Three brothers refurbish and rename a beloved Edwardsville steakhouse

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

From left: André, Antoine, and Christian Moussalli

Andria’s Countryside Restaurant, located on five acres on the outskirts of Edwardsville, was the only restaurant in the metro serving a grade of beef so exclusive that it’s awarded to only .1 percent of the US beef market. The restaurant is now called Moussalli‘s Prime, after the brothers who co-own it—Andre, Antoine, and Christian Moussalli— but the superlative grade of beef served remains the same, a distinction that might just warrant a road trip. – George Mahe

I’m just going fire off some questions, so feel free to chime in whenever and wherever. 

Antoine: (smiling) Hopefully you’ll get one good answer between the three of us!

So what was the first indication that you wanted to make the restaurant business your career?

Andre: When Antoine went to culinary school and returned to be the boss at Andria’s, I wanted to expand my knowledge, too, since I’d only been a dishwasher there. There was so much room for growth in this field, and there’s so much to learn about different cuisines, that I enrolled in culinary school as well.

Christian: I’d loved the business ever since Antoine and I were bussers at Pizza King here in Edwardsville. I went to U of I [Illinois] where I majored in aviation, but when I realized I was color blind it was a deal breaker, so I switched to the hospitality program. I became a TA for several semesters and it became my passion. After graduation, I went to work for Darden restaurants. In my mind, they’ve perfected a recipe for success. It’s the best education you could have if you want to make money in this business. (smiling at his brothers) I know my way around the kitchen, too, I just prefer not to be there.

Antoine: When we were bussing at PK’s, we knew we were doing a good job, and asked for a raise. Our boss said in his 20 or 30 years, he’s never given a raise to a busser or server, which in effect pushed us to another place, where we got that raise. I saw how much fun the guys in the kitchen were having, asked for a few shifts and that’s where I stayed, before and after culinary school.

Andre, you worked at some high-end restaurants in Napa. What brought you back to Edwardsville?

I worked at Auberge de Soleil then at Étoile, but I’d missed so many birthdays and holidays that it was time to come home. I missed my friends, the quality of life. I saw Cleveland-Heath succeed on a grand scale. I saw the culinary diversity and the opportunities here, but the opportunity to take over Andria’s cemented the deal.

What did you learn in California and how will it translate to a steakhouse?

Andre: My last job there was opening and working at a Thai restaurant. Some of that influence made it onto Moussalli’s menu in minor roles, where it’s more appropriate, like the forbidden rice that’s part of the salmon entrée and the crispy pork rib tip appetizer, a balanced dish with all the Thai components—salty, sweet, sour, and spicy. I suspect the Thai influence will drift into our casual, bar menu more than the dinner menu.

Does Moussalli’s have a mission statement?

Antoine: We’d like to be the best restaurant in the St. Louis area—(laughs) no big deal, right?—which may sound arrogant, but for starters we are using a grade of beef that no one else in the metro uses or can get. Then we age it a minimum of 21 days, hopefully twice that. The difference in taste and texture is apparent.

How so?

Antoine: The grade that we use—USDA Prime, All-Natural Certified Angus Beef from Niman Ranch—accounts for a small fraction of the beef sold in this country, so the supply is extremely limited. Andre: It’s produced in the most humane way possible and the only way to get it consistently is to buy direct from Niman, which we do. They tell us they can supply one restaurant, but may not have the capacity to supply a second.

How many restaurants in the country use that grade?

Antoine: Only a few, due to the supply. I think Adam Perry Lang’s restaurants do. Some of Mario Batali’s restaurants do or did.

How will you cook these steaks?

Andre: Most will be cooked on a gas grill but some of the special cuts will be done sous vide, seared in a cast iron pan basted with whole butter and aromatics, then sliced. Our plan is to sell three cuts, in several sizes, plus prime rib.

Andria’s Countryside used the namesake Steak Sauce to baste its steaks? Will you?

Antoine: That was literally the flavor of the old place. It was time for a change, in all areas.    

Some people think that buying Prime grade tenderloin is a waste of money.

Antoine: As far as tenderness goes, there may not be much of a difference [between Prime and Choice grade], but Prime’s extra marbling means more unrendered fat, which means more flavor, which is where tenderloin traditionally falls short versus strips and ribeyes.

How can you serve a superlative grade of beef and still make a profit?

Andre: The filet only went up $1 from what Andria’s was charging, but the other cuts increased more because they had to. The food cost was 50%, which isn’t sustainable from a profitability standpoint. Our steaks aren’t overpriced by any means—$35 to $55—given the quality. (smiling) We just want to stay open! Antoine: Now there is a sticker shock appetizer—our $69 Prime Platter—but it’s an impressive-looking, seafood sharable.

How will you accommodate the non-steak eater?

Andre: A handmade pappardelle with smoked tomato sauce, king trumpet mushrooms, and a ragu of braised beef and root vegetables. There’s a sunchoke and lobster risotto that will be popular. People are excited that we’ll have a raw bar with oysters…I’d love to see people starting off their evening with champagne and oysters. Christian: We’ll also have updated versions of four Andria’s appetizers: chicken spiedini, baked escargot, shrimp Alexander, and crab stuffed mushrooms, this time using deep sea red crab.

So will Moussalli’s be strictly a special occasion restaurant?

Andre: Mostly. The price point—especially for the steaks—will somewhat dictate that. That said, having a more casual, burgers-and-sandwiches menu in the bar will broaden the appeal in that area. But we don’t want to become a sandwich restaurant. We can’t. Christian: You shouldn’t need to go to St. Louis to experience a great restaurant. Our goal is to deliver one of the best personalized dining experiences around and really make the special occasion special.

How does a higher-end restaurant survive in today’s casual dining environment—especially during the week?

Christian: (laughing) People do have birthdays and anniversaries during the week. We have 115 seats to fill, a lot of people in the area wanting to celebrate, and very few restaurants in this niche market where they can do that nearby.

What’s different and what stayed the same? 

Andre: Not much stayed the same except for the exterior walls and the walk-in cooler, and we replaced we replaced all of its components, it’s pretty much new, too. It was a pretty rural looking and feeling building before, but it’s been fully updated, right down to getting a city sewer line and natural gas.

Describe the interior.

Antoine: A brushed brass and navy color scheme is repeated in several intimate dining rooms and a separate bar area. There are tables rather than booths with simple votives, navy napkins, tiny salt and pepper shakers. Think refreshed and modern rather than old school and throwback. Christian: We had to redesign the place to better control the flow. Now there are no bad seats in the house. That was important to us, especially given the price point.

But you stayed with tablecloths.

Andre: We did, for several reasons. The look is clean, classy, and they deaden sound. You hardly see tablecloths anymore but they set the proper tone for the experience we want to deliver.

How else will you mitigate noise?

Christian: We know that’s a problem in every restaurant, so we have deadening clouds on the ceiling and our artwork is screenprinted onto sound-absorbing material.

Any unusual service touches?

Antoine: We’d love to do some tableside items—like the Bananas Foster Andria’s used to do—but the small rooms may not allow for it. Christian: You sell one of those and then you’re selling them for the rest of the night. We may do an amuse bouche. Antoine: And eventually some tasting menu options, for the table.

Will there be outside seating?

Antoine: We are planning to extend the back patio, but with so many trees, we’ll need to screen it in. That’s a spring project. We need to get open first.

Is Moussalli’s serving dinners or entrees a la carte?

Andre: Steak dinners include soup or salad, and potato or seasonal vegetable. Steak sauces and sharable sides are extra. We opted for serving composed plates rather than going the a la carte route since it’s easier to perceive value when there’s one price and not a bunch of add-ons.

What makes Moussalli’s different than other farm-to-table destinations?

Antoine: The restaurant is on five acres, so the possibilities are endless. As guests drive in, they’ll see gardens, covered growing areas, and the fruit trees we planted– Meteor cherries, Santa Rosa plums, giant Alberta peaches… Soon there’ll be a grape arbor, a greenhouse, and an apiary. Andre: It’s a chef’s dream to be able to convert seeds into something that can be served the moment after it’s picked. There’s nothing more special than that. In California, farm-to-table can be taken literally. In Missouri, the term must be amended with as much as possible. It’s far from a textbook situation.

Is the beverage program wine-focused, as with other steakhouses?

Christian: Yes, and to that end we purchased Andria’s entire wine inventory, so we’ll have some older reds and half bottles available right off the bat. Right now, we’re looking at 15 wines by the glass averaging $10 a pour, which should be a motivator. Antoine: Andria’s had one beer on tap. We’ll have four, all craft beers, plus some cans and bottles.

Are you all partners in the business?

Antoine: We are, along with Jonathan and Claire Fowler. They're our partners, landlords, and Claire helps us on the floor. We’ve been friends with Jonathan for years and pipe dreamed about doing this for the last several. Finally, it’s real, and they made it possible.

Are there restaurant plans beyond Moussalli’s Prime?

Andre: Prime is a jumping off point. Next up is the conversion of the former Rusty’s, which will become  Moussalli’s on Main. The idea is for our flagship to supply other projects with products and maybe proteins that we raise on the property here.

Discuss being partners as well as brothers.

Andre: We all bring something to the table and realize our strengths and weaknesses. Something that we would have argued about 10 years ago is no big deal now. We talk everything through. We all chime in. Antoine: Christian and I are identical, but mirror image, twins. I’m right-handed and he’s left-handed, he can hold his tongue and I can’t. That’s why he’s out in front and I’m in back. It all works.

Staffing has become a major issue for restaurants. How are you dealing with that?

Antoine: A lot of Andria’s employees have returned, friends have come on board or returned to town. It’s like the hometown boys are giving back to Edwardsville, showing what we’ve done with the last 15 or 20 years of our lives and sharing what we can do with the community. Andre: The old go-to place will be the go-to place again.

At least your name is straightforward and won’t get bungled.

Antoine: Wanna bet? We get Moussalini quite a bit.

Christian: Where are they getting that n?

Andre: Yeah. People are gonna think it’s an Italian joint.