Iron Fork

Just over a week ago, T and I attended a food extravaganza called Iron Fork.  It's a gathering of about 40 local restaurants in one place.  You pay an entrance fee, then get to wander from booth to booth tasting whatever delicious bites they brought to share.

So, a couple of things.  First, the event was held at Union Station.  When I was a kid, there was a lot of stuff at Union Station.  Now it's mostly just sad.  The place feels so empty, and the shops that are there are mostly touristy kitsch -- the kind of junk you could get at an airport.  The one saving grace is (was) that The Fudgery is still there -- the two guys working the marble slab were singing when T and I walked through the door, just like I remember as a kid.  (I say "was" because the St. Louis Business Journal just announced that the Fudgery would be moving to Ballpark Village this summer.  Probably a good thing for the shop, but a terrible thing for Union Station.)  And it's such a cool building; it's a shame it doesn't get used and appreciated the way Union Stations do in bigger cities.

Second, Iron Fork was crowded.  It was hard to move around in the room, you had to stand in sometimes long lines for food.  Now, is it great that all those people were actually at Union Station?  You bet.  And was it okay that you had to stand in line because it gave you a chance to digest your food?  Certainly.  But would it have been nice to maybe have a place to sit down, so you could actually enjoy your snacks?  Yes.  Is it difficult juggling a plate or two, some forks, a drink, a wallet, etc., when you have no place to put anything down?  Uh huh.  Did I drop a few things over the course of the evening.  I did indeed.  Just a fork or two -- thankfully not any food.  But spreading it out a bit more, and adding some more spots to take a breather, would have been nice.

Third, and speaking of juggling all that food, I probably only tried half the restaurants there, and I left not a bit hungry.  The event lasted about 3 hours I think, and I was there for 2.  I certainly could have used that extra hour, but honestly I don't know how much more I would have wanted to eat.  It would have been nice to have a bit more time to enjoy the event though, rather than running from booth to booth like a crazy person because there just wasn't enough time.  Plus, adding a couple of extra hours would thin the crowd out a bit.

Having said those things, I think T and I both had a lot of fun.  I finally got to try a few restaurants that I've been wanting to get to, like Mission Taco and Nathalie's, and I got to enjoy them right alongside some old favorites like Bogart's and Kakao.  It was money well spent.