I’ll go ahead and ask the obvious (and what everybody else familiar with the original Balaban’s is thinking) — how exactly does a suburban strip mall restaurant serving tapas relate to a fine restaurant in one of the best neighborhoods in the City? It doesn’t. There will be hardly anyone patronizing this place because it has the “Balaban” moniker. As a result, I’m not sure what good it does. Good luck though, as opening a restaurant is always difficult and especially so right now.

Meh.

Steve,
You wouldn’t want PTS as a customer anyway. You build it, I will come as will everyone else that enjoyed Balabans in the 80’s and 90’s. You always blessed us with wine, spirit(s) and a great place to hang out before. We will be there.
Welcome to the most overrated neighborhood in the City.

As someone who frequented Balaban’s, I’m glad Golfnut is getting his desired stripmall paradise.

That’s great news! So afraid a chain was going to do something there. I only hope they get the support needed to be viable during these tougher times. Even the good local restaraunts around have experienced double digit drops in business.

I predict this place will go out of business in less than a year!!

While this location may technically be considered a strip mall, it’s actually a freestanding bldg in the Dierberg’s parking lot. It has great access & visibility on Clarkson and Baxter, and plenty of parking. The bldg is wedge shaped, with Balaban’s on the top two-thirds of the wedge. So they will have frontage with windows on both sides. Their space lends itself quite well to a restaurant feeling, vs. a storefront type of environment.

Sure hope this does not negatively impact Veritas (one of the lesser known gems of St. Louis) which has great food and wine in a relaxing/casual retail environment. It’s located in the same area and the unique concept has been quietly growing over the past three years or so…and more recently expanded into adjoining strip mall space. Who knows, maybe the additional foot traffic associated with the iconic Balaban’s could work in their favor?

PTS,,,are you more worried about the location or that it is Steves place. In the 60’s St louis was worried that no one would come to Busch Stadium, 3 million attendee’s each year later, you build it, they will come.
I think Steve chose a great location. Let’s be honest, Steve is not putting it there to compete with Tony’s. Not all of us are looking for a Kriegers for a beer or a Andrais for a steak.