I spend half of my text messages to my friends trying to convince them to come to my city and visit. But, since most of them are four or more hours away, I have had to come up with as many reasons as possible for them to venture over to Missouri. Of course, food is obviously the most enticing thing that anyone could think of so I resort to that quite often. With this being said, here are my top five food related things that you and any guest that comes to visit The Lou must experience.

1. Ted Drewes

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard has been cranking out likely the best custard in Saint Louis for 80 years; there is a reason why it has been going on for so long. Ted Drewes has plain custards along with toppings, specialties, and malts and concrete mixers to top it all of. There is no way to really experience Ted Drewes besides actually tasting its creamy delicious goodness for yourself so if you have not I suggest you do that ASAP.

2. Toasted Ravioli

As someone from Indiana, toasted ravioli was like a legend that I had heard but never seen. I had seen it on Olive Garden menus and in the frozen food section of grocery stores but it really seemed too good to be true. Ravioli is already good enough but covering it in bread crumbs and frying it? Yes. I am all about that and you should be too.

3. Fitz's

Root beer is something that we all can agree is delicious. However, no other root beer can compare to Fitz's. Nothing says Saint Louis like trip to Delmar and a cold mug filled with Fitz's and vanilla ice cream.

4. The Hill

My parents are not big Italian food fans but they still want to eat at the Hill every time they come visit me. Saint Louis is divided up into neighborhoods and The Hill is the Italian-American side of the city. It is full of fire hydrants colored like the Italian flag and restaurants filled with delicious carbs, sauces, cheese, and all the other good things in life. My personal goal is to eat toasted ravioli (see number two) at every restaurants on the hill.

5. Ooey Gooey Butter Cake

Before I came to Saint Louis I had never heard of Ooey Gooey Butter Cake much less tasted it. In other words, I lived an incomplete life before I came here. I am fully convinced that Ooey Gooey Butter Cake is a gift from the heavens themselves. The taste of Ooey Gooey is hard to describe but if I had to describe it to someone I would say that it tastes like uncooked sugar cookie dough, butter, and a hug from your grandma.

In my opinion, Saint Louis has some of the best and more unique food any city can offer. If this will not entice your friends to come visit you, they probably are not the kind of people you want in your life.