The St. Louis Galleria has its second major new restaurant tenant in as many months.
Vida Mexican Kitchen y Cantina will take over the space formerly occupied by Houlihan's. Vida's flagship store is in Charlotte, NC; the Galleria will be its second location. It will occupy 8000 SF, enough to accommodate several hundred diners as well as a large bar.
The website touts "locally grown and harvested ingredients prepared in a traditional old-world Mexican style," but better still, intrigues the reader with "the skinny margarita," a 100 calorie, fresh-made version of the traditional 500-calorie sweet and sour sugar bomb. Add one more item to Relish's "to try" list.
If Vida's half as good and half as popular as the former Casa Gallardo Grill (located up a stairway at the Galleria), it'll do just fine. (Relish conducted its first premium tequila tasting there about 18 years ago--a first introduction to the notion of "sipping tequilas." Relish recalls going up the stairs being a lot easier than going down.)
Apparently there is some connection between Vida and the corporation that owns the BlackFinn restaurant group, which makes sense because a BlackFinn American Grille is planned for the old Mark Shale space, located almost next door to where Vida will be.
In the restaurant business, they say location is critical... more critical perhaps is being able to control your neighbors.
Both restaurants should be completed by year's end. More as we know it.
