Photo by George Mahe
It's not surprising that the three owners of Felix’s Pizza Pub are bullish on Dogtown. So much so that they’ve decided to open another restaurant on its southern fringe.
Steve VanderKolb, Tom Galbraith, and chef Andy Roesch plan to open Sunny’s Cantina in December at 6655 Manchester, the former home of Manchester Public House (a.k.a. MPH) and JackSon’s before that.
Courtesy Felix's Pizza Pub
Eight years ago, when he moved Felix’s in Dogtown across the street, into a much larger space (where it became Felix’s Pizza Pub), "we became better equipped to serve a bigger audience," says VanderKolb. "Families feel much more comfortable at that location."
He cites the steady growth of neighbors Heavy Riff Brewing and Stone Turtle, the ongoing success of Seamus McDaniel’s and Nora’s, and the open-arms welcome for Hogtown Smokehouse as signals that it was time to branch out.
“All of us were doing great as it was, and then Mac’s [Local Eats] comes along,” he says. “People who’d never been to Dogtown before were coming there just to try that burger." He compares the situation to a rising tide: "We all are feeding off of each other. Dogtown has been good to all of us."
He cites the development of a nearby 100-unit apartment project (anchored by a Fields Foods grocery store) and the thousands (yes, thousands!) of workers at the under-the-radar Weissman company in the Saint Louis Marketplace complex along Manchester (directly across the street from the proposed restaurant) as further incentive to open a new restaurant.
"The other staples were there: burgers, pizza, American... But no Mexican place," says VanderKolb, who proposed naming the restaurant after his daughter, Sunny. "My partners were leaning toward Dogtown Cantina as a logical name, but when they considered all the positive connotations of a name like Sunny's Cantina, they came around."
The space's former tenant, Manchester Public House, was an unpretentious corner pub known for its Scotch eggs and everyday happy hours. Despite one Yelper giving it “6 out of 5 stars,” MPH closed in late 2016, after a two-year run. The bar occupied a front shotgun space and a more secluded room and small patio were located in back, a floorplan that dovetails with the new concept.
Tom Niemeier, founder of SPACE Architecture + Design, plans to “lighten and brighten” the building. The exterior will be repainted and receive some modern accents. The dilapidated side awning will be redesigned. Existing windows will be replaced and new windows will be added along Manchester, replacing a former infilled storefront. The predominant color of the clean, modern, kitsch-free interior will be white.
“The building will look and feel completely different than what people remember, both inside and out,” says Niemeier. “Right now, most people drive by, and it barely even registers.”
Chef Andy Roesch, who successfully introduced his take on New York-style pizza at Felix's, plans to roll out his rendition of Mexican-inspired fare at Sunny's. He's reluctant to pigeonhole his cuisine. "You'll see Texas and SoCal influences, right down to Sonora," he says. His trips to Honduras (his wife is Honduran) will come into play in some of the techniques and marinades. He plans to introduce different fruits, cheeses, and spices (and his in-law's chorizo), as well as smoked meats and "maybe some meats wrapped in leaves."
A likely signature item will be Roesch's fajita bowl, featuring marinated, grilled proteins and vegetables atop Roesch's seasoned, flat-grilled rice. He's also especially proud of his tostada stack, with pulled chicken, green chile sauce and cumin cream. The drink menu is still in development, but, like the food, the selection will be geared toward what the partners hope will be a busy lunch crowd.
"Don't expect a menu that will be pages-long," says VanderKolb. “An 80-item Mexican menu is not us. We’re all looking forward to Andy's creations and can't wait to share them."
