Life’s Flavors ~ Food in St. Louis, MO By Allison Libby-Thesing
The best restaurant on this stop is by far the Balkan Treat Box. Only open for about four hours a day, the line might be long but well worth the wait. I can imagine the wait in the summer is better than winter, but we braved the cold and stood in line.Everyone in line confirmed it was worth the wait, and it did not disappoint. Order your food by number unless you happen to be a native speaker, the dishes we ate were wonderful. The #7, a wood-fired eggplant“sandwich”topped with fresh veggies, cheese and thin sliced hard boiled egg was by far the best item on the menu we tried. The wood-fired flatbread really pulled the entire dish together, along with the combination of spices and dressing. The Rice pudding was delicious and after a full meal, perfectly portioned for sharing. They offer daily specials, including a fish of the day. If you are in St. Louis, I highly recommend you stop by the Balkan Treat Box.
Our next favorite stop was the St. Louis Foundry. A repurposed electrical component manufacturing plant, made into a mixed-use space. The restaurant portion of the foundry is reminiscent of a food court with stalls, with varying food choices. This location is great for large groups who cannot decide what they want to eat. There is definitely something for everyone at the Foundry. From wood-fired pizza, poke bowls, Asian-Mexican fusion to South Indian street food, no one is walking away hungry. Since we met our daughter’s team at the Foundry, everyone ordered something different. No two meals were alike, if ordered from a different stall, and for those who consume alcohol there is a bar in the center for guests to purchase drinks from as well. Along the outside of the building there are shops that can be reached from inside the food court area or by walking along the open space between the two sides. Live music, VR and even a putt-putt stop there is entertainment and food for a great night out. Everything we tried in the Foundry was delicious. You could make multiple trips here and still have more food to try. Grab your indecisive friends and family and meet up at the Foundry for lunch or dinner.
Overall, we had a great trip to St. Louis to watch our daughter compete and had a great time finding new and exciting places to eat and enjoy our time together. The chance to try new food makes each travel journey a new and exciting adventure. We can hardly wait for the next one to see what new culinary experience we can have.
By Allison Libby-Thesing
