We’ve put a busy and partially bird-themed weekend behind us (pictures at johnandnan.com). Saturday morning we participated in an American Heart Association Walk in downtown St. Louis and got to see the inside of Busch Stadium for the first time, even getting to walk around the field at ground level, peer into the dugouts and see the pitcher’s mound from the batter’s perspective, a Cardinal’s-eye view <insert groan here>, bird reference #1.
Following that, we went to lunch at the home of a friend of ours, Peggy Ladd, who organized a group for the walk. Peggy used to be a neighbor at 10th Street. She went on to buy an old manufacturing building in South St. Louis and turn it into a lovely home.
We checked out a TARDIS-like Shop ‘n Save, where the isles were so long they seemed to disappear into the distance and the outside of the store seemed smaller than the inside; then went from there to visit Nan’s Mom. When we went out on the porch, we found, for the second weekend in a row, a dove sitting in the plants on the railing (bird reference #2). Last weekend it sat there the whole time we were on the porch and then flapped off as we got up to leave. Rather than watch it nervously out of the corner of my eye only to have it startle us again as we left, I shooed it away immediately. And then discovered it had been sitting on a clutch of eggs. This made me feel about 10 inches tall. The dove returned to the nest as soon as we left, so it looks like I didn’t make orphans out of les oeufs.
Saturday evening I took part in a trivia competition at the University City Library and had big fun there, but I can’t think of any bird-related hooks I can weave into the narrative. (Well, I learned the alternate name for a double eagle in golf is albatross. Hah! Bird reference #3.) Our table came in third, so face was saved somewhat, even though we tanked in the Home Cooking category. We managed to achieve the lowest score of the evening by any team in any category. I had no idea home cooking was so challenging.
- What is the only member of the onion family that is considered an herb? (Chives, we got that one right.)
- What is an herb that looks like parsley but tastes like anise? (Chervil, never heard of it. FAIL!)
- What are the ingredients of a Manhattan? (What is this, the ’40s? FAIL!)
- What is in Earl Grey tea besides Chinese tea? (Bergamot, turns out Nan knew this, but she stayed home. FAIL!)
- What dessert was named after a ballerina? (Pavlova, no slobbering dogs involved I presume. FAIL!)
- What is “Discovery” a variety of? (An apple! I thought it was a variety of leftover. FAIL!)
- Define “Homogenization.” (It prevents the separation of cream from the water in milk. I might have figured this out if I’d thought of non-dairy uses of the word. Fortunately, someone else at our table knew the answer to this one.)
- What is the American equivalent of the British term “candy floss?” (Cotton Candy. Yay!)
- What are finnan haddies? (Smoked haddock. We guessed “fish” and got the point.)
- What is (something starting with a “C” and French-sounding) flavored with? (We had no clue. The answer is, burnt orange. Blech. As it turns out, many things are flavored with burnt orange, but I couldn’t Google any that start with “C” so I may be mis-remembering the word. FAIL!)
Sunday we spent a quiet day around the house, nursing our aching legs and saving up our strength to attend one of the farewell performances of Riverdance at the Fox Theatre. Once again we had seats to die for, third row orchestra pit. Really. To die for. We could have been killed if any of the dancers had thrown a shoe. If you’ve seen Riverdance live or on TV (it used to be a staple of PBS pledge week), you know what a high-energy show it is. If you haven’t, you should see it one way or the other. The step dancers just make me grin like a loon, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard Nan laugh with sheer delight as much as at this show, although she accused the lead male dancer of using “enhanced clopping” at one point because she heard clopping when both feet were off the ground at the same time (I heard it too, but I think it was just the drums).
After the show we went to a late supper at a new (to us) Vietnamese place, Banh Mi So #1 on South Grand, to try the bánh mì sandwiches and spring rolls, reputed to be the best in the city. Bánh mì is an inspired fusion of French bread and Vietnamese ingredients, such as pork meatballs and garnished with carrot-daikon relish, cilantro and hot peppers. The first time I ever had bánh mì was in Atlanta when I wandered into a little Vietnamese grocery store on Buford Highway looking for a bite to eat before band practice. As I was trying to puzzle out the menu based on pictures of the food (the descriptions were all in Vietnamese), the guy behind the counter said, “I’m going to make you the best sandwich you’ve ever had.” He put together a bánh mì with barbecued pork and the usual garnishes. He was right, it was the best sandwich I’d ever had.
The bánh mì at Banh Mi So #1 was every bit as good as that first sandwich in “Chambodia“, and the spring rolls were outstanding. These are rolls of the cold variety, pork, shrimp, vermicelli, lettuce, and mint in rice wrappers. They’re sometimes also known as summer or fresh rolls. I can’t vouch for whether or not they’re the best spring rolls in St. Louis, as their neon sign says; I haven’t tried all of the spring rolls in St. Louis yet. But I don’t think I’ve had better anywhere else, including Atlanta.
Just to widen our exposure to the menu, Nan had Bánh ướt, king-sized steamed noodles topped with pork slices, greens, fried onions and a light sauce, also very good. Banh Mi So #1 is a major find, convenient to our newfound grocery stores and right across the street from a Ted Drewes.
There must be a bird reference I can make for Sunday. I’m thinking, I’m thinking . . . um, we had eggs for breakfast? Mine That Bird won the Kentucky Derby?
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