There was general consensus that, come Jan 1, there would be a wave--perhaps a tsunami--of restaurant closings. Grab that last December dollar and shut 'er down.
The first confirmed casualty is The Shaved Duck (sister restaurant to The Scottish Arms). The Duck opened to critical acclaim in May of 2008, in the space vacated by Pestalozzi Place, at the corner of Pestalozzi and Virginia. The Duck's doors will close this Saturday, Jan 3, but there are rumors of reopening the space some time in the future.
Brendan Noonan and Wes Johnson, the two chefs who conceptualized and executed the menu, agreed to leave citing "creative differences" with owner Alistair Nisbet. This is unfortunate in that all parties involved had previously been philosopically consistent and supportive of one another. Doubly unfortunate because, according to both the local cognoscenti and restaurant critics, the place was a runaway hit.
Our own Dave Lowry gave it a glowing review in the October 2008 issue. SLM just called out The Duck's Cornmeal Stuffed Rabbit as one of the "30 Best Dishes in St. Louis" in the soon-to-arrive February 2009 issue. The RFT's Ian Froeb just awarded the Duck-Fat Frites the # 4 position in his Ten Best Dishes for 2008. And in tomorrow's P-D, Joe Bonwich listed The Shaved Duck in his Top 10 Restaurants to open this year.
There's a press release pending, so I'm sure there's more to the story, but I'm not sure I'd mess with that kind of success. These are the guys who brought you to the dance--guys you want to woo, not alienate. Nisbet runs a good operation and ironically is known for maintaining a loyal, happy staff (how rare is that?) which is evident to anyone who visited either The Arms or The Duck.
The Duck was unusual in that it covered all the bases: providing a different product at very reasonable prices and pairing it with well-chosen, equally reasonable wines (most glasses were $6-$8) and an incredible 40+ bottle American craft beer selection.
Whatever the reason for the disconnect, The Duck--and all the things it did right-- will be missed.
Remember, though, it doesn't close until Saturday. It is open for brunch today as well as regular service on Friday and Saturday night. So there is still time to pay a visit. ..again, or for the first and last time. - George Mahe
