Ricardo’s Italian Cafe is reopening as Riccardo’s on Broadway in downtown St. Louis after a nearly decade-long closure

Riccardo’s On Broadway is opening downtown in the former home of Shady Jack's Saloon at 1432 N. Broadway. The Italian eatery is a new iteration of Ricardo’s Italian Cafe, which was in Lafayette Square (now the home of Polite Society at 1923 Park Ave.) and closed nearly a decade ago. The new restaurant will unveil a revamped menu at its grand opening, slated for Wednesday, July 12, according to co-owner Michelle Adams. 

The eatery is being brought back to life by Adams, her two sons Tim and Tom, along with her ex-husband, Mark Adams, with whom Michelle operated the original restaurant. Her current husband, Rich Dunnavant, is also involved in the restaurant. Adams said each member of the team has a background in the restaurant industry and wanted to open Riccardo’s as a way for everyone to get back into the restaurant business together, as well as an opportunity to build their family’s legacy.  

“We want this recreation of Riccardo’s to be about the younger generation,” Michelle Adams said. She went on to explain that although the family is working together on the eatery, both Michelle and her husband, who has been the main investor for the restaurant, are keeping their day jobs and most restaurant operations will be handled by her sons. Adams said when the eatery was open in its former concept, she envisioned a day when she and her now ex-husband would pass the baton to their sons, and now with the reopening, that vision has a chance to come to fruition. “When we closed (the original restaurant) abruptly, we didn’t get to give the legacy of owning the restaurant to our kids,” Adams said. 

The menu offered in this iteration of the eatery will include the original pasta menu offered at the old Lafayette Square location such as cannelloni, manicotti and lasagna. The new menu also features expanded options that includes bar-style food, like sandwiches and a pork steak burger made from a patty created by Kenrick’s Meats that’s served on a bun and topped with onion rings, coleslaw and barbecue sauce. The updated Riccardo’s menu will also focus on adding in appetizers like wings, manicotti bites and chicken or beef spiedini served on skewers. 

No Italian restaurant menu is complete without a pizza selection and the eatery will serve Neapolitan-style pizzas. Every pie will be made to order from dough made in house by Tim, a classically trained chef who spent time learning in New York and Italy and working in a Michelin-starred restaurant and Gerard Craft’s Pastaria. 

To start, the full bar will offer nine draft beers and seven wines, along with nearly any cocktail guests may want with the exception of frozen drinks. Eventually, a cocktail list will be added, along with many more wines thanks, in part, to Michelle Adams' sommelier certification. 

The total restaurant space is around 8,000 square feet with overall seating capacity at just under 100. The restaurant’s interior features a wood bar and exposed brick, with a vibe that Adams describes as North City charming meets casual Italian decor. The tables are adorned with red and white tablecloths, inspired by an eatery Adams visited while traveling in Rome. Outdoor seating on the patio is also an option with fans and heaters available to help keep guests comfortable.

Riccardo’s On Broadway will open for business at 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 12.