Babbo’s, located in the Chesterfield Valley at 17402 Chesterfield Airport Road, right across from the Wehrenberg Chesterfield Galaxy 14 Theatre, offers a diverse menu of pastas, pizzas, salads, and specials that range from vegetarian options to all kinds of seafood and meat.

Though it is located in a small section of the strip mall, Babbo’s offers immense flavor in every dish thanks to fresh, seasonal ingredients such as the fresh yellow squash currently found in the ever changing Risotto Del Giorno and the fresh cheeses used to create the homemade lasagna.

Not only are the flavors delicious, they are also abundant. The portions are massive for the price, as every entrée ranges from 9 to 10 dollars with the exception of the specials and more plentiful seafood items, and those same entrées fill up large dinner plates to the brim, easily filling even the hungriest of customers.

This small spaghetteria also capitalizes on its small amount of interior space by utilizing warm colors, candles and mood lighting in order to create a scene of romance, comfort and coziness.

The ambiance of this restaurant is outstanding. From the warm wooden tables to the blue glass bottles masquerading as water pitchers in order to entice the eye, every bit of this restaurant is unique and inviting.

In terms of service, you could not ask for more. Because there are less tables in this restaurant for each server to cater to, water never runs low, customers are always checked on and requests are always taken in the most serious of regards. From the moment you walk in, the waiters greet you with a smile that never ceases.

However, a word of warning must be imparted here.There is not space in the restaurant to fit large parties and since Babbo’s refuses to take any reservations, large parties are subject to waiting for extended periods of time to be seated.

This minute detail aside, however, overall Babbo’s Spaghetteria is an enticing and delicious eatery and is about as unique as its name.

This entertainment store sells a wide variety of items such as video games, movies, books, music, toys, comic books, posters, trading cards, gaming systems and other vintage or collectable items.

The store also has many appealing and unique features such as the BAM! Theatre. The theatre is a four-couch area in the far corner of the store’s upper level with a large screen where customers can view films such as Tron, Star Trek, Superman, and many other fantasy, superhero, or sci-fi movie classics.

Adjacent to the theatre is a popular gaming hub. This hub contains three couches, a Microsoft X-Box 360, Sony Playstation 3, and Nintendo Wii, each system supporting popular video games titles such as Mortal Kombat, Halo, and Super Smash Bros. for passersby to enjoy.

BAM! features a trade-in program. People con trade in their used movies, games, music, books, and toys for in-store spending credits.

Hours of operation are from noon to 7 p.m. on Sunday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For prices on new movie or game releases, other store locations, or additional information, visit the BAM! website at www.vintagestock.com

Spooner’s menu includes concretes, sundaes, shakes, malts, and more frozen yogurt deserts. There are also specialty concretes or sundaes with names like SpoonerEaka, Minty Meramac, and 109-er.

Concretes range in price from $2.70 for a kiddie size to $5.10 for a large.

If you are planning a special occasion, Spooner’s has custom made cakes and turtle pies. They also sell Gus’ pretzels and frozen custard by the quart to enjoy at home.

This is a great place to stop by on the way home from a day at Six Flags, or anywhere else that takes you down to Eureka. Spooner’s is on 5th Street, near Highway 109.  The website instructs patrons to “turn at the cone.” There is an ice cream cone shaped mailbox at the front of the road that will lead you to Spooner’s, as the shop is set back off the road and up a hill.

At Spooner’s, there are tables, chairs and benches around the shop with plenty of shade to sit down and enjoy your dessert. In case of rain, there is a “tunnel” attached to the store, which covers the additional tables and chairs.

Spooner’s summer hours are Monday through Thursday, noon to 10 p.m., and Friday through Saturday, noon to 11 p.m. It closes one hour earlier during the school year.

For a full menu and other information about Spooner’s, including directions on how to find it, visit their website:

www.spoonersfrozencustard.com

Right behind Union Station, St. Louis houses a rock climbing gym perfect for an adventurous day trip.

Upper Limits’ 10,000 square feet of climbing surface provides enough space to accommodate beginner to advanced climbers. However, for those under 18, a waiver form must be signed by a parent.  

The two types of climbing one can participate in are bouldering and roped climbing. While bouldering is done under eight feet and without the use of a rope, roped climbing uses a belayer (a person attached at the opposite end of the anchor on the ground  to hold the climber). Before trying the later option, a Rock Gym 101 class is required which costs $30.

Other classes they offer are family classes, introduction to rock climbing, outdoor climbing and advanced technique classes among others.

A day pass for Upper Limits costs $15 and all other necessary equipment like harnesses, helmets, belay device, etc. all cost under three dollars, however, you can bring your own.

Find Upper Limits at 326 S. 21st Street, St. Louis, MO 63103 or by contacting (314) 241-ROCK (7625) for more information.

Tapas, which originated in Spain, are appetizers and snacks serving as a meal. Tapas have gradually evolved into a sophisticated cuisine, leading to the opening of tapas bars.

Instead of everyone ordering their own dish, the cuisine at One 19 North is meant to share, making it a perfect location for groups.

The menu includes dishes such as saffron humus served with pita, pan seared pork carnitas served with tortillas and tomatoe and mozzarella skewers. There is a large variety of choices on the menu, thus it can please vegetarians, meat eaters and gourmet lovers.

The atmosphere is rustic and very charming, which allows One 19 North to have a very relaxed environment.

The price is the only real fault, due to how expensive the food is. Because all of food are like appetizers, there is a want to order a lot of dishes. The dishes themselves are only fairly pricy, but when many of them are order, it gets expensive.

All in all, anyone searching for a fun, gourmet restraunt, One 19 North is a unique choice that will leave bellies full and the taste buds happy.

Walk into the Painting Paw and chose what you want to create. They have everything from travel mugs, Disney princess boxes, ornaments, plates, platters, picture frames and about a dozen other cool pieces to paint. The prices range from $6 t0 $100 so there is literally something for everyone!

What puts the Painting Paw aside from other painting shops is that they don’t charge you for paint or studio time. It’s all inclusive so the price you see is the price you pay.

Once you chose your piece, head over to the paint station and listen to a few quick instructions from a staff member and chose your paints. The Painting Paw has over 75 different colors, shades of paint and specialty glazes to chose from. They also offer unique tools like pok-a-dotters, wire tools and stamps that make creating a one of a kind piece even easier.

For a small fee the Painting Paw offers different painting techniques available such as tie dye, flicking, bubble painting, splatter painting, chalk board paint and many more. The fees are inexpensive and start at one dollar.

Once your finished paiting, leave your stuff on the table and the staff will take care of the rest. They will fire it in the kiln and touch up any rough edges so when you come back, it will be perfect.

The Painting Paw is located at 140 Chesterfield Valley Dr. in the Chesterfield Valley, and can be reached at (636) 530-9559. They are open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Friday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Sunday noon – 5 p.m. and clossed on Tuesdays.

Sometimes it’s nice to switch things up and veer off from the course of a typical weekend and instead of meeting up at a restaurant meet up to sling some paint at each other.

Gateway Paintball, located just off of Saint Charles Rock Road off Highway 270, offers a fun chance to break away from the norm and have some fun with friends with plenty of action that will be sure to present plenty of stories for weeks to come.

Gateway offers a safe playing area with referees to monitor matches and ensure safety and fair play.

Gateway has also recently received new and reliable paintball markers and I was told, last week, that the guns had just come in no more than a month ago.

Some of the highlights of Gateway Paintball that differentiates itself from other paintball locations are its excellent fields, my personal favorite of which was the Trench playing field that emulates World War 1 trench warfare.

The experience at Gateway is overall very enjoyable; they host small groups beginning at 10 all the way to large groups of sports teams.

I’ve been to numerous paintball facilities in the St. Louis area and I tend to go back to Gateway for its fair prices, the friendliness of the staff and the interesting and various playing fields.

However, International House of Pancakes, more commonly known as, IHOP stays open at all hours of the night making it a great place for high school students to come and eat during the wee hours of the night on the weekends.

And at breakfast time, it definitely hits the spot with a nice hot breakfast.

They are reasonably priced and IHOP is a classic staple in the pancake world offering all kinds of different breakfast foods including pancakes, waffles, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage and breakfast drinks to go along with the meal.

Their menu is more than several pages thick and mouths will water when looking at the pictures strategically placed of the good over the menu.

However, I was proved wrong.  The waitress was friendly and efficient, and the food was to die for.

I had the veggie burger, and unlike many other restaurants’ attempts at a good veggie burger, this one was delicious.  It was made of spicy black beans and various other vegetables that made it very good. 

The fries, too, exceeded my expectations, as they were seasoned and cooked just right. 

Then, I asked the waitress what dessert was the best, and without hesitation, she said the Melt Away Brownie.  So, that’s what I ordered. 

When she came out with it, just the presentation was enough to make my mouth water.  On the left side of the plate was a warm brownie, covered with chocolate ganache and chocolate chips.  Sitting right next to the brownie was a scoop of vanilla ice cream.  The entire plate was drizzled with hot fudge.  Needless to say, we ate the whole thing in record time. 

Overall, my experience at 54^th Street Grill was great.  The service was nice and fast, the food delicious.  What more could you ask for?

 However, this restaurant offers more than your average grub. A wide range of food reaching from seafood to pasta compliments customers and satisfy every taste there is.  

Although there is such a variety, Big Chief is known for its excellent barbecue and their chicken wings. Such flavors and preparations as Hot Wings, BBQ, Honey BBQ, Lemon-Pepper-Garlic, Naked, Thai Chili Sauce, Dirty Wings (which are wings that are dipped and fried again), Double Dipped and Rubbed Wings.  

Established in 1929 the Big Chief Roadhouse has a rich, flavorful history.  

According the restaurant website, “It was built as a part of the Big Chief Highway hotel in 1929 to serve travelers on the famed Transcontinental Highway, Route 66.  According to tourist guides from that period, Big Chief was one of the largest tourist cottage courts in the state.” 

Rubbed Wings. Additional charge for Dirty & Double Dipped Wings