For the March issue, we decided it was high time we scooted down to Sandrina’s and spoke with co-owner Trish Erwin. Thanks to its 3 a.m. close time, Sandrina’s has long been the spot restaurant industry insiders flock to in search of a cold one after a long night in the kitchen. So we figured Erwin would have a few stories to tell. After all, this is <a href=”http://www.saucemagazine.com/issues.php?it=95&yy=2012<a href=”The Vice Issue. We were right. From cup holders duct taped to the toilet to ghosts haunting the game room and a swimsuit that was just a wee bit too small (Read about this and more on page 50 of the March issue.), Erwin didn’t disappoint. Now, in the second half of Byron Kerman’s 5 Questions interview, she continues to reveal the secrets behind Sandrina’s longevity – from getting people out the door to keeping the menu fit for its foodie clientele to scrubbing the floors and cleaning the toilets. It’s all in a day’s work. Is it hard to get customers out the door come 3 a.m.? People would sit here until 6 in the morning if we let them. It’s always a battle to the bitter end to get people out. Some of the industry people have just gotten off work and just had a beer and a shot, and they wanna stay around.
Has there been any misbehavior on the premises lately? The most aggravating thing is someone stole my soap dispenser in the men’s room, and I don’t know what they think they’re gonna do without the mount.
The Sandrina’s menu has really changed, and it has some sophisticated fare on it, like the gourmet sliders with yellowfin tuna and duck confit. Ninety-eight percent of the menu is made in-house, with foodies in mind. It takes real time to make the duck confit, for instance. We do not skimp on the product. And we have a very tiny kitchen, and the guys [in] back really rock. I thought of much of the menu.
You have board games for the customers to play. Does that ever generate any drama? Jenga got stolen, and some drunken adults broke Operation.
Do you have a fun job? I love it and I hate it. I am married to it. Because the building is so old and we own it, we have problems from time to time, and I don’t have the luxury of ignoring those problems. I scrub the grill; I clean the toilets; I clean the drains. It’s home ownership with a party for 200 people every night in your home.
And the industry loves you, with all the bartenders and cooks that wind up there. Our staff has the unofficial motto, “Great food, great service and a big attitude.” We’ve all worked in this business for a long time, too. We’re all over 30 and we all have the aches and pains to show for it (laughs). We’re right next to the Missouri Institute of Mental Health, and we’re all insane.
— Photo by Jonathan Gayman
This article appears in March 2012.