For three and a half years, Milque Toast Bar has served as a beacon for unique, affordable cuisine on South Jefferson. With a menu based around toast, chef Colleen Clawson doles out daily specials for breakfast, lunch, and the occasional dinner series.
Over time, Clawson began to notice a pattern: “Whenever we would do an Indian dinner, we’d sell it out.” So she plans to test her theory that the neighborhood is hungry for more Indian cuisine.
On March 20, Clawson plans to open Baba Xavi (bah-bah-ZAH-vee) a pop-up–style bistro serving Indian fare that will be located at 3701 South Jefferson, near Sump Coffee and Big Heart Tea Co. It will be named after her son, Xavier (Xavi).
The Gravois Park space has held multiple concepts in recent years, including Champs on Jefferson and Spare No Rib. The current lease is held by Egg's and Spare No Rib's owners, whose lease will run out at the end of June, so they’re subbing the space to Clawson in the short term.
“It should be fun, as low-stress as possible,” she says, noting that the space has a beautiful outdoor area with a sunken patio. "There’s a gorgeous outside bar upstairs with additional seating in a lounge. We’re talking about having a lively feel upstairs.” She envisions, for instance, Bollywood films screening on the second floor. A full bar on the first floor will feature American and Indian beers on draft.
The menu will feature small plates (mulligatawny soup, smoked tandoori wings), mid-size plates (lamb curry burger, a daily naan flatbread), and larger entrées (chicken tikka masala, Indian spiced fish and chips). Clawson will mix and match traditional Indian items and Anglo-Indian dishes. “These are some of my favorite foods to make,” she says.
By this summer, Clawson hopes to refine the concept and the business hours, eventually opening the restaurant four nights per week, Friday through Monday from 4–10 pm. For now, though, she's focusing on the next several months.
“If it isn’t what the neighborhood wants, it’s ‘no harm, no foul’—we’ll have done a great project and had a great time," she says. "You never know. I never knew that ‘the little toast shop that could’ would be here three years later, but people who enjoy eating out in St. Louis have been so supportive.”
Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version.
