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.
This article appears in Guide to the Holidays 2017.