producers are exalted through creative cuisine at Niche, the Benton Park home turf of award-winning chef Gerard Craft. If you plan to go, book in advance, as the small space fills up quickly.
Separate of that, be sure to investigate the city's many theaters, large and small. The Fox, an old movie palace that's been gloriously restored in Midtown, gets road companies of Broadway shows. Other possibilities? The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, which mostly does serious drama, and the Black Repertory Theater, which showcases African-American playwrights, offering a varied menu of drama, comedy and a yearly musical. In addition, many small professional companies around town do work that ranges from the avant-garde to old musicals. For more information, visit www.explorestlouis.com.
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