Those who appreciated Jon Parker’s excellent taste in wine and artisanal foodstuffs (Remember the tasty grayish-black calamaretti nero bulk pasta?) were awfully saddened when Parker’s Table closed its doors at 8137 Maryland Ave., in Clayton in early 2009. But it’s time to uncork the good stuff and bring on the warm fuzzies because the affable Parker is back – and this time he has a whole lot more than fine wine.
Parker told Sauce that he’s opening Delmar Farm and Food across the street from the Delmar Metro station at 6045 Delmar Blvd., in the space formerly occupied by Dobbs Tire and Auto Service. The concept encompasses a farmers’ market as well as a grocery and a restaurant.
The market, slated to open in May 2011, will have space for 60 vendors. When asked which vendors will sell goods at the market, Parker said, “Anyone doing good food will be there.” Parker cited the venue’s central location and also noted that the market space, configured as two wings located on the eastern portion of the site, will be temperature-controlled and covered. In addition, the northern wing will have 16 garage doors that can be opened or closed as weather dictates.
The grocery and restaurant – a combined total of 10,000 square feet of space that will be phased in sometime in fall 2011 – will be situated in the main structure of the former Dobbs store on the western portion of the site. Parker is also in discussions with an established restaurateur to lease the restaurant space, although he declined to state the individual’s name. “That’s all in talk. There’s a lot to be hammered out,” said Parker.
Unlike Parker’s Table, the emphasis at this neighborhood grocery store will be more than just wine. “We’ll have as much wine as before, but I’ll also have everything else,” noted Parker, adding that the new store is an amplification of elements that were already in existence at his former shop. “Parker’s Table had all these components – wine, grocery, a back area for event space. This building lends itself to a lot of different uses.”
The designer for the project is St. Louis architect Dan Hellmuth, a principal and co-founder of Hellmuth & Bicknese Architects. The property is owned by Quadrangle Management Company, a real estate title holding company of Washington University.
This article appears in Nov 1-30, 2010.