River’s Edge Social slated to open in Lindenwood Park this March

When Aurel Bardho opens River’s Edge Social in Lindenwood Park later this year, he’ll draw on his Albanian roots and his own time in the neighborhood to realize a longtime dream of owning a restaurant and bar.

“When I lived here, I wanted to come to a place like we’ll have,” he says. “Some place that’s family-friendly, with good food and drink, with sports on TV and a patio where you can relax.”

Chef Phillip John Paris, whom Bardho met while working at the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark, will helm the kitchen, serving classic American and Mediterranean dishes. Greek items likely will include a Greek salad, gyros, meat platters, and pastitsio. A wood-fired brick oven will crank out such Italian options as pizzas and flatbreads.

“We’ll be using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in our kitchen,” says Bardho. “We’ll have daily specials, too.”

The venture is a family affair from top to bottom.

Bardho’s father, Fatmir, an economist-turned-tradesman who moved to St. Louis from Albania in 1995, helped with the interior’s transformation. (He also has a vested interest as the restaurant’s co-owner.) In the main dining room, he created a mirror-like floor with a river-inspired blue circling a deep-golden center. “When the lights hit this floor, it sparkles,” Bardho says. A glass mosaic tile back splash gleams even in low light, and patterned wood pieces cover the walls in the bar, where 10 TVs will air sporting events.

Bardho’s mother, Kim, helped keep the restaurant clean, even during the chaos of construction. “She comes here with her rags and brooms and keeps things up,” says Bardho.

Bardho and his wife, Dori, plan to oversee the front of the house. His three sisters—Nertila Xhaferaj, Brunilda, and Irma—will work as servers.

“I have one niece, Emma Xhaferaj, who is just 2 years old,” Bardho adds. “She won’t be working, but she’ll be here.”

River’s Edge Social is slated to open at 6997 Chippewa in March.