Bloom Where You Are Planted Wednesday

I thought I would start a Wednesday series called Bloom Where You Are Planted Wednesday. In this series I will explore and highlight the area where I live.

So, in the next few weeks, I would like to take you on a tour of my St. Louis, Missouri.
One of my favorite places to visit is called The Hill. The Hill is a mostly Italian-American neighborhood within St. Louis. Italians, mainly from northern Italy and Sicily, immigrated and settled in the area starting in the late 19th century, attracted by jobs in nearby plants established to exploit deposits of clay discovered by immigrants in the 1830s. That heritage remains evident today. As of May 2003, about three-quarters of the residents are Italian-Americans, helped perhaps by the practice of rarely listing homes on the open market. The neighborhood is home to a large number of locally renowned Italian-American restaurants, bakeries, grocery stores, salons, and two bocce gardens.
The statue memorializes the Italian families that arrived in St. Louis looking for a better life. Today, the statue has become a preferred symbol of the neighborhood, right along with the Hill's famous green, white and red painted fire hydrants.

I love visiting the authentic Italian restaurants, bakeries and grocery stores. I have some wonderful memories of funny things happening while visiting.



When I was 9 and 1/2 months pregnant with Sissyboo I was standing in line at Amighetti's Bakery when an old Italian man kissed my very pregnant baby belly! I have thought fondly on that moment thinking his kiss was for luck (or that Sissyboo might marry an Italian, hee hee).

So this week, my family and I were visiting the very famous Volpi Salumaria when 20 month old Sissyboo decided to run behind the meat counter. Well out walked Armando Pasetti, the former owner of Volpi. He immediately took to Sissyboo and was offering her all kinds of cheeses for her to try. He was so kind and just gushed over the kids and offered me congratulations on my little ones. He was so friendly. This man is a legend in St. Louis where he and his family have been on Food Network and The Discovery Channel showing off how they make their salami and other meat products.

I always have a wonderful time exploring The Hill.