Clayton Restaurateur Mike Johnson Opens Sugarfire in Olivette

The smokehouse on Olive Boulevard features burgers, vegetarian options, desserts and more.

There's a new kid on the block in the Olivette restaurant scene: Sugarfire Smokehouse opened last week. The new restaurant, located in the former Dickie's BBQ space near Interstate 170, is the brainchild of Clayton restaurateur Mike Johnson and Carolyn Downs. Johnson is the former owner of Boogaloo in Maplewood, Barcelona in Clayton, Momo's in University City and Cyrano's Cafe in Webster Groves, among others. Sugarfire, 9200 Olive Blvd., is a mix of the barbecue world, along with burgers and vegetarian options, as well as the sweet side, with Downs' desserts. Johnson purchased a smoker cooker two years ago and said he spent the last six months after selling Boogaloo around the first of the year honing his technique, traveling to Texas, …

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Garden Cafe is Open in Clayton's Shaw Park

The cafe's opening is part of the city's plan to add improvements to Shaw Park.

The addition of a cafe in Shaw Park will give park-goers an option for sandwiches, burgers, bratwursts, soda, beer and wine. Garden Cafe will be open from 4-8 p.m. on Fridays, and noon to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. It first opened last weekend, a city news release notes. The cafe is located between the ice rink and pool. It's being run by BARcelona owner Frank Schmitz and his family, the release notes. Garden Cafe's addition to Shaw Park is part of an ongoing effort to add improvements to the park. The cafe will be open for a 10-week trial period to determine its popularity in the city. Recreation trails and an outdoor sculpture also are planned for the park. More about Shaw Park on Patch:

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BARcelona in Clayton Welcomes Ex-Monarch Foodie Hale

Brian Hale will be the new director of culinary operations for BARcelona, Bocci Bar and Coastal Bistro in Clayton, St. Louis Magazine's Relish blog reports.

Family Manages Three Restaurants on Clayton's Central Avenue

Bocci Bar and Coastal are new additions to the group of restaurants owned by the Schmitz family.

Frank and Eloise Schmitz own the Central Avenue restaurants Bocci Bar, Barcelona and Coastal Bistro and Bar in Clayton. But their businesses are a family affair. The restaurants are either co-owned or run by siblings Claus and Ellen Schmitz.  Karl Schmitz, Frank and Eloise's son, is the bartender for Bocci Bar, the family's newest edition. It serves authentic Italian cuisine in a comfortable atmosphere. The inside of Bocci Bar offers a warmly lit bar and a semi-open kitchen. It has an olive green backdrop and warm wood tones. For the temperate fall climate, outdoor seating is available. The offices for the restaurants are above Bocci Bar and seem more like the food and beverage department of a large hotel rather than the business component…

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Manjelou's Pizzeria Closes in Clayton

The restaurant opened in October.

Manjelou's Pizzeria in Clayton has closed after accepting another restaurant's offer to relocate at its Maryland Avenue site. The pizzeria's last day at 8135 Maryland Ave. was Feb. 5, though it's possible that it will reopen elsewhere at a later date, its Web site states. It opened in October and served pizza by the slice, among other offerings. "We want to thank all of our loyal customers who have supported us throughout our stay here in Clayton," a note posted to the window of the restaurant states in part. "We will be looking for another location in the near future for Manjelou's. Stay tuned to our Web site. Hopefully you liked our food enough to come visit." Manjelou's owner Milan Manjencich could not immediately be reached for comment…

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