Generations of bleary-eyed St. Louisans have flitted into late night diners like moths to lamplight, drawn in by one of our most treasured regional dishes: the slinger — an artful pile of eggs, hash browns, onions, cheese, meat and chile (or gravy).
So the city mourned at the beginning of November when one of the last best places to get a slinger — the Buttery on South Grand Boulevard — closed.
Bryan Kerbow, an overnight cook known for wearing a pistol on the job, wrote on the Lost Tables Facebook page that owner Ed O'Day had died after a short battle with cancer.
“I want to thank you all on behalf of The Buttery for all the years of patronage and for all the memories you gave us all,” he said. “And if any of my regulars see this post if I don’t have your phone number just know that I love you all and I thank you all very much for coming to see me.”
November also marked several long-awaited openings in the region. Those include a new Comet Coffee location in Southwest Garden and a brick-and-mortar in Shaw by Tower Grove Farmers’ Market favorite Tee Rak Thai. Also, The team that brought Kenny’s Upstairs to South Grand plus notable local baker and food guy Joe Stein opened Ozzy’s Market, a bodega-inspired market and cafe in Downtown West.
Outside the city, people can try dirty soda at Dirty Pop in O’Fallon, Missouri. That’s soda mixed with syrups, cream or fruit — a trend that’s popular with the Mormon community. Nettie’s Pizza Den from longtime local restaurateur Mike Randolph opened in Clayton. Finally, Sasha’s on Demun launched Cellar Bar, a wine-by-the-glass menu serving leftover (but presumably still excellent) bottles from its last 15 years.
Openings
- Cellar Bar, Clayton (inside Sasha’s on Demun)
- Club AVA, downtown (Ballpark Village)
- Comet Coffee, Southwest Garden
- Dave’s Hot Chicken, Des Peres
- Dirty Pop, O’Fallon, Missouri
- DD Mau, Webster Groves
- Latte Lounge, Midtown
- Mortar & Pestle, Southampton
- Nettie’s Pizza Den, Clayton
- O/B Slices, Alton
- Ozzy’s Market, Downtown West
- The Passport Craft Cocktail and Wine Bar, Downtown West
- Tee Rak Thai, Shaw
- Saddles Social House, Defiance
- Schatze’s Bar & Grill, Belleville
- Scout’s, Midtown
- Southern Classic Daiquiri Factory, Soulard
- Zen Me Noodles and Crepes, Crestwood
Closings
- Arch Nemesis Brewery, Chesterfield
- The Buttery, Tower Grove South
- Gulf Shores Restaurant & Grill, Edwardsville
- Mezcaleria Las Chupacabras, Richmond Heights
- Lotawata Creek, Fairview Heights
- Prime 55, Skinker DeBaliviere
- Session Taco, Central West End
- Steampunk Brew Works, Town and Country
See one I missed? Let me know at jrogen@stlpr.org.
