STL Saturday

Saturday, we got up somewhat early to ensure we got into Winslow’s home in a reasonable time. To save travel time, I’d suggested we take the metro up to U city and walk, and grandma and Tay were amenable to the idea. A few stops down the line we jumped out at Big Bend, and we walked through the massive tree canopy covered streets through the old, rich, neighborhoods. St. Louis is really a lovely place in the spring. The sheer lushness and verdence is hypnotic and intoxicating.

Winslow’s home was one of my favorite places to come with friends and Saori and being back in the old neighborhood was hard. We arrived at a good time. Dad a Neri finally arrived and we had no wait to snag a table. Once again, I ordered the blueberry pancakes. You get three massive pancakes with a pitcher of real maple syrup, for the entirely reasonable price of just over $6. I think IHOP is more expensive.

So, stuffed to the gills once again, I took them on a short driving tour of the neighborhood. (Here’s the park where Saori and I would run and picnic, here’s the house where we lived, here’s Nelly’s high school) and we hit the road to the archgrounds.

At the St. Louis arch, we took photos outside and joined the line to get in just to use the bathrooms. I ran into Anne B and her family and chatted for awhile. They wanted to know how I could stand to be away from Saori for so long. I told them its been really hard.

They butchered Anne’s name when she walked, too.

The museum of the westward expansion was really well done, actually. I liked the dates set in concentric circles on the ceiling.

Outside, we walked down the steps and along the the big Muddy, which is still very high and swollen with silt. It entirely covered the parking along the riverbanks. And a statue I could only assume was Lewis and Clark. One of the two explorers waved his hat above the waves.

We walked up to Laclede’s landing and had some beers over at Morgan Street Brewery, a second rate craft brewery if ever there was one, among the tourist traps, bars, and strip clubs. But the beer was cold and the shade was nice and we enjoyed talking and resting.

From Laclede’s landing, we returned to our respective hotels to prepare for dinner. I put in notice that I was going to meet up with some friends after dinner, and took perhaps an hour nap in the hotel room, hanging out with Tay. I’ve been so tired this entire trip. Eating too much, drinking too much, and not getting enough sleep.
Dad and Neri picked us up and took us out to a great restaurant in the Hill that served local, fresh gourmet meals. Five Bistro is one of those places where the food is presented on a dish as an intricate artwork- with lots of white space. The flavors of everything were great, incredibly fresh, perfectly done, there was an attention to detail in the cooking technique and material and presentation.

Loretta’s trout was easily the best trout I’ve ever had, and Tay’s beef two ways was also phenomenal. I was a little disappointed in the chewiness of my goose breast, but it was perfectly done, with a bit of crispy goose fat and skin on the top of each medallion, and I really chalk it up to goose just not being a very good meat rather than any failing on the part of the kitchen.

The deserts we split were also incredible. House made marshmallows and molasses merengue, sweet brioche tart, chocolate pot with whipped cream. Sheer decadence. And a few bottles of wine.

Dad dropped off Tay and Loretta at the hotel and they dropped me at Cord’s house in Demun. There was a house party going on of that particular circle of friends- I think I was the only one there of my class, but there was still a lot of my friends- Jess and DaveO, Michelle, Cord, Jackie, Marie, Quinlan, and a few others I didn’t know.

Jackie grabbed me a beer and we all hung out for awhile at the house on the patio. This entire trip has been a bit of an ego trip since everyone asks about working in Mexico and the “baller" internship with Tatiana.

We headed off to PepperLounge in two cars. You know me, I can’t be in a city longer than a few days without needing to hit up the clubs. $10 cover for guys. $5 for the ladies. The wouldn’t allow Marie’s boyfriend in with his baseball cap, so he had to leave it in the car.

I was happy I was wearing nice clothes. Felt more stylish at the club. I drank another beer or two, danced a bit, chatted a bit, watched people dance, witnessed an indiscretion or two, and generally enjoyed the state of being just tipsy enough to still be self-conscious about dancing. The last time I was at pepper it was the last stop of the party bus for graduation, and lemmee tell you, I was shammmered. (And again, a similar guilt for leaving Taylor behind).

Anyway, we gave up the night a little after 2 am, and I piled into Jackie’s car as she kindly dropped me off at the hotel.

Tay was snoozing, but I couldn’t sleep. I sat on the floor by the bed, and read for nearly an hour waiting for exhaustion to find me, and eventually, it did.