After Oscar and Ainara Farina opened Buenos Aires Café inside City Foundry STL and Gaucho’s Steakhouse in Fairview Heights, they have expanded beyond the Argentinian motif with their latest endeavor: Farina’s Kitchen & Bar. Located in the space previously occupied by Mango Peruvian Cuisine, at 1001 Washington, the downtown restaurant opened last summer but only recently received a liquor license. It marks the first restaurant that Oscar will run with his brother and fellow chef, Oswaldo Farina.
The Menu
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Farina’s Kitchen & Bar can best be described as a smart-casual restaurant with a broad influence. While the Farinas other restaurants are decidedly Argentinian, Oscar is thinking globally. The current menu iteration spans some Argentinian accents, such as green Chimichurri sauces served with many protein dishes. The plan is to begin implementing additional cuisines into the menu, such as Asian- and Peruvian-inspired dishes.
“This is a more open-concept restaurant,” says Oscar. “We don’t want people to think they’re coming to our Argentinian restaurant.”
Starters include house-made empanadas, house-smoked Argentinean Provoleta (served melted), and tostones (fried green plantains). Entrées include chimichurri chicken, a grilled smoked pork chop with a black cherry glaze, and a vegan curry bowl. Steaks are finished tableside on a 785-degree lava stone. Cuts include 8-ounce filet mignon, 16-ounce ribeye, 16-ounce strip steak, 20-ounce smoked ribeye, and smoked rack of lamb. (Many of the same items are available at lunch where a burger, smoked BBQ ribs, and a chimichurri chicken sandwich are also available.) A new Hispanic Heritage menu, featuring several varieties of “tacos locos,” is slated to begin in mid-February.
The Atmosphere
Farina’s Kitchen is located on the main Washington Avenue strip downtown, just blocks from the Dome at America’s Center. The main dining room is mildly lit, providing a casually intimate atmosphere. Uniform wooden tables and chairs line the long stretch of windows in the room, providing dining patrons with multiple opportunities to observe the hustle and bustle along Wash. Ave. TVs are positioned on both sides of the center bar as well.
The restaurant also features an event room, which can accommodate private parties and group reservations of up to 100 people. The room contains a private bar and lounge seating.
The Background
The Farinas didn’t always work in the dining industry. At one time, Oscar was an echocardiologist, while Ainara served in the military, which often often required relocating. Eventually, to provide a more mobile source of income, Oscar rolled out a food truck and attended culinary school before opening Gaucho’s Steakhouse and Buenos Aires Café.
At the same time, Oscar’s brother, Oswaldo, moved to St. Louis after working in the restaurant industry in Las Vegas and Arizona. “I just wanted to be closer to family,” says Oswaldo.
While Oscar was setting up Buenos Aires Café at City Foundry STL, in 2021, Oswaldo helped run Gaucho’s. After about a year, Oscar approached his brother with the idea of opening a restaurant. “I always had this dream of having a bigger restaurant in St. Louis,” says Oscar. “I just wanted to do something with my brother.”
