Have You Been To BooCoo Yet?

 In case you didn't know, there's a functioning restaurant at 1031 Lynch Street again. BooCoo opened back in early February in the space previously occupied by Oaked, Lynch Street Tavern, Fleur de Lilies, Gusto 314, Holiday Spirits Pop-Up Bar and Sage in recent memory. 

Check out this write-up from Feast Magazine and get over there for some "New Orleans-inspired fare" and a dipstick.

Be on the lookout for some popular Soulard bartenders that you know (and probably love) from other establishments.

The Wood Shack Opens In Old Feraro's

The Wood Shack is now open in Soulard.

The old Feraro's finally has a new tenant. The Wood Shack is now serving sandwiches at 1862 S 10th Street. The Riverfront Times had the story on the restaurant's opening, which happened Tuesday. The RFT describes The Wood Shack as a "playful little sandwich shop."

Many, including this writer, will remember the location as the old Feraro's. The pizza shop with the fantastic deep dish pie left The Island in 2013. Feraro's Jersey Style Pizza has a carryout location in South County and their main location at 7704 Ivory in South City. They still deliver to Soulard so, you can give them a call at 314-256-0500.

Before Feraro's, 1862 S. 10th was apparently the private dining room for Mike and Min's. Most recently, it was Spring Center Gourment. It had signage for a new sandwich shop that was always "opening soon," but never opened.

Chris Delgado and Patrick McGinnis co-own the restaurant with Delgado serving as the chef. He most recently spent six years at One 19 North Tapas. The sandwich shop will smoke their own meats in-house and make delicious sandwiches from it. Delgado will also make his own sides, including potato salad and mac 'n' cheese.

Check The Wood Shack out on Facebook or on their other Facebook page, apparently.

Now Open: Twisted RAnCH

It was way back in March that George Mahe of St. Louis Magazine first informed us that we were getting a ranch-themed restaurant here in Soulard. The seemingly crazy, ridiculous asinine idea quickly gained traction with foodies around the country. Eater did a story on the project. Deadspin's Foodspin wrote a piece that painted an idea that every dish would have ranch dressing poured over it and ended with "Don't Go To Missouri". I'll admit that I thought the concept was crazy and at times didn't think the team would be able to work.

When news broke that Twisted RAnCh's chef quit during the soft opening. When that chef said the owners "didn't know what they were doing". Each day when I walked out of my house and saw the building still dark, I thought that this crazy-ass idea was never going to work.

I am very happy to say I was wrong. Twisted RAnCH is a very pleasant surprise and a great addition to the Soulard neighbiorhood. While some of the challenges that owners Jim Hayden and Chad Allen have forced them to scale back a traditional full opening, we can all be thankful that food is coming out of the kitchen at the corner of 8th and Soulard and drinks are flowing from the bar.

Twisted RAnCH is open daily from 11am - 3pm for lunch and from 3pm-6pm for Twisted Happy Hour Tuesday to Saturday.

Twisted RAnCH's menu has been scaled back a bit from their previous plans, but still features some stellar treats.

On my first visit, I had the Ranched St. Louis Gerber. While this is supposed to be a St. Louis thing, I had never had it before. I like meat and cheese so I was very happy with a pile of ham topped with melted provel cheese.

On my second visit I decide to go with the Garlic Ranch Burger. It was delicious. A good-sized burger that was cooked well and served on an enjoyable bun. Both sandwiches were served with a very sizable amount of french fries The fries are seasoned well and come out just the right amount of crispy. I'm not all that much of a fry person put my neighbors rave about these.

Other sandwiches I have heard great things about are the Rotisserie Chicken Salad served on a croissant, the Ranched Meatball Sub the Grilled Cheese and the Turkey Bacon Ranch. As far as entrees go, I've only tried the Fried Mozzarella Sticks and they were awesome. It's nearly impossible to find handmade mozzarella sticks around this town, but these apparently are. The cheese is covered in Ranch-seasons panko bread crumbs before being deep-fried. They are then served with the Pesto Ranch for dipping and garnished with some crispy prosciutto on the side.

While originally just being open for lunch, Twisted started being open for happy hour this month. The Twisted Happy Hour from 3pm -6pm Tuesday to Saturday and features a scaled-down snack and drink menu. I went with toasted raviolis and a Brisket Slider. Although the t-ravs aren't made in-house like they had originally planned, I was pleasantly surprised with the dish.I believe six came on the plate with a side of Ranch Marinara for $4. The t-ravs were your standard restaurant ones and a little over-cooked but for the price I was definitely happy. I was very impressed with the $4 Brisket Slider. The generous portion of meat was well-cooked, the sauce was good and it was topped with an onion ring that paired perfectly. A larger brisket sandwich is a fairly recent addition to the lunch menu and also comes topped with onion rings.

Twisted RAnCH features an extensive list of signature cocktails with names like the Twisted Mule, the 8th & Soulard and more. While I haven't sampled these myself, I have heard great things.

The list of ranch sauces at Twisted RAnch seems endless. At last count, I believe it's 14, but it may now be 15 with the addition of Jalapeño Popper. The sauce offerings range from Buffalo to Roasted Garlic to BBQ to Cheesy Bacon to Sunny in Fetadelphia.

Go check out Twisted RAnCH for yourself and let me know what you think.

Look for dinner hours to be added in the next few weeks.

Check Twisted Ranch out on Facebook.

Make Time For Capitalist Pig

Capitalist Pig opened inside Mad Art Gallery on the south end of Soulard way back on October 22, 2012. I had never made time to go to the restaurant before last week when I was invited by a friend.

This alone qualifies me as a complete idiot. Don't be me. Make time to go to Capitalist Pig.

Ron Buechele spent 20 years as a police officer with St. Louis County. Towards the end of his time on the force, he went back to school at Maryville University and picked up a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Painting and creating art had always been one of his passions, along with cooking. Ron grew up spending time in the kitchens with his Sicilian aunts learning their secrets and hearing stories about "the old country".

Towards the end of Buechele's time on the force he decided to jump headfirst into another venture he had in his head. He purchased the vacant building on the corner of 12th and Lami in Soulard that formerly housed the St. Louis Police Department's Third District headquarters. Being a resident himself of Soulard for 13 years by that time in 2000, Buechele was familiar with the building that had been vacant for a decade at that point. He envisioned somewhat of a communal space for artists where they could work in the shared space and display their creations.

While Buechele was living and breathing his gallery during the day and working the streets at night, he realized that his early vision simply wasn't the way to pay the bills. While Capitalist Pig was years away at that point, we can trace its existence back to that revelation. The Mad Art Gallery became a space that could be rented out for private events, such as weddings.

Mad Art Gallery became a trendy space for weddings with it's intact cells from its former days and its large main room, formerly the motor pool area for the police, with works from local artists adorning the walls. People loved the space for the weddings and other events but Buechele noticed a frequent gripe that often comes up at weddings. "The food really wasn't that good".

Buechele hadn't lost that passion for cooking that his aunts instilled in him long ago. He knew that he could cater the weddings himself and was confident the days of people complaining about the food at Mad Art weddings would be over. Ron opened up shop as a caterer. His plan worked and he ended up having to expand the kitchen at Mad Art.

The expanded kitchen was where Capitalist Pig was really born. Just like how the space originally came to be rented out for weddings, Buechele wanted to find a way to maximize revenue from the newly renovated kitchen. He spent about a year fine-tuning the concept for this venture. He knew he wanted his barbecue restaurant to be different than anything else in St. Louis.As many of his ingredients as possible would be purchased from local suppliers, he'd make as many things in-house as possible and locally-sourced meats would be as cruelty-free and sustainable as possible.

When Capitalist Pig first opened in 2012 it immediately received rave reviews. Then carry-out only, Byron Kerman of St. Louis Magazine called likened his visit to visiting the "Disneyland of meat".

It wasn't like I waited to visit until I could dine in at Capitalist Pig, it just happened that way. I told you earlier I'm an idiot for not trying it sooner.

On my visit, Buechele served me a generous portion of each of the meats on the menu, a Cubano sandwich, a hearty sample of each of the sides and a house-made pickle. All of the meats were delicious. My favorites were the house-made bacon (served like it was before the Industrial Revolution according to Buechele) and the smoked corned beef.

The pork belly bacon looked more like a ham steak and is like nothing you've ever tasted. Buechele wet-cures the bacon and smokes it. It's braised with a combination of bourbon, real maple syrup, mustard seeds, peppercorn and a couple other ingredients that are house secrets.

Diners have the option of using seven different house-made sauces. The choices range from House to Sweet & Smokey to Blackberry Ancho, Habanero Peach and more.

The Cubano was quite delicious. My dining mate said its the best sandwich of its kind she's had anywhere and it's not even close.

While I didn't get to try the burger on this visit, hearing Buechele talk about it has it on my agenda for this weekend. A burger isn't typically on the menu, but it does show up frequently as a special. The patty is always a brisket patty with a combination of spices and mustard and onions ground in. The burger that already sounds heavenly is then often topped with a slice of cheese and a slab of the house-made bacon.

How were the sides you ask? Delicious of course. I'm a sucker for Mac N' Cheese and the white cheddar version here exceeded expectations. The Capitalist Pig kitchen makes the dish throughout the day so it's always fresh for diners. The cheese sauce is a combination of Gruyere and English Cheddar cheeses.

The restaurant serves a unique slaw that should please just about everyone. It's made with mustardm vinegar, mayo, salt and pepper so, it pretty much hits all the points on the map.

Another unique side is the potato salad. Many of the dishes that Buechele creates come from his own likes and dislikes he's seen eating out on his own. The potatoes for this salad are cooked "home fry" style before being combined with the other ingredients like chocolate pickles. The hot combination is then dressed with a cold dressing when ordered. Those chocolate pickles? That'd be made from the house pickle that starts life as a cucumber at local Thies Farm.

Hungry yet? Capitalist Pig is open 11 am - 3 pm Wednesday to Sunday. Dinner is served on Thursday nights from 6 pm - 9 pm while trivia is going on in the main room. Plenty of seating is available in open areas of Mad Art Gallery, in the old jail cells and outside on their awesome patio. Buechele is particularly proud to say that although his staff numbers just 3, including himself, they are able to keep ticket times between 4 and 6 minutes on average. Capitalist Pig features a full bar with local and craft beers as well as an extensive array of bourbons. The team has a signature line of cocktails like a Bloody Mary with house-made mix and peppered vodka that's garnished with a house-made pickle. The Perfect Pickled Manhattan features pickle brine simple syrup.

Capitalist Pig and Mad Art Gallery just announced a summer music series that will see "The Pig" open on Friday evenings. The series kicks off on July 3 with live music from the Missouri Breaks blues band from 7:30-10 pm. Ron Buechele is also teaming up with St. Louis Distillery in July to host an event called Sowsed.

As if you weren't hungry enough, the brunch menu is available on Sundays. Along with Jax Cafe in Benton Park, this may be a new staple for me. I've been a sucker for hollandaise sauce since the great days of Build-A-Biscuit at Market Grill 1.0, Capitalist Pig features an Eggs Benedict dish with a cornbread biscuit topped with a poached egg, chili hollandaise and house-made ham. The house-made corned beef is featured in a corned beef & hash dish while the pork belly bacon is featured in a BLT with chipotle aioli You can get that brisket burger I talked about earlier topped with a slice of cheese and an egg. More traditional breakfast items are also available like a fried egg sandwich and salted caramel french toast.

Check out the Capitalist Pig website today. Don't be an idiot like I was. Follow them on Facebook and Twitter and make time to go there ASAP. You can also check them out in Johnny Fugitt's new book, The 100 Best Barbecue Restaurants in America.

Happy Opening Day Howards

When the clock strikes six this evening Judith Howard will likely breathe a sigh of relief. Those close to her will sigh in relief as well and probably shed a happy tear or two. Mom Howard will likely take up residency on her rocking chair wearing the proud smile of a Mother. USN Capt. Ronald C. Howard will give a proud nod from the heavens.

Other neighbors lined up outside Howard will probably lightly tap on the glass wondering when they can officially mosey on up to the bar or out to the patio. Howard In Soulard officially opens its doors to the public at 6 pm tonight, May 8 at 13th and Lynch. The space that previously housed the Hi-Way Bar has been beautifully restored into what will surely be a fantastic neighborhood gathering place.

For more on how Howards came to be, read my previous story.

I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Howards soft opening last weekend and got to take some pictures as well. I never had the opportunity to go into the Hi-Way Bar when it was open but I heard from neighbors who did go they that they can't believe Judith and her team did this with that. A bar area is somewhat set off from a larger seating area, which also features a television and stage. The outdoor area features a deck as well as a large patio area. Mom Howard's statue gives the patio area its own uniqueness.




Steve Reed and Ross Bell will open things up acoustically for Howards from 6 pm - 8 pm tonight. The Alley Mutts will then play from 8 pm - 10 pm. Zero Friction will play on Saturday from 2 pm -6 pm and The Darrells will play at the same time on Sunday.

For more information on Howards, check out their Facebook page.

Howards in Soulard Set To Open May 8

Soulard is enjoying quite the boom as late with new businesses opening all across the neighborhood. Henry's recently opened in the renovated former home of The Shanti. Woodie's recently opened in the Soulard Library building. Twisted Ranch garnered an incredible amount of press when they announced their plans to open in the former Sassy Jac's space. Shelly's has been tirelessly working on the former Clementine's spot whille Fleur De Lilies is targeting a June opening. A Tropical Liquers franchise is also set to take the former Gladstone's space at the corner of Soulard and 10th.

While all of these are a labor of love, a project at the corner of 13th and Lynch carries a special story. Longtime Soulard resident Judith Howard is spearheading the renovation of the former Hi-Way Bar location into an establishment that's "for the neighbors, by the neighbors". Howards will feature live acoustic music 5 nights a week and has a Grand Opening planned for the weekend for May 8-10.

The discussions that eventually led to this project began in the home shared by Judith and her wife, Molly Jankowski. The beautiful home the pair share is just the latest home in the Soulard neighborhood that Judith has restored. Our beautiful island owes its existence to those that have rehabbed the homes in this neighborhood. Judith caught the rehab bug from her father, USN Capt. Ronald C. Howard. The teacher thought it was time he and his protegee took on a rehab project together in Soulard. Sadly, Capt. Howard passed before the project was able to take shape.

The fire that Capt. Howard lit in his daughter burned brighter than ever after his passing. It was stoked by the encouragement of those close to her. By the time her mother decided to join her daughter in Soulard, that fire was hotter than one of her guitar riffs. She set her sights on a vacant, run-down building originally built in 1888.

The building at the corner of 13th and Lynch most recently housed the Hi-Way Bar, although it was originally built as a pharmacy. In between, the building housed a shoe store, an income tax office and a whiskey bar. For a time the building was even home to a bail bonds business. The location was mighty convenient considering during the time the local police station was housed in what is now Mad Art Gallery.

2731 Lynch Street midway through renovations turning it into Howard's in Soulard

The Hi-Way Bar occupied the building for 40 years, closing in 2009 after winning the Best Place to Play Table Shuffleboard from the Riverfront Times in 2009. That award may be a bit misleading, however. The bar was described as "Soulard's most dive-y dive bar". That's not a bad thing by any means. Longtime residents still speak with fondness about the bar, it's camaraderie, cheap drinks and the cat that meandered around. The bar was mentioned several times in David Lester's book, The Lunatic of Soulard.

While the Hi-Way Bar served its purpose, Howards will be a welcome sight in Soulard. Judith and her team are completely renovating the building from "to the studs", as they say. Outside of the building, new utility lines are being run to handle the needs of the establishment, which will include a kitchen. The backyard will feature a full patio for plenty of seating as well as plenty of "golf cart parking".

Over the years the building at 2732 S 13th various levels of construction with each of its different uses. The entrance to the building that Howard wanted restored features a doorway that is quite a bit larger than normal. A door to fit those dimensions was found in a rather unlikely spot, Judith's own basement. Many of the rehabbers in Soulard have worked on multiple projects in the neighborhood throughout the years. It turns out that this particular door was likely taken off during a renovation of the building. The door somehow ended up in a pile on construction materials that is sitting in the basement of Judith's current home.

A focal point of the inside of Howards will be a stage large enough to fit a three-piece band. One instrument will be a permanent fixture in the room. Ruth Ann Howard, Judith's mother, is a retired piano teacher and soprano opera singer. The piano that moved with her when she came to Soulard, the acoustic piano that Judith and countless others have learned on, will get prime billing at the new establishment.

The piano won't be the only thing getting prime billing at Howards, of course. The logo that you see above, "The Captain", was actually designed by Capt. Howard in 1962 and used for years as his letterhead. Aside from Mom Howard's piano, an 8-foot fountain will be prominently featured in the backyard area in her honor. The front entrance to the restaurant will be completely catered to those folks in wheelchairs. Howard stressed in a neighborhood forum that this was an important point for her.

Another important point for Judith Howard at Howards will be the entertainment. If you've been in Soulard a Summer or two you've likely seen Judith playing her guitar for groups of neighbors on various patios throughout the neighborhood. While Judith won't have a regular gig on stage, many neighbors are hopeful that if enough people ask nicely enough, she will play from time to time. Howard has a full lineup of acts scheduled for May 8-10, including Zero Friction, Steve Reebs, The Alley Mutts and The Darrells. Her plan calls for the musical lineup to be set each month in advance. Howards shirts will be available for sale each month that feature the lineup on the back on the shirt. A portion of the proceeds each month will go to a local charity. Live music will be on the bill Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at Howards.

Judith Howard playing music on the patio at The Porch

Aside from the absence of smoke, Howards will feature another aspect the Hi-Way Bar never had, a food menu that includes more than just frozen pizzas. Howard's original plan called for a simple menu featuring mostly small plates to pair with its beer, wine and "classic cocktails reinvented" drink menu. That approach took a turn when the closing of the well-regarded Benton Park restaurant Luvy Duvy's Cafe closed in March. Howard's will serve from the Luvy Duvy's menu of mainstays for lunch and former owners Jackie Seal and Cassady Caldwell will consult in the kitchen. The simple menu was well-regarded among the patrons. Favorites included the cafe's takes on the classic rueben and cuban sandwiches. Howard's will also look to serve brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, although those might not be available when the restaurant first opens. A separate small plate menu will be available in the evenings.

Howards in Soulard will be an excellent addition to Soulard not just in its physical presence, but also in the story it is built on. Be sure to follow Howards in Soulard on Facebook to get a look at the construction progress as well as to stay up-to-date on the upcoming opening events.

Get Excited for Mission Taco: Soulard

**Update** Here's some more on the new location form Feast.

As many of you already know, Mission Taco Joint will be opening a second location in St. Louis and has picked 908 Lafayette for that locations. Where is that you ask? It looks like this:

The space is actually connected to International Tap House and Epic Pizza & Subs by way of a door in the back of that space. The space was used a couple of years ago on Grand Parade Day as an overflow room by iTap. It's a big open space right now and it will be interesting to space and it will be quite interesting to see what Adam Tilford, the owner of Mission as well as Milagro and Tortillaria, can do with the space. He told Ian Froeb of the Post-Dispatch that he is thinking "a sort of open kitchen in which most diners will be able to see the tortilla press in operation and a little bit of the kitchen behind it." 

Tilford knows how the whole food-iTap thing works already seeing as how Tortillaria does quite the business serving customers of iTap CWE.

This will be awesome having an iTap-Epic-Mission complex on that corner. Both Epic and Mission have great food so there will be something for everyone in your group if you are hanging out enjoying drinks. 

If you aren't familiar with Mission Taco Joint in The Loop you are doing life wrong. Their menu features some quality tacos, burritos and tortas. They will also serve the high-quality cocktails and margaritas available at their other locations. Here are five things I am most excited to try, hopefully in May.

CHICKEN FLAUTAS- La Mesa
crisp flour tortilla filled with shredded chicken, corn, Chihuahua cheese, served with ancho bbq sauce and Mexican crema   $8

SWEET POTATO & CHORIZO-Taco
roasted local sweet potatoes, house made chorizo sausage, grilled onions, crema   $3.25

SOUTH BEACH-Burrito
grilled chicken, Chihuahua cheese, cilantro rice, smashed black beans, chipotle aioli, topped with guacamole   $8

CHORIHUEVO-Torta
house made chorizo sausage, soft fried egg, pickled jalapeno, smashed black beans, Chihuahua cheese, garlic lime mayo   $9

FIRST DAY BACK-Cocktail
bourbon, apple cinnamon syrup, Yellow Chartreuse   $8

Down Goes Arcelia's

With this post on their Facebook page, Arcelia's  announced it is closed for business.

Post by Arcelia's Mexicana.

Arcelia's got its start in Soulard back in the day and the moved to Lafayette Square, where it was a fixture for 20 years. It closed in December of 2010 there. Here's a post from St. Louis Magazine about the new incarnation of Arcelia's opening in Soulard in August of last year.

No word on any new possible tenant for the space at 12th and Allen.

Mama Gusto's Replacing Sage

As reported last week by the Riverfront Times, the sign to the right is taped to the front door at 1031 Lynch, the former location of Sage Urban American Grill. This will be the second location for Mama Gusto's. The original is in Lebanon, Illinois and a second location on Ivory Avenue in South St. Louis closed in February of this year.

The menu at Mama Gusto's features a variety of Italian dishes including pizzas, pastas and strombolis.  The flagship location also includes a deli and Italian grocery. No word on if the Soulard location will be the same.

Before closing in South St. Louis, the location got great reviews.

Hopefully the "Big Mama" will be a feature at 1031 Lynch.



Look for Mama Gusto's-Soulard to be open around the 4th of July.

Market Grill Reopening?

The rumor mill is saying that Market Grill is set to reopen. The For Lease sign is no longer in the window. Rumors are that the new concept will be "cold beer, cheap food". Neither the GM nor the Executive Chef from Market Grill 2.0 will be involved in the new incarnation.

Epic Pizza and Subs Opening This Month

Notice something strange about this picture hanging in Epic Pizza and Subs?  The Cardinals weren't in the 1949 World Series. The Birds were in 1st from Game #115- Game #153, but then lost 3 of 4 and the Brooklyn Dodgers were off to face the Yankees in the World Series.  How does this exist then?  You'll have to go in to Epic Pizza and Subs on 9th next to International Tap House to get the whole story from the owners. Lots of great pictures and art hanging on the walls.  Word is the joint will open Nov. 28th. I was invited over the weekend to sample some food as they were testing recipes.  The burger was juicy and flavorful with a little bit of bit.  The wood-fired grill will cook a pizza in two minutes or less. Food will be available later than most anywhere else in Soulard once Epic gets up and going.  Look for good things out of this place.

Bogart's Makes the Best New Restaurant List, Riverbend Gets HM

Credit RFT

The Riverfront Times posted their list of Best New Restaurants in St. Louis today.  One of our very own, Bogart's, was #2 behind Salt.  Congrats to Skip, Nicki, George and the team

Riverbend Restaurant and Bar got an honorable mention nod as well. Congrats to Sam and his team. Riverbend is located on Utah on the south side of the Brewery.  If you haven't been there yet, so need to get there soon.

New Life for Old Verlin's/Phelan's?

I noticed some work going on in the old Phelan's building at the corner of 8th and Soulard.  The gentleman was nice enough to let me come in and take some pictures. Come to find out he is the guy putting a new business in the building.  I can't divulge too much info about the concept because he asked me not to just yet.  I can say that his name is Chris and he owns another establishment on the other side of the river.

You'll notice that Chris got rid of the awful paint job from Verlin's that made it look like a seedy strip club.  I am hopeful that his place will feature employees that wear actual clothes.

His concept isn't really "out there" but I can tell you it should be a cool place to hang out with a little twist not seen on the Island.  Looking at the records for the property, I don't see that any permits have been listed but who knows. Chris said he was looking at 45 days or so before open, but knowing how things work around here, I would put it closer to 90.  When I know more, I will be sure to post it.

Old Lucas School House In The News

Apparently the Old Lucas School House at 1220 Allen has been purchased by the folks behind a laundry list of other projects in the St. Louis Area. Dr. Gurpreet Padda and Amy Grimes have purchased the space and plan on opening an 800-seat live music venue and 350-seat restaurant according to this article from Sauce Magazine.

Judging by the other ventures these two are apart of, like Sanctuaria and Cathedral Square Brewery, I would imagine this venture will be a lot more successful than the last live music venue in Soulard, The Library.

Thanks to HixxinSoulard for pointing this article out