Contact us at Tim@StlStuff.com

Pickles Deli is brand new deli and sandwich shop in the Central West End. It is located at 22 North Euclid Avenue, just across from the Park East Tower and the new Park East Lofts.

Already getting rave reviews on Sauce Magazine's site, I was excited to see Pickles going in on Euclid because the West End was in need of a non-commercial sandwich place. Seeing as I'm moving into the lofts across the street, the fiancee and I can came in with high hopes - and Pickles did not disappoint. One thing that can be tough to find in the Central West End is good, quick carry-out food. We were heading over the St. Louis Symphony's outdoor concert in Forest Park, so we needed picnic food. The time for Pickles had come.

While I was expecting a little more of a Subway setup, from the second you first walk in you can tell that Pickles only serves up the freshest of meats and cheeses. They have each of them still wrapped up and waiting to be sliced just like they do at real-deal delis and grocery stores. Very, very nice.

The menu has all of your typical sandwich options, from Corned Beef or Pastrami, to a Club sandwich and a Veggie offering. I went for the Club just to give an old favorite a try in a new place. You can choose your bread from about 6-7 options (which includes Pretzel bread), and you can choose a cheese - both at apparently no extra charge than the retail price of the sandwich. The price on the Club was $7.95 and most sandwiches are in the $6-8 range.

Of course there is the obligatory chip rack, which had a nice selection of Krunchers, Jays, Sun Chips as well as all the regulars. I got to talking to the owner and what was apparently the co-owner for a few minutes - friendly and down to Earth guys. They told me the cupcakes are made fresh by the owner's sister (they looked tasty). I got to telling them that I would be moving into the area in the near future and that I'd definitely stop by.

Once we got over to FoPo and got to dig in, I was happy at what I ended up with. It's a notch above any Subway sandwich (or the like) that you can find in town. Thumbs up.

Cheap, quick, fresh. That's Pickles. Right in a convenient spot in the CWE.

The Boathouse in Forest Park
6101 Government Drive
St. Louis, MO 63110
Phone number: (314) 367-2224

Here is a description from The Boathouse website.

The menu at the Boathouse is designed to be family-friendly, featuring angus burgers, chili, hand-tossed pizzas, and delicious salads, along with some signature dishes such as flank steak rarebit and salmon BLTs. When the weather turns and there is a chill in the air, our housemade soups and hearty stews will be sure to warm your spirit. On the weekend, come by with the morning newspaper and enjoy a relaxing brunch by the lake. Parties of 10 or more may make reservations by calling Ann at: (314) 961-7588 Ext. 251. Reservations are not accepted for Sunday Brunch (10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.).

We feature live entertainment outside in the beer garden Friday and Saturday evenings, weather permitting.

The above description sums up what The Boathouse has to offer. The Boathouse is a great place to sit outside for lunch or dinner, and look over the lake in Forest Park. The Boathouse is a great place to start off a day in Forest Park with a little lunch, or it is a great place to end the day with a nice dinner outside on the dock. The Boathouse is perfect if you are looking for a nice dinner or just a place to enjoy the weather.

Our experience at The Boathouse was a long one. We at about 7:30, put our names in and they said it would be about a two hour wait. That was fine with us, because we were in no rush, and we knew the wait would not take two hours. It was a great night and the band outside was very good. While waiting for a table, we were able to order drinks at a window, and sit on the various rocking chairs and benches that are set out on the patio. We ended up waiting for a table for about an hour.

We were then seated outside over looking the lake, it was very nice. We waited about 15-20 minutes before anyone acknowledged our table and took our drink order. We saw that our server was also serving a pretty big party, and a few other tables. We knew this was going to take a while.

So, when our waiter finally got around to our table we were ready to order. We ordered the nachos for an appetizer and I ordered the Salmon BLT for dinner. The nachos came about 30 minutes later, and they were huge. They are made on a 12 inch pizza dish and are covered in toppings. A very good appetizer for four people. When the nachos came out, one of the four salads that we ordered came out with it. This waiter was getting annoying, I know he was taking good care of his big table, but we would not even look at our table when he walked by. After we ate the nachos we were ready for our food. The waiter struggled to keep our drinks full, and it was getting old.

There was a table that sat down about 45 minutes after us and got their food about 20 minutes before we did. They did not have the same waiter as us. When our food finally did come it was very good. The Salmon BLT was done perfectly, and I had a bite of pizza which was good as well. The food at The Boathouse was excellent, but the service was not so great. I think the bad service we had was the exception, because there were other people there that got their food in a timely fashion. After we received our food the waiter cam up to us and explained what happened. He said he forgot to put our order in because the other table had him do a bunch of stuff. The computer where every waiter was putting in orders was two feet from our table. I hate when waiters try to make excuses to tables. I was a waiter once and I can understand a lot of thing, but I hate when waiters make excuses.

Prices are very reasonable and the outside deck is great when it is nice out like it was on Saturday.

Prices: Nachos - $6.95, Salmon BLT - $7.50, Pizza - $8.95, Beers $3.50, Mixed drinks $5.75

The Drunken Fish - Multiple Locations

We went to the Central West End location. The Drunken Fish is a sushi restaurant with a lot to offer. Inside The Drunken Fish on a weekend night is filled with twenty and thirty somethings, dressed up and ready for a night in the Central West End. The inside is also very modern and has plenty of tables. We went at 7:30 on a Friday and there were multiple tables open. There is no wait to get a table.

The menu offers a wide variety of sushi, fried rice, and other Japanese favorites. They even offer a wide variety of cooked items for those people who are afraid to try sushi. Most of the food is priced pretty reasonable and you can get a sushi roll for about $6.

The drink prices at Drunken Fish are out of control. A beer cost $4 and a martini cost $7. Half of our bill was alcohol at this place. They do look like they have some good happy hour specials. Monday - Friday from 5 - 7 pm they have 1/2 price martinis, 1/2 price exotic drinks, $2 bottled beer, $1 infused sake shots. They also have 1/2 price makimono rolls $1 sushi pieces and $1 off appetizers. This happy hour might be worth checking out.

We ordered four sushi rolls between the two of us. The wife ordered the spicy tuna and the California roll, and I ordered the Philly roll and the spicy salmon roll. This Philly roll was the best thing, by far. It was salmon, cream cheese and other fillings, and it was all flash fried. The spicy salmon and tuna rolls were very good as well. The service was very fast and we got our food very quickly.

Prices: $55 for four sushi rolls and four drinks.