Editor’s Note: Pig & Pickle has closed.
Chef-owner Ryan Lewis is moving his popular Springfield, Illinois, restaurant Driftwood Eatery & Cocktail to St. Louis.
The restaurant – to be renamed and rebranded Pig & Pickle Eatery – is set to open this fall at 5511 Pershing Ave., and includes the space that formerly housed Atlas Restaurant. Driftwood closed its doors this Saturday, July 22.
Lewis said Pig & Pickle would have the same concept as Driftwood, yet with a bit more refinement. “The idea is locally focused small plates with a southern feel,” he said.
Most of Lewis’ management team will join him in the move to St. Louis, and the restaurant will keep several of its original suppliers like Garden Gate Farm in Fairbury, Illinois, which supplies his grits.
Lewis, who is originally from Bethalto, Illinois, said it was time to move on from Springfield, and he hoped St. Louis, with its vibrant culinary scene, would welcome his creativity.
“The food scene in St. Louis is blowing up,” Lewis said. “I’ve been (in Springfield) for eight years, and I’ve done all I can. It’s time to make the move to a new area and use what I’ve learned.”
Pig & Pickle will serve a variety of small plate options including braised pork cheek, roasted bone marrow and blackened shrimp. A few popular dishes from the old restaurant will remain, including the pretzel-crusted cheese curds and the fried chicken and biscuit.
Lewis said the new restaurant would retain the cocktail focus of Driftwood, but the hefty 70-cocktail list would be pared down significantly.
The restaurant will offer dinner Tuesday through Saturday and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays, with possible plans to serve lunch in the future.
Rachel Wilson is an editorial intern at Sauce Magazine.
This article appears in July 2017.