creole cookin’
Dave Bailey has officially completed his renovation in Lafayette Square. He moved his flagship Baileys’ Chocolate Bar to the upper floor of the Park Avenue building to make room for a new concept, L’Acadiane, which opened in late December. The name references the Acadiana region of Louisiana, and appropriately, the menu features Cajun and Creole dishes, like fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and po’boys for all!
taking charge
The beloved Boathouse at Forest Park will be under new management soon—and it’s a fun group moving in! The team behind Sugarfire Smoke House, Hi-Pointe Drive-In and Cyrano’s will take over early this year. Sugarfire co-owner Mike Johnson is committed to making the partnership successful with a menu most likely featuring sandwiches, salads, grab-and-go options and possibly picnic baskets! No worries, the paddleboats will remain and even will get a welcome upgrade.
goodbye old friend
It’s hard to imagine Bemiston Avenue in Clayton without Remy’s Kitchen and Wine Bar, which debuted back in 1995. But after more than two decades, owner Tim Mallet closed the doors just a few days ago after citing a rough year. Mallet also runs Big Sky Cafe in Webster Groves.
brew me
Brew Hub, co-founded in St. Louis by former A-B exec Tim Schoen, will open a local spot, The Brew Hub Taproom, at 5757 Oakland Ave. (The company currently only has a taproom and brewhouse in Lakeland, Florida.) If business starts booming, Schoen isn’t ruling out building a regional brewing facility. Lunch and dinner will be available from chef Andy White, and the space will include a distillery and barrel-aging program under chief of brewing operations Jim Ottolini, a veteran of Schlafly.
extra bits
The Garden on Grand is closed after a little more than a year in business, but owner Cevin Lee isn’t done with the local culinary scene; look for more from him in the future. … Maplewood will get a revival at the corner of Sutton Boulevard and Manchester Road, former home of The Live Juke Joint among others. Elmwood is slated to open this summer as a modern American bistro with global influences. The concept is from Adam Altnether (recently executive sous chef for the Cardinals) and Chris Kelling (who just left as general manager of Pastaria and Sardella). … Herbie’s has a new executive chef, along with new menus. Jeramie Mitchell is leading the kitchen now, coming from his most recent post at Bristol Seafood Grill.
