The Tenderloin Room reopens at The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis

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Photo by Ed Aller

When the storied Tenderloin Room steakhouse in The Chase Park Plaza Royal Sonesta St. Louis reopens to the public for dinner service on December 16, the sizzle in the steaks won’t be the only excitement that guests experience.

The grande dame of St. Louis steakhouses changed hands in June, when veteran restaurateurs Jules and Dino Karagiannis sold the restaurant to Ben Strake, Bob Brazell, and Rick DeStefane (pictured at right) of Crisp Hospitality Management, owners of Byrd & Barrel and Tamm Avenue Bar.

On the face of it, the two groups don’t seem to have much in common. The staid steakhouse moves to the grooves of a Rat Pack soundtrack, while Byrd & Barrel rocks out to Wu-Tang Clan. The synergistic energy between the new and the old ownership groups created a model that synthesizes the panache of the past and inspires a new future for fine dining.

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Photo by Ed Aller

Photo by Ed Aller

That dichotomy plays out in the menu. The high-quality steaks and chops that define the steakhouse remain, including the best-selling pepperloin a la tenderloin, the filet mignon, and the New York strip steak. Brazell created a special ‘steak dust’ blend of spices to add to the meats and an array of sauces, crowns, and butters that customers can choose to customize their steak experience. In the market for a really big steak? Try the 22-ounce cowboy ribeye (pictured above), served with your choice of sides.

In contrast to the large plates, Brazell created a bar menu of appetizers, shareable small plates, and sandwiches. The classic Dino double smash burger—made from a house grind of shortribs, chuck, and ribeye—gets topped with Gruyere and American cheese, au jus, onions, and steak sauce aioli on an herb-buttered bun. Looking for a steak sandwich? Try the Tommy, with thin slices of filet, tomato jam, arugula, and feta. The bar menu also features four old-guard classics, including a classic escargot in a white wine lemon herb butter sauce served with strega leek jam and toast points. Plan to try the thinly-sliced carpaccio of raw beef tenderloin, the bone marrow with parsley fennel salad, and the plump shrimp cocktail with classic cocktail sauce.

Photo by Ed Aller

Photo by Ed Aller

Brazell and Strake are shaking up the cocktail scene as well. The Tenderloin crew, including Mary Powers, remains on board. Ray Edwards (of The Cheshire and Gamlin Whiskey House fame), known in cocktail circles as ‘Godfatherbartender’ on social media, has come on board as beverage director. “I’ll be behind the bar at least once a week,” he says. Look for new takes on old classics, such as the Rat Pack. “It’s our version of a black Manhattan,” Edwards says. The cocktail mixes Booker’s rye whiskey with Luxardo Amaro and Angostora bitters, sprayed with a wisp of Laphroaig Scotch. A zero-proof cocktail menu is in the works, in addition to a selection of non-alcoholic beers from Wellbeing.

Photo by Ed Aller

The menus aren’t the only thing that changed at Tenderloin Room. Brazell and Strake took pains to preserve the character and ambience while giving the space a refresh. They engaged V Three Studios to create a new vibe for an iconic space on a tight schedule. In less than six weeks, V Three principal Gabe McKee and interior designer Sandy Chiu helped move the project from concept to completion.

“We found existing elements in the hotel lobby and in the traffic flow to the restaurant to make a transition that works,” Chiu says. The fluted bases of tables in the lobby mirror vertically fluted upholstery for the banquettes. New and custom-built light fixtures created a more modern yet elegant vibe.

The entryway sparkles under a sleek waterfall chandelier that dances a pattern across the ceiling. The open kitchen gleams, and the intimate bar with its cleaned and polished vintage stained-glass ceiling glows.

Photo by Ed Aller

Jade-colored glass tiles above the fireplace gently reflect light into the dining room.

The translucent back bar panels, reminiscent of gold-veined alabaster, adds a luminescence to the small space. Custom linear light fixtures add movement to dark corners. Wall mirrors crossed with brass bars shine in the darkness. The team left the classically carved woodwork surrounds and arches that once graced mansions demolished on historic Vandeventer Place, adding to the intimate atmosphere of the restaurant.

Both the new and the retiring owners understand the importance of continuing the fine food, exceptional service, and quality customer care that the Karagiannis family delivered. Brazell and Strake met with Dino and Jules Karagiannis for nearly a year, before and after the purchase, to benefit from their institutional history and knowledge.

Photo by Samuel Zide

Jules and Dino in 2012

“My father started at the Tenderloin Room as a waiter in 1963, and I followed soon after,” Dino says. “He took over running the restaurant in 1993, so you’re talking 26 years ownership with our family. We went through many changes in ownerships of the hotel and kept the restaurant going. In 2007, my dad passed the torch to me, my wife, and our daughters.”

“Dino and our daughters, Mary and Eleni, will still be part of the team at the Tenderloin Room,” Jules Karagiannis says. Our daughters are an important part of the tradition. The girls have a following with the customers.” Jules and her sister Tracy Calabro own and operate Espresso Yourself, a fine coffee shop in the Princeton Heights neighborhood, where she will continue to work.  

The Tenderloin Room holds a lifetime of memories for the Karagiannis family. “My dad served Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, the Rat Pack. We’ve had so many stars come through here. The name the Tenderloin Room is known very well across the country. When acts came into town for the Fox or The Muny, the cast would come to the Tenderloin Room for dinner throughout the show.”

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Courtesy Jules Karagiannis

Courtesy Jules Karagiannis

Both Dino and Jules enjoyed actor George Clooney’s many visits to the Tenderloin Room in 2009. “I think he came in 42 times,” Jules says. “I lost count. He started out sitting in the upper room, for privacy, I think.” Before Clooney departed, he and several cast members signed a tablecloth at the Tenderloin Room. Jules framed it. She hung it proudly in her coffee shop.

“We like making people smile. Always treat the customer like they're coming into your own home,” Dino says. “You know, so many restaurants open up that really don’t get it. It’s not like you put in some tables, some chairs, and some food and call it a restaurant. No, it’s hard work. I really want them to succeed and I know they will. To be in this business, you’ve got to have a kind heart and be very personable.

“We wanted it to keep the same nostalgia, for it to stay a steakhouse as it was," Dino continues. "With Bob and Ben, I could see they were on the same page: keeping the tradition.”