Medianoche, the new Mexican restaurant-within-a-restaurant that Off the Menu first reported in October, will open to the public for its first dinner service on Wednesday, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Located at 8135 Maryland Avenue in Clayton, Medianoche shares a space with sister restaurant Half & Half. It is the latest venture from Mike Randolph, who also owns The Good Pie (3137 Olive Street) in midtown St. Louis.

Randolph says he and his staff will transform Half & Half, a breakfast-and-lunch spot with a progressive coffee program, to the Mexican-flavored Medianoche for dinner six nights a week, Tuesday through Sunday. "The idea is for someone to be able to come in for breakfast at 9 a.m., then come back for tacos at 9 p.m. and not feel like they're in the same place," he told the P-D last year.

Randolph and chef de cuisine Tivis Landers will lead Medianoche's kitchen, while head barman T.S. Ferguson will be pouring south-of-the-border classics like pisco sours, caipirinhas and margaritas as well as house specialties like the Last Evening on Earth (ingredients: tequila, cherry liqueur, lemon, Bénédictine and ... fire).

Here's a look at some of the food Medianoche will be offering:

• Guacamole prepared tableside ($7)

• Pozole with pig's head and hominy ($7)

• Chilled avocado soup with shrimp and cilantro ($8)

• Three "street-food tacos" on corn tortillas: pork belly ($9), beef cheek ($10), skirt steak ($9), avocado ($7.50) 

• Chile relleno with beans and rice ($13.50) 

• Red snapper with mole verde ($17)

• Grilled duck breast and duck confit with charred onion and pineapple ($23)

• Seared hanger steak and braised beef cheek with salsa borracho and poblano gratin ($23) 

For more updates on Medianoche, follow its Facebook page or Twitter account, @Medianochestl.