Many foodstuffs claim St. Louis as their birthplace, from peanut butter to the prosperity sandwich, 7-UP, Dr. Pepper, cotton candy and ice cream in a cone. Not exactly the most nutritious list, but hey, it was nearly 100 years ago when we dreamed up all these goodies.
The most consistently popular St. Louis cuisine—at least with a guaranteed history—happens to be a nifty little concoction called toasted ravioli. The New York Times has even said, "What spicy chicken wings are to Buffalo, toasted ravioli is to St. Louis."
For any connoisseurs reading this, yes, the ravioli is actually deep-fried, not toasted. After the pasta is coated in breadcrumbs and fried, the flavorful nugget is typically sprinkled with grated Parmesan cheese and served as an appetizer with a marinara dipping sauce. You can find it at many restaurants in St. Louis, from major hotels to Union Station and throughout the city’s Italian neighborhood, The Hill.
Exact origins are a bit muddled for this Midwest treat. One version says it was invented in 1943 or 1944 at Oldani’s restaurant on The Hill. Another popular story from The Hill involves Angelo’s restaurant in 1947, when a chef accidentally dropped the pasta into oil instead of water. To confuse things further, the clumsy cook was named Oldani and was the sister of the owner of both Oldani’s and Angelo’s (now called Gitto’s). Are you following all this? A safe bet is just to say, The Hill, 1940s, it doesn’t really matter, pass the sauce.
In St. Louis and the Midwest, the toasted ravioli typically contains beef or veal, but other variations around the U.S. can have stuffing of provolone cheese, chicken or just about anything else that strikes your fancy. Recipes for myriad versions can be found online, but for the real deal it’s a required visit to The Hill and Charlie Gitto’s, birthplace of the toasted ravioli (or at least one of them).
For More Info
Charlie Gitto’s on The Hill
314.772.8898
www.charliegittos.com
