Playtime on the Pier

It's raining cats and dogs when we bolt from the parking lot into the Old Spaghetti Warehouse at Laclede's Landing. Historical Laclede's Landing in downtown St. Louis is minutes from the Arch, with clubs, restaurants, theaters, a brewery and even a casino.

The weather has been nasty here in Missouri including turbulent gusts from a tornado that touched down a little over 50 miles from us. But we're a hungry bunch and even the middle-of-the-road chain restaurant, Spaghetti Warehouse, appeals to our palettes. The OSW is housed in a building with handsome red brick, dark cherry poster beams and rich cornices. The interior and observant waitress make up for the lack of Italian staples like fresh parmesan cheese, a peppermill and al dente dishes.

While we wait for our order.... "Don't encourage him," whispers Rutherford.

I'm laughing not at but with Paul, our Executive Producer who can memorize, recite and tell a joke like nobody's business. Some jokes are better left for stranger company but the majority leave me in stitches, clutching at my sides and wishing I could contribute my own funny pages. Finally the food arrives and we plunge into the feast like ravenous vultures. Topping off the mediocrity we settle on 2 slices of decadent chocolate and espresso cake. Dripping chocolate and caramel these were a wise choice on a wet evening.