Al Baker, the man who hosted one of Clayton’s longest-running parties at his eponymous restaurant, died March 15. He was 93.
With Al Baker’s Restaurant, Baker and his late wife, Mary, created a place where business and pleasure mixed over cocktails in the bar and continued in the dining room. Situated at the intersection of Clayton and Brentwood roads, it had a luxe vibe, becoming the place to schmooze.
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Baker began in the food world with a grocery store, located near Delmar and Hamilton, which he and his father bought. In 1958, he sold his interest and invested in Sorrento’s Restaurant on DeBaliviere, then a jumping street for entertainment. Sorrento’s served a wide range of clientele, but Baker had something more in mind. He sold the restaurant, took a vacation with his wife, and opened the luxurious restaurant that he reluctantly named after himself.
By all accounts, he was a demanding employer with high standards. “You have to dedicate yourself to the business,” he said. Those employees who met his criteria talk about how much they learned from him and his instincts when dealing with guests. “It was always first-class with him,” says Pedro Beltranena, now an owner of Lester’s. He was one of the first restaurateurs in town to utilize air freight for seafood, and the restaurant’s wine cellar was remarkable.
The restaurant closed on New Year’s Eve 1993. Afterward, Al and Mary Baker enjoyed retirement together, until Mary passed away in 2013. Baker, who loved to dance, continued to go out before the pandemic and could occasionally be seen on the dance floor.
