Cusanelli's restaurant closing after service this Sunday
The Lemay landmark restaurant opened in 1954, but the building has deep historical roots.
Photo by George Mahe
Cusanelli’s is closing tomorrow, August 30. On Friday, the restaurant posted on social media that the COVID-19 pandemic and “unforeseen circumstances” forced the closure, prompting a flood of mournful and reflective comments. The restaurant is open from 4–9 p.m. today and 4–8 p.m. Sunday. Service is takeout-only. The staff has been busy prepping pizzas for the inevitable onslaught of requests for frozen pies.
Courtesy Cusanelli's
The white building at the corner of Lemay Ferry and Bayless has been there a long time, but it actually isn’t where Cusanelli’s began. Nicola Cusanelli opened a restaurant at 4054 Chouteau near Sarah in the early '30s, and it remained, very quietly, until 1952. Nicola must have had something up his sleeve at that point, because in 1954, he and his son Dan opened Cusanelli’s in the white building. Before that, it had been named Eight Mile House and before that Risch’s Eight Mile House, referring to the distance between the location and the Old Courthouse.
The building itself dates back to the 19th century. There was an inn on the site that hosted the Marquis de Lafayette in 1825. The festivities were great enough that the Frenchman overindulged and had to spend the night. William Howard Taft dined there on a visit to Jefferson Barracks, and a patron named Ulysses Grant went on to lead the Union army and, eventually, the United States. It’s unclear how much of the original structure is included in the present-day building, but at least one wall remains.
Courtesy Cusanelli's
Savina and Nicola "Nick" Cusanelli
Nicola, his wife, Savina, and their son Dan renamed the restaurant for their family and began serving Italian specialties, including pizza, along with American food. They gradually remodeled, adding a carryout window, carhops, and air conditioning. A large mural was painted in the dining room.
One of the strong points of Cusanelli’s was how well it hit the sweet spot between a family place and slightly upscale. One early review remarked on the number of highchairs in the dining room. But many business dinners took place there, and small-to-medium-size group meals.
Courtesy Cusanelli's
The Olympic torch passed by in 2004.
Courtesy Cusanelli's
People still rave about the fried chicken, and the steaks were good. More than one young couple took advantage of the filet mignon special for date nights. Cusanelli’s lasagna was highly regarded, and the pizza never lost its classic St. Louis–style luster.
The Cusanelli family sold the restaurant and the name in 1989, but the food style remained in the decades that followed.
The closing marks the end of an era that ran from Mamie Eisenhower-style hats after church to flip-flops and ball caps. The neighborhood won’t be the same.
