I woke up one morning feeling unusually positive. So I said to Toots “I feel great”. “Yeah?” She mumbled.

I was up, dressed, tie straightened, hair combed and a splash of Hai Karate to complete the package.

I looked in the mirror and said “Yeah, I feel like a movie star.”

Toots, without looking, said “So do I, but I suppose I’ll just have to make do with you.”

She sure knows how to burst a guy’s bubble. Her laughter was still ringing in my ears later when my tummy rumbled and thoughts turned to food.

But I was still in the movie star mood and that’s how it was going to stay.

So I called the Moll, forgiving her put down, put on my best southern drawl and told her. “Meet me in St Louis”.

I imagined her frantically searching for her passport, so I warned her the St Louis I had in mind was a little closer to home.

The café bar sits in Dumbarton Road, not in Louisiana where the film starring Judy Garland it is named after is set.

Go west young man is advice for young backs hungry for success. Well I was hungry at least, so after I picked up the Moll, looking every inch the movie star herself, we take the Buick westwards foregoing the trendy Finnieston and Byres Road and keep going cruising through Partick till we hit the Thornwood roundabout, where we find the St Louis.

A comfortable, what once may have been called shabby chic (when that was a thing) little café bar with friendly and relaxed staff.

The kitchen offers up traditional dishes of the southern states with the signature dish the Gumbo, a good ol’ spicy stew. It comes in chicken and veggie varieties.

Burgers, Scottish or smokin’ are also on the menu with beef and vegetable chilli and a range of salads and daily specials.

The menu is not extensive, often a good thing, and St Louis knows what it is and what it is, is good honest, and tasty fare.

The moll decided to ask for nachos and guacamole for starters and the generous portion meant she had to leave the Tec to finish them off.

I opted for the Scotsman burger, juicy hunk of beef with black pudding and blue cheese served with hand-cut chips.

There’s a lot of eating in that there Scotsman burger, Tec can tell you and it is tasty too.

The blue cheese melting into the beef gave a strong flavour lesser cheeses often found on burgers could only dream of.

The Moll had the chicken and chorizo gumbo served with rice and was impressed by the spicy dish.

Flavours abound and the large bowl was needed for a generous helping

The hearty home cooked style of the St Louis fits the surroundings with mismatched furniture and even a sofa for two.

There is even a pile of newspapers available for the news hungry with a thirst for information while you wait for your food.

A touch which gets Tec’ approval.

If you have room for dessert after the gumbo or burgers then the cheesecake with ice cream was a perfect way to finish.

The surroundings and atmosphere of St Louis is a winner that appears to attract a diverse customer base.

Is it a bar serving food or is it a diner with a bar?

It’s both and that seems to please its customers.

The St Louis bills itself as a ‘neighbourhood cafe bar’ and it seems to have a customer base known to staff.

For those further afield who are visiting or passing though the area it is well worth seeking out.

If you are willing to push the frontier of the west end a little bit further then there is a reward waiting.

If you do meet in St Louis. It wont be long before you are re-visiting for a sequel.