St. Louis Restaurant Openings and Closings November 2020

This month, as the virus surged and St. Louis County reinstated dining restrictions, the area's restaurant scene continued to hang on by its fingernails — a situation made even more difficult by the plunging temperatures, which have made dining outdoors an endurance sport. Even under such dire circumstances, though, the industry continues to find a way, as the numerous openings that occurred in November suggest. Quincy Street Bistro, the celebrated Princeton Heights spot that shuttered in 2018 found a second life when it reopened this month. Songbird, from the supremely talented duo behind Kounter Kulture, opened its doors in the Grove and, perhaps most notably, the beloved Central West End watering hold Brennan's finally unlocked the doors of its new place, a mere 45 steps down the block from the old spot, after being displaced by the ever-expanding St. Louis Chess Club. Check mate.

However, not all news was good. Giovanni's Kitchen, a slightly dressed-down version of the old-school-elegant Giovanni's on the Hill closed up shop in Ladue, making way for the Pasta House Company (which is relocating from Delmar Boulevard), and  Edgewild Restaurant & Winery shuttered two of its three locations. Finally, a Fine Swine, the outstanding barbecue restaurant in New Baden, was forced to close, taking with it the restaurant dreams of the talented David Sitdham, who left his high-profile gig in the restaurant marketing field to pursue barbecue full-time. "We have fought the good fight during these crazy times but just can't go any longer," Stidham said in a Facebook post announcing the closure. It's a sad testament to the state of the business these days, but hey, at least we have diamond-dusted chicken wings to get us through.



Openings
Brennan's (new location), Central West End
Brett Hull's Junction House, Wentzville
Heavy Smoke, St. Peters
King of Soul Cafe, Ferguson
Off the Wall Burgers (pop-up inside Mission Taco Joint Kirkwood), Kirkwood
Pastaria Deli & Wine, Clayton
Pizzeria da Gloria, the Hill
Qunicy Street Bistro, Princeton Heights
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse (additional location), Chesterfield
Songbird, the Grove
Wayyy Too Much Sauce, Fountain Park

Closings
A Fine Swine BBQ, New Baden, IL
A Fine Swine BBQ & Pizza, Mt. Vernon, IL
Edgewild Restaurant & Winery, Creve Coeur
Edgewild Restaurant & Winery, Edwardsville, IL
Giovanni's Kitchen, Ladue

We are always hungry for tips and feedback. Email the author at cheryl.baehr@riverfronttimes.com.

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