Milque Toast Bar at 2212 S. Jefferson Ave. has moved into a new spot just six blocks from its old location at 2924 S. Jefferson Ave., formerly the home of California Do-Nut Co., and has dropped the “Bar” in its name, now going simply by Milque Toast.
Owner Colleen Clawson said they quickly outgrew their original location, which opened in 2015, and had long been eyeing the California Do-Nut Co. space, which had been a doughnut shop for over 50 years. “I always loved this building; the facade is really striking,” Clawson said. “I moved back to St. Louis from school and moved into a nearby apartment and this was my daily coffee stop back in ’99-ish and I always liked how it was in here.”
New additions include a parking lot, a courtyard and a front patio. The new 5,400-square-foot space –roughly 10 times bigger than the previous storefront, according to Clawson – also allows for an expanded food and drink menus. While she kept a few staples like the avocado toast, most of the rest of the menu is new with a focus on seasonal and local ingredients. It features Scandinavian influences thanks to Clawson’s heritage with offerings like Swedish meatballs, Norwegian sausage and a Danish hot dog. Other dishes include seared salmon, falafel, curry cauliflower and roasted beet. Desserts include milque toast, of course, along with a flourless chocolate torte and mini doughnuts as a nod to the building’s past. Clawson said there will be a seasonal menu refresh, with new items likely coming in the next month or so.
For beverages, there’s coffee, tea and housemade sodas, plus Confluence Kombucha and some mocktails. Once the liquor license comes through, there will be an assortment of craft cocktails.
The space seats 42 inside, 20 on the front patio and another 50 in the courtyard. There’s a private event space with a catering/commissary kitchen that will hold 100 when it opens, but a timeline has not yet been determined.
The restaurant was previously only open for breakfast and lunch, but it will now be open for dinner too with hours from 8 to 11 a.m. for breakfast, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, and 5 to 10 p.m. for dinner Friday through Monday.
This article appears in March 2024.