Kitchen Q&A – Mark Winfield
By George Mahe
Photograph by Scott Rovak
About the time the 2007 baseball stats are being tallied, Jim Edmonds and Mark Winfield will open Fifteen on Locust, the first downtown restaurant owned by an active Cardinal. With the Highway 40 doom and gloom on the horizon, opening a “fresh take on a steakhouse” downtown is gutsy indeed, even for a guy who makes a living diving headfirst into walls. “Gutsy, maybe, but with a solid game plan,” says Winfield.
How does a regular guy partner with a big-name ballplayer? The short answer is, Jimmy’s a regular guy, too. When I met him socially, in 2000, we realized we had similar interests beyond baseball. We’ve been talking about a project like this for several years.
You’ve got 14,000 square feet but seat just 60 for dinner. There’s obviously a lot more going on. Add a huge bar and a large covered patio on the first floor and a lounge and 100- by 20-foot patio on the second, with private dining areas up there as well.
Will Jim visit tables, like Stan Musial used to do at his place? Jim will be there. He understands the importance of his presence—but he won’t be doing any harmonica playing.
An obvious, but nagging, question: Doesn’t the coming Highway 40 debacle scare you guys just a bit? Not really. We see it as a unique opportunity. We plan to market Fifteen to all downtowners, from workers to residents to conventioneers to home and visiting ballplayers. Don’t forget, there are professional athletes staying downtown all year long, no matter what happens to that highway. Whatever city they’re from, we hope we’re home to all those players.
“Home to all players”—could be a tagline. Players and playas. We do realize that, for a variety of reasons, people enjoy being around professional athletes. Between the ballplayers and the curious fans, we can build a business.
Who do you see as your competition? There isn’t much—another reason we did this. The Cardinal players live downtown and as far out as Ladue, mainly. After a game, it’s tough to find a nearby place that stays open late enough to accommodate them for a meal. We will be that place—and we will be open till 3 a.m.
Will the upstairs lounge be a club atmosphere? I dislike the word “club.” Let’s just say, it will combine the homey elements of St. Louis with some style elements of Las Vegas. Our designer is former St. Louisan Scott Thorberg, who did all of Dennis Rodman’s projects, and there will be a dress code in that area.
What? No Cardinal hats or T-shirts? No. There’s a bar downstairs and two patios for the fans. We want different atmospheres, different looks.
How about if customers wear their No. 15 Edmonds jerseys? I may have to discuss that one with my partner.
