RUTH: COMING UP ON LIVING ST.

LOUIS: STEAKS AND STORIES: WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ONE OF THE BEST-KNOWN AND OLDEST ST.

LOUIS RESTAURANTS.

A LANDMARK BOOK ABOUT A SENSITIVE SUBJECT MAKES IT WAY TO THE STAGE.

AND AT A HOUSE TURNED MUSEUM, EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN.

IT'S ALL NEXT ON LIVING ST.

LOUIS.

* * ANNOUNCER: FUNDING FOR KETC LOCAL PRODUCTIONS IS PROVIDED IN PART BY THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF THE ARTHUR AND HELEN BAER CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.

* ANNOUNCER: AND THIS EMMY AWARD-WINNING PROGRAM WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.

THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF CHANNEL 9.

YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE.

RUTH: WE BEGIN WITH A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE TO A ST.

LOUIS FINE DINING ICON THAT'S BEEN SERVING CLASSIC DISHES LIKE STEAK DIANE FOR 92 YEARS.

OUR COMPANION IS PAUL SCHANKMANN.

PAUL: IT'S NOT MUCH TO LOOK AT FROM THE OUTSIDE, BUT FOR MORE THAN 90 YEARS YEARS THIS 140-YEAR-OLD BUILDING HAS BEEN HOME TO ONE OF ST.

LOUIS'S MOST LEGENDARY RESTAURANTS.

IT HAS SURVIVED FIRE, FLOODS, PROHIBITION, THE GREAT DEPRESSION, AND EVEN THREATS OF DEMOLITION.

AND YET IT IS STILL THRIVING, THANKS TO A DETERMINED FAMILY.

GARY: WE ALSO HAVE OUR FOUR POINT RACK OF LAMB.

PAUL: A DEVOTED STAFF, AND LOYAL CUSTOMERS WHO KNOW AL'S IS THE PLACE TO GO FOR A STEAK WELL DONE, SERVICE WITH A SIDE DISH OF RICH STORIES.

PAM: MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE BEEN COMING HERE FOR GENERATIONS AND GENERATIONS.

* PAUL: THE STORY STARTS WITH A SODA TRUCK DRIVER NAMED AL BARONI, WHOSE REGULAR STOPS INCLUDED AN OLD WAREHOUSE TURNED SALOON AT THE CORNER OF FIRST AND BIDDLE.

PAM: IT WAS OWNED BY A MAN NAMED JULIUS VOGEL.

AND ONE DAY HE SAID HEY AL, I THINK MY WIFE AND I ARE GOING TO RETIRE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PURCHASE THIS BUILDING AND BUSINESS AND MY GRANDMOTHER THOUGHT THAT WAS JUST FANTASTIC.

PAUL: LOUISE BARONS THOUGHT RUNNING A SALOON SURROUNDED BY STEAMBOAT DOCKS AND DISTILL MILL WOULD BE BUSY ENOUGH TO EMPLOY HER ENTIRE FAMILY.

SO IN 1925 THE BARONIS BOUGHT THE BAR AND NAMED IT AL'S.

PAM: I THINK BACK IN THE OLD DAY, ACTUALLY, MY GRANDMOTHER INVITED FOLKS INTO THE KITCHEN TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE EGG SANDWICHES, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW HER NAME AND HER LITTLE NICHE STARTED.

PAUL: THOUGH THEY CALLED IT AL'S, AL KEPT HIS DAY JOB, LEAVING LOUISE IN CHARGE OF THE RESTAURANT.

AND BUSINESS WAS GOOD.

BOB: BOY THIS IS DELICIOUS.

PAUL: BOB SHERRILL HAS BEEN EATING HERE SINCE THE MID 1960S.

BOB: AT NOON TIME ON A PRETTY SPRING DAY THERE WOULD BE A BLOCK LONG LINE OF PEOPLE WAITING, HARD HATS, SUITS ALL OF US, FOR THE STEAM TABLE THAT WAS DOWN THE MIDDLE.

PAUL: LOUISE KEPT THE PLACE GOING FOR 40 YEARS UNTIL HER DEATH IN 1965, PASSING IT ON TO AL JUNIOR, WHO ALSO RAN IT FOR 40 YEARS UNTIL HIS HEAD IN 2005.

AND THAT'S WHEN AL'S DAUGHTER PAM, WHO HAS KEPT IT GOING EVER SINCE.

SHE BELIEVES THAT MAKES AL'S THE OLDEST FAMILY RUN RESTAURANT IN ST.

LOUIS STILL DOING BUSINESS IN ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION.

BUT IN 2015 THEY ALMOST LOST THE LOCATION BECAUSE THE BUILDING SITS IN WHAT WOULD BE A PARKING LOT FOR THE PROPOSED RIVERFRONT STADIUM.

AND THAT WAS NOT THE ONLY TIME AL'S SURVIVED A NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCE.

PAM: IN THE 60S THE BUILDING BEHIND US CAUGHT ON FIRE, THEY WERE A BAG WAREHOUSE AND COMPANY AND, SO, IT WAS QUITE THE FIRE.

IT WAS IN JANUARY AND THEIR BUILDING FELL ON TOP OF US, AND THAT'S WHEN WE KIND OF HAD TO REPURPOSE EVERYTHING AND CHANGED IT INTO THE FINE DINING STEAKHOUSE THAT IT IS TODAY.

* GARY: NEXT IS OUR 8 OUNCE CENTER CUT FILET, AND OUR 12 OUNCE CENTER CUT FILET.

PAM'S DAD CAME UP WITH AN IDEA A LONG TIME AGO THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING OF HAVING A MENU LET'S HAVE A VISUAL MENU SO THE CUSTOMER CAN SEE WHAT THEY ARE GETTING AND WHAT THEY ARE EATING.

THIS IS A CENTER CUT NEW YORK STRIP, A FOUR POINT RACK OF LAMB.

AND IT CAN BE DONE TRADITIONALLY.

OUR 14 OUNCE DOUBLE BONED PORK CHOP, AND IT IS SMOTHERED WITH A CREAMY SHRIMP SAUCE.

PAM: HE DID ONCE HAVE A MENU PRINTED BUT HE HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT THAT AND DECIDED AGAINST IT BUT WE KEEP IT AROUND JUST AS A SOUVENIR JUST TO LOOK AT.. LOOK AT THE PRICES WAY BACK THEN BECAUSE THAT WAS A VERY LONG TIME AGO.

PAUL: NEVER HANDED THEM OUT?

PAM: NEVER HANDED THEM OUT, NO.

PAUL: WHILE THE PRICES HAVE GONE UP THROUGH THE YEARS, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AROUND AL'S HAS GONE DOWN.

IT HAS ONE GLAMOROUS NEIGHBOR, BUT MOSTLY IT IS SURROUNDED BY EMPTY WAREHOUSES.

AND YET THE CUSTOMERS KEEP COMING.

SOME OF THE MORE NOTABLE REGULARS HAVE PRIVATE LOCKERS STOCKED WITH THEIR FAVORITE WINES.

GREG: MY GRANDFATHER STARTED COMING HERE BACK IN THE 50S, BACK WHEN IT WAS RED AND WHITE TABLECLOTHS, AND JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH THE PLACE AND THE OWNER, AL BARONI.

BOB: WE LIVED IN NEW YORK FOR A WHILE AND I CAN'T COMPARE ANYTHING WE HAD THERE TO WHAT WE HAVE HERE.

PAUL: THE DECOR AT AL'S IS ALSO INCOMPARABLE.

THE CLUBBY FORMAL DINING ROOM FEATURES WOODWORK CARVED BY LOCAL MONKS, AND WALLS COVERED BY ROCKS FROM THE RIVERFRONT.

THE BAR MIMICS A STEAMBOAT AND IS SURROUNDED BY A MURAL BASED ON A PHOTOGRAPH OF THE RIVERFRONT TAKEN IN THE 1890S, PAINTED IN THE 1960S BY A SCENIC DESIGNER FROM THE MUNY.

GARY: AND AFTER A COUPLE OF DRINKS OR SO YOU WILL FEEL LIKE THE FLOOR IS SLANTED, WELL IT IS AND I WAS TOLD THAT THIS FLOOR CAME OUT OF A RIVERBOAT.

PAM: BACK WHEN THE MUNY OPERA HAD A LOT OF CELEBRITIES THERE THEY STAYED AT THE CHASE PARK PLAZA IS WHERE THEY STAYED, AND THEN THEY WOULD COME DOWNTOWN AND HAVE DINNER AT AL'S.

THERE WAS HOWARD KEEL AND JANE POWELL.

THE TABLE THAT IS DIRECTLY BEHIND YOU, WE HAD HENRY FONDA THERE, AND HE LOVED IT HERE.

AND HE MADE FRIENDS WITH MY DAD SO HE WOULD HAVE THE HOTEL BRING HIM DOWN EVERY NIGHT, AND MY DAD WOULD DRIVE HIM BACK TO THE HOTEL.

PAUL: OF ALL THE CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE EATEN HERE OVER THE YEARS, THE STORY THEY LOVE TO TELL OVER AND OVER AGAIN INVOLVES ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS ENTERTAINERS IN HISTORY.

BUT WHAT MAKES THE STORY REMARKABLE IS NOT JUST WHO HE WAS, BUT WHO ELSE SAT AT HIS TABLE.

PAM: ONE EVENING, FRANK SINATRA CAME IN FOR DINNER.

GARY: BY HIMSELF, AND HE ORDERED TWO STEAKS.

PAM: AND MY DAD SAYS, "IS SOMEONE GOING TO BE JOINING YOU?"

AND HE SAID NO, NO, I JUST NEED TWO STEAKS.

GARY: AND AL SAYS, "FRANK, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

YOU'RE BY YOURSELF AND YOU'RE ORDERING TWO STEAKS.

WHAT'S THE DEAL?"

PAM: AND FRANK SINATRA CONFESSED THAT HIS DRIVER WAS PARKED OUTSIDE, AND HIS DOG WAS IN THE CAR, AND THE SECOND STEAK WAS FOR HIS DOG.

AND MY DAD SAID, "OH, MY GOODNESS."

GARY: "BRING THAT DOG IN HERE."

AND SO FRANK AND THE DOG HAD THEIR STEAKS AT TABLE EIGHT.

PAM: THAT WAS A GREAT BONDING EXPERIENCE BECAUSE BOTH WERE VERY MUCH DOG LOVERS AND SO THEY WERE BOTH THRILLED.

* PAUL: CELEBRITIES ASIDE, WHAT AL'S IS REALLY ABOUT IS FAMILY TRADITION, AND THAT INCLUDES THE STAFF.

* GARY: WE HAVE A LOT OF LONGEVITY HERE.

WHEN YOU START AT AL'S YOU PRETTY MUCH RETIRE AT AL'S.

PAUL: THE CURRENT CHEF IS THE SON OF THE PREVIOUS CHEF, WHO RETIRED LAST YEAR AFTER WORKING AT AL'S FOR 63 YEARS.

THE WOMAN IN CHARGE OF SALADS AND DESSERTS INHERITED THAT JOB FROM HER MOTHER, WHO DID IT FOR 68 YEARS.

JACKIE: LIKE THEY SAY WHAT THE MOTHER DO YOUR DAUGHTER DO.

HOPE MY DAUGHTER LIKES TO MAKE SALADS BECAUSE I MAY HAVE HER DO IT TO BECAUSE I AM ALMOST READY TO RETIRE.

* PAUL: ALTHOUGH PAM AND GARY ARE NOT YET READY TO RETIRE, THEY HAVE STARTED THE PROCESS OF TURNING AL'S OVER TO THEIR TWO DAUGHTERS, MAKING THEM THE THIRD GENERATION OF WOMEN TO RUN THIS RESTAURANT NAMED FOR A MAN.

PAM: I WOULD LIKE TO THINK THAT MY GRANDMOTHER AND MY FATHER, MY PARENTS ARE LOOKING DOWN AND HOPEFULLY THEY ARE PROUD OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AND CARRYING THINGS ON.

SO, THAT WOULD MAKE US VERY HAPPY.

GARY: AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR FOUR POINT -- 8 OUNCE OR 12 OUNCE FILET.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST IS OUR 14 OUNCE LOBSTER TAIL.

THE HOUSE SPECIAL, WHICH IS KNOWN THE BEEF ROMANO.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?