New Restaurant Wednesday: Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza

I consider myself a bit of a New Jersey connoisseur*: I’ve splashed in the surf in Seaside Heights, I’ve channeled the Soprano’s and dined in their booth at Holsten's, I’ve partied like Snooki at Bamboo Bar, and I’ve window shopped in adorable Hoboken. But, the Pièce de résistance was a trip to the Sawmill Cafe on the southern tip of the Seaside Boardwalk. Serving their infamous 27 inch pie, I had my first taste of “Jersey style” pizza in 2011. So, when I discovered a place that serves up a slice of the Garden State right in Soulard, I knew I had to make like a Guidette and get there.

A taste of the Garden State:
Feraro's house salad and a slice of their Jersey Style pepperoni pizza.

Feraro's in Soulard on a sunny St. Louis day.

Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza is a small joint of a restaurant located in a nook behind Chava's Mexican Restaurant. It’s not a fancy establishment with plastic tables and chairs serving as sidewalk seating and strands of multi-colored Christmas lights decorating the tiny interior. But what matters most to patrons of Feraro’s is the pizza. On each of my visits I’ve sampled the small house salad and a slice of New Jersey Style pepperoni pizza. And each time, I’ve loved it. They pile on the pepperoni and the sauce is rich and flavorful. Not interested in a slice of pie? Try one of their homemade Stromboli’s or a calzone instead. Their “Taylor Ham” sandwich would make my best friend Lori, a Bergen County native, proud.

The Sawmill Cafe in Seaside Park, New Jersey and their infamous 27 inch pizza.

Just like JWoww: Fist pumping my way to the Jersey Shore.
{2011}

Feraro's has two locations in St. Louis - in Soulard and South County - giving patrons a true "Boardwalk Experience."

To keep up with Ferraro’s, like them on facebook and follow them on twitter.

*Thank you for not leaving after reading that. Even I judged myself a little after that first line.

Ch-Ch-Changes

In case you didn’t notice, STLCityDiva (the blog, not the blogger) went under the knife recently and had a little work done. After blogging for six months, I wanted a design that better reflected me, my personality, and added a little sass.

As a reader, I hope you’ll find the updated site easier to navigate. If you’re on Google, you can follow my posts publicly or privately and add me to your Reading List. To receive email updates from STLCityDiva, simply enter your email address on the sidebar under my Instagram Snaps and voilá, I’ll magically appear in your inbox. If you’re so inclined, you can also follow me on twitter.

Many thanks to the team at Simply Fabulous for creating a template that was both easy to install and easy on the wallet (read: free!).

Fabulous Find: Kate Middleton Replica Engagement Ring

With this summer’s spectacular Diamond Jubilee, the upcoming summer Olympic Games, increased exposure of the “new generation of Royals” (Wills, Kate, and Harry for the non-anglophiles among us), and a daily bump watch, it seems that people just can’t get enough of our friends across the pond. To that I say, “Brilliant!”

A ring fit for a Queen - or someone who'd like to be one.

Since announcing her engagement to her longtime beau Prince William (now the Duke of Cambridge) in 2010, the Duchess of Cambridge has accepted her role as a member of the world’s most famous royal family with ease, elegance, and a touch of class. Women the world over have copied her workout regime, clothes, and those famous nude shoes. But, what has women (and possibly a few men) blue with envy? That stunning sapphire and diamond wedding ring, of course.

First worn by the late Princess Diana, the twelve carat Ceylon sapphire is surrounded by fourteen solitaire diamonds and set in eighteen-carat white gold. Valued at $300,000, it's a ring fit for a future Queen!

I bet Duchess Catherine does't have to work this hard.

But, if you’re a Commoner like the rest of us and can’t spend a few grand right now, Target (or Targé for the retail elite) has a replica on sale for $17.99. Or, if you have a few Quid to spare, head to QVC.com for their $44.96 Diamonique ring.

While I wish I would have married the heir (ahem), there’s always the spare. Call me, Harry!

Fabulous Find: Suri's Burn Book

Every once in a while, you come upon a website that restores your faith in the internet. For me, dear readers, this website is the sarcastic and dry-humored Suri's Burn Book. Penned in the voice of one of the most spoiled kids in Hollywood*, Suri’s Burn Book “burns” all the other little tykes in LA and New York and, on occasion, her Scientology loving ‘rents, TomKat.

Violet Affleck? With her lemonade stands and ponytails, she is too “normal.” The Jolie-Pitt kids? Crazy town. Harper Beckham? Such a baby. But Suri holds her most pointed critiques for the little gal that stole her thunder and her BFF Oprah Winfrey: Blue Ivy Carter. With a birth announcement in a six page spread in People Magazine and a rap song written in her honor by her dad, Jay-Z, Blue has yet to be seen in public and little Suri is afraid she’s stealing some of her limelight. Girl, please.

Suri’s Burn Book is the brainchild of Allie Hagan, a 25-year-old employee of a Washington DC consulting firm. Can’t get enough of Suri’s celebrity commentary? Follow her on twitter and look for her book, Suri’s Burn Book: Well-Dressed Commentary from Hollywood’s Little Sweetheart released in the fall. 

A book published in the voice of Suri Cruise? Wonder what Shiloh thinks about that!

*Come on, you know it’s true. What other six year old wears faux mink coats and high heels…at the same time?!

It's Summertime and I'm Feeling Good

I don’t know of it’s the fabulous summer weather we’ve been having in St. Louis (low humidity FTW!), the amount of quality time I’ve been spending with my family and friends (graduations, weddings, and babies Oh My!), or the freedom and fun that summer brings, but life has been positively positive lately.

Last Friday, I hosted a happy hour and pub crawl through Soulard. Our first stop was dinner and drinks at Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza. It was one of those nights when the weather was literally perfect: there was a slight breeze in the air and the dusk light gave everything a hazy, gauzy glow. It was just us girls and as we talked about Jessica’s upcoming wedding, the jazz trio, B3, played in the background. It was one of those nights when I knew and felt that life was good.

What else has me feeling good lately?

Drinks on the patio:

Summer days spent in the sun:

The Caramel Frappe from McDonald’s (seriously, so good!):

Celebrating important milestones with family and friends:

Frivolous (and steamy!) summer reads:

What has you feeling good lately? 

Weekend Recap: Wedding Shower Edition

The Year of The Wedding has officially begun with two weekends of wedding showers in the books and Signature Drinktaste-testing and Bachelorette Party planning in the works.

These two Brides-to-Be are two of the sassiest and classiest galsI know.

Stessie, Jessica, and I after drinks at Bridge
{August 2010}

Stessie hails from small town Missouri and after finishing undergrad at Drake University in Iowa, she moved to the big city of St. Louis for law school at SLU. We met, quite serendipitously, when she locked herself out of my neighbor’s house while dog-sitting. She knocked on my door hoping I would have an extra key. I didn’t and while we waited for my landlord to bring us one, a five minute wait turned into a three hour conversation, a four year friendship, and a lifetime of memories.

Jessica, a petite and feisty Ole Miss grad, is my go to gal when it comes to etiquette, fashion, and all things proper. She rocks a mean pair of heels and the perfect set of pearls. But don’t let this Southern belle fool you, she’ll stand up for what she believes in and she’ll root for her beloved St. Louis Cardinals, even from five states away. Jessica and I met seven years ago when we both worked at Express and in between folding jeans and hanging shirts, a friendship was born.

Stessie’s Shower

Location: Olivette, MO

Jessica’s Shower

Location: Montelle Winery, Augusta, MO

Fabulous Find: The Kidnapped Chicagoan

Have you seen the 33 year-old male pictured below? His name is Scott, he’s from Chicago and his interests include beer (presumably Goose Island), deep-dish pizza (presumably Gino's East), and of course “Da Bears.” Scott was last seen riding the 'L' and is feared kidnapped.

Or so Explore St. Louis wants you to think.

This unconventional marketing campaign, known as “The Kidnapped Chicagoan”, was first launched in 2010 to attract Chicagoans in their 20's and 30's to visit their southern neighbor, St. Louis. The team at the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission (CVC) and Hoffman/Lewis, the ad agency behind the campaign, knew that luring this hard to please demographic would require an innovative approach. If they couldn’t draw Chicagoans here by enticing them to visit the Arch, City Museum, and Busch Stadium, then they’d just have to “kidnap” one. 

Never fear though, while in captivity, the CVC allowed the “Kidnapped Chicagoan” to tweet, post photos on Instagram, and even upload videos to YouTube. Re-launched earlier this year with an interactive website, the Kidnapped Chicagoan even had time to “pin” his favorite St. Louis sites on his Pinterest boards (favorites include The Donut Drive-In and Rooster). The native Chicagoan and die hard Cubs fan even took in a Cards game!

Using social media apps like twitter and Pinterest and a guerilla marketing campaign that included blanketing the Chicago L trains with faux "Missing Persons" posters, the Kidnapped Chicagoan garnered a lot of attention, created buzz, and introduced St. Louis as more then just the home of Budweiser.  

To keep track of the Kidnapped Chicagoan, follow his tweets and pins, view his videos, and visit is website.   

{Photos courtesy of the KidnappedChicagoan}