Spencer Pernikoff
The crab cake from Wright's Tavern in Clayton.
If you had to sum up the energy surrounding this month's restaurant openings, you could do so in just two words: Wright's Tavern. The highly anticipated restaurant from two of the area's most prominent food and beverage veterans, restaurateur Matt McGuire and chef Cary McDowell, opened its doors on December 5, bringing to Clayton's Wydown business district the quintessential neighborhood steakhouse experience in Zoë Robinson's former I Fratellini storefront. Out of the gates, Wright's has proven to be the hottest reservation ticket in town and, like Louie, already feels like an institution in the making.
But Wright's was not the only spot that opened this month. The Midtown corridor saw some serious action with the opening of Armory STL, a sprawling indoor recreation complex that is putting as much emphasis on its culinary offerings as on its entertainment. Similarly, Alamo Drafthouse, located at City Foundry, welcomed guests into its movie theaters for top-notch eats and libations designed to make the movie-going experience much more delicious. And just south of Midtown, the Vandy, a new bar from the folks behind STL Barkeep, opened in the Botanical Heights neighborhood, promising a cozy cocktail experience.
As we celebrated these new additions to the St. Louis restaurant scene, we also said goodbye to a few others. Perhaps none hit harder than Bagel Factory, the Creve Coeur institution that, by many accounts, served the metro area's most respectable bagel. Though the shop remains closed, it is for sale. Please, someone give us a late holiday miracle and buy this vital place.
Did we miss anything? Leave a note in the comments.
Openings
Alamo Drafthouse (inside City Foundry), Midtown
The Commons at Armory STL, Midtown
LongStory Coffee, Belleville, IL
Sal Y Limon, Brentwood
The Vandy, Botanical Heights
Wright's Tavern, Clayton
Closings
Bagel Factory, Creve Coeur
Burger 809, Benton Park
Snö, Tower Grove South
Star Bakery & Cafe, Holly Hills
Sugaree Baking Company, Dogtown
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