Meet the Smiths, l. to r., Jennifer Smith Schmid, Susie and Steve. The family got to know St. Louis in a novel way after moving here from Chicago when the siblings were in grade school. The family would eat out in different neighborhoods whenever they could and learned about their new city through its restaurants. Building on that experience and taking the past five years to get Savor Saint Louis Food Tours off the drawing board, they’re now offering culinary tours in the CWE.
The Smiths learned what makes a food tour fun and worthwhile by sampling them in different cities around the country. They’ve been to Charleston, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Chicago, and New Orleans, which Steve says was the most visually interesting as that tour included a stop in the kitchens. Susie said that the CWE was always one of the family’s favorite places to explore as it has lots of good places to eat, and in her words, “a lot more stuff tucked away.” In fact, choosing which restaurants to feature on the Savor Saint Louis food tasting and cultural tour was really difficult and limited by time and distance covered on the walk. As it is, the tour visits five restaurants, covers 1 1/2 miles and takes approximately 3 hours. In the future, the Smiths hope to offer more tours featuring other areas of the CWE and other St. Louis neighborhoods.
When I met the Smiths at Bar Italia (one of the alternate restaurants on the tour*) it was immediately apparent that this family knows its topic well. Without more than a glance at the menu the trio quickly ordered a favorite appetizer and glass of wine. As you might surmise from Steve Smith’s expression above, he wasn’t sure why he was included in the interview, as he is merely a “consultant” in this family venture. Steve owns South City’s The Royale Food & Spirits on South Kingshighway. That restaurant is also a family affair. His father is The Royale’s bookkeeper and Jennifer is Chief Tasting Officer for both the restaurant and Savor Saint Louis Food Tours. Jennifer is also an account director at Schupp Co. where she works on the Miller/Coors account.
Savor Saint Louis Food Tours are scheduled on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 11 a.m. The eating/walking tour is led by Susie and Jennifer (more tour guides are training) and cover much more than food. Susie, who was a docent at the Frank Lloyd Wright House in Oak Park, IL, has written the script which includes architectural and cultural facts as well as interesting tidbits she’s gleaned from conversations with CWEnders.
The restaurants and menu choices featured on the tour are: generous portions of Porchetta Louie at Dressel’s, Brie LT at Cafe Osage, slices of Pi’s CWE and Berkeley pizzas, and samples of handmade pastas at the Chase Park-Plaza’s Eau Bistro. The last stop on the tour is Bissinger’s where the group is offered a glass of iced chocolate topped with a homemade marshmallow and accompanied by chocolate-wrapped salted caramel. Manager Tambora Mills takes this opportunity to talk about the history of Bissinger’s and the candy-making process the family brought to St. Louis using the techniques and even the same copper kettle used to make caramel for Napoleon. Word is that by the time the group of ten to 12 participants heads home they are very happy, very well fed, and ready for a nap!
If you are looking for a fun way to entertain relatives, out-of-town guests, or an unusual idea for a gift certificate, this is your answer. The tour, which costs $44, is all inclusive (including gratuities to restaurant sites). Participants are given contact information on all the businesses, restaurants, and galleries in the neighborhood to encourage them to visit often.
For more information and to sign up for a Savor Saint Louis Food Tour contact Susie and Jennifer through the website. Private tours are also available.
*Bar Italia is an alternate restaurant if the Chase has a big event when a Savor Saint Louis tour is scheduled.