Two Places(an old STL throwback article)

I do remember those days, back in my

Childhood

When you’d take me after a long day at Meramac Springs, and the whole truck would smell like bait, fish(all the trout we caught) and coins(you’d always have mountains of coins in your truck)...

And we’d listen to your Allman Brothers band CD—-

And you’d always tell me that this was

My song, and that I was your “Sweet Melissa”

After all (I wasn’t always so sweet!)

And we’d go down to Paul’s donuts.

You’d always talk to the owners, like they were your family, too

And you always made sure, Dad,

to get me a blueberry muffin, since they were my favorite and

I liked the tang of sour cream they’d put in the recipe.

You’d always get my mom the French vanilla cappuccino with extra whipped cream, and the cream filled chocolate donut for me too,

And the apple topper—-these donuts made up

Everything I ever loved—

And I inherently remember all of our fishing trips together,

Missing those days, and now that

Paul’s donuts is gone,

It makes me want them back

Even more.(one more day, to go back)

And Rich and Charlie’s, that dark and dusty Italian restaurant

That had outdated art,(art that my sisters and I for some reason got a kick out of!)

Was

Our family’s favorite place to go out to eat ——

The salad, the garlic cheese bread

And thin crust pizza (really a St. Louis staple like Imo’s pizza)

Can never be replaced

We felt like it was always a night out on the town,

Something special

And like a celebration

We’d feel our love

And our days would melt away

With the delicious amalgamation

Of cherry, nuts, pistachio, and chocolate ice cream

It felt like a great way to end a meal

With something that felt like Italian, and it

Felt like a dream.

These two places hold so many

Feelings,

Some happy

Some sad

Like sometimes after feeling blue

In the house would come my dad,

With a batch of donuts

From Paul’s,

Or a large pizza and lots of cheesy garlic bread (dad would give me extras)

And it would say Rich and Charlie’s,

And all would run up and call,

“Dad! Is that what I think it is?” My sisters and I would say,

“Yes, come in and get a plate,” (as he mixes up the salad in a large bowl), “but hurry up and get some or you’ll be too late!”

He just meant that “sweet Melissa” might take it all before anyone

Had the chance,

And everyone would look at me,

Laughing knowingly,

“That’s Melissa!”

And I’d shrug, giving them all an innocent glance!

——————————-

Paul’s donuts unfortunately closed its doors in 2019, but the way our community has commemorated it in how it felt like a special safe haven to so many—-will help its memory live on.

Here is a sweet eulogy to the famed donut haven:

It holds so many good memories for me, many involving my father, who would always take me (for a special treat) and our family there. Everyone in St. Charles, St. Peters and St. Louis would come down to grab coffee and their fresh donuts, and it is just something That our community and my family will never be able to replace.

Long, lazy Sunday’s, after snack trips from an early morning fishing excursion, nights after school, surprise early morning breakfasts—-all involve these wonderful pastries and donuts! I will always keep the memories of Paul’s donuts in my heart—-grateful I got to share it with my children and good friends (Emily!) before they closed down!

One of my last memories at Paul’s was going down to get donuts and coffee with my good friend Emily, with my two sons, and after, we randomly decided to go to a pumpkin patch. Such a wonderful day.

Here is my Facebook post to remember it! ❤️❤️❤️

Rich and Charlie’s is still open! They got four locations if you ever stop by here in Missouri!

Check out their website: http://www.richandcharlies.com

This place ignited my deep, profound love of cheese—I mean Italian food! I love the STL type of pizza. Thin crust, tangy tomato sauce, and creamy Provel cheese with mozzarella mix! Generally though, it’s usually only supposed to be Provel.

What is Provel, you may ask me?

Well, this is awkward, since you’ll only find it in Missouri, mainly ... in St. Louis! As a STL native, you gotta order your pizza with Provel—-it’s traditional!

Here is the Wiki page for Provel: (as a lover and unofficial aficionado of cheese, I like to also learn about my favorite types of cheeses!)

As you can see, these types of local places are the heart and soul of our home town.

They spark great conversations(about food and business), friendships, great family memories and the love of great, simple food!

Anyway, hope you enjoyed this small glance into the spunky and historic hometown of this writer, a cursory but nostalgic look into The Great old St. Louis (and St. Charles) Fare!

Meet me in St. Louis folks, I’ll show you around!!!

-Melissa (formally known as Sweet Melissa lol)

❤️ This if you loved it! Or just liked it 😂