Photos by George Mahe
Reeds American Table opens in Maplewood at 5 p.m. tonight, and it’s safe to say there have been almost as many eyes on this endeavor as on Miley Cyrus at the VMA’s.
The main reason is the amount of culinary firepower located under one roof (in this case, the former Home Wine Kitchen space at 7322 Manchester).
Former Taste executive chef Matt Daughaday leads the charge, serving up dishes that conjure some of the brilliant small plates he created at Taste combined with several entrée-sized items (like a roasted airline chicken breast) reminiscent of its CWE neighbor, Brasserie.
Andrey Ivanov, whom local diners know from Elaia and Olio (and who some of us believe will become the area’s first Master Sommelier,) is the beverage director at Reeds. Enough said.
Summer Wright, former ace pastry chef at Five Bistro and Brasserie, is in charge of the pastry program, and if her silky Vanilla Panna Cotta and Chocolate Torte are any indication, Reeds will be an “absolutely save room for dessert” restaurant.
Nicki Ball, who blew us away with her poise and restaurant savvy as GM of Rooster South Grand, is the GM here as well.
Even the logo has a story behind it — and we wrote about that here.
The menu states that the soups, salads, sandwiches, and its small and large plates represent “a taste of the familiar,” defined by Reeds staff as “classics or comfort foods…flavors we remember from our childhoods…foods we come home for.”
Well, we never came home for Braised Beef Cheek with oven dried tomatoes and foie gras cream (so good we scarcely had time to snap a pic before it was gobbled up) or Crispy Fried Pork Cheek with roasted corn and spaetzle. But we’re glad Daughaday’s team did.
And we’re still thinking about the Curry Mussels, cooked in a spicy lemongrass, lime, and coconut broth we would have slurped quickly providing no one was looking.
Unlike Home Wine Kitchen, where the sole dining area was on the ground floor, Reeds’ primary dining room is upstairs, with a lesser number of seats located in the bar located on the first level. Suffice to say, with all the chatter, any and all seats will remain full.
Reeds American Table
7322 Manchester
314-899-9821
Dinner Hours:
Thu-Mon: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Wed: Farmers Market Menu, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Brunch and lunch hours to follow
Website here
Reserve a table here.
