South City neighborhood bar and grill Quincy Street Bistro is closing on October 28 after seven and half years, the restaurant announced in a press release on Thursday.
St. Louis restaurant buffs will remember Quincy Street as one of the stops St. Louis chef Rick Lewis, whose in-laws own it, made on his way to Grace Meat + Three. Lewis started at Quincy Street in 2012, earned Ian Froeb’s first “Chef of the Year” award in 2013, and was the first local chef to be nominated for the James Beard "Rising Star Chef of the Year" award, in 2014. Lewis left Quincy Street in March 2015 to start Southern, a restaurant under the Pappy's Smokehouse group.
In the statement, owners Mike and Sue Enright said: “Thank you to our wonderful staff, some who have been with us from the beginning. We’d also like to thank our guests. Your support motivated us to be the best we could be. Our guests have truly been a family to us.” The Enrights said they look forward to traveling and spending more time with family.
Reached for comment Thursday morning, Sue said that owning the restaurant "was an adventure and an investment," giving her and her family a real understanding of the industry and an appreciation for fine food and all that goes into it. "We took that all for granted," she said.
"We've had the opportunity to work with so many great chefs who've gone on to do even greater things—and that includes our kids," she said. But the adventure "had run its course." She concluded by saying that the building (which she and her husband own) "is still a great location for a restaurant."
Quincy Street Bistro will host normal service Thursday (11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.), and Friday and Saturday (11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.), as well as its last Kegs n Eggs event—beer and breakfast, basically—on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
It's been a busy month for restaurant closings in St. Louis. On Tuesday, Parigi in Clayton announced its closure. Element Restaurant and Lounge in Lafayette Square is shuttering on October 28. The Central West End's beloved Coffee Cartel closed up, and early this month, Bill Cardwell, chef-owner of institution Cardwell's on the Plaza, announced the restaurant's closure and his semi-retirement.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with comments from Sue Enright.
