Owners Shannan Jourdan and her husband, Geneo DeSpain, opened the restaurant/bar in 2006 and have expanded since then to the 8,000 square feet it is now.
Geneo says he wants this to be a destination place, where people can come on dates or with families or groups to eat pizza, drink beer, to play pool, air hockey or one of their many arcade and video games, watch one of their 10 flat-screen TVs and just have a good time.
When you want to take someone out for a nice dinner in town, La Dolce Vita at 36th Street usually comes to mind. Now in its 30th year, the restaurant has become a tradition for birthdays, parties, proms and special occasions.
Built in 1898, the Old Hoof and Horn is actually not so old anymore. It was rebuilt after a fire destroyed it in the fall of 2007. However, the reincarnated Hoof and Horn (reopened in February 2009) looks amazingly like the original.
You won’t have trouble finding Goochy Goo Barbecue if you follow your nose. Owner Michael Ventucci has his smoker fired up right in front of the restaurant with wafts of barbecue aroma beckoning you inside. Ventucci and his wife, Dee, opened Goochy Goo part time last summer, and the business has boomed into a full-time gig this year, expanding into catering and office deliveries at lunch.
Since I was raised in the Midwest, I’m always on the lookout for a great steak house. Some of my friends have been telling me about this little place in King City, so I went up there to check it out.
Legends is a sports bar with more than 30 TV screens, a full bar and plenty of room to spread out. But it’s also a great place to eat — something that many people don’t realize, says manager Bill Geske.
“It’s really not a ‘bar’ until after 10 p.m.,” he explains. Unlike some establishments that focus more on drink than food, Legends makes almost everything fresh from the ranch salad dressing to breading the tenderloins.
If you go to The Gothic House Tea and Eatery and think it’s just going to be tea and crumpets, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. Owner Pat McNaughton serves up a full menu for lunch that should leave the hungriest customer satisfied.
I was working in Maryville a few weeks ago, and one of my good customers told me about this great place for pizza. Since I used to work for a pizza company, I’m always up to trying pizza, so I loaded up the family and went north.
If you’ve been to Hyde Park in the past two years, you couldn’t help but notice the Grand Slam Ice Cream Company on the west side of the park. The bright red and white colors will make you scream for ice cream.
The Tap Room Bar and Grill is one of St. Joe’s newest sports bars. It’s located on the Belt Highway in what used to be Manchester’s Pub and Restaurant. The four owners have pretty much kept the same upscale look that the restaurant had and just removed some seating on one end to add a shuffle board table.
