Lost Tables

Ray Gallardo: Casa Gallardo

Eighty-eight-year-old Ray Gallardo first came to the United States from Mexico as a young man, working as a dishwasher at the Biltmore Hotel in Santa Barbara. His next vi

Eddie Neill: Cafe Provencal & More

Eddie Neill is best known for Cafe Provencal, which has thrived in Kirkwood for almost 30 years. But from his first restaurant, T.P. Neill’s, to Chez Leon, to The Dubline

The Buttery

The Buttery Restaurant closed for good on Halloween. The South Grand diner had been serving the Tower Grove South Neighborhood for almost 40 years. I’d never dined at Th

Greg Perez: More Plates

By popular demand, chef and restaurateur Greg Perez is back for more. Did you enjoy this episode?

Greg Perez: Blue Water Grill, Painted Plates

Someone once called Greg Perez the Forrest Gump of restaurants. From Rich & Charlie’s, to his award-winning Painted Plates, to the Grateful Inn, it was indeed, “Run, Greg

Monarch: Aaron Teitelbaum & Jeff Orbin

Monarch opened for business on Manchester Road in Maplewood in 2003, and thrived for almost 10 years. Aaron Teitelbaum and Jeff Orbin talked with me about their restauran

La Tropicana: Rafael Trabanco

La Tropicana Market was an institution on the corner of Lindenwood and Hereford for over 30 years. Rafael Trabanco told me his family’s story when I talked with him at hi

Richard Perry: Gregg Mosberger

Gregg Mosberger ran his own catering company – Gregory’s Creative Cuisine – for 34 years. But Mosberger began his career as a dishwasher at Richard Perry’s Jefferson Aven

Culpeppers

Culpeppers was an institution in the St. Louis area for almost 80 years. Its Central West End location was the first to open and had the longest run. Did you enjoy this

Louie’s Delicatessen

Louis Fiddleman operated Louie’s Delicatessen from 1955 to 1987. I talked with Alan Fiddleman about his father over a noisy breakfast. Did you enjoy this episode?

Gary Giessow: Howard Johnson's, Layton's

Harry Giessow owned The Candlelight House on Clayton Road. He and his son, Gary, owned the Howard Johnson’s in Kirkwood and the Howard Johnson’s on Clayton Road, which Ga

Michael Del Pietro: Portabella

Michael Del Pietro has opened more restaurants than he wishes to remember. I talked with Michael about growing up in his parents’ restaurant, training at The Culinary Ins

Ken Bland: Leather Bottle, Dierdorf & Hart’s

Ken Bland may be less well known that some of his restaurants, such as The Leather Bottle, Cork ‘n Cleaver and Dierdorf & Hart’s. I talked with Ken about his restaurant c

Kopperman’s

Kopperman’s was an institution in the Central West End for over thirty years.  Myron Kopperman passed away in 2019. But Sanford Rich is still alive and well and living in

Sherman Brothers Deli

Mel and Alan Sherman opened Sherman Brothers Deli in 1963. From its longtime home at Olive & Mosley to the Pastrami Joynt to Shermies, the family business thrived for alm

David Slay

David Slay is an acclaimed, award-winning chef, with four thriving California restaurants along the southern coast of Santa Monica Bay, and a vineyard nestled in the hill

Scoville's Cafe

You may not have heard of Scoville’s Cafe. I hadn’t. It was a fixture in the National Stock Yards in National City, a suburb of East St. Louis, from the late 1920’s until

Mickey Garagiola

Mickey Garagiola’s younger brother Joe was a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals and went on to host NBC's "Today" show and broadcast baseball on NBC's "Game of

Julius Hunter: J. Hunter's

Julius Hunter was born and raised in St. Louis. He graduated from Sumner High School and taught school for a year or two after graduating from Harris Teachers College. I

Pete Rothschild: Eatery Landlord

Rothschild’s Antiques was a fixture in the Central West End for 43 years. It was the springboard for Pete Rothschild’s real estate empire, much of it in the Central West