We’ve long (and repeatedly) lamented the lack of higher-end seafood restaurants in St. Louis. It now appears a major player is headed our way.
The Des Moines-based 801 Restaurant Group currently has three concepts in its portfolio: 801 Chophouse, Pig & Finch, and 801 Fish.
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St. Louis already has an 801 Chophouse; by mid-2015, it will be joined by 801 Fish (the second in the country)—in a practically adjoining space, no less.
There are five locations of 801 Chophouse, the newest of which is located at the former ARAKA at 137 Carondelet Plaza in Clayton (SLM broke that story here). Despite a high average check, the St. Louis outpost of 801 Chop has been doing a brick business since it opened during the holiday season in late 2013 (our review from May 2014 is here).
Pig & Finch is a less expensive/less formal, gastropub-style restaurant. They call it “contemporary American food with a European twist…the best in the Midwest while taking cues from European cuisine.” The first Pig & Finch opened next to the 801 Chophouse in Leawood, Ks in late 2012. A second restaurant is now open in Omaha.
A steakhouse, a gastropub, why not a seafood-themed restaurant? Exactly what 801’s owner Jimmy Lynch had in mind when he formulated 801 Fish, specializing in fresh caught fish and seafood…as fresh as can be procured in the Midwest. The former executive chef of the flagship 801 Fish in Leawood, Ks, called it “dock to door in 24,“ as in “literally 24 hours for pretty much everything…if it was caught this morning, it will be on my menu tomorrow night.”
801 Fish will be located at 172 Carondelet Plaza (most recently Brazikat, before that Luciano’s), just across the Plaza fountain from 801 Chop, about the distance any respectable angler could toss a Jig-and-Pig.
The atmosphere at 801 Fish is light and airy—with a lot of whites, creams, and deep ocean blues—versus the deep colors and dark woods of 801 Chop. The slideshow above gives a pretty good indication of the vibe and the level of finish.
Some tables are topped with white marble, others with inlaid wood. Cane-backed chairs with deep blue cushions evoke your favorite seaside city in Florida. The look is also decidedly piscine, elegantly so: above the open kitchen, fish “scales” dominate the fascia; a stained glass mermaid appears behind the bar; and doubtful you’ll miss the Bluefin tuna, not mounted on a wall but suspended from the ceiling, amidst bubbles of blue light. For a 360-degree tour of the Leawood 801 Fish, click here.
An additional 801 Fish has been announced for the Cherry Creek area of Denver, Co, slated to open in late 2015.
