Review: St. Raymond's Wednesday Lunch in St. Louis

They say that if you want a pothole fixed in St. Louis city, all you need to do is pull up a chair at the Wednesday cafeteria lunch in Cedars Banquet Hall at St. Raymond’s Maronite Cathedral. There, the powerful and plebeian mingle over spinach pies, kibbee aras and other Lebanese fare. You just might bend the ear of a sympathetic commissioner of streets, and if you know what chow to order before sidling up to that muckety-muck, so much the better.

Go for the Atmosphere; Stay for the Atmosphere
It must be noted, right off the bat, that St. Raymond’s Wednesday lunch is not epicurean fare. The baked chicken has a disturbing yellow-green color, as if it might glow in the dark. Some of the side dishes are bland and soft enough to serve as workable baby food, and the desserts, one church volunteer admitted, are often less-than-fresh. The regulars know this, but they keep coming back. Why? Because at these large round tables, strangers become pals as they take the pulse of the city. Even if you don’t spy a pair of aldermen deal-making over their baklava, you can launch an easy overture at your tablemate. (“What part of town do you live in?” “How ’bout those Billikens?”) There is a relaxing, Lenten fish-fry vibe here. And the cafeteria service manned by a friendly gray-haired volunteer corps is old-fashioned fun. So what if the hummus needs more garlic? You’re here to soak up the ambiance.

What Not to Order
One of the volunteers at St. Raymond’s told me they could use a few more warm bodies to help out with the weekly lunch. Maybe that’s why the quality has suffered of late. The list of venial sins includes under-spiced stuffed green peppers, lentils and rice, and cabbage rolls. A side dish of blended wheat and cabbage was a dispiriting mush, while a triangular spinach pie had a filling that tasted as if a clump of swampy spinach went straight from the can to the pastry. Plain and moribund, the stuffed grape leaves didn’t deviate from the theme.

Saved by Beef
On the other hand, if you know what to order, this cafeteria can be both saved and savored. Start with a simple tomato and onion salad made tangy with a Lebanese dressing. Consider enhancing your meal with pita baked with a generous sprinkle of the classic Middle Eastern seasoning zatar, starring sumac. Spice to the rescue!

True redemption arrives in the form of fried, football-shaped kibbee aras, made with a shell of ground sirloin and cracked wheat and a filling of beef, onions and spices. They’re savory and filling, and your children will devour them, too. The triangular meat pies – dough stuffed with ground beef, onions, lemon juice and spices – are also worthwhile fare. Before you leave, don’t miss the dark, full-bodied Lebanese coffee that will keep you going when you get back to the office – even after all those fried footballs.

The Takeaway
With no single menu item even hitting the $6 mark, this is one cheap lunch. Unfortunately, it may very well taste that way. But that matters not, brave diner. If you’re there for the beef dishes, you’re doing it right, and you may very well run into frequent customer Mayor Francis Slay, who’s of Lebanese descent and a member of the congregation. Regardless, you’ll probably have a grand time making new friends at this weekly kibbee-n-kibitz.