i am not a big st louis fan but you have it backwards. our bbq is a handful of chains and no real places with character. kc on the other hand has authentic famous bbq places. your discussion of stl pizza shows your lack of experience. st louis pizza at the right places is some of the best you will ever had. i am a bit biased as i just finished one.
I said that upthread and got shot down. I lived in COU and never heard of any STL bbq, but KC is the home of many famous BBQ places.
When I think of STL food I think German and Italian. Beer, Brats, Pizza, no BBQ.