Dining in St. Louis

Dining in one of St. Louis's distinctive neighborhoods ranks high on a short list of must-dos. Clustered around Forest Park are trendy Central West End with its grand residences, antiques stores, and fashionable eateries (many with sidewalk seating); The Loop, named after an old streetcar turnaround and home to funky shops, art galleries, ethnic restaurants, and the St. Louis Walk of Fame; and The Hill, an Italian district famous for its many Italian restaurants (a perennial favorite is Charlie Gitto's, 5226 Shaw Ave.; tel. 314/772-8898; www.charliegittos.com).

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For children, good bets include The Old Spaghetti Factory, housed in an old warehouse in Laclede's Landing at 727 N. 1st St. (tel. 314/621-0276; www.osf.com), and Hard Rock Cafe in Union Station (tel. 314/621-7625; www.hardrockcafe.com), which also has a food court.

It's a St. Louis tradition to drop by Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, 6726 Chippewa (tel. 314/481-2652), after a night on the town. Founded more than 75 years ago, this roadside parlor and Route 66 attraction specializes in frozen custards, including a thick dip called a Concrete, available in flavors ranging from chocolate chip to Heath Bar and so thick that it's served upside down. It's open daily March through December. An additional location is open summers only at 4224 S. Grand (tel. 314/352-7376).

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FOR SUBSCRIBERSAbdul El-Sayed tries to woo MAHA voters as Democrats seek inroads with RFK’s supporters

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKratom-like substances are popping up in a typically benign supplement

FOR SUBSCRIBERSGOP super PAC increases its spending for Sen. Jon Husted in tough Ohio race

FOR SUBSCRIBERSRecords reveal tumultuous marriage between slain New York Times executive and wife

FOR SUBSCRIBERSFrom clean energy warrior to ‘wall of shame,’ James Talarico reverses on a fossil fuel money pledge

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCongressional staff planned official trip with luxury stops in Italy and France weeks before election

FOR SUBSCRIBERSA harrowing ordeal aboard an Israel-bound plane

FOR SUBSCRIBERSOpenAI CEO Sam Altman to skip congressional hearing on rogue AI agents

FOR SUBSCRIBERSKey DOJ lawyers departed Trump ‘grand conspiracy’ probe amid pressure to produce, source says

FOR SUBSCRIBERSTrump’s new AI chatbot often links to a site launched under Clinton 26 years ago

FOR SUBSCRIBERSAt MAHA summit, industry CEOs the movement once vilified take the stage

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThis Paralympian has two goals: Win medals and give away $500,000 to her teammates

FOR SUBSCRIBERSCornell rape allegation spotlights stringent New York state laws that have long drawn criticism

FOR SUBSCRIBERSThe debate over AI’s future rages on both coasts

FOR SUBSCRIBERSDecades-old march dispute reignites in Northern Ireland, threatening political crisis

For a complete listing of Frommer's-reviewed restaurants, visit our .

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