While in St. Louis, I tried to make the most of experiencing the local food and culture - all while working around a conference. Missouri Baking Company is an iconic, family-owned bakery that has been creating European pastries since 1924.



When I arrived, I planned to get something small. I had just a few dollars, and they're cash only. But once I got a glimpse of all the goodies, I reconsidered.



Fortunately, they have an ATM on site. So, I went a little wild. There's a whole section of these tiny cookies. And one available was the "gooey butter cake" cookie. That was a must-have. And, it was a fun little bite of buttery, crumbly cookie reminiscent of the classic dessert here.



As I moved along, I discovered "pasticciotti." These little pastries were filled with ricotta, so I had to try it. The pastry was very light, and the ricotta was sweet. Lovely combination.



But that wasn't all. I went with a cannoli, too, because I can't often find those at home. Stuffed to the gills with ricotta, this cannoli had a hint of cherry. Perfection.



Another goodie was a napoleon. It has three layers of puff pastry with cream in between each. Plus, the top had a cute design in icing. It just feels so decadent to me, so I love them.



And, goodness, there were so many beautiful desserts. I wish I could've tried the entire store. Everything looked amazing.

World's Fair Donuts is a small, cash-only shop that sits at an awkward angle off two streets in St. Louis. They've been selling donuts for more than 30 years and always has a line of morning shop-goers in search of delicious sweet treats.



The shop has a variety of donuts - filled, glazes, powdered and more. I asked what the most popular ones and was told the glazed is the fastest to sell out. That, and the blueberry chip cake donut is a classic. So, I went for both! The glazed was delicious and thick. The blueberry was my favorite of the two - I love a good cake donut. It's like a blueberry muffin in donut form.

 

Chinese takeout tends to have fairly standard items: General Tsos, Lo Mein, and more. But, in St. Louis, there is an additional standard item - the St. Paul Sandwich.



The sandwich consists of an egg foo young patty (made with mung bean sprouts and minced white onions) served with dill pickle slices, white onion, mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato between two slices of white bread. The St. Paul sandwich also comes in different combinations and specials, such as chicken, pork, shrimp, beef, and other varieties. - Wikipedia



So, I ordered from Hon's Wok to get one of these bad boys delivered right to  my hotel room. First, I dug into the crab rangoons which had super crisp edges but a pocket full of creamy cheese. The eggrolls put all the others in my local area to shame. So good. Finally, this sandwich. It is pretty basic - but it's good! It's simple, but think of a good, seasoned egg and onion sandwich with mayo - plus mine had shrimp. I'm on board.

Grade: B

Three words: Gooey Butter Cake. It's this flat, dense, ooey gooey "cake" that is covered with powdered sugar.



"The history behind the gooey dish is questionable but stories we came across said it started out as a mistake and turned into the delicious treat we eat today. One story said the dish dates back to the 1930s when a German baker added the wrong ingredients to the coffee cake batter he was making, and it turned into a gooey, pudding-like filling, according to What’s Cooking America. Another story on that same website said while it was a mistake, the dessert was actually born in the early 1940s when a St. Louis baker named Johnny Hoffman of St. Louis Pastries Bakery created the dish. After many trial and errors Johnny and his dad, “got it pretty good.” Johnny’s mom came in to the shop to try it and said, “this sure is gooey” and, according to the story, that’s is how the name was born." - Source



Park Avenue Coffee has 73 versions of gooey butter cake. From apple cinnamon to turtle and everything in between. For a first-timer, though, I went with the original. It is super thin - and very sweet - but delicious and buttery and so tasty.



My coffee was a caramel "frappicano" - coffee milkshakes are my favorite.

Grade: A

Fitz's Root Beer is an iconic St. Louis soda. So, while in St. Louis - and more specifically at The Arch - I saw a four-pack that I just had to make mine. I'm not a huge root beer fan, but this was pretty tasty.

"Fitz’s Root Beer first appeared in St. Louis at a local drive-in restaurant back in 1947. Famous for its tasty draft root beer and hamburgers, Fitz’s quickly became a local tradition. After sadly disappearing for a number of years, Fitz’s Root Beer was revived in 1993 when Fitz’s Bottling Company, America’s original soda microbrewery opened in the historic and vibrant Delmar Loop. Please come watch us bottle Fitz’s Premium Sodas while sipping on a frosty mug of root beer and enjoying some good homemade food from our diverse American menu.

Fitz’s Root Beer, our flagship soda, is made according to an original recipe developed in St. Louis in 1947. Our unique formula features fine ingredients including select natural roots, spices, barks and is exclusively sweetened with all natural pure cane sugar. Thanks to its robust and creamy flavor, Fitz’s Root Beer has been recognized as one of the best root beers in the United States. We keg Fitz’s Root Beer in 15 gallon barrels in our bottling room right inside our restaurant and serve it ice cold right out of the tap. Our mugs are ‘bottomless’ so come thirsty and enjoy Fitz’s Root Beer, and our other kegged traditional sodas, including Fitz’s Diet Root Beer, Cream Soda, Orange Pop and Black Cherry!" - History