Is Blueberry Hill's World Series "Gateway Grille" Special the Most St. Louis-tastic Sandwich Possible? (No)

By this point, I've become numb to the inundation of press releases, advertisements and tweets for World Series-, Cardinals- and -- above all else -- Rally Squirrel-themed specials, so my eyes glazed over even before I opened the e-mail from Delmar Loop institution Blueberry Hill (6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-4444) with the subject "Blueberry Hill's World Series Sandwich."

And then I read the description of this limited-time World Series special, the "Gateway Grille": a grilled-cheese sandwich made with Provel and stuffed with toasted ravioli. My torpor shaken, I cleared my lunch schedule and headed down the street from Gut Check International Headquarters to try this emblem of St. Louis cuisine.

Ian Froeb

The "Gateway Grille" at Blueberry Hill

​What's it like? It's exactly what you think a grilled cheese sandwich made with Provel and stuffed with toasted ravioli would be like -- especially if you think a grilled cheese sandwich made with Provel and stuffed with toasted ravioli would be terrible.

It's very crunchy.

Frankly, though, what disappointed me about the "Gateway Grille" was the fact that it didn't offer more tributes to St. Louis food traditions. After the jump, the top five ways that we could make this sandwich even more St. Louis-tastic.

5. FOX showed a graphic during Game 1 of the World Series with "Fun Facts" about St. Louis, including that we consume more barbecue sauce per capita than anywhere else in the country. So clearly we should replace the marinara sauce that accompanies the "Gateway Grille" with Maull's.

4. You certainly can't argue with the inclusion of toasted ravioli as an iconic St. Louis food, but there needs to be some textural variation. Remove half the T-ravs and replace them with a St. Paul sandwich.

3. Also, there isn't enough meat in the sandwich. Remove half the T-ravs, replace them with a St. Paul sandwich and then stuff the whole she-bang inside a grilled pork steak drenched in Maull's.

2. The meat filling inside the remaining T-ravs presents an opportunity for an additional tribute. Instead of a generic ground-beef filling, use puréed White Castle Sliders. Proceed as described in #3.

1. Instead of a generic ground-beef filling -- well, win or lose, but especially lose, we're all going to have had enough of the Rally Squirrel soon (if you haven't already), so, um, draw your own conclusions.