The Midwest often gets a bad rap. Well, at least when you’re not living in the Midwest. But we’re in Saint Louis for a wedding (yes, this is the Midwest. If you think it’s the South, talk to some Louisters) and things haven’t been so bad. In fact, San Francisco could take a few lessons from the Gateway to the West.
For starters, the Pin-Up Bowl, located in the Loop neighborhood (kind of a cross between Upper Haight and the new NOPA), is the cat’s meow. Part martini bar and part bowling alley, the Pin-Up Bowl exceeded expectations when we got to the bar to order our first cocktail and saw not one, not two, but the entire line of Hangar One vodka. Hangar One? In Saint Louis? It’s a home away from home. With a Lime Hangar One and tonic in one hand and a lightweight bowling ball in the other, it’s amazing how one’s bowling average improves. Or in our case, it’s amazing how we were actually able to get up to the lane and occasionally knock down a few pins (our final score: 69). In addition to the bar and lanes, they have a nice little food menu—the fried ravioli was hard to pass up—and there’s also a pool table and a jukebox. And can we just say, they have two George Michael albums on this jukebox. Two! And we can’t even find one at most places in SF.
We can’t help but wonder why we don’t have spots like this in San Francisco. Bowling, cocktails, food and pool seem like a no brainer. As soon as we get back we’re looking into starting a franchise. That, and improving our bowling average.
Hangar One [Official Site]
Photo: Bill in STL [Flickr]
