CLOSINGS:
Niche
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7734 Forsyth
314-773-7755
Sat Hours: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Closing June 11
The biggest restaurant news of late came on June 2, when Gerard Craft sent a shock wave through the local dining community by announcing that Niche would be closing on June 11. Reservations filled up almost immediately, leaving many wishing they could have gone (or gone again) one more time.
The only way to possibly get a last taste of Niche and the legendary maple custard egg starter (which we understand will not be available at Sardella, the Gerard Craft restaurant taking Niche’s place) is to be at Niche’s door at 5 PM today to nab one of the unreserved seats at the bar.
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Ferguson Burger Bar and More
9120 W. Florissant
Closed June 5
FBB seemed like “the little restaurant that could”: Charles and Kizzie Davis purchased the restaurant on August 8, 2014, the day before Michael Brown was shot, and kept it open during the following months of unrest, choosing not to board up the windows (and never suffering an incident). So when the Davis’ announced last weekend that their dream restaurant would close “until further notice,” the entire metro area was stunned and mystified. Fortunately, the saga does not end there. Kizzie Davis commented today in the St. Louis Post Dispatch that “Ferguson is our home, we own homes in Ferguson and operate another growing and thriving business in Ferguson. We at the Burger Bar needed more space to grow, period.” If potential landlords are not lining up, they oughta be.
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Mathew’s Kitchen
5625 Hampton
314-351-1700
Tue – Fri: 4:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sat: 4:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m. (brunch 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Sun: 4:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. (brunch 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)
Closing June 26
Mathew and Maggie Unger–one of the nicest, most genuine (and generous) couples in the restaurant business–announced on June 5 via Facebook that their five-year old restaurant would be closing at the end of the month. The restaurant survived despite a major hardship: in March of last year, owner/chef Mathew Unger was involved in a serious car accident and the outpouring of support—from customers, friends, strangers—and competitors—was overwhelming. Unger returned to work, kept his legendary “pig wings” (braised, buffalo-sauced pork shanks) flying, and introduced weekend brunches which will continue through the end of the month. Since the announcement, the Ungers have been unavailable for comment, but there are some for “mini-closing parties” in the works. Watch the restaurant’s FB for details.
Melt
2713 Cherokee
Closed June 6, but…
Melt’s original concept—sweets and savories served atop waffles—was novel and seemed perfectly suited to its home on Cherokee Street. Same goes for the décor, a funky masterpiece from Jipsi Boho. Alas, the focus morphed and strayed…into comedy shows, punk shows, pop-up dinners, and random hours of operation. The silver lining: Owners Kellie and Simms have announced that pop-up dinners will continue in the space until October, provided by Sister Cities Cajun & BBQ, while they await the completion of their new space at 3550 S. Broadway.
OPENINGS:
The Foundry Public House
126 N. Main
Edwardsville, Il,
618-307-9585
Sun – Wed: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Thurs- Sat: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
Soft opening is underway. Official opening is June 14.
Main Street in Edwardsville has a new restaurant called The Foundry Public House. Taking a different approach from the previous restaurants (Robust and Erato on Main), the focus will be on beverages, the food component playing backup. Sauce magazine reports that whiskey will dominate the spirits and cocktails menu and that 16 drafts and 55 canned and bottled beer would be offered. Design-wise, look for a bar top clad in unfinished stainless steel and other raw metal details…things you’d see in a steel foundry.
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StackHouse Pub and Grill at Hog Hollow
14159 Olive
314-628-9353
Tent hours:
Mon – Thu: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
Fri-Sat: 11 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. (brunch from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
Sun: 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (brunch from 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.)
Opening June 2016
The space formerly occupied by Miller’s Crossing promises “familiar atmosphere…new ownership.” The menu will be (for lack of a better term) “elevated bar food,” exemplified by a lemon butter grouper sandwich, pan-seared Norwegian salmon, shrimp linguine, spicy tomato tortellini, and several steaks. A full complement of smoked meats plus bar & grill favorites will also be offered. Matt Thornton (STL Rib House) is the pitmaster and Chris Leith (Grafton Winery) is the exec chef. An early weekend brunch is also planned.
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And in the most bizarre non-news story of the week, Derek and Lucas Gamlin, owners of Sub Zero Vodka Bar and Gamlin Whiskey House, announced in a June 7 release that they would be opening a third “establishment” on the ground floor of The Residences at the Forest Park Hotel building at the corner of West Pine and Euclid. The release said the name, the concept, and the opening date “will be released as they become available.” Then why even bother with a release, guys?
