The space at 4001 Utah St., in the Tower Grove South neighborhood has been vacant ever since the St. Louis Tea Room closed in the latter part of 2010. No longer. Tower Grove residents Mike Dudley and Eric Hall purchased the building at the corner of Utah Street and Roger Place last year and have turned it into Annie Moons Bakery and Cafe. When doors were unlocked in late March, the bakery-cafe was only open on the weekends, but Annie Moons has since transitioned to its regular hours of operation and is now open daily.
Annie Moons offers a full line of baked goods and coffee drinks (featuring local roaster Chauvin Coffee) and fruit smoothies, with Excel sodas coming soon. All baked products – from muffins to scones and even its almond milk – are prepared fresh from scratch daily, using as many locally sourced ingredients as possible. Among its rotation of sweet morning treats and afternoon pick-me-ups, Dudley stated that the oatmeal-almond-raisin-date muffin was not to be missed, and mentioned that the tropical scone featuring fresh papaya, mango and pineapple was fast becoming popular. Among savory options, look for breakfast and lunch burritos, quiche, salads, sandwiches and fruit cups. A full brunch buffet is available every Sunday, beginning at 11 a.m. The cafe even caters to dog-lovers, with its “barkery” baking up six varieties of dog treats that are all corn-, wheat- and soy-free.
The bakery-cafe has seating for 45 and will soon have patio seating available out front. Annie Moons is open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This article appears in May 2013.