Lost Tables

Along with his brother, Vince, he gave us Tony’s. He originated The Fatted Calf. He opened Anthony’s, one of the most elegant restaurants St. Louis has ever seen.

For the first time, 91-year-old Tony Bommarito tells his story – uninterrupted. 

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Ruggeri’s served charbroiled steaks, seafood and Italian cuisine on The Hill for almost 80 years. For much of that time, Henry Ruggeri Sr. was in charge.

Henry’s grandchildren, Cathy Ruggeri-Rea , Joseph Ruggeri and Jim Ruggeri, tell the story of their grandfather’s iconic restaurant.

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The Pasta House Company is a St Louis institution. And while the Pasta House is not a Lost Table, we didn’t want to lose the opportunity to hear its story from the individual best able to tell it – Joe Fresta.

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Charlie Downs and Mike Johnson have both been in the restaurant business for a long time. In recent years, they’ve worked together on projects like the Sugar Fire Smokehouse and the Hi-Pointe Drive-Inn. Their resumes, apart and together, are a walk through St. Louis restaurant history. We talked about that history over coffee and pastries.

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Kathy Sellenriek has had a long career as a teacher in the Rockwood School District. But, before that, she had a long career in the restaurant business at The Lettuce Leaf and The Fatted Calf. This is her story.

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We’ve expanded our format a bit. In this episode, Ed and Margie Imo tell the story of Imo’s Pizza. No, Imo’s is not a Lost Table. But Ed is 88 and Margie is 82, and we wanted to hear their story before they were lost.

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Andy and Paula Ayers opened Riddles Restaurant on Natural Bridge in the city of Bel-Nor in 1980. Here’s their story.

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Margie Price was one of the early Bunnies at the St. Louis Playboy Club. She would marry one of the owners and lead a storied life.

 But Margie’s life did not start out that way.

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This episode is a little different. It’s not about an owner or a chef or a single restaurant. It’s about Margaret Kelly, whose 40-year career in the restaurant business helped some of those owners and chefs and restaurants to shine.

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Do you still miss meeting a friend for lunch at Cardwell’s at the Plaza? Or a spur of the moment dinner there, when you didn’t feel like cooking? Bill Cardwell! Why did you take that away from us?

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