A new food offering from the team behind Parker’s Table and The Yale Bar is rolling out this weekend. The MotorGrill is a vintage three-wheel Cushman serving up skewers, sliders, and street-food charm.
It will make its debut this Saturday, June 20, at 4 p.m. during a summer solstice pop-up event outside the Clayton businesses (7118 Oakland). Another pop-up is in the works for mid-July, with details to come.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Backstory
This isn’t the first time that Parker’s Table has taken its offerings on the road.
The earliest models of a three-wheeler occurred around 2000, beginning with a little Eshelman three-wheeler, which owner Jonathan Parker referred to as a satellite ambassador truck. It would go to farmers’ markets as a way to introduce the shop to a wider audience, selling a variety of specialty foods: pasta, bread, olive oil, vinegar, salts, and spices. (Parker retired it in 2012, and it now sits in front of the shop.)
When Parker realized they were quickly outgrowing the original three-wheeler, he searched for another option. He stumbled upon an old Cushman garbage truck, which he equipped with a smoker to make it suitable for mobile pop-ups and events, including the Clayton Farmers’ Market and the Saint Louis Art Fair. Ultimately, however, Parker put the truck concept on pause years ago to focus on his growing shop.
Then, Yale Bar came along, with chef Jonathan “Jono” Lorentzen at the helm. Before joining the team, Lorentzen would grill at pop-ups across the city by using his binchotan charcoal konro grill, a traditional Japanese tabletop barbecue. “You use this beautiful, smokeless charcoal and can caramelize foods without smoking people out with the close proximity,” explains Lorentzen.
At Yale Bar, Lorentzen began producing that same simple, clean flavor in rotating vegetable specials. Although Yale Bar has flourished into a reputable neighborhood wine bar since opening last year, it does not officially serve entrées, instead focusing on a menu of small plates. Special pop-up events were Lorentzen’s answer to expanding customers’ options in a no-fuss fashion.
“The Yale Bar has found its footing now. We’re always making adjustments, but the basic idea of it is solid,” Parker says. “So now we can do the next thing and be more experimental.”
Parker and Lorentzen began drawing inspiration from Japanese and Thai carts that serve skewers. Although Parker’s previous grill truck had since rusted and fallen apart, he found an alternative in the form of a powder-blue Cushman. With Parker’s streetcar repair knowledge and Lorentzen’s mobile hospitality experience, they decided to replicate a Japanese street cart feel with a fresh, personal spin.
“Some people even remark it’s like selling food in Sicily, with that global, European feel, which both of us really align on,” Lorentzen says.
The Menu
The menu’s first iteration will consist of a variety of skewers (one for $8 or four for $26):
- Yakitori Mortadella
- BBQ Conecuh Sausage
- Grilled Balsamic Artichoke
- Chicken Marsala
A pair of pork sliders ($12) consist of barbecue pulled pork, pickles, and Carolina barbecue sauce served on Parker’s Table fresh rolls. “It’s a special addition to the Yale Bar menu, but it’s visible, being made right there in front of you,” Parker says.
Customers can still enjoy Yale Bar’s full food and wine menu as well.
Although the grill menu is subject to change in the future, it will complement what Parker’s Table is selling and the vision of Yale Bar. “At times, we may sell skewers in the Parker’s Table case. Families in the neighborhood could come grab some grilled chicken,” Lorentzen says. “It’s a full picture.”
The Community
At Parker’s Table and Yale Bar, guests can sit under a shaded awning or any other indoor or outdoor part of the lively corner, which has become a neighborhood gathering place.
Parker and Lorentzen hope to connect with the community in other ways as well. They see Forest Park as a natural, nearby hub to achieve that vision. (Plus, the MotorGrill has a maximum speed of 30 mph, so they can’t venture too far.)
“It’s hard to simulate an area of a bustling, foreign city like in Japan. But in St. Louis, I feel like one of the places you can do that is Forest Park,” Lorentzen says. “Eventually, it’d be fun to be at Shakespeare in the Park or by Art Hill.”
Parker and Lorentzen’s goal is to stay rooted in the neighborhood while intentionally connecting with the park, permit and permission pending. “That could be the dream for the end of the road for this,” Lorentzen says, “taking this charm to go out and connect.”
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