Relish first met Andrew Ladlie in June, just after he was hired as lead chef at Ol' Blue Eyes, the restaurant that (due to issues with the estate of Frank Sinatra) would ultimately open as the Frontenac Grill in October. Mike "Talayna" Faille was the Grill's owner, but passed away just one week shy of the opening. His son Tony assumed the reins, and Ladlie left shortly thereafter. In the 5 months he worked for Faille, he set up the kitchen, planned the menu, did some of the remodeling--a lot of the pre-opening heavy-lifting. It gave him the impetus--and the confidence--to do his own thing.
So last week he signed a lease in Soulard, at 1730 S. Eighth St., a space some will remember as Verlin's, others as Phelan's Pub. It'll be called Sassy Jac's and feature Southern-style food.
In the past several years, St. Louis has seen an uptick of interest in Cajun/Creole style food: the Broadway Oyster Bar has expanded its space and its menu; the Gumbo Shop tripled its footprint; last year, Monarch changed up their menu to more reflect the So. Louisiana roots of its chef, Josh Galliano; Molly's in Soulard took a more New Orleans-focused approach; Tim Keller's Louisiana Cafe is happily humming along in O'Fallon, MO; Gulf Shores, in the mispronounced French city of Creve Coeur, always seems busy; Riverbend restaurant shot to the top of the charts this year (including an upcoming "Best Dishes" nod in the Feb 2012 SLM); and we've happily inherited Louisiana native Chef Kelly English at his Cajun-leaning Kelly English Steakhouse in Maryland Heights (another Best Dish winner). We dare not forget the winner of Relish's unofficial StL metro "Best Restaurant Name," Who Dat's in Columbia, Il (which incidentally has one of the best gooey butter cakes in the area).
When asked why he chose to jump into a seemingly crowded pool, Ladlie sharpened the scope: "The focus will be much broader based," he said. "To many, Southern-style food means only Cajun- and Creole-based items. But there's so much more to Southern cuisine. Plus, both New Orleans and its cuisine are unique. Having worked there I feel there's no way to adequately recreate that."
With only 40-50 seats, he noted that quality will be paramount and achievable. "Your turkey sandwich will be made with house-roasted meat, housemade bacon, and a housemade spread," he said. "I want to give customers a reason to talk about our sandwiches...to the point that they come back the next day to try another one." His goal is to create a casual, neighborhood hangout where you can do just that. Dinner will consist of the lunch menu plus several nightly specials.
Renovation of the space is expected to take 6 weeks, so look for a mid-February opening (translation: Mardi Gras Week).
Image courtesy of Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans.
