I’ve always loved to cook and go out to restaurants, but it wasn’t until recently that I’ve really started considering myself a “foodie”. Below is a definitive ranking of the best food my boyfriend has had me try for the first time – so far…we eat a lot.
1. Blues City Deli
I had very high expectations of this place because he talked so highly about it for so long – and it really lived up to my expectations. I got the “Gigi” sandwich with salami, pepperoni, prosciutto, ricotta, balsamic glaze, banana peppers and arugula – it was quite literally the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten. On top of that, the restaurant itself was decorated in a really eccentric way with lots of Blues music décor and kitschy wall hangings. St. Louis also seems to have their own unique brands of pop which (although are really just liquified sugar) are delicious and paired well with the salty sandwich and spicy BBQ chips I ordered on the side. There was a little band playing outside on the corner and we were able to eat in a little courtyard behind the restaurant. I’m going back next weekend and am going to try and go back. 10/10 Chef’s kiss
2. Al-Madina Grill
I have never eaten Mediterranean or Middle-Eastern food before and I now realize just how much I’ve been missing out. We both got the chicken shawrma with rice and potatoes and THE GARLIC SAUCE – which is honestly one of the most delicious things I’ve ever eaten. After a quick google I learned that it’s called Toum and is only made from a few ingredients. The meat was great (although I was not used to seeing it on a rotating beam in front of me) and the yellow rice – I could’ve eaten an entire bowl of it alone. 9.5/10 only because I should’ve asked for extra sauce.
3. Soup Dumplings STL
*Keep in mind this review is coming from a girl who has only ever eaten the frozen soup dumplings from Trader Joes.* I didn’t know what to expect from an authentic soup dumpling restaurant but was really happily surprised. The dumplings were being made right behind the counter which was fun to watch and it further convinced me to never attempt making it on my own. We were brought out some miso soup to start (I really just love those special miso soup spoons) and then he taught me how to mix the vinegar with the chili sauce for when the dumplings came out. It was a hard for me to puncture them and get the soup out but eventually I got the hang of it and it was just so good. They were salty with a ton of flavor, and even though the chili was super-hot it had such a good flavor too. It did burn my lips but also plumped them so a girl can’t really complain. 9/10
4. Costco hot dog
My parents were Sam’s Club loyalists while I was growing up so I never experienced the Costco food court – but at 24 years old I finally was able experience the lore of the Costco hot dog. At the end of the day I simply just ate the hotdog, and it was good – but the experience really made it so good. It’s SO cheap, and at a time where everything is so expensive it was refreshing to not worry about the price of a piece of meat and bread. He got me a strawberry smoothie as well which was great but I hate how banana always takes over the entire taste of a smoothie. Smoothie 6/10, glizzy 8/10.
5. Buccees Brisket Sandwich
I am no stranger to long road trips and I vividly remember seeing the Buccees beaver logo peaking through the mountains on long drives to the beach all throughout my childhood – but I had no idea what it was advertising. That all changed in January when I went down to Tennessee for my grandfather’s birthday. Every time I got a text from my boyfriend it was “have you stopped at Buccees yet?” Finally I pulled off the highway and was absolutely flabbergasted to see a gas station the size of an mall in Ohio. Much like the Costco hot dog experience, the sandwich was decent but the whole process and environment that what made it. My mom always deterred me from eating gas station food but this was much different from a Sunoco chicken wrap and I even got some of their branded jerky to eat on my drive home. 8/10 will stop again