The Glass Menagerie is set in St. Louis and is a memory play written by Tennessee Williams. Enjoy watching it this evening after the busy day of sight seeing! https://youtu.be/B6gGYSt6LUM
Toasted Ravioli is a St. Louis specialty! Ravioli, filled with meat or cheese, are breaded and deep fried, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and served with Marinara sauce. There are several restaurants that claim to have invented Toasted Ravioli.
"The restaurant that many say produced the first toasted ravioli was Oldani’s on the Hill. Oldani’s, as the story goes, is where a German cook named Fritz accidentally bumped a fresh ravioli into a nearby vat of hot grease. Realizing what happened, Angelo Oldani, the owner of the shop, fished the ravioli from the hot grease to salvage it. He shaved some Parmesan cheese on top, and then served it to a few patrons as a test."
They loved it.
Thus, the toasted ravioli was born. But why are they called toastedravioli when they are actually cooked in hot oil? According to Lara Evans, the granddaughter of Louis Oldani, he named them as such because he felt that the word “toasted” was more appealing than the word “fried.”"
“Toasted Ravioli - a St. Louis Legend.” Dining Services, 6 Sept. 2019,
https://diningservices.wustl.edu/toasted-ravioli-a-st-louis-legend/.
Try the recipe at home by clicking on the photo!
It is Day 2 of our vacation and our first day spent in St. Louis! We will begin the day at the Gateway Arch!
The Gateway Arch National Park is located near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It was established to commemorate:
The Gateway Arch was initially designated as a National Memorial in 1935 and the Arch was completed in 1965. It became a National Park in 2018. Begin your Tour of the Arch by clicking on the picture above! Also, learn more about the Arch by viewing the Documentary film in the column on your left.
Next up this mor
ning is a visit to Busch Stadium. Busch Stadium is located just a few blocks West of the Arch. It is home to the Major League St. Louis Cardinals and is actually the third stadium that has been built in St. Louis. Click on the photo to take the tour of the stadium and then watch the Budweiser Clydesdales as they circle the field on opening day!
St, Louis Union Station is a National Historic Landmark train station and is located a few more blocks west of Busch stadium. The coolness of being indoors in the midst of a warm St. Louis day makes it the perfect place to visit in the afternoon.
When the station opened in 1894, it was the largest train station in the world that had tracks and passenger service areas all on one level. In the 1940s the traffic peaked at 100,000 people a day. The last passenger train left the station in 1978.
Union Station was remodeled several times and now houses the St. Louis Aquarium. Click on the picture above to take the tour!
It has been a busy day. It is good to relax in the evening with a book or two. Here are a couple more books that you may want to read about Missouri. Click on the book cover for a list of formats that are available or click on the title to start reading right away.
The Pioneer Boys of the Missouri by Harrison Adams
Travel with the Pioneer Boys as they live in the winter camp of the Lewis and Clark exploring party.
Baseball Joe in the Big League; or, A Young Pitcher's Hardest Struggles
by Lester Chadwick
A baseball pitcher is kidnapped and held for ransom and plays for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Get plenty of rest! Tomorrow we are headed to Forest Park, home of the 1904 World's Fair....
