Restaurants hold a special place in our lives. We cherish memories of the hangout we went to in high school, the posh eatery we dined at on special occasions, and that place we kept returning to when it had been too long. We’ve lost many of the St. Louis restaurants once special to us. But the wonderful food they served can be resurrected. Lost Dishes collects the signature dishes from these lost St. Louis tables, preserving their recipes for today’s chefs and the chefs of tomorrow. Lost Dishes is a companion to the Lost Tables website created by Harley Hammerman, which looks back fondly at the iconic St. Louis restaurants which created these special dishes. We are partnering with Hammerman and celebrating these wonderful dishes. Hammerman and his wife Marlene are members of Shaare Emeth, and she is past president of the National Council of Jewish Women of St. Louis.   Visit Lost Tables on Facebook

Parkmoor menu favorites included the spicy barbecue Chickburger, crispy fried chicken, Louie’s Chili, barbecue pig sandwiches and the Premium Frank. French fries and golden onion rings were popular sides. Louie’s Chili was the creation of The Parkmoor’s founder, William Louis “Louie” McGinley.

Louie’s Chili

SOURCE: Honk for Service, 2004

YIELD: Institutional

INGREDIENTS

• 60 lb lean grind

• 1 #10 can catsup

• 1 5-oz Lea & Perrins

• 32 oz minced garlic

• 5 1/2 oz salt

• 3/4 oz pepper

• 2 oz MSG

• 10 oz cumino

• 10 oz chili powder

• 12 oz paprika

PREPARATION

Put 30 pounds coarse grind in heavy pot. Cook on high heat until partly tender. Add rest of meat and garlic. Cook until tender. Drain excess grease and save. Add all spices and cook for 15 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning. Take 2 quarts of drained grease and bring to a boil (only takes 1 to 2 minutes). Remove grease from fire. Add approximately 4 pounds of flour and stir until thick. Add thickening while chili is hot. Stir and mix thoroughly. Add #10 can catsup and 5 ounce bottle Lea & Perrins.