St Louis Toasted Ravioli

As a bona fide food blogger, I believe I was bestowed with a gift that other foodies might not possess. 

That’s not meant as a flex— It’s just a fact.

I can spot the nuances, the barely-there differences, that separate an ordinary food from a foodigenous.

For instance, take fried ravioli. The popular casual restaurant appetizer is nearly identical to the St Louis Toasted Ravioli; with one exception the untrained eye may otherwise miss. 

Fried ravioli is a stuffed pasta, bathed in egg wash, breadcrumbed, and deep fried in oil.

While toasted ravioli is also dipped in egg, rolled in breadcrumb, and fried... but in St. Louis.

Can you even see it? 😉

Of Myths, Legends & Boiling Oil

Imo's Pizza

There are several stories claiming origin of the Toasted Ravioli, known as T-Ravs to locals. Many of them revolve around Louis Oldani who lived to the ripe old age of 103...and all of them took place on The Hill—St Louis' Little Italy.

One popular story states that Major Leaguer Joe Garagiola's brother Mickey witnessed the birth real-time at Oldani's Restaurant—currently Mama's on the Hill. Legend goes; the chef was feeling under the weather and mistakenly dropped a boiled ravioli into a pot of hot grease. When it bobbed to the top and crisped, he decided to fry the rest and serve his accidental creation to Garagiola and guests.

Charlie Gitto's Original Recipe- Dissected

Another version credits Angelo Oldani, who owned the appropriately named Angelo's on the Hill, now known as Charlie Gitto's—a bellwether of fine Italian dining in St Louis.

Same scenario: clumsy cook + meat stuffed pasta + boiling oil = delicious crispy perfection.

These prototypes were the forebears of the toasted ravioli today. The breading, parmesan dusting and side of marinara came later.

Nowadays, T-Ravs are everywhere throughout The Lou. You can find them at a Cardinals' game concessions next to hot dogs and nachos. And in every corner bar, Syberg's and Imo's in the city.

But for the most authentic experience, try your first toasted ravioli at one of The Hill's old-school, red sauce joints.

No one truly knows who did what or why the named it toasted when it's clearly fried, but after 80 years, St Louisans never corrected it. Maybe it just makes people feel less guilty for eating them. And if that's the case, I fully support the cause.