First Look: BLK MKT Eats in Midtown

St. Louis has danced with the dual sushi bowl and poke trends for years, but cousins Kati Fahrney and Ron Turigliatto have brought the first fast-casual sushi bowl and roll restaurant to St. Louis with BLK MKT Eats.

The restaurant, located at 9 S. Vandeventer Ave., across from Saint Louis University, opens for lunch Wednesday, Oct. 18.

As The Scoop reported in July, Turigliatto and Fahrney are first-time restaurant owner who turned their passion for home cooking and travel into a business. The former teachers traveled across the country exploring similar concepts and fine-tuning their menu.

The 1,000-square-foot space will operate primarily as a carryout operation with curbside pickup and delivery to come in the near future. Ravenous diners who can’t wait to get home can snack on the spot at a standing bar or one of four stools at the window.

The menu features a handful of items that can be served as a burrito-sized sushi rolls wrapped in thin sheets of nori or as bowls with greens, brown or white rice. Three items are also available as nachos served atop house-made wonton chips.

The cousins source their raw salmon and tuna from Seattle Fish five to six times a week and use it in a variety of items like the OG Fire, which includes the customer’s choice of salmon or tuna. The Swedish Fish showcases Fahrney’s cured salmon, a recipe she’s perfected over years of family Christmas Eve dinners.

Those squeamish about raw fish can try the Tasty As Cluck featuring buttermilk-fried chicken or the Seoul Delicious with grilled chicken. Vegans and vegetarians are not forgotten, either; the Holy Shiitake swaps meat and seafood for braised mushrooms.

BLK MKT Eats will be open Monday to Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Here’s a First Look at what to expect from Midtown’s newest fast-casual spot:

Editor's Note: This article originally stated BLK MKT Eats received fish deliveries three to five times a week. It was updated at 4:45 p.m. with the correct information. 

Catherine Klene is managing editor, digital at Sauce Magazine.