Celebrating 314 Day in Missouri’s largest metropolitan city of St. Louis

Image by Old Vienna’s Facebook

St. Louis has experienced a modest rise in its metropolitan population, currently ranking 23rd among 150 large metro areas in the United States, with a total population exceeding 2.8 million. If the city were to reunite with St. Louis County, it would shed its ‘dangerous’ reputation, and the combined entity would rank among the top seven most populous areas in the country. As it stands, St. Louis City remains the second-largest city in Missouri, while Kansas City has surpassed the half-million mark in population.

When you think of 314 and St. Louis, it conjures up more than just an area code. The St. Louis region encompasses not only 314 but also 636 and 618, which includes the Illinois suburbs. While residents in the Metro East take pride in their 618 area code, we all share a collective identity.

Today is March 14th, celebrated by trendsetters, promoters, and social media influencers as 314 Day. On this day, they showcase the essence of St. Louis, posting images of local favorites like Chinese rice, Vess soda, Old Vienna chips, White Castle burgers, and even the St. Paul sandwich, a nod to the city’s rich Asian heritage.

But that’s just a glimpse of what St. Louis truly represents. To me, it’s The Gateway to the West, with the majestic Gateway Arch standing proudly by the mighty Mississippi River. St. Louis is known for its toasted ravioli, Imo’s pizza, and the storied Cardinals baseball franchise, whose fans sometimes seem to expect nothing less than victory.

In my opinion, Chinese cuisine reigns supreme in our city, even if it doesn’t hold the same iconic status as Imo’s pizza. Let’s delve into the history of Imo’s and other beloved staples that define the Gateway City.

1.Imo’s

Imo’s Pizza is a well-known pizza chain in St. Louis, Missouri, famous for its St. Louis-style pizza. The history of Imo’s Pizza dates back to 1964 when it was founded by Ed and Margie Imo. They opened their first location on the corner of Manchester and McCausland avenues in St. Louis.

St. Louis-style pizza is characterized by its thin, cracker-like crust, which is typically cut into squares rather than traditional slices. It also uses Provel cheese, a processed blend of cheddar, Swiss, and provolone, which gives it a distinct flavor and texture that sets it apart from other pizza styles.

Imo’s Pizza quickly gained popularity in the St. Louis area and expanded over the years, opening multiple locations. The chain became a staple of local cuisine, known for its unique pizza style and community involvement. The brand has been embraced not only for its food but also as a cultural icon within the region.

Over the decades, Imo’s has continued to grow, with numerous franchise locations established throughout Missouri and neighboring states. The chain has also adapted to changing consumer preferences by offering various menu items, including salads, pasta, and sandwiches, but it remains best known for its signature pizza.

Today, Imo’s Pizza is often regarded as a quintessential St. Louis dining experience, representing the city’s culinary traditions and serving as a gathering place for locals and visitors alike. The company has maintained its commitment to quality ingredients and a family-friendly atmosphere, ensuring its place in the hearts of St. Louis residents.

Not a day goes by when I don’t see non-natives, like comedian talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, making fun of our beloved pizza. Thankfully, our local hero Sterling K. Brown stepped in to set him straight, all in good humor, of course. I wouldn’t be surprised if Imo’s stock shot up as a result!ghts.

2. Old Vienna’s Potato Chips

In 1936, Louis Kauffmann started a potato chip business in St. Louis, Missouri. Little did he know that, many years later, his Old Vienna Brand snacks would be become a prominent St. Louis staple. And boy, did they ever. The Old Vienna brand stuck around for quite some time, only to eventually change hands and ultimately lose the tender love and care that these delicious snacks deserve.

After many ownership changes, Old Vienna Snack Food Company dissolved in 1996, after 60 years of providing some of the most tasty treats this side of the Mississip’. Luckily for us, you, and frankly, everyone in the world, Old Vienna came back as strong as ever thanks the current snack-lovin’ ownership team. Enough about the past, let’s talk about the future of snacking.

Over the years, the Argus Community Foundation (which is not directly affiliated with the Argus Newspaper) has received numerous donations from Old Vienna for our holiday fundraisers. Furthermore, Old Vienna consistently supports initiatives aimed at benefiting the St. Louis community.

3. St. Louis Cardinals

Absolutely, it’s true that fan attendance has dwindled in recent years due to a lack of impactful trades and victories. However, the Cardinals remain one of the most legendary franchises in MLB history, boasting 11 World Series titles and a strong merchandise presence on 314 Day and beyond. Our passion for this team is unwavering. I believe that 2025 will usher in a significant opportunity for the team to turn things around.

The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central Division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals have played their home games at Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis. One of the nation’s oldest and most successful professional baseball clubs, the Cardinals have won 11 World Series championships, the most of any NL team and second in MLB only to the New York Yankees. The team has won 19 National League pennants, third-most of any team behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants. St. Louis has also won 15 division titles in the East and Central divisions. Wikipedia-reference

4. The Gateway Arch

Last summer, I had the opportunity to visit Gateway Arch National Park, and I was struck by the deep affection people have for this landmark. It was truly heartwarming to witness visitors capturing photos and marveling at this architectural wonder. Each time you visit, it’s impossible not to take countless pictures, as finding the perfect angle in just one day is a challenge.

The Gateway Arch is a 630-foot-tall monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world’s tallest arch and Missouri’s tallest accessible structure. Some sources consider it the tallest human-made monument in the Western Hemisphere.

Construction started: February 12, 1963

Architect: Eero Saarinen

Opened: October 28, 1965

5. Toasted Ravioli’s

Toasted ravioli, colloquially known as T-ravs, is breaded deep-fried ravioli, usually served as an appetizer and also used to consume dipping sauce.^[3] It was created and popularized in St. Louis, Missouri.

Most accounts of toasted ravioli trace its origins to a predominantly Italian-American neighborhood of St. Louis, The Hill. Supposedly, in the early 1940s, a raviolo was accidentally dropped into the fryer by a chef. Shortly thereafter, the item began appearing on menus across The Hill. While many restaurants on The Hill claim its creation, Charlie Gitto’s “On The Hill” restaurant (then known as “Angelo’s”) is where it was made famous.

That story claims that a chef at Angelo’s, Mario Battocletti, accidentally dropped the pasta into oil after a misunderstanding. Chef and restaurateur Charlie Gitto, Jr. inherited the original recipe and still serves it at his restaurants to this day.

Another claim is from Mama Campisi’s as well as Louis Oldani.^[5] Oldani is said to have named the dish ‘toasted’ ravioli because he thought ‘toasted’ was more appealing than ‘fried’. Read more.

6. St. Louis World’s Fair

One of the best musicals you could ever want to see, I got a chance to see it at the Muny years ago. Judy Garland’s Meet Me in St. Louis. Tells the story of a family in Saint Louis about to move to New York, but decided to wait until after the World’s Fair. But the real version told a different happy ending, as it became a global awakening for our historic city and state. it left us with the no.1 urban park, Forest Park and Zoo.

The Louisiana Purchase Exposition, commonly referred to as the St. Louis World’s Fair, was an international event that took place in St. Louis, Missouri, from April 30 to December 1, 1904. The fair was funded by a combination of local, state, and federal resources totaling $15 million, which is roughly equivalent to $525 million today. It featured exhibitions from over 60 countries and 43 of the then-45 American states, drawing nearly 19.7 million visitors.

Historians often highlight the fair’s focus on themes of race and imperialism and its enduring influence on scholars in history, architecture, and anthropology. However, for many attendees, the event was primarily about entertainment, consumer goods, and popular culture. The grand Greco-Roman architectural style seen at this fair and others from that period significantly shaped the design of new buildings and urban plans in major cities for years to come.

7. Forest Park

Forest Park is a public park located in western St. Louis, Missouri, serving as a key civic hub. Spanning 1,326 acres (5.37 km²), the park opened in 1876, more than ten years after its initial proposal. It has been the site of several notable events, such as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition in 1904 and the 1904 Summer Olympics.

Encircled by Washington University in St. Louis, Skinker Boulevard, Lindell Boulevard, Kingshighway Boulevard, and Oakland Avenue, Forest Park is often referred to as the “Heart of St. Louis.” The park boasts a diverse range of attractions, including the St. Louis Zoo, the St. Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum, and the St. Louis Science Center.

8. St. Louis Blues

“The Saint Louis Blues” (or “St. Louis Blues“) is a popular American song composed by W. C. Handy in the blues style and published in September 1914. It was one of the first blues songs to succeed as a pop song and remains a fundamental part of jazz musicians’ repertoire. Handy said he had been inspired by a chance meeting with a woman on the streets of St. Louis, Missouri, distraught over her husband’s absence, who lamented, “Ma man’s got a heart like a rock cast in de sea”, a key line of the song. Handy’s autobiography recounts his hearing the tune in St. Louis in 1892: “It had numerous one-line verses and they would sing it all night.”

9. St. Louis Blues’ Hockey

The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the 1967 NHL expansion and is named after the W. C. Handy song “Saint Louis Blues“. They play their home games at the 18,096-seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994.

The last time the Blues won a championship was in 2019, it was a night to be had in St. Louis. I think I didn’t get any rest that night, after following them passionately that season, with a pandemic looming in our reach.

The Blues won the Stanley Cup in 2019 and have the most Stanley Cup playoff appearances outside of the Original Six. Although frequent postseason contenders for most of their history, the franchise has usually struggled in the playoffs, including consecutive Stanley Cup Finals defeats at the end of their first three seasons. With the Blues’ victory in their fourth Stanley Cup Finals, 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence, they became the final active team from the 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup. Wikipedia

10. Gooey Butter Cake

Gooey butter cake is a type of cake traditionally made in St. Louis, Missouri. It is a flat and dense cake made with wheat cake flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, typically near an inch tall, and dusted with powdered sugar. While sweet and rich, it is somewhat firm and is able to be cut into pieces similarly to a brownie. Gooey butter cake is generally served as a type of coffee cake and not as a formal dessert cake.

There are two distinct variants of the cake: the original St. Louis, MO Bakers’ gooey butter and a cream cheese and commercial yellow cake mix variant. The original St. Louis, MO Bakers’ gooey butter is believed to have originated in the 1930s. It was made with a yeast-raised sweet dough on the bottom.

11. Anheuser-Busch

As you approach St. Louis from the south along Highway 55, you’ll be greeted by the striking sight of glossy brick-red buildings, complete with a Clydesdale welcoming you. This impressive complex serves as the headquarters for the renowned Anheuser-Busch brewery. Despite being owned by an international corporation, it proudly maintains its roots in our city.

An American brewing company based in St. Louis, Missouri, has been wholly owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV (AB InBev) since 2008. AB InBev is currently the largest brewing company in the world and owns a variety of global brands, including Budweiser, Michelob, Stella Artois, and Beck’s.

The company employs more than 19,000 individuals and operates 12 breweries and nine aluminum can plants across the United States. Additionally, until December 2009, it was one of the largest theme park operators in the country, managing ten theme parks through its Busch Entertainment Corporation division.

Website

By Pp391 – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25132452

Website

The St. Louis brewery, which opened in 1852, is a National Historic Landmark District, and includes three buildings listed as National Historic Landmarks. Public tours of the brewery are offered. The tour takes visitors through the complex where they can see beer being made and packaged in a working part of the brewery. The company keeps a rotation of its famous Budweiser Clydesdales at its headquarters, and visitors to the brewery can observe the clydesdales in their exercise field and see their places in the carriage house.

12. Second downtown

St. Louis boasts a secondary downtown in Clayton, MO, a suburban city that borders St. Louis. Clayton is conveniently located within walking distance of Forest Park and the expansive Washington University campus. Additionally, it serves as the county seat of St. Louis County, from which the city of St. Louis separated in the 1800s.

By Lightmetro – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org

While there have been discussions about merging the two, no significant progress has been made recently, leaving St. Louis to exist as an independent city often scrutinized for its crime rate. Despite these challenges, the St. Louis metropolitan area has experienced notable growth over the years, maintaining its position as the 23rd largest market in the U.S. It has a population of approximately 2.8 million, making it the largest in Missouri, while the city itself has about 286,000 residents, ranking second in the state.

13. St. Louis Battlehawks

The St. Louis Battlehawks are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The Battlehawks compete in the United Football League as a member of the XFL Conference. The team was a founding member of the XFL league.

14. St. Louis City S.C.

St. Louis City Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in St. Louis. The club competes in Major League Soccer as a member of the Western Conference. City SC was established in 2019 as an expansion team; the team began play in 2023. 

15. Culinary starters in Saint Louis with locations:

While I can’t cover all the incredible eateries in St. Louis that embody the essence of the city, here are some of the standout spots. These establishments effectively utilize social media to showcase their offerings and proudly represent St. Louis to the world!

Steve’s Hot Dog & More 3145 S Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO, United States, Missouri

Facebook

Royale 3132 S Kingshighway Blvd, St. Louis, MO, United States, Missouri

Cathy’s Kitchen Restaurant & Diner 250 S Florissant Rd, Ferguson, MO, United States, Missouri

Facebook

St. Louis, Missouri, is known for its rich history and diverse neighborhoods, many of which showcase beautiful architecture and cultural significance. Here are five historic neighborhoods in St. Louis:

1. Soulard: Famous for its vibrant nightlife and historic buildings, Soulard is one of the oldest neighborhoods in St. Louis. It features beautiful 19th-century brick homes and is known for its annual Mardi Gras celebrations, one of the largest in the country.
2. Lafayette Square: This neighborhood is notable for its stunning Victorian architecture and is home to Lafayette Park, one of the oldest parks west of the Mississippi River. The area has undergone significant restoration and is known for its picturesque streets and historic charm.
3. Washington Avenue Historic District: Located in downtown St. Louis, this district is recognized for its well-preserved 19th-century commercial buildings. The area has seen revitalization efforts and is now a hub for dining, shopping, and entertainment.
4. Cherokee Street: This neighborhood is known for its eclectic mix of antique shops, art galleries, and restaurants. The area has a rich history and is recognized for its diverse cultural influences and vibrant community.
5. Old North St. Louis: This neighborhood features a mix of historic homes and community development initiatives. It is known for its efforts to preserve historic architecture and foster community engagement, with a strong focus on revitalizing the area while honoring its history.

These neighborhoods reflect St. Louis’s diverse heritage and architectural beauty, making them significant in the city’s historical landscape.

St. Louis, Missouri, has several neighborhoods with significant African American populations and rich cultural histories. Here are five neighborhoods that are often recognized for their vibrant Black communities:

1. North St. Louis: This area has historically been a hub for the African American community in St. Louis. Neighborhoods like Walnut Park and Hamilton Heights are located here, and the area has a rich cultural history.
2. The Ville: This neighborhood has a significant historical legacy, being one of the first African American neighborhoods in St. Louis. It was a center for Black culture and social life in the early to mid-20th century.
3. Carr Square: Located near downtown, Carr Square is known for its historical significance and its role in the African American community. The area has seen various revitalization efforts in recent years.
4. JeffVanderLou: This neighborhood has a strong community presence and is known for its efforts in community development and empowerment. It has a rich history and plays a role in the broader narrative of St. Louis’s African American history.
5. West End: The West End has a diverse population and is known for its historic homes and community initiatives. It has been a focal point for African American culture and activism in the city.

These neighborhoods contribute to the cultural fabric of St. Louis and are important to the city’s history and identity.

15. The largest and notable suburbs of St. Louis

The largest suburbs of Saint Louis, Missouri, are notable for their population and economic activity. Some of the largest suburbs include:

1. Florissant – Located in St. Louis County, Florissant is one of the largest suburbs and has a rich history along with a diverse community.
2. Chesterfield – Situated in western St. Louis County, Chesterfield is known for its shopping centers, parks, and family-friendly environment.
3. O’Fallon – This suburb has experienced rapid growth and is known for its strong community, parks, and recreational activities.
4. St. Charles – Located to the northwest of the city, St. Charles features a historic downtown area and is part of the larger St. Charles County.
5. Ballwin – A suburban community in West County, Ballwin is recognized for its quality schools and family-oriented atmosphere.
6. Webster Groves – This suburb has a strong sense of community, historic architecture, and is known for its vibrant arts scene.
7. University City – Home to a diverse population and Washington University, it features a mix of residential areas and commercial districts.
8. Maplewood – Known for its historic buildings and revitalization efforts, Maplewood is a smaller suburb with a unique character.

These suburbs contribute to the overall metropolitan area of St. Louis, offering a mix of residential, educational, and commercial opportunities.

Part 2 will reflect the top 15 social media influencers who are so STL!

In conclusion, I trust you understand my perspective on the 314 phenomenon, as everyone has their own unique loves and opinions. This is my personal reflection on my cherished city. For more information or if you’re a tourist seeking additional details, feel free to click here.

314 Day, St. Louis, local food, cultural heritage, social media influencers, St. Louis cuisine, food celebration, Asian influence

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