Winslow's Home (St. Louis)

I've selfishly taken a restaurant review hiatus -- partially due to my real-time raves on Instagram and otherwise due to my excessive eating-out habits that drive me off-track. Thanks to my iPhone camera roll, I am rewinding to review the highlights of Spring and Summer. Nonetheless, these spots are timeless.

In early April, my friend Madeline and I took a girls' weekend getaway to St. Louis, where we lofted at the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel and ventured in every neighborhood in between. My closest childhood friend Sami, who attended Washington University in St. Louis, insisted that we try Winslow's Home for brunch. We ventured to the University district and joined the thirty-minute ordering line that felt oddly entertaining; perhaps it was the walls of curated kitchen gadgets and goods, rustic urban decor, or bakery displays of award-winning chocolate chip cookies and pastries.

The locally milled unbleached flour comprised our berry galette, which we snacked on during the wait. The pastry was dense yet so sumptuously light at the same time. Sprinkled with raw cane sugar, the berries' sweet and sour contrast made for a perfect morning bite.

Since it was almost 11 a.m., we opted for more savory entrées at the ordering counter. Avocado toast and kale salad were the winning choices -- simply prepared yet done so right at Winslow's Home. We pleasantly observed local ingredients, clean presentation (with extra grated parmesan), and timely delivery at our marble table for two.

I've been told that the adjacent "Cellar" space offers private dining for up to 36, and the restaurant's dinner menu impresses with ingredients from Winslow's Farm, which sits 35 miles west of the city. Though Madeline and I only dined for one morning, we truly felt "home" at the red-brick establishment. It's a cozy, comfortable feeling that still remains with me.

A St. Louis Grand Getaway

More like a gooey butter cake getaway. Earlier this month, I had the wonderful opportunity to experience a refreshed Downtown St. Louis experience at the recently remodeled Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel on Washington Avenue.

Swanky and sophisticated, the towering hotel nods to its classic origins of the Statler Hotel (opened in 1919) while tactically attracting the modern business traveler. Through refreshed details in amenities and atmosphere (hello gold lamps and charging outlets at every reach), I was grateful to enjoy a concierge-level city view in my suite. We also snuck up to the rooftop Crystal ballroom during a wedding set-up to explore unbeatable views and elaborate restored architectural details.

The weekend's open slate prompted me and Madeline to enjoy as much of the city as possible; our daylong timetable led us to Soulard Market, brunch at Winslow's Home, Central West End for Jeni's ice cream and a stroll, and a wine flight happy hour on Washington Ave. at Robust. So much to eat in so little time! We made a pit-stop at the Arch for a photograph, obviously.

For our evening dining experiences in St. Louis, Madeline and I drove to The Hill for authentic, historic Italian at the original Charlie Gitto's. It was unbelievably filling -- the St. Louis-famed toasted ravioli and a good bottle of red wine kicked off our dinner, followed by lobster linguine, Seabass, and sausage rigatoni. We were essentially rolled out of the restaurant by our waiter, Tony.

Saturday's dinner at the Zenia Bar & Grill was joined by a group of other regional bloggers, whose camaraderie was enjoyed over with dishes upon dishes from the seasonal menu. I consistently recommend venturing away from a hotel for meals upon visiting a new city, but the 8th Street Pantry grab-n-go market at the Marriott St. Louis Grand was impressive. The Pantry prepares paninis and salads for the business traveler. Locally-sourced sweets, sips, and other snacks are available for pick-up.

If you're ever searching for a quick weekend trip, I highly recommend St. Louis in the springtime! Follow more of my adventures on Instagram with #caramelizedtravels.

This Caramelized getaway was brought to you by the Marriott St. Louis Grand Hotel. Thank you for being supportive of my sponsors!