Slam dunk: Dunkin' Donuts returns to St. Louis, and downtown makes good on its promise of new restaurants

Local foodies were shocked when Matt McGuire shuttered the popular and influential King Louie's last year. Its location at 3800 Chouteau Avenue, on an industrial stretch between South Grand Boulevard and Vandeventer Avenue, isn't ideal, but the space is certainly lovely. So it was only a matter of time before a restaurateur — or, as it turned out, restaurateurs — gave it another shot.

Mike Johnson and Charlie Downs (among other ventures, both are partners in Boogaloo) and chef Cary McDowell (The Crossing, Puck's) opened Revival on Tuesday of last week. McDowell's menu (available at www.revivalstl.com) features casual bistro and comfort-food dishes: shrimp and grits, stewed rabbit ravioli, veal sweetbreads and short ribs with sweet potatoes, to name a few. The restaurant is open for lunch Tue.-Fri. and for dinner Tue.-Sat.

THAT LOUD WHOOP you might have heard sometime last week? More than a few St. Louisans rejoicing at news that Dunkin' Donuts is returning to the area at long last — in a very big way. The national chain announced plans to open numerous restaurants in St. Louis and nearby counties in both Missouri and St. Louis. Don't expect to see any outlets opening very soon: The company is still seeking area franchisees.

While I have fond childhood memories of Munchkins, I'm always surprised at the rabid following Dunkin' Donuts — especially its coffee — inspires. A colleague once texted me from a Dunkin' Donuts while on a trip to Boston simply to say, "Yum."

IN MARCH OF LAST year, the Downtown St. Louis Partnership announced that several new restaurants would be opening downtown. Since then, many of the restaurants have, in fact, opened: Simply Fondue, F15teen and the chain Irish pub Tigin. At least one, Franco Latino, didn't. Now, almost a year later, it appears that Bridge & Tunnel Pizza will be joining the former group. According to the restaurant's Web site (www.bntpizza.com) the pizza joint will open at 1131 Washington Avenue in April.

OTHER RECENT OPENINGS: Thali Palace, an Indian restaurant, is now open at 9720 Page Avenue. 10th Street Italian has opened a second location at 2951 Dougherty Ferry Road in Kirkwood. At press time, Bartolino's Osteria was slated to open this week in the new Drury Inn near the intersection of Hampton Avenue and I-44. This is the new location of the original Bartolino's, which was located a few blocks south on Hampton. ARE YOU OPENING a new restaurant? Know of a place that has closed? Drop me a line at ian.froeb@riverfronttimes.com. And check out this column’s virtual doppelganger at http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/gutcheck.