The owners of of Sureste Mexican, the popular food concept inside City Foundry STL’s Food Hall, have big plans for a multi-functional business in South City. Brothers Alex and Jeff Henry plan to open El Molino Del Sureste (translating to “The Mill of the Southeast”) at two adjacent spaces in the Southampton neighborhood later this summer or fall. The business will not only offer a range of Mexican-inspired dishes and drinks at night but also serve as a mill by day. Here’s what to know before you go.
The Concept
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The business’ two adjacent storefront spaces, at 5005-5007 South Kingshighway, will function as a mill during daytime. The owners plan to turn corn into masa through a process known as nixtamalization for tortillas, tortilla chips, and other products.
Then, at night, each storefront will morph into two restaurant concepts. “One side will be a family-friendly dining room, a bright and welcoming space,” chef Alex Henry says. Service will be family-style as well. “The menu will be my interpretation of the way I remember Sunday lunches and dinners at my abuelita’s house in Mexico. Meals will be family-style shared dishes, possibly with a few entrées for people who don’t like sharing.”
The adjacent side will serve as a bar and lounge. “The vibe will be dimmer, with the focus on higher-end cocktails,” Alex Henry says. “We’ll also serve shareable small plates and snacks.” Jeff Henry is developing the cocktail menu, which will include a range of agave spirits, Mexican rums, and ingredients found in Mexico. “My intention is to use ingredients and flavors in the drinks program that both complement the food and evoke memories of the flavors of Mexico,” Jeff Henry says. “I’ve come across some very unique flavor profiles in some of the lesser-known spirits.”
The Backstory
Both brothers come to the restaurant scene well-grounded in the flavors and family sensibilities of the Yucatan. Sustainable, locally sourced foods loom large for both. When their St. Louis-born father relocated the family from Mexico to St. Louis in the mid-’90s, the brothers returned to Mexico for several months each year to spend time with their mother’s relatives. The experiences inform their culinary adventures today.
“On a daily basis, we would walk down to the open-air market with our grandmother. She had her fruit guy, her spice guy, her butcher, and her fishmonger,” Jeff Clark recalls. “They all know her by name. She was always touching, squeezing, smelling, and tasting—she’d scrutinize every ingredient. That’s always stuck with me, and I’m sure that influences Alex in his farm-to-table approach. Three of our aunts and uncles still lived at home at the time. We would all get together for a big meal almost every day.”
For Alex, finding the Southampton space allowed him to move forward and explore more options. “I’ve had all three concepts in my head for a while. When we found the side-by-side spaces on Kingshighway, we decided to go ahead and do it.”
Both brothers were close-mouthed on specific food and drink menu items. “I don’t want to give too many details,” Alex Henry says. “I have a long list of what could be on the menu. Now I’m at the point of narrowing down.”
Jeff Henry, who took a break from painting the exterior of the new spaces on a 100-degree day to speak with us, reflected on his journey in the restaurant business: “It’s been a labor of love… In getting this off the ground I fully expect the results will be very much worthwhile.”
