25 June 2006

Trip Log, Day 2; St. Louis

Note: This is one of a series. You can find the complete series index here.

Waking up to go stand in line is not usually the first step to a happy day for me. But, it is the day we are headed to the new Busch Stadium, and tickets are tough to come by. Our best chance for tickets was what they call "First Pitch" tickets. Considering that all tickets have been sold for the whole season at the new Busch, this is a really good deal -- two tickets, randomly selected anywhere in the ballpark (including SRO) for just $11 - and an hour or so wait in line. The time passed along quickly enough, and we exchanged our $11 for a voucher, which we would later need to bring to the gate, where we will pick up our tickets. On the surface, it seems like a convoluted way to distribute tickets, but the locals tell me that the series of events are in place to ensure that these tickets are not purchased by those looking to scalp them for a profit.

After securing our tickets, three of us adjourned for breakfast at Tony's Restaurant (12246 Natural Bridge Rd, Bridgeton, MO), which proudly advertises themselves as the "Home of Missouri's Largest Omelet." I think I have mentioned before that I am a sucker for this type of marketing. I always want to see "the biggest," "the best," "the tallest," etc.

Tony's did not disappoint. The restaurant is not large, and well off any kind of beaten path that anyone but the locals would find. It is, however, near the airport, so it is an easy stop on your way in or out of town. Specials were listed on a board near the kitchen, and a sizeable menu exists, but when a place advertises that they are "Home of Missouri's Largest Omelet," why would you order anything else?

The three of us -- all healthy adult males -- split two dishes. One bacon and cheese omelet and a stack of apple pancakes.



I can only tell you that this picture doesn't do this omelet justice. Realize that the omelet is the same size as those pancakes, and about as thick as a stack of five! Maybe this close-up does it better...


Not only was the omelet ENORMOUS, but it was also delicious. It fed THREE of us, and we couldn't finish the whole thing. I can only imagine how many eggs it took to make this -- my guess is 6 or more. There may have also been about 1/3 of a pound of bacon in there. To top it all off, the omelet runs about five bucks. As a matter of fact, the whole check for the three of us was about $15, including tip. If you are looking for a place to grab a good, filling, hearty, inexpensive breakfast, Tony's shouldn't be missed. Bring a defribulator, though, it may come in handy.

Afternoon activities included a trip to the Missouri Botanical Garden, specifically to see the Glass in the Garden exhibit by Dale Chihuly. I had previously seen a similar exhibit in Chicago a few years ago, and subsequently became a Chihuly fan. For one thing, the guy wears an eye patch, which is kind of pirate-ish. Extra points, for sure. On top of that, he has figured out a way to earn worldwide renown and make a ton of money, as an artist, while alive. Imagine how many folks aspire to any part of that! I won't bore you with a ton of Chihuly photos here, but I will add some below the fold for anyone who wants to catch a peek.

The Gardens were cool, but I think I liked the Chicago exhibit a little better. It seemed that these sculptures were a little more random, whereas at the Chicago exhibit, the sculptures took on more of the personality of the gardens. Either way, it was good to add a little culture to the baseball and red meat trip!

After Chihuly, we needed a little time to regroup before heading out to the ballpark. I will continue there in the next post, and, as promised, throw a few glass pictures up below the fold. For full visual effect, you should probably click on the pics to see the larger and more detailed versions.

This was probably my favorite piece. The illusion of flamingos in the garden is what appealed to me.

Many of the glass sculptures interact with the light in beautiful ways.







OK...I suppose you have had more than enough by now. Neat stuff, though, and if you get the chance to see a Chihuly exhibit in your neck of the woods, you should try to check it out.

Edit: Tony's Restaurant was featured in the Dining Out: Best of 2006 post.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

We St. Louisans are morning the passing of Tony's Restaurant this past weekend. Tony's burned and took the entire strip mall with it.

I'm told that it was the result of a grease fire - which, if you remember Tony's - could have started anywhere between the grill and the front door. It wasn't the paragon of cleanliness.

Tony's was a true culinary anachronism. There aren't that many places in this day and age where an 80 year old waitress in orthopedic shoes takes your order, calls you "darlin'", all without dropping the lit Marlboro hanging from the spittle of her bottom lip.

You can't make a Tony's Restaurant, any more than you can create an antique by sheer force of will.

Tony's will be missed. I don't know that I'll ever see six pounds of pancakes smothered in tart Maine blueberries again.

Anonymous said...

Hey! so yeah i just wanna let you know i was reading your blog about tony's burning down. well my grandma was the owner of tony's and i was there the day it burned down. but it wasnt caused from a grease fire. it was and electrical fire. there was a leak in the roof and it caused it to catch on fire. im just letting you know so people dont think it was a grease fire... if you have comments email me basketball_chick_2008_4life@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

Hey i see u redid your blog and all and put grease again............. well im letting u know again it WASNT a grease fire lol... i know it cause my grandma owned it........ well ttyl and ill let u know where the new rest. will be when it gets opened


danielle

Anonymous said...

Have you ever woke up and thought "Man, I need my morning coffee?" Well many people at Tony's would agree that they had some of the best coffee in town. I would go there sometimes for breakfest and stay and talk with the friendly workers and then eat lunch too. I know that Tony's was burned down because of the roof having electrical problems, but i must say that there is no other resturant that does it like Tony's. I will truely miss all the hot omlets and bacon i had there, but i must say it is a time to move on and welcome the new resturant Danielle talked about.

Anonymous said...

hey samantha boo! lol thanks for the comment you left him.. when i move im gonna miss you alot... which mean that when we get it open ill have to let u stay the nite at my house and then take u there to eat lol... i know my dads gonna be a wonderful owner and i will be an awesome worker haha lol.. no seriously thanks for the comment!

danielle

The Travelin' Man said...

Danielle - I made a separate post on the front page about the electric fire. You can find it here. Thanks for the heads-up!