Family Gathering and More…

With a little help from a member of our local computer club, I have a way to work around my Google photos issue.  It involves multiple steps of copying and saving the enhanced photos through a roundabout alternative to what should be simple… In any case, for the moment I’m able to stumble along and publish twice a week.

…continuing with our June road trip to St. Louis to visit Laurie’s family.

Laurie’s niece Judy and her husband John held a family gathering at their home in the St. Louis area.  There was a good crowd but some St. Louis based family members weren’t in town or had other commitments.  The photo above is of Glenda and her daughter Judy.  Glenda is Laurie’s oldest sister.

In this photo Laurie's sister Bonnie and Bonnie's husband Bill share the spotlight with Zach, Laurie and Bonnie’s great nephew.  Zach and his family were up from Texas for a visit.

I loved this photo of Judy’s husband John with their granddaughter Gwen.  She looks so sweet doesn’t she?

This picture features Glenda’s husband Ken with his grandson Zach.  Zach is quite an entrepreneur.  He is a co-founder of Magzsports, a company that works with athletes at varied stages of their career to maximize their earning potential.  The goal is to establish them as a ‘brand’ under the new NIL rules that allow student athletes to earn money while still in school. 

NIL stands for name, image and likeness.  It represents the possibility of compensation being paid to NCAA student-athletes to promote, partner or represent brands.  This mutually beneficial relationship is built from an athlete’s reputation or fame in order to grow a business.

Laurie and I were stunned to learn just how much Zach knows about student athletes and different sports.  To learn more about his business and to view some of the athletes the company represents/promotes, just go to www.magzsports.com.

We never managed to get everyone together for a massive group photo.  If my memory serves me right, the photo is about 8 people short of the full house of family.  Sisters, in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandnieces and nephews…it was quite the mix and it was a lot of fun!

Much later in the day, Bill and Bonnie took us to the new iteration of a beloved old-time St. Louis restaurant.  It was dinner time…

This is the original Parkmoor Restaurant.  It was founded by William L. McGinley in 1931.  He had invented an aluminum tray that attached to car doors.  The key to his success in peddling these trays was via the growth of the fledgling curb service restaurant business.  He and his wife toured the USA selling their product.  They were doing well but St. Louis and the state of Missouri weren’t following the trend.  So McGinley decided to open his own curb service operation.

The Parkmoor as shown above was a real hit!  With its distinctive Tudor-style architecture, the restaurant opened in mid-July of 1931.  The local police department had to be called out to control the traffic.  Carhops in bright orange jackets and white hats weaved in and out…serving 16 cent sandwiches and 5 cent Cokes on McGinley’s aluminum trays.  The Parkmoor did so well that several locations were opened around the St. Louis area.  As dining trends changed, most of the locations were closed.

In 1969, curb service was completely eliminated and the original Tudor-style brick building was torn down in order to build this glass and stone ‘updated’ Parkmoor that could seat 165 diners.  The new Parkmoor opened that same summer.  It was designed to look like a California style coffee shop.  The color orange dominated the décor and it was equipped with a classic diner counter with swivel stools.  It’s this version of the Parkmoor that Laurie remembers from her teen years...

In time, the new and updated Parkmoor had a tough time competing with the big restaurant chains.  The restaurant continued to draw crowds…especially for weekend breakfasts, but it barely broke even.  On October 31, 1999, the restaurant closed its doors for the last time.  In 2004, the building was razed to make way for a new Walgreens...

Despite the original Parkmoor’s demise, the idea and the name have been revived.  Despite the fact that it’s no longer a drive-in restaurant, the new version of the local icon in Webster Grove Missouri is named “The Parkmoor Drive-In”.  The new owner/operator has strived to create a nostalgic, family-friendly, no-frills restaurant, one that is patterned after the one that people remember for serving classic burgers, fries and pies.  The ‘new’ Parkmoor’ had its grand opening in 2020 during the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Having never eaten at the ‘old’ or ‘oldest’ Parkmoor I can’t really compare the look or décor of the restaurant with those predecessors.  Laurie thought that it was a bit too simple and not as cozy or welcoming, even though the one she’d dined at years ago seated so many more people.  I personally thought that it was plain and simple…lacking any real character.  For me it all had to come down to the food.

Bonnie wasn’t too hungry so she just ordered a “Single Steak Burger” with French fries. ($13.00) It came on a toasted and buttered bun with American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled onions and the restaurant’s special Parkmoor sauce.

Bill ordered the “Creole Gumbo”, a bowl of classic chicken and andouille sausage soup with onion, celery, green pepper and okra over Louisiana long-grain rice. ($11.00)

He also ordered Parkmoor’s “Fried Bologna Sandwich” with onion rings as his side dish. ($16.00) This creation is described as consisting of “pan crisped bologna sandwiched between two grilled cheese sandwiches dressed in shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles and the special sandwich spread.

I kept it simple, going with a “Bacon Double Cheeseburger” with house-made chips. ($15.00) This sandwich consisted of a double stacked steak burger with cheddar cheese, smoked bacon and Parkmoor sauce on a toasted buttered bun.  I skipped the Parkmoor sauce as it sounded too much like Thousand Island…not one of my favorites.

For her dinner, Laurie went with the Parkmoor’s most classic creation, “The King Burger” sided with French fries. ($14.50) Her sandwich, like mine, consisted of a double stacked steak burger on a toasted buttered bun, but hers included American cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles, grilled onions and that Parkmoor sauce.

As Bill, Bonnie and Laurie’s conversation, this latest iteration of The Parkmoor Drive-In lacked the charm and energy of the one that they remember.  Of course, it had been over 20 years since any of them had eaten in that version.  The food was OK but nothing to brag about.  FYI, this restaurant does serve 'adult' beverages.  Not a bad place to grab a burger… To learn more, check out the menu or to plan a visit to the Parkmoor Drive-In, just go to The Parkmoor Drive-In | American Restaurant in Webster Groves, MO.

One 'foodie' question comes to mind... What exactly is a 'steakburger' and are there any applicable standards that apply to them?  'Steakburgers' are everywhere these days...

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave