Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Like NYC, Chicago Italians live in the suburbs....almost exclusively. You aren't going to run into them a lot if you're visiting downtown and the other tourist traps of Chicago. My Chicago side of my family all are 50% Italian (all married Italians outside our family) and I get a lot of Italian exposure any time I visit family or hang out in Chicago. It IS very underground there, however, if that's what you mean. The Italian population isn't as big as NYC obviously but it's not small and definitely larger than Cleveland or St. Louis. I believe it's:
NYC (approx. 2M to 2.5M ppl)
Philly
Boston
Chicago (approx. 400K - 500K ppl)
.....in that order from most Italians in this country.
Chicago has the most Italians in the Midwest due its massive size. However, Cleveland and northeast Ohio in general have a higher proportion of Italians. Most Italians in Cleveland also live in the suburbs, which would be the case for every metro area.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
2,709 posts, read 5,094,873 times
Reputation: 1028
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kamms
You forgot that Chef Boyardee is from Cleveland as well!!
Ah yes, Chef Boyousuck, how could I forget? There's also Stouffer's. In St. Louis, there's Panera Bread Co., Gus' Pretzels, Anheuser Busch, Old Vienna. Pappy's, a new bbq restaurant, or as it properly is named around here, St. Louis Bread Company. Cleveland has no answer for that. As far as I am aware of, Cleveland has no answer to St. Louis' Crown Candy Kitchen. I'm not even sure that Chicago does.
Here are just a few restaurants and joints in St. Louis I've eaten at in St. Louis that I think you would be either hard-pressed to top or distinguish this city, and I have only eaten at some of the restaurants on the Hill:
Crown Candy Kitchen
Cunetto's
Joanie's Pizzeria
Cicero's
Gino's
Guido's Pizzeria
Lorenzo's
Cecil Whitaker's
Pointer's
Pat's Bar and Grill
Bar Louie
Blues City Deli
Hodak's
Plush Pig BBQ
Pappy's
Llewellyn's
Protzel's
The Posh Nosh
Weber's Front Row
C.J. Mugg's
Roadhouse 66
Porter's Fried Chicken and Shrimp
The Pasta House
Koppermann's (I think that's how you spell it)
The Melting Pot
Fitz's
Blueberry Hill
Chevy's
J. Buck's
South City Diner
(All the Oriental food along South Grand south of I-44)
Ted Drewe's
Mr. Wizard's
Maggie Moo's
Pei Wei
OB Clarke
IMO's
Cafe Manhattan (St. Louis original)
Seamus McDaniel's
Felix's
Mom's deli
Fazoli's
Phil's BBQ
Bobby Tom's BBQ
Sweetie Pie's
Humphrey's
House of Wong
Frank's Ristorante
Culpepper's
Subzero Vodka
The Drunken Fish
Dressel's Pub
Joey B's
Chris'
Uncle Bill's
Bandana's BBQ
Location: Pittsburgh (via Chicago, via Pittsburgh)
3,887 posts, read 5,519,793 times
Reputation: 3107
Quote:
Originally Posted by stlouisan
Ah yes, Chef Boyousuck, how could I forget? There's also Stouffer's. In St. Louis, there's Panera Bread Co., Gus' Pretzels, Anheuser Busch, Old Vienna. Pappy's, a new bbq restaurant, or as it properly is named around here, St. Louis Bread Company. Cleveland has no answer for that. As far as I am aware of, Cleveland has no answer to St. Louis' Crown Candy Kitchen. I'm not even sure that Chicago does.
Here are just a few restaurants and joints in St. Louis I've eaten at in St. Louis that I think you would be either hard-pressed to top or distinguish this city, and I have only eaten at some of the restaurants on the Hill:
Crown Candy Kitchen
Cunetto's
Joanie's Pizzeria
Cicero's
Gino's
Guido's Pizzeria
Lorenzo's
Cecil Whitaker's
Pointer's
Pat's Bar and Grill
Bar Louie
Blues City Deli
Hodak's
Plush Pig BBQ
Pappy's
Llewellyn's
Protzel's
The Posh Nosh
Weber's Front Row
C.J. Mugg's
Roadhouse 66
Porter's Fried Chicken and Shrimp
The Pasta House
Koppermann's (I think that's how you spell it)
The Melting Pot
Fitz's
Blueberry Hill
Chevy's
J. Buck's
South City Diner
(All the Oriental food along South Grand south of I-44)
Ted Drewe's
Mr. Wizard's
Maggie Moo's
Pei Wei
OB Clarke
IMO's
Cafe Manhattan (St. Louis original)
Seamus McDaniel's
Felix's
Mom's deli
Fazoli's
Phil's BBQ
Bobby Tom's BBQ
Sweetie Pie's
Humphrey's
House of Wong
Frank's Ristorante
Culpepper's
Subzero Vodka
The Drunken Fish
Dressel's Pub
Joey B's
Chris'
Uncle Bill's
Bandana's BBQ
And the list goes on.
This is a list of restaurants, several of which are chains. I'm confused as to what I am supposed to know about these. Are all of the non-chain places exceptional places?
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
2,709 posts, read 5,094,873 times
Reputation: 1028
Quote:
Originally Posted by ForYourLungsOnly
This is a list of restaurants, several of which are chains. I'm confused as to what I am supposed to know about these. Are all of the non-chain places exceptional places?
Yep. My taste buds don't lie, trust me. And last time I checked, chains were considered restaurants. Even the chains are fantastic. I listed them because they are St. Louis originals and they are places I think about eating at regularly. If you haven't eaten at any of these places, try as many as you can when you come to St. Louis. I posted this not only to make a statement about the long list of restaurants I think are outstandingly good here, but to give those who haven't tried them a chance to.
Ah yes, Chef Boyousuck, how could I forget? There's also Stouffer's. In St. Louis, there's Panera Bread Co., Gus' Pretzels, Anheuser Busch, Old Vienna. Pappy's, a new bbq restaurant, or as it properly is named around here, St. Louis Bread Company. Cleveland has no answer for that. As far as I am aware of, Cleveland has no answer to St. Louis' Crown Candy Kitchen. I'm not even sure that Chicago does.
Here are just a few restaurants and joints in St. Louis I've eaten at in St. Louis that I think you would be either hard-pressed to top or distinguish this city, and I have only eaten at some of the restaurants on the Hill:
Crown Candy Kitchen
Cunetto's
Joanie's Pizzeria
Cicero's
Gino's
Guido's Pizzeria
Lorenzo's
Cecil Whitaker's
Pointer's
Pat's Bar and Grill
Bar Louie
Blues City Deli
Hodak's
Plush Pig BBQ
Pappy's
Llewellyn's
Protzel's
The Posh Nosh
Weber's Front Row
C.J. Mugg's
Roadhouse 66
Porter's Fried Chicken and Shrimp
The Pasta House
Koppermann's (I think that's how you spell it)
The Melting Pot
Fitz's
Blueberry Hill
Chevy's
J. Buck's
South City Diner
(All the Oriental food along South Grand south of I-44)
Ted Drewe's
Mr. Wizard's
Maggie Moo's
Pei Wei
OB Clarke
IMO's
Cafe Manhattan (St. Louis original)
Seamus McDaniel's
Felix's
Mom's deli
Fazoli's
Phil's BBQ
Bobby Tom's BBQ
Sweetie Pie's
Humphrey's
House of Wong
Frank's Ristorante
Culpepper's
Subzero Vodka
The Drunken Fish
Dressel's Pub
Joey B's
Chris'
Uncle Bill's
Bandana's BBQ
And the list goes on.
Hard pressed to top all of these?? This looks like a list of St. Louis restuarants. Are you just now discounting all other Midwest cities and their food scenes?
Wait, I see "Bar Louie" is on the list, which means this list has lost all credibility. I would never step foot in that chain...
Last edited by usaf_1832; 10-28-2011 at 02:51 PM..
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
2,709 posts, read 5,094,873 times
Reputation: 1028
Quote:
Originally Posted by usaf_1832
Hard pressed to top all of these?? This looks like a list of St. Louis restuarants. Are you just now discounting all other Midwest cities and their food scenes?
Wait, I see "Bar Louie" is on the list, which means this list has lost all credibility. I would never step foot in that chain...
These were all restaurants I thought were fantastic. If you don't like it, your loss. I'd love to see you sit down at Cunetto's and say that food is terrible. Or Pappy's...or about every other restaurant I listed there. And no, I'm not discounting Midwest restaurants and their food scene...I am simply trying to illustrate St. Louis' to show that it is very competent. Seriously, if you decide not to believe this list, you have no taste buds.
Location: Jefferson City 4 days a week, St. Louis 3 days a week
2,709 posts, read 5,094,873 times
Reputation: 1028
Quote:
Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna
Coming from a Denizen of Saint Louis, home of some of the qurikiest taste buds in the USA.
I love how people online either insult you or try to figure out what your agenda is, always being wrong. Wow...so you think I have quirky taste buds? lol...pathetic. If only you really knew....if I'm quirky for liking restaurants on the Hill, the Loop, Crown Candy Kitchen, basically most restaurants in the entire city and metro, that must make everyone else on here nuts. I feel sorry for anyone who can't appreciate St. Louis' food scene, because your'e truly missing out. Before you all pass judgement on St. Louis, I'd suggest eating at all these places instead of just hacking my list a part. You all want to enjoy Cleveland? Go ahead. I'll stick to the best food in the Midwest outside of Chicago. Period. I have been to basically every city in the Midwest, and know Cleveland well. I'm not putting its food scene down specifically, but I'm not going to say it's superior to St. Louis any day of the week. This so-called list is to prove the point that St. Louis has this many restaurants that actually are that good. And I happen to like Bar Louie. Many of these are good, but over half are outstanding...this list is far from complete. Soulard and the Hill have many more restaurants than the ones I've listed, many of which I haven't been to but have heard great things. Have fun in Cleveland...I'll stay in heaven.
I love how people online either insult you or try to figure out what your agenda is, always being wrong. Wow...so you think I have quirky taste buds? lol...pathetic. If only you really knew....if I'm quirky for liking restaurants on the Hill, the Loop, Crown Candy Kitchen, basically most restaurants in the entire city and metro, that must make everyone else on here nuts. I feel sorry for anyone who can't appreciate St. Louis' food scene, because your'e truly missing out. Before you all pass judgement on St. Louis, I'd suggest eating at all these places instead of just hacking my list a part. You all want to enjoy Cleveland? Go ahead. I'll stick to the best food in the Midwest outside of Chicago. Period. I have been to basically every city in the Midwest, and know Cleveland well. I'm not putting its food scene down specifically, but I'm not going to say it's superior to St. Louis any day of the week. This so-called list is to prove the point that St. Louis has this many restaurants that actually are that good. And I happen to like Bar Louie. Many of these are good, but over half are outstanding...this list is far from complete. Soulard and the Hill have many more restaurants than the ones I've listed, many of which I haven't been to but have heard great things. Have fun in Cleveland...I'll stay in heaven.
If St. Louis had such a good reputation for food, the St. Louis Bread Company wouldn't have had to change their name to "Panera" for a national market.
If St. Louis had such a good reputation for food, the St. Louis Bread Company wouldn't have had to change their name to "Panera" for a national market.
2 years is nothing to explore the St. Louis food scene. It's taken me over ten and i'm still not finished. I've seen your posts before. You just hate St. Louis as a whole city. Pizza sucked? lol. I doubt you ever tried a slice, and if you did, probably nothing from The Hill or anything like that. Also, St. Louis is not traditionally known for providing the type of food served at Panera, so the name change made even more sense. Au Bon Pain was the original company...it purchased the 20 local chains of the St. Louis Bread Co., left it titled as it was so people here would know, and renamed...having a "St. Louis cafe" would not generate nationwide appeal because it is inconsistent with the types of food St. Louis normally serves. If St. Louis started preparing deep-dish pizza, it couldn't call it "St. Louis Deep-Dish" because St. Louis isn't known for deep dish, Chicago is...now if St. Louis marketed its barbeque, which it does, and has been more known for, it makes sense to include the St. Louis name. If New York or Boston tried to market its own barbeque, I'd be hesitant to try it. I could probably name at least 2.6 million other individuals besides you who would say our pizza is pretty damn good. I'm certainly glad you moved out. Long story short...Panera as a company doesn't serve food traditionally representative of St. Louis, but mainly of the entire country. The food is great, the menu is not that original. "Boston Market" on the other hand, is a very unique place, and because Boston is a bigger city than STL, more people would recognize it. St. Louis is not big enough as a city to warrant the attention of the entire nation...neither is Cleveland. Boston on the other hand is.
Last edited by stlouisan; 10-28-2011 at 03:42 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
There's also Stouffer's. In St. Louis, there's Panera Bread Co., Gus' Pretzels, Anheuser Busch, Old Vienna. Pappy's, a new bbq restaurant, or as it properly is named around here, St. Louis Bread Company. Cleveland has no answer for that. As far as I am aware of, Cleveland has no answer to St. Louis' Crown Candy Kitchen. I'm not even sure that Chicago does. 
....if I'm quirky for liking restaurants on the Hill, the Loop, Crown Candy Kitchen, basically most restaurants in the entire city and metro, that must make everyone else on here nuts. I feel sorry for anyone who can't appreciate St. Louis' food scene, because your'e truly missing out. Before you all pass judgement on St. Louis, I'd suggest eating at all these places instead of just hacking my list a part. You all want to enjoy Cleveland? Go ahead. I'll stick to the best food in the Midwest outside of Chicago. Period. I have been to basically every city in the Midwest, and know Cleveland well. I'm not putting its food scene down specifically, but I'm not going to say it's superior to St. Louis any day of the week. This so-called list is to prove the point that St. Louis has this many restaurants that actually are that good. And I happen to like Bar Louie. Many of these are good, but over half are outstanding...this list is far from complete. Soulard and the Hill have many more restaurants than the ones I've listed, many of which I haven't been to but have heard great things. Have fun in Cleveland...I'll stay in heaven.
