On the Road: Shangri-La Diner, St. Louis

We found Shangri La. It’s in St. Louis.

On our road trip from Virginia to Boulder, we hit St. Louis at dinner time. A quick Web search located a good bet: Shangri-La Diner, a café dishing up diner classics with a vegetarian twist. And they served milkshakes. It wasn’t too far off our route, so we decided to give it a try.

We got it in one. Just walking in the door is a feast for the eyes, a festival of color and kitsch that hits just the right balance of fun and funky. Light bead and bauble “curtains” dangle from the ceiling, delicately creating a sense of privacy between booths. Pink abounds, with pink plastic flamingoes popping up in unexpected places; fairies with fantastic butterfly wings hang on the walls. Not surprisingly, the place was a huge hit with my five-year-old: “I like the drapings.”

If the décor was stimulating, the menu was even better, featuring an assortment of diner classics from the BLT to meatloaf – all done vegetarian. Breakfast options include Crème Brulee French toast and the Obamalet, a tribute to our President. For pescatarians, the Shangri-La offers up a few select salmon dishes – wild-caught Pacific salmon only.

After digesting the menu, I decided on the Jamaican beans and rice, my wife chose the vegetarian Cobb salad, and my 5-year-old got the timeless diner classic: grilled cheese.

Even before our food arrived, owner/chef Patrice Mari had brought us a small plate of her African spinach stew. “You have to try this,” she blurted out. “It’s from our new menu.” She was right – it was delicious.

Shangri La Diner was just featured in Sauce, a St. Louis food & entertainment magazine, announcing their forthcoming new menu featuring more special needs (or as we call it at our house, “short bus”) diet options, including several gluten-free items. When she found out I was gluten-free, she wanted to make sure I hadn’t come for the new menu, which doesn’t go into production until the following week. Of course, having just blown in off the freeway we know none of this, and the menu seemed great to us. But the personal attention was greatly appreciated.

When our meals arrived, the portions were huge. My beans and rice was hearty, with just enough heat to make it interesting, but not overwhelming. The Cobb featured fresh mixed greens, boiled eggs, generous slices of avocado, and sei-tan “chicken” and vegetarian “bacon” that tasted remarkably like the real thing. My daughter’s grilled cheese was a simplified cheddar-only kid’s version of their three-cheese standard, on thick slices of whole grain bread.

None of us ate more than half what was delivered. Of course, we had to leave room for dessert, a delicious handmade blueberry milkshake for me, triple berry pie (with a whole wheat crust bordering on the heavy side) for the girls. As we were working our way through the desserts, Patrice reappeared with a small plate. “You have to try my vegan German chocolate cake – it’s divine.” She wasn’t lying. The cake was light and moist, with a perfectly sweetened topping sporting large walnut chunks. Well worth a gluten cheat, and worth a visit all on its own.

In spite of a sudden influx of customers that kept Patrice running, before we left she came out to say good-bye – and a group hug. I have to say, I don’t know of many restaurants, even funky vegetarian ones, where you can get not just a great meal, but a hug.

Final verdict: highly recommended. If you live in St. Louis, stop in to check out the new menu, starting today. And if you’re passing through, it’s well worth a short detour. Head south on I-55 and take a left at Anheuser-Busch. Then just follow your nose to 2201 Cherokee. Look for pink.

http://theshangriladiner.com/