Show Me St. Louis

Our good friends Sam and Erin were in town for 36 hours and it was our mission to show them what St. Louis is all about. Our plan was to mix classic St. Louis with a bit of a local's take. For food, we went for variety: a local fast food chain, light fare and upscale dining. I know, I know, we didn't introduce them to a single can of locally produced Budweiser.

Imo's pizza
Toasted ravioli
Fitz's rootbeer
Schlafly beer
Chocolate Gooey Buttercake
Niche Restaurant
Cafe Osage
Kaldi's coffee


View St. Louis Tour - 36 hour in a larger map

Driving along the main corridor from University City to the Arch, we took in a sample of the architecture and neighborhoods that constitute St. Louis proper. This tour was by no means exhaustive, but with one afternoon of hitting the streets we exhausted ourselves and were quite satisfied with the progress made. (Complete route mapped above - the blue line was the afternoon route, the green was the course we took to and from dinner):
Delmar Loop
Central West End
Midtown through Grand Center
Downtown
Forest Park
Clayton
Benton Park

But it wasn't a total driving tour - we took in Laclede's Landing to the Arch Grounds on foot and then stopped by the Cathedral Basilica for a breathtaking stroll around the beautiful interior whilst taking a million pictures.

There are so many other places that would have been on my list with a little more time and energy. For those of you visiting St. Louis, here are some resources that may help with your tour:
Core of Discovery
design sponge: St. Louis City guide
Explore St. Louis
City Museum
Zoo Museum District
NYT Travel: St. Louis
Yelp

St. Louis Event Calendars:
Local publications: Riverfront Times, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Sauce, Feast; St. Louis Magazine
ArtsZipper.com
KDHX Calendar
City of St. Louis