Courtesy Joanie's To Go
Joanie's To Go
Joanie’s To Go in Soulard is reopening today with a new owner. Tom Gullickson, owner of 1860 Saloon, Game Room & Hardshell Café, took over the popular to-go pizza operation at 804 Russell a month ago. “I’ve been a Soulard resident for 37 years and have owned 1860 for 17,” he says. “I know the neighborhood, I know the market, and I know that Joanie [Thomas, the pizzeria's owner] had a successful business.
“Joanie’s heart and soul was in that place," he continues, "just like at the original Joanie’s [Pizza]," which she closed a few years ago, after 25 years in business. She was ready to slow down, he adds. When Gullickson was offered a lease with an option to buy, he saw it as a great opportunity. “I wasn’t in the mood to fix anything, and nothing needed fixing,” he says.
Courtesy Joanie's To Go
Gullickson plans to carry on the same time-tested approach, alongside his daughter, Lana, who has food service industry experience and will serve as the general manager. The duo plans to keep “the same recipes, the same menu, and the same team.”
The menu at Joanie’s To Go is every bit as robust as its big-sister counterpart: a wide range of appetizers and sandwiches, plus salads and pasta, calzones, and 14 specialty pizzas available in three crust options (thin, hand-tossed, double crust), as well as lunch specials and combos. Items can be ordered at the indoor walk-up window, online, or called in for pickup or in-house delivery.
Photo by George Mahe
The Posh Nosh
Who would've believed that The Posh Nosh is 55 years old? The popular Clayton deli has occupied a narrow storefront along Maryland Avenue for longer than former employee Catherine Smith has been alive. Barring any complications, Smith, who also owns Bridging The Gap Home Services, a home health care business, will take the reins on February 1.
“It’s always been close to my heart,” she says of the local institution. “I worked there when I was 16 for the original owners and came back to manage the place for Joyce and Larry [Kolker, the subsequent owners] when I was in my twenties. I even worked with the current owner before she owned the place. But never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d ever own it.” Smith plans on being "100% involved" to give customers old and new the opportunity to get to know her and build a personal relationship.
Photo by George Mahe
Current owner Michelle Boland thought the time was right to sell the landmark restaurant, after operating it for the past 20 years. “In need of two new knees,” she explains. “Life and the business take its toll sometimes.” Boland prides herself on maintaining product consistency and the sheer charm of the place. “People come in here, and they want the same sandwich; they want to see their name on the wall,” she says, referring to the two walls of Sharpie signatures and doodles. Years ago, Boland established a weekday breakfast business and as well as a nod to the carb-conscious: “If requesting no bread, you may substitute extra lettuce, tomato or cheese,” the menu reads.
Smith is adopting the same don’t-mess-with-success philosophy: The beloved bagels will still be sourced from Alpha Baking Co., breakfast hours will continue, party sandwiches will continue to be built up to 5 feet long, the strawberry lemonade will remain, as will the complimentary sauerkraut and pickles.
While the overall plan is to "add some fresh and exciting changes in the future," she fully intends to maintain the charm and nostalgia of the iconic institution.
“There will be refinements and tweaks, for sure,” Smith says, referring to adding upgrades, such as a digital ordering system and calling more attention to the narrow brick-and-ivy-strewn courtyard.
Courtesy Be Lovely Photography
Pizza Head
Late last month, Pizza Head owner/founder Scott Sandler passed his wooden pizza paddle to Dylan Dodson and Sam Driemeier, a young couple who not only loved his vegetarian pies but also saw an opportunity to drive industry changes. Among other initiatives, they hope to revitalize Sandler’s Pay It Forward program, which provides pizza to people in need.
Courtesy Pizza Head
The monster 20-inch pies (available whole or by the slice) will remain the featured item. Minor changes planned for the menu—"additions, not subtractions,” as they described it to the Riverfront Times—include more vegan offerings (including sauces), the return of salads, developing vegan cheese bread, cookies, breadsticks, a breakfast and a dessert pizza, and a possible brunch.
Service is currently pickup and delivery only; the dining room is expected to reopen “when we feel it’s safe to do so,” they wrote on social media, possibly within a month.
Photo by George Mahe
The Crow Bar
Photo by George Mahe
As Sauce first reported, the owners of popular Maplewood haunt The Crow’s Nest (home of the famed Sunday morning “Metal Brunch”) are taking over the former Nadine’s Gin Joint in Soulard. They plan to open a sister business—aptly named The Crow Bar—in time for Mardi Gras, pending a liquor license. “We begin interior renovations this week,” says co-owner Eliza Coriell, “and hope to have the covered patio open for Mardi Gras.”
Crow’s Nest chef RJ Marsh, a fellow owner in the new venture, will oversee both operations. Coriell reports that the Crow Bar menu will have crossover items (pork poutine, chili cheese fries) and a Crow’s Nest–like vibe, though it won't necessarily be a cut-and-paste copy.
As for brunch? “It won’t be a carbon copy of the Crow’s Nest brunch," says Marsh, "but we won’t unmetal it either."
Big Sky Cafe
Courtesy Big Sky Cafe
Dominic Weiss, Tim Mallett
Earlier this week, Big Sky Cafe founder Tim Mallett announced that he has sold the restaurant to longtime employee Dominic Weiss. "Many of you know Dominic as the chef, general manager, and more recently, the defender of Big Sky Cafe from the challenges of the last couple of years," Mallett says in the release.
Throughout its nearly 30 years in existence, SLM has praised Big Sky Cafe for its creativity, consistency, and marketing prowess. For the last several years, we've observed Weiss floating effortlessly from kitchen to bar to patio, taking the collective pulse at each stop. We salute departing owner Tim Mallett, one of the city's most respected restaurateurs, and look forward to seeing more of Weiss, and experiencing whatever else he might be planning.
Editor's note: This article has been updated from its original version.
