Nothing To Be Proud Of

I'm in Tokyo for the day, and managed to grab lunch at an excellent tempura restaurant in the Ote Center. We sat at the bar while the third-generation chef/owner dipped all the various pieces of fish and vegetable in light batter and fried them, before depositing them fresh in front of us. His pride in his work was obvious, and the meal was just outstanding. Tonight I'll probably eat sushi, which I also expect to be excellent. One day I'll host some of my Japanese contacts in St Louis but this raises a question: just what the fuck will I feed them?

What would I hold out as a fine example of St Louis cuisine in return for the wonderful food I've enjoyed in Japan? Once you rule out all the shite chain restaurants, and the overpriced and overrated mock-Italian crap on The Hill there isn't much left. And a lot of that isn't in the slightest bit "St Louis" - most of the good food is "ethnic". Fuck me, if I based my decision on the places I like to eat we'd end up going for sushi again. I guess I'd settle for the burger at O'Connells, medium rare, of course - I've never had a better burger anywhere in the world. By the way, if you were going to suggest Imo's pizza or toasted ravioli, washed down with Budweiser, I strongly suggest you stick your head up your arse and whistle through your colon in an attempt to wake up your brain...