Fair warning: Page 16 of Patricia Corrigan’s new book, "Eating St. Louis," is blue with white type, and the entire page is devoted to a sketch of us, complete with picture. That prominence, while appreciated, makes it impossible for us to create a real review of her delightful offering, subtitled "The Gateway City's Unique Food Culture." Joe and Pat worked together at the Post-Dispatch for almost two decades.
The book is a charmer, filled with superior photographs of restaurants and restaurateurs through the years. The recollections and writing are just right to satisfy St. Louisans’ love for nostalgia. Venerable restaurants like Goody-Goody, Tony’s, Medart’s, Riddle’s and Crown Candy; mass feeders like Imo’s, the Pasta House and the St. Louis Bread Company; grocery stores like Moll’s, Schnucks and Dierbergs; watering holes like O’Connell’s, Blueberry Hill and Joe & Charlie’s; farmers’ markets; wineries and breweries all are discussed and remembered, often with interviews of owners, managers and chefs. There’s also a nod to the Doisy College of Health Sciences at St. Louis U., and its Fresh Gatherings Café. The university and Reedy Press are co-publishers.
The photographs are wonderful, a tribute to the Missouri Historical Society, the memorabilia collectors and Corrigan’s picture-chasing ability. Corrigan’s breezy style is front and center, and that’s what the book is – a light-hearted chat over a bar, remembering the good times and the good meals.
However, as he dons his critic’s hat, Joe would like to point out that, as regards his bio in the book, he was a sports writer for the Globe-Democrat in the 1950s before entering public relations with the Football Cardinals in 1961, and that he joined the Post-Dispatch in 1972.
The book goes on sale next week, and signing events include:
Oct. 13: 6-8 p.m., Duff’s, 392 North Euclid Ave. (free)
Oct. 18: 10-11:30 a.m., Ferguson Farmers’ Market (free)
Oct. 21: 7 p.m., Missouri History Museum (free), with appearances by Steve Komorek and Eric Brenner
Nov. 1: 6-9 p.m., Moulin/Vin de Set, 2017 Chouteau Ave. ($25 per person, includes food and drink, samples, a presentation by the author and a $5 off coupon for the purchase of the book. Reservations: 314-241-7799 or www.brownpapertickets.com/event/44134
Nov. 14: 6-9 p.m., Sappington Farmers’ Market (free)
Nov. 22: 11 a.m.- 2 p.m., Plaza Frontenac (free, featuring local bakers)
Comments
One response
No disrespect to the author, but as someone who is not from St. Louis but has lived here long enough to have observed over the past 18 years the food scene and the food preferences and culinary sophistication of the general population, I imagine one would have to dig pretty deep to find enough interesting contemporary subjects to write about. From what little I’ve been able to find of the history, I get the impression that the dining scene in St. Louis was at it’s heyday prior to WW2, what with places like Faust’s, Castilla and the Mayfair Hotel,etc. I do think things have improved greatly in the last 10 years with much of the innovation coming from people not from St. Louis.