By George Mahe
Photograph by Katherine Bish
Bored with restaurant buzzwords? Had enough of “seasonal,” “local,” “organic,” “cross-cultural” and “with a twist”? Buzz on down to the high-tech newbie Red, and grab a mouthful of chef René Cruz’s “molecular gastronomy,” the new area of culinary study where cooking meets science. Empirical findings have been excellent, as evidenced by the perfect char on the tenderloin, the emulsified jus on the fist-sized lamb shank and the mint “cloud” on the curried carrot soup. The décor is equally puzzling and appealing, with black leather, beige undertones and barn-door lighting that softens the effect of massive concrete booths and guess-what-color accents in what looks like some Euro-industrial upscale lounge. Proceed through the narrows to the “ball room,” where a hundred black glass globes are suspended, throwing off cosmic cross-lit shadows. TVs are everywhere, and Big Brother is watching: Interspersed between V-Jams (live DJs who pack video) are real-time views of the kitchen, the crowd and Cruz’s wizardry. Additional cool: red sea-salt grinders on the table.
1130 Washington Ave., 314-588-7864, redstl.com. Hours: 11 a.m.–10 p.m. Mon–Wed, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Thu–Sat, 5 p.m.–10 p.m. Sun, Sun brunch.
