Coffee & Treats in East Saint Louis

The brainchild of former Washington University medical research Bill Courtney, Cheese-ology Macaroni & Cheese has been lauded by Riverfront Times as the best restaurant concept of 2010 for its assemblage of more than a dozen mac 'n' cheese varieties. Alongside a series of limited-edition macs, customers can treat taste buds to meat, vegetarian, and vegan macaroni dishes and salads brimming with such tasty ingredients as steak, kalamata olives, and vegan cheese from Daiya. A plethora of libations helps bites of noodles and cheese sail smoothly down the gastro canals of each feaster, and cools down patrons who have spent the day emptying gravy-mix packets into a neighbor's pool.

Flanked by walls in cotton-candy pink and decorative accents reminiscent of a gingerbread house, the glass case at SweetTpieS Dessert Studio displays tiny cheesecakes, mini pecan pies, and cupcakes. Bakers glide behind the counter, adding flourishes of fondant to towering wedding cakes designed to resemble dresses, bouquets, or the frosting-filled swimming pool where the couple met. Artful cupcake towers array confections in an impressive fashion, and custom cake designs can be shrunken down into cake shots, which layer cake, toppings, and buttercream frosting made in house into push-pop form.

At Peachy Yogurt Bar, dairy mavens procure milk from St Louis-area farms, which they then transform into 10 flavors of low-fat, nonfat, and indulgent yogurt. Many flavors spotlight local ingredients such as Goshen Bona Fide espresso, which can be tasted in the cappuccino blend. The yogurt aficionados’ emphasis on local roots extends to the shop itself: patrons tread or leapfrog across floors made of Missouri white oak, dine on tables manufactured nearby, and enjoy local artwork and photography on the walls.

Housed in the historic Navajo Hotel, Sisters Tea House welcomes visitors to its cozy confines for elegant meals, festive fetes, and traditional high tea. Lace-draped tables, situated beside floor-to-ceiling windows or in the warmly lit dining room, await three-tiered trays of tea sandwiches and homemade desserts, as guests sip 1 of 20 flavored teas from around the globe—this one, not Mars. Originally owned by the first mayor of Fenton, the historic building serves as a picturesque setting for parties, showers, and monthly events, such as mother-daughter teas, mystery dinners, and competitive bouts of old-timeyness.

It’s the classic conundrum: an intense craving for cookies, but not enough time, motivation, or bribe money for the Keebler Elf syndicate to satisfy the yearning. Dough to Door has discovered a way to satiate this craving without forcing busy civilians to slave over an oven for hours or spend precious gas driving to the store; they whip up batches of custom cookies themselves and deliver them right to customers' doorsteps. Patrons choose from bases of five types of dough—including oatmeal, peanut butter, and chocolate—before opting to add mix-ins of dried fruit, crumbled candy bars, eight types of chips, and nuts. Ready-made cookies are also available to take away the pressures of decision-making.

The friendly staff at Maggie Moo’s Ice Cream and Treatery churns dozens of creamy flavors fresh each day before enhancing frozen creations with inventive mix-ins and toppings. They power through shivers to fold nuts, candy, and fruit into ice-cream varieties such as chocolate banana, and sprinkle sugary toppings over ice-cream pizzas, one of Maggie Moo's signature creations. Aside from other avant-garde dessert offerings—which include ice-cream cupcakes—the staff slings frozen favorites including cones, creamy milkshakes, and ice-cream cakes.

Occasional appearances by Miss Maggie Moo, the business's iconic cow, delight customers. She also lends her services to fundraising efforts for local schools and charities.