My St Louis

Landry's Seafood House at Union Station

2010-10-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Anne was visiting from Virginia a couple of weeks ago and staying at the Marriot at Union Station in downtown St. Louis. I picked her up to go out to eat on a Wednesday night and since we were both hungry I checked my Tom Tom to see what was close. Landry's Seafood House just jumped out at me, I must have been in the mood for seafood. Landry's is a chain, from the same people who bring you Joe's Crab Shack, and I don't usually write about chains but since there's only about 20 in the country I thought it would do. I have another reason to tell you about which I will get to in a minute.

Since it was a beautiful night with the temperature about as perfect as it can be we decided to eat out on the patio. It was right next to this artificial lake that was chock full of koi. Great atmosphere for a seafood dinner.

Anne and I both ordered the fried seafood platter. The salad that came with it was definately a step above the usual lettuce with a slice of tomato you see so often. The stuffed shrimp amd crab were both wonderful and the rest of it was, too. We ate every bit of the seafood only leaving some of the bed of french fries and onion strings it was served on.

Lucky for us (and the real reason I'm telling you about this place) is that Wednsdays are Blues on the Patio night. This is the band Blue 66, I loved them! The music was great and was just perfect for our evening out. An unexpected and very welcome surprise we weren't expecting. They said they would be there on Wednesday as long as the weather held out but winter is coming fast, so I doubt they'll be there much longer. They have a great blues/rock/acoustic sound that you just have to hear. Check out their website to see where they'll be playing.

Landry's Seafood House

Blue 66

Cicero's in the U-City Loop

2010-10-16T11:49:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's been awhile, we went there last May, but I wanted to tell you about our trip to Cicero's. We were celebrating my youngest son's graduation from UMSL and I asked him where he wanted to eat afterwards. Cicero's has a reputation as a college hangout but I really enjoyed the experience.

I can't tell you much about them as far as entertainment or night life goes but I can tell you about the food. They have a wide selection of sandwiches, entrees and pizza and no one should have trouble finding something that appeals to them.

The appetizer platter seemed a little pricey but we were celebrating so I ordered it anyway. It showed up absolutely loaded with toasted ravioli, breaded mushrooms, beer-battered onions rings, fried zucchini and potato skins. Everything on it was great!

The boys both got half pound burgers that were huge. They had trouble finishing them but somehow managed. Jenny and I had a seafood and pasta dish that was wonderful but there was so much of it neither one of us finished it. I took mine home and had a nice snack for later.

Definately a place I will go again, for more info, menu and directions check out their website.

Cicero's St. Louis

The Owl in Tower Grove Park

2010-10-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

I was taking a walk in Tower Grove Park this morning when a huge owl swooped down right in front of me and grabbed a very unlucky squirrel. It was an awesome sight. I wish I had been able to get a picture of it, but even if I had my camera, I doubt I would have been ready. It happened very, very quickly. I was really surprised, I never see anything like that out in the country where I live, so seeing it in the city was really great!

Arcelia's Comida Autentica, Lafeyette Square

2010-05-09T17:33:00.000-07:00

I decided the boys were taking me out for Mother's Day! I originally said I wanted to go to Natasha's on South Grand, we'd been there before and they have really good food, but when we got to South Grand, the chain Mexican restaurant there made me start to crave Mexican food. Not wanting to go to a chain restaurant (where's the fun in that?) Sean suggested we go to a place he occasionally visits at lunch time. We had to go to where he works and go from there because that's the only way he knows to get there. I found a much faster way back.

Definitely not a chain, it does look kind of quaint from the outside doesn't it? I love it though, I have a thing for the old buildings.

They had quite a wide selection of entrees and it took me awhile to decide what I wanted, it was a toss up between the salmon plate and the shrimp burrito, I decided on the shrimp burrito and Sean got the salmon (good, now I get to taste it). Ryan decided on the beef empanada.

I loved how the place looked, but there was too much light coming in the window. Ryan was lucky enough to have too much light behind him and his pic didn't come out too well. Sean as you can see wasn't as lucky.

When our food came my burrito was huge. A lot of places I go, they're kind of light on the shrimp in a dish like this but not here. It was all I could do to finish it and just about every bite had shrimp in it. I had a taste of Sean's salmon and it was awesome, this is what I'll order next time (and there will be a next time!). Then I tried Ryan's empanada and thought well, maybe this next time... no, no definitely the salmon. Oh, it's going to be so hard to decide.

For more info and a peek at the menu: Arcelia's Comida Autentica

World Bird Sanctuary - Valley Park, MO

2009-12-27T04:17:00.000-08:00

Last year my grandson Tyler wanted to go to the World Bird Sanctuary for their annual Eagle Day. My son Sean took these pictures and I've been asking him for them ever since and finally got them. The World Bird Sanctuary rescues many injured birds and rehabilitates them.

Unfortunately not all of them can be released back into the wild.

The eagle demonstration was great and very informative.

We saw lots of beautiful birds like these bald eagles.

My grandson Tyler even got to help demonstrate how they fed baby birds so they wouldn't imprint on humans! He's the one in the camouflage drape.

For directions and hours: World Bird Sanctuary

Lock and Dam #25 Winfield, MO

2009-11-26T16:53:00.000-08:00

There is a series of locks and dams along the upper part of the Mississippi to keep it navigatable. It's run by the Army Corp of Engineers. Last weekend grandson Tyler and I went down to the lock and dam near Winfield and were lucky enough to see them moving these barges through the lock.

A Hike to Frenchman's Bluff - Cuivre River State Park

2009-11-22T16:19:00.000-08:00

My grandsons and I decided to hike up to Frenchman's Bluff in Cuivre River State Park. Tyler is doing a little exploring off the trail here.

We haven't even gotten up to the bluff yet and I've already worn them out. Nothing a shot or two of Mountain Dew couldn't cure. (Their mom was NOT happy with me about the Mountain Dew)

The boys were a little disappointed that we couldn't see their house from the bluff but we still had a good time.

Another great view from the bluff.

And another!

Fall Color in Tower Grove Park

2009-11-17T15:44:00.000-08:00

These pictures were taken a couple weeks ago, if you don't want to look at a bunch of pretty trees you can stop reading now.

My Boys and I Go To The Zoo

2009-11-13T16:44:00.001-08:00

If you keep coming back to this blog your going to see lots of pictures of the St. Louis Zoo. It is absolutely my favorite place to go. This leopard was having a bath while we were there.

The peacock was strutting his stuff at one of the food courts much to the delight of the children there.

It was feeding time at the sun bears enclosure.

We even got to see a parade.

And of course it wouldn't be right without a picture of Sean (and his brother Ryan) walking away from me.

A Walk in the Woods - Cuivre River State Park

2009-11-13T16:11:00.000-08:00

About a month ago after the leaves changed color but before they all fell, my grandson Tim and I took a walk at Cuivre River State Park. It's only 50 miles north west of St Louis and just happens to be right next to Troy, which is where I live.

Tim makes it look so easy, I didn't get over that log anywhere near that easily or gracefully.

There was still a lot of color in the woods and it was a great day for a walk.

I love the way the sunlight turns some of these leaves almost purple in this picture.

And like his Uncle Sean, Tim is always walking up ahead.

Rasoi -the many flavors of India- Central West End

2009-11-13T15:50:00.000-08:00

Rasoi is a wonderful restaurant with good food! A friend and I went for the lunch buffet and had a really nice meal. I couldn't tell you the names of anything we had but everything was good (and spicy)! Good friends, good conversation and a good meal, who could ask for anything more?

For menu, address and more info click here.

Tower Grove Park

2009-10-15T04:59:00.001-07:00

Sean now lives only a block away from Tower Grove Park. It's a great place for just taking a walk so a couple weeks ago when Sean was away and I was checking on his apartment I decided to take a walk.It wasn't the best day for taking pictures but a few came out ok. One of the first things you see when you enter through the entrance on Arsenal is the Turkish pavilion.

I love the area around the lily pond. I took lots of pictures of it but the one above is the only one that came out ok.

The pavilions and other areas for events come in all sizes and can be rented for the day for anything from birthday parties to weddings. All in all, it was a wonderful day for a walk even if the pictures didn't turn out too well. With Sean living so close we will be walking in Tower Grove Park again very soon.

For more info go to Welcome to Tower Grove Park

Cafe Natasha's on South Grand

2009-09-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

A few weeks back I had both my "boys" with me (OK, so they're supposed to be adults but I'll never accept it) which was a little odd since Ryan usually won't accompany us on our culinary adventures. He did protest being dragged into Cafe Natasha's, I think he was expecting St Louis Bread Company.

We all ordered Gyros since I was a bit low on funds. They were.... well, they were... awesome, delicious, really good and all that. Even Ryan liked his! Make sure you spring for the extra dollar for the feta cheese it makes a good meal perfect. Next time I'm going to try one of the kabobs, I was watching the waitress deliver them to other tables and they really looked good, too.

For menu, directions and hours: Cafe Natasha's

The Hill

2009-09-23T17:30:00.000-07:00

Sean and I were driving around "The Hill" last Sunday. Sean had checked the directions of where he wanted to go figuring he would remember the way. He didn't. Our destination was St Ambrose Church where they were having a flea market. Sean just moved into his first real apartment and wanted to see if they had anything he could use.
Originally settled by Italian immigrants, the residents of The Hill are still predominately of Italian descent. This statue in front of St Ambrose is in honor of the Italian immigrants.

The Hill is known for it's many fine Italian restaurants. We didn't eat there Sunday because most of the restaurants close to the church were closed. Sean had a craving for Asian so we took off for South Grand (see previous post on Pho Grand).

And what post wouldn't be complete without a picture of Sean walking ahead of me?

Sameem Afghan Restaurant on South Grand

2009-09-21T17:06:00.000-07:00

Sean and I tried Afghan cuisine last month. (Yes, that's Sean both in the reflection and walking away). We both had the lunch special that is advertised on the sign in the bottom picture. It was rice with a beef stew and a seasoned chicken dish. It was very good and the service was as fast as advertised so if your in the area and sick of fast food you could try this for something really different.

For menus, locations and hours: Sameem Afghan Restaurants

Pho Grand on South Grand

2009-09-20T16:15:00.001-07:00

My son, Sean and I have been exploring foreign cuisines on South Grand in St. Louis. My son just moved down near there and we have been checking out the neighborhood. I have more places to tell you about, but this is where we ate today.

Pho Grand serves authentic Vietnamese cuisine. It was wonderful! I loved every bite. My son had the Hao Sautee (sauteed scallops) served with rice and a few artistically arranged fresh veggies. He actually finished before I did, which rarely happens. I had Mi Xao Mem Do Bien which is a stir fried noodles with assorted veggies and seafood. It was very, very good.

I have another son, Ryan, who usually refuses to join us on these expeditions. His idea of foreign cuisine is tacos (Mexican) and pizza (Italian) .

For hours, location and menu: Pho Grand

The Magic House

2009-09-14T15:38:00.001-07:00

Two years ago I took my youngest grandson, Tyler to The Magic House and we had a blast. I took these pictures with my cell phone so they are not as clear as I would like but it gives you an idea. The first two were taken in the "restaurant" where the children can pretend to be cooks, cashiers and waitresses. This and the "grocery store" at the bottom were Tyler's favorites!

For hours and directions visit their site:

The Magic House

More Pictures of Missouri Botanical Gardens

2009-09-14T15:22:00.001-07:00

Check out the gardens website for more info:

Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Gardens

2009-09-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite places to just take a walk. I just posted some pictures of the garden on one my other blogs here. That gave me the idea to do a blog just about St. Louis. Why not? I don't live there but my son's do and I'm only an hour away. These are some "extra" pictures and not the "good" ones I posted on my other blog. I'll put them in the next post. The back you can see in the bottom picture is my son Sean, once again going to fast to stop and smell the roses because he wants to see whats next.