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Video by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
If at first you succeed, try, try, again. This is the mantra of OG Hospitality Group, a band of restaurant brothers who’ve doubled down on The Corner Pub & Grill, The Shack, and most recently The Tavern Kitchen & Bar. (The Valley Park flagship garnered SLM’s Restaurant of the Year honors in 2011.)
OGHG shuttered its 2-year-old Cucina Pazzo to make way for the more proven concept but needed just a month to Tavern-ize the 115-seat space. Barnwood planks soften several brick walls, and chartreuse wainscoting adds a playful pop to others. Whitewashed tables are a fine backdrop for such Pazzo stalwarts as Meatballs al Forno and classics-in-waiting like the so-called trios—samplings of three different entrées, a clever and efficient way to traverse chef Jessie Gilroy’s modern American menu.
Locals of a certain age will remember the three-room space as Duff’s, the address’s beloved former occupant. Though the eclectic menu and tree-covered patio hark to days past, whimsical dishes such as Char-Siu Pork Steak and Chopstick Pig Pasta are assurance that the fascination continues. 392 N. Euclid, 314-696-8400, tavernstl.com.
