I know this thread is a little stale, but I live in STL and wanted to chime in with a slightly off-the-tourist-radar rec. There's a restaurant called The Fountain on Locust in the midtown area of the city (just west of downtown, very close to City Museum in one direction, and just a mile or two farther to the Science Center/Zoo in the other direction). I was diagnosed recently with food allergies (tree nuts, strawberries) after an anaphylactic reaction (eggs are the suspect, but not confirmed yet). I've been to this restaurant many times before the allergies, because my son and friends love it. But this time I was of course a little freaked out, not knowing if there would be anything I could eat, or what kind of reaction I would get to questioning them on ingrediants and so forth. I was really pleasantly surprised at how incredibly helpful and good natured they were about it. Also, to my delight, they had a big notice on the menu (which I guess I'd never paid attention to before) that said that all their ice creams were egg-free. They are known for their ice creams, including what they bill as "the world's smallest ice cream cone," which for some reason kids all find delightful, and also an extensive list of alcoholic ice cream martinis and such, which many parents I know find equally delightful.
I wasn't yet on the lookout for nuts at that point, but for egg allergy at least, it's a great choice. The food is really good, it's inexpensive, and the staff were all very willing to check on ingrediants and preparations, always with a smile no matter how many times I sheepishly asked about yet another menu item. It really put me at ease at a point where I needed the reassurance that I could still eat at a restaurant and both not be terrified to eat and not be branded as a giant annoyance for asking questions. I will definitely be going there more often now, I suspect!
(And I have to give a big thumbs up to the City Museum recommendation. Don't know about the food situation, as we never eat there, but for magical, enchanting, you've-never-seen-anything-like-it fun for grownups and kids alike, it really can't be beat. Hands down the coolest thing STL has to offer. But yes, you do have to hold your breath a bit and have faith the kids will get through unscathed. The sense of peril that smoehow never actually materializes if half the fun for the kids, I think, if not for the mommies! We've been there dozens of times, and all came out intact [knock wood].)
Hope this helps if anyone's coming to STL this summer.
