gfron1

I added some verbage on the location page. We are technically on Blvd, but everyone says Ave, and all that matters is that either through google will get you to us. And I likely won't add hours to the site because the reservation system covers that as does google, facebook and all other social media. We're dinners only.

Ahhhh...I didn't know how to respond because I couldn't figure out why you tagged me. Now I get it. Just like Willy Wonka, i would lick my wall...but I promise it won't taste good.

Those details are locked in already. Open Thurs-Sun, 5-10. I'll modify the tasting menu seating in the system to accommodate the whole group at once time. The price for the dinner is $100 all inclusive (food, tax and hospitality). Drinks are optional/additional. If anyone prefers the bar, we don't reserve those seats. There are 18 seats at the bar and three 2-tops. The menu at the bar is different and will be around $17-20, with the prices again being all inclusive.

We'll release our reservation system the middle of next week (anticipated), and we release seats 30 days prior so I will block off the seats so there's not stress around that. If people do cancellations late (more than 48 hours) I can easily release the seats so no worries there either. Our website went live last night.

I'll be able to manually put you in, and our system will allow 30 days out, so when you are locked in let me know and I can take care of it. I believe I'll be taking the system live on Monday but still waiting on one little thing.

I'm sure you (more than most) can appreciate how I lately think about those early days here on eG before I had ever worked in a restaurant. I do blame Ling, btw, for picking me for the Pastry Challenge well over a decade ago. That's the moment I hold up as the spark.

Here's the start on our sign.

Passed electric. Loan FINALLY closed yesterday. Menu 95% done. Still to go: Health Inspection (no concerns), liquor license (all administrative at this point). Very likely will need to push our soft opening back a day or two.

ahhh... In other news...On April Fools...less than a week before we soft open...we finally closed on our loan. No turning back!

If you mean the painting technique, just know that I now have serious tips that will make your life infinitely easier, and the finished product infinitely better.

Thanks for asking again, I did miss it. We have a really cool sign in the works. It won't be up by opening, but within the month. And there's not enough space for a patio, but our landlord (who owns the whole block) is working with the city to modify the sidewalk to give us a few extra feet which would allow all of us to do sidewalk seating.

Some pics from Instagram by people in attendance... The food was from Byrd and Barrel, a really good upscale fried chicken place in town who gifted us the food to support us. I don't know if it's a thing everywhere, but in St Louis chefs support new openings.

Today we added color. We did a 12 color drip wall using the colors of wild persimmon. We're all exhausted but what a great opportunity for staff and spouses to break a sweat together and build investment in the project. The last picture is about 60% done. A lot more paint went on after that.

Actually I have already started what I'm calling our White Paper, where I can talk about the various concepts and highlight the numerous artisans we have involved in the project. I don't want to be a classroom when people come to dinner so i want to be able to hand them or email them the nitty gritty for folks who want to know more.

I'll be able to show very soon. It's one of the most unique details we've created.

Here is your eGullet exclusive! I stopped posting pics in social media Couple of weeks ago (except for non-revealing images), but eG and I go way back 😁. The dining room The wall separating the dining room. The concept was to recreate looking through the Ozark woods at sunrise One of our lounge loveseats. The back bar where most of the liquor is stored. View of the bar. View from the prep kitchen to the front door showing some of the fun play with light and shadows that we created.

Time to get serious about this little shindig! As you all may have heard in the national media, we St Louisans are known for our cutting edge foods. I promise that we do NOT slice our bagels like this. The whole city is trying to hunt this guy down and ship him off to Kansas (no offense Kansas). But while we ponder this bagel slicing atrocity, and as I'm two weeks until I open Bulrush, here is where we stand on attendance so far. I'll be accepting registrations until April 22nd. I'm still interested in hearing what topics you all would like covered, and I'll be releasing some of the social calendar shortly. This will be a great time to visit St Louis.

I am so in the weeds...hopefully I'll post an update this weekend. Cleaning crew is here right now. Passed building inspection yesterday along with electric and plumbing. Up next - health inspection.

Final building inspection is tomorrow. All of the subs got inspected yesterday. Health Dept and Liquor license will be early next week...so I made a batch of chocolates. I think I was yearning for simpler times so I used one of my vintage molds and made a foraged nocino bonbon. Also our spent barrels arrived so we can start aging...most likely our persimmon vinegar and our pawpaw vinegar.

Be patient until you see how it's going to be used. 😁

As we enter our final week of construction we're wrapping up some fun furniture projects. We're lathing some elevated plates for our after dinner lounge experience. I've joked that's it's a golf tee for giants, but it feels sturdy enough that some drunk fool won't break it, yet refined enough to look... Refined.

I always struggle with that too, and that's why I'm looking forward to doing 3D work at the eG workshop in May

So much detail work right now! I never even got to my to-do list today dealing with all of the urgent crisis and meetings. It's soooo close! (not that you would know it by the look of our kitchen)

We're really there now...the subcontractors are disappearing daily because they've finished their work. Buying donuts this morning for the remaining workers. I won't be posting any more pics until we open because these finishing touches are so gorgeous.

But of course