I went to Winslow’s Home for lunch yesterday with my sister for my birthday. It made me realize that I haven’t written about the restaurant yet. All that changes now.

I first discovered Winslow’s Home as an undergrad at Wash U. It was right down the street from campus but I never ventured past Big Bend (a cross street near campus) or past the Loop, a neighborhood near the restaurant. Then a friend of mine invited me and my boyfriend at the time to lunch there, so we went one day after graduation and sat out on the patio.

Winslow’s Home is a St. Louis institution. It started a while ago and it’s become known for its farm-fresh cuisine. The owners have a farm, Winslow’s Farm, and some of the produce from the restaurant comes from this source. Everything on the menu is seasonal, fresh, and delicious.

The restaurant also doubles as a store. There are artisanal products on the walls and near the register. It’s fun to take some time and browse before or after you eat.

The menu has changed a little since I started going to Winslow’s Home. A couple months ago, my friend, Chef Josh Charles, took over as executive chef at the restaurant. He’s changed the menu a little so some of the classic dishes such as the breakfast burrito are gone (at least for now). But he’s also added delicious dishes that are perfect for a summer on the terrace with a tall glass of iced tea.

When I stopped by yesterday, I got a chicken salad sandwich with grapes and a slice of hummingbird cake. It became a very southern birthday lunch, even though I didn’t necessarily intend for it to be. Oh well. Everything was fresh and flavorful and the chicken salad was amazing. I’m a big fan of grapes in chicken salad so this sandwich delivered.

One of my other favorite menu items at Winslow’s Home is the quiche. There are variations that show up frequently on the menu but they usually involve potatoes and greens. You can order it with a side salad. The salad leaves taste like the kind you’d find at the farmers’ market.

But if you’re feeling like going all out, I’d order a side of breakfast potatoes. They’re crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside, and perfectly flecked with salt. They’re a dish in their own right, but they come with most items on the menu.

Also, don’t leave Winslow’s Home without getting one or two things (or five) from the bakery. It’s near the register on your way to order, so you can’t miss it. It’s fully stocked throughout the day with homemade pastries. A few of my favorites are macarons, vegan breakfast cookies, and crostatas.

So yeah. If you’re in St. Louis or University City and you need a place to eat breakfast or lunch, I’d highly suggest Winslow’s Home. It’s also fun to go at night during the summer and sit on the patio once it’s cooled down a little. If you don’t feel like grappling with the heat, though, you can also order carry-out.

If you show up on the weekend, make sure to come early and have your group arrive at more or less the same time. There are no reservations so you wait in line, place your order, and then get a number that you take to a table. When it gets busy a host/hostess facilitates the process. The lines get can pretty long but trust me, it’s worth the wait.

Here’s a completely unrelated song. I heard it yesterday when I was hanging out with my sister. We’re both big fans of Bad Bad Hats and they dropped a new single yesterday.