Saturday Afternoon in Kimmswick, Missouri

Last Saturday afternoon several friends and I (12 in all) celebrated a Christmas lunch at the Blue Owl Restaurant and Bakery in the historic town of Kimmswick, Missouri.

Located in Jefferson County, the Mississippi River town was founded in 1859 by a German immigrant and successful St. Louis businessman named Joseph Kimm.

The town bustled with activity on Saturday. Our lunch reservations were for 1 p.m. Seven of us left around noon from St. Charles County in two cars and met the other five ladies there. In our car of four, we drove for a while looking for parking then found a spot a few blocks away. The walk wasn't bad because it was a lovely day--in the upper 50s-- there were lots of folks walking and driving and hunting for parking spots. I even saw a few cars with Christmas trees on their roofs.

When we arrived at the Blue Owl, several groups of people waited outside. The restaurant won't seat guests until the entire party is there. One of our group had a hard time finding a parking spot, so we didn't get inside to get seated until about 1:15. While we waited for our table to be set up, one woman told me she had a two-and-a-half hour wait for a table for two, but the weekend before when they drove their motorcycles to town they got right in. It was a busy weekend because of the Christmas Cookie Walk--and probably because of the lovely weather.

By the time we left a little after 3 p.m., there were tables available. So, if you want to eat lunch at the Blue Owl, especially on a weekend, call ahead for a reservation or get there after 3 p.m.

One of the specialties of the restaurant and bakery is their apple pie, which is an Oprah's "favorite things." We ordered our lunch , but by the time we ordered dessert, the bakery had sold out of apple pie, so I had a slice of chocolate cake, which was eight layers and included Amareto, almonds, and fudge in the ingredients.

My cake was so rich I could only eat a forkful, so I got the rest of it to go. My lunch was strawberry salad and spinach and artichoke quiche. Both were wonderful. The crust for the quiche literally melted in my mouth.

It was great to visit with my old friends from work and catch up on what's been going on in their lives. We even had a visit from Santa, who stopped by our table.

After lunch we hit the streets and did some shopping, and I managed to find a couple of Christmas gifts. One store called the Latest Craze had good prices on costume jewelry and bric-a-brac.

We ended the day with a trip to Marie's Sweet Shop, which also was a busy place. I was searching for a Christmas tree light necklace. The colored lights blink of and on--so I thought it would be fun to wear to my Bunco party on Friday night. I saw several ladies wearing the necklaces as I shopped. They told me they bought them at the candy store. But, alas, the store was sold out of the necklaces by the time we got there. Two ladies in a back room who inquired about the necklace for me were hard at work decorating cake pops and other candies to put in the display cases while other workers served up scoops of ice cream.

All-in-all my visit to Kimmswick was a fun and relaxing afternoon. I guess you could say my trip was a sweet treat.