78 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER
EAT THIS
if you have a sweet tooth look no further
than the city’s specialty, gooey butter
cake. Found almost exclusively in the
St louis area, this decadent dessert is
the ultimate local treat. the story goes
that a baker in the 1930s mixed up the
proportions of flour and butter in a recipe
and, rather than throwing it out, served
it as it was – dense and rich – much to
the delight of his customers. the rest
is history. try it at Park Avenue Coffee,
which has four locations in the city.
SEE THAT
no trip to St louis would be complete
without a stop at the city’s most famous
landmark, the St Louis Arch. the world’s
tallest arch at 192 metres, it has 1,076
steps to its peak, but all visitors use
the trams to be whisked to the top
for stunning views over the city,
the Mississippi River and beyond.
DON’T MISS
Ditch downtown and head out to the
Delmar Loop, home to some of the
best restaurants, bars and boutiques in
St louis. Blueberry Hill is a landmark St
louis restaurant and music club that has
been attracting locals for more than 45
years. chock-full of music memorabilia
and occupying an entire city block,
Blueberry hill is home to the famous
Duck Room, an intimate venue where
the legendary chuck Berry (a St louis
native) played 209 monthly shows up
until he retired at the age of 87.
AFTER DARK
Soulard is one the oldest and most
vibrant communities in St louis. known
for its raucous blues clubs and southern-
style restaurants, it’s the ideal spot for
a night out. it’s even better if you’re in
town for Mardi Gras – Soulard claims the
country’s second biggest Fat tuesday
celebration after new Orleans.
THAT ONE TIME OF YEAR
St louis has plenty of events and festivals
throughout the year – Taste of St Louis is
a foodie favourite, while music buffs head
to Loufest to check out up-and-coming
and nationally known musicians across
a range of genres. Spring in St louis,
though, heralds the start of baseball
season. the Cardinals have called the
city home since 1882 and are one of the
oldest and most successful teams in
professional american baseball. You’d
be hard-pressed to find a more authentic
St louis experience than swigging beer
in the sweltering summer heat at Busch
Stadium in downtown St louis while the
city cheers on the cards.
St Louis
MISSOURIKnown as the Gateway to the west, St Louis sat on the edge of the American frontier.
Lewis and Clark set out on their expedition from there in 1804 and the city served as
the last major stop for pioneers setting off across the Great Plains into the first half of
the nineteenth century. Today St Louis is better known for beer and barbecue. Home of
Anheuser-Busch, the city has a long brewing history and these days is making a splash
with craft brews – try Urban Chestnut or 4 Hands Brewing Company. The local preference
when it comes to barbecue is grilled pork ribs slathered in sauce. Fun fact: more barbecue
sauce is consumed per capita in St Louis than in any other city in the country.The view across the
Mississippi River to
the St Louis Arch.St Louis Ballpark Village is
the entertainment precinct
outside Busch Stadium.
cOURteSYtRaVelSOUthUSa (St lOUiSaRch); eXPlORe St lOUiS(BallPaRk VillaGe)