The Grand Tasting in St. Louis
Every year, St. Louis hosts an outdoor event called The Taste of St. Louis. Hundreds of restaurants from around the city set up booths and sell a few of their best dishes to the hungry patrons. Although I have always been a big fan of this event, I really hate waiting in line, and I felt like I never tried more than 2-3 new things.
The Grand Tasting solved that issue
This year, The Taste of St. Louis introduced the Grand Tasting event. This ticketed event was held indoors, for a limited amount of people. Instead of having patrons purchase meal-sized portions, around 30 restaurants set up tables and handed out samples. For the cost of what I would probably spend on 3 dishes outdoors, I got to try more than 30 different dishes. Stephanie was in town for this gloriously gluttonous event, and together we made sure to at least try a bite of every single item offered.
My Favorites
One of the very first things I tried was a lobster ravioli. It was very tempting to go back for seconds, but I knew I needed to save room for everything else.
Unfortunately, I gobbled it up to fast to get a closeup.
Russo’s had one of the longest lines, but I’d say it was worth it. I was originally attracted to the smoked scallops, but in the end, I was more impressed by their version of a beloved classic: grilled cheese and tomato soup. Their duck confit on a quinoa cake was pretty delicious too!
At first I thought Cleveland Heath was serving cherries, but they were actually tiny little candied apples! They were as tasty as they were adorable.
I was surprised at how much I loved this simple shrimp and capers dish. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the capers really added a nice flavor.
I could barely move by the time I made it to Serendipity’s table. I felt like a teeny bopper meeting their favorite singer as I shook the owner’s hand and explained how often I had purchased ice cream from their shop during college. These perfectly crafted bon bons were the perfect end to a food-filled event.
Money and time well spent
After Stephanie and I had sampled every single dish, we hung around the outdoor festival for a bit. After we pushed through the crowds and spotted outrageously long lines, we both agreed that paying for the Grand Tasting would be well worth it for anyone more interested in food sampling than waiting in line. If I’m in St. Louis for the next one, I will be there, with an empty belly.
