Relish has long bemoaned the lack of fresh seafood restaurants in St. Louis. It's too soon to say if the tide is turning, but we can finally say--with confidence--that another one has just been added to the roster.
The rumor of a takeover started just after the first of the year, was "imminent" (we were told) in February, intensified last month, and became fact just last Friday night: Andria's Steakhouse-Chesterfield closed to make way for the second location of Oceano Bistro, one of the better (if not the best) seafood restaurants in town.
A sign in the window (at left) confirms the closure. The note also reminds former customers where they can buy the signature Andria's Brush-On Steak Sauce, and, in a nod to civility, also points out that gift cards from Andria's-Chesterfield will be honored by Oceano Bistro.
Seasoned diners will recall that the building at 16125 Chesterfield Parkway West was the former home to three other restaurants: Aqua Vin, Crazy Fish, and before that, Yen Ching.
Andria's-Chesterfield was the sister restaurant to the Andria's in O'Fallon, Il and had been open just over three years. (Relevant sidebar: Neither one is to be confused with yet another Andria's--Andria's Countryside--located just outside of Edwardsville, which has a different owner than the other two. Although all three restaurants use the same signature sauce, the Countryside location differentiates itself by using all-natural, 100% USDA Prime certified-Angus beef, sourced the last five years from Niman Ranch (one of the country's more highly regarded beef and pork producers), according to Countryside's current owner Craig Tarpoff, who further asserts that his is the only restaurant in the metro area that can make that claim.)
Oceano's co-owner Amer Abouwasser said that the new Oceano would mirror the Clayton flagship, both in menu and interior design: "The rounded ceiling, the different shaped booths, the mood, the lighting...all will be duplicated as closely as we can," he said. But what he's most excited about is the lavishly landscaped rear patio, a longtime favorite of patrons and a certain Dining Editor. Abouwasser envisions stepping it up--literally--creating two levels for outside dining, to maximize views of the greenery and water elements.
No stranger to the vagaries of restaurant openings, Abouwasser smiles when he says that "we're shooting for the middle of June, which means we'll be welcoming guests, oh, I'd say about the 4th of July."
