DOWNTOWN — The arrival of signature Cardinal and St. Louis restaurateur Jim Edmonds at Wrigley Field as the new Cub has overheated many a message board and blog. The standards in Chicagoland have all weighed in:

• Chicago Tribune’s Paul Sullivan recalls a memorable trip around the bases with Edmonds.
• Chris De Luca calls it “a no-brainer” in the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Mizzou man Sullivan, again, with how Edmonds isn’t the only Cardinals import coming to Chicago — he’s going to bat ninth, too.
• Jay Mariotti writes Cubdom could love Jimmy Ballgame because he “produces in the precious present.”
• ESPN’s Page 2 says Edmonds’ peak years rank with the Hall of Famers.
• Sun-Times beat writer Gordon Wittenmyer makes it short and sweet when he Twitters (trademark) the info on Edmonds officially signing.
• Devoted Cardinals fan, former “special to” peer and Sure Sign of the Journalism Apocalypse, Will Leitch describes how Edmonds might bring momentary peace to the seething rivalry. (Check that first comment for a punny.)
• Mike Nadel calls it what it is: “a low-risk, high-reward move” with an escape hatch.

All that is swell, but there’s the little matter of what Edmonds has left behind here in St. Louis. “The legacy he left here,” second baseman Adam Kennedy said before Wednesday’s game. “The influence he had and left behind in here in the clubhouse was obviously huge. You still see the impact he had on this organization.” Right. Close. But not that. Something else he left behind that will have to be … Cubbiefied.

What about the menu at Fi15een?

Doesn’t Edmonds’ posh restaurant in downtown St. Louis need to reflect his new status as a division rival — playing for a team that lives in a happening neighborhood in a happening city with a happening palate? Doesn’t he have to turn his provel over at the border and dig into some deep dish?

With that in mind (and tongue firmly planted in cheek when not savoring some Sheffield Ave. Spaghetti), some suggested NEW menu items:

I-55 Breakfast: Two bear claws & some scrambled eggs with diced red peppers.

All cheeseburgers will now be known as Cheezborgers.

House Salad: Iceberg lettuce with leafy Ivy and No Pepper-corn dressing.

Edmonds’ Chicago-Style Hot Dog: Mustard. Relish. Splash of hot sauce. ‘Nuff said.

Baby Bear Back Ribs: Served upside down on a plate shaped like home so the “back” of the ribs is to the plate, just like Edmonds’ highlight-reel catches.

Big Z Rump Roast: A nod to his new teammate and that game back in 2004 when Carlos Zambrano left an impression on Edmonds’ hindquarters after Edmonds sent one of his pitches off on a tour of Wrigleyville.

Strained Calf’s Liver: Perfect break from that spring training grind.

Ferreira Port (Vintage 1908): A $1,000 bottle with a 100 years of flavor.

Porridge: Comes served in three batting helmets — Angels, Cardinals and Cubs … for Too Cold, Too Hot and Just Right, poured depending on the whim of the chef.

Felix Pie: House dessert, according to P-D columnist Bernie Miklasz, who writes that “the only prob with the Felix Pie is Piniella keeps sending it back to the kitchen saying it isn’t ready and needs more seasoning.”

Sheffield Ave. Spaghetti: House speciality. Made with red and blue noodles, a hearty red meat sauce and two baseball-sized meatballs — which if you don’t like you can throw back to the kitchen. 

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