Enjoy lake view dining at The Boathouse at Forest Park
The Boathouse – isn’t that a lovely name? Located at the edge of the lake in Forest Park, this restaurant is more than just a place to eat. It offers rental boats to paddle around the lake, a deck with rocking chairs where you can sip your beer and stare at the ducks flapping around the dock, and some live entertainment in the evenings.
In the hot summers, you can choose to sit indoors in the air-conditioned area for breakfast or lunch, but I would recommend having dinner in the evening, when the patio is softly lit and there is cool breeze coming from the lake.
The cuisine is standard American with some Italian on the menu. I think I ordered a pizza which was just okay. I have heard their sandwiches are pretty good and I may try that out next time.
This place is really about the experience. Once you have had your meal, you can just sit in the rocking chairs by the dock and stare at the stars.
Location: 6101 Government Dr, Forest Park, Saint Louis, MO 63110
Eat steaming hot Nepali dumplings at Everest Café & Bar
The sizable Nepali and Tibetan migrant population in India has added a lot to our palate while growing up. A particular favorite was steamed meat dumplings or Momos, that were abundantly sold as street food on hilly northern towns and are hence sorely missed on this side of the world.
Everest Café & Bar provides the most authentic version of this momo in the city. This is a little restaurant with a decidedly oriental theme. The menu is a mix of Nepali, Indian, Tibetan and Korean dishes. We ordered a portion of pork and veggie dumplings each. The veggie memos were a disaster with mashed potatoes and cheese in them. Typically, they are supposed to have cabbage and carrots!! The pork dumplings were however delicious. We also ordered the samosas which were perfect, I felt I was back in India. For the main course, we decided to order the Nepali platter Dal, Bhar, Tarkare ka Sag, a dish comprising of lentil soup, pickles, cooked chicken and rice. It was really good! I would recommend this place to anyone looking for genuine East Asian cuisine.
Location: 4145 Manchester Ave , St Louis
Don’t miss the local favorite pizza’s at Pi Pizzeria & Dewey’s Pizza
Dewey’s Pizza is located in the cute downtown district of Kirkwood and is a bit of a local icon. Dewey’s is often considered the ‘best pizza’ in town with some stiff competition from Pi Pizzeria. I personally prefer the base and sauces of Dewey’s but the toppings of Pi pizzas. Dewey’s kitchen is outfitted with glass windows that allow you to see the pizzaiolos hard at work. The vibe is loud and noisy which makes it a very kid-friendly eatery!
Location: 124 N Kirkwood Rd, Saint Louis, MO 63122
Pi Pizzeria is best described as a sophisticated, high-end pizzeria.Their starters, as well as their pizzas, are really good. I was very impressed by the freshness of the ingredients of their pizza toppings. The atmosphere is quiet and genteel, with a lot of wine drinking patrons. On weekends one can expect 15-20 minutes waiting.
Sample South Indian Cuisine at Mayuri Indian Restaurant
Not all Indian food is naan or chicken tikka masala. There is a whole variety of great dishes to be discovered from the Indian food registry. Unfortunately, Indian food abroad is limited to “Spicy South Indian’ or “Punjabi Mughal” which bypasses a lot of unique dishes and flavors of central, western and eastern India. So when I try to experience “ true Indian cuisine” in the US, I limit my expectations and hope to eat food that is similar to what is served in restaurants back home. What I mostly get, is the sweetened, spiced down and dare I say, tasteless version of most curries.
Well, Mayuri doesn’t entirely break the mold it does do a decent job of providing tasty Indian food. It serves a reasonable variety of North and South Indian cuisine in all its greasy glory. The lunch buffets are great, but ala carte is much better. The food always tastes fresh and healthy. I especially love the assortment of “chutneys” served with an order of South Indian food. The only drawback of Mayuri is the ambiance and service which is quite similar to the chaos of a “bazaar” in India and looks out of place in a dine-in, air-conditioned restaurant in a US suburb.
Location: 12513 Olive Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63141
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