I never did post about this, but on our last visit to STL we were introduced to Joy Luck Buffet on Manchester. While we were there, we never saw anyone under the age of 12 hit the buffet.. the focus is 100% on the exceptionally good szechuan food.


lamb with cumin @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


baby bok choy @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


szechuan string beans @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


chili chicken @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


szechuan wontons @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr

I'm a huge fan of LSC -- we had our wedding reception there, for crying out loud -- and this was several notches above anything I've had there in the past few years.

Joy Luck Buffet
8030 Manchester Rd
Saint Louis, MO 63144
(314) 645-9982

Holy smokes. Joy Luck must be under new management because the food there 10 years ago (when I was at Wash U) looked nothing like that.

jesteinf wrote:Holy smokes. Joy Luck must be under new management because the food there 10 years ago (when I was at Wash U) looked nothing like that.

Wouldn't surprise me. I'd also estimate the crowd was about 80% asian, and they have a fairly large untranslated chinese menu. The only thing close to a dud was the dan dan noodles (the noodles themselves weren't very good). The lamb with cumin and szechuan string beans were particularly outstanding.

We're headed back to STL in March. Thinking we might have to make it out there again.

gleam wrote:

jesteinf wrote:Holy smokes. Joy Luck must be under new management because the food there 10 years ago (when I was at Wash U) looked nothing like that.

Wouldn't surprise me. I'd also estimate the crowd was about 80% asian, and they have a fairly large untranslated chinese menu. The only thing close to a dud was the dan dan noodles (the noodles themselves weren't very good). The lamb with cumin and szechuan string beans were particularly outstanding.

We're headed back to STL in March. Thinking we might have to make it out there again.

Yeah, definitely different. It was strictly Americanized Chinese when I was there. Thoroughly mediocre, but a good spot for cash-strapped college students.

Santander wrote:
If PIGMON were a superhero, this would be the signal to project against the sky.

PIGMON's not a superhero? And all along, I thought. . . Next you're going to tell me ReneG's not a polymath.

gleam wrote:I never did post about this, but on our last visit to STL we were introduced to Joy Luck Buffet on Manchester. While we were there, we never saw anyone under the age of 12 hit the buffet.. the focus is 100% on the exceptionally good szechuan food.


lamb with cumin @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


baby bok choy @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


szechuan string beans @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


chili chicken @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr


szechuan wontons @ joy luck, saint louis by ehfisher, on Flickr

I'm a huge fan of LSC -- we had our wedding reception there, for crying out loud -- and this was several notches above anything I've had there in the past few years.

Joy Luck Buffet
8030 Manchester Rd
Saint Louis, MO 63144
(314) 645-9982

Went to Joy Luck Buffet last night for the first time and it was terrific - certainly the BEST Chinese fare in St. Louis, according to my husband, who believes he has tried 'em all. Although our waiter commented that he was surprised that we did not find the dishes too hot, we were very grateful that we did not get the "not for you" treatment here. The last time I ate at Lao Szechuan in Chicago, the 3 chili chicken was as mild as can be-very annoying, to say the least!

While gleam noted that the crowd was mostly Asian, that was not the case at JLB last night. However, I am told that the place is popular with Asian students from Wash U, which is located within a 10-15 minute drive. Last night, we were the only people at JLB who were NOT eating the buffet. But who can blame folks for hitting an all-you-can-eat dinner for $9.75? And it's BYOB as well. Better bring your own bottle opening device, though. We had some Schlafly Pilsner, but were told that there was no opener. The maitre d' produced a talented waiter, who opened the beer with a tablespoon. I'm not sure what he would have done with a wine cork, though.

Thanks to gleam for ordering for us-via iPhone pics. I would post pictures that I took last night, but they are identical to gleam's. If pictures are any indication, the execution at JLB is consistent.
A gratis appetizer of chili-sesame dressed shredded seaweed was delicious. I loved the lamb with cumin, which had less cumin overall than the version at Ed's Potsticker House in Chicago. This allowed the very tender, juicy, flavorful lamb to shine through. I did find the dish slightly oversalted. The chili chicken was less crispy than the version at LSC, and lacked a sweet note, but had Szechuan peppercorn. Baby bok choy was not listed on the menu, but was available. The light brothy sauce was delicious, and without the slimy cornstarch texture of a lesser dish. The standout dish of the evening was the Szechuan wonton (as pictured above by gleam). It was listed on the menu as "Wonton with chili oil". I venture to guess that this was the finest dumpling in my (admittedly limited) experience. Silken, thin wrappers with an herb-flecked meat filling-not too much ginger or garlic-dressed elegantly in chili oil with peanut, sesame seed, celery, celery leaf and scallion. Wow. It's hard to explain how good this was.

Ed and Beth- I owe you! Dinner on me when you come to town next time!

Hey, glad to hear it wasn't an isolated experience!

We're going to be in STL later this month and I know at least I will be making it to joy luck for a meal or two, not sure about beth.

Thanks to this thread, we have plenty to check out on our upcoming trip this month. I will be traveling with my three kids so nothing too fancy and will be making the stop in Springfield on the way back.

Santander wrote:
A new reason to visit Cahokia: hot-damn CESJ, from a family transplanted from Cicero using a take on the recipe from Los Gallos, in arrow-shot distance from the westernmost mounds.


If PIGMON were a superhero, this would be the signal to project against the sky.

El Gallo Jiros was definitely the hit of our 3-week St Louis adventure. I dragged co-workers from New York, Kenosha, and San Francisco there (actually, they dragged a cab driver there since I drove myself - the cabbie was leery of the East St. Louis address until he saw the place and said, "Oh! I golf right nearby here!") Another of my co-workers from Chicago came with; she's Mexican so she chatted up the owner after we ate our fill of meat, meat, and more meat, plus a couple of micheladas to boot.

Trattoria Marcella was a big hit the first week, although I thought the Lobster Risotto everyone raved about was too rich. Others in our group tried going to various places on the Hill during the following two weeks and none were found to be satisfying.

We also hit Yemanja Brasil, near Soulard, for their special Yemanja Day feast in honor of the sea goddess (who apparently was co-opted by the Catholics as Our Lady of the Seafaring). Good vibe, good drinks, decent seafood. No churrasco.

Oh, on the way back home we made sure to pass through Collinsville to see the giant ketchup bottle.

Vinny wrote:

Santander wrote:A new reason to visit Cahokia: hot-damn CESJ, from a family transplanted from Cicero using a take on the recipe from Los Gallos, in arrow-shot distance from the westernmost mounds.

El Gallo Jiros was definitely the hit of our 3-week St Louis adventure. I dragged co-workers from New York, Kenosha, and San Francisco there (actually, they dragged a cab driver there since I drove myself - the cabbie was leery of the East St. Louis address until he saw the place and said, "Oh! I golf right nearby here!") Another of my co-workers from Chicago came with; she's Mexican so she chatted up the owner after we ate our fill of meat, meat, and more meat, plus a couple of micheladas to boot.

This made my day. Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the updated intel on EGJ and your other finds.

Santander wrote:This made my day. Glad you enjoyed it, and thanks for the updated intel on EGJ and your other finds.

It was great. The owner was mildly shocked to hear that their little hole in the wall was being discussed on the internet. Her shock value increased significantly when my coworker let slip that we all worked for the IRS, but her blood pressure went down when we assured her that our group only deals with corporations with international operations.

BTW, she said that their sister/cousin location (Los Gallos) on 26th and Keeler is where they got their particular CESJ recipe.

Santander wrote:A new reason to visit Cahokia: hot-damn CESJ, from a family transplanted from Cicero using a take on the recipe from Los Gallos, in arrow-shot distance from the westernmost mounds.

That looks like virtually an identical copy, right down to the avocado slicing method (using a spoon to scoop pieces from the halved fruit). The biggest difference seems that in Cahokia they cut the radishes into semicircles instead of rounds as at Los Gallos. I assume you added the two chiles at the table. They wouldn't serve it like that at Los Gallos.

Carne en su jugo, Los Gallos #2, 4252 S Archer

Rene G wrote:I assume you added the two chiles at the table. They wouldn't serve it like that at Los Gallos.

2010 called, and reports it's sorry to lunch vérité seekers for permitting the soup to be doctored with the intruding peppers before photography. I don't think I halved the radishes, though.

There is a great indian restaurant on the 10th? floor of the Best Western next to Lambert airport called "India Palace". Highly recommended.

I was just in St. Louis for my college reunion, and while food certainly wasn't the focus of the weekend we did have a particularly good meal at Selam.

Selam is an Ethiopian place across the street from the Delmar Metrolink stop (it's actually on a little side street and is pretty easy to miss). Solid Ethiopian, well-spiced, and extremely friendly people. 9 of us did dinner there on Saturday night, and even with several beers and a good tip dinner came to about $20 a head all in.

Selam Restaurant
549 Rosedale Ave
St Louis, MO 63112

jesteinf wrote:I was just in St. Louis for my college reunion, and while food certainly wasn't the focus of the weekend we did have a particularly good meal at Selam.

Selam is an Ethiopian place across the street from the Delmar Metrolink stop (it's actually on a little side street and is pretty easy to miss). Solid Ethiopian, well-spiced, and extremely friendly people. 9 of us did dinner there on Saturday night, and even with several beers and a good tip dinner came to about $20 a head all in.

Selam Restaurant
549 Rosedale Ave
St Louis, MO 63112

Thanks, jesteinf. I'm eager to try Selam. Will be sure to report back.

I have another St. Louis area recommendation of my own, and it is oh-so-dear to my heart. I may not be a girl who grew up with Bubbie's matzoh-ball soup, but I did develop into a matzoh ball lover at the late, lamented Lincoln Del in Minneapolis. My family went there every Tuesday during Lent when I was a kid, in an idiosyncratic ritual that I do not pretend to understand. Still, the Lincoln Del gave me an enduring love for matzoh ball soup, which was the only thing I could eat most days when suffering from crippling 24-hour "morning sickness" during my pregnancy. (The super powers of smell subsided upon the delivery, I am happy to report.)

I hate to admit it now, but Pumpernickel's has the best matzoh ball soup I have ever had. Better than the Lincoln Del's for sure. It is clearly house-made, without the addition of commercial soup base and that fake yellow color. It is not too salty. It has big shreds of real chicken breast. There are little bits of bright orange carrot floating in it. And the matzoh ball itself is not too mushy.

I learned that many in the area (Olive Blvd. adjacent to Creve Coeur) are disappointed in the current version of Pumpernickel's, which used to be cafeteria-style like Manny's. Having no such comparison with the remembered Pumpernickel's, I am happy to endorse their soup, even at the cost of bringing my nostalgic memory of the Lincoln Del into clearer focus. They make a good Reuben, too.

Pumpernickle's Delicatessen
11036 Olive Boulevard, Saint Louis, MO 63141-7615
(314) 567-4496 ‎
pumpernickles.com

At some point, I'll be starting another thread with St. Louis area shopping and cooking suggestions, but, in the meantime, let me alert anyone who lives in the area to Thies Farm in Maryland Heights, near Creve Coeur. This is a farm and farmstand with PYO strawberries (current week is the last of the season). Last week I sampled their canned goods; spiced peaches are hard to find! A harvest chart they give you with your purchase promises everything from Asparagus to Winter Squash. Yesterday, I bought bedding plants at very reasonable prices as well as strawberries. (This will help me avoid the lure of Home Depot.) Also in Creve Coeur, Duever's Greenhouse on Mason Road off Olive has a smaller selection of flowering plants and tomatoes in season.

West Location:
3120 Maryland Heights Expressway
Maryland Heights, MO 63146
(314) 469-7559

North Location:
4215 North Hanley Road
St. Louis, Mo 63121
(314) 428-9878

Business Hours:
Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm
Sunday 10am-4pm

thanks to folks who posted on Joy Luck.

we were in St. Louis last weekend dropping our son off at school and checked it out. Though I didn't think the lamb was cumin wasn't quite up to the standards of Lao Szechuan (a little overwhelming use of powdered cumin rather than seed), the food overall was very good, probably the best szechuan I've ever had in St. Louis. The Dan Dan mien, and szechuan kimchee, especially were hits. And the americanized buffet let our youngest have as many poststickers as he could eat (which is a fairly surprising amount). What really stood out was the freshness of the Szechuan peppercorns/prickly ash - much fresher and with more numbing capacity and tangy flavor than any I've had before. So much so that we went searching out their local source (Olive Supermarket/International Farmer's Market - 8041 Olive Boulevard, do not but them at "Seafood City", slightly further east, not nearly as pungent) and my son bought a bag to snack on while studying as he became quickly addicted to these.

These peppercorns, along with the City Museum (by far the wildest museum I've ever been in), and the hotel pool were the highlights of the family trip

zim wrote:thanks to folks who posted on Joy Luck.

We are all indebted to Ed! What a great, unexpected find.

zim wrote:Though I didn't think the lamb was cumin wasn't quite up to the standards of Lao Szechuan (a little overwhelming use of powdered cumin rather than seed), the food overall was very good, probably the best szechuan I've ever had in St. Louis.

Interesting. Having had the lamb with cumin there twice, I have to say that there were two versions, one with whole seed and one with powdered. I agree that the whole seed version is superior.

zim wrote:The Dan Dan mien, and szechuan kimchee, especially were hits.

zim, since way back in the CH days, you've never steered me wrong. I'll definitely order these on my next visit to Joy Luck.

zim wrote:What really stood out was the freshness of the Szechuan peppercorns/prickly ash - much fresher and with more numbing capacity and tangy flavor than any I've had before. So much so that we went searching out their local source (Olive Supermarket/International Farmer's Market - 8041 Olive Boulevard, do not but them at "Seafood City", slightly further east, not nearly as pungent) and my son bought a bag to snack on while studying as he became quickly addicted to these.

Totally agree. So glad to know the source. Here is the "Boiled Beef," and the Szechuan dumplings, which also benefit from a hefty dose of the peppercorns.


photo.JPG


photo.JPG

Here is a tofu and vegetable dish that the host recommended the last time we were there. It was a nice counterpoint to the spicy beef.

photo.JPG

zim wrote:These peppercorns, along with the City Museum (by far the wildest museum I've ever been in), and the hotel pool were the highlights of the family trip

zim, thanks for the tip on the City Museum. Also, best wishes for your son's university experience here. I think a Chicago-area-raised boy can be happy in St. Louis.

and I, in turn, am indebted to my sister and brother in law (who have since moved to cleveland, and are a little sad to have left joy luck behind..)

and yeah, the city museum is amazing.

Took a classic roadtrip from Chicago down into New Orleans this past week. First stop was in STL where we had to pick up a friend who was coming along. I haven't been to the Lou in a while and we only had time for a quick lunch. A no brainer for me.


Carl's Drive In on Route 66

The old longtime sign, not seen up above, was blown down in a storm over the summer so they're getting that fixed. It was a quiet day when we went which was fine for me since the wait can be out the door during warm months. My buddy who lives down there is a regular and knows everyone in there so I was introduced to each and as is mentioned they're one big family. I forget her name but the grillmaster in training was working the grill, the "heir apparent " as my buddy called her and the burgers were as good as ever.


View from my seat

As you can see from the pic they still do their root beer in the glass over there and that was a nice change of pace considering all the homemade root beer stops I went to this summer served them in paper cups. IBC's root beer comes from Carl's recipe. For those unfamiliar with Carl's they do the "30's style" griddled burger to perfection, nobody does it better. It had been a minute since my last visit so I forgot that they too, like Schoop's, pile on the toppings. Everything includes ketchup, mustard, chopped raw onions (grilled avail.), lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo. It wouldn't be this popular style without the cheap old regular bun too. I ended up with a double cheese (a must, perfect beef to bun ratio) with everything but ketchup for there and took a double with grilled onions, mustard and pickles to go.


Hamburger Heaven found on Route 66 in St. Louis

If you don't know about the crunch you need to taste/hear it. The best bites on these burgers are around the end, the beef crunches like the crust on a tavern thin pizza. Still one of the five best burger joints anywhere and I don't see it falling out. I guess only time will tell. My friend insisted we get a "Seth special" as it's called, not on the menu but ask them and they'll know. Named after his buddy, also a regular, it's a hamburger with one of their 'curly q' hot dogs on top with chili smothered over all of it. The dogs are just Hormel foot longs, but they're slithered in a way which makes them curl up when fried. This is so that they fit on the hamburger buns. Great stop, as good as it ever was and that's 'cause nothing's changed.


Seth's Special from the secret menu

On the ride down south we enjoyed a Gooey butter cake, a STL specialty, from Gooey Louie's. After that it was off to Clarksdale...


Also found along Route 66 near Carl's and Ted Drewes

Carl's Drive In
9033 Manchester Road
St. Louis, MO 63144-2623
(314) 961-9652

Gooey Louie
6483 Chippewa St
St Louis, MO 63109-2108
(314) 352-2253

Da Beef wrote:
Seth's Special from the secret menu

Absolutely terrifying.

(NIce post, DaBeef!)

zim wrote:These peppercorns, along with the City Museum (by far the wildest museum I've ever been in), and the hotel pool were the highlights of the family trip

for zim and gleam, and others who have been to the City Museum, there is an obituary today (in the New York Times) for Bob Cassilly, the creator of the City Museum. Sadly, he was killed in a bulldozer accident, while building his next playscape project, based in an old cement factory. The obituary profiles the irrepressible spirit behind this "wildest museum."

Josephine wrote:Sadly, he was killed in a bulldozer accident, while building his next playscape project, based in an old cement factory.

But what a great way to go, if you're a guy like Bob!

Yeah, I saw that the other day. It's such a City Museum way to go.

Bogart's in Soulard is a very good smoque-type barbecue place. Ribs were as well cooked as any commercial ribs I've had; skip the pastrami. Sides were excellent.

As promised, some pics from Joy Luck:


Szechuan Kimchee


DanDan Noodles - Joy Luck
Thanks, zim, for the recs!

I had a fantastic, very reasonably priced meal at Farmhaus a few months back.

The menu has almost completely turned over since then, but I remember enjoying the nachos, loving the "breakfast" plate, and having a superbly cooked piece of fish.

http://farmhausrestaurant.com/

Farmhaus Restaurant
3257 Ivanhoe Avenue
Saint Louis, MO 63139
314 647 3800

Sage restaurant across from the Anheuser Busch brewery is very good and I recommend it.
I see a lot of folks stop by for lunch while waiting for the next brewery tour.

St. Louis is abuzz with news about Gerard Craft's Niche moving to Clayton.

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/dining/restaurants/off-the-menu/craft-to-open-new-restaurant-move-niche-to-clayton/article_1c8b5c6e-3890-11e1-990d-0019bb30f31a.html

Went to Brasserie by Niche not long ago and enjoyed my meal of terrine and roast chicken. My husband's house-made sausage tasted of raw garlic, though. The photos turned out too dark to post, in fact, I thought the whole place was too dark. Maybe I'm getting old. . .