Photography by Katherine Bish
Herbie's Vintage '72 chef-owner Aaron Teitelbaum plans to recreate the historic atmosphere from his Central West End restaurant in the longtime Cardwell's in Clayton location later this year.
Herbie’s Vintage '72 is moving from one storied spot to another. This fall, it will leave the former Café Balaban space in the Central West End to reopen in Cardwell’s in Clayton’s longtime location, at the southwest corner of Brentwood and Maryland.
Herbie’s will keep its vintage name and vibe, one reason the space in Clayton, with its mahogany-lined walls and French doors, appealed to Herbie's chef-owner Aaron Teitelbaum. “I happened to go into Cardwell’s in Clayton one day for lunch," he says, "and I was like, ‘Wow, this place just screams Herbie’s.’”
Like Herbie's, the idea had history: In 2008, after making a name for himself at Monarch in Maplewood, Teitelbaum had looked at the Cardwell’s in Clayton space. At the time, however, Cardwell’s owners Rich and Debbie Gorczyca weren’t ready to make a change. So Teitelbaum instead opened Herbie’s Vintage ’72 in the Central West End, paying homage to Herb Balaban Carp, the late, legendary owner of the former Café Balaban space at 405 N. Euclid.
Photography by Gregg Goldman
Herbie's chef-owner Aaron Teitelbaum
With Herbie’s lease in the CWE running up this fall, Teitelbaum recently inquired at Cardwell’s in Clayton again. “He waited eight years and came back,” laughs Gorczyca. “We’ve contemplated it for a little bit, but we had to wait until the right thing came along.
“It’s really a nice arrangement,” adds Gorczyca, who will continue to oversee Cardwell’s in Clayton through early October and has private events booked through fall. “The one thing that helped in my decision is that Aaron, God bless him, is going to offer my staff positions.” (SLM wrote about that dedicated staff years ago, in a feature highlighting St. Louis workplaces.)
“The restaurant business is a young man’s game, and he’s a young man,” says Gorczyca, who turns 67 in October. “He reminds me… I was about his age when I opened Cardwell’s.” That was in 1987, when Gorczyca and renowned chef Bill Cardwell opened the Clayton staple, after working together at the Fedora Café in Union Station. (Cardwell, of course, opened another eponymous location at Plaza Frontenac in 1994 and sold the Clayton restaurant in 1997.)
Cardwell’s in Clayton was a pioneer in the local dining scene, both for its contemporary cuisine and its alfresco dining. Located in the business district, it quickly became a favorite for lawyers, bankers, and other businesspeople. St. Louisans flocked to its sprawling patio, the first in the neighborhood to serve food.
For Teitelbaum, whose restaurant’s current location in the CWE lacks a true patio, the alfresco area in Clayton—with one of Ernest Trova’s shiny “Walking Jackman” sculptures nearby—will offer a welcome opportunity to grow the business. “If we were going to move, it had to be a place that was going to rival our current location, and there are very few places that do that. But with the 100-seat patio and everything else, it just fit.”
In addition to the patio, the Clayton space will include four private dining areas and an expanded bar. Jeff Orbin, Teitelbaum’s former partner in Monarch and Herbie’s, will consult on the interior design, which will incorporate much of the historic décor from the Central West End, including the oversized vintage French posters, light fixtures, and historic wooden tables (including “The Turkey Table,” which hosted a long list of notables—David Bowie, Sharon Stone, Paul Newman, Susan Sarandon, among others—as well as Carp himself and regular Chuck Jackson).
Photography by Ashley Gieseking
The famous "Turkey Table" at Herbie's will be moving to Clayton, along with much of the other historic decor. The table has a brass plaque in honor of longtime regular Chuck Jackson (pictured).
“We will be recreating Herbie’s in that location,” say Teitelbaum, adding that he still considers the Central West End home and will continue to have a presence in the neighborhood, where he owns and operates Kingside Diner. “As excited as we are for this next chapter of our life, we will miss our home in the CWE, where it all started.” (No word yet about a future tenant for the historic space in the Central West End.)
Herbie’s executive chef Chris Vomund and team plan to serve up the same acclaimed French-American bistro fare, along with an extensive wine list and cocktail program. “We’ll also have some new items,” hints Teitelbaum. “We’re not just going to open our door with the same menu. We’ll continue to evolve.”
Herbie’s Vintage '72 will remain in the Central West End through October 2, while Cardwell’s in Clayton plans to continue operations until about the same date.
“About the time he’s departing there, we’ll be departing,” says Gorczyca. "I’d like to thank all of our friends, patrons, and business associates who’ve supported us over the years."
Teitelbaum hopes to reopen Herbie's in Clayton in early November. Gorczyca plans to help with the transition—though he and Debbie also look forward to volunteering and spending time with their first grandchild.
The prospect of moving into another restaurant space with an impressive track record excites Teitelbaum and his team. “We had a good run picking up a historic piece [for the former Café Balaban], and that’s what I feel like we’re doing with Cardwell’s,” says Teitelbaum. “We’re carrying that torch again.”
Photography by Frank Di Piazza
One of the private dining rooms at Cardwell's in Clayton
Herbie's Vintage '72 is located at 405 N. Euclid; dinner is served nightly, and brunch is served on weekends. Cardwell's in Clayton is located at 8100 Maryland; lunch is served Monday through Friday, and dinner is served Monday through Saturday.
