Missing Malted Milkshakes

One might expect this St. Louis native from The Hill to proclaim “Long live toasted ravioli, cannoli, thin crust pizza and spaghetti with secret homemade sauces,” but I’m not typical. The aroma of beans, fried potatoes and cornbread coming from mom’s kitchen was the only enticing recognizable layer of kitchen scents that swirled in the neighborhood in the ‘olden’ days of open windows and humming fans.

I’m not a slippery pasta fan so I avoided ravioli, lasagna and such. It wasn’t until I reconnected with a childhood pal as a…senior….adult that I enjoyed toasted ravioli. Magnifique…uh…magnifico. I secretly pined that I wouldn’t feast on that tasty toasty treat unless I was on The Hill, but I’ve thankfully been proven wrong.

How I never had cannoli from the celebrated Missouri Baking Company in the center of this culturally rich neighborhood until vacationing for a week in ‘our’ city with a childhood school chum is a mystery yet to be solved. She hung out there after school ‘cause it was her mom’s place of employment. It’s a delectable treat though not nearly as heavenly if not created on Edwards Street. (Eyebrows raise around a fine dining table if one mistakenly asks for cannelloni for dessert. It’s a challenge for this former French teacher to keep those Italian terms straight).

What can I say about pizza and spaghetti? I loved my mother’s concoctions straight from the Chef Boyardee boxes. As a grown-up I’ve made spaghetti from the same box a handful of times and I seldom order it. I stick with sauces from jars when necessary. However, I have had pizza. Practically lived on it in college. I stand by the indisputable fact that nothing in this food group tops thin crust pizza in StL.

So when asked what I miss most from favorite food haunts from my early days, I didn’t have to think long. The eating establishments that make it are still around. With 40 of them, Missouri ranks fifth among the 28 states where the remaining 454 locations exist.

I miss the chocolate malts from Steak and Shake. These days there is no conformity - except in blandness in taste and color - in chocolate malts ordered from ANY eatery that includes it on their menus. I pop the lid to make sure it’s chocolate if the taste test offers insufficient evidence. Eyeballing the contents doesn’t always do the trick either. If they are obviously chocolate, one of those milkshakes from anywhere is a nice treat. But…I miss the old-fashioned chocolate MALT…without the eyerolls, please. (Happening when I order one.) Umm, never mind. I googled the recipe. I’ll keep the ingredients on hand and make my own.

(for 10/26/2022)