St. Louis’ Restaurant Openings and Closings: mid-June Edition

A barrage of recent restaurant changes has prompted this mid-month report. Here’s what we discovered in the last week, bad news first:

CLOSED:

Red Lotus Spa & Bistro 9737 Manchester

In April of last year, we touted Mi Linh as one of the area’s more promising Vietnamese restaurants, (and as the first local eatery that placed server orders via iPad, it was one of the more progressive). So we were kind when it morphed into Red Lotus Spa & Bistro, one of the more bizarre places in town, a combination restaurant, spa, and nail salon. This time the naysayers got it right: the pairing of chicken wings and mani-pedis was thinking too far out of the box. After closing the doors a few weeks ago, owner Dee Dee Tran has put the building up for sale.

Altai Mongolian Grill 9528 Manchester

Just down the street, Altai Mongolian Grill, a buffet style hibachi restaurant whose tagline was “The Original Mongolian Grill…Since 1206,” unceremoniously shut its doors around the first of the month. When it opened in Rock Hill four years ago, it was first Altai located not just in Missouri or the U.S., but outside of Asia. Regardless, Altai was one of the least talked about places in town, and with the closure it will remain that way.

Tribeca 16 N. Meramec

Although we may have been the first to discover Tribeca, the combination fast-casual BBQ restaurant (upper level) and lounge (lower level), we were never completely sure when the place opened or when it officially closed, but suffice to say that the former Miso on Meramec space has been dark for several months and is once again for lease. In the Tribeca article, we noted that Clayton has not been home to a BBQ restaurant since 2011, when Lampert’s Plush Pig closed. With the continued popularity of barbeque, that seemed odd but it’s still the case.

CHANGES:

Lampert’s Q-Shack 6900 Noonan, 314- 657-0702

And speaking of the Lamperts, Larry and daughter Angie continue to tinker with the most recent incarnation of their long-standing BBQ business, this one located at the corner of Manchester and McCausland. Here, the duo has combined two concepts: barbeque and taqueria. We have yet to pay a visit, but find the menu to be typical Larry Lampert: very entertaining.

Farmhaus 3257 Ivanhoe, 314-647-3800

The restaurant has ceased lunch operations, except for one day a week. Say goodbye to the famous Blue Plate Special (one lunch entree offered per day, plus a salad and tea, for $10) except on Mondays, when Kevin Willmann’s famous “fried chicken, mac n cheese, and smashed taters” will be available from 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. 

MOVED / MOVING:

The Wine Merchant 7817 Forsyth, 314-863-6282

The venerable local wine and cheese shop reopened a week ago today in the former First National Bank building in Clayton. The larger space allows for more inventory, special events, and educational classes. Since the new Merch now both sells and uses the Coravin (the latest wine preservation system on the market), ultra-premium wines by the glass are available as well.

Tani Sushi Bistro 7726 Forsyth, 314-727-8264

 After months of delays and pending the last round of inspections, owner Eric Heckman says he will unveil Tani’s new digs at 7726 Forsyth before month’s end. When the trigger finally gets pulled, the existing Tani will close and the new location will open within a few days of one another. 

Sauce on the Side 411 N. Eighth, 314-241-5667

The P-D’s Ian Froeb noted that the downtown location of SoS reopened on Monday, June 15, in a space with a larger kitchen, more seats, plus a patio.

NOW OPEN:

Gyro Grill 6227 Delmar, 314-899-9437

The RFT reported that a second iteration of Morad Jaber’s Gyro Grill opened in the Loop on Monday, June 15, in the space occupied by Chubbie’s. Morad is a likeable guy—and not just because he serves up a generous gyro.

Yiro/Gyro 750 Locust, 314-925-8152

Also on Monday, the owner of The Gyro Company opened a location in the space formerly occupied by Hamilton Jewelers. Gyro Co makes a mean gyro, maybe the best in town, so we’re ok in calling this one “the Rolex of gyros.”

OPENING:

The Wood Cask 10332 Manchester 314-858-1085

The Grand Opening is slated for tomorrow, June 18, in the same shopping center in Kirkwood as Winfield’s Gathering Place. (We’ll vouch for the Blackened Chicken Sandwich.)

Southern 3108 Olive, 314-531-4668

SLM has learned that Rick Lewis’ much-anticipated shrine to Nashville Hot Chicken will open in Midtown in the next few days. Passers-by may expect to encounter a rock concert-like atmosphere, with pitched tents, lines of people down the block, and impatient Chef Lewis groupies pounding on the window glass, chanting, “All we want is a little taste!”

O’Fallon Brewery 45 Progress Pkwy, 636-474-2337

Suds heads, mark your calendar. On Monday, June 23, O’Fallon Brewery will unveil a much larger, upgraded brewing facility in Maryland Heights. Owner Jim Gorczyca seems to have shoehorned every possible use into the 40,000 square foot building: brewery, bottling line, canning line, corporate offices, beer lab, the O Bar (with 20 beer taps), VIP Room, and a restaurant featuring a beer-focused menu (no surprise here), where virtually all menu items contain an O’Fallon beer.

Tim Horton’s Cafe & Bake Shop 2750 S. Big Bend, 314-833-6130

The first of 40 planned metro locations opens in Maplewood on June 23. Devotees and late-night crowds will appreciate the 50-seat cafe, patio, double-lane drive-thru, and 24-hour service (rendering below).

LOCATION REVEALED:

Revel Kitchen  2837 Cherokee, 314-932-5566

Owner Simon Lusky has been busy: after a name change (to Revel Kitchen from Athlete Eats), the nutritionist for the St. Louis Cardinals recently launched a food truck (@eatrevel) and is busy with the build-out of the second brick-and-mortar location at 8384 Musick Memorial Drive in Brentwood (next door to Mai Lee). Construction just began and a completion date has not been established.