Five dining and entertainment venues slated to open on Locust Avenue in Midtown this summer

The project, JC Midtown, is being developed by Jassen Johnson, owner of Tower Real Estate Group.

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Ask St. Louisans what exciting development is currently happening in Midtown, around Jefferson and Locust, and they might say Centene Stadium, future home of St. Louis CITY SC. 

But something equally exciting for those who love great food and drink—and those who are buoyed by urban development in the wake of a pandemic and historic inflation—is JC Midtown, a hub of restaurants, a wine shop, and a music venue, located at 2700-10 Locust Street, slated to open between July and September 2022.

Spearheading the project is Jassen Johnson, owner of Tower Real Estate Group and the developer behind transforming the former Beaumont Telephone Exchange Building into Malone STL, an apartment complex that sits across the street from JC Midtown.

“JC” stands for “Jefferson Connector,” the name given to the stretch of development estimated to cost $70 million that connects Midtown and downtown with new restaurants, retail, and living spaces.

“We spent a lot of time curating the concepts in the other end of the Midtown district," Johnson says, "so there wasn’t any overlap. Once we put in Pappy’s, we weren’t going to entertain a Sugarfire. That’s the plan for JC, too. The neighborhood has a ton of people, but not a lot of life. That will all change in the next year."

In a release announcing JC Midtown, Johnson noted that while the apartment complex has brought a “a lot of momentum” to the district, restaurants and shops are needed to make the area more “walkable and active.”  So far, five tenants have been secured, including Nexus Cultural Cuisine and Craft Cocktails, Videira Wine Shop & Bar, Kain Tayo, Anita Café and Bar, and Rick’s, a music venue down the street that will include rooftop performances and duckpin bowling. Johnson noted that two additional tenants—a soccer club and a microbrewery—are in the works for the 2710 Locust space.

Another big change is in store for the block of Beaumont Street, just around the corner. Johnson says the traffic lane will be narrowed to allow extended patio dining on one side of the street and a community bocce ball court on the other. String lights (that can be seen from Olive) will be installed between the buildings. "Our plan is to create lot of energy in one area," Johnson says, "a place where you can hang out for hours, visiting the different businesses."

Anita Café and Bar 

2700 Locust Corner

Anita Abdul-Karim, a registered dietician who spoke with SLM in April about her café and bar, draws inspiration from the Lebanese breakfast tradition sobhiyeh, in which family members gather for coffee, conversation, prayers, and well wishes for the remainder of the day. With a focus on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, such as fatteh (a dish traditionally consisting of crispy pita bread, chickpeas, herbs, garlic, yogurt, and pine nuts), the café will also feature a variety of sweet and savory open-faced toasts and specialty drinks, such as an espresso martini and chlorophyll-and-Earl Gray elixirs. According to the release, Abdul-Karim says, “We want to highlight the beauty of our tradition in a familiar way, in hopes that we can boost the well-being of our customers through our sacred traditions. We hope to share a little culture and tradition with our community.”

Nexus Cultural Cuisine & Craft Cocktails 

2704 Locust

Misha Sampson and Ceaira Jackson (who go by Misha K and Chef Jack) previously worked together at Bait, the highly acclaimed seafood restaurant in the Central West End. After leaving Bait, they opened Culture Food Group, a series of pop-up dinners and curbside pickup meals. Now they are getting ready to own their first brick-and-mortar restaurant together: Nexus Cultural Cuisine and Craft Cocktails. 

The alliterative title refers to a gathering place where “people of every culture will be able to enjoy cooking from every culture,” the women told SLM back in August 2021. According to the release, the Nexus space will be light and airy, thanks to high ceilings and large windows looking out over an herb garden and shared patio (pictured at right). Menu highlights include Szechuan Chicken and Almond Waffles, Short Ribs and Grits, Duck Rangoon, Jerk Lamb Burger, and Seasonal Gumbo. Local purveyors and plant-based cuisine will also be showcased at Nexus, as well Japanese Whiskey Highballs, low- and no-ABV coffee drinks, natural wines, and house-made syrups and garnishes.

Videira Wine Shop & Bar 

2700 Locust Rear

Owner Mykel McIntosh spoke with SLM earlier this month, sharing that she was originally going to work with chef Jack and Misha K since the three had previously worked together at Bait. McIntosh credits the duo behind Nexus with encouraging her to open her own place, and Videira (Portuguese for “grapevine”) was born. Offerings at the wine bar will include cheese, charcuterie, and “snack and share” fare, such as mixed olives, smoked salmon, and flaming cheese. In addition to the wine list, Videira will feature traditional and signature cocktails, the latter named after iconic actresses: the “RITA” is mezcal, blueberry syrup, Grand Marnier, lime juice, and tajin (a spicy chili pepper condiment). The retail shop will offer wine, spirits, and the charcuterie and cheeses found on the menu. Of the vibe, McIntosh says she’s going for “a mashup of 33 Wine Bar and Brennan’s...a mix of wine knowledge you pick up at 33 with the coziness you experience at Brennan’s.”

Kain Tayo 

2700 Locust Middle

Hailing from The Philippines, Randy and Rosalie (“Sally”) Ortega opened Kain Tayo in New Trenton, Illinois, in 2019, with the help of extended family. After rave reviews from Filipinos and metro area locals who have never tried the cuisine, the couple is ready to bring their food to Midtown. 

“Kain tayo” (“let’s eat” in Tagalog) will offer traditional Filipino dishes, such as Lumpiang Shanghai (spring rolls stuffed with ground pork and veggies), Chicken Adobo (chicken and potatoes in garlic pepper sauce), Camaron Rebosado (fried shrimp), Lechon Kawali (fried pork belly), Tinola (chicken soup with chayote or bok choy), and Pancit (rice noodles with sautéed veggies). The Ortegas also plan on daily specials, such as the Mochiko chicken plate on Fridays and Filipino barbecue chicken on Saturdays. “Customers don’t always know what to order, but they like the idea of trying something new and almost always end up coming back for more,” the couple says in a press release.

Preparing for the relocation, the couple closed Kain Tayo on May 21. "The reason we are moving to St. Louis is because more than 70 percent of our Illinois customers already live in St. Louis," Randy says. "It'll be the same food, same concept, only the address is changing." The Ortegas hope to open in July. 

Rick’s

2639 Locust

With an apartment building full of residents and other buildings slated for restaurants, cafés, and food shops, the area also needs an entertainment venue. Enter Rick’s and Rick’s Rooftop, at 2639 Locust. Owner Jeff Birmes envisions a space that will include a full-service bar, duckpin bowling, pinball machines, Skee-Ball, foosball, bocce ball, and a rooftop bar and concert venue that will host both national and local acts ("With a 400-person capacity, we'll be bigger than The Duck Room but smaller than Delmar Hall," Birmes says). The space will also be tailored to accommodate a food truck (or at least the facade of one), where patrons can grab some local nosh among the games, camaraderie, and music. 

"We have 6000-square-feet downstairs and half that amount on the roof," Birmes says, "almost 10,000-square-feet of useable space that can also be used for teambuilding and private events."

As for the name, Birmes says "it's a long story, but there is no Rick. I was mistakenly called Rick one morning and it became a joke that stuck. All my employees started calling me Rick, now everyone does. So Rick does not exist, but all the employees with have 'Rick' on their shirts, in case someone wants to meet Rick."

The spoof is ongoing. “I play in a band called The Six Ricks," Birmes says. "What’s funny is that there are only four of us and none are named Rick.” 

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