St. Louis Food Blog

The year of Balaban's resurrection is complete. Balaban's Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar opens today at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield. Owners Steve McIntyre and Brian Underwood are offering tapas dishes, carry-out fare and a retail wine selection, with some of chef Kevin Sthair's dishes drawing  upon classic recipes of the original Balaban's (beef Wellington, Ligurian shrimp.) Balaban's is open 10 a.m.-7:30 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Call 636-449-6700 for more information.

Balaban's opening comes only thirteen months after Aaron Teitelbaum and Jeff Orbin opened Herbie's Vintage 72 at the original Balaban's location in the Central West End.

Jennifer Silverberg

​My review of the Vietnamese restaurant Phuc Loi is now available online. Phuc Loi is located at 3723 Gravois Avenue (the intersection of Gravois and Spring). In this week's Back of the House slideshow, Jennifer Silverberg takes you into the kitchen of the small, but mighty, restaurant. More photos after the jump...

Edwardsville restaurant Fond (106 North Main Street; website) will introduce a new Sunday menu format this Sunday, November 22. From 11 a.m. till 2 p.m. will be Sunday brunch. From 2 until 5 p.m., the restaurant will offer wine and light snacks. Finally, from 5 until 8 p.m. Fond will serve supper for $25 per person. The meal is served family-style -- see the menu here (PDF) -- and the announcement I received from Fond recommends it for groups of four or more. Call 618-656-9001 for more info.

Popular Midtown eatery The U (3108 Olive Street; website) will soon add breakfast to its menu of sandwiches, burgers, wings and more. Owner Adam Kustra emailed to inform me that the new breakfast menu will debut soon and will be available at 6:30 a.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. on Saturday and Sunday. There will be pancakes, omelets, fries topped with sausage gravy -- and, oh yes, there will be slingers. I'll let you know the exact start date for the breakfast menu once I learn it.

If you haven't visited The U, it's a lot of fun: Here's my review from last summer. Also, it won Best Place for Late-Night Dining last year and Best French Fries this year.

Brasserie by Niche, the latest restaurant from Gerard Craft of Niche and its still shiny-and-new sibling Taste by Niche, opens for service this evening at 5 p.m. at 4580 Laclede Avenue in the Central West End. As its name implies, Brasserie serves classic French brasserie cuisine, with chef Perry Hendrix -- most recently of North Carolina, he worked with Craft in Salt Lake City -- in charge of the kitchen. Buzz from last week's invitation-only soft opening has been pretty strong, so don't be surprised to encounter a crowd.

Brasserie takes over the space formerly occupied by Chez Leon. According to the inimitable Jerry Berger, owner Leon Birnbaum plans to reopen Chez Leon at 7927 Forsyth Boulevard, last occupied by Bistro Alexander.

Sanctuaria is now open at 4198 Manchester Avenue in Forest Park Southeast's Grove neighborhood (the former Agave location). Heading the kitchen is chef Christopher Lee, who might be the new busiest man in the St. Louis restaurant biz, thanks to his work at Café Ventana and the new Chuy Arzola's. The restaurant refers to its cuisine as "wild tapas." How wild is it? Read the menu -- or, better yet, go try it out -- and decided for yourself.

Sanctuaria is open for dinner 5-10 p.m. Tue.-Sun. The bar is open 4 p.m.-midnight Tue.-Wed., 4 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Thu.-Fri., 5 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Sat and 5-10 p.m. Sun. A limited happy-hour food menu is available in the bar before and after dinner hours.

This week I visit Phuc Loi, a small Vietnamese restaurant at 3723 Gravois Avenue in Tower Grove South. (It's the tiny storefront with the blue awning and what looks like two men right outside the entrance in the photo above.)

When the guy behind the counter at Phuc Loi asks if you're sure you want pork blood in your bun bo Hue -- and if, like me, you're a non-Vietnamese dude who has just spent several minutes studying the menu taped to the counter and the photo menu above the counter, he probably will ask if you're sure you want pork blood in your order of bun bo Hue -- say yes. I should note that this isn't blood sausage, but congealed blood, its texture like Jell-O custard, its color a purple-tinged gray, like twilight filtered through woodsmoke. Will it lead you to a gastronomic revelation? I offer no guarantees. But life is short, and we live in the heart of the heart of the country. Just how many chances will you ever have to say, "Yeah, sure, throw the pork blood in there"?

Visit the RFT restaurant page late tomorrow afternoon or check back here Wednesday morning to see what I think.

This isn't exactly news, but a colleague just mentioned an article from the September issue of Travel + Leisure magazine naming the country's best barbecue restaurants. (I read through the archives of some of my fellow food bloggers without finding this story, but if I missed someone's scoop, I apologize.)

The article, written by Matt and Ted Lee (a.k.a. the Lee Bros.), names three St. Louis-area barbecue joints out of eighteen total: the 17th Street Bar & Grill in O'Fallon, C&K Barbecue in Jennings and Roper's Ribs in Jennings. The article itself doesn't mention every one of the "best" barbecue joints, but there is also a slideshow with a photograph of each.

The Delmar Restaurant & Lounge (6235 Delmar Boulevard) has undergone a rather striking menu transformation, with new head chef Randy Wilson drawing upon the flavors of soul food and South Carolina. The menu that the restaurant's new general manager, Phil Ingram, sent me includes such entrées as crawfish and andouille sausage with bell peppers, garlic, white wine and butter over cheddar-cheese grits; bone-in, buttermilk-fried chicken breast with butterbeans, mashed potatoes and black-pepper gravy; and Carolina-style pulled pork with mashed potatoes, cole slaw and BBQ sauce. Check out the complete menu after the jump...

Looks like St. Louis Pizza Haus (6602 Delmar Boulevard) has closed. The Delmar Loop restaurant has a for-lease sign in the window, most of the furniture has been removed and the phone number has been disconnected. (The website remains active.) St. Louis Pizza Haus opened in 2005, advertising its brick oven as its signature aspect. With my office in the Loop, I'd eaten there a couple of times and thought it was decent pie and offered a nice change of pace from Racanelli's New York-style pizza across the street.

News from Gut Check Auxiliary Headquarters, a.k.a. Tower Grove South: Parkside Lounge, which opened only in March at 3117 South Grand Boulevard, appears to have closed. The space has been dark for at least a week now, and the phone number is no longer in service.


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Meanwhile -- and I apologize for this being very delayed news -- Ice Cream on the Park has been closed "for the season," according to the sign on its door, since early October.

Slice, the pizza blog run by the national food blog Serious Eats, once again has visited a St. Louis pizza joint. Previous installments considered the pies being served at Thai Pizza Co. and Pi, but now author Daniel Zemans has gone straight to the heart of the subject: Imo's Pizza. Though the title of Zemans' post, "Imo's Pizza: St. Louis' Inexplicably Addictive Pie," might suggest a negative opinion of the Provel-topped pizza, Zemans throws a curveball:

My name is Daniel, I'm a proud Chicagoan with little good to say about St. Louis despite having lived there for a year, and I like Provel cheese, especially when it's part of a pie at Imo's Pizza.

Read the whole post for a thoughtful take on Provel, Imo's and the whole St. Louis-style pizza phenomenon. Lots of comments on the post, too. I know you guys have strong opinions about this -- as I learn whenever I mention my feelings about Provel -- so you'll probably enjoy the read.

Robin Wheeler

Onesto owner and chef Vito Racanelli

​Slow Food St. Louis and Welcome Books have joined together with Onesto Pizza and Trattoria (5401 Finkman Street; website) to host "A Slow Taste of Tuscany," a dinner to celebrate the new book Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town by Douglas Gayeton. The book, which includes introductions from Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini and noted American chef and Slow Food proponent Alice Waters, celebrates the everyday foodways of Italy's Tuscany region.

On Wednesday, Novermber 18, Onesto owner and chef Vito Racanelli will prepare a five-course Tuscan-themed meal. The prix-fixe meal costs $40 by itself, $55 with wine pairings or $83 with wine pairings and a signed copy of Slow: Life in a Tuscan Town.

For more on Racanelli, including his interest in local food, read Robin Wheeler's Chef's Choice profile. After the jump, the menu for the "Slow Taste of Tuscany" dinner.

Steve Truesdell

​My review of Molly's in Soulard is now available online. Molly's is located at 808 Geyer Avenue. You can view the menu and more at the restaurant's website. In this week's Back of the House slideshow, photographer Steve Truesdell takes you into the Molly's kitchen to spy on Molly's food and (as the photo to the right suggests) a little derring-do.

Photo: Steve Truesdell

Owner Luke Reynolds and Molly's Head Chef Mike. See more photos from Molly's in our slideshow.

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Photo: Steve Truesdell

Beef Burgundy in raw form. See more photos from Molly's in our slideshow.

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Forbes Travel Guide -- formerly known as Mobil Travel Guide -- is out with its annual star ratings of restaurants nationwide, and Downtown institution Tony's (410 Market Street; website) is the highest-rated St. Louis restaurant, scoring four out of a maximum five stars. The only other four- star restaurant in Missouri is the American Restaurant in Kansas City.

No Missouri restaurants joined the rather select company of five-star winners. According to the Forbes website, a four-star restaurant "provides professional service, distinctive presentations and superb food," while a five-star "is one of few flawless dining experiences in the country. They consistently provide their guests with exceptional food, superlative service, elegant decor and exquisite presentations of each detail surrounding the meal."

Not to take anything away from Tony's, but you do have to wonder how up-to-date the Forbes/Mobil listings for St. Louis are, in general: The relatively brief list includes a restaurant closed for quite some time now (Joseph's), while the surely star-worthy Niche is nowhere to be found.

Pho Mama Vietnamese Restaurant is now open at 3737 South Grand Boulevard (a former McDonald's location). Tried to snag a to-go menu so that I could bring you the lowdown on the eats, but none was available. So if you happen to try it before I do, maybe leave a note in the comments? Thanks. Awesome. At any rate, Pho Mama is open 9 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. For more info, call 314-802-8348.

Another tidbit from South City: Joe Bush's Pizza & Pub has closed. The restaurant at 3710 South Kingshighway opened in the spring of last year. I'm unsure of the exact closing date, though the most recent comment on the Gut Check post about its opening suggests it was open until at least August of this year.

Balaban's Wine Cellar & Tapas will open at 1772 Clarkson Road in Chesterfield on Friday, Novermber 20. The new venture is a restaurant, gourmet carry-out and wine shop owned by Steve McIntyre -- who owned the original Balaban's in the Central West End for a large portion of its history -- and Brian Underwood. Head chef Kevin Sthair will oversee a menu that will include reimagined versions of such Balaban's classics as beef Wellington and Ligurian pasta as well as Mediterranean tapas dishes.

For more on the new Balaban's, see my interview with McIntyre from last month.

This week I visit Molly's in Soulard (808 Geyer Avenue), the new bistro opened by the original Molly's in the former Norton's space. Follow me after the jump for a sneak preview of my review.

Steve Truesdell

Inside the new Molly's in Soulard

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Five (5100 Daggett Avenue; website) hosts another in its ongoing series of wine dinners this Thursday, November 12. The dinner will pair a five-course meal from chef and owner Anthony Devoti with wines from Pinnacle Imports. The cost is $55 per person (tax and tip not included), and reservations are required. To make reservations or for more information, call 314-773-5553.

After the jump, the menu and wine pairings...

This Monday, November 9, 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar (1913 Park Avenue; website) will host a special cocktail event. Blood & Sand will bring together some of the area's leading mixologists, including Ted Kilgore and T.J. Vytlacil, to kick off the new local chapter of the United States Bartenders Guild. There will also be a wine tasting -- this is 33, after all -- as well as a beer tasting hosted by STL Hops beer guru Mike Sweeney. The event begins at 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call 314-231-9463.

Central West End bistro Moxy (4584 Laclede Avenue; website) is hosting a tasting of single-malt scotches on Saturday, December 5. Participants will get to try Macallan 18-year, Glenfarclas 25-year, Glenmorangie 18-year, Ardbeg Nam Beist, Bowmore 18-year and Highland Park 25-year. There will be two tastings, one at 5 p.m., the second at 7:30 p.m. Each is limited to 49 participants. The cost is $50 per person, with proceeds benefitting the Seven Rivers Highland Society. Call 314-361-4848 for reservations or more info.

Jennifer Silverberg

​My review of the Terrace View is now available online. The Terrace View is the restaurant in downtown's new sculpture park, Citygarden, headed by Jim Fiala (the Crossing, Liluma, Acero). In this week's Back of the House slideshow, Jennifer Silverberg gives you a look at the Terrace View's cool interior as well as the food being prepared by its kitchen.

Local Harvest Café & Catering (3137 Morganford Road; website) -- the Riverfront Times Best New Restaurant 2009 -- will host the first of four "Big Night" dinners on Monday, November 16, at 7 p.m. The four-course meal will feature Italian cuisine and the artisan salumi of Salume Beddu. The cost is $35 per person, with wine pairings available for an additional $15. Reservations are required. Call 314-772-8815 for more info.

The menu, after the jump...

Ian Froeb

Tumo's, soon to be come A'mis

​A few restaurant tidbits that my colleagues around town have posted: Joe Bonwich of the Post-Dispatch notes that Italian restaurant A'mis will open its third location at 6419 Hampton Avenue, the former location of Tumo's. Bonwich also reports on Phelim O'Toole's, a new firefighter-themed (and firefighter-owned) restaurant opening at the old Soda Fountain Square location in Lafayette Square.

Finally, in his latest gossip column, Jerry Berger includes a small item on a possible downtown location for the popular Clifton Heights spot Chris' Pancake & Dining.

Monarch (7401 Manchester Road; website) is hosting "Operation Give Thanks" to benefit U.S. military families this Saturday, November 7, from 7-11 p.m.

The restaurant will donate a portion of the proceeds from a select bar menu to the non-profit Operation Shower, which the organization's own website describes thusly:

Operation Shower is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that recognizes and honors the sacrifices military families make by producing and coordinating unit-wide baby showers and "showers in a box" for pregnant or expecting military families in a deployment or high stress situation.

For more information on the event, contact Operation Shower through its website.

October has ended its wet, wet reign, so we look back on the soggy month's restaurant openings and closings. As always, if I missed one, please let me know in the comments. Gracias in advance.

Ian Froeb

Beechwood Bistro by Sage fell victim to the Union Station curse.

​Openings

The Wedge (under new management)
Sevens (Casino Queen)
Las Palmas (Maplewood location)
Pi (Kirkwood location)
Foam

Closings after the jump...

Audi-K's is now open at 235 North Euclid Avenue in the Central West End. The tiny restaurant serves hot dogs in numerous variations, from plain to Chicago-style to chili cheese to the "BLT Dog" (exactly what it sounds like). The menu also includes nachos, a few sides (beans and weenies!) and New Orleans-style snow cones. Audi-K's is open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call 314-361-0270 for more info.

This week I visit the Terrace View, Jim Fiala's new restaurant within the Citygarden sculpture park. After the jump, check out a preview of my review.

Jennifer Silverberg

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Espresso Mod (210 North 9th Street) closed last week. The downtown coffee house opened in late 2005. A post from user "espressomod" -- presumably, but not definitely, connected to the business -- on the Urban St. Louis message board (scroll down) is critical of the incentives that Schnucks' new Culinaria market received from the City of St. Louis: "[Culinaria] should have been an addition but instead their business model was copy what was there already and do it cheaper. So therefore everyone surrounding them has lost 1/2 of their business."

​After two years of anticipation, Foam Coffee & Beer at 3359 Jefferson Avenue has finally opened its doors! For the most part.

Owner Mike Glodeck says he's already secured his city liquor license but is still waiting on the state's imprimatur. (When Foam gets going, it'll be pretty much the only bar on Cherokee west of Jefferson).

In the meantime, he'll be selling hot coffee drinks and light snacks. (Our fearless music editor Annie Zaleski blogged about Foam back when the idea was hatched as a possible music venue).

The bespectacled and bearded Glodeck took an unusual approach to launching his business by soliciting input from neighbors for months, both in-person and online. "We wanted this to be a community hub," he says, "so there was no point in me forcing something down people's throats."

Here's Foam's schedule listed on their front door:

M-Th: 7 a.m. - 10 p.m.
Fri. 7 a.m. - 1 a.m.
Sat. 8 a.m. - 1 a.m.
Sun. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Check out photos after the jump...