By Sarah B. Smith
F15teen is the antithesis of the athlete-owned restaurant scenario. No baseball memorabilia. No pictures of #15, former Cardinal slugger Jim Edmonds. No sports themed anything. Just a tasteful, fine
dining experience.
Before he was traded to the San Diego Padres this winter, center fielder Jim Edmonds and business partner Mark
Winfield collaborated on this welcome new downtown restaurant, which opened last September in the burgeoning Locust Business District of downtown St. Louis. “Jim didn’t want to open a traditional sports bar; he was interested in running a great business,” says John McGuire, general manager.
F15teen is located in a beautifully renovated space at the corner of 19th and Locust, along what was once St. Louis’ “Automobile Row.” In earlier times, the building served as a
carriage factory, automobile showroom and janitorial supply warehouse. Thanks, in part, to the Missouri Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits, the building was completely rehabbed, and now includes an attractive dining room, outdoor patios with gas fire pits, and ample space upstairs for special events and business functions. The renovation was thoughtfully accomplished and includes several smart decisions—such as restoring the original ornate tin ceiling and original floors, as well as reusing wood from the buildings numerous doors to craft the gorgeous hand crafted dining tables and bar.
In addition to the noticeable lack of sports anything, what makes F15teen so popular? “We wanted to present an urban American steakhouse with a health conscious feel,” says executive chef Timothy J. McLaughlin. That translates into serving somewhat smaller portions, along with fresh baby vegetables, as well as other healthy options, such as creamy corn made without the cream. Not to worry if you are a starch lover; potatoes are among the sides available a la carte.
Steak selections are, of course, the heart of the menu. Each steak (filet, rib-eye, sirloin, skirt and dry-aged strip) comes with the diner’s selection of condiments—blue cheese fondue (my favorite), black pepper puree, sweet and sour, F15teen steak
sauce, and roasted garlic puree. The steaks are priced from $16 for the eight-ounce skirt to $32 for the 10-ounce dry-aged strip.
I tried the later, and it was exactly to
my liking.
Chef McLaughlin offers non-steak selections as well. Fresh seafood arrives daily. Recent selections included slow baked cod, with mushrooms and gruyere ($18) and seared salmon served with roasted beets and horseradish ($19).
McLaughlin’s approach to food preparation is quite straightforward. “It is not necessarily what you’re making, but how you make it,” notes the chef. “So our best dishes, in my mind, start out when you’re peeling the
vegetables and include the kind of meat you’re bringing in.”
Their lunch menu reflects the same
philosophy. “Bread makes the sandwich,” says McLaughlin. The business crowd that frequents F15teen during the week is looking for a relatively quick lunch. McLaughlin’s aim is to please, and he has designed the majority of the lunch menu to be able to serve his customers within 12 minutes of their ordering. Their steak sandwiches ($8)—both
the braised tenderloin sandwich with caramelized onion, cheddar and cold slaw, as well as the steak sandwich itself, with horseradish-herb mayo and fries, are naturally popular. Those looking for a break from the steak selections might enjoy the wild mushroom ravioli served with truffle oregano cream ($8), or a B.L.T with a touch of avocado-lime mayo.
On the lighter side, F15teen offers the same soups and salads during the day as in the evening. Their mixed baby greens with bacon croutons and green apple was a refreshing selection and reasonably
portioned and priced ($5), as was the Bibb lettuce salad, which was served with
pickled walnuts, bleu cheese and warm
shallot vinaigrette.
McLaughlin and his team seem to have fun with their dessert selections—most of which are decidedly not on the health-
conscious track. I couldn’t resist the trio of ice cream sandwiches—three different cookie varieties filled with various ice cream flavors. Other unusual offerings included a Fitz’s root beer float or a chocolate espresso shake with Cocoa Puffs.
So, F15teen owes its reputation to its being the latest fine dining addition to downtown St. Louis, rather than simply being the latest venue with a sports star’s name on the door.
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TalkingPOINTS
F15teen
1900 Locust Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63103
(314) 588-8899
www.15stl.com
Hours:
Lunch: Tue. through Fri., 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dinner: Tue. through Sat., 5 to 10 p.m.
Valet parking available weekend nights |
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