A mere two miles south of the campus of Saint Louis University
is a burgeoning cultural mecca, known fondly as “Grand” South
Grand. While not nearly as notorious as some of the other regions
of St. Louis, South Grand offers all that a college student’s heart
could desire.
South Grand’s selection of restaurants rivals that of the Loop
or the Central West End, St. Louis’ most widely-known culinary
corners. From the lavender cr�me brulee at Mangia Italiano
to the standard hamburger at the South City Diner to the pad Thai
at the King and I, South Grand is more than ready to meet the pleas
of every palate.
Catty-corner from Tower Grove Park is MoKaBe’s (3606 Arsenal
Street, 865-2009), South Grand’s best coffee shop. Along with some
top-notch coffee (including Vietnamese coffee, a South Grand
favorite), MoKaBe’s offers a variety of breakfast and anytime
dishes for both vegetarians and meat-eaters, and boasts oatmeal
bars that surpass description. As well as the traditional board
games, this establishment also offers a few arcade games to help
while away the hours.
At the opposite corner of Grand Blvd. and Arsenal St. sits
Sekisui (3024 S. Grand Blvd., 772-0002), a relatively new addition
to the South Grand family. Sekisui serves up a wide variety of
Japanese dishes, from West Coast-style sushi to noodle dishes to
Bento boxes, as well as a full wine list, an assortment of both
imported and domestic beers, mixed drinks, and sake. A few blocks
south, is the Jade Room, a relatively new coffee-cyber-sushi bar
connected to Mekong (3131 S. Grand Blvd., 773-3100), one of the
many Vietnamese restaurants gracing Grand Boulevard.
While Lemongrass (3216 S. Grand Blvd., 664-6702) serves up
undeniably delicious Vietnamese cuisine, it is hard to beat Pho
Grand (3195 S. Grand Blvd., 664-7435) for great atmosphere, great
prices, great service and, most of all, great Vietnamese food.
For late-night dining, nothing beats the diverse menu of the
South City Diner (3139 S. Grand Blvd., 772-6100). Don’t be fooled
into thinking this is just a run-of-the-mill diner by its retro
d�cor, because the South City Diner is anything but average.
Families, college kids and South Side freaks alike frequent the
diner, so it’s an ideal people-watching post. And, with a menu
including everything from burritos to burgers to a vegetarian egg’s
Benedict, South City Diner has the menu to match its clientele.
Everyone usually refers to The Hill for Italian food in St.
Louis, but for a non-traditional atmosphere and innovative approach
to Italian cuisine, try Mangia Italiano (3145 S. Grand Blvd.,
664-8585). The folks at Mangia manage to take ordinary entrees and
add a little zest to it with a hint of spice in the marinara, or
perhaps some of their freshly made spinach noodles. The nightly
specials never fail to be both creative and delicious, and, even
better, moderately priced. Almost as entrancing as the food is the
d�cor, which includes mismatched art deco furniture and
plates, as well as an intricate mural by former St. Louis wrestler
Wayne St. Wayne. Also available is an extensive and eclectic bar,
as well as outside seating.
One block west of the South Grand business district is Black
Thorn Pub and Pizza (3735 Wyoming Street, 776-0534), home to the
best bar pizza in St. Louis. Who said the best things in life don’t
come for free? On Monday evenings, the bar serves up free pizza to
munch on while you’re playing air hockey, shuffleboard, or fiddling
around on the jukebox. For the bar scene, there are a couple of
essentials. Martini fans rejoice: There is a bar in St. Louis that
loves vodka and gin just as much as you do. Welcome to Absolutli
Goosed (3196 S. Grand Blvd., 772-0400), winner of the Riverfront
Times’ 2004 Restaurant Poll for Best Martini and Best Bloody Mary.
This quaint but cosmopolitan venue offers an outdoor patio, but it
fills up quickly on Friday and Saturday nights, so be prepared to
wait between 10 and 30 minutes for service.
fear: The average man’s bar is here. CBGB’s (3163 S. Grand Blvd.,
773-9743) proudly serves some of the cheapest beer in town,
including the college student’s best friend, Pabst Blue Ribbon. The
intimate bar always boasts a great soundtrack, with live acts
performing every once in a while. If you can find the time on a
Wednesday night, stop by the old-fashioned Trivia Night at 11 p.m.,
in which the bartender yells out 20 random questions and rewards
the winning team with six free beers of their choosing. Much like
its famed New York cousin, CBGB’s offers a young and somewhat
rebellious atmosphere, but still manages to be relaxing. Matt
Loehrer, South City resident and CBGB’s regular, says, “I can’t
stand 99 percent of the bars in St. Louis, but CBGB’s doesn’t work
too hard to try to create an atmosphere, so it’s just comfortable,
despite the fact that it’s pretty hip.”
As well as being a culinary and nightlife center, the
neighborhood offers “grand” opportunities for the discerning
shopper. The Future Antiques (3203 S. Grand Blvd., 865-1552), also
known as T.F.A., has a wide variety of fashionable retro household
furnishings and knick-knacks, as well as a basement full of
well-chosen vintage garb. Also of interest to the second-hand
shopper will be The Vintage Haberdashery (3143 S. Grand Blvd.,
772-1927), which specializes in period clothing from the 1890s to
the 1980s, and also gives the option of costume rental from a
selection that beats out Johnny Brock’s any day of the week.
Of course, you can find second-hand shops in almost any
neighborhood in any town. What you can’t find is Jay International
Grocery Coop (3172 S. Grand Blvd., 772-2552), an incredibly cheap
global foods store with an outstanding selection of rare produce
and other miscellaneous worldly products. Where else could you find
50 varieties of olive oil or 30 different types of rice
noodles?
For the erudite, there is also something to be had. Dunaway
Books (3111 S. Grand Blvd., 725-15181). Surpassing all other St.
Louis used bookstores in quantity and variety of books, Dunaway is
an essential stop on South Grand, if only to see if you can get a
required reading for your English class at a discounted price or to
experience firsthand a shop whose employees know where to find
merchandise without the aid of computers. Especially notable are
the sections on literary criticism and American history.
For more information, visit the following website:
http://www.explorestlouis.com/factSheetsVisitors/fact_grand.htm
-Grace Woodard
