St.Louis, Schlafly Bottleworks, Iron Barley and more...

I'm phone blogging again this morning. We'll see how it goes.

I'm up ahead of the rest of the gang and enjoying a Starbucks Americano while they get that missing hour.

Aaron and Jenny are here from Chicago. Hannah managed to break away from college. Chris and I are here with Jenny's parents and her niece. Eight in all, the whole gang.

We met for lunch at the Schlafly Bottleworks. For those that are distressed that this is a brewery,  check out the menu on their website. (I'd link to it, but haven't figured that out on my phone, yet.) Wow! What a great meal!

After an afternoon of visiting and spending time in the hotel pool, we headed out for dinner at the Iron Barley in South City. This place would've fit the "Dives" category of the Diners, Drive Ins and Dives show that it was featured on. We we're seated in the "Underground" which means the basement.  You go outside, around back, through the kitchen entrance (the back door), and down the concrete stairs to the old basement converted to a bar with a few tables and a small area for a two man blues/bluegrass team. Between the owners, workers and clientele I felt like we had stepped into a backwoods biker bar.

Holy smokes! This was some of the best food ever!  We will definitely be back to this place!

We finished the day at Ted Drewes and then visiting some more at the hotel. We'll visit some more today and then we'll each make our way back to our normal lives. I think the eight of us have consumed enough food to feed a small village.

It's been a good weekend.  Time to wake 'em up and enjoy the kids for a few more hours before they leave for home and school.

Have a grand day.
John <><