Though I traverse the neighborhood several times each day, it's like anyone or anything you see regularly, you begin to take it all for granted. When mother/daughter entrepreneurs Susie Smith and Jennifer Smith Schmid, (shown with consultant Steve Smith), founders of Savor Saint Louis Food Tours, invited me to tag along on the tour I had publicized on these pages (read post here), I dragged my feet a bit, wondering if I had the time to visit restaurants I've frequented in a neighborhood I know so well. I thought better however, and was totally surprised by the experience. First of all, it was a forced vacation—if only for a few hours. But what pleased me the most was seeing the neighborhood through the eyes of tourists who had never been in the CWE before.
There were seven participants and four tour guides (Jennifer, Susie, and two "in training," CWEnder Anna Cardot and Margaret Kelly, formerly of Duff's). Five of the out-of-towners were in St. Louis for a weekend of Cardinal games, and while searching online for daytime activities found Savor Saint Louis. A couple from Fort Smith, Arkansas (pictured several photographs below), had been on many culinary tours in other parts of the country and in Europe; the trio from Tulsa had also been on several tours in different cities as well—it's more fun than a tour bus, they said.
Savor Saint Louis is a walking tour that includes visits to five CWE restaurants. The tour on Saturdays (Fridays are an option) begins at 11 a.m., lasts approximately 2 1/2 hours, costs $44 and includes all gratuities (drinks are extra). The experience is not all about the food however. Jennifer & Susie have done extensive research on what makes a tour fun and have included lots of information about the neighborhood's architecture, its history, and stories about some of the interesting people who have lived here.
Our first stop was Dressel's Public House where we were served slider-size portions of the restaurant's popular Porchetta Louie (not pictured). Lines form out the door each time the Food Network rebroadcasts the Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives segment that put Dressel's porchetta on the map. Our group raved about how good it was too!
The tour group spends about 20 minutes in each restaurant before heading to the next stop. From Dressel's we walked down Westminster Place to Cafe Osage at Bowood Farms. The tourists were stunned by the vegetable gardens, beautiful nursery, and gift shop in the heart of the city. At Cafe Osage we enjoyed bite-sized portions of the restaurant's popular Brie L.T., photo above. We were also served a refreshing thyme-infused sparkling water.
At Pi we sampled slices of both a deep-dish and the CWE pizza with prosciutto, arugula, and goat cheese above. The guides shared stories of how CWEnder Chris Sommers and his partner Frank Ubile started the business, and how it has expanded from Pi's first location in UCity, to Washington D.C. The guest from Chicago wondered about opening there! Obviously, the pizza was a real hit!
As we meandered along Euclid to Maryland we peered into the private streets. They too are an example of what is so special and unexpected about this neighborhood. The visitors were stunned by the size of the houses–"are they really single family?"—and how beautifully maintained they are. As we headed for a visit to the storied Chase Hotel the guides pointed out the many shops, Chess Club, each restaurant and more.
Normally, if the Chase isn't booked for a wedding or other event, the fourth tasting occurs there. However it was booked that day, so we headed to Bar Italia and sat at a long table on the patio for a dish of the restaurant's signature tortellini. That was delightful too.
At this point in the tour the group was so pleased with the experience and so complimentary about the neighborhood that the final stop in Bissinger's was the icing on the cake, so to speak. We were served a delicious iced chocolate topped with a homemade marshmallow, a summertime version of the confectioner's popular hot chocolate. The drink is not on the menu, but is offered only for the Savor Saint Louis Food Tour. Samples of Bissinger's caramels and dark chocolates were also passed around by manager Tambora Mills, below.
Tambora, who is quite the affable ambassador for the company, entertained the group with stories of the Bissinger family history and the copper pot that was used to make caramel for Napoleon that is still in use to this day.
There is so much more to be said about the tour that I think you should just experience it yourself—or give it as a gift. You too will be appreciating the neighborhood in a new way. Jennifer and Susie have generously donated a Gift Certificate to offer to the first person to email me (address at top of page, left) with a favorite dish in a CWE restaurant, and why you love it. I'll post the winner here.
The winner is: CWEnder Josie Poulton emailed that she loves the fish tacos at Tortillaria because they are light and refreshing but still fill you up…especially if you add a margarita! Thanks for your entry Josie and enjoy the tour!
Savor Saint Louis Food Tours, Fridays and Saturdays at 11 a.m., $44 includes gratuities, tickets on the website or through zerve (800) 979-3370.