St. Louis means Budweiser products, Cardinals baseball, the Arch, the Delmar Loop, Nelly, crime and the question, “Where did you go to high school?” And the food— oh, the food: toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza with the notorious Provel cheese, slingers, gooey butter cake.

“We have to kick it in full gear here,” Jenna Seibert urged. “I came here to win.” Silver industrial stand mixers blended runny milk into a thicker mixture, creating a sticky white batter. Lids flew off canisters, and ingredients were carefully measured. A huge batch of bacon crackled in a silver skillet.

I admit that in the six months I’ve been at Wash. U., I have remained relatively ensconced inside the Bear bubble, only leaving campus for a few Cardinals games and late-night apple fritter runs to John’s Donuts.

When I heard that the new Dynasty Hibachi Buffet now open one storefront down from the AMC Esquire had figured out a way to do all-you-can eat sushi, hibachi and Chinese food for about the same cost as a Domino’s pizza, I’ll admit I was a bit skeptical.

As a self-proclaimed ‘fraidy cat, I’m not sure what I was thinking when I agreed to spend a night in a haunted mansion with friends. I’m the girl who was afraid to be in a room alone after watching “The Others” and the Lemp Mansion in downtown St. Louis is rumored to contain much more than the spirit family of Nicole Kidman and company.

Picture the last time you spent your entire day shopping at the St. Louis Galleria. You’re tired. You’ve bought way more clothing than you should have (and will probably end up returning half of it). Most of all, though, you are hungry. Charley’s, Panda Express, Subway and California Pizza Kitchen are all around, enticing you with the scent of fried food.

Gooey butter cake looks a bit like a mistake. It is not quite a cake, not quite a pie and not quite a dessert bar. And in fact, legend has it that this quintessential St. Louis dessert originated from a baker’s accident.

Non-microwaved food is challenging for students. After a while, late-night library goers begin to abhor DUC dinners, Subway cookies and even those heavenly Cheeze-its from the Whispers vending machine. Speed dialing Domino’s at eleven at night will get old, and your stomachs will crave something substantial.

As you unpack your lives into tiny dorm rooms, your closets quickly overflow with what everyone told you were college staples: chunky sweaters and warm leggings. However, upon arrival, you may begin to realize that these staples are destined to remain on your shelves for a few more weeks unless you have a considerable desire [...]

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but I would venture to say that while breakfast is a beloved meal, the classic breakfast cuisine is best enjoyed mid-day or even in the evening. That is why I have always found it frustrating that breakfast and brunch cafés never remain open past 3 p.m.