Short Orders

[ST. LOUIS STANDARDS]

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Melissa Downs is used to people pouring their hearts out to her with memories of dining at Cyrano’s Café as soon as they learn she co-owns and manages the beloved dessert and dining destination. Sometimes, however, their timing isn’t the best.

“I run into people all over St. Louis from all walks of life who tell me about their memories,” Downs says. “One time, my dentist launched into a long story about how he went there with his wife. When I gave birth to my daughter at St. Mary’s Hospital, and the OB nurses found out I owned Cyrano’s, they all came and told me how they used to come over, get Cleopatras to-go, bring them back and eat it at the nurse’s station.”

Downs knows that hearing those stories at every turn comes with the territory of owning a St. Louis dining institution, one that has been serving some of the city’s most iconic desserts since 1960. And that’s one of the things she loves most about her job. Married into the family that has been running Cyrano’s since 1979, Downs understands that she has a responsibility to be a steward of those memories for people, some of whom remember the original location on Clayton Road and Demun Avenue.

That spot, which was opened by John and Francis Marshall 61 years ago, was the go-to place in the St. Louis area for desserts and European-style coffee drinks — beverages that may seem ubiquitous today but were ahead of their time in the pre-Starbucks era. Housed in the basement of a building that had a hi-fi stereo store above it, the original Cyrano’s was dimly lit and intimate, its soundtrack provided by a reel-to-reel tape player that kids in tuxes and formal dresses would sway to as they waited for their tables after attending prom. In 19 9, a fire tore through the building and destroyed the original location, prompting the Marshalls to relocate to a storefront on Big Bend Boulevard just around the corner. Not long after, they opened a sister restaurant in Westport Plaza called De Bergerac’s, but when it failed to take off the way that Cyrano’s did, they shuttered it and decided to reevaluate whether they wanted to keep going in the business. Though they continued to run Cyrano’s for a bit longer, they eventually sold in 1985 to the O’Donnell family, who turned the establishment into a place as equally focused on dinner as dessert. Reinvented as a fine-dining restaurant with steaks and seafood, Cyrano’s operated under the O’Donnells’ watch until 1996, when they sold it to Carolyn and Charlie Downs, Melissa Downs’ in-laws.

Though the sale gave Carolyn and Charlie the rights and furnishing to Cyrano’s, they were not yet ready to go all-in on running the place. This was because they were focused on helping with another titan of St. Louis’ restaurant history: Harvest. Together, Char-

lie Downs, Steve Gontram and George Mahe built up the iconic eatery, with Carolyn in charge of its most notable dish.

“The Harvest bread pudding is Carolyn’s original recipe,” Melissa Downs says. “She’s an incredible pastry chef who started baking pies and desserts for the restaurant out of her kitchen. Her father owned a diner in Illinois, and she never went to [culinary] school; she’s entirely self-taught.”

In 2003, Carolyn and Charlie decided that they were finally ready to go off on their own and invest themselves fully into reopening Cyrano’s. They found a new location, still on Big Bend Boulevard, but down the road in Webster Groves, where they have been ever since. There, in a light-filled space that used to house the outdoor retailer the Alpine Shop, the elder Downs worked hard to recreate the joy of the original and second Cyrano’s locations while keeping things current. They measure their success in the regulars they have gained throughout the years — some new to the current spot and some going back decades — and have delicately balanced the importance of keeping old favorite dishes while offering new items for the current generation of diners.

Now, Cyrano’s is in the hands of Melissa Downs, together with her husband Chip and her brother-inlaw and his girlfriend, who have all committed to carrying forth its legacy. This includes making sure that they offer some of the original favorites, like the Cleopatra — which consists of French vanilla ice cream, bananas, strawberries, rum sauce, gold brick and whipped cream — as well as the tableside flambes and World’s Fair eclairs, while also perfecting classic comfort food desserts like chocolate cake and apple pie.

Downs knows people keep coming back because the desserts are excellent. Taught by his talented mom, Chip is now at the helm of the pastry kitchen, working hard to make sure that whatever he serves, it’s the best version of what it can be. However, if Downs has to put her finger on what makes the restaurant so special to people, it’s less about a particular dish than what that dish represents.

“I think a lot of it is the tie-in to memories,” Downs says. “People celebrate special things here — baby showers, anniversaries, birthdays. People get engaged here. Also, because we are a family-run place, the majority of our service staff has been here for years. We have low turnover, so guests get to know the wait staff, and they develop relationships. That means a lot to people.”

The foundation of those relationships, particularly in the minds of their regulars, is the trust that Downs and her family understand their vital role in keeping tradition alive — something they are committed to doing because they all understand that, no matter how delicious those Cleopatras are, what they meant to people goes well beyond the taste.

“People want to hang onto that tradition,” Downs says. “There’s a lot of meaning and emotion that people associate with food. Whether it’s dessert that Mom made for birthdays or what you had for a particular occasion, people associate that they ate this thing at a certain time in their life, and when they eat it again, they are brought back to it. It’s great to see when something jumps them back to that time in their lives, and it’s so cool to be able to provide that to them.” n

[BOOZE NEWS]

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Whiskey lovers have a new spot for enjoying their favorite beverage, courtesy of one of the spirit’s most ardent fans. Whisky on Washington (1321 Washington Avenue), a new bar from local bourbon enthusiast David Shanks, opened this month in the heart of Washington Avenue’s entertainment district, promising a unique tasting and lounge experience to St. Louis bargoers.

According to Shanks, Whisky on Washington is designed for whiskey enthusiasts of all levels — from the inexperienced imbiber looking for guidance from the knowledgeable bartenders to the connoisseur eager to enjoy a favorite label. With the bar, Shanks is hoping to share his passion for the spirit while bringing something unique to the Washington Avenue district — a dream that has been in the works ever since he first got into whiskey while on a trip the Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail.

“This really just came from a love of whiskey,” Shanks says. “I was not originally a whiskey drinker — more of a tequila guy — until I took a trip down the Kentucky Bourbon Trail and really fell in love with the science behind it. How it’s done, how it’s aged from start to finish, how to drink it, what the proof means — just everything that goes into a good whiskey. It has such a rich history, and once you understand that, you really try to learn and conquer it, even though that’s not possible.”

Shanks, a St. Louis native, never envisioned himself going into the bar business. With a background in education, he assumed that would be his path until he realized just how important to him it was to share his passion for the spirit with others. About three years ago, he decided to go all-in on opening what would become Whisky on Washington, searching several

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Seven years ago, Jen Kaslow bought Meshuggah Cafe (6269 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314726-5662) in the Loop from longtime owner Patrick Liberto for one reason: to make sure that the beloved coffee mainstay stay true to its bohemian roots and continue on as a community gathering place. Now, she’s hoping to pass that torch to the next person as she seeks a new owner for the cafe.

“I feel like I took it one step further than where it was, and there is somebody else who has the energy to take it to its next place,” says Kaslow. “My goal was never to have it forever, and I never intended to take it from a sleepy coffeeshop to a place with a line out the door. I can’t say enough about what this place has given me and my family — more than I ever could have given it — but I am going to be an empty nester, and it’s just time.”

For roughly 30 years, Meshuggah has been a staple of the Loop — a home away from home for the neighborhood’s chess players, students, artists, musicians, poets and philosophers — that has served as a modern-day salon for the exchange of ideas. When Liberto, who ran the place from 1997 until 2015, told longtime regular Kaslow that he was looking for a buyer, her first thought — like every other regular who adores the place — was whether or not the next buyer would be able to keep it as it is or betray that ethos. The latter was something she could not bear to see happen, so she decided, on the spot, to take matters into her own hands.

“I tend to be someone who wants to find solutions to things, so when he said he was selling, I thought that maybe I could be the solution,” Kaslow says. “I told him, ‘It can’t go away. Who is going to buy it?’ Then I turned to my friend and asked, ‘What if I buy it?’ When he didn’t try to talk me out of it, and told me he thought it was in my wheelhouse, it seemed like it wasn’t such a crazy idea.”

Though Kaslow has always seen herself as a steward of Meshuggah, she made a few updates to the place when she took over that have been well received. Based on feedback she received from a suggestion jar that she put up on Day One of owning the cafe, she added electrical outlets, updated kitchen equipment, put in a kitchen vent and added seating, which gave the place a tiny facelift while maintaining its essential character.

“I was super nervous about Patrick’s legacy and the legacy of Meshuggah, because it has such a huge one and people have so many memories,” Kaslow says. “Everybody identifies with it and feels so deeply that it is theirs, so I didn’t want to be a disruptor. I wanted to keep it the same even though I needed to make some changes.”

While she kept the coffee the same — the most common suggestion in her suggestion jar — she did tweak the menu, which resulted in sales going through the roof. After analyzing what was working and what wasn’t, she streamlined the offerings and expanded breakfast dishes, which she felt were missing in the Loop.

Her instincts were right; since taking over in 2015, sales have doubled, even with the challenges of trolley construction and the pandemic making owning a business in the Loop difficult.

She’s hoping that the next owner will be able to strike that same balance of growth and updates with respect for the past, which is why she plans on being very intentional about who buys the cafe. For her, Meshuggah’s mission has always been community, and she wants the new owner to continue looking to that as the driver for decisions. Though she sees opportunities to do things she hasn’t done, her goal is to put the cafe that means so much to people in the hands of someone who just gets it.

“I’m excited for somebody who wants this type of business to take over,” Kaslow says. “It will be hard and sad, and I don’t mind being here during the transition. I came into this not knowing a thing, so it doesn’t need to be somebody in the restaurant business. If I could dream up a buyer, it would be someone who appreciates it for what it is. There are so many interesting people here and interesting stories. The colors in the Loop are just endless.”

Kaslow encourages anyone interested in talking to her about buying Meshuggah to reach out to her at kaslowjen@ gmail.com. n

neighborhoods in St. Louis city for the right spot. Once he located the former shoe store on Washington Avenue, he knew he found where he was supposed to be, and after sketching out what he wanted the lounge to look like, he got to work on the buildout. That should have taken about a year, but the pandemic and other surprises that came up during the renovation of the old building delayed his plans. Finally, this July, he was able to open his doors to the public.

“Whatever came up definitely did, but it was a blessing in disguise,” Shanks says. “No one wants to be stuck opening a business at the start of a pandemic.”

Now, Shanks feels the time is right to offer the full Whisky on Washington experience to his guests, and is eager to provide a warm, welcoming space for people to learn about and enjoy everything from pours of their favorite labels to thoughtful cocktails. He’s proud of the bottle list he’s curated and some of the specialty, whiskey-centric drinks his bar staff has created, including what he describes as the “best Old Fashioned in town,” as well as a Wow-Mo-Politan, which is a whiskeybased version of a Cosmopolitan.

Though he is not offering food, Shanks encourages guests to bring in or have delivered food from area establishments. He is particularly excited to have his customers patronize neighboring businesses, such as Blondie’s, 4 AM Kitchen, Rosalita’s, Pop’s and the soon-to-open Harold’s Shrimp & Chicken, because they have been so welcoming to him.

As for his bottle list, Shanks is proud of what he’s put together, but he admits that it is never enough for the hardcore bourbon enthusiast. To those who may be looking for more, Shanks invites them to tell him their favorite labels so that he can make sure he builds the most complete whiskey bar in the area.

“We have a rule that if we don’t have it the first time you’re here, we will have it when you come back,” Shanks says. “We have an ongoing list of whiskeys, and we can typically get anything in within a day or two; we just send a picture of what they are looking for to our distributors to see who can get it. I’d say half of our collection comes from customer requests. It’s a fun thing, because every whiskey drinker is an expert. We just want to get out of their way and let them run it.” n

Written by CHERYL BAEHR

Princeton Heights has a new destination for vegan cuisine, thanks to Trezel Brown, the chef and owner of CC’s Vegan Spot (4993 Loughborough Avenue, 314-899-9400). The restaurant, which moved from its original home in Alton, Illinois, in late July, is now open at the intersection of Loughborough and Macklind avenues, serving delicious, comfort-food-inspired plant-based dishes to residents — and even those from far and wide.

“I had a woman come in from California and had to stop in,” says Brown. “When I was in Alton, I had people coming from all over to try my food, and here at the new location, I still have people driving two hours.”

Brown’s unique take on the possibilities of plant-based cooking has been drawing in customers for the past two years at CC’s original Alton location. Though originally envisioned as a gourmet icees shop, Brown began slowly adding to the menu vegan dishes she’d long perfected as a home cook over her first few weeks in business. The response to her food was so positive that she quickly transitioned into a full-fledged plantbased eatery, serving specialties such as vegan fried chicken and mashed potatoes, Ish Bites, which are a vegan version of fish fritters, and two different styles of meatless burgers.

Though Brown enjoyed success at the Alton CC’s, she had always envisioned the restaurant as being located in south St. Louis (before signing her lease in Alton, she nearly closed a deal on a Cherokee Street storefront). When she came across the former Corner Bistro space earlier this year, she recognized the opportunity to finally bring her food to an area of town she knew was clamoring for more vegan options.

“In Alton, it was my customers driving out to see me, but now I’m driving in to serve my customers,” Brown says. “I do have mixed emotions about closing Alton, because it was my beginning, and I really wanted to keep both, but I couldn’t do both right now.”

While Brown hopes to one day open a second location of CC’s either in Alton or north county, for now she is pouring her heart into the Princeton Heights spot. Customers who have been patronizing her restaurant for years will notice all of the favorite foods they’ve come to love, plus some new offerings such as mushroom bites, vegan Rotel nachos, a plantbased version of a French dip, and a pulled jackfruit sandwich.

Brown eventually sees CC’s as transitioning to a full-service restaurant, but for now, she offers counter service only. Still, she has created a space that encourages guests to linger, whether inside the comfortable, light-filled dining room or on the patio in the front of the restaurant. So far, she has been thrilled with the response she’s gotten, noting that business has quadrupled since she moved the restaurant to Missouri. She is hopeful that, should the response continue, she will be able to soon expand her hours to include lunch. For now, the restaurant is open Thursdays from 3:30 until 8:30 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from noon until 8:30 p.m.

“There is such a big vegan community here, and they’ve really come out to support me,” Brown says. “I’m just so proud to be open during this pandemic, and I am grateful that people are willing to put their trust in me to come down and check me out.” n