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JUNIPER GRILL
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By Christine Imbs
Chefs often use juniper berries to enhance the flavor of meats and stews. So it only seems logical that Juniper Grill in Soulard was named for the seasoning. But when Steve and Shannon Hughes were looking for a name for their new restaurant, they didn’t think of seasoning, but of gin.
“We were trying to come up with something a bit different and unusual, rather than just using our name or the street address,” explains Shannon Hughes laughing. “Frankly, we both like Tanqueray Gin and juniper berries are the flavoring in gin. So we thought it might be fun to name it Juniper Grill. I’d love to have a more sophisticated story than that, but there you go.”
 Shannon Hughes, owner, Juniper Grill |
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The story may not be sophisticated, but it is down-to-earth. And that’s how Juniper Grill strikes you—a down-to-earth neighborhood eatery with a touch of class. The dining area is done in a sunny yellow with a large Mardi Gras mural along one wall. A hardwood floor, burgundy and white table cloths and candles gives it what Hughes calls a casual elegance. And the bar area is traditional in every sense of the word, with an old-fashioned polished-wood bar with marble top and exposed brick walls.
“We’re trying to create a place that’s warm and inviting without being intimidating or over the top,” Hughes says. “We don’t want to be just a special occasion restaurant. We want people to come here, relax and enjoy a good meal. But when they do have those special occasions, we’d still like them to think of us.”
If the atmosphere alone doesn’t make you think of them, the food certainly will. It’s an upscale American cuisine with a bit of a Creole Cajun influence. This Creole influence is especially seen in the Stuffed Pasta Shells. Filled with goat cheese, fresh crawfish, and smoked andoulli sausage this pasta delight in a Creole cream sauce is something Hughes says is not normally seen in the area. Neither is the Kings Eggs, which are eggs poached in Champagne served over grilled polenta with asparagus and topped with lemon-tasso hollandaise. Both are listed on the menu under small plates which range in price from $4.75 to $10.95.
Entrees will run you between $10.95 and $21.95. Among the customer favorites is the Roasted Game Hen for $16.95. It’s a whole young chicken wrapped in bacon with apple winter squash stuffing and roasted seasonal vegetables. It’s a delicious change from the usual herb roasted chicken seen on many menus. Also receiving rave reviews are the Crab Cakes made with blue crab and topped with a Creole corn relish for $12.95, and the Pork Tenderloin, spicy grilled tenderloin striped with a smoked jalapeño aioli and served with cheddar chipotle potato cakes for $15.95.
Lunch at Juniper Grill is fairly new, having only been in existence since May 2. Although a few of the small plates from the dinner menu are available, the lunch fare is predominately entrée-size salads and sandwiches ranging in price from $6 to $12.
The wine list consists of about 39 wines priced between $18 and $60 per bottle, most in the $24 to $38 range. About 26 can be purchased by the glass for $4 to $8. Hughes says like their meals, they want to keep the wine prices reasonable, so customers can enjoy themselves without breaking the bank.
“I truly believe we’re offering something unique for the neighborhood and surrounding area,” she adds. “We have a cuisine you don’t see everywhere in Soulard, or in St. Louis for that matter. We think once people come here, they’ll want to come back.”
TalkingPOINTS
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Juniper Grill
1928 S 12th St. / St. Louis, Mo. 63104
Hours:
Lunch: Monday–Friday 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Dinner: Monday–Thursday 5 p.m.–10p.m.
Friday–Saturday 5 p.m.–11 p.m.
Happy Hour: 4:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Reservations are recommended for dinner,
especially on the weekends. |
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