Ben Poremba Announces New Restaurants Opening in 2024

Plus, there's still a few days to visit Elaia, Olio and Nixta in Botanical Heights

Dec 27, 2023 at 2:24 pm

Olio and Elaia in Botanical Heights. VIA FLICKR/PAUL SABLEMAN

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It's a somewhat sad moment in the St. Louis restaurant scene. In just a few days, longtime Botanical Heights restaurants Elaia, Olio and Nixta will leave their homes on Tower Grove and McRee avenues for good, after negotiations by restaurant owner Ben Poremba to purchase the buildings failed.

Without a doubt, Poremba and his restaurants are responsible for the area's renaissance, and since the 2012 opening of Elaia and Olio, the south city enclave has flourished with new businesses, such as Union Loafers and La Patisserie Chouquette, opening. If Poremba's trio was closing for good, it would be devastating. Thankfully, they have all found a new home in the Delmar Maker's District and will be reopening next year.

December 30 will be the last day of regular service for the restaurants' current locations, and they should reopen at various times throughout 2024, Poremba announced on Instagram last weekend. Olio will also be open for a walk-in New Year's Eve celebration beginning at 8 p.m. It will include bubbles and no reservations.

"In this bittersweet occasion we celebrate our continued growth but also the courage to let go," Poremba wrote. "We will raise a toast to an impactful (and occasionally tumultuous) decade of creativity, resilience, excellence, and, above all, hospitality."

But the reopening date wasn't the only good news Poremba shared. He also has three (and a half) new concepts in the works.

In the spring, he'll begin by reopening Nixta with a new addition — Bar Limon — that will add on a seafood counter and an outdoor taco truck. (This is the half).

Poremba is also set to take over the food service at the Contemporary Art Museum in the spring with a second AO&CO Cafe. It will serve coffee, Italian-inspired sandwiches, pastries and more.

Winter will bring two totally new concepts. Florentin, named after a Tel Aviv neighborhood, will offer service from breakfast to early dinner. Poremba says that will include fresh juice and smoothies and a mostly vegetarian menu derived from Tel Aviv street foods such as falafel, borekas and shakshuka.

Finally, Poremba will open Esca, a "coastal Mediterranean grill and bar" focused on charcoal and wood cooking and named for Escalivada, a Catalan dish of fire-roasted veggies. The menu will take inspiration from "'The Cuisine of the Sun': rustic, fresh, olive oil-drenched, simply prepared and deeply flavored."