Ben Poremba to open two new concepts, Esca and Florentin, in the Delmar Maker District in early 2024

Restaurateur Ben Poremba’s Bengelina Hospitality Group will open two new concepts in the Delmar Maker District in the “next few weeks.” Poremba announced plans for Esca, a “coastal Mediterranean” bar and grill, and Florentin, an all-day restaurant offering shakshuka, falafel, smoothies and more inspired by the food of Tel Aviv. Poremba also offered updates on the relocation of his recently shuttered Botanical Heights restaurants Nixta, Olio and Elaia, and teased a new AO&Co. café at Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis.

Located at 5095 Delmar Blvd., Esca will pay tribute to the cuisine of the northwestern Mediterranean just as Olio did for the food of the eastern Mediterranean. “We’re talking about the western coast of Spain, a little bit of southeast France, a little bit of the [French] Riviera, the Italian Riviera, Sicily,” Poremba said. The restaurant’s name is derived from escalivada, a Catalan dish of fire-roasted vegetables, and Poremba said there’s a clear thread connecting Esca with his previous restaurants. “Olive oil is the big connector for me in everything I do,” he said. “I say that my food is inspired by everywhere olive oil is used, that’s the biggest inspiration for me.”

Poremba said Esca is where he’ll be spending most of his time in the immediate future, adding that the menu will reflect the way he cooks for friends and family at home. “When people come over for dinner at my house, I have a big grill and usually I’ll just put something on the grill, whether it’s a big fish or a big hunk of meat. And then I’ll do simple vegetables, again mostly on the grill, with bright sauces and then a big salad.”

Diners at Esca can look forward to a “beautifully designed, dark but just gorgeous restaurant,” according to Poremba. “One of the best things I’ve ever created. I’m very, very proud of the way it’s going to look. It’s sexy, just beautiful,” he said.

Luciano Racca, Bengelina’s wine and service director, is putting together a drink list for Esca that will take in classic cocktails and a wide range of amari, aperitifs, aromatized wines and anisettes. “I’m just mirroring my selection at my house,” Poremba said. “It’s beautiful, quality spirits, and I just want to be able to say you can get classic cocktails, a couple of great martinis, a couple of great dark spirit cocktails, and then have some really fun aperitifs, and that’s it. It’s simple and straightforward.”

Across the street from Esca at 5090 Delmar Blvd., Florentin will be a breakfast, lunch and dinner spot with space for around 40 dine-in customers. The restaurant will offer table service as well as quick-serve counter service for customers who are in a hurry, starting from “as early as 8 a.m. or 9 a.m.” according to Poremba. Poremba named the concept after his favorite neighborhood in Tel Aviv, with a menu that reflects the city’s food culture, ranging from shakshuka, falafel and bourekas (flaky filled pastries) to smoothies, fresh juices, parfaits, overnight oats and chia puddings.

“It’s capturing a little bit of many different things I like about Tel Aviv,” Poremba said. The menu will be mostly vegan or vegetarian, though meat dishes will also be offered. Poremba is also planning to offer a traditional Shabbat dinner on Friday nights. “It’s probably going to be a buffet, but I haven’t made my mind up yet,” he said. “We want to have a real fun dinner option serving really traditional food from my mom’s kitchen.”

Poremba said both Florentin and Esca will be open within a matter of weeks, so look out for more on both openings soon.

In addition to the two new concepts, Poremba shared updates about a number of other projects he’s working on, including the relocation of Nixta, Olio and Elaia to the Delmar Maker District. All three closed their original Botanical Heights locations following New Year’s Eve celebrations on Dec. 31.

With Nixta, Poremba said he is focused on continuing to showcase the range and depth of Mexican cuisine. “I don't want Nixta to be another taqueria,” he said. “I know people love tacos – I love tacos. But I believe that Mexican cuisine is as rich and technique-oriented as French or any other cuisine, and I think that we deserve to have a restaurant in St. Louis that does fine dining Mexican food.” Poremba said diners can expect an even more elevated approach than what was on offer at the original Nixta.

However, the new Nixta will essentially roll three concepts into one space. Nixta itself will be based out of a small and elegant dining room at the back of the new space. The front area of the space will house a separate seafood bar, Bar Limon, offering a vibe Poremba characterized as tangibly more casual and approachable. Bar Limon will serve ceviche, aguachile and other dishes cooked in lemon. “I want to bring this idea of a bar where you can just come in and sit at the bar and enjoy fun, light and bright food,” Poremba said. “Or if you want to have a little more of a proper meal, you can also make reservations and eat in the back part of the restaurant.”

The third and final pillar of the new Nixta will be an outdoor taco truck be stationed outside the restaurant. Nixta is part of a complex that also includes a new location of Steve’s Hot Dogs, The Fountain Off Locust (a Fountain on Locust spinoff) and Alpha Brewing Co., with seating available in an 8,000-square-foot outdoor space and beer garden. Poremba said the taco truck will offer visitors one more option to grab and enjoy in the shared seating area. Nixta is currently targeting a spring 2024 opening.

Less information is available right now on what we can expect from the new locations of Olio and Elaia, both of which are “seven or eight months out.” Poremba said both will be characterized by the ambition and “very meticulous architecture” involved. “Olio is going to be great,” he said, adding that the original location’s kitchen was always limited by its lack of a hood for cooking. “The space is going to be just as cool as the old Olio, but now we have a proper kitchen where we can actually cook Israeli food and Levantine and eastern Mediterranean food in a way that I want to.” Poremba said he also has big plans for the new Elaia. “I want to get some national recognition for the new Elaia,” he said. “It’s going to be my flagship, and I want to make sure that it’s done properly. There’s going to be some things with wine, just a more elevated experience.”

Poremba also announced that AO&Co. will be taking over the cafe at the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis in spring 2024, with more details to come on that in the next few weeks.