Jennifer Silverberg

Market Grill chef Jonathan Olson.

This just in from Market Grill (728 Lafayette Avenue; 314-436-7664) general manager Katie Shanahan: The restaurant will close June 9.

"I thought I would let you guys know before rumor hits the street that we are closing the restaurant," Shanahan writes in an e-mail addressed to RFT restaurant critic Ian Froeb and Froeb's counterpart at St. Louis magazine, George Mahe.

More >>

Kayci Merritte

Inside Kilkenny's Irish Pub in Clayton.

Marc Del Pietro tells Gut Check this afternoon that Kilkenny's Irish Pub (20 North Central Avenue, Clayton; 314-725-0161) will close after service on Saturday, May 26. When we spoke to Del Pietro last month, he told us only partly in jest, "Ever since we bought Kilkenny's twelve years ago, we've been selling it."

Now, he says, "Something finally came up that was acceptable."

More >>

via Facebook

- La Cantina opened this week at 35 North Gore Avenue in Webster Groves. La Cantina is the new Mexican restaurant from Roberto Trevino, owner and chef of Amigos Cantina (120 West Jefferson Street, Kirkwood; 314-821-0877).

La Cantina is open from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The restaurant has a Facebook page, and you can reach it at 314-968-3256.

More >>

Jennifer Silverberg

Shula's 347 Grill in Roberts Tower, now closed

Last week, I stopped by the former Shula's 347 Grill (411 North Eighth Street) in the Roberts Tower downtown to see what had become of its sucessor, Vic's on the Plaza.

A brief recap, if you're late to the story: Shula's 347 Grill opened in May of last year, but then closed in December after the corporate office stripped the location of its franchise. In January, the restaurant reportedly reopened as Vic's on the Plaza.

When I visited Shula's 347 Grill-slash-Vic's on the Plaza last week, the place was empty, with dead leaves gathered in the partially open (thought nonfunctional) revolving door

As it turns out, that's not the end of the story.

More >>

Jennifer Silverberg

The dining room of Chez Leon in Clayton

Rumors started swirling online yesterday, and now Gut Check can cofirm that Chez Leon (7927 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-361-1589) has closed.

"Times aren't the best," owner Leon Birnbaum tells Gut Check.

More >>

via Facebook

- We're a couple of weeks late with this news, but Sassy JAC's is now open at 1730 South Eighth Street in Soulard. The restaurant and bar from chef Andrew Ladlie and his wife, Jennifer, features southern cuisine on its menu: deviled eggs, fried pickles, a crawfish-salad sandwich.

Sassy JAC's is open 11 a.m.-1:30 a.m. Monday through Saturday. On Sunday, it's open for brunch only 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Call 314-932-1280 for more info.

Page through for news about the new breakfast menu at Blues City Deli...

More >>

via Facebook

The St. Louis Business Journal breaks the news in its latest print edition (subscription required to read online): Flying Saucer Draught Emporium, a Dallas-based chain with fifteen locations across seven states, will open at the Cupples 9 building, currently under renovation at 1120 Spruce Street downtown.

More >>

via Facebook

- Louisiana Cafe reopened last week at its new location: 1350 Triad Center Drive in St. Peters. The restaurant's phone number is now 636-922-7249.

Louisiana Cafe is open from 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

More >>

Let us catch up on several months of developments on South Grand Boulevard:

- Gut Check told you back in February that the Atlanta-based chain JR Crickets Wings & Things would open its first area location at 3737 South Grand Boulevard, previously the home of Mama Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. The restaurant is now open. This is the first of three planned locations for St. Louis, according to the JR Crickets website, along with 2230 Olive Boulevard and 1810 Woodson Road in Overland.

- Restaurant California has been open at 4101 South Grand Boulevard for a few months now, serving up tacos, sopes, huaraches and other traditional taqueria fare. Restaurant California is open from 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday through Wednesday and Friday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday Sunday. It's closed Thursday and -- important! -- it's cash only.

More >>

- Looks like another fast-casual chain is setting up shop in St. Louis: A trusted operative tells Gut Check that J. Gumbo's will open in the Central West End. (We have an exact address, but we're working to confirm it.)

J. Gumbo's, which as its name might suggest specializes in Creole and Cajun fare, has locations in six states: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee. The menu feature expected dishes (po' boys, jambalaya and, naturally, gumbo) as well as fast-casual conceits (wraps). More on the location and opening date as we learn it.

More >>