By Sarah B. Smith
Architect and entrepreneur Steve Smith also is an avid motorcyclist and collector. His Moto Museum on Olive Street in Grand Center opened in 2007 and is home to his extensive collection of more than 100 rare and vintage motorcycles from 20 countries. The museum has not only brought a creative use to a formerly abandoned warehouse space, but also sparked the birth of a second enterprise—Triumph Grill. “I have a passion for motorcycles. The idea of a
restaurant that displays that passion was
tremendously exciting,” says Smith.
Triumph Grill does indeed feel like a natural–and tasteful–extension of the museum. However, rather than being barraged with a heavily themed décor, Triumph has taken a more subtle and artistic approach. Steve Smith has very cleverly blended various motorcycle components as part of the interior design to create intriguing sculptures throughout the restaurant. For instance, the chandelier he designed was made from motorcycle wheel hubs and spokes, and the restaurant’s sconces were crafted from Honda Mini-Bikes and lights from Harley Davidson. “There is a sense of discovery—even if you come here multiple times,” explains Smith.
That sense of discovery also extends to the menu. Designed to be a “Bold American Grill,” the selections present diverse offerings with flavorful twists. “If someone is looking for bold flavors, they will find it here,” says General Manager Todd Wyatt, who worked with Smith and Chris LaRocca of Culinary Architects in developing the restaurant. “Many times when you say you want bold flavors, a lot of chefs will interpret that as to mean ‘break out the hot sauce’—it doesn’t mean heat, it means layers of flavors that build,” explains LaRocca.
A “cruise” through Triumph’s menu demonstrates these layers in action. Recommended starters (ranging from $8 to $11) include the flash fried asparagus (which consists of tempura battered asparagus spears, fried crisp and served with ginger soy sauce and wasabi aioli). Their buffalo chicken queso taste like chicken wings, but is actually a dip, served with grilled flatbread. A twist to their calamari is that they toss it in sweet and spicy sauce after it is deep fried—full of flavor with no need for a dip on the side. The hummus included a flavorful blend of ginger, chiles, soy sauce and wasabi—popular enough at my table for seconds!
Just about every salad at Triumph’s, even traditional Caesar, is served chopped. “This allows better incorporation of products throughout,” explains LaRocca. The crispy barbeque chicken ranch salad is a case in point, with the flavor combinations of pepper bacon, cheddar cheese and roasted corn, caramelized onions complimenting the crisped barbeque chicken. Another good choice is Ago’s Tuscan salad, which combines several St. Louis favorites—tomatoes, grilled chicken, artichoke hearts and mozzarella cheese, among other ingredients, with grilled focaccia croutons in honey red wine vinaigrette. By the way, Ago, is the nickname for Giacomo Agostini, a famous road racer. Indeed, part of the discovery process at Triumph’s is also learning a bit about motorcycle history!
Entrees continue the bold flavor theme. Happily, in addition to dinner size entrees, Triumph offers smaller portions, which makes selecting several of their flavor-packed selections and sharing with the table a fun evening of culinary exploration. My choice was the grilled pork tenderloin which is glazed with molasses sauce and served with a spiced sweet potato gratin and sautéed spinach. Our table enjoyed the shrimp and crab risotto, which was rich in great cheese and basil flavors. Entrées are reasonably priced between $10 and $25.
Desserts are a unique treat at Triumph’s. Served as “sweet shots”—or desserts on demand, as Wyatt describes them, the sweets consist of 2.5 ounce glasses of
delicious flavors—such as vanilla crème
brulee, chocolate mousse with a raspberry topping or gooey butter cake. The two to three bite size servings are only $2.25, a very economical way not to feel guilt at the end of the meal.
Triumph offers a selection of wine that they have integrated into the menu and
provide both 3 oz. and 6 oz. servings, so you can create a “do it yourself tasting option.”
Triumph has just been open since last fall, but has already developed a significant
following, so reservations are recommended, especially on weekends. Located close to Saint Louis University’s new Chaifetz Arena and in walking distance to the Fox, Powell Hall, the Sheldon, and the new Craft Alliance Gallery at Olive and Grand, there is ample parking in the area. Triumph also provides a fine food, unique venue option for corporate meetings and special events by renting the Moto Museum along with a fine dining catered meal.
The Grand Center District continues to blossom due, in part, to the creative energies of such entrepreneurs as Steve Smith and his colleagues. It is a triumph for St. Louis that such new ventures can so quickly become great new regional destinations.
TalkingPOINTS
3419 Olive Street
St. Louis, MO 63101
314.446.1801
www.triumphgrill.com
HOURS:
Monday – Thursday: 11:30am to 10pm
Friday – Saturday: 11:30am to 11pm
Sunday: 5pm to 10pm
