Winslow's Table now open in University City

Vicia's Michael and Tara Gallina reimagine the former Winslow’s Home.

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Winslow’s Table opened this morning in the former Winslow’s Home space at 7213 Delmar in University City. The restaurant is the second venue from Michael and Tara Gallina, owners of the critically acclaimed Vicia.

Ann and Randy Lipton purchased a former neighborhood market and converted it into Winslow's Home in mid-2008, creating "a modern general store" that morphed into a critically acclaimed neighborhood hangout.

When a beloved restaurant changes hands, it’s normal for loyal customers to regard the handover with a degree of trepidation. Fans of Winslow’s Home wondered if the new owners would transform the concept and replace favorite items with new innovations. The Gallinas have heard their customers and retained much of what people loved about Winslow’s Home.

“That’s exciting and a little nerve-wracking,” says Tara. “A lot of people have a lot of opinions, but everybody has their favorites. I’m prepared to be here every day and just be listening to folks.”

Most of the Winslow’s Home team have remained in their posts. Longterm Vicia sous chef Alec Schingel has moved over to lead the kitchen at Winslow’s Table as executive chef.

Winslow’s Table will initially serve breakfast and lunch only from 8 a.m.–3 p.m. The Gallinas are aiming to launch dinner service in mid-December. Tara says the plan is to allow the new operation to settle over the next few weeks, while continuing to add to the team and develop the dinner menu.

Tara hopes that Winslow’s Table will stand apart from Vicia but that customers will recognize that the two restaurants come from the same stable. “There’s an identity with our brand in terms of quality of produce and attention to detail, the hospitality being a big part of that,” she says. “But I also think this is a more casual space; the vibe is definitely less fine dining, more relaxed, and more of a daily spot.”

The six-item breakfast menu is available during open hours. The Winslow’s pancake remains, topped with a dollop of preserved blueberries, as well as maple syrup and whipped butter on the side.

There's an overnight oats dish and three new egg dishes: a frittata with crimini mushrooms, goat cheese and spinach; shakshuka; and breakfast tacos, which include cheesy scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, refried black beans, sour cream, and pickled red onions.

Tara describes the buttermilk biscuit sandwich as an upgrade on a classic egg sandwich, with applewood smoked ham, cheddar, and apple mustard.

“We tried to elevate it and really put a lot of attention to the details, so you have this great cheese sauce that just pours over it, and you eat it with a fork and knife,” she says.

The lunch items come into play at 11 a.m. They more than double the size of the menu. Like Vicia, Winslow’s Table offers a half-and-half option, encouraging diners to try as many items as possible. For $12, you can pick two selected items and get a half portion of each. Again, some items link directly to Vicia. The butternut squash, shiitake, and kale tartine is a signature dish, as is Michael's chicken salad. “Whenever it’s on the menu, it sells like crazy,” Tara says.

The grilled cheese sandwich is straight-up comfort food, while the braised brisket sandwich is an update on a Winslow’s Home favorite.

“People said, ‘Please don’t get rid of the brisket sandwich.’ We put our spin on the toppings, but it’s the same kind of concept,” says Tara.

A beet salad, grain salad, vegetable caesar and sweet potato soup round out the menu. Prices for breakfast and lunch items range from $8 to $14, with most dishes around $12.

The Gallinas announced their intention to reinvent Winslow’s Home when they acquired the restaurant in August. Operations continued under the old name until October 20, before a quick redesign led by Sasha Malinich of Casco + R|5, who was also responsible for Vicia’s interior design.

The space has been redecorated, but it's still recognizable from the Winslow’s Home days. The furniture is all made by Martin Goebel. You can grab coffee from the bar at the back of the restaurant. In the basement, a private event space can seat up to 36 and host pop-ups, events, and collaborative dinners.

The retail side has been scaled back somewhat, but there’s still enough to build a picnic. In one corner, shelves hold items from local producers; for example, there’s honey from Name of the Bee, Big Heart Teas, and cured meats from Salume Beddu. Also on offer will be bread baked in-house, with the bakery operation continuing to turn out longtime favorites, such as the Winslow’s bar and cookies, including the goat cheese cookies. Pints of Clementine’s ice cream, artisanal cheeses, wine, housemade pesto sauce, salads, and more are also available.

This addition to the Gallinas’ restaurant portfolio creates crossover opportunities between Vicia and Winslow’s Table. The kitchen at Winslow’s Table will produce some items that will be ferried over to Vicia each day. Among them, a rotating selection of Winslow’s Table’s baked goods includes pastries, which will be available during Vicia’s lunch service.

Maintaining the high standards that the Gallinas have set at Vicia might be a challenge when you own one restaurant, let alone two, but Tara says they’re ready.

“We’ve been working to build the team up at Vicia over the past few months, so they could be self-sufficient for a little while, knowing we would have to pay attention to the new baby,” she says.

“It’s going to be a lot of hours for a while," Tara says, "but this was an opportunity that we felt was once in a lifetime. We loved this place, and we loved what it stood for. We felt if we were going to do one more thing, this made sense.”

Winslow's Table

7213 Delmar, St Louis, Missouri 63130

314-725-7559

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Breakfast and Lunch, Tue - Sun: 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Drinks, Pastries, and Retail, Tue - Sat: 3 p.m. - 5 p.m.; Dinner, Tue - Sat: 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Moderate

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