With 64/40 reopening next Monday, we all have a reason to smile...maybe even celebrate. 

Even the invariably stoic Vince Bommarito is getting into the act. Next week, from Monday, December 7 through Friday, December 11, Tony’s will feature a four-course meal for $64.40, and a three-course meal for $40.00. These prix fixers are indeed fixed, with no substitutions allowed. The entree for the four-courser is a parmesan-encrusted lamb chop with herbed risotto; the three-courser featuresa green peppercorn marinated beef tenderloin. For reservations and complete menu details, call 314-231-7007. This info is not available online.  

Those who have had the pleasure of meeting Joy Grdnic, owner of The Fountain on Locust, wouldn't be surprised to learn that she is also a syndicated radio comedienne. Her free-spirited, whimsical nature is evident in her decor (she painted that mural), her menu (dill pickle soup, anyone?), and in her special events, the most recent being the Highway "Farty" Party and Giveaway.  

Customers visiting the restaurant now through Friday, December 4, at 4 pm can enter to win free ice cream martinis for two and a free night's stay at The Hampton Inn & Suites at Forest Park (5650 Oakland Avenue). (And what better place to view that ribbon cutting?) 

On Sunday evening from 5 pm - 9 pm, FoL will feature several Highway "Farty" specials: World's Smallest Ice-Cream Cones for .40; ice cream martinis for $4.40; and homemade ham & bean soup for .40 with the purchase of a meal. Couldn't get much fartier than that. -- George Mahe 

What to do now that the T-Giving leftovers are gone? Support your local restaurants, that's what, and there's never been a better time. This week, over 30 members of the St. Louis Originals are offering a 3 courses for $25 special (menus are listed here and some additional details from Feast here). Reservations are recommended. 

Sidebar: Paul Hamilton, President of St. Louis Originals, along with his wife, Wendy, elaborated on the organization (and on their 2 restaurants, Vin de Set and 1111 Mississippi) in a Q&A published in the December 2009 SLM, here).  -- George Mahe  

     
    
What better day to pull this piece out from the archives: "Thanksgiving Wines," published in Chris Hoel's Liquid Assets column in the November 2008 St. Louis Magazine. Click through for the descriptions, or just print this post off and take it with you to your local wine store:

• 2006 Miner “Simpson Vineyard” Viognier ($21.99)
• 2006 Trimbach Gewürztraminer ($19.99)
• 2007 Mark West Pinot Noir ($11.99)
• 2008 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau ($12.99–$14.99) 

Sure, restaurants open and restaurants close, but if they expand...chances are they are doing something right. Like these three: 

1. Cafe Napoli- Tony Pietoso has enjoyed years of success in Clayton at Cafe Napoli and more recently, Bar Napoli. At the same time, he knows the somewhat older demographic who patronize the former feel like persona non grata at the latter. Solution? Napoli Reserve, a handsome, 2 room addition (accessed through Bar Nap) where the focus will be on higher-tier liquors and wines... where Stoli Elit replaces Stoli standard; where guests may opt for Crown Royal XR over baseline Crown; where Silver Oak, Cakebread and Dom are poured...by the glass. Solid sustenance comes via small plate versions of Cafe Nap's fare. Pietoso is setting his sights as well on Claytion's Happy Hour crowd (not to mention the suits in the largish building under construction up the street). Naploli Reserve opens this evening, one of the biggest bar nights of the year. Sounds like fun...so, who's buying?  

2. Tani Sushi Bistro- to hold on to the dinner crowd at his increasingly popular susheatery, owner Eric Heckman has added a 1000 SF lounge, 2 doors to the north of Tani (International Diamonds is sandwiched in between). "It will be a true lounge," comments Heckman, "where you can hear the person who's speaking to you. The loungeshere more resemble clubs." The still-unnamed space is slated to open before year's end. (And if you must have another round of Tani's blazing (literally) Oh My God roll, sushi and rolls will be available in the new space as well.)

3. City Coffeehouse and Creperie - the City of Clayton has bestowed its final blessings on the plans to enclose the patio (thereby adding 40 permanent seats), news that Feast caught wind of here, way back in May. Operable windows, similar to those at Oceano next door, will maintain that open-air feel whenever weather permits. -- George Mahe   

In recognition for his charitable efforts in 2009, Morton's the Steakhouse in Clayton's General Manager Jeffrey Daniels received this year's corporate Community Spirit Award, an honor given to the Morton's GM whose restaurant raised the most charitable dollars within his or her community. The local non-profits that benefited were Make-A-Wish Foundation, Operation Food Search, The ECHO Children's Home and St. Louis Area Food Bank. 

Morton's has 77 steakhouses worldwide. Congratulations Mr. Daniels, and dare we say, well done. -- George Mahe   

Businesses that sell seasonal foods all face the same problem...what to do in the offseason? What does the ice cream store do in the winter, or the soup guy in summer? The local custard magnate came up with a pretty good idea and now the couple who owns a suburban snow cone business just came up something as simple. Waffles.   

Two weeks ago, Jack and Pat Williams, owners of the 3 Tropical Moose Shaved Ice locations (Tro-Mo, to the devotees), began experimenting selling Belgian waffles out of their Webster location, at $ 2 a throw (which includes a dipping sauce). How'd it go? Pretty well...they sold out every day. The store that had been closed since Labor Day now has a new life: Tropical Moose Walk-Away-Waffles.  

Consulting Chef Dana Holland collaborated on perfecting the recipe. (Remember Dana? More on him in a later post.) The trio had toyed with the idea of grab-and-go cereals in conjunction with waffles but decided to focus on one product. Depending on response, the plan is to offer the waffles year round in Webster and ideally expand the idea to Kirkwood. There will be weekly specials to keep the idea fresh...who wouldn't try a s'mores waffle? 

And how's this for timing? The Kellogg Co. has just warned us of a shortage of Eggo waffles until possibly mid-2010.  

For Thanksgiving week, waffles are available only tomorrow and Wed (see hours below). The permanent schedule will begin next Tuesday:   

Tue-Fri: 7:30 to 9:30 AM and 12:30 to 4:30 PM

Sat-Sun: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM

The address of the Webster Groves Tro-Mo is 43 S. Old Orchard, next to Big Sky Cafe and Puddin' Head Books. Which brings up an interesting sidebar...Tro Mo plans to sell only organic milk and orange juice to accompany the waffles, no coffee. When I asked Pat Williams the reason, she replied: "Puddin Head sells coffee. We don't want to encroach on their coffee business." Hmm. I don't know Pat, but I can't wait to meet her. -- George Mahe

A Southside institution as rich as mama's "muskacholi" sauce is opening a new location...in Glendale (in the former Caito's space at 10012 Manchester, to be precise). Look for activity at that address after the first of the year and an opening in March.  

P'Sghetti's formula is so simple and so basic, I'm surprised no one has ever picked up on the concept and run with it. For the uninitiated: cheap buckets of pasta; addictive, made-in-house, sweet bread; decent--and cheap--salads and sandwiches; and the kicker--feed a family of 4-6 for $23. 

Let's review the simplicity...first, homemade meat sauce is ladled into a half-gallon bucket, followed by steaming spaghetti or mostaccioli noodles, a little more sauce on top, followed by the lid. When you get home, pop the lid, invert the bucket, and voila, hot pasta that hasn't absorbed every available ounce of sauce...the integrity of the noodle is still intact. Mmm. Dig in, kids.

The original location at 5540 S. Lindbergh is geared to quick-service and pick-up, and the new location will be larger (90 seats) but similar. So what will become of Caito's bar...a pasta bar, perhaps? Not likely, says P'sghetti's owner Michael Brannan, adding that "to maintain a family-style atmosphere, the plans are to remove it." Agreed. Asking for a Manhattan with your "p'sghetti" just seems all wrong. -- George Mahe

Vegadeli (VEE-ga-deli), the only vegan "deli" in town, the subject of a favorable Rose Martelli review, the recipient of a June 2009 SLM Cheap Eats mention, and now, we understand, the only certified and inspected Kosher restaurant in town, is expanding. Twice.

In December, look for a downsized-but-expandable, grab-and-go version to open inside HammerBodies Custom Fitness in Maryland Heights. It will be open to club members as well as to the general public.

Closer to the first of the year, look for a beefier version (whoops, wrong word) to bow at 173 Carondelet Plaza, the former site of Paciugo Gelato and the only unleased space on that block. Owner A.J. Mensey reports the Clayton location will be certified and inspected Kosher as well. – George Mahe

I'm not sure how they sneak up on me, but they do. And they just did it again.

Primebar, a medium/large footprint restaurant concept from the same parent company that brought us BarLouie, is 30 days from opening at West County Center, directly next door to McCormick & Schmick's, a stone's throw from BRAVO! and just down the mall from Hanley's Grille & Tap, which opened just a week ago today. That's roughly 900 new seats in one shopping center within a 10 month period. And don't forget about Elephant Bar. Sure, West County is expanding, but...that's a lot of seats...that require a steady ration of butts. I'd love to get my hands on the market study that supports that kind of density, at a time when diners are supposedly eating out less. 

Here's what I know about Primebar, although it's hard to get a good bead on it: each unit is designed to be slightly different, tailored to local products, proteins, beverages and tastes; and although it's owned by Chicago-based Restaurants-America, their website does not yet list it. 

I was told this should be the sixth unit in the growing chain (after Denver, Los Angeles, Scottsdale, Chicago and Tampa). Only three units have officially opened; the flagship unit, in Denver, opened just last May (website here). Take a look...be interesting to see if our Primebar has the same approach and feel. The Denver unit seats a whopping 500, with a bar that seats 50. I saw a similar size bar in my quickie tour of the WCC space, but this unit will seat more like 250. 

One thing's for certain: come Spring, the patio complex shared by M&S, BRAVO! and Primebar will become ground zero for the let's-eat-outside-tonight crowd. -- George Mahe