Photograph by Kevin A.Roberts
1901 Washington
314-621-9464
Jason Spain is trying to achieve what eludes most restaurateurs: staying busy at all times of the day. In July, he took a trending sweet-and-savory food combination—waffles and chicken wings—and fashioned a full-service restaurant around them. J. Spain’s is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and it reopens later on weekend nights to accommodate downtown revelers (as well as those from The City Ultra Lounge, the late-closing bar that Spain owns a few doors away). Yet the place is so wholesome that you’ll see families treating their kids to something we never outgrow—breakfast for dinner—as in French toast, omelets, and waffles. There’s no alcohol on the menu, but just try to resist the fresh lemonade, served in a 32-ounce Mason jar. You know, Spain might just pull this off: For office workers and downtowners, his namesake provides solid sustenance. For children, the place is a celebration. And for the late-night bar crowd, it’s salvation.
