Throughout his 30-year career in the dining industry, mostly in the corporate restaurant world, Todd Tiefenauer has daydreamed about what he would do if he owned a place of his own. Earlier this year, a comment from a colleague in response to one of his regular musings served as the push that he needed to put his plans into action.
“I’ve always wanted to own my own restaurant,” says Tiefenauer. “Earlier this year, I was furloughed and started to feel like maybe it was time to take my fate into my own hands and take care of myself. I was having a conversation with one of my managers and found myself saying, ‘If I had a restaurant, this is how I would do it.’ He said, ‘Well, why don’t you?’”
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So Tiefenauer is finally making those dreams a reality as the new owner of Quincy Street Bistro, which reopens today at 6931 Gravois in Princeton Heights. The acclaimed neighborhood restaurant shuttered in 2018. Now, it offers Tiefenauer the opportunity to bring his vision to life while reviving a beloved eatery, which he sees as both a blessing and a responsibility.
“I looked at several spaces, found Quincy, and fell in love with it,” Tiefenauer says. “At first, it was the building, the setup, and the way they had done the renovation. But the more I looked into the history, the more I realized it was in line with the concept I wanted.”
Tiefenauer was particularly drawn to Quincy Street Bistro because of its comfort food history. Though the restaurant was known for such stick-to-the-ribs, home-style dishes as meatloaf and roasted chicken, it was equally known for the care it put into its food, which made even the simplest dishes extraordinary.
Tiefenauer hopes to carry on this tradition and expects to bring back many of the restaurant’s favorite dishes, such as the buffalo chicken dip (pictured above) and the BLT made with fried green tomatoes (pictured below). He’s eager to make the place his own, though, and emphasizes that patrons should not expect a carbon copy of Quincy Street Bistro’s first iteration.
“Burgers, sandwiches, pastas—things that look good to go and aren’t so overly complicated that they won’t take a lot of time is what we are doing,” Tiefenauer says. “We’re all about comfort food; these are the things that make you feel warm and tingly inside.”
Tiefenauer is particularly excited about two desserts that he’s added to the Quincy Street Bistro repertoire. A self-professed bread pudding fanatic, Tiefenauer is eager for guests to taste his version of the classic dessert (pictured below), which is a recipe based on a version that he had many years ago and haunts him to this day. Funnel cake fries are another item that he’s sure will become an instant guest favorite.
Though Tiefenauer has not yet named an executive chef, he’s put together a kitchen team that includes longtime colleague Aaron Dunn and former Quincy Street Bistro sous chef Dakota Kolb. Tiefenauer plans to name an executive chef around the end of the month, but he wants to ensure he’s able to put his own stamp on the menu and choose a chef he’s confident will share the same vision.
Part of that vision goes beyond food. A committed philanthropist, Tiefenauer is passionate about volunteer work and encourages employees to volunteer. He works closely with Gateway Pet Guardians and plans to give back as much as possible. He’s also excited about the artwork; all of the paintings are done by animals through enrichment programs at zoos across the country, and animal photographs throughout the space were taken by him.
Quincy Street Bistro will be open for carryout, as well as reduced-capacity dine-in service.
