December in St. Louis

[stevebody]

Judye and I are going to be in St. Louis from the 7th of December until about the 21st, for her in-patient therapy with Dr. John MacDonald's team. I'm going to have a LOT of free time on my hands, especially during the days. My original plan to cram in as many Blues games as possible ran aground on the rocks of modern sports commerce, so I'm looking for great wine shops, tastings, etc., or, really, any artsy tourist crap. If any of you guys are from there, we'll be staying near Barnes Jewish Medical Center, in the 'hood they call (I think) Central West End. (probably got that wrong) Any tips are greatly appreciated!

[Innkeeper]

Be sure to go up "The Hill." It is an old Italian hood. They invented fried ravioli there so ask for it. Ask for some some sauce on it while you are at it, because they like to just eat them like popcorn. A couple of joints have decent Italian wine lists too. It has been a long time, so can't come up with names.

[Georgie]

Lots of luck to Judye and you, SB!

[quijote]

SB, the Museum is a must, and it's in an attractive culture-park setting adjacent to other art and culture venues. Also, consider taking a tour of Washington University (just to the west of the city), and check the main drag near Wash. U. (University Avenue, I think) for winebars, restaurants, cafes, bookshops, and other fun stuff.

[quijote]

SB, some other fun things I recommend doing:

The Botanical Gardens (at least the indoor exhibits, though who knows what may be outside at this time of year)....

A tour of the Budweiser plant (just don't set foot in Milwaukee afterwards [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img])....

St. Louis is home of the National Bowling Museum (Hall of Fame)....

Q