The first phase of the new Washington University housing and diner project on Delmar Boulevard is set to open August 11, but the 24-hour Peacock Diner will take a little bit longer. The latest Joe Edwards project is in the last building to be completed, so it will probably open in late September. We talked to Edwards about decorating the diner and why the Loop should be a 24-hour neighborhood.
See also: Peacock Diner, Global Foods Market Coming to Delmar Loop
Edwards still has a few weeks until the contractor hands the space over to him so he can begin decorating. Like his restaurant Blueberry Hill (6504 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-727-4444), the Peacock Diner will be full of collectibles hand-picked over the years and placed in display cases by Edwards himself.
The menu is almost complete, and it offers a mix of breakfast classics, diner staples as well as a few Asian dishes and options for vegans and vegetarians (not just salads).
"My goal is to not overlap too much with other menus in the Loop. That's the beauty of the Loop -- all the independent restaurants that don't overlap and offer something new," Edwards says. "Piccione Pastry is so good at what they do, I don't want to intrude on their selections, so I'm gonna focus on pies as our main dessert."
There will also be spiked milkshakes and a full bar until 1 a.m. Edwards says the all-night diner plus his Moonrise Hotel (6177 Delmar Boulevard; 314-721-1111) will truly make the Loop a 24-hour neighborhood -- people will be able to come and get a room, get a meal.
"I try to create, as much as i can, a one-of-a-kind type of place, where hopefully there's nothing like it not just in St. Louis but in the country," he says.
You can follow the diner's progress on its website here. Edwards will be adding photos and construction finishes up and he begins decorating.
"As far as the design goes, that's why I picked the name 'Peacock,' because it's so gorgeous and admired around the world that people will instantly be able to identify with it," he says. "It's a risky thing, putting this much into a diner, but I think it's worth it -- I'm going for the gusto, the beauty and the taste."
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