The Copper Pig (4611 Macklind) recently closed without advance notice. The Facebook announcement, posted Monday night, was succinct: “Thank You. Copper Pig served its last drink and meal tonight.”
Owner Nhat Nguyen says he had two reasons for the abrupt closing:
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1. A lack of staff, which has become a common lament in St. Louis and across the country.
2. Wanting to go out in a calm, civilized manner, as opposed to creating the frenzy (and usually a severe shortage of food) that comes by announcing a final date of service in advance. “I wanted to avoid the pageantry involved in a farewell tour,” he tells SLM.
“It wasn’t from lack of business,” he adds, regarding the closure. “It was just getting so much harder to run the business. I had been thinking about doing this for a few months now.” When asked what the new year holds for him, Nguyen joked, “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll learn how to sew.”
When the restaurant opened, in 2015, SLM noted that it brought a distinctly international flavor to the Southampton neighborhood that was rooted in Nguyen’s travels around the globe.
While the menu evolved over the years, many of the popular offerings remained, such as the tempura avocado tacos (pictured at right), bulgogi T-ravs, and the beet fries served with whipped goat cheese for dipping. A popular Sunday brunch added Southern fried chicken tacos, shakshuka, a banh mi with a fried egg, and omurice (an omelet stuffed with fried rice), among other dishes.
(An interesting aside: Not long after the restaurant opened, consulting chef Tudor Sesserman handed the tongs over to Andrew Enrique Cisneros, who went on to work at the St. Louis Club, Elaia, and Privado, as well as to launch Brasas. His first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Jalea, is slated to open in St. Charles later this week.)
The Copper Pig was a classic neighborhood joint on a stretch of Macklind Avenue that has spawned a slew of restaurants: The Mack, Stan’s Bar, Russell’s, Lola Jean’s, and Sisters Sandwich Shop, as well as Clementine’s and the erstwhile Grapeseed and Macklind Avenue Deli. We’ll miss the copper-top bar, tuck-and-roll upholstered banquettes, windows that opened onto the street creating a true cafe feel, and Edison bulbs hanging from herringbone wood panels that helped hush what was often a spirited room.
Watch the video below, created shortly after the Copper Pig opened, for a look back at the restaurant. Those wishing they could return to the South City space can do one better: Nguyen owns the building, and the opportunity to own a turnkey restaurant just presented itself. “I left the TVs, the lights, plates, glassware…everything,” he says.
