Little Country Gentleman switches things up

By Ligaya Figueras // June 25, 2013

Little Country Gentleman chef-owner Mike Randolph is making numerous changes at his Clayton restaurant. The goal is to give diners a memorable experience at an affordable price, while pushing the culinary envelope in Midwestern cuisine.

For starters, patrons at Little Country Gentleman will find a different dining configuration. Seating is now consolidated only to the area near the bar. The other half of the dining area, which is open during the breakfast and lunch hours when its sister restaurant Half & Half operates, is partitioned off in the evening. Randolph said the new layout brings diners closer to the open kitchen, so his chefs can bring dishes to the tables and Randolph can run the front and back of the house.

Little Country Gentleman is built around the tasting menu concept. The price on the grand tasting menu – an average of 16 courses – has been lowered to $78. The three-course tasting menu is $42. “We want Little Country Gentleman to be accessible to people who want to come.” As for attire, it’s OK to eschew the sport coat and tie.  “Come as you are,” Randolph said. “You don’t have to dress up.”

Seating and pricing changes have already gone into effect, and beginning July 11, Randolph will write a new weekly menu that debuts Thursdays and runs through the weekend. On Mondays, the tasting menu will be swapped out for an a la carte menu of casual fare such as burgers, terrines, pâtés and “other stuff that cooks are excited to grab,” said Randolph. He hopes Mondays at the restaurant will attract an industry crowd on its usual day off. Little Country Gentleman will be closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

While Randolph is excited for the changes happening at his Clayton establishment, he is pleased with the progress of his other restaurant, The Good Pie, relocating to The Loop. With the space at 6665 Delmar Blvd., already partitioned (Ginger Bistro will sit in the storefront on the eastern side.), the renovation is ahead of schedule. A new wood-burning oven has arrived, and the pizzeria is on target for a September opening.

-Photo by Jonathan Gayman