Two of the area’s top bartenders, TJ Vytlacil (pictured) and Adam Frager, have long wanted to open a place of their own. With the ink now drying on a lease at 1500 St. Charles St., downtown in the space formerly occupied by Red Moon, their brainchild, Blood & Sand, is closer than ever to becoming a reality.
Blood & Sand will be a full-service restaurant, but not the type we’ve seen in these parts before. It will be a private membership establishment, whereby members will pay a monthly fee of $15 to pass through the doors into the 100-seat space that includes a large bar area with banquette seating, dining space and two private rooms. Members, explained Vytlacil, will be able to bring up to three guests with them and will also be given two guest passes per month to pass along to friends.
Vytlacil and Frager, who currently work behind the bar at Demun Oyster Bar and Pi in the Central West End, respectively, have big plans for the cocktail list. Among the nearly 75 handcrafted drinks, look for some 11 different versions of Vytlacil’s go-to cocktail, Blood and Sand – classically a combination of Scotch, orange juice, cherry brandy and sweet vermouth – as well as a pre-Prohibition beer cocktail list, which, noted Vytlacil, he hadn’t seen anywhere thus far. The duo will even be snipping fresh mint, basil and other herbs growing inside on a “green wall” to use in the drinks. And as far as the restaurant goes, Vytlacil said to expect the food to be just as top-notch as the drinks, though the executive chef and the rest of the culinary team have not yet been determined.
One reason Vytlacil and Frager opted for a members-only model is that they want to focus on hospitality. By knowing who’s coming in, they believe they can offer better service to patrons. “We want to build trust with our guests. It’s easier to do that with a private club,” explained Vytlacil. As part of the customer-oriented attention, Blood & Sand will be using software to build digital palate profiles of its members. Servers will take orders using hand-held electronic devices that track cocktail, wine and food orders so that the bar and kitchen can customize food and drinks to each individual.
Watch for Blood & Sand to open in mid-September. In the meantime, you can look for information about the bar and restaurant and fill out a membership form on the website, www.bloodandsandstl.com, which will be operable within the next few days. A Facebook page and Twitter account under the same name are soon to follow.
All our coverage of TJ Vytlacil
— Photo by Brian Fagnani
This article appears in May 1-31, 2011.