One of SLM’s favorite new and most charming neighborhood restaurants, Anthony’s Italian Eats, closed December 5.
Anthony’s opened quietly the spring and closed on the same terms. It was owned by Joey Barczewski (of Joey B’s fame) and namesake Tony Gianino, both of whom are partners in the Gianino family of restaurants. Anthony’s was markedly different from its past or present siblings (like the sprawling Billy G’s in Kirkwood), with only 10 seats inside and 20 outside.
Barczewski distilled the reason for the restaurant's closure to "right concept, wrong spot." He said that he and his partner liked everything about the Wydown Avenue location, as well as the vibe, menu mix, and execution—and that the response had been more than positive. But after eight months, he said, "it just wasn't producing like we thought it would."
The closing is one of the year’s biggest head-scratchers: SLM piled on the plaudits when it opened, it earned a high rating (4.6 stars) on Yelp, and the Riverfront Times' Cheryl Baehr recently weighed in with a fresh set of raves.
The interior was miniscule but, as Baehr noted, “the moment you walk inside, the place fills you with warmth,” largely accomplished by designer Lori McElvain, who instilled an old-world Italian feel, filling the space with family photos, including grandmothers in wedding dresses and family members gathered around a table for big Italian dinners. SLM called it “the region's most charming 800-square-foot restaurant,” adding that “the food’s pretty impressive, too.”
Mushroom Bianca pizza at Anthony's Italian Eats with button, oyster, and shiitake mushrooms
When the weather was nice, most of the action took place on the street-facing patio shared with neighbor Bar Les Freres, where patrons enjoyed enormous sandwiches, superior salads, and well-crafted pizzas whimsically served atop #10 cans of San Marzano tomato sauce. In brisk weather, blankets were issued to ward off the chill. Combined with the aromas of garlic, fresh basil, and pizza cooking in the oven, the allure was as powerful as any neighborhood joint in town.
A note on the restaurant's website said, in part, that “2018 has been an exciting year at Anthony's Italian Eats…this project has been a rewarding experience for us and we are grateful to the Clayton community for your support.” It also noted that unused Anthony's gift certificates will be honored at any of the three Joey B's locations.
Barczewski added that he and Gianino were still bullish on a smaller-footprint concept and that "there might be a rebirth" in a different area.
Editor's Note: This story has been updated with comments from Barczewski.
