Private Food Tasting Walking Tour in Saint Louis Downtown
Satisfy your culinary curiosity with a private tour that takes you on a flavorful journey through some of the city's most beloved dining spots.
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.
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.
4 editor picks for Toasted ravioli in St. Louis, ranked by editorial score. All St. Louis signature dishes · Toasted ravioli across every city.
Anthonino's Taverna ★ 4.2
the-hill · 2225 Macklind Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
A family taverna on The Hill, Anthonino's blends Italian and Greek cooking, from toasted ravioli to spanakopita, a casual room popular with families.
Charlie Gitto's On The Hill ★ 4.1
the-hill · 5226 Shaw Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
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.
Zia's On The Hill ★ 4.1
the-hill · 5256 Wilson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
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.
STL Toasted ★ 3.9
the-hill · 2201 Macklind Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
STL Toasted took over the old Mama Toscano's space on The Hill and built a counter entirely around toasted ravioli, the breaded-and-fried dish born here.
Learn to cook it, or eat it with a guide
Toasted ravioli makes more sense with someone from St. Louis explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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