A few pieces of STL fun (15, to be exact)

Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. is one of the newer breweries in Missouri.

5 Fun Facts

• St. Louis City vs. St. Louis County: St Louis City seceded from the county in the 1870s, becoming an independent city. Outside of Virginia (where the state constitution incorporates all cities as independent cities), only three independent cities existed as of 1990: St. Louis, Baltimore, Md., and Carson City, Nev.
• Where’d you go to high school?: With lots of private Catholic school sprinkled around the region and various neighborhood schools, St. Louisans tend to ask this question when meeting someone for the first time. (Even if they’re 40 years past their teenage glory days.)
• St. Louis accent: It might not be as obvious as hearing a Chicago, New York or South Carolina accent, but some St. Louisans have a noticeable lilt. Words to listen for: “farty” (as in Highway 40), “warsh” (as in washing the dishes) and “fark” (that utensil you eat with).
• Breweries everywhere: St. Louis was once crammed with breweries — and it still has quite a few! Some historians estimate the city had 40 to 50 breweries at one point in the mid-19th century. For example, in 1889, 18 St. Louis breweries merged to form the St. Louis Brewing Association. Today, St. Louis’ most famous brewery is Anheuser-Busch. But it supports a number of microbreweries as well. (Perhaps you’ll have some time to appreciate the beer culture while you’re in town?)
• A neighborly state: Missouri is tied with Tennessee for the U.S. state bordering the most other states. (Each shares lines with eight.) Missouri borders: Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

Chuck Berry still plays at venue Blueberry Hill once a month.

5 People to Know

• Nelly: If you’ve heard Nelly’s songs, you probably know he’s from the Lou (and he’s proud). He formed the St. Lunatics while in high school here (University City High School, that is). Nelly once owned a bar, Skybox, on Laclede’s Landing. It has since closed, but he announced recently that he is teaming up with Vatterott College to open a music recording school in the space.
• Jon Hamm: Yep, Don Draper himself grew up in St. Louis (and went to John Burroughs High School).
• Chuck Berry: The Father of Rock ‘n’ Roll was also born in St. Louis. With hits such as “Johnny B. Goode,” “Roll Over, Beethoven” and “Memphis,” Berry still plays at Blueberry Hill (on the Loop) once a month. (Berry’s next gig there is on Oct. 12.) He is honored along the St. Louis Walk of Fame in that neighborhood, along with more than 100 others who were born or spent formative or creative time in the area, including Maya Angelou, Jack Buck, T.S. Eliot and Albert Hirschfeld.
• Jack Dorsey: Yep, Dorsey (this one — not SND President Steve Dorsey, though we know he could do it) founded Twitter AND grew up in STL. (He went to Bishop DuBourg High School.)
• “The Office” actresses: NBC’s “The Office” is chock full of St. Louisans. Pam, Phyllis and Erin are all from the area. Jenna Fischer (Pam) was raised in St. Louis and went to Nerinx Hall High School, an all-girls Catholic school in the suburb of Webster Groves. Phyllis Smith (Phyllis) went to Cleveland High School (which no longer exists) in St. Louis. She is a former St. Louis Cardinals cheerleader. Ellie Kemper (Erin) is another St. Louisan and went to John Burroughs High School.

St. Louis' Mardi Gras celebration is one of the largest in the nation.

5 Things to Do

• Mardi Gras: OK, maybe not during this trip. But if you want to come back, do it Feb. 18, 2012, when the Mardi Gras festivities will take over the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis. The celebration is recognized as one of the biggest in the country.
• The Hill: This Italian neighborhood is home to many Italian grocers, bakeries and restaurants. Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola Sr. both grew up in this neighborhood.
• Ted Drewes: This frozen custard stand has been serving the cold treat in St. Louis since 1930. If you have time, swing by and order a concrete.
• Fox Theatre: This elaborate theater opened in 1929 as a silent theater and live performance space. Through the years, many famous acts, ranging from Nat King Cole to Frank Zappa, performed here. “The Addams Family” musical is current playing. Upcoming shows include Chris Tucker and Tony Bennett.
• Peabody Opera House: The venue, formerly the Kiel Opera House, was just remodeled and will hold its grand opening Oct. 1, headlined by Aretha Franklin and Jay Leno. Wilco will play a sold-out show on Oct. 4.

The best of the rest of St. Louis neighborhoods

The Loop in University City is one of many neighborhoods that are perfect for a night out.

The SND conference is focused around Washington Avenue so you can walk to the events and bars. But if you have more time to get out and about in St. Louis, here are some great neighborhoods to explore.

Laclede’s Landing

This tourist destination is a short walk from Washington Avenue. The area is by the riverfront, between the Gateway Arch and Lumiere Place casino. Expect to run into more than a few bachelorette parties if you spend a weekend night in this area. The Old Spaghetti Factory is a popular dinner spot. For sushi, visit the Drunken Fish. When it’s party time, hit The Big Bang dueling piano bar, which is always hopping. Morgan Street Brewery offers food and drinks downstairs, a bar and pool tables upstairs and a back patio area. On weekends, walk through the back patio to the back building and you’ll find a rocking dance floor.

Soulard

This neighborhood located south of downtown and Busch Stadium is the location of the city’s Mardi Gras celebration. But you can find plenty of places to eat and drink the rest of the year, too. To get there, you’ll need to drive or take a short cab ride. Tucker’s Place is an excellent steak joint. McGurk’s Irish Pub has good food and drinks with live music seven nights a week (often brought in from Ireland). It has an authentic pub feel inside and two bars in its large outdoor area. Another place for food and drink is Molly’s, which includes a bistro and bar buildings and serves a French-Creole-Louisisana menu. The Shanti is a laidback atmosphere with a large outdoor area. If it’s beer selection you’re looking for, try iTap, with its 40 taps and 500 beers.

For a more eclectic and island atmosphere, visit Venice Cafe, a mostly outdoor bar near Soulard. (Be sure to hit an ATM first; this place is cash-only.)

South Grand/Tower Grove

South Grand, also a drive or short cab ride away, has many food options, including City Diner, LemonGrass Vietnamese, Al Waha Afghani and Bedouin cuisine, and Mojo tapas restaurant. Mangia offers great Italian food and a bar. CBGB is a cash-only dive (and one of the few places in St. Louis where you can still smoke in the bar). Urban is the place to go for freshly muddled drinks.

Just down Arsenal Street, you’ll find Riley’s, a neighborhood pub with St. Louis-style pizza and often live music.

In the other direction are more establishments, including The Royale (a neighborhood bar with a great outdoor space), Tin Can Tavern (a bar that specializes in canned beer) and Three Monkeys (great for a drink or wood-fired pizza — or the Sunday brunch buffet).

Central West End

This hip area between downtown and Forest Park is a great place for dinner and drinks and is accessible by Metro or cab. Check out Duff’s for dinner. You can catch a show at the Chase Park Plaza Cinemas. (While you’re there, sneak a peek at the ritzy hotel or sip a drink at the hotel’s Cafe Eau.) Afterward, grab a drink at the trendy SubZero Vodka Bar. (Sit at the ice bar!)  For someplace a bit more laidback, try Dressel’s. If wine, scotch and a cigar is more your speed, visit Brennan’s. Then check out Club Viva for some Latin dancing. Salsa, anyone?

University City

U. City, just outside the St. Louis city limits, is home to the Delmar Loop (often called just “The Loop”). This shopping and dining area is accessible via Metro or cab. You can catch a movie at the Tivoli Theatre or a show at Blueberry Hill or The Pageant. Fitz’s is famous for its root beer, and Cicero’s has a good selection of grown-up beer. Pin-Up Bowl lets you sip a cocktail while you knock over some pins. Pi Pizzeria also has a location on this stretch. The area also offers some stellar shopping options. Check out TAG (for vintage clothes), Vintage Vinyl (for new and used music) or Subterranean Books (an independent bookstore).

Across the river

OK, this area is really only good for a couple things. One, we mentioned in our 7 Deadly Sins post (under lust). The other is almost as seedy. If you want to party late — we mean, really late (after the downtown bars close at 3 a.m.) — you’ll want to head over to Pop’s in Sauget, Ill. This “nightclub and concert venue” on the East side does host concerts — sometimes quite good ones. (Upcoming shows include Taking Back Sunday and Panic! At the Disco.) But mostly the draw is its hours — open 24 a day, that is. With that comes the expected sticky floors and crappy beers. But for entertaining people-watching, this establishment gets a full five stars. (It’s especially useful for those wanting to drink for a while after putting the paper to bed.) You’ll need to drive or take a cab to get here.

Forest Park and the 1904 World’s Fair

Crowds gather in front of the Illinois Building at the 1904 World's Fair to watch the arrival of Illinois Gov. Richard Yates.

The 1904 World’s Fair was held in St. Louis, centered on Forest Park (one of country’s largest urban parks — larger than New York’s Central Park), and remnants of the fair can still be seen today. (Check out this map.)

The fair was originally scheduled for 1903 to celebrated the centennial of the Louisiana Purchase and was also known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. The celebration was pushed back a year because of delays in construction and the delivery of exhibits. In preparation for the fair, Forest Park was transformed from thickets and swamps into a great landscaped exhibition area. (See the official guide.)

(The 1904 Olympic Games were also held in St. Louis but were overshadowed by the fair.)

The St. Louis Art Museum is one of the only permanent buildings from the World's Fair. Art Hill, in front of the museum, is a popular sledding spot for St. Louisans.

Many buildings were constructed for the fair, though the only one meant to be a permanent structure was the Palace of Fine Arts, which now houses the St. Louis Art Museum.

The Smithsonian Flight Cage from the World’s Fair still stands as well and is part of the St. Louis Zoo in Forest Park. Visitors can walk through the huge flight cage to view the cypress swamp and birds now on display there. (Note: If you visit the zoo, be sure to check out Penguin & Puffin Coast!)

Also, some of the buildings under construction at the new and nearby Washington University were leased for use by the World’s Fair. For example, the fair’s Administration Building is in what is now Brookings Hall.

In the time the fair was open, from April to December, about 20 million people visited the grounds.

Fun facts about the 1904 World’s Fair:

• The ice cream cone, iced tea and the hot dog were invented before the World’s Fair, but they became popular at the 1904 fair.
• Dr Pepper may have made its national debut at the 1904 fair.
• The first successful run of a dirigible airship occurred.
• The fair covered 1,272 acres and was more than twice the size of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
• The X-Ray machine, baby incubator and electric typewriter debuted at the 1904 World’s Fair.

Want some more World’s Fair fun? Try this quiz on World’s Fair food.

Other attractions in Forest Park today include:

• Jewel Box greenhouse
• Muny outdoor theater
• St. Louis Science Center
• Missouri History Museum
• As well as numerous biking and jogging paths, a golf course, a tennis center and an ice skating rink (in the winter).

• Learn more about the history of St. Louis.

RIP Bob Cassilly, St. Louis innovator, artist, entrepreneur, founder of The City Museum

City Museum founder Bob Cassilly perched atop the iconic praying mantis perched atop the City Museum

We regret to inform you that the world lost an amazing artist and entrepreneur today, Bob Cassilly, the founder of The City Museum. It was reported this morning that he was found dead from a bulldozer accident at one of his new creations-in-progress, Cementland.

On Thursday at the SND STL opening reception, you’ll get to experience one of his remarkable creations and one of the greatest man-made attractions in the world. Hopefully his work will inspire you as it has us, and the countless visitors from around the world.

Here’s a sampling of photos, video and more:

The view from the Gateway Arch

St. Louis’ most recognizable sight is the Gateway Arch. The 630-foot arch along the Mississippi River was designed by architect Eero Saarinen and built in the 1960s. It commemorates Thomas Jefferson and the city’s role in the country’s westward expansion and is operated by the National Park Service as part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.

The distance between the outer sides of the triangular legs at the bottom of the arch also measures 630 feet. The arch is a catenary curve, meaning the shape (upside down) is the shape that would be formed by a chain hanging from two supports. (If there are any math geek designers out there, check out the mathematical formula behind the arch.)

A trip to the base of the arch offers plenty of photographic opportunities, and entry to the base of the arch is free. The Museum of Westward Expansion and some theaters are located beneath the arch. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

A trip to the top of the arch takes visitors on a four-minute narrated tram/elevator ride up the leg of the arch to the observation area with windows in the top span of the structure. Tickets are $10 for adults.

The theaters beneath the arch show “Monument to the Dream,” a look at the construction of the monument, and “Lewis and Clark: Great Journey West,” a documentary about the Louisiana Purchase. Tickets to each film are $7 for adults.

Old Courthouse
Near the Gateway Arch (and prominent in many photos of the monument) is the Old Courthouse, (also part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial) famous as the site where slaves Dred and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom — the first two trials for that case (1847 and 1850) were held here. And Virginia Minor’s trial for a woman’s right to vote in the 1870s was also held here. At one time, slaves were auctioned from the front stairs of the building. (These were re-enacted in January 2011 as part of the Civil War sesquecentennial.)

The Old Courthouse went out of use in 1930 as the city had outgrown the space. Today, two restored courtrooms can be viewed on the second floor along with other exhibits about Dred Scott and the history of the area.

Entrance to the courthouse is free, and the building is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Citygarden
Also downtown near the Old Courthouse is Citygarden, a downtown park with sculptures, video art, plants and fountains. It’s a great place to lunch outside! Citygarden is free to visit and is open from sunrise to 10 p.m.

Walking Tours
To explore downtown St. Louis on your own, consider printing out a map for an architecture tour or visual arts tour.

Helicopter Tours
If you want to go a little more high-class, you can take a helicopter tour of St. Louis. Tours start at $35 per person (with a minimum of two people and maximum of three) and are available from 11 a.m. to sunset. Reservations are not required, and the office is located below the Gateway Arch Grand Staircase.

Riverboat Cruises
Another option is to take a cruise on the Mighty Mississippi River. One-hour sightseeing tours are $14 per adult and tell about the history of the riverfront, Mississippi River, Gateway Arch and historic sites. Reservations are required, and boats leave from the levee below the Gateway Arch. Book online or call 1-877-982-1410 for information and reservations.

Or perhaps the Oktoberfest Cruise is more your style. At $38 per adult, the cruise runs 1-3 p.m. Sunday and includes a buffet of German food and a live German band. Book online or call 1-877-982-1410 for information and reservations.

• Find a walking route to the Gateway Arch or other downtown attractions with our Washington Avenue & Downtown Guide.

MoBar: a journalism (drinking) institution

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“Those were the days …”

A proper newspaper town (such as St. Louis was, which once had a number of competing morning and afternoon papers) must have a proper newspaper bar. A few have floated around Tucker Avenue just north of Washington Avenue, an area that was home to the old Globe-Democrat and is still the site of the Post-Dispatch newsroom.

The one that remains is Missouri Bar & Grille, also called MoBar (701 N. Tucker Blvd.). When I solicited stories that made MoBar, well, MoBar, from Post-Dispatch veterans, I got a lot of the same comments: “Those were the days.”

MoBar began as a hangout for Globe-Democrat journalists, while the Post-Dispatch had a bar across the street from it called The Press Box.

An Terry Ganey was an Associated Press reporter in the 1970s and worked out of both the Post-Dispatch and Globe-Democrat offices. He says Globe staffers would frequent Missouri Bar & Grille after the deadline for the morning paper.

“Sometimes, people would drink at the Grill until it closed, and then they would buy a six-pack there and drink beer on the sidewalk in front of the place until the wee hours of the morning,” Ganey adds. He recalls a city editor from the Globe “chewing out a reporter at the Grill when he found out the reporter didn’t subscribe to his own newspaper.”

When The Press Box closed, P-D employees shifted to Missouri Bar & Grille.

“Mostly, I remember going there on the day the Globe-Democrat announced that it was folding,” longtime Post-Dispatch reporter Harry Levins says. “Along the bar, any sense of rivalry died along with the Globe.”

“There were two Greek brothers (Ernie and – heck, I cannot remember the darling one) who presided over the Mo. Grill and took it in stride when a member of the sports department had a canoe stretching across several tables for weeks, as I remember,” says Sally Bixby Defty, another former Post-Dispatch employee. “There were stringent social standards: fifth floor people (news, features, sports) socialized together or with printers. NOBODY socialized with the (despised) advertising types from the sixth floor.”

Repps Hudson, a former reporter, recalls that MoBar is where the publisher met with newsroom staff over the course of months to hear complaints about the editor, which resulted in the editor being fired.

Tony Lazorko is a former art director at the Post-Dispatch. His major memory of MoBar is an evening when journalists downed six rounds of Schnapps shooters “and went behind the bar to ‘assist’ a young lady who had a whip to keep people in line.” One of the journalists thought the crowd was getting out of line, so he took the whip. “In the ensuing mayhem of snapping whip and people trying  get outta the way, every table and its contents came crashing down on the floor. The two young owners came out of the back room to see what the ruckus was all about, and broke into loud laughter!”

A more recent memory comes from former Post-Dispatch page designer Danielle Newman, who recalls sitting in MoBar in the early morning hours of the 2000 presidential election “after we’d put the paper to bed with George Bush as the winner.”

“Around about 2am, the TV news on at the MoBar started showing headlines along the lines of ‘Al Gore retracts concession.’ That’s when the higher ups started to get worried looks on their faces. I think we ended up going to the office at 6 the next morning to do an extra.”

Today, MoBar is still frequented by journalists, but the plethora of fancier bars that sprang up along Washington Avenue has diluted its title as the one destination bar for journalists.

As Levins says: “Switching to morning publication seemed to put a dent in Post-Dispatch drinking. In the P.M. days, most of us got off around 3 p.m., leaving a few hours to drink before the dinner hour. But the A.M. schedule kept people at work later. What’s more, the composition of the newsroom was changing. Instead of the largely raffish batch of 1971, the younger reporters were better educated, came from higher up on the socioeconomic ladder and, in their Yuppy-ish way, preferred a glass or two of white wine to five or six bottles of beer. Also, many of the new young reporters were women, less given to hell-raising.”

Bixby Defty recalls: “That was back when people drank a LOT… before the New Prissiness came in. My, but we had fun.”

(Looking for MoBar’s exact location? It’s noted on this map of Washington Avenue and the downtown area.)

Catch a game in STL

Stan "The Man" Musial is one of St. Louis' famous sports figures. He played his 22 seasons of major league baseball with the Cardinals.

St. Louis is a baseball and sports town. Unfortunately, SND picks up just after the end of the Cardinals’ last home series of the season. (They play their arch-rivals, the Chicago Cubs, Sept. 23-25.)

The Cardinals aren't in town, but you can still take a tour of Busch Stadium.

BASEBALL

You can, however, still take a tour of Busch Stadium for $10. The new Busch Stadium opened in 2006, the same season the Cardinals achieved their most recent World Series championship. The footprint of the new stadium overlaps with the footprint that was the old Busch Stadium. The stadium hosted the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

In September (Thursday and Friday of the conference), tours are generally given at 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. In October (Saturday and Sunday), they are at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online or at Gate 5 on Clark Street on tour day.

Baseball fans might be interested in learning more about the history of stadiums in St. Louis.

Looking for more baseball? The St. Louis area has two minor league baseball teams, and both play in the Frontier League.

The River City Rascals of O’Fallon, Mo., (a western suburb of St. Louis) competed for the league championships in mid-September but lost the title to the Joliet (Ill.) Slammers.

The season ended earlier for the Gateway Grizzlies of Sauget, Ill. (just across the river). But, if you’re under 27 and spry, you could show up Saturday (Oct. 1) for team tryouts.

The St. Louis Rams with quarterback Sam Bradford play at home the Sunday of SND weekend.

FOOTBALL

If football is more your thing, check out the St. Louis Rams. After Monday night’s game against the New York Giants, the team, led by quarterback Sam Bradford, is 0-2. The team might not have had a winning record in recent years, but last year it improved to a 7-9 record (better than the previous year’s 1-16). The Rams play the Washington Redskins, who have also had a rough time in recent years but started this year with a 2-0 record, on Sunday (Oct. 2) at noon. And the Edward Jones Dome, home of the Rams, is just blocks from the conference hotel.

If you can’t make the game, but want to get in the spirit, you can find tailgaters near the stadium before the game, or check out the game at one of the nearby sports bars, such as Over/Under Bar & Grill (911 Washington Ave.), Hair of the Dog (1212 Washington Ave.), Jack Patrick’s (1000 Olive St.) or Flannery’s (1324 Washington Ave.).

You could catch a St. Louis Blues preseason game while you're in St. Louis.

HOCKEY

Or perhaps you’d like to catch a preseason hockey game. The St. Louis Blues play in the Scottrade Center downtown. You can catch them on Thursday (Sept. 29) at 7 p.m. versus the Colorado Avalanche. (Though we recommend checking out the amazing opening reception at the City Museum instead. Hockey is cool, but it can’t compete with a 10-story slide.) Or, if you feel like skipping a few sessions, try the 1:30 p.m. game versus the Dallas Stars on Saturday (Oct. 1).

BOWLING

If playing sports is more your style, we recommend checking out Friday night’s happy hour at Flamingo Bowl. (Fun fact: St. Louis was home to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame until it closed in 2008. It reopened in Arlington, Texas, in 2010.)

Feeling saucy? Visit one of the country’s top barbecue joints

Pappy's Smokehouse is recognized as one of the best barbecue joints in the country.

Looking for some good barbecue? How about a place listed among Zagat’s top 10 barbecue spots in the country?

Pappy’s Smokehouse (3106 Olive St.) fits the bill. It was named to Zagat’s list earlier this year. Other awards it has racked up include 101 Best Places to Chow Down in American by the Travel Channel, Best Barbecue in St. Louis by the Riverfront Times (2008-2010) and Top 40 Restaurants in 2010 by St. Louis magazine.

The Memphis-style barbecue can be topped with Pappy’s Original, Sweet Baby Jane or Holly’s Hot Sauce. It’s open Monday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or until they sell out) and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or until they sell out).

Everyone’s favorite chow man, Adam Richman of “Man Vs. Food,” also stopped by Pappy’s during his St. Louis swing and ordered the Big Ben, a 6-pound meat medley, which includes a full slab of ribs, beef brisket sandwich, pork sandwich, a quarter of a chicken and four sides.

But why waste your time listening to reviewers praise the pork? Take a trip to Pappy’s and try it for yourself.

Bacon, ice cream, shakes — and a challenge

Welcome to Crown Candy Kitchen (1401 St. Louis Ave.).
Hours: 10:30-8 Monday to Thursday, Friday to Saturday 10:30-10, Sunday 11-6

This is the place to go for a delicious shake in an old-fashioned setting. Crown Candy Kitchen has been a North St. Louis staple for generations. Harry Karandzieff and his friend Pete Jugaloff first opened the place in 1913, and Harry’s grandson, Andy, now owns the business.

The $35 million Crown Square development opened in 2010 around the historical home of Crown Candy, in hopes of attracting more business and restaurants to the area. It includes mixed-income apartments, a grocery co-op, a clothing boutique and an art gallery.

But Crown Candy Kitchen itself is more than just an old-fashioned soda fountain. Come for lunch and try the gigantic BLT sandwich — you’ll see why it’s called the “heart stopping BLT.” Or have a World’s Fair sundae. (The 1904 World’s Fair was held in St. Louis’ Forest Park, an event that sparked the popularity of the ice cream cone.) You can also buy some chocolate candy made in Crown Candy’s back room. Better yet, have a shake — or five.

Crown Candy offers the Five-Malt Challenge. Drink five of their homemade 24-ounce malts or shakes within 30 minutes and get them for free! You also get your named added to a plaque — plus a free Crown Candy T-shirt! How can you say no to that?

Adam Richman of the Travel Channel’s “Man Vs. Food” accepted the challenge in 2009. Are you more man than he is?

The restaurant was also featured in Business Week in 2009 as part of a follow-up based on readers’ suggestions to a story on America’s oldest restaurants.

If ice cream isn’t your style, check out St. Louis’ pizza options or our Washington Avenue and Downtown Guide.

What IS this?!?! A tutorial on St. Louis-style pizza

If you truly explore St. Louis, you’ll likely run into St. Louis-style pizza. And if you aren’t prepared, it might shock you. Most people either love it or hate it.

For example, when I asked on Facebook for suggestions of places with good St. Louis-style pizza, comments included:

• “Yikes! Did you just imply that St. Louis style pizza is good?”
• “+1 to [above comment]”
• “Not a fan of Imos/StL style pizza”

However, a number of other people described various places as “delicious,” “great” and “favorite for STL-style pizza.”

I fall in the “fan of St. Louis-style pizza” group, but I put it in its own category. If I really want pizza, I get regular pizza. I get St. Louis-style pizza when I want specifically that. (Do you have an opinion on St. Louis-style pizza? Share it below!)

So what is it?

St. Louis-style pizza starts with a thin, crisp crust. It’s topped with tomato sauce, toppings of your choice and — most importantly — provel cheese.

Never heard of provel cheese? You aren’t alone. Provel is a combination of cheddar, swiss and provolone cheeses. The cheese is creamy with a low melting point, and some people complain that it sticks to the roof of their mouth. The invention of provel is often credited to Costa Grocery (now Roma Grocery in the Italian neighborhood of St. Louis known as The Hill) half a century ago specifically for St. Louis-style pizza. Today, Kraft owns the trademark for the cheese, though it can be difficult to find outside the St. Louis area.

And St. Louis-style pizza is generally cut into squares instead of triangular slices.

Imo’s Pizza is a chain of restaurants that specializes in St. Louis-style pizza. It also tops its salads with provel cheese. The closest dine-in location (which also offers delivery) to the Renaissance Grand Hotel is 1828 Washington Ave. (10 blocks West on Washington Ave. from the hotel) (Phone: 314-241-6000), but it closes at 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, midnight Friday to Saturday and 9 p.m. Sunday. For late-night delivery, try calling the Fourth Street location (314-421-4667), which is open until midnight Sunday to Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday to Saturday.

(Note: During the SND STL Friday Happy Hour at Flamingo Bowl, you can try St. Louis-style pizza as part of the buffet, along with toasted ravioli, chicken tenders and salad. The cost is just $10 for the food, shoes and drink specials.)

Other local places suggested for St. Louis-style pizza include:

• Il Posto Pizzeria (1131 Washington Ave.; 314-621-2400) recently opened in a prime location on Washington Avenue in place of what used to be B&T Pizza, and it offers a St. Louis-style pizza pie.
• Riley’s Pub (3458 Arsenal St., 314-664-7474) is a neighborhood dive/Irish pub in the East Tower Grove neighborhood.
• Elicia’s Pizza (3209 Gravois Ave., 314-771-7777) is a local St. Louis chain that’s popular among the late-night drinking crowd to soak up the booze.
• Rigazzi’s (4945 Daggett, 314-772-4900) is on The Hill and feels like an old-school Italian pizza joint.
• And these don’t have locations in the city, but if you are headed outside the city limits, look them up: Cecil Whittaker’s or Fortel’s Pizza Den.

Pi Pizzeria serves Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.

And if you just want “normal” pizza, here are a few local places to try:

• Pi Pizzeria has become so popular that it has expanded to four St. Louis locations and its own food truck (@PiTruckSTL) PLUS a new location and food truck in Washington, D.C. (@PiTruckDC). (President Barack Obama was such a fan when he ate it on the campaign trail that he later flew the chef to the White House to make him the restaurant’s famed deep-dish pizza.) The closest location to downtown is 400 N. Euclid in the Central West End neighborhood (314-367-4300).
• Black Thorn Pub (3735 Wyoming; 314-776-0534) serves delicious deep-dish pizza that’s heavy on the spices in a neighborhood dive bar.
• The Good Pie (3137 Olive St.; 314-289-9391) serves Neapolitan pizza. It’s closed on Sundays.

Not hungry for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s favorite grub?