Dining options continue to increase in University City. Those who like sushi – or are at least intrigued by sushi that gets placed on a conveyor belt after being rolled fresh in the kitchen – can head to Tokyo Buffet, located at 8008 Olive Blvd., in the same shopping plaza as Seafood City. The restaurant is now open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., and until 10 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
U. City residents will also soon see Frida’s Deli, a vegetarian deli that we first reported on last December, officially open its doors. Owner Natasha Kwan told The Scoop that her deli, located in U. City at 622 North & South Road near Delmar Boulevard, will most likely unlock doors either July 5 or 6. The menu will offer sandwiches, salads, soups, smoothies and juices suitable for vegetarian, vegan and raw food diets. Among the eight hot sandwiches on the menu are a white-cheddar grilled cheese, a vegan burger, a tempeh BLT and a vegan crab-cake burger. Among cold sandwiches, look for raw tacos, a Caprese sandwich and a mushroom-walnut burger. There is also a build-your-own sandwich, as well as smoothies and juices. The 12-seat deli will be open Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. According to Kwan, the restaurant will add a breakfast menu a few months after opening.
Vernon’s BBQ & Catering is coming down the pipeline as well. The barbecue joint will open at 6707 Vernon Ave., across the street from the strip mall that’s home to Mexican eatery Mi Ranchito. The restaurant is a project of Matt Stiffelman, who learned to ‘cue it up working for Super Smokers BBQ, as reported by Ian Froeb of the Riverfront Times. The smoke will rise at Vernon’s in mid-July.
This article appears in June 2012.