Privado Opens in The Delmar Loop
Photos By Spencer Pernikoff
Privado, the latest fine dining concept from two-time James Beard semifinalist Mike Randolph (Half & Half and Público) has officially opened. The weekends-only fine dining concept and part-time private event space is now the permanent replacement for Randolfi’s Italian Kitchen in the Delmar Loop. It will also be reserved for intimate, private gatherings, guest chef dinners and pop-up experiences.
Chef Randolph says, “I want Privado to be fine dining: Loop-style. Our neighborhood was built on the support of the arts. The Loop is quirky and exciting. It embraces all independent, unique individuals and that will be the spirit of the Privado dinners. You don’t have to wear a jacket. You aren’t going to get ‘country club’ service. The music will probably be random and inspired by everything from Bruce Springsteen to Frank Sinatra, and we’re going to have fun.”
Privado’s dinners will be available on Friday and Saturday evenings for one service to begin at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Tickets can be purchased on Tock for $100 (exclusive of tax and gratuity). Guests walk into a seemingly closed restaurant with chairs on the tables upfront. Sixteen diners will be led towards the back of the restaurant where they will be seated in front of the open exhibition kitchen. Menus will hint at the 12 to 15 courses to come.
Privado dinners will be the grown-up version of Little Country Gentleman (LCG), Randolph’s first solo venture into fine dining in 2012. The nightly restaurant-within-a-restaurant was hosted at his Clayton Half & Half restaurant. While LCG received praise from both local and national critics, Randolph closed the restaurant after a year. For the last year, he has hosted intimate exploratory dining experiences, known as Diversion Dinners (Sophisticated Living July/August 2016). With themes from “Winter in Missouri,” to “Tastes of Peru,” the dinners have been held during off-hours at his restaurants on select dates. A few things remain consistent with Diversion Dinners: there are only sixteen guests at each service; the vibe is communal and fun; and the guests go along for the ride. This will continue with Privado.
Randolph explains, “I’ve always wanted to get back to fine dining, but in my own terms. We’ve thought a lot about what neighborhood in St. Louis makes sense, and it’s been right under our nose this whole time. The timing, location and limited service just feels right.”
The bar at Privado will also be in operation on the weekends to include several bar seats as well as banquet seating. Walk-ins will be accepted.
The bar menu will change as frequently as the tasting menu, but always include an appetizer, two pastas, one entrée, and one dessert.
Chef Mike Randolph in the kitchen at Privado.
