Toasted ravioli, or t-ravs, are meat-filled ravioli breaded and deep-fried until crisp, served with marinara for dipping. They are the defining St. Louis appetiser, born on The Hill.
Where to eat it: 4 restaurants across 1 city.
The dish was invented by accident on The Hill, St. Louis's Italian neighbourhood, around the 1940s, when a cook is said to have dropped ravioli into hot oil instead of boiling water. Both Charlie Gitto's and the former Mama Toscano's have claimed the origin. However it happened, breaded-and-fried ravioli spread from the neighbourhood's red-sauce kitchens to become the city's signature starter, now found on menus across the metro and rarely anywhere else.
Common allergens: Gluten, Egg, Dairy
Tip from the editors. Par-boiling the ravioli first keeps the filling from leaking when they fry. Fresh ravioli works better than frozen.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
A Hill institution tied to the toasted-ravioli origin story, Charlie Gitto's plates red-sauce Italian classics in a clubby room. The t-ravs draw first-timers.
Order: Toasted ravioli, which the restaurant claims to have popularised.
Tip: Reserve for dinner; the dining room fills with regulars and out-of-town pilgrims. Start with the toasted ravioli and a Caesar.
A family-run Hill room going since 1985, Zia's plates generous Italian-American spiedini and pasta. The everyday Hill table locals lean on over the big names.
Order: Toasted ravioli and the chicken spiedini.
Tip: Reservations are taken for parties of eight or more only, so expect a wait at peak. The chicken spiedini is the house signature.
Why locals love it: In the old Mama Toscano's space with weekend-only hours, STL Toasted is a single-minded toasted-ravioli counter most visitors never time right.
Tip: Open only Friday to Sunday; order the t-ravs by the dozen with marinara. It carries on the Hill's ravioli tradition.
A family taverna on The Hill, Anthonino's blends Italian and Greek cooking, from toasted ravioli to spanakopita, a casual room popular with families.
Order: Toasted ravioli and the Greek-Italian pastas.
Tip: The toasted ravioli and the Greek-Italian crossover dishes are the draws. It fills with families at weekends.
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