The newest dining option at the nearly century-old Chase Park Plaza can be assessed from a lobby nook just outside its door. On a marble side table is a framed black-and-white photograph of Preston J. Bradshaw, the namesake architect who designed the hotel and original restaurant. To one side is a TV monitor displaying The Preston’s menus along with representative photos. You’ll see one of the prettiest mini-entrées in town (octopus and gnocchi over a swipe of sunchoke purée), the city’s best $10 soup deal (half-a-dozen quarter-size scallops in a moat of clam chowder), and an aptly named masterpiece (Melted Chocolate)—an interactive fin de repas (priced at $8 but worth $18) that’s guaranteed to elicit OMGs. Just beyond, elegant maple flooring is installed on the diagonal, leading diners to the main room, where a mix of casual grays and soft ivories complements a subtly lit open kitchen. Some guests make it only as far as the bar, derailed either by the allure of the room’s renowned Sunday brunch or by a “modern classic” cocktail such as the Goodnight Mr. Preston, the same words we muttered as we departed, just after tipping our cap to his august visage.
How Jono Lorentzen is turning Yale Bar into St. Louis’ next great neighborhood hangout
The Parker’s Table chef is rolling out a new menu, expanding the pastry program, and channeling old-school hospitality at the cozy bar.
