Car Show, Crawfish Boil and Blues Cruise Saturday

This Saturday, the 19th, bring two great events to the Island.  Hammerstone's is having their annual car show in front of their establishment.  Expect cars, food, music and awesome people watching of course.

The Price's Annual Crawfish Boil is also on Saturday from 3p-Midnight. It's held on that short block of 10th between Allen and Geyer. Expect great food, live music and plenty of cold beverages.  It's $25 All-You-Can-Consume and is benefits the Cancer Support Center of St. Louis. Bring your own mug. This is one of my favorite annual events in Soulard. Call 314-229-0155 or 314-853-4855 for more information.


The Blues Cruise is also the weekend. Fittingly, St. Louis' Blues Week Festival kicks off this this event on the Island. 9 venues will be playing host to bands this year and a $10 wristband gets you into all of them. Also, be aware if you don't plan on attending the Cruise, that these 9 venues will have covers. A shuttle will be running between the 9 venues for those with wristbands.

SeenInSoulard #41

The BBQ pit at the Hammerstone's Car Show over the weekend

Hammerstone's Car Show May 21

A Foodie Guide to Soulard

I like food. . . a lot.  Here's a quick list of my favorite foods in Soulard.  


Breakfast

The bag at John Donut

• $2.22 Breakfast at Hammerstone's: 6:30a-10:30a M-F: Choose from either 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 toast or 2 eggs, 2 sausage.  I got with 2 eggs scrambled w/ cheese on top, 2 bacon, and wheat toast
• Donuts: John Donut, located over across from Jimmy John's on the other side of 7th, opens somewhere around midnight and stays open until probably 10 am. A fresh blueberry glazed donut around 1 am is a little bit of heaven in your mouth.  Also try the apple fritter or pineapple-upside down cake thing.  Rumor is if you have a special donut requrest, like a vanilla-iced custard filled donut, call a couple nights in advance and they can work something out for you.
• Omelet: Billie's Fine Foods, located next to Bar 101, is the only place that should come to your mind when the bars let out and you want a real breakfast.  Get the regular omelet with bacon and ham.  Packed to the gills with bacon, ham, and cheese.  You will be stuffed until lunch the next day, when you can try some of these other foods.  Also, try the meatloaf omelet.  It's a simple dish: meatloaf, cheese, gravy,egg. I've had it here and at City Diner, and the Billie's version rocks.

Appetizers

Garlic Knots at Feraro's

• Meaty Cheese Bread: Joanie's- bread with cheese, sausage and pepperoni. It's pretty darn good.
• Cheese Garlic Bread: Feraro's has the best and probably least healthy.  Dripping with butter and cheese, it's how this app should be done
• Garlic Knots: Feraro's  wins for coming up with this app.  They take a knot of pizza dough, coat it in in butter, bake it, then coat it again.  Warning: getting the knots and the cheese garlic bread from here is not a healthy option.
• Cheese Bread: Soulard Gyro and Deli has a different take on this classic.Instead of using traditional bread, they melt provolone and feta cheese on garlic pita bread.  It's unique for sure. Remember this establishment is cash-only

Sandwiches

• Smoked Beef Brisket Melt: Market Grill. The brisket on this is sandwich is awesome.  I would ask for the Gargonzola cheese sauce on the side because then you can dictate how much you want. Remember, a little goes a long way.
• Taylor Ham: Feraro's. A thick slice of this ham product on some bread.  Simple, yet awesome.  I suggest getting it with cheese
• Doner Supreme: Soulard Gyro and Deli. Gyro meat is sliced off right in front of you and slapped on a fresh bakery bun.  Add tzatziki sauce and feta cheese and you've got one of the best sandwiches in Soulard. Remember this establishment is cash-only.

Burgers

• Blues Burger: 1860's Burger with swiss and bleu cheese plus bacon
• 9 oz. Tucker Burger: Tucker's Place A great burger, no frills.  Tucker's excels in burgers much like they excel in cooking steaks. 

Pizza

• (Thick) Meatball Pizza: Feraro's



Meatball pizza at Feraro's

• Jersey-style, which means a thick, foldable crust and a slightly sweeter sauce. Try the meatball pizza.  They use an old Feraro family recipe for the meatballs and slice them real thin before layering them on in abundance.
• (Thin) Johnny's Special Meat Pie: Joanie's
• Thin crust pizza with hamburger, pepperoni, bacon, and double cheese.  

Entrees

• Market Grill Mac and Cheese: Market Grill
• Thick, cheesy, and creamy; just like Mac and Cheese should be. Baked and topped with herbed breadcrumbs
• Cardinal Dog: Great Grizzly Bear
• I'm not sure if this is the correct name for this, or if I'm going to get the ingredients right, but I had it once and it was amazing. Take a hot dog, wrap it in cheese and bacon then deep-fry it.  Goes perfect with day-drinking before the Cardinals' game.
• Steak: Tucker's Place
• I'm not much into steaks, but even I know that you can't miss with Tucker's Place.  Best taste, best price.

Chicken Strips

Talk to any Islander who has been here a bit and you could probably argue until you are blue in the face about these two:

• 1860's
• These win easily for being the biggest in Soulard.  A greasy outside breading and juicy chicken inside.  Some will try to be healthy by taking the breading off, but I betcha you will end up dipping it in one of the great dips anyways and cleaning your basket.  Tip:  Go M-F 3p-6p for Happy Hour to get these bad boys at half price.  That's like $3 for what sure looks like  whole chicken cut up and deep-friend. Splurge for the dill dip, it's amazing.
• Hammerstone's
• These are the healthiest tasting of the two.  Handmade just like 1860's, but the breading on these is made with cornflakes.  These are a favorite for a lot of Islanders, just not me.

Dessert

• Cannolis: Feraro's
• Take some tube-shaped fried pastry dough, fill it with some cream filling that tastes delish, then dip in chocolate.  The result will rock your face off
• Ice Cream: 1860's
• Homemade goodness in several different flavors, one of the few places in Soulard for this treat
• Whiskey Bread Pudding: McGurk's
• Hands-down winner for most mouth-watering description
• "Traditional style, served warm in caramel and raspberry sauces, melted whiskey butter"

What are your favorite foods in Soulard? I know y'all have something to add.  Comment below

SeeninSoulard--Thursday 1/6 Edition

Lil Havanna Sandwhich at Hammerstone's

Saturday 10/9 in Soulard

It's always a great time to be in Soulard, but here are some things happening today that I deem worthy enough to blog about at 2am.

• Soulard Oktoberfest 11a-12:30a
• Though moved to Lyon Park this year, this event is still a must-see. 2 Big Stages, 5 tents, 14 bands, and an expected 1,000 kegs of beer for your enjoyment.  $5 gets you in, $4 gets you a brat in a pretzel bun, and $10 gets you a liter of premium German beer in a fancy mug that you get to keep.
• Saturday Events
• Beer Fest: Raderberger &Tucher Tent from 3 to 5:30 p.m
• Sausage Eating Contest: Budweiser Stage from 2:30 to 3 p.m
• Beer Stein Holding Contest: The Spaten Tent from 7:30 to 8 p.m
• While parking may seem a bit odd with the new location, it really isn't that bad.  Best of all, it's free.  Find somewhere in Soulard, grab a beer in a plastic cup and walk to Lyon Park.
• Hammerstone's in Soulard was running a shuttle to Lyon Park on Friday, I imagine they will on Saturday too.  $1 Bud Select drafts and $2 Spaten
• International Tap House
• College Football 2:30p
• Notre Dame and and Pitt play on NBC and you can be sure that iTap will be packed with  ND fans 
• Alabama and South Carolina square off on CBS
• The Denard Robinson show is on ABC this week as Michigan and Michigan State do battle 
• Mizzou and Blues 6p
• You may have heard that because Dish Network and Fox are in a pissing contest, customers are out of luck if they have Dish and want to watch either the Tigers or the Blues today.  Have no fear because iTap has DirecTV and will have both games playing tonight for your viewing pleasure.Blues on Ch. 671 and Tigers on 657
• $3 Mizzouri Products during the Mizzou game.  That includes Schlafly and O'Fallon Pumpkin, FYI
• Oktoberfest Mugs All Day

• $15 gets you an Oktoberfest Mug filled with a German beer
• $10 gets you a half liter boot on a lanyard filled with a German beer

Soulard Gets Some Love in the RFT Best Of

The 2010 Edition of the Riverfront Times Best Of  issue is out and Soulard sees some love in this year's edition:

• Best Grocery Store: Vincent's 12th Street Market
• Best Diner: Billie's Fine Foods
• Best Happy Hour: Hammerstone's
• Best Beer Selection in a Bar: International Tap House
• Best Rock Club to Die in the Last 12 Months: The Library
• Best Service in a Restaurant: Franco
• Best Place to Meet Single Men: International Tap House
• Best Bus Route: No. 30 Soulard
• Best Mile of St. Louis: Ninth Street from Lynch to Lafayette