The Neighborhood
Luka Abodes is located in a vibrant, residential neighborhood located in the heart of St. Louis. Minutes away from multiple hospitals, quick access to three interstates, it's a quiet, tree-lined setting is walkable to all sorts of cool places, making for a fun, friendly, true neighborhood vibe! Check it out!
Little Fox
Little Fox is a modern neighborhood restaurant that was recently featured The Restaurant List: The 50 Places in America We're Most Excited About Right Now in the New York Times. Little Fox features appetizers, small plates and entrees inspired by the owners’ experiences in Brooklyn as well as traveling throughout Europe.
The concept comes from St. Louis native Craig Rivard and his wife and business partner, Mowgli Rivard. The chefs met while working in Brooklyn kitchens and started a restaurant group, Postcards from Bklyn, aiming to bring a taste of their experiences in New York to St. Louis, where they currently reside.
The Lucky Accomplice
This is another noteworthy neighborhood restaurant. The Lucky Accomplice won Best New Restaurant in 2020 by Sauce Magazine.
"Sophisticated but approachable, The Lucky Accomplice is a complete thought and a full expression of our moment, a place where people can go to log off and experience something truly new, whether it be an eye-opening bite of fried egg with preserved sunchokes and broccoli gremolata or the gargantuan toasted raviolo of their dreams. In the end, this restaurant offers seriously creative food and drinks that could only have come from this team, at this restaurant, in this moment."
Lona's Lil Eats
Lona Luo and Pierce Powers got their start selling handmade dumplings at the Soulard Farmer's Market. Word spread, and eventually the husband and wife team opened a brick-and-mortar storefront for Lona’s Lil Eats, specializing in Asian comfort food, with elements of Thai, Chinese and Japanese cuisine represented at this fast-casual restaurant. Lona prides herself on making every sauce and marinade from scratch without MSG or preservatives. "If people are happy, their body is happy and it's making me happy” she said.
Lona was recently nominated for Best Chef: Midwest by the James Beard Foundation. “I didn’t know what it was,” she admitted. Instead of jumping on the phone to call family and friends, Luo spent the day as usual, working in the kitchen at her restaurant.
Coffee Stamp
This neighborhood favorite features an array of coffee beverages, from cold brew to lattes, all with beans roasted in small batches in-house, along with hibiscus tea, horchata and more.
Co-owners and brothers Patrick and Spencer Clapp, who hail from Honduras, also bring a love of culinary arts to the coffee table. “Our mom used to own a restaurant, so we have always been into cooking – we are food people,” said Patrick Clapp, adding nearly everything is made from scratch.
The coffee beans are sourced from around the world, including Ethiopia, Colombia, Zambia and Uganda, as well as from their childhood friends, the Giron family in Finca la Alondra, Honduras.
Press
Press is a 32-seat dine-in and takeout pizza and draft cocktails concept. Specializing in "smash pizza", it starts with a 72-hour, long-fermentation process for the dough. Once the dough is rolled out, shredded cheese and ingredients are added, the dough is folded back on itself and topped with the same items, then it’s smashed in a flat-sided panini press until crisp. Cold garnishments are added, then it’s cut into quarters and served. Ely describes the new creation this way: “Crunchwrap Supreme meets quesadilla meets calzone meets pizza.”
Press also features a robust draft cocktail menu, several nitro-based cocktails (including an espresso martini) which use inert, food-grade nitrogen as the driver. Canned and bottled beer from local craft brewers is available as well.
Grand Rising Smoothie & Juice Bar
Grand Rising offers a variety of house-made beverages, salads and toasts, as well as baked goods. “We decided to bring the island experience to the middle of south St. Louis city,” says Rose Capone, who is a native of the Philippines. “We’ve all traveled extensively to places such as Grand Cayman and Barbados – the destinations that led us to the inspiration of the shop. When you enter our establishment, you’ll see that it's very colorful and Caribbean-inspired.”
The vibrant 1,260-square-foot space features an ordering counter and shelves stocked with snacks – everything from fresh fruit and cereal to whole and individually packaged Golden Boy Pies pastries. Choose from options such as Black Forest cake, red velvet cake and fruit pies in flavors like key lime, peach and blueberry. The façade of the store features plenty of patio seating, plus colorful bikes that are available to rent by the hour for a quick getaway.
