Kevin A. Roberts
When this year’s local food trends were being bandied about, no one mentioned "brunch." Within the past several months, however, at least seven restaurants have taken the Sunday morning plunge, from heavy hitters like Sardella to hidden gems like Rob Uyemura’s Local Chef STL.
Add The Dark Room to the list—and with enthusiasm, considering the enlarged food and beverage program, a daily schedule of live music, and an all-around sleek vibe. With all of the new players in the brunch game, it's a challenge to rise above the fray, but The Dark Room has found a way. Here's how it's different:
Food: The Dark Room opened in March 2014 a few hundred yards away from the new location as a wine bar and photo gallery. Despite live jazz five nights a week, the comestibles were of the nibble-and-nosh variety—until Samantha Pretto came on board. The former Scottish Arms chef introduced a robust dinner program, including a Gnocchi of the Week that gained some notoriety. But there was no lunch or brunch until The Dark Room moved into the Grandel last month. Pretto says brunch is her favorite meal to cook. "I make the best biscuits you’ll ever eat,” she says. “I bake them all the time. Biscuits are my woosah.”
Kevin A. Roberts
Behold the The Big Biscuit Sandwich (pictured above), with two eggs (one atop the sandwich, the other within) and layers of thick-cut bacon and English white cheddar. We meant no disservice by calling the skewered stack a “biscuit Whopper” and were impressed that the price is a paltry $10. (Tip: Order the eggs over easy, and enjoy every flake and crumb.)
Kevin A. Roberts
For us, it’s hard not to order eggs Benedict at Sunday brunch, and we fell victim at The Dark Room as well. The Smoked Salmon Benedict (pictured above) features a massive portion of salmon, a hit of hollandaise that’s more than the advertised “drizzle,” and a roasted tomato salad, nestled between the muffins as if to say “don’t forget about me.”
Another creation, simply called Baked Avocado (pictured below), might be the most fetching item on Pretto’s brunch menu. Small avocado halves are baked with egg, aged manchego, and prosciutto until the ham is crispy but still chewy. The unusual spoon-and-fork dish that the chef describes as “salty, eggy, creamy, and ‘good-fatty”’ also happens to be gluten-free.
Kevin A. Roberts
Baked eggs and dry-cured ham reappear on a Prosciutto Egg Cheese Flatbread (pictured below), along with melty English white cheddar.
Kevin A. Roberts
Other chef’s specials include shrimp and grits, Dark Room Hash (with confited beef), two kinds of quiche (one is vegetarian), and a “2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage, and more" affair appropriately called The Gallery. Several sandwiches, a charcuterie board, and a scatter of salads (with or without a protein) round out the extensive menu, which is served from 10 a.m.–3 p.m. every Sunday.
First-class Drinks: Denise Mueller, a sommelier and general manager of the restaurant, developed a substantial wine list, described in plain- (as opposed to wine-geek) speak. Three on-staff sommeliers are equally at ease pairing a beer, cider, or photographer-inspired cocktail (Ansel Adams, Richard Avedon) as they are pairing a wine from the 100-bottle cellar. Mueller jokes that she has “a European aesthetic,” which translates to “not being afraid to have a little alcohol with lunch or with brunch.” Aware of some Americans’ aversion to the practice, however, she developed “Collins Calling,” a menu of great-tasting drinks that are low in alcohol. (There's also an $8 Build a Bloody option, for brunch traditionalists.)
Photographs: The original Dark Room began as a wine bar and venue for photographic exhibitions, which changed every other month. The sight lines were poor, however, with some photographs having to be placed over occupied tables. The new location was designed so patrons could view the oeuvres unobstructed. Tom Niemeier of SPACE Architecture + Design paid special attention to how the photos (unframed and unmatted, in all shapes and sizes) would be mounted. He elected to clad the wall surfaces with steel plates, which meant sleek pin magnets could be used for mounting. The charcoal gray walls, almost invisible magnets, and precise lighting create a dramatic effect, exactly what the Kranzberg Arts Foundation wanted when it began redeveloping the 133-year-old Grandel Theatre. The Dark Room is the first phase of the renovation; this spring, the theatre will be improved and an outdoor patio will be added.
Festivities: It’s hard to beat a brunch with live music—classical, Dixieland, or, in this case, “The Dark Room Brunch Sessions,” a rotating cadre of local musicians who play from 11 a.m.–1:30 p.m. every Sunday (music schedule here). The positioning of the musicians, on a barely elevated platform within the 60-seat room, personalizes each performance. (The Dark Room features live music five nights a week as well, plus a happy hour session on Friday and late-night tunes on Saturday.)
Philanthropy: Chris Hansen, executive director of the Kranzberg Arts Foundation, says part of the foundation's mission is to invest in free, no cover music, which means more work opportunities for local musicians. “That’s why the foundation made The Dark Room a nonprofit,” he says. “All profits from patron purchases benefit the arts in St. Louis... The Kranzbergs wanted to create a place that patrons of the arts could go all day long and be able to enjoy an elevated dining experience without having to leave Grand Center.”
