Photo by Johnny Fugitt
Ol School Smokehouse, now open in south county St. Louis
This was a tough month for St. Louis restaurants. Numerous places either closed or announced they would soon be closing — with both downtown and the Loop particularly hard-hit.
Was the trolley construction to blame for the rash of Loop closures? Was the emergence of Ballpark Village the reason for downtown's woes? It's hard to be sure, but we do know one thing — when a bar/restaurant in far-flung Sunset Hills claimed that Ballpark Village had triggered its demise, many St. Louisans were not about to take that improbable allegation sitting down. "Thanks, Ballpark Village" became the new "Thanks, Obama" as puckish commenters mocked Mile 277's scapegoating.
Here's hoping February brings more openings and fewer closures. We're particularly psyched for the new Sugarfire Smokehouse opening downtown — and we couldn't be more excited about the new Olive + Oak in Webster Groves. Also, David Choi says he plans to reopen Seoul Q soon in a new location; we hope to have more details on that soon.
Here are this month's openings and closings (gulp).
Openings:
B.O.B. on the Fly at Broadway Oyster Bar (736 S. Broadway, Downtown)
Joy Luck Chinese (6623 Delmar, Delmar Loop)
Moya Grill (567A Melville Avenue, Delmar Loop)
Nami Ramen (46 N. Central Avenue, Clayton)
Ol School Smokehouse (7565 S. Lindbergh, Mehlville)
PaPPo's Pizzeria and Pub (3690 Forest Park, Midtown)
Porano Pasta (634 Washington Avenue, Downtown)
See also: Midtown Sushi Brings Japanese Fare — Including Ramen — to Midtown St. Louis
See also: Joy Luck Chinese Express Opens on Delmar
See also: Ol School Smokehouse Now Open in Mehlville
See also: A Look at Gerard Craft's Brand-New Porano Pasta, by the Numbers
Closings:
Coastal Bistro & Bar (14 N. Central Ave., Clayton)
Harry's Restaurant & Bar (2144 Market, Downtown)
Jimmy's on the Park (706 DeMun Avenue, Clayton)
Lucky Buddha (3701 S. Jefferson, Cherokee District)
Market Pub House (6655 Delmar Blvd., Delmar Loop)
Mike Shannon's Steaks and Seafood (620 Market Street, Downtown)
Mile 277 Tap & Grill (10701 Watson Road, Sunset Hills)
Miller's Crossing (14156 Olive Blvd., Chesterfield)
Seoul Q (6665 Delmar Blvd., Delmar Loop)
See also: Mile 277 and Harry's Close; Blame Ballpark Village
See also: Has the Loop's Market Pub House Closed, Too?
See also: Seoul Q to Close, Relocate, Make Room for Seoul Taco
See also: Jimmy's on the Park Closes in Clayton
