Dear Pals,
I'm not getting a dime for this plug. Not even a free hors 'd ouerves.
Nor am I angling for one.
This is a purely spontaneous tip of the hat to one of St. Louis' little gems...Frank Papa's Ristorante on Brentwood Boulevard.
QUESTION DU JOUR: Do you ever get on "auto pilot" and go to lunch at the same old place without even thinking about it?
I do.
Well today I was on my way back from Steve Adam's studio en route to my office and I planned to stop at the "same old place."
But on the way, I passed Frank Papa's' Ristorante at White Avenue and Brentwood Boulevard.
It had a sign in the window: OPEN FOR LUNCH Wednesday through Friday.
Well, since Loring was taking her friend Lisa out for a Birthday Dinner, (I presume they were dining in their birthday suits, so I wasn't invited) I knew that I was going to be on my own, so I decided to have dinner at lunch and swung My Old Red Baby into Frank's parking lot
My gal pal Brenda from the recently deceased Zinnia's, who now worked at Frank Papa's, had told us that they were open for lunch, but frankly, I had forgotten it. I asked for Brenda, but she was off for the day. So I put myself in the capable hands of "Char of the Bar."
To make a long story longer, I enjoyed a fabulous lunch - a rigatoni pasta dish with beef marinara sauce made with sausage and bacon.
Ummmmmmmm...mmmmm...mmmmmm!
OMG!!
My genial hostess was Char Reigel, (and she treated me regally) a long time employee of this white table cloth family-owned ristorante with an AMAZINGLY affordable and absolutely orgasmic lunch special menu.
So, if you find yourself on Brentwood, about 1.2 clicks south of I-40/64 near White Avenue, swing into Frank Papa's for lunch and tell Char of the Bar, Brenda the Best and Frank that "Birk sent me."
Birk, Commonsensetarian and Citizen of the Republic
PS: Now that Highway 40 (I-64) is open to Brentwood Boulevard again - access to Frank Papa's is easy and breezy once more. Be sure to bring a hearty appetite and be prepared to have a few laughs with Char, Brenda and Frank.
GO THERE FOR LUNCH and be prepared to enjoy some mighty tasty lovingly-made Italian taste sensations...at prices very very very close to Panera's (once known as St. Louis Bread Company)...but miles apart in every other culinary dimension.
Put yourself in Char's or Brenda's hands - you will be thrilled with the food, the service...and rumor has it that that wine is pretty good too.
Of course, I wouldn't know.
Burp...hic...ahhhhhhhhh.
