Landry's Seafood House at Union Station

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

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

Arcelia's Comida Autentica, Lafeyette Square

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

Rasoi -the many flavors of India- Central West End

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.

Cafe Natasha's on South Grand

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

Sameem Afghan Restaurant on South Grand

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

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