Out and about on the Hill

Yes, on my days off, I occasionally wander around the City of St.Louis. This usually happens when I get off the highway and start going down streets I travelled in high school and college. Today, while I was out, I left St. Louis University near the hospital, cut over I-44, to the Vandeventer exit. I took Vandeventer to Shaw and before you knew it, I was on the Hill, St. Louis's storied Italian neighborhood.

As a college student, and in a couple of early jobs (which were both within 2 miles) I spent a lot of time on the Hill eating and shopping. Today it was a little of both.

First, I headed to Adriana's On the Hill. I usually get the Half and Half special (Franco and the soup of the day), but decided to just go with the soup today, even though they were predicting hot weather. This place does great soups, salads and sandwiches.  I had the Sicilian Cauliflower, and it was unlike any cauliflower soup I'd ever had. Picture a light broth with pasta, tomatoes and a touch of grated  parmesan on top. Served with Italian bread, it was a great light lunch.

Next, I went looking for some Abruzzese sausage and found it down the street at Vivianos, which led me to this recipe. I couldn't find any cheese that struck my fancy, so I drove down Shaw to Marconi, and went to DiGregorios Market.  Plenty of cheese...just which one? I got small pieces of Rustico, Caciocavallo, and Tallegio. They're all good, but I'd say the Tallegio is my favorite for now. It's sort of like Brie.

Finally, I picked up some bread, crostini, and some biscotti for Liam, and headed on my way. I could hardly wait to get home and test everything, since I had a light lunch. It was all delicious!

If you're ever in St. Louis and like Italian, the Hill is the place to be. Don't miss it.