St. Louis sometimes falters because of its habit of looking backward—but occasionally we need to be reminded of past glories, such as the stunning Tony Faust’s Oyster House & Restaurant. It served upper-crust clientele upper-crust dishes: frog legs, woodcock, spaghetti à l’italienne, chanterelle mushrooms, mutton chops with kidney, clear green turtle soup… The restaurant offered a wide variety of seafood and expertly added such spices as curry powder to certain dishes.
Faust’s opened downtown, beside the upscale Southern Hotel, in the 1860s. Actors and politicians came to mingle with high society. Adolphus Busch had lunch there nearly every day, drinking wine (not beer) with his meal. It sported “ladies’ parlors” and a rooftop terrace. (We’re not the first generation to appreciate alfresco dining.) The elaborate décor included bentwood chairs, electric lights, and linoleum floors—all quite modish at the time.
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The restaurant closed in the early 1900s. A century later, the Stadium East Garage stands in the same spot.
