open & close
Avenue in the CWE recently closed its doors. … Devotees of Kingside Diner will welcome its new location in Clayton at 8025 Bonhomme Ave., the former space of Parigi. The breakfast/lunch menu is the same one diners have grown to love in the CWE locale. Owner Aaron Teitelbaum also will appeal to the nighttime crowd when he opens Kingside After Dark Feb. 1 in the same space, which will offer drinks and dessert.… The owners of Drunken Fish are bringing St. Louisans a new concept in the freshly renovated Cutlery Building. Kimchi Guys, opening Feb. 1, will feature mostly Korean dishes. And there is a charitable aspect! All profits from opening day will be donated to the local chapter of the ALS Association.
still growing
David Choi is getting ready to open another Seoul Taco location, this time in The Grove. His fourth Missouri location will operate from a luxury apartment building at 4087 Chouteau Ave. Fans can expect the same Korean-Mexican fusion dishes they know and love, like bulgogi steak tacos and spicy pork gogi bowls. Seoul Taco began as a food truck in 2012 and now has locations in St. Louis, Chesterfield and Columbia, along with others in Illinois.
mystery meet
West End Grill & Pub in the Central West End is getting ready to reinvent itself. The operation has been acquired by an anonymous ownership group that plans to reopen the venue with a new name, look and menu—all starring the work of a talented chef (who also will remain nameless for now). In the past year, the restaurant has been led by two different executive chefs, Liz Schuster of Tenacious Eats and Matt Duffin.
vive la france!
Anyone with a hankering for traditional French cuisine will be happy to know that Maison 808 has opened in Soulard. The new restaurant, owned by Luke Reynolds and John Rogers, sits right next to their other venture, Molly’s, on Geyer Avenue. Menu items include recognizable favorites such as foie gras and pommes frites. Leading the kitchen is John Dreja, former executive chef at the beloved French restaurant Franco, which closed in 2016.
form and function
Downtown St. Louis has welcomed Union 30 in the recently renovated Hotel Saint Louis in the old Union Trust building at 705 Olive St. The hotel’s soft opening will be followed by an official dedication on March 2. Union 30 is a reference to the building’s original name, its status as a local landmark and the architect who designed it, Lewis Sullivan (also known as the ‘father of skyscrapers’). Only 30 buildings by Sullivan still exist. The hotel also plans to open a second bar soon: Form Skybar will be named for Sullivan’s famous quote, “Form follows function.”
