Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
After serving up a taste of the Yucatan with Sureste Mexican in City Foundry STL, brothers Alex and Jeff Henry are expanding with a multi-concept business in the Southampton neighborhood. El Molino del Sureste (translating to "The Mill of the Southeast") recently opened in two adjacent spaces, at 5005–5007 South Kingshighway, in the Southampton neighborhood. Here's what to know before you go.
The Concept
El Molino Del Sureste centers around the molino, or mill, which the Henrys describe as an essential part of Mexican culinary culture. “The molino is the mill—both a piece of equipment and the name of the business that does the milling,” Alex says. “The corn and the nixtamalization of corn—the masa that results from it—sits at the heart of Mexican cooking. The tortillas, the tamales, everything is made from corn. It’s also used for grinding spices and making pastes. It has a texture that’s different from what you could do in a blender."
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The dining room and el molino
True to its namesake, El Molino del Sureste will operate as a traditional molino, where Alex will nixtamalize corn into masa during daytime hours using a large high-capacity mill in the restaurant’s front window. Guests will be able to purchase fresh tortillas, tostadas, tortilla chips, and fresh salsas to take home, as well as quick lunch items such as tacos and tortas, which will change daily based on the chef’s preferences.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The dining room at El Molino del Sureste
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
During evenings, the space will turn into a dual-concept restaurant, consisting of a family-style dining room and a small plates–focused lounge area. The family-style side is a 50-seat dining room adorned in bright-yellow paint, repurposed church pews outfitted in vibrant upholstery, black-and-white patterned tabletops, and traditional Mexican tile flooring. That vibrant feel changes to a more sultry vibe once diners step into the adjoining lounge area. Painted in a saturated peacock blue and accented with terra cotta colored tiles, the space includes a large hand-carved bar, a handful of lounge tables, and a banquette. The lounge concept will also carry through to the 18-seat covered patio, which sits at the front of the restaurant.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The lounge area at El Molino del Sureste
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
The Menu
As the Henry brothers explain, the concept is to capture the tension between traditional and modern—something they experienced while growing up as the children of a Mexican mother and an American father. “It’s something we understand firsthand,” Jeff says. “We were born in Merida and moved here when we were kids. I was 6, and Alex was 4. However, we spent every summer at our grandparents’ house in Mexico because my mom was very homesick. We’d also rotate during Christmas, so we’d spend one here with our American grandparents and one in Merida with our Mexican grandparents. We always maintained close ties with our aunts, uncles, and cousins, who would come to visit us, too. We always had one foot in two worlds. That puts us in a unique position to educate people a bit without being condescending.”
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Papadzules - chopped egg wrapped in tortilla, pepita herb sauce, chunky tomato sauce
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Pescado al Tikinxic - whole ocean fish marinated in citrus and achiote and roasted in banana leaves, with peppers, onions, and Xni-pec (a Yucatan salsa made with habanero peppers and sour orange juice)
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Puchero de Tres Carnes - pork, beef, and turkey poached in broth with end of summer vegetables and fideos (Spanish noodles). Served with avocado, marinated cucumber, and citrus.
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Huevo Motuleño - tostada, beans, egg, ham, cheese, plantain, and pea shoots
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Dulce Tradicional Con Queso Locales - spread of traditional fruit candies and cheeses
In that sense, the family-style dining room represents tradition, a distillation of what the brothers experienced in their abuelita’s dining room in Merida. As Alex explains, it was a place where family would gather weekly for massive spreads, feasting on such dishes as frijol con puerca (a black bean, pork, and rice stew garnished with avocado, charred tomatoes mashed with cilantro, radish, and lime, served with fresh tortillas). Other family-style dishes include pulpo en su tinta (pictured below) and toksel (made from lima beans roasted on a hot rock with ground pepitas and chives). The brothers are also excited to share the dish that has become synonymous with their brand, the cochinita pibil, a mouthwatering dish of achiote and citrus-marinated pork wrapped in banana leaves and slow-cooked overnight.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Pulpo en su tinta - octopus braised in a sauce of its own ink, with rice, basil, and cherry tomatoes
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Joloches Con Hongo - masa dumpling with local mushrooms, beans, and herbs
On the cocktail lounge side, guests will be treated to small plates that embrace a more modern, playful approach to Yucatan cuisine. Dishes include kaxil sikil (Mayan-inspired dumplings made from ground pepitas that have been cooked with and thickened by beans). Alex plans to serve the dumplings with mushrooms sourced from the area, a play on a traditional way of serving the dish. Guests can also look forward to pan de cazon, a Mexican casserole, which consists of fried tortillas layered with tomatoes, beans, and a small shark known as a cazon.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
El Caudillo
Jeff, who's in charge of the bar program and front-of-house operations, is excited to showcase Yucatan flavors with the cocktails. Although he notes that the list is a work in progress, he says guests can expect the El Caudillo (a riff on the El Presidente, made with dark rum, charanda blanco, agave wine, and house-made tamarind chile syrup), as well as the Callejero (with tequila anejo, agave wine, and xila, a spicy mezcal aperitivo). “We really want to emphasize agave and Mexican spirits,” Jeff says.
The Backstory
When chef Alex thinks back to his most formative culinary memories, the first place his mind goes are the family-style suppers that his abuelita would prepare in her home in Mexico’s Yucatan region. It’s one of the things that inspired him to become a chef in the first place and a part of himself he’s always wanted to share with St. Louis diners.
Now, with their new business, he and Jeff hope to offer customers a window into not only Yucatan cuisine but also its rich culture and history—an all-encompassing culinary experience that will give diners the joy of the experiences that the two had throughout their childhood.
For roughly a decade, Alex has been a key player in the city’s culinary scene, working for such esteemed chefs as Gerard Craft, Michael Gallina, and Ben Poremba. In 2018, food site Eater also named Alex a "Young Gun."
In October 2021, Alex stepped out on his own with his debut dining concept, Sureste Mexican in City Foundry STL. It marked the beginning of a partnership between Alex and Jeff, and it served as a way to introduce St. Louisans to traditional Yucatan cuisine. Over time, that business grew to include a wholesale and retail tortilla operation, which became increasingly difficult to run out of their tiny kitchen at City Foundry.
Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
Alex and Jeff Henry
Although Alex and Jeff initially considered taking on a commissary space, they decided to go all in when they came across the former Yapi Mediterranean Grill space in South City. Now, on the cusp of finally sharing their vision with the public, they are filled with excitement. “At Sureste, I couldn't change the menu as often as I’d like because people keep coming back for their favorites,” Alex says. “There isn’t the freedom for fluidity of a menu like there is here. This gives me an opportunity for creative expression.”
Likewise, Jeff is looking forward to the possibilities in the new space. “I’m just excited to see what he can do in an appropriate venue,” he says.
The brothers also hope it will be a transportive, educational experience for guests. “Our goal is to make sure our servers are conveying what things are, not just listing off ingredients but imparting a bit of that history and context in which the food is eaten,” Jeff says. “We want this to be an immersive experience.”
