Ben Grupe’s new restaurant Tempus opens tonight in the Grove
Tempus, the long-awaited first restaurant from James Beard semi-finalist Ben Grupe, will open tonight, Thursday, Oct. 29, at 4370 Manchester Ave. in the Grove. Grupe previously served as executive chef at Ben Poremba’s restaurant Elaia, and also acted as the team captain for the U.S. Culinary Olympic Team in 2016.
“Tempus is a distillation of my career and myself, as far as the food is concerned,” Grupe told Sauce last year. “It’s everything - all the competition, Bocuse d’Or, my apprenticeship at The Greenbriar - it’s all focused into the food and style that we’re doing here.”
On that note, in light of the pandemic, Tempus’ menu features food and drinks designed for carryout; later, according to a press release, the menu will expand to include family-style options. “Everything about Tempus is designed to bring a sense of what is familiar, crave-able and comforting at a time when the future seems so uncertain,” Grupe said in the release. “High quality, inventive food and cocktails, coupled with our commitment to genuine hospitality and thoughtful service is what makes Tempus unique.”
Starters include dinner rolls with sorghum butter, an iceberg wedge, and Carolina Gold rice with country ham and root vegetables; available sides include creamed sauerkraut with apple and dill and a pickle plate with beets, carrots and wax beans. A list of three sandwiches features a chicken sandwich, a bacon, arugula and tomato sandwich on focaccia, and a lamb belly char sui on a steamed bun. The entree list sees beef rib with beets and cabbage, black cod with kombu clam broth, and gnocchi with maitake mushroom.
Three original cocktails are on the drink list, as well as a few beers and three wines.
Though Tempus is initially only open for carryout, it aims to offer outdoor seating soon; eventually it will open its 50-seat dining room “when the time is right.”
Tempus is open from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and online ordering is available at tempusstl.com.
