Photography by Kevin A. Roberts JULY 2019 STLMAG.COM (^) ýü
CONCEPT SWITCH
Pop
On a wild night in January, Dave
and Kara Bailey introduced
their new restaurant with as
much drama as a sommelier
sabering a bottle of Cham-
pagne. Employees scraped the
L’Acadiane decal from the win-
dow and transformed the space
into Pop, a new sparkling-wine
restaurant for celebrations big
and small. 1915 Park.
UNEXPECTED FUSION
Yummi Tummi
The Maplewood restaurant
that started as Toasty Subs and
then became Toasty Subs and
Sushi is now Yummi Tummi,
serving subs, sushi, ramen, and
poke. The odd combination of
offerings might not make sense,
were it not for the skillful prepa-
ration. The meaty subs are sat-
isfying, as is the rich tonkotsu
ramen. The sushi is beautifully
presented and the poke fresh
and bright. 3001 S. Big Bend.
WEST COUNTY REVIVAL
Westport Plaza
Under the stewardship of LHM,
Westport Plaza’s rejuvena-
tion has been a story of incre-
mental progress. The nearby
World Wide Technology and
Edward Jones headquarters
have boosted midweek traffic
significantly, and new venues
Westport Social, Fuzzy’s Taco
Shop, and Smoothie King have
provided much-needed fresh
concepts. Other Maryland
Heights developments, such as
the O’Fallon and Six Mile Bridge
breweries, have drawn interest,
too. And this could be the year
that the revival fully bears
fruit: Kemoll’s recently relo-
cated to Westport from down-
town, and Everest Café and
Robata are planning second
locations there. 111 W. Port.
SUREST BET FOR SUCCESS
Balkan Treat Box
Loryn and Edo Nalic moved from
food truck to brick-and-mortar
restaurant at warp speed. In
just two years, they’ve made
their delicious Bosnian food
eminently relatable. “Ćevapi
is grilled and seasoned beef,”
explains Loyrn. “Our döner is
similar to a good grilled chicken
sandwich. The pide is a photog-
rapher’s dream: a canoe-shaped
flatbread, not unlike pizza but
different than anything else in
town.” 8103 Big Bend.
NEW NEIGHBORHOOD JOINT
58hundred
When The Block’s Marc Del
Pietro and Brian Doherty
decided to create a restaurant
where carnivores and veg-
etable lovers alike could dine,
they wanted to do so with an
approachable menu and afford-
able pricing. That combina-
tion—plus creative, expertly
executed food and a welcom-
ing, relaxed atmosphere—have
made 58hundred a South City
favorite since it opened last fall.
5800 Southwest.
TIMELY CONCEPT
Fried
Attitudes about marijuana are
changing nationwide, with Illi-
nois recently legalizing recre-
ational use, and interest in CBD
has extended to restaurants
and bars serving CBD oil in
cocktails, smoothies, and more.
St. Louis was ready for a restau-
rant like Derek Schulze’s Fried,
branded a late-night “stoners’
palace.” Cure the munchies with
deep-fried nuggets (chicken,
shrimp, tofu, or veg), CBD oil–
infused sauces (or “strains”),
and such carb-heavy sides as
the creamy mac and cheese.
1330 Washington.
KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN
Kimchi Guys
If one of the Cutlery Building’s
walls hadn’t partially collapsed
in 2015, the space might
have continued as a branch
of restaurateur Munsok So’s
Drunken Fish. Instead, So cre-
ated Kimchi Guys, introducing
downtown to a modern Korean
phenomenon. The key to good
Korean fried chicken is a second
frying for an extra-crispy finish
and the sweet, spicy Original
sauce, featuring gochujang and
gochugaru. 612 N. Second.
ABOVE & BEYOND
The Brass Rail
Every year at Thanksgiving,
The Brass Rail goes beyond the
call of duty. The O’Fallon, Mis-
souri, restaurant has delivered
dinners to families in need for
the past five years. Last year,
it delivered more than 10,000
dinners—and added a winter
clothes donation to the annual
tradition. After hearing vol-
unteers describe houses with
no electricity and school-age
kids with no hats and no gloves,
owner Scott Ellinger and team
made a decision: “If we can feed
them for a day, we can put hats
and gloves on them as well.”
4601 Highway K.
wang
(Wang)
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