Watercolor by Marilynne Bradley
The Feasting Fox (4200 S. Grand), the storied South City restaurant, has closed. The historic building is for sale, and there’s an online auction for the contents of the building.
The lovely building at the southeast corner of Grand and Meramec was among the taverns that Anheuser-Busch built in the pre-World War I years. After Prohibition ended, however, the brewery was forced to sell such businesses because of antitrust laws. Al Smith took a lease and ran his legendary restaurant for years. Among other things, it became a hangout for students at what was originally Maryville Academy of the Sacred Heart. The beloved restaurant, later known as Al Smith’s Feasting Fox, closed in 1986.
By the time that Sue and Martin Luepker decided to rehab the building, in 1993, it had fallen into disrepair. The Luepkers had rehabbed cars, but this was a whole new adventure. In the years since it had closed, water had poured into the building through a large hole in the roof. Renovating the building was a monumental task. More than 20 truckloads of debris were removed. Friends pitched in. Restaurant fixtures with histories of their own appeared, including benches from Dohack’s in South County, chandeliers from the Top of 230 in Clayton, and tables from Nantucket Cove in the Central West End.
Eventually, things came together. The resulting atmosphere resembled a visit to the home of a German grandmother who's an avid collector. It was gemutlich on steroids. A second floor hosted private parties, and it, too, was full of treasures. Just east of the restaurant, the Luepkers opened a catering facility, Gretchen's Inn, named for the original inhabitant of the historic building.
Over the years, the number of German dishes on the menu at Feasting Fox dwindled, but there were always a few available. The private rooms also saw wedding receptions, club meetings, and similar functions. It played host to countless memories over more than a quarter century. More recently, however, the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred the Luepkers to think about slowing down and enjoying life.
