That Guy

Every city has its characters. They are the eccentric people that the locals love to talk about, and the tourists love to take pictures of. Some do it for the money, and some do it for more obscure reasons. Whatever the motivation, a good town weirdo is like a sports team; the people of a city will defend and identify with each as if they reflect on the citizens personally.

From my limited experience in the world, I can only speak of two cities. My favorite St. Louis character is Beatle Bob. If you see live music in St. Louis with any frequency, you have undoubtedly danced with Beatle Bob. He is always in the front row doing the same goofy dance regardless of the genre. When I enter a venue, he is always the first person I look for, because if he is around, I know I came to the right spot.

There are two notable San Francisco characters that I cherish. First is Bush Man. One of the top tourist destinations in the city is Fisherman’s Wharf, full of unsuspecting visitors from around the world. Bush Man hides behind tree branches, and discreetly waits for victims. If someone comes close, he jumps out and scares them. When the victims recover from the fright, they often stick around to watch the Bush Man choose his next prey.

Up next is Frank Chu. Famous for his cryptic signs, Frank Chu follows the crowds. He will join any protest as a venue to push his own protests. Over the years, his picketing supplies have seen significant upgrades. Companies have sponsored Chu in exchange for space on the back of his signs. I think we can all agree, Impeach Clinton 12 Galaxies Guiltied to a Zegnatronic Rocket Society.

I wanted to include Dog Cat Rat Man, but he is more of a nomadic character, so he doesn’t really belong to any city like these guys do. There are also some smaller scale characters I didn’t include, like the guy in the red sweatshirt who yells at no one at the Depot, or the old dude who is always at the library with his briefcase as if the public computer terminal were his office.

Who is your favorite character from your home town?

Cathedral Basilica

Today I visited the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis with my parents. I know my dad appreciates architecture, and I really like cathedrals (my favorite is La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona) so it seemed like a fun activity. Apparently, this cathedral is known for its mosaics. In fact, it has the largest mosaic collection of any single building in the world. We visited the museum and got a miniature tour, but there is no substitute for just exploring the cathedral on your own.

Food of St. Louis

Many cities boast special regional dishes that you can only find in a certain area of the country. I have spent five years in St. Louis, and in that time I have identified five such food items.

Pork steak: Apparently pork is not traditionally cut into steaks, and for some reason the people of St. Louis pride themselves on doing it the weird way. The pork steak is never the most appealing thing on a menu for me, so I still haven’t had one.

Toasted ravioli: You can find toasted ravioli on most appetizer menus in St. Louis. It is easy to order in bulk, so you often see giant containers of it at special events next to buckets of marinara sauce. Those aren’t the real deal. Make sure to order them fresh, and preferably from an Italian restaurant.

Provel cheese: I think they mostly use provel to make St. Louis style pizza. It’s really creamy and tastes okay, but I certainly don’t think it warrants the excitement people have about it. Sometimes also found on salads. I have to be really hungry to enjoy a dish with prominent provel.

Slinger: There are a bunch of diners here that serve the slinger around the clock. It has one layer each of hash browns, hamburger patty, cheese, fried eggs, and chili. It tastes alright when it’s hot, but a few bites in you immediately wonder what possessed you to order it. I would say it’s worth trying once just for the experience.

Gooey butter cake: So far on this list, the St. Louis food specialties have had one thing in common. People from St. Louis love them, and outsiders don’t understand them. This is the one exception. If you don’t love gooey butter cake, something is wrong with you. It has three ingredients as far as I can tell: gooey, butter, and cake.

In addition to the individual dishes, there are two restaurants that I consider to be St. Louis establishments. If you have one weekend in St. Louis, and you don’t mind torturing your heart, these should be your top meal destinations.

Crown Candy Kitchen: Old school candy shop with milkshakes that defy description in flavor and size. I had the heart-stopping BLT, and it lived up to its name. You know they mean business when the bacon layer is too thick to fit in your mouth.

Pappy’s BBQ: The employees will insist that you try the brisket. Ignore them and get the pulled pork and ribs. They have several sauces to try, and plenty of great sides if you have room for them after you stuff your face with meat.

Sweetie Pie’s: Cafeteria style soul food. The best fried chicken and mac-n-cheese I have ever eaten. Bring an appetite, because the plates are huge and they are not afraid to fill them. The best entrees are always available, but the rest of the menu rotates throughout the week if you want to switch things up.

Honorable mention: Protzel’s Deli, Carl’s Drive-In, Uncle Bill’s Pancake House

Winter in St. Louis

Convergence of Missouri and Mississippi rivers, January 2010.

The Convergence

Spending my first full winter in St. Louis has been a good experience. I have learned that winter is like Chinese food. My favorite Chinese restaurants serve a highly Americanized version of Chinese food, while authentic Chinese food terrifies me. In the same way that a Chinese customer would scoff at what I call good Chinese food, a Midwesterner would laugh at a San Francisco winter.

So I wasn’t cut out for a “real” winter, but when it pains you to laugh at me because each breath temporarily freezes your lungs, then try to convince me why eating chicken feet is better than a big plate of Mongolian beef.

In the spirit of adventure and trying new things despite the cold, Johnny and I traveled north to visit the convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. It was a very cool sight. From the banks of the Missouri, we could hear the slush of the partially frozen river flowing by. There were big circular ice rafts that rolled along the edge of the river past us. Between Missouri and Illinois, the Mississippi had a layer of ice several inches thick that buckled up against obstacles. It’s worth the short drive if you’ve never seen an icy river.

In other news, I attended a great New Year’s Eve party over at Schlafly Bottleworks, a St. Louis brewery that I really enjoy. There was bluegrass music, dancing, and lots of beer. We had a midnight toast with “black velvet,” a mixture of Schlafly oatmeal stout and sparkling wine. I expected it to be gross, and I was correct, but I choked it down so I could empty the souvenir glass.

I am beginning to study for the MCAT, so I might not have anything fun to write about for a few months. The blog will be pretty uninteresting until April or May. At least I hope it will be uninteresting because that means I am too busy studying. If you ever read anything worthwhile here, please let me know so I can adjust my habits accordingly.

Sculpture Gardens

My dad was in town for the weekend. He’s been to St. Louis before, so we tried to visit some new places. We ate at some delicious restaurants, spent some time at City Museum, and headed to the symphony. We also visited Laumeier Sculpture Park, but unfortunately the only pictures I have are from my phone.

When my dad saw my apartment, he decided it was too bare, so we did a little bit of interior decorating. My bedroom didn’t have any lights, so now it is illuminated by Christmas lights. Not just for the holidays. That is actually how I light my room. I can’t afford a Roomba for a pet like I have always dreamed, so instead I have four nutcrackers. Two are 2 feet tall, and the other two are about 4 inches tall. All four need names, so start brainstorming. Will I come to regret doing my interior decorating during the holidays?

America by Road

The drive from San Francisco to St. Louis was amazing. We met up with Ken before we left to discuss taking a scenic route, which was priceless. On the road, we covered 2,463 miles over four days and saw 44 state plates traveling across California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri.

Our first diversion from the main route was to take Route 50 through Nevada. This road is known as “The Loneliest Road in America” because there are so few signs of civilization for miles. We loved it. The road wound through huge expanses of Nevada desert with nice mountains off in the distance. We drove 75 miles without seeing another car.

That night, we crossed the border into Utah. The road changed from gray to red, and the mountains on the horizon were purple in the sunset. We stopped at a diner for dinner and finished the 13 hour drive in Cedar City, Utah. It was a small town, but even a small town can feel like a thriving metropolis when you have spent the entire day in Nevada.

We spent the entire second day in Southern Utah by Ken’s recommendation. It was the most beautiful drive I have ever seen. I felt like I was in a theme park, because every mile was different than the last. One moment, we were in a golden aspen forest, and the next, we were surrounded by open plains. The terrain transformed within minutes from a barren gray moonscape to a deep red canyon.

We took many opportunities to pull over and take pictures. Unfortunately, most of the pictures we took from the car are better views of bugs on the windshield than the scenery. There was one section where we were driving on a ridge, with steep slopes and amazing views on both sides of the car. Soon after that, we were following the Colorado River through a canyon. You can see the scale of the canyons if you check the tiny dots in the pictures of Lake Powell. Those are huge RVs.

If you are ever driving through Utah, add a day to your schedule for the scenic adventure. I kept my maps, so I am happy to share our route. The drive was beautiful all the way through Denver. Ben took us out to dinner while we were there, and we enjoyed some time outside the car with him.

Once we entered the plains of Kansas, it got pretty boring. The town on the border of Kansas and Colorado is called Kanorado, and that was probably the most exciting moment of the day. Also the billboard for Jesus Heals and Restores, Pornography Destroys immediately followed by Adult Superstore was entertaining.

We learned a valuable lesson on our journey across the country. You don’t have to travel to the other side of the world to see something amazing. We have awesome natural beauty right here if you go out and look for it. I can’t wait for the drive back!

Road Trip

San Francisco to St. Louis, October 2009.

Graduation

Washington University graduation, May 2009.

Botanical Gardens

St. Louis Botanical Gardens, May 2009.