Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Andrew Zimmern is coming to town...

I admit, this is in March and hasn't yet happened, but it will.  Talks have finished between the television chef and Soulard where the chef will make a visit to, in St. Louis, for his travel channel show: http://soulardmarketstl.com/bizarre-foods-andrew-zimmern-to-visit-soulard-farmers-market-in-march/

Yeah, this is cool but cool for a variety of reasons:

First of all, this visit will help push St. Louis into the limelight and show that there is something here, besides an airport.  When Anthony Bourdain came by with his book tour and he fielded a barrage of questions from the audience at the Fox, 3 years ago, it was asked of him as to when he was coming to St. Louis.  His answer was "never".  He felt that St. Louis, one of the oldest cities in the US, one of the first founded and the only West of the Mississippi River and location of the 1904 World's Fair, to be not that significant when it comes to food.  Really?

I've had many discussions with people all over at how anyone who thinks the only thing Missouri is good for is the Ozark people, can be not much of an intellectual or even anyone to be bothered with.  And it showed because a few years later, Anthony Bourdain did in fact do an episode of his show where he came to the Ozarks and visited a favorite author of his and spent some days there.  What Mr. Bourdain failed to realize is that those people didn't spontaneously pop up there, they moves West in the early 1800's.  There were people already with restaurants in St. Louis at that time.

Now, another reason that this is cool is that it shows off a bit of history here.  The Soulard market, is the oldest food market, West of the Mississippi.  Considering that there are many more markets like this all over the West, this is cool, because the one in Soulard first started in 1779.  What else was happening in 1779?  Well, most people think that the Revolutionary War was done with in 1776 and the country was formed.  The fact is that after the constitution was signed, the wars went in.  In 1779, there were wars going on and that means that the food market is almost as old as our country.  I'd say that is a big deal.

Did I mention that St. Louis was founded in 1764?  That means that there were people living in the city of St. Louis, before our founding fathers signed anything.  The city is older than the county!  St. Louis was a huge powerhouse because all through time, we have had trains, airplanes, highways to travel on and even a river large enough to send things on.  Imagine how slow the country would have evolved had it not been for St. Louis.

What is great about Soulard, is that there are still farmers who have been going there for the past hundred years or more!  It is still a farmers market.  I know you may come across the random person selling cd's or old clothes, but just about everyone else sells homegrown and local foods.

Now, while it is a ways off, I suggest marking your calendar as you can show up and see him, meet him and talk with him.  I see Andrew Zimmern as not only being a very nice guy, but as a guy from the Mid-West, he is looking out for other Mid-Westerners.

1 comment:

  1. If you are in Lake Saint Louis area check out Asabi Bistro Sushi Bar and Grill... there's a Sushi restaurant that's pretty darn good... www.absbag.com

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