Remember hearing the slogan “The Chase is the Place?” If early indications play out, The Preston (the former Eau Bistro) has the potential to reinvigorate the famous tagline.
Over the past four months, the 104-seat space on the hotel’s ground floor has changed dramatically. Gone is the gaudy red, orange, and yellow faux paint, a product of the 1999 conversion to Eau Bistro. Designer Katie Roberts replaced it with soft grays and ivory to transform that scream into a whisper.
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According to The Chase’s general manager, Bill Derbins, reconcepting the bistro was overdue. A remodel—and name change—of the more casual Cafe Eau (located across the hall from Eau Bistro) is next on the hotel’s to-do list.
The Preston is named after Preston J. Bradshaw, the local architect who designed the hotel nearly a century ago. The architect was a stickler for detail, a trait shared by Roberts, who borrowed elements from his original blueprints, incorporating them into each of The Preston’s menus.
Wall-to-wall carpet was replaced by versicolor maple flooring installed on the diagonal, leading diners into the soothing space. Glass partitions and heavy curtains were removed, replaced by distressed wood and handsome molding.
Contemporary chairs were paired with rustic tables and delicate, vintage “crackle” table vases with heavy, cut-glass Gentleman’s Club-era barware. Mixed-media art in frames sourced from local antique shops (“15 big wooden frames for $300,” gushes Roberts) runs the length of the main wall above freshly upholstered semicircular booths. An assortment of silver platters (“all of them under $20!”) fills a recessed archway in the bar.
At The Preston, old and new have become fast friends.
The same can be said for the chef team, one of the most underrated in the city. Executive chef Kyle Lipetzky arrived in 2012 via The Phoenician in Scottsdale. (You remember Kyle: He’s the guy with 2,000 Pez dispensers). Then, chef de cuisine Collin Smelser (from The Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, near Vail, Colorado) and executive sous chef Bryan Byard came on board, followed by executive pastry chef David Laufer and chef de partie Theron Pajares.
The restaurant’s transformation has provided the team with the palette to show off some pretty dramatic oeuvres, like a swipe of truffled sunchoke puree, topped with a string of charred octopus and brown butter potato gnocchi, bound by a smoked paprika vinaigrette (pictured below).
Then there’s the $10 bowl of Maine Mussels, served in a Thai red curry broth (pictured below left), with coconut milk, lemongrass, cilantro, garlic, baby tomatoes, green onions, and lime juice. Note that the mussels are not the standard Prince Edward Island variety, but a meatier, more expensive variety called Blue Bay, a species known for their uniform size and consistently better meat-to-shell ratio.
Another impressive dish: the Smoked Duck Confit & Spring Onion Croquettes (pictured above right and right), underlaid with a zesty, house-made kimchi sauce, with sprinkles of gomashio (a Japanese condiment made from toasted sesame seeds and sea salt). Crushing the panko crumbs makes for a softer shell. The interior is meaty, yet silky. And the kimchi? Bold and commanding, it’s what chefs call a statement sauce.
The Preston will quickly become known as a restaurant where bread service is mandatory. On this day, there was a whole-grain mini-loaf that was far lighter than most; a delicate jalapeño/cheddar biscuit; and a trio of outstanding pretzel croissants. Accompaniments included maple butter, cherry jam, and an olive and cream cheese tapenade. Use none of them on the croissants, which are already perfect in their mille feuille simplicity. (Overheard at our table: “I’ll remember that croissant for the rest of my life.”) The Preston’s House-Crafted Breads (pictured below) are $9, a small price to pay for such superlatives.
The 20-item, small-plates menu is unorthodox in that items are listed randomly, jettisoning the traditional appetizer, salads/soups, entrée format. All dishes contain roughly the same size portion and are “served when ready,” which dovetails with the restaurant’s casual, communal feel. “Our intention is to always have something in front of you,” Smelser says. “We want our guests to sit and share things, over time, like they do in other cultures.”
Menu items are priced from $6 to $20 (with an average of $12), so when you see barramundi or roasted branzino, expect a 6-ounce portion. The Creekstone Farms New York Strip with chive/potato puree, red wine vinegar pickled pearl onions, and foie butter (pictured above) is only $18—and that’s for roughly four ounces of sublime, certified Black Angus beef medallions.
The best deal in the house: a half-dozen, quarter-size Nantucket Bay scallops in a sea of clam chowder flavored with house-cured bacon (pictured above) for a measly $10. Specs geeks will appreciate knowing the scallops are 40-60 count (i.e., a hefty one-biter), the perfect size for delivering a mouthful of sweet, briny freshness.
If the savory menu provides exceptional value (which it does), the $8 dessert menu is a steal, considering the creativity and presentation. “With David on board, it was important that we sell desserts,” Smelser says. “At that price, we will.”
Not true. At any price, they will.
Take for example, Laufer’s Panna Cotta (pictured above). It’s composed of buttermilk chocolate panna cotta, Ferrero-Rocher gelato, and smoked/candied hazelnuts, and it’s served in a sealed, smoke-filled mason jar. Opened tableside, the applewood smoke escapes, but the subtle flavor remains. It’s a cold, soft, smoky, crunchy delight. If you’ve been searching for an unusual, interactive take on a campfire s’more, look no further.
The coup de grâce—a creation inspired by the PBJ sandwich and the dessert that Laufer might regret he ever devised—carries a simple name: Melted Chocolate (pictured above). It’s a mix of salted peanut gelato, peanut brittle, fresh raspberries, and cocoa streusel crunch concealed inside a chocolate dome, which melts away when salted caramel sauce is poured atop it. Laufer takes a demi-sphere of chocolate, builds the dessert inside, and melts a second demi-sphere onto the first. Only a gifted pastry chef has the ability to create a complex, interactive showstopper based on simple childhood memories.
Spirits lovers will be impressed as well, as two members of the local United States Bartenders’ Guild, Sasha Alms and and Joshua “Doc”Johnson, are in charge of the cocktail program. (In addition, Alms and Johnson founded the Cocktail Collective, an organization promoting the local cocktail scene and the community of industry professionals.)
The Preston’s cocktail menu includes a small, rotating list of classics and signature drinks, all priced between $9 and $12. A $10 bill buys a Dear Katie (pictured at right)—with Nolet’s Gin (blended with spiced apple and pomegranate tea), lemon, “flamingo elixir” (made with blackberries, Granny Smith apples, cinnamon, honey), and Prosecco.
The Preston will open daily for breakfast and dinner. Sunday brunch is $48 per person and includes a multi-station buffet served in the bar area. Heck, Laufer’s breads and sweets alone are worth $48.
The Preston
212 N. Kingshighway (inside The Chase Park Plaza)
314-633-7800
Breakfast: 6–11 a.m. daily
Dinner: 5–10. p.m. daily (bar open later)
Brunch: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Sundays
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