Press and Latest News
2012-01-13
Just wanted to let all of you know that I will not be at any Spring 2012 shows. The first show this year will be Gypsy Caravan on Memorial Day. I now have a booth at two antique malls, Pacific Antique Mall in Pacific, Missouri and Kenrick Antique Mall in Shrewsbury, Missouri. Both booths have my books, handmade Route 66 and retro items (including our aprons) and an assortment of other unique specialty items, all handmade by us. I also have an assortment of vintage linens, from handkerchiefs for weddings and gifts to table runners and bedspreads. Their condition ranges from cutters for crafts to pristine, but most would be great for a shabby chic decor--lovingly used and a little bit of history added to them for charm.
Pacific Antique Mall is one block south of old Route 66/ Osage at 125 N. First Street. They are open 10 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday and 10 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday. Phone number is 636-257-3114. I am located near the front counter.
Kenrick Antique Mall is located on Watson Road across from the former Kenrick Cinema. It is in the shopping center just west of the Ship It on the Frisco train trestle and next door to Value Village. (It IS an Antique Mall, not a flea market or thrift shop.) The official address is 7435 Watson Road #104. Hours are 9:30 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday and 11 am to 5 pm on Sunday. Phone number is 314-962-4949. I am booth 621, in the second aisle over from the front entrance.
Please visit our antique mall booths. Whether new and handmade by us, antique, vintage, or upcycled, you are sure to find something fun and unique for yourself or that someone special. Thanks so much for your continued support! Norma
2011-12-24
Just a quick note to tell all of you out there that I hope you have a very Merry Christmas. Let's hope for the best for 2012. I know many of you out there have had a tough year in 2011. For those of you who suffered a tremendous loss, such as the folks in Joplin and others who lost loved ones, I can only say hang in there. I miss my parents so much at this time of year, especially when using my mom's recipes. To those of you who are sick, lonely, have had just about as much as you can take from being unemployed or underemployed, or who are just having a bad year, I dedicate my favorite Christmas carol. It's Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton. Try to find it and listen to it. Then sing along real loud when she sings, " Me- I'll be just fine." Merry Christmas one and all and a prosperous and joyful 2012 to all of you. Norma
2011-12-06
As some of you already know, we are in the process of updating the cookbook for an expanded second edition. (Keep your fingers crossed that all goes well!) We have a very limited supply of cookbooks left at this point. Many of the places that were carrying the cookbook at one time may be out of it by now. You can order directly from me until I run out myself and you can also check around town. Lubeley's Bakery will have received the last supply of them and some places that ordered early may still have some on hand. Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks for your understanding.
We are getting our etsy shop up and running. We will have some of our handmade Route 66 and retro items available in our etsy shop as well as vintage linens. The name of the shop is Route 66 St. Louis and you can access it at www.route66stlouis.etsy.com.
Last but not least, we have moved our antique mall booth to Pacific Antique Mall 125 North First Street (1 block south of Osage/66). 636-257-3114 Hours are 10 am to 5 pm weekdays and 10 am to 4 pm on weekends. You will find all of our handmade items, our books, our art prints and posters and all of our vintage items there. Thanks for your continued support of St. Louis Transitions.
2011-12-02
Congratulations to the winners of the Route 66 is 85 Art and Essay Contest. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped us celebrate this historic event on 11-11-11. We had a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed hearing the winners read their essays and looking at all of the wonderful art submissions. We also had an impromptu art contest with everyone making a Route 66 postcard from the magic color scratch cards and we sang Happy Birthday to Route 66, which was totally unplanned but eagerly participated in by the crowd. Lots of people took home door prizes ranging from bookmarks and ornaments to aprons, and a copy of Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds.
A special thank you to our sponsors, judges and teachers. A personal thank you to the folks in my Diamonds book who came by to support the event and encourage the younger generation’s interest in Route 66. (Peggy Krabbe of Krabbe’s Tavern, Janet Daniel of George’s Apple Orchard, Don Brocato, George Lux, Helen Murray from Lubeley’s Bakery, Jane Dippel, and Shirley Aschinger from the Twin Six Motel.) Thank you one and all! Let’s hope Route 66 continues to live for generations to come!
Thanks to our sponsors for the Middle School Essay Contest-Auto Plaza in Maplewood, Hodak's, and Shapiro Bros. The Middle School Essay Winners were all 8th graders from Ms. Julie O'Brien's class at St. Stephen Protomartyr School. First Place ($225) Josie King; Second Place ($150) Annie O'Brien; Third Place ($125) Kyle Kayser. Honorable Mentions were Sarah Nolte, Jeremy Meyer and Meaghan O'Connell.
Thanks to our sponsors for the Middle School Art Contest-Holiday Inn Southwest, Sappington Farmers Market, H & S Accounting and Mortgage Solutions. Middle School Art Winners: First Place ($225) Caleb Bolin 7th grader Hixson Middle School, Teacher-Ms. Jennifer Hannel, Second Place ($150) Vivian Whaley 7th grader Hixson Middle School, Teacher-Ms. Jennifer Hannel; Third Place ($125) Morgan Dunnegan -7th grader Bayless Junior High School, Teacher- Mr. Woody Babb.
We had no high school essay submissions but we had a lot of art entries. High School Art Winners: First Place ($500) Sponsored by KellyMitchell: Heather Rowland 12th grader Affton High School, Teacher-Mr. Paul Breur; Second Place ($250) Sponsored by Lou Fusz Automotive Group: Brianna Jenkins 11th grader Belleville East High School, Teacher-Mr. Paul Konya; Third Place ($125) Sponsored by Antique Warehouse: Shannon Colmo 11th grader Affton High School, Teacher-Mr. Paul Breur.
We also had four Honorable Mentions, with three of them from Bayless High School, Teacher-Ms. Patti Mudd. These were Dzevac Tasic (12th grader), Kyle Biskup (10th grader), and Ignacio Del Rio (11th grader). Also, Nikki Malin 11th grader from Affton High School, Teacher- Mr. Paul Breur. In addition to all of the above, we put the in-kind donations into a drawing and all of the participants were eligible to win. The lucky winners were both from Bayless High School. Anela Mujdzic won the week at Camp Lakewood donated by South County YMCA and Tanner Zemel won the watercolor paint set from Artmart.
If you would like to see the winning essays and art, they will be on display at the Museum of Transportation in Kirkwood through Frebruary 2012 then will be on display at the Route 66 State Park's Museum in Eureka from March through November 2012.
2011-10-12
We will be displaying all entries at the reception on 11-11-11 so there will be no need for the separate public displaying on October 29th. We have cancelled the October 29th event. All contest particpants, their teachers, and their familes are invited to attend the reception on 11-11-11 from 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Metro South Arts Council Space 120 in Crestwood Court. Winners will be announced that evening. The public is invited to attend the reception. It is a free event and light refreshments will be served. Please come out and show your support for these students who submitted art and writing entries.
2011-10-12
Recipes needed for the second edition of The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road. This is a call for St. Louis restaurant recipes and Missouri and Illinois Route 66 recipes. Seeking authentic recipes from restaurants, diners, cafeterias, bakeries and more. More specifically, we are looking for recipes from places that were beloved establishments but are now gone, were in business for many years, and were or are still on a Route 66 path. We need recipes from Woolworth's, Katz Drug, Flaming Pit, the Ranch House, Stan Musial & Biggie's, Howard Johnson's, Nelson's Cafe, Pelican's, the Al-Pac, the Diamonds and other lesser-known establishments as well. If you are a cookbook collector, owned or worked for one of the restaurants, or possess a recipe you would like to share, please submit it to norma@route66stlouis.com. Include your connection to the place and how you obtained the recipe. We will give you credit in the book for providing the recipe. Thank you!
2011-09-14
This is for those of you who want to mail in your entries for the Route 66 contest. I apologize for not putting an address on the guidelines. Please write Route 66 Contest on the envelope and mail to: Metro South Arts Council Crestwood Court ArtSpace #120 109 Crestwood Plaza Crestwood, MO 63126 Sorry about that and thanks for participating! Norma
2011-09-01
This article by Valerie Dalton appeared in the Ballwin-Ellisville Patch on September 1, 2011. Route 66 Birthday Makes Way for Author's Contest Norma Bolin (center) at the Ellisville Farmers Market in Bluebird Park this summer. Bolin is hosting an essay and art contest in honor of the 85th "birthday" of Route 66 this November. Valerie Dalton Photos (1) Photos Credit Valerie Dalton
Author Norma Bolin of St. Louis Transitions announced two contests for middle and high school students in celebration of the 85th birthday of Route 66, which is being celebrated November 11, 2011. The contests are open to all public, private or homeschooled students enrolled as of September 30, 2011. West County students are among those eligible to participate in both the essay and art contests. $2,500 in merchandise will be awarded split between 12 winning students. You can visit Norma's website to download contest entry forms and rules and for a description of the awards.
Bolin is the author of two books: The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road and Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds. I met her at last week’s Ellisville Farmers Market, where she happily autographed purchases of her books while manning a tent "all a flutter" with Route 66 memorabilia such as aprons, kitchen towels, pot holders and oven mitts. Bolin wrote her specialty books after falling in love with the history of Route 66. The many small family owned enterprises that lined the highway reminded her of her own hard working parents. A chat with her quickly reveals the depth of her knowledge of St. Louis Route 66. Bolin continues to add to her research and has a list of requested information she would love to find.
There is something magical about the route that conjures up memories of the past. When I think about Route 66, I recall a family vacation in the early 1960s that followed the road from north Texas to California. Although our itinerary didn’t include Missouri, it’s easy to share the nostalgia for the unique businesses that dotted the landscape of Route 66. We visited the most popular tourist sites of the day - The Painted Desert, Grand Canyon, Meteor Crater, The Petrified Forest and Disney Land. On our way to California, I remember hoping to glimpse the Corvette of Route 66, featured in the fabulous television series that premiered in 1960. Every little town along the way offered unique restaurants, motels and businesses. A common sight in the West was the "Snake Farm" and the "Indian Trading Post." Many sections of the road were desolate; the further west you drove the more frequently you saw signs warning “last gas/water for 100 miles.”
All savvy travelers adorned the fronts of their cars with at least one canvas bottle of water in the event of engine overheating and loss of coolant. In the sparsely populated West before the invention of cell phones, and with only an occasional car passing by, you wouldn’t risk traveling through the heat of the desert areas without being prepared for such an emergency. For those of you who grew up in St. Louis, I’m sure Norma Bolin’s Route 66 recipes and historical research focusing on the St. Louis section of this iconic road also elicit fond memories. Perhaps you have a memory to share about one of the many long lost Mom and Pop businesses that once occupied the St. Louis section of Route 66.
A peek at Norma’s book, Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, reveals a 2 ½ page section on the history of White Castle – how the tiny hamburgers came into being, the store’s culture, unique building materials, and the success of the Ingram family. Their forwarding thinking management practices have earned the loyalty of many employees. She points out that St. Louis has the distinction of being the longest continuing White Castle market – since 1925. This is just one of many stories from the book.
If you know any middle or high school students interested in learning more about their local history while also competing for prizes, share this post with them. The contest deadline is September 30, so there is still time to download the rules along with the entry form and get busy creating a winning submission. If you want to find some recipes from St. Louis Route 66 restaurants or want to read about the history of St. Louis Route 66 complete with archival photos, check out Norma’s website and consider purchasing either or both of her unique books.
2011-08-23
School is back in session and the final call for entries to the Route 66 is 85 Art and Essay Contest is now underway. Reminder that all entries are due on September 30 so you have just over a month to go. Your entry must be accompanied by an official entry form signed by a teacher so please download the guidelines and forms from www.route66stlouis.com if you don't already have them.
Thank you to our generous prize and contest sponsors. Student prizes and their donors are as follows: High School Essay Contest: 1st Place $500 (KellyMitchell); 2nd Place $250 (Auto Plaza in Maplewood); 3rd Place $125 (Antique Warehouse) High School Art Contest: 1st Place Week at Camp Lakewood worth $500 (YMCA of Greater St. Louis); 2nd Place $250 (Lou Fusz Automotive Group); 3rd Place $125 (Hodak's)
Middle School Essay Contest: 1st Place $125 (Holiday Inn SW/Viking); 2nd Place $125 (Shapiro Bros.) 3rd Place $125 (Mortgage Solutions) Middle School Art Contest: 1st Place $125 (Sappington Farmers Market) 2nd Place $125 (H & S Accounting) 3rd Place Art Supplies worth $125 (Artmart)
There is still plenty of time to get involved and participate in the contest. To those of you who already have, thank you your time and effort. There are so many obligations and distractions out there so we appreciate you taking the time out of your busy life to learn about Route 66 and its role in St. Louis history. We can't wait to see what you came up with! See you soon!
2011-07-16
This book review by Drew Knowles at Route 66 University was published on July 16, 2011. Book Review: Norma M. Bolin Satisfies Even the Most Curious Norma Maret Bolin has created a monument. Her book, Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, could only be the result of a labor of love. What was the character and importance of Route 66 in the St. Louis area? It’s all here in this book.
Casting a wide net, Ms. Bolin has painstakingly collected the oral histories of scores of individuals so that you and I don’t have to. This alone makes the book invaluable to the historian and the layperson alike. But there’s much, much more. This massively comprehensive 470-page tome is chock-full of old and new black-&-white photos, vintage postcards and memorabilia, and—perhaps best of all—countless reproductions of period business and tourism advertisements.
The book’s title hints at its scope: U.S. 66’s entry into St. Louis from the east via the bridges that led into the city from the Mississippi River, all the way west to the old Diamonds Restaurant in its various forms. In between, Ms. Bolin takes care to point out that there was a series of official routes through the metro area, and each one is covered in turn—the “original” alignment, the “historic” alignment, and the “Chain of Rocks bypass” alignment. For the 66 aficionado who esteems detail and completeness, Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds emphatically answers the call. Ms. Bolin is to be congratulated. Published by St. Louis Transitions, www.Route66StLouis.com
2011-06-14
Hi everyone. Just a quick update on the Route 66 is 85 Art and Essay Contest. KellyMitchell has increased its donation from $125 to $500 and this will be the first place essay prize for the high school division. I also have commitments for all 12 student prizes now. Prizes are at least $125. Students and teachers, please take advantage of these wonderful prizes (made even more special because they were donated during a terrible economy) and participate in this contest. Take this opportunity to learn about Route 66 in the St. Louis area then write, paint, take a photo...whatever suits you. Please just get involved. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
2011-06-06
A nice photo of my Route 66 St. Louis booth appeared in the Suburban Journals on June 6, 2011. Friend Jan Mitchell was manning the booth at the St. Louis Route 66 Festival while I was at the Kimmswick Strawberry Festival. She is shown working a crossword puzzle while colorful Route 66 and retro aprons and kitchen towels hang on a clothesline behind her.
2011-06-02
For the June 2011 issue, Missouri Life Magazine did a special feature on the Missouri leg of Route 66. Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds was reviewed by Melissa Williams and appears on page 20 under a section called "Road Reading." Here is what she wrote:
Author Norma Bolin tells a St. Louis version of Route 66 history from the perspectives of the people that lived there. She focuses not only on Route 66 staples such as Ted Drewes and the infamous Coral Court, but her interest and research into the area brought numerous forgotten establishments to the surface, such as Lubeley's Bakery, Chuck-A-Burger, and The Green Parrot Inn. She follows the path Route 66 made throughout St. Louis, mentioning historic sites, bridges, and even the town's history with baseball. With nearly a thousand photographs and more than 200 never-before-told stories, she presents a behind-the-scenes look into the past, giving a voice to the people behind the businesses that sprung up along the Mother Road.
2011-06-01
The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road and Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds were featured in the June 2011 issue of Where Magazine. The issue featured a special section on the St. Louis leg of Route 66. Page 16 included this: Souvenir Shopping Plenty of colorful history of the coast-to-coast highway makes for great souvenir opportunities for Route 66 buffs. Two great reads from local author Norma Maret Bolin: "Route 66 St. Louis:From the Bridges to the Diamonds" and a companion volume, "The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road," a mix of recipes and history with reproductions of vinatge menus, matchcovers and more from the iconic establishments along the way. Especially fun? The section on "How to Throw a Route 66 Party." Find them at AIA Booktore or St. Louis Curio Shoppe.
2011-06-01
Looking for our handmade Route 66 and retro items while visiting St. Louis? Gotta have our cupcake apron in that wonderful Michael Miller fabric and can't wait until this fall? No fear, my dear. St. Louis Transitions has rented a space at the just opened Webster Groves Antique Mall. It is located in the wonderful Ozark Theatre Building at 103 E. Lockwood (just east of Elm and Lockwood intersection). Open 10 to 5 Monday through Saturday and Noon to 5 on Sunday. We will soon be adding coordinating items to our popular 50s retro kitchen line as well as some darling vintage aprons and linens. Please come check out the great finds at the Webster Groves Antique Mall. Directions: Take 44 to Elm. Head north on Elm passing all the beautiful homes then turn right (east) a few short blocks on Lockwood OR take Hwy 40 to S. Brentwood Blvd. and head south passing Manchester Road. Continue south as Brentwood become Kirkham. Pass Newport and turn left onto North Elm then left onto E. Lockwood. 103 E. Lockwood or 314-962-8300
2011-04-29
The Route 66 is 85 art and essay contest kicks off this weekend. Thank you to the 20 schools that asked for the guidelines early on. We will also have them available on the website for anyone who needs them. If your school is participating and needs some promotional posters, please let me know and I will mail those to you.
Thank you also to the sponsors who have donated prizes for the student winners. We have 8 of 12 prizes already in place: 5 cash prizes of $125 from Antique Warehouse, Auto Plaza in Maplewood, Hodak's, Holiday Inn Southwest, and KellyMitchell. In addition we have received $125 from Borders stores in St. Louis for merchandise/gift card, a $150 watercolor paint and paintbrush set from Artmart, and a week at Camp Lakewood ($500) for the summer of 2012 donated by the YMCA of Greater St. Louis. We are still looking for 4 more prizes for the students if you would like to sponsor one of them with a tax deductible contribution. This will go directly to the student.
Teachers, students, and parents, please get involved in exploring Route 66 in the St. Louis area and helping to preserve our rich history and ties to the famed highway. Students, research Route 66 through books and by driving it and exploring it firsthand then do your essay or art. I hope you are as excited about this one time celebration as I am. Have fun. Contact me if you have any questions, otherwise I will see you this fall with your entries. Happy 85th Birthday Route 66! Norma
2011-04-01
The April 2011 newsletter for Teardrops of Oregon and Washington featured my story on the teardrop trailer, which I am inserting into each copy of Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds. The editor said it was one of the best stories on the history of the teardrop trailer that he had seen.
2011-03-15
The Antique Warehouse featured a story on Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds in its online newsletter available at www.antiquewhs.com A previous story by Ron Elz about Ted Drewes was featured in the Antique Warehouse newsletter and used information from my Ted Drewes story in the book. Here is the piece.
Learn about St. Louis from a more intimate perspective through the book, Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds by Norma Maret Bolin (2010, St. Louis Transitions, 480 pages, $29.95). Bolin worked diligently to find the families in the St. Louis area who owned various Route 66 businesses. She interviewed them and captured their stories and family photographs in this important work. All of the businesses were treated with equal importance and no family was cut from the book. Accordingly, the stories are quite varied and range from The Chicken Coop in Times Beach, to the Hi-Pointe Standard gas station on Clayton and Skinker, to Lindburg Cadillac. Popular attractions are also included such as Forest Park Highlands, Chain of Rocks Fun Fair Park, Tower Tee Golf, and the little known Crestwood Golf Course on Highway 66. More famous Route 66 landmarks such as the Chain of Rocks Bridge, the Coral Court, the 66 Park-In Theatre, Red Cedar Inn and the Diamonds are all covered in depth. Early chain restaurants such as White Castle, Steak ‘n Shake, and McDonald’s are featured, as are many places that are now long gone.
Bolin tells the Route 66 St. Louis story from a historical perspective so the book has background information about St. Louis and transportation modes before the coming of the automobile. The book is laid out based on where businesses were on the road, starting with the five bridges that carried Route 66 traffic over the Mississippi River and the Downtown area, and then heading west along the different alignments. Because Route 66 took several different paths throughout the years, much of St. Louis is part of the Route 66 story. The reader will get a comprehensive look at the important role the small businesses along the route played in the 20th Century, catering to the travelers’ every need while contributing to the local economy and that of America as a whole. Through the stories, you will get a real sense of the many types of struggles and changes the families and our country faced during the Route 66 years.
Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds also has over 1,000 photos, many of which have never been published before because they came from the businesses and families themselves. There are also many matchbook covers, postcards, and ads from phone books and programs to help tell the stories. Although the book is almost 500 pages long, each story stands alone so you can put the book down and pick it up again at your leisure. Bolin felt these stories were so important to both Route 66 and St. Louis history that she raised the funds for the book herself by writing The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road ($19.95), which features recipes from the restaurants, vintage menus and photos, and even a section on how to throw a Route 66 party. Both books are available directly from the author who will personally inscribe them if you send her a note with your purchase. The books are also available at some local bookstores including Borders in St. Louis. Get more information about both books, including the table of contents and sample excerpts at www.route66stlouis.com
2011-03-01
To our dear customers: We have made some changes to the website after numerous requests by customers at our shows that we offer our handmade Route 66 and retro items online in addition to the Route 66 St. Louis books. We cannot possibly put everything we have online so please feel free to send an email with inquiries. We accept custom orders so long as we have the fabric available and you are not in a huge hurry. We are also trying to keep shipping costs (usually lighter/cheaper than our books) to a minimum with a flat $5 shipping on all our handmade item orders and free shipping if the order total is over $75. Please note: Books ship separately via Medial Mail. Unfortunately, they cannot be combined with the handmade items.
Our handmade aprons are our biggest seller. They are available in adult and child sizes. We have small and large versions of the kid sized aprons and we can send you the exact specs if you cannot come to any of our shows and try them on in person. Our fifties retro kitchen with baking ladies and pink ice cream cones were the biggest seller last season with the cherry sundaes fabric not far behind. These all continue to do well. We have added a colorful cupcake fabric, which is loved by both adults and little girls, and a doughnut and coffee pattern that appears to be a big hit already. We have added adjustable child chef hats to match the pink ice crem cones and cupcake fabrics. Our aprons are fully lined to give the apron more substance and longevity and to better protect your clothing. It is so nice to be able to offer Route 66 items that are Made with Love in the good ole USA.
In addition to our retro aprons in different styles and fabrics and our handmade Route 66 aprons, we have kitchen towels, pot holders, oven mitts and placemats that we can make on request to match our aprons. If you are looking for something in a particular Route 66 fabric or one of our other fabrics, please don't hesititate to contact us. We have everything from headbands and keychains to plastic bag holders, kleenex tissue holders, eyeglass cases, tote bags, fabric bookmarks and checkbook covers. If a customer has requested it, chances are good that we have it. Our Route 66 charm bracelet also continues to be a favorite. Thank you to our customers for all of the compliments and appreciation. We really appreciate you!
2011-01-23
Here is the press release on the upcoming Route 66 is 85 art and writing competition for Middle Schools and High Schools in the Metro St. Louis area. From: St. Louis Transitions and Metro South Arts Council Re: Volunteers and Sponsors Needed for Upcoming Route 66 is 85 Art and Writing Competition In order to raise awareness about Route 66 in the St. Louis area, St. Louis Transitions and Metro South Arts Council are sponsoring an upcoming art and writing contest for students in the Metro St. Louis area who will be in Middle School (6th through 8th graders) and High School (9th through 12th graders) as of September 30, 2011. The contest will be open to students in all 17 Metro St. Louis counties and includes public, private and home schooled students.
Detailed guidelines will be released on April 30, 2011 and students will have the summer to research Route 66 and work on their entries. Entries will be due September 30, 2011. Judges include Linda Green-Metzler, Luanne Rimel, Connie Copley, Judy Moticka, and Dr. John Oldani. Many of the entries will be displayed at the Metro South Arts Council space at Crestwood Court. Winners will be announced at a reception celebrating Route 66’s 85th birthday on Friday, November 11, 2011.
Help from the community is needed: Sponsors are needed for the 12 prize categories, tentatively set at the $125 to $500 range. In addition, donations are needed to help with the contest and reception expenses. Please make your tax deductible donation payable to Metro South Arts Council (memo Route 66 contest) and mail checks to: Metro South Arts Council c/o Lindbergh High School 4900 S. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63126. Donations in any amount are greatly appreciated. We also need a few volunteers to help with fundraising, mailings, answering questions from schools, and to help with the reception.
Route 66 Art prints for sale: As another way to raise funds for the contest, St. Louis Transitions has just released The Route 66 St. Louis Landmarks Series, a limited edition set of 100 art prints. The set features six local Route 66 treasures, some still standing and others only a memory: the Chain of Rocks Bridge, Ted Drewes, the Coral Court, the 66 Park-In Theatre, the Red Cedar Inn, and the Diamonds. St. Louis Transitions commissioned the paintings by Canadian artist Adam Connors in conjunction with the release of the book, Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds. Each print is signed and numbered by the artist and comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. The prints are $25 each and may be purchased individually or as a complete set by visiting www.route66stlouis.com.
For more information on the contest, sponsoring one of the prize categories, or how you can help, please contact Norma Maret Bolin at 314-749-3970 or norma@route66stlouis.com.
2011-01-04
Both The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road and Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds were reviewed by Jim Winnerman for the Winter 2010/2011 Route 66 Magazine. Here is what Jim wrote:
If the value of this book is measured by the cost per page, then the 474 pages are well worth the price. However, considering what is actually on each oversize sheet of paper, this may well be the "Mother Road Bargain of the Century." The author has not just written a comprehensive history of 201 architecturally significant biusinesses, buildings and attractions along the various alignments Route 66 followed through St. Louis, she has also included numerous images on almost every topic, and paraphrasing a bit of TV pitchmen jargon, "But Wait! That's Not All."
Using her ability for in-depth research as a practicing attorney, the author found and interviewed individuals who had a direct connection with each topic. Often it was a family member who also contributed unpublished family photographs. For a section on Times Beach, for example, she interviewed the last mayor of the town. The location is now the Route 66 State Park.
Considering the fact that Bolin knew nothing about Route 66 five years ago, her book is a testimony to how interest in Route 66 is destined to be passed on from generation to generation. The author recalls, "After I took my son to see the movie Cars, he asked for a book on Route 66. I searched for a book to help explain it to him, as he was then seven years old. As I got more interested, I found none treated St. Louis in enough depth to suit me, and that much of the Route's history in St. Louis had yet to be written." Norma also fell in love with the history of the old road. " I was stunned to learn it passed through St. Louis," she said.
While interviewing people associated with notable restaurants along the Route, she asked for copies of menus and recipes. When Bolin realized she had too many to include in the book pictured in this review, " The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road" was born. Like her other book, this tome contains considerably more information on every page than a reader expects. The 173-page culinary compendium, which sells for $19.95, includes 170 Route 66 related recipes, reproductions of original menus, photos of many of the restaurants, and personal memories of many people involved in several of the businesses, many of which are no longer in operation.
Neither book contains a comprehensive map pinpointing the locations of the attractions, but addresses for those still operating are listed along with phone numbers and website addresses. Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds does inlcude several suggested driving routes to follow, and both volumes present information as if traveling east to west, and are categorized by the different alignments through St. Louis. The cookbook also includes two drive-by scavenger hunts with questions about Route 66 landmarks along the way. For Route 66 scholars interested in further research, Bolin has included twelve indexed pages of sources and notes in the history book and a two-page list of resources and a bibliography in the Cookbook.
2011-01-03
Jim Healey wrote a story for Route 66 Magazine discussing various professional baseball players born in Route 66 towns who played at least 10 years in the big leagues. I sent Jim an email and to my surprise it was printed in the Readers Write section of the magazine. I wrote," Hi Jim: Reference the Fall 2010 issue of Route 66 Magazine: I know these two men did not meet the technical requirements for your article, however, I thought they were worth mentioning because they also owned Route 66 businesses. Although he wasn't born in St. Louis, Stan Musial owned the very popular Stan Musial and Biggie's restaurant and bar on Route 66 in St. Louis. It was located on Chippewa near Ted Drewes.
In addition, pitcher Bob Klinger was born in the Route 66 town of Allenton, Missouri but just missed your ten-year requirement. He owned a gas station/restaurant complex on Route 66 in Eureka, Missouri.
I am not a baseball expert but just happen to know this because both men are featured in my book, Route 66 St. Louis:From the Bridges to the Diamonds. I have no idea if any of the other players in your article owned Route 66 businesses but I thought this was very special. Thanks a lot for your article, Norma Bolin St. Louis, Missouri
Jim responded as follows," Thanks for writing. I didn't know about Musial's restaurant or Klinger's gas station...perhaps there were other ballplayers who had a business on Route 66. I'd love to see that story in this magazine someday.
2010-12-16
Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds was included in a Linda Jarrett article for LadueFrontenacpatch.com entitled "Read Locally Local Authors Pen Great Holiday Gifts." The list was based on recommendations made by some of the local bookstores. It reads," A popular subject, this book includes new information, new businesses and more details about Coral Court. Ted Drewes, the Red Cedar Inn and the Diamonds."
2010-11-19
Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds was included in the Webster-Kirkwood Times article entitled "Books and More Books From Area Authors."
2010-10-12
Thank you to everyone who wrote to MoDot in support of saving the Meramec River Bridge in Eureka (formerly Times Beach.) Although it ultimately may be of no help, I did show up at the meeting with this letter in hand.
September 15, 2010 Dear MoDOT c/o Andrew Gates: I am writing to ensure there is no question about my support for saving the Meramec River Bridge at the former Times Beach site.
I have followed as closely as possible the events that have unfolded with regard to the bridge and its possible demolition. As someone who appreciates Route 66 and its history, I am dismayed that MoDOT allowed the bridge to deteriorate over the years and then let it get to such a point that it had to close the bridge after an inspection. Now MoDOT just wants to wash its hands of the bridge. What a blatant and terrible shirking of responsibility this is. We are all supposed to just go along with this injustice.
According to the MoDOT website, MoDOT is delegated the responsibility from the Federal Highway Administration “for the identification, protection and stewardship of historic properties in their control so future generations can experience our history.” In addition, the Meramec River Bridge at Route 66 State Park is on two historic properties lists. Apparently, these lists did not motivate MoDOT to protect the bridge. MoDOT has also not taken any additional interest in saving the historic bridge since it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Instead it seems more determined than ever (perhaps because of the current bad economy) to turn the bridge over to someone else to preserve, or, if no one appears, to demolish the bridge without any real effort to save it. This approach doesn’t pass muster as “protection and stewardship.” There is little to suggest to anyone who has been following this story that MoDOT has ANY interest in saving the bridge and it is clear that MoDOT is not even pretending to care about the bridge. MoDOT’s clear position all along is that the bridge is meaningless and has got to go!
As I am sure you are well aware, those interested in preserving the bridge are at a disadvantage in taking on someone like MoDOT, and any efforts to raise money to save the bridge, particularly in today’s economy, would be difficult. However, the bridge didn’t deteriorate in only the last few years, and was not maintained even when our economy was strong. MoDOT managed to spend millions on the reworking of Highway 40 where much of the project’s value was questioned. MoDOT came in under budget on this project yet money was needlessly spent repeatedly striping and restriping I-44, both before and after I-40 completion. I note that MoDOT also has a shortfall of about $40 million for the new Mississippi River Bridge and I question whether the lack of funds for this historic preservation is a factor in the direction MoDOT appears determined to take – to demolish the Meramec River Bridge.
The bridge is an important landmark to the Route 66 community, folks in St. Louis who care about historic preservation, residents who lived in the Times Beach area, countless tourists who seek out American history by traveling Route 66, and future generations who have not yet heard of Times Beach and the lessons that were learned there. The bridge is an integral part of the Route 66 State Park, serving as the connector between the Visitors Center and remainder of the park area. Without the bridge, people are forced to choose the park or the Visitors Center as few people will bother to go back on I-44 and take the additional detour. I fear that without the bridge, it is only a matter of time before the Visitors Center will also be threatened if people bypass the eastern approach and visit only the park. Like our heroic World War II veterans, Route 66 is being lost at a rapid rate. It is spread out over eight states and is lost to both decay and to urban development. Perhaps we aren’t called to extreme action because we lose it one motel, restaurant, gas station, and bridge at a time and don’t have a comprehensive look at what has been lost. Still, Route 66 is a national treasure and it is disappearing before our very eyes. Once any piece of it is gone, it is too late to ever get it back.
So here we are, asking you, MoDOT, for your stewardship and protection in the preservation of this important piece of our history. Please MoDOT, don’t be in such a hurry to tear down the Meramec River Bridge at the former Times Beach. The economy is not good, but when it was no efforts were made to keep the bridge from deterioration. Things will get better eventually and there is no need to rush to demolish the bridge, leaving only a memory instead of living history. Instead, you should do anything in your power to find alternatives to save it, such as using it as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge (like the Chain of Rocks Bridge), even if this could take time. Demolition should be your very last, not first, resort.
Norma Maret Bolin Webster Groves, Missouri cc: MoDOT Central Office, Interim Director Kevin Keith Senator Claire McCaskill Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood Don Fink, Route 66 State Park Superintendent St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Letters to Editor
2010-09-15
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief of the Midwest Book Review, included the following review of Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds in the September 2010 issue of the online book review magazine, Small Press Bookwatch.
Route 66 has more than earned its place in American mythology. "Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds" is a delve into the history of this famous highway and the many attractions and locations along this road, focusing in particular on the regions around St. Louis, Missouri and throughout the state. Not just an assortment of nostalgic hotels and restautrants, there was plenty of history of and culture to enjoy, and it makes for an excellent and fun read.
For anyone who looks at the heyday of Route 66 with fond memories or wants to see what the big deal was, "Route 66 St. Louis" is a read that shoudn't be overlooked.
2010-09-13
The Pulse Newspaper based in Brentwood, Missouri and published by Gene-Del Printing featured the press release on Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds in its September 13, 2010 issue. Thank you!
2010-09-06
Offbeattravel.com included my Ted Drewes story on its website. The excerpt is taken from Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds.
2010-09-06
PrimeLife Circuit featured the full press release for Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds in its September 6, 2010 issue and included a photo of the front cover. Thank you!
2010-08-30
Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds was featured in the Roadfood.com newsletter by Jane and Michael Stern.
Did you know that Bissinger's recipe for caramel is 300 years old? That Ted Drewes was a tennis champ before he started making custard for a traveling carnival? That the Crown Candy Kitchen was named because Harry Karandzieff, who founded it in 1913, found an old sign with a crown on it when he was cleaning out the building to start his candy business? These and countless other food and non-food data are all in a giant new book we are reading called Route 66 St. Louis, by Norma Maret Bolin. What a juicy serving of American history! You can read Roadfood reviews of these still-thriving St. Louis landmarks at: www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/3213/bissingers, www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/296/ted-drewes and www.roadfood.com/Restaurant/Reviews/297/crown-candy-kitchen. If you want to learn more about the book or order a copy, visit: www.route66stlouis.com. -- Jane & Michael ------------------------------------------------------------------------
2010-08-19
Ron Warnick who maintains the Route 66 News blog has written the first review of Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds. I am overwhelmed with the praise. Here is his review.
In the preface to her new book, Norma Maret Bolin says the purpose of her previous work, “The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook,” was to raise funds for a more expansive historical recounting of Route 66 in the Gateway City. If you’ll excuse the pun, Bolin really got cooking with her enormous new volume, “Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds” (St. Louis Transitions, softcover, $29.99).
Simply put, “Route 66 St. Louis” stands tall as one of the best history books I’ve read. This 470-page beast oozes with detail about hundreds of former and existing landmarks and businesses that dot St. Louis’ half-dozen alignments of Route 66. It’s jammed with images from old photographs, vintage advertisements and even match covers. The book also contains chapters about select people, including Route 66 aficionado Jane Dippel and “Route 66″ composer Bobby Troup.
Route 66 fans and historians will find this book invaluable for years to come because of all the facts and anecdotes Bolin has collected. ”Route 66 St. Louis,” along with Kip Welborn’s recent “Things to Look Out for on Route 66 in St. Louis,” has turned 2010 into a banner year for St. Louis roadies.
Bolin credited her background in the hospitality industry and as a lawyer for her impeccable research for this book. She conducted dozens of interviews, pored over books, magazines and newspaper articles, and even consulted old telephone directories.
As a result, even the most seasoned roadies will appreciate Bolin’s work when they inevitably find new information, such as: •Guardrails on the now-closed MacArthur Bridge, aka Free Bridge, were found to be notoriously fragile, resulting in motorists plunging more than 150 feet into the Mississippi River during accidents. •Carl’s Drive-In restaurant serves original-formula IBC root beer, made from sugar and not corn syrup. •The Eat-Rite Diner started as an oil and coal business, then a gas station, before coming the White Kitchen restaurant in the 1930s, then the Regal Sandwich Restaurant, then the Gateway Sandwich Shop before becoming the Eat-Rite. •Ted Drewes Frozen Custard used honey as a substitute when World War II rationing caused sugar shortages. Drewes kept honey as a crucial ingredient when he discovered the custard tasted better with it. •The castle-like intake towers near the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge on the Mississippi River once were occupied as living quarters for city water employees up until the 1930s. Also, contrary to popular belief, Tower No. 1 never served as a lighthouse.
Bolin also doesn’t back away in telling the dark side of a Route 66 landmark. She devotes several paragraphs to a double-murder on the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge in 1991 — years before the bridge was converted to a pedestrian and bicycle path. At least one of the suspects was put to death for the crime and another awaits execution, although many of the details from the killings remain murky. Bolin wrote: The cases have been widely criticized as being filled with police brutality, prosecutorial misconduct, racial bias, and unanswered questions about what actually happened that night and who did what, with some testimony simply not adding up and the defendants arguably tried for the actions of the group as a whole. These issues led to question about the appropriateness of the death penalty in the cases while there was also a huge public outcry for justice for the Kerry sisters.
Bolin wrote chapters on the dioxin-waste saga of the now-deceased town of Times Beach, Mo., plus an extensive interview with former Times Beach mayor Marilyn Leistner. The tales of a road contractor’s neglect that led to the town’s toxic contamination and subsequent dithering by health officials will infuriate. Bolin also busts the chops of the Missouri Department of Transportation for failing to maintain the now-condemned Route 66 bridge at the former Times Beach site. The Times Beach portion of “Route 66 St. Louis” is worth the price of the book alone.
Also praiseworthy are chapters about St. Louis’ early history, including its steamboat era, the American Indian origins of St. Louis’ “Mound City” nickname, and details on the infamous Dred Scott court case, which further inflamed the nation against slavery and inexorably toward the Civil War.
Ted Drewes Jr., who wrote the forward, neatly summarizes this amazing book: Norma Bolin gives you the opportunity to look beyond our storefronts to the people behind the various businesses. I invite you to take an intimate look at the many families in St. Louis that have been a part of the Route 66 story. Some came and went quickly, often the victims of traffic patterns gone awry. Sometimes the family businesses lost out because of health concerns or a failure to keep their niche, and the flame went out. Here, Norma will take you into the living rooms of some of us who stuck around and also the many that live on only in memories.
“Route 66 St. Louis” comes highly recommended; roadies will find it indispensable.
2010-08-19
A big thank you to Johnny Rabbitt (Ron Elz) for interviewing me on KMOX on Friday August 13, 2010. This was my third interview with him and I sure do appreciate his support of my Route 66 St. Louis books.
2010-07-26
Norma Bolin’s new book, Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, is now available. Features over 200 stories about businesses along the famed highway in St. Louis, with many of them based on personal interviews with the families.
Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds presents an intimate look at the enterprising families that owned the motels, restaurants, gas stations, tourist attractions, and more. Over 1000 photos, many of them rare or never before published, help tell the stories. The 480 page book tells the story from a historical perspective and contains background information on St. Louis’ modes of transportation, a full overview of Route 66, and details and driving tours for the various alignments the highway took through the decades. The book includes a look at the Downtown area and the Mississippi River bridges that carried Route 66 traffic and then travels east to west on the Original, Historic, and Chain of Rocks paths, ending at the old Diamonds in Villa Ridge.
The stories are varied, from the famous to the never heard of, and include the Old Courthouse and the Dred Scott family, Hi-Pointe Amoco, Keller Apothecary, Stan Musial & Biggie’s, St. Louis City Water and the Chain of Rocks area, Chain of Rocks Fun Fair Park, White Castle, Steak ‘n Shake, Ted Drewes, Lubeley’s, Spencer’s Grill and the Kirkwood area, the Coral Court and the many motels on Motel Row, Bob Klinger’s gas station complex in Eureka, Pevely Dairy, Steiny’s, the Times Beach story from several perspectives, the Red Cedar Inn, the Murder at the OK Motel, the Henry Shaw Gardenway and much more. Also includes a Foreword by Ted Drewes. This comprehensive book captures St. Louis in the 20th Century as told by the everyday St. Louisan and also gives St. Louis its rightful place in the Route 66 story.
Route 66 St Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds is published by St. Louis Transitions and is available at some local bookstores including Borders, at some of the establishments featured in the book, and can also be purchased online at www.route66stlouis.com.
Norma Maret Bolin is an attorney and Webster Groves, Missouri resident. Her companion book, The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road, was published in 2009 and is in its second printing. For more information about Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, please contact Norma Maret Bolin at: norma@route66stlouis.com; 314-749-3970 www.route66stlouis.com
2009-12-01
Missouri Life Magazine featured The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook in its December/January 2009/2010 issue. The story by Rebecca French Smith reads as follows:
Recipes and history combine in Norma Maret Bolin's new cookbook, The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road, to provide a taste of what the famous thoroughfare once was: a veritable smorgasbord for hungry travelers. Some of the restaurants featured in the book, like Johnny Gitto's, Ted Drewes, and Goody Goody Diner, still serve up their memory-making dishes, and some restaurants, like The Diamonds, Green Parrot Inn, and White Squirrel Tavern, are gone but have left a rich, remembered historyand a few recipes of their famous fare. Bolin's compilation serves as a reminder of the heyday that Route 66 enjoyed and provides a way for the next generation to experience it.
2009-10-05
I appeared today on two local news stations. For Channel 2 Fox News (KTVI), I was interviewed By Randi Naughton and Kevin Steincross about the cookbook. I was also interviewed by Christine Buck on Channel 11 News (KPLR) at noon. Lubeley's Bakery shared a tray of Florentine Lace Cookies for the segments.
2009-09-28
St. Louis Transitions has received the second print run of The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road. The last of the first edition/first print run is still out on the market with the second print run (containing minor changes and corrections) following soon. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who purchased a first edition/first run cookbook (3,000 copies), which will allow for the completion and printing of Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds.
2009-09-01
This article by Food Editor Suzanne Corbett appeared in the September 2009 issue of Prime Life Circuit. It included four recipes from The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: Miss Hulling's Raw Spinanch Salad, House of Maret Austrian Cabbage, Woolworth's No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake and Medart's (unofficial) Hamburger Relish.
Road Food From The Mother Road-St. Louis Style Tighten your seat belt and loosen your belt could be the best advice for eating your way along St. Louis' old Route 66. Thanks to Norma Bolin, author of the Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road (2009, published by st. Louis Transitions) you can once again taste the road food we've been craving. Bolin has collected recipes from past and surviving culinary destinations that feed the hungry along Route 66 and its nearby roadways. It's a collection of recipes that resonate in my memory hundreds of wonderful meals from the fabled eateries, long shuttered and have since gone to that big parking lot in the sky. Recipes for Busch's Grove's Bellevue Dressing, Miss Hulling's Raw Spinach Salad, The Parkmoor's Chickburger, and the House of Maret's Austrian Cabbage, recipes that haven't been available or served for years.
When asked how a non-native St. Louisan became interested in the local culinary landscape Bolin said, "The more I read about the places along the Route, the more interested I became. I began to feel the recipes were an important part of the Route 66 story."
Originally, Bolin was hoping to find at least 66 recipes to include inthe book-she found 175. The recipes include those from departed outposts with restaurants that are still in operation as well as new establishments located both in and outside St. Louis' city limits. Places Bolin felt were "worth the drive."
Bolin is offering her cookbook as a unique fundraising opportunity for non-profit groups. Those groups who care to take orders for the book can earn $5 from book sold. Organizations interested in this opportunity are invited to contact Bolin at norma@route66stlouis.com. Meanwhile, Bolin has shared the following recipes. Try one and serve up a Route 66 memory of your own.
2009-08-14
This story by Marty Harris appeared in the August 14th edition of the Webster-Kirkwood Times.
A Route 66-themed birthday party for her young son led Norma Maret Bolin of Webster Groves to discover the rich history of Route 66. Her discovery has resulted in the book, "The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road." The cookbook is an offshoot of Bolin's yet-to-be published book, "Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds." "This book contains all the detailed information everybody would want to know about Route 66 but were afraid to ask," Bolin said of the Diamonds book. She contends that Route 66 in this area has not been written about before in considerable detail. She hopes to have the Diamonds book published by next spring.
Her books have been a labor of love and a personal journey for Bolin. Bolin's parents died in 2005 and 2006. Her father started working at a grocery store in the border town of McAllen, Texas, as a teenager. He later purchased the store and ran it until he retired. "I fell in love with Route 66 (during my research), particularly the stories of hard-working families that were similar to those of my own parents," Bolin said. "My parents had nothing but they managed to raise seven kids and we all went to college and did OK. "It was touching to me," she added.
Her Diamonds book tells those stories of the people and places of Route 66 around St. Louis. Her companion cookbook contains 174 recipes and serves up slices of history of many of the restaurants and the families that were on various area alignments of Route 66, plus some restaurants in Missouri and Illinois which are worth the drive. To help tell the stories, Bolin includes pictures of postcards, ads, menus and matchcovers.
The recipes span many decades and will take readers on a trip back to the tastes of yesteryear. Recipes include Miss Hulling's Autumn Glow Cake, the Forum's Apple Pie, Grone Cafeteria's Orange Fluff Cake, the Sunset 44 Bistro Pork Tenderloin with Cranberry Ginger Chutney and Citizen Kane's Boardinghouse Potatoes.
Along with Lubeley's Florentine Lace Cookies recipe, Bolin tells how Ed Lubeley and Helen Maret met at a bakery in downtown Kirkwood on Route 66 in the early 1930s. The couple opened their own bakery in 1937. The bakery is currently located at 7815 Watson Road. Ed died in 1992 and the children now run the bakery. However, Helen, 96, still helps out five days a week. Helen Maret grew up on the family farm near the House of Maret at 3811 S. Lindbergh Blvd, according to Bolin. That restaurant is now Growler's Pub. Bolin recounts how the House of Maret began in 1930. Bill Maret Sr. and his wife Bertha ran it as a gas station serving sandwiches and beer from an iced tub. It continued in the family for decades and developed into an upscale French and German restaurant with a popular "bier garten."
Down from Growler's Pub on Kirkwood Road, in the heart of Downtown Kirkwood at 223 S. Kirkwood Road, is Spencer's Grill which has been in the same building since March 1947. Bill Spencer operated it until October 1973. Since then the eatery has had six other owners including current owner Chris Powers who took it over in late 2003/early 2004. He restored the neon sign and clock.
Some of the restaurants in Bolin's book have historic ties, such as the Charcoal House at 9855 Manchester Road in Rock Hill. The Charcoal House was originally the Ten Mile House, one of numerous "mile" houses along Manchester Road named for their distance from the Mississippi River. The Nine Mile House is now the Trainwreck Saloon and a restaurant now bears the name of the Eleven Mile House in roughly the same location of the original building.
Bolin's book is more than a historical smorgasbord of recipes, history and memorabilia. Featured in the back of the book are two Route 66 scavenger hunts. "I wanted people to just get in their cars and go looking for these places," Bolin said.
She also has a chapter on how to throw a Route 66-themed party from invitations to decorations. The chapter is based on her experience throwing a party for her son Caleb's eighth birthday. Caleb wanted the themed party and books on Route 66 - and NASCAR - after seeing the movie, "Cars," Bolin said.
During her research, Texas-born Bolin found she, too, had a Route 66 connection. "I discovered that my first husband's family, the Marets, were early settlers in Sunset Hills and several of his relatives owned early Route 66 businesses," she said. "In addition, I realized that Route 66 had been right under my nose after I moved here, just waiting for me to discover it."
"The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road" is available at featured restaurants and numerous area bookstores or by visiting the Web site, www.route66stlouis.com.
Dierbergs Cooking School will feature the cookbook in its September and October line up of classes. Eight restaurants featured in the book will be teaching classes, most for the first time. These include Pietro's, Rich & Charlie's, Al's and the Ariston Cafe, along with Monarch, Schlafly Bottleworks, Soulard's and Sunset 44. For more class information, visit www.dierbergs.com.
Lubeley's Florentine Lace Cookies 1/2 cup butter 1 Tbsp flour 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp milk 1 Tbsp heavy whipping cream 3/4 cup ground almonds or 1/2 cup blanched, shelled almonds ground in a blender. For chocolate coating: 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips 8 oz. cocoa butter, solid Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cookie sheets. Place butter, flour, sugar, heavy cream and milk in a saucepan. Heat slowly until butter is melted. Stir in almonds. Spoon out by heaping teaspoons, five well-spaced cookies per sheet; cookies will spread. Bake 8 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven; cool for one minute then set cookies on paper towels, top side down. Cool for one hour. Melt chocolate chips and cocoa butter in a double boiler; drizzle over cooled cookies. Yield: 25 cookies. Note: If chocolate chips contain cocoa butter, it is not needed.
House of Maret Austrian Cabbage 1 large green cabbage, chopped 1/3 pound diced bacon 1 medium onion, chopped 1/4 green pepper, chopped 1 rib celery, chopped 1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. salt dash of black pepper several dashes Tabasco 1/2 cup cider vinegar 1 scant cup caraway seeds 1 can tomatoes, chopped Saute bacon and onion in skillet. Add green pepper and celery and saute until crisp tender. Add sugar, salt, pepper, Tabasco, cider vinegar, caraway seeds and chopped tomatoes. Add cabbage to mixture. Cover and cook gently until cabbage is tender.
2009-08-01
The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road by Norma Maret Bolin will be part of the Dierbergs Cooking School’s September and October lineup. Eight of the restaurants featured in the book are teaching classes that include many of their specialties. Come meet the chefs and owners of these wonderful establishments in an intimate setting of only 18 to 20 participants. Five of the restaurants have never participated before so this is a rare opportunity you should not pass up. All participants receive a copy of The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook with their paid registration of $45. The author will be on hand at several classes to sign copies of the book. Register early as the classes are sure to fill up quickly. Get more information at www.dierbergs.com.
Here is the upcoming schedule: Al’s Restaurant Mon Sept 14th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm West Oak Chef Harold Brazzle Mon Oct 19th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Clarkson Monarch Restaurant and Wine Bar Mon Sept 28th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Edwardsville Chef Josh Galliano Tues Oct 13th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm West Oak Pietro’s Mon Sept 21st 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm West Oak Chef Joseph Neri Mon Oct 12th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Southroads Rich & Charlie’s Mon Sept 28th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Southroads Owner Chuck Pozzo Mon Oct 5th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Clarkson Schlafly Bottleworks Mon Oct 5th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Edwardsville Chef Andy White Thurs Oct 22nd 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm West Oak Soulard’s Restaurant Tues Sept 29th 6:30pm to 8:30 pm West Oak Owner Dan Badock Tues Oct 20th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Southroads & Chef Russell Byers Sunset 44 Bistro Mon Sept 14th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Southroads Owner/Exec Chef Robert Menendez Mon Oct 26th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Clarkson The Ariston Café Thurs Sept 10th 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm Edwardsville Owner Demi Adam
2009-08-01
This article appeared in the August 2009 edition of The Pulse Newspaper, located in Brentwood, Missouri. Route 66 Today: The Main Street of America Lives On Right Here in St. Louis By Norma Maret Bolin All rights reserved
A lot has changed since the 1920s when Route 66 was first conceived as a diagonal highway that crossed eight states in a southwesterly direction, linking small town America across a varied terrain from Chicago to Los Angeles. The automobile was just gaining acceptance and was still unreliable. Roads were unpaved and maps and road signs were largely non-existent. Thankfully, things progressed and Route 66 was born in 1926 with improvements made along the way to our roads, cars, and navigational aids. Through Route 66 we can experience the evolution of the automobile, the Depression and the lean Dust Bowl years, the Civil Rights era, the effect the World War II years and the boom post-war years had on Highway 66, and the road’s eventual loss to progress. The historic highway served St. Louis until 1977 and the replacement of the entire 8-state route by the interstate system was completed in 1984.
Route 66 was officially decommissioned in 1985. Preservation groups started forming soon afterwards and the Route 66 Association of Missouri formed in 1990 with the goal of preserving, educating and promoting the historic highway. The Association held its first Motor Tour that same year and is celebrating its 20th Motor Tour this September. The brown Historic Highway markers went up in 1991 along the Original and Historic paths (see below). Much of the highway remains driveable today and can still be explored.
The story of Route 66 is the story of America in the 20th Century and it means different things to different people. Many are attracted to Route 66 because the road has something for everyone if you choose to look. The Mother Road offers everything from important stories and history lessons to just having fun, leaving your cares behind, and exploring the path less traveled while meeting people along the way. I was drawn to the story of the American spirit that the old road tells—the people with nothing but a can-do attitude who overcame obstacles to make a living on the highway.
Since I began researching Route 66 in this area, the question I get asked most often is, “Where exactly did Route 66 run through St. Louis?” The short answer is through a lot of it and it changed over the years. (It’s a bit technical, too!) In St. Louis, Route 66 had three main paths that in its simplest form can be broken down into the Original path (1926 to 1933), the Historic path (along Watson Road from 1933 to 1974 then shared designation with I-44 until January 1977), and the two Chain of Rocks routes, the Bypass Route (1936 to 1965) and the City 66 “Connector” path (1936 to 1963), which cut through north St. Louis and connected up with the Historic path at Tucker/12th. Of the five bridges that carried Route 66 traffic, only the MacArthur Bridge is inaccessible to vehicles or pedestrians. The McKinley Bridge, built for interurban streetcars, now has a pedestrian walkway. The Old Chain of Rocks Bridge (a destination itself and open to bicyclists and pedestrians) offers some scenic views of the historic intake towers and the Mississippi River. Of course, you can still drive the last two bridges that carried Route 66, the Martin Luther King Bridge and the Poplar Street Bridge.
Downtown was part of all these Route 66 alignments except for the Bypass Route, which left the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge and went around the city via Dunn Road to Lindbergh, eventually cut through Kirkwood and joined the Historic route at Watson Road. Many of the historic Downtown hotels and points of interests remain today to be enjoyed. Take the time to visit the new Citygarden and while there, stop and think about Downtown—this was where it all started. Stop in at historic Union Station, then drive down Market to see the Kiel Opera House, City Hall, the Civil Courts Building, the Old Courthouse, the Old Cathedral and the Arch. Drive on into Laclede’s Landing and the riverfront and, if you can find Broadway and Mound, look for the historic marker.This is all that is left of the ancient Downtown mounds that gave St. Louis its first nickname, Mound City.
The Original path took several routes to get to the Forest Park area. Forest Park was a jewel then and continues to shine today. Leave there and look for the Hi-Pointe Amoco sign and the Hi-Pointe Theater before heading south on McCausland and turning right onto Manchester Road. Dogtown, Maplewood, Brentwood, Rock Hill, Glendale, Kirkwood, and Des Peres were all on the Original Route 66 as it headed west to what is now Wildwood (and the Big Chief) then on to Gray Summit. Lots of historic buildings remain in downtown Maplewood along with some great neon. Look for Sutton Lanes (one of the oldest bowling alleys west of the Mississippi and also rare because it is upstairs), Monarch Restaurant in the old Katz Drug building, the Bartold’s Grove site (once a historic stagecoach stop and 8 Mile House and now part of Sunnen Industrial), and take a slight detour to Cousin Hugo’s 1935 roadhouse. Return to Manchester Road and look for the Sport’s Attic (Engelhard’s from 1926 to 1974), Carl’s Drive-In (originally an early gas station), Trainwreck Saloon (once the 9 Mile House then Porta’s), the Charcoal House (once the 10 Mile House), Hacienda (once a historic steamboat captain’s home), the Fairfax House, the Book House, and near West County Mall, don’t miss the former Joseph Diem complex at 12239-12243 Manchester Road that today houses the Village Bar, a wig shop, and Fun Flags and More. (Grupp’s 14 Mile House was across the street and part of the same family, now Colonnade Center.) Des Peres had many historic greenhouses and some remain today. The Des Peres City Hall building was for many years the Lutheran Children’s Home. The West County Mall property once included the Manchester Drive-In, the oldest drive-in west of the Mississippi River.
For our purposes, this as far as I am taking you on the Original route but you can easily follow Highway 100 on west to I-44 and the Shaw Nature Reserve, (stopping at the Big Chief, of course!) All of the Route 66 motels that were on this stretch have been lost to progress with only the Big Chief partially remaining.
For the Historic route, start at the Eat-Rite Diner and the Nestlé Purina complex then head to Twelfth Street (pass City Hospital on your right and St. John Nepomuk Church on your left) and follow it to Gravois. The route went between the Soulard and Lafayette Square areas. At Chippewa, make a short detour to see the Bevo Mill then head west on Chippewa and continue on Watson Road to Lindbergh Blvd. Some things to look for on the Historic route are St. Michael’s Orthodox Church, St. Francis De Sales Church, Hodak’s, South Side National Bank, Gravois Auto Top & Seat Covers, McMahon Ford, Hampton Village, Keller Apothecary, The Famous Bar, Tekwani Vision Center (once The Ranch House), Pietro’s (on Watson Road just north of the route), the Donut Drive-In, Garavelli’s, Ted Drewes, and Johnny Gitto’s. Cross over the River Des Peres and go past Kenrick Seminary (on right) into the Village of Marlborough. There were once many motels, gas stations, and mom and pop restaurants from here to Lindbergh but almost all have been razed. Look for Rischbieter’s Automotive, Oak Knoll Subdivision (once the Coral Court), Wayside Motel, the Chippewa Motel and the Duplex Motel, Lubeley’s Bakery, Sunset Lanes, Yorkshire Village, the old La Casa Grande Motel (now apartments), General Grant Shopping Center, then on to Crestwood Plaza. The Schnucks complex was where the 66 Park In Theatre was located. Continuing west, find Walnut Park Auto Body (across from Jack in the Box) and Crestwood Bowl. There has been a restaurant at the Rich & Charlie’s site for decades and it is still fondly remembered as il Vesuvio. Lindburg Cadillac has a long history in St. Louis. Look for the Kentucky Fried Chicken (once Chuck-A-Burger) and the McDonald’s, the site of the first McDonald’s in Missouri. Before ending at the Viking/Holiday Inn (originally a AAA auto camp and later the Park Plaza Motel in an Alamo-style with the Nelson’s Café adjoining) head south on Lindbergh and observe Days Inn (once an early Holiday Inn) and the Quality Inn Southwest (originally Inn America) and stop in at Growler’s Pub. It was home to the House of Maret, which started in 1930 as a gas station then (after Prohibition) started selling sandwiches and beer from an iced tub to passing golfers coming from nearby Sunset Country Club.
You can read about many of the restaurants that were part of Route 66 in the St. Louis area and also prepare their recipes as featured in The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road. In addition to 174 recipes, it is filled with many historic photos, postcards, menus and lots of information. You can also sign up for a cooking class with Dierbergs, which is featuring The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook in its September and October schedule. Eight restaurants are participating: The Ariston Café, Al’s, Rich & Charlie’s, Pietro’s, Monarch, Sunset 44, Soulard’s, and Schlafly Bottleworks. (The first five restaurants are teaching for Dierbergs for the first time so this is a real treat! Sign up early at www.dierbergs.com as these classes are sure to fill up.)
If you want to get out and explore the road, two detailed Drive-By Scavenger Hunts included in the cookbook take you along the Historic path from the Eat-Rite Diner to Lindbergh Blvd. or from Times Beach to the Twin Bridges. (See cookbook order form below, which includes free shipping.) If you are ready to travel a little farther and explore Missouri, join the Route 66 Association of Missouri on its 20th Annual Motor Tour from Joplin, Missouri to Pacific, Missouri. It is September 11 to 13, 2009 and costs $25 without lodging or meals. Don’t delay and get more information at www.missouri66.org or from members Kip Welborn (314-776-7385) or Jane Dippel (314-843-7132). Hope to see you there!
Norma Maret Bolin is an attorney and the author of Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds and The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road. She lives with her family in Webster Groves.
2009-08-01
Where Magazine (St. Louis) featured The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook in the August 2009 issue in an article entitled 30 Things We Love About St. Louis. I am honored to have the book included on this list, which included the Eads Bridge, Union Station, The Gateway Arch, The Loop, St. Louis Union Station, the Old Courthouse, the Missouri History Museum, the Art Museum, the Science Center, the Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tour and Grant's Farm, Lafayette Square and Soulard, the City Museum, the Butterfly House and the Magic House, Cahokia Mounds, historic St. Charles, the Compton Heights Water Tower, and the new Citygarden sculpture park.
2009-08-01
This article by David Knudson, Executive Director of the National Historic Route 66 Federation appeared in the Volume 15, Number 3 Summer 2009 issue of The Federation News. Photos included the Three Fountains, Engelhard's Tavern, and Spencer's Grill.
I grew up in the midwest-specifically Detroit. My summers, from the mid 1940s through the mid 50s were spent at camp; building "forts"; going to traveling carnivals; and best of all, riding around the midwest with my parents in our family Ford-seeing the sites. In our travels, we would stay at motels and cabins, and eat in restaurants for two weeks. This was the amount of time my dad had for vacation from an insurance company. Dad's last day of work before the vacation was always a Friday. Come sunrise Saturday, we'd hit the road for fun and adventure.
Our dining and lodging were governed almost entirely by Duncan Hines. For those of you too young to know (probably most of you), Mr. Hines published a series of travel guides for motorists that recommended places to stay and eat. Each of his listings included pertinent and interesting comments about the places, their owners and often the communities. To my parents, he was infallible.
Like it or not, the franchise operations were one reason these wonderful guides faded away, in no small part because controls on eating and dining establishments became much more stringent making the chance of getting food poisoning or bitten by bed bugs much less likely. Americans no longer really needed Uncle Duncan to keep us away from unscrupulous food and bed merchants.
Several years ago, I bought a used Duncan Hines guide to the midwest on eBay. Talk about memories! Looking through the old guide and reminiscing, we decided Route 66 needed a guide to make sure Routers got the best for their travel dollars. The Route 66 Dining & Lodging Guide was born.
So, what does all of this have to do with the new Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook? It does not review the places along 66 in St. Louis, instead it features delectable sounding recipes. Yet, it does have the same "flavor" as Hines' guides, and many of the vintage establishments are of his era. And, it does include pertinent and interesting stories and photos of the places and the owners.
Author Bolin has created a book that is much more interesting than simply a textbook full of recipes. You will find it fascinating reading which is not particularly true of cookbooks. But don't fret, the recipes are certainly there as are many of the restaurants. How about Red Beans & Rice from Blueberry Hill, Cheese Baked Pasta Alamara from Cicero's , Eleven Eleven Mississippi's Gooey Butter Cake?
If you are a Route 66 history fan or just a food fan, you'll thoroughly enjoy this book. Hey, I'm heading east to grab a bite-I'll meet you in Saint Looey.
2009-06-12
Retail partner The Market at Busch's Grove featured The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook in a special Father's Day's Gifts section of the Ladue News.
2009-06-01
Where Magazine (St. Louis) featured The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook in an article by Amanda E. Boyle entitled Made in St. Louis: Authentic local souvenirs you'll love to take home.
2009-05-11
This article appeared in the May edition of The Pulse (published by gene-del Printing) and includes places carrying the cookbook and the recipe for Miss Hulling's Famous Miss and Master Oatmeal Cookies. First- time author Norma Maret Bolin has written The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road, which features over 150 recipes from over 115 restaurants and commercial establishments. The cookbook, a companion to Bolin’s yet to be published Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, tells the stories of many of the restaurants that were on the various alignments of Route 66 in the St. Louis area and also features some restaurants in Missouri and Illinois that are worth driving to. The cookbook features vintage postcards, ads, menus and matchcovers to help tell the stories. The launch date was Monday, April 13, 2009 and the cookbook is being very well received. It is much more than just a recipe book and includes quite a bit of St. Louis history as told through the restaurants’ stories.
With the recipes spanning many decades, this is a unique trip back to the tastes of yesteryear including Miss Hulling’s Autumn Glow Cake, the Forum’s Apple Pie, Pope’s Nut Torte, Famous-Barr’s French Onion Soup, Pietro’s Spinach Balls, Bevo Mill’s Biscuits, Grone Cafeteria’s Orange Fluff Cake, Dillard’s Garden Room’s Navy Bean Soup, the House of Maret’s Austrian Cabbage, Lombardo’s Famous Green Noodles, Henry VIII Shrimp Scampi, Schneithorst’s Potato Pancakes, the Spencer’s Grill Slinger, Howard Johnson’s/Layton’s Meatloaf, the Sites Station Café’s Chili, Red Cedar Inn’s French Dressing, the Diamonds’ Bread Pudding, and Key’s Twin Bridge Café’s Concord Grape Pie. The St. Louis Institutions section includes recipes from Busch’s Grove, Lemp Mansion, Al Baker’s, Ed’s White Front, Wright City Big Boy’s, Noah’s Ark, and Ruggeri’s. The Missouri section features the Blue Owl, Lewis Café, Meramec Caverns, Zeno’s, and Granny Shaffer’s while the Illinois section features Pere Marquette Lodge, Ariston Café, Dixie Truckers Home, Dell Rhea’s, White Fence Farm and Lou Mitchell’s. Grocery stores, bakeries, St. Louis favorite foods, and restaurants that have come along in more recent years are also featured as are those that have stood the test of time such as Tony’s, Al’s and Kemoll’s.
With the goal of raising the funds to publish her much larger collection of stories about the people and the places on St. Louis’ Route 66, Bolin is also offering something else that is unique-a fundraising opportunity for not for profit groups (schools, churches, friends groups, historical societies, museums, etc,) and any of the retail businesses that are featured in either of her books, to take orders for the book and keep $5 from the sale of each book. The retail price is $19.95. This opportunity is for a limited time and will precede any distribution to national bookstores. Organizations interested in selling the cookbook should contact Bolin at norma@route66stlouis.com. To order your copy of the book, contact www.route66stlouis.com. The website also includes Bolin’s upcoming book signings and personal appearances where you can meet the author and purchase the book in person.
Here are some of the shops where you can get your copy of the cookbook: Downtown: Fat Sassy’s Gift Shop at Union Station Scott Joplin House 2658 Delmar Webster Groves: Webster Groves Bookshop 100 West Lockwood Kirkwood: Down by the Station 150 West Argonne Rock Hill: The Book House 9719 Manchester Road Ladue: Market at Busch’s Grove 9160 Clayton Road Eureka: Route 66 State Park 97 N. Outer Road (take I-44 to Exit 266) Pacific: Meramec Valley Historical Museum 206 W. Union Gray Summit: Purina Farms Visitor Center Stanton: Meramec Caverns
In addition, these area restaurants are also selling the book: Downtown area: Lombardo’s Trattoria 201 South 20th Street in the Drury Inn Vin de Set 2017 Chouteau North: Crown Candy Kitchen 1401 St. Louis Avenue Goody Goody Diner 5900 Natural Bridge Florissant: Yacovelli’s 407 Dunn Road South: Lemp Mansion3322 DeMenil Place Chatillon Demenil 3352 DeMenil Place Pietro’s 3801 Watson Road Maplewood: Schlafy Bottleworks 7401 Manchester Road Brentwood: Carl’s Drive-In 9033 Manchester Road Marlborough: Lubeley’s Bakery 7815 Watson Road Crestwood: Rich & Charlie’s 9942 Watson Road Wildwood: B Donovan’s at the Big Chief 17352 Manchester Road
To thank you in advance for your support, Norma Bolin is sharing with readers this Miss Hulling’s oatmeal cookie recipe.
Miss Hulling’s Famous Miss & Master Oatmeal Cookies This recipe is featured on a vintage matchcover series, courtesy collector George Lux and is not included in the cookbook Miss Hulling’s made these cookies very small, about- nickel-sized.. ½ cup butter ½ cup granulated sugar ½ cup brown sugar 1 egg 1 Tbsp water ½ tsp vanilla 7/8 cup bread flour* ¼ tsp baking soda ½ tsp salt 1 ½ cups rolled oats 1 ¼ cups raisins
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add egg, water and vanilla. Toast oatmeal in a shallow pan in oven until lightly browned. Sift dry ingredients. Add oatmeal, raisins and blend with the first mixture until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop with a teaspoon on greased floured pans. Bake in 375 degree oven about 10 minutes. Yield: about 1 ½ pounds. * use ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour.
2009-05-05
Fundraising Takes a New Twist Preserving Old Route 66 Heritage May 2009 Article in the Eureka-Pacific Current News Magazine by Debby Kwiecien Norma Maret Bolin, Webster Groves resident and former Texan, has written a cookbook called The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook, The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road, as a fundraiser for her first book, Route 66 from Bridges to the Diamonds.
The cookbook is full of recipes stretching from The Admiral on the Mississippi River to The Diamonds in Gray Summit, Mo., and the Key’s Twin Bridge Café in Villa Ridge. It follows the route bringing delectable taste treats to those who remember the delicacies served in the long ago age and a new form of nostalgia for the younger generation. The recipes span everything from seafood and beef to cakes, pies and cookies served in restaurants along Old Route 66.
Each chapter is filled with snippets of history and the people making that history. It brings to life, in a way no other experience can, the sights, sounds and smells associated with traveling the Mother Road. “Writing this cookbook is my way of preserving the recipes and passing on the history of Old Route 66,” said Bolin. “Some of them have been lost along the way. Steiny’s at Times Beach was very popular, but when they sold it they turned over the recipes and the new owners never used them. None of the original family members have any of the recipes now and they are lost forever.”
The cookbook cover is a collage of the restaurants; the book is filled with 174 recipes and 115 establishments along the Mother Road. There are photos of vintage menus, matchbook covers, and postcards with the recipes to help readers picture the history. Many people recognize their favorite restaurants on the cover that features a Chevy driving through from back to front and many of the recipes.
The cookbook can be picked up at the Pacific Historical Museum, 206 W. Union St. It is open Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information about the availability of the cookbook call 636-257-5652. For more information about the cookbook or the history book visit www.route66stlouis.com, book-signing listings are also available. The cookbook will also be available for purchase and signing by the author at the Pacific Historical Museum during Cruise Night June 27.
2009-05-03
From the Route 66 News Blog Posted By Ron Warnick First-time author Norma Maret Bolin’s “The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook” has the words “St. Louis” in slightly larger type than the rest of the title of the book’s cover. This is telling. Her book (paperback, 174 pages, $19.95) is considerably more focused on famed restaurants of the entire St. Louis area than just those on Route 66 itself. This is not a bad thing. The Gateway City has been long-known by well-traveled foodies as a great (and relatively inexpensive) restaurant town. So anyone who is able to acquire recipes from those great eateries should be encouraged.
Bolin is a native Texan who moved to St. Louis in 1986 and is experienced in the food service industry. She says she caught the Route 66 bug when she and her 7-year-old son first saw the movie “Cars” in 2006. As she researched the Mother Road, she became enamored with it. Her work eventually resulted in the cookbook. Bolin also is planning the publication of a “Route 66 St. Louis” book sometime this year.
It’s difficult to tell that Bolin is a first-time author. The book looks attractive, contains a nice balance of history and memorabilia (including old menus), and turns out to be surprisingly comprehensive. More than 150 recipes are featured.
There are recipes from defunct eateries (White Squirrel, Miss Hulling’s Cafeteria, Busch’s Grove, Henry VIII Inn), higher-end restaurants (Tony’s, Johnny Gitto’s), and even old-time diners (White Castle, Steak ‘n Shake, Spencer’s Grill). Bolin found these recipes through a variety of sources, including decades-old articles in magazines and newspapers.
Don’t look for closely guarded recipes such as Hodak’s fried chicken or Ted Drewes’ frozen custard (although the book sports other recipes from those places). However, the book contains instructions on how to make other cherished St. Louis food, such as gooey butter cake and slingers (if you don’t know what the latter is, ask a St. Louisian).
The book ventures hundreds of miles outside its boundaries to snag recipes from Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant (in Chicago) and Granny Shaffer’s (in Joplin, Mo.). As a bonus, “The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook” passes on tips on how to throw a Route 66 party or organize Route 66 scavenger hunts. Adults with children will likely enjoy those additions.
The cookbook will inevitably be compared to Marian Clark’s well-regarded Route 66 cookbooks. Bolin’s volume won’t replace Clark’s (after all, Clark’s cookbooks encompass all 2,200 miles of Route 66). However, “The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook” will serve as a worthwhile supplement, especially to roadies in Illinois and Missouri and expatriates from St. Louis.
2009-05-01
Retail partner Down by the Station featured The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook in a Mother's Day ad in the Webster-Kirkwood Times.
2009-04-26
The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road was featured in the April 24-30, 2009 edition of the Webster-Kirkwood Times and the South County Times. It includes an image of the front cover, which is getting a lot of praise and attention. The article by Marty Harris is entitled, "Books, Books & More Books" and subtitled, "A few recent releases from area authors." My neighbor just a few doors down, Anthony Castro who is a clinical psychologist, wrote the book, "Creating Space For Happiness: The Secret of Giving Room" and his book is also featured in the same article. Several other area residents are featured in the article.
2009-04-13
First- time author Norma Maret Bolin has written <em>The Route 66 St. Louis Cookbook: The Mother Lode of Recipes from the Mother Road</em>, which features over 150 recipes from over 115 restaurants and commercial establishments. The cookbook, a companion to Bolin’s yet to be published Route 66 St. Louis: From the Bridges to the Diamonds, tells the stories of many of the restaurants that were on the various alignments of Route 66 in the St. Louis area and also features some restaurants in Missouri and Illinois that are worth driving to. The cookbook features vintage postcards, ads, menus and matchcovers to help tell the story.
With the recipes spanning many decades, this is a unique trip back to the tastes of yesteryear including Miss Hulling’s Autumn Glow Cake, the Forum’s Apple Pie, Pope’s Nut Torte, Famous-Barr’s French Onion Soup, Pietro’s Spinach Balls, Bevo Mill’s Biscuits, Grone Cafeteria’s Orange Fluff Cake, Dillard’s Garden Room’s Navy Bean Soup, the House of Maret’s Austrian Cabbage, Lombardo’s Famous Green Noodles, Henry VIII Shrimp Scampi, Schneithorst’s Potato Pancakes, the Spencer’s Grill Slinger, Howard Johnson’s/Layton’s Meatloaf, the Sites Station Café’s Chili, Red Cedar Inn’s French Dressing, the Diamonds’ Bread Pudding, and Key’s Twin Bridge Café’s Concord Grape Pie. The St. Louis Institutions section includes recipes from Busch’s Grove, Lemp Mansion, Al Baker’s, Ed’s White Front, Wright City Big Boy’s, Noah’s Ark, and Ruggeri’s. The Missouri section features the Blue Owl, Lewis Café, Meramec Caverns, Zeno’s, and Granny Shaffer’s while the Illinois section features Pere Marquette Lodge, Ariston Café, Dixie Truckers Home, Dell Rhea’s, White Fence Farm and Lou Mitchell’s. Grocery stores, bakeries, St. Louis favorite foods, and restaurants that have come along in more recent years are also featured as are those that have stood the test of time such as Tony’s, Al’s and Kemoll’s.
With the goal of raising the funds to publish her much larger collection of stories about the people and the places on St. Louis’ Route 66, Bolin is also offering something else that is unique-a fundraising opportunity for not for profit groups (schools, churches, friends groups, historical societies, museums, etc,) and any of the retail businesses that are featured in either of her books, to take orders for the book and keep $5 from the sale of each book. The retail price is $19.95. This opportunity is for a limited time and will precede any distribution to national bookstores. Organizations interested in selling the cookbook should contact Bolin at norma@route66stlouis.com. To order your copy of the book, contact www.route66stlouis.com. The website also includes Bolin’s upcoming book signings and personal appearances where you can meet the author and purchase the book in person.