Gut Check: The Restaurant Shuffle

Gut Check took a break for Riverfront Times' "Best of St. Louis" 2008, but the news continued. Let's begin in Maplewood, where the restaurant lineup is in a state of flux. Now open at 2733 Sutton Boulevard in Maplewood is Deluxe, serving comfort food. The restaurant is open for dinner Tue.-Sat. and features a large stage for live music. Call 314-646-0370 for more information.

Meanwhile the former Minions Cafe space at 7322 Manchester Boulevard will become Bravo! To Go, an arm of the Bravo! catering company. In addition, a new coffee shop, Foundation Grounds, is slated to open at 7298 Manchester. Departing Maplewood is Schottzie's Bar & Grill (7372 Manchester). The original south-county location remains open.

As long as we're in Maplewood, I'll remind you that as of last week, Josh Galliano, formerly of An American Place, is now head chef at Monarch (7401 Manchester).

Downtown, the former Dierdorf & Hart's space at 701 Market Street will become Gio's Ristorante & Bar. The restaurant is the new project from Dominic and Jackie Galati (Dominic's on the Hill and Dominic's Trattoria in Clayton) and partner John Ruggeri (Ruggeri's in Wentzville). Gio's is slated for a mid-November opening.

The Seven Gables Inn in Clayton (26 North Meramec Avenue) is now home to Molly Darcys. The restaurant and pub is the sibling of Molly Darcys in Killarney, Ireland. The menu features burgers, sandwiches and daily specials such as bangers and mash. Molly Darcys is open daily 11 a.m.-10 p.m.

But wait! There's more! Chesterfield sushi restaurant Tsunami has closed after less than a year in business — and only days after I enjoyed a pretty decent lunch there. The Agostino family, which shuttered its namesake restaurant earlier this year, will take over the space at 280 Long Road.

Finally, Delmar Loop mainstay Red Sea (6511 Delmar Boulevard) appears to be closed. Their phone has been disconnected, and all of the furniture has been removed from the dining room. As of this writing, a week has passed without any obvious signs of remodeling or any other activity.

Are you opening a new restaurant? Know of a place that has closed? Something else for Ian to chew on? E-mail ian.froeb@riverfronttimes.com. And check out this column's virtual doppelganger at http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/gutcheck.