Nick Lammering is the toastiest, crispiest and sauciest fan of Major League Soccer鈥檚 newest club. By day, he鈥檚 an art director at a local ad agency, but by night (and day games), he鈥檚 Toasted Ravioli Man 鈥� or T-Rav Man.
鈥淚 love soccer. I love St. Louis, and I love toasted ravioli,鈥� Lammering said. 鈥淥ne day I was sitting on the couch and I asked my girlfriend, 鈥楧o you think we can make something where my head is the center of toasted ravioli and I could start going to City games like that?鈥欌��
During a cold mid-March game against the San Jose Earthquakes, screenshots of the Apple broadcast of Lammering celebrating clad in parsley-flecked toasted ravioli headgear created a mystery that fans were hungry to solve.
It didn鈥檛 take long for Lammering to reveal himself as T-Rav Man. The fandom has also turned into a side hustle where he and his partner, Laynee Knipmeyer, and other merch.
Lammering and Knipmeyer are struggling to keep up with the demand. 鈥淭hey sell out within a minute each time, and we're trying to meet the demand as much as possible,鈥� Lammering said. 鈥淚t's getting a little hectic out there.鈥�
Lammering鈥檚 professional skills are helping him show his passion for the team. His Photoshopped images of him bathing in a tub of marinara sauce, posing below the Gateway Arch and rowing a boat down a river of marinara.
Despite his fame, Lammering is accessible to his fans. People often approach him for hugs and photos, and he鈥檚 happy to oblige. And, he鈥檚 committed to donning the hat throughout the toasty summer months.
鈥淚 think it's my St. Louis pride,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 love this city, and I love showing up in this way. It's amazing. I love giving it back to St. Louis and showing up as big as I can, and as crispy as I can.鈥�
To hear more of T-Rav Man鈥檚 origin story, listen to St. Louis on the Air on , or or by clicking the play button below.
鈥�鈥� brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by , , , and . is our production intern. The audio engineer is . Send questions and comments about this story to talk@stlpr.org.
