Wine Down Cafe is now part of the Carondelet neighborhood in south St. Louis and owner Kevin Shed has brought swanky flair to the corner of Michigan and Ivory.
“This is a new energy for Carondelet, this area is not known for what I’m bringing,” he said.
Its location is convenient for those who live close by, but not too far from those who have to travel a little further. The restaurant offers an exclusive wine list and adds a certain type of sophistication to small plates, according to Shed.
Mac & Cheese Lollipops made their debut when Wine Down opened in the spring, and Shed said they were an instant customer favorite.
Think of a cake lollipop, but instead of cake batter, it’s made with elbow macaroni noodles rolled into a ball and deep-fried to a golden brown. It is paired with a sweet and spicy sauce.
“I like things with a twist”, said Shed, who is also the chef.
And there is a twist in his journey to being a restaurant owner. Cooking and serving customers were not a passion for Shed until he moved to New York at 19 to pursue his music career as a rapper.
During the day he worked at a variety of restaurants in New York for six years, including Bad Burger, and Tore Winery. Shed worked in the historic Meatpacking District, and to pay the rent and keep himself afloat in the ‘Big Apple,’ he became a dishwasher. But the cafe owner showed how hard he was willing to work, and the chefs took notice.
“They took me under their wings, and told me, ‘I got you’,” Shed said.
“The chefs challenged me to step beyond my comfort zone.”
Shed doesn’t have a traditional background in culinary arts, but he went to the ‘school of hard knocks’ and received hands-on experience with several noted chefs. His zeal for cooking grew, and he was inspired to open a restaurant specializing in wine and small plates.
He journeyed back to St. Louis in 2019, bringing along his ambition to open his restaurant.
Shed said he searched “high and low for the perfect location,” and came across the Carondelet neighborhood. He calls it an untapped area that is not oversaturated in fine dining.
“The cafe is right in the middle of where I need it to be. The cafe lets the neighborhood know what to expect from my restaurant; it’s the cafe on the corner,” said the cafe owner.
He says the Wine Down Cafe offers fine wine, good energy, quality service, and great food.
His Brussel sprouts are not your typical little green cabbages that children sometimes push around a plate hoping they will disappear. Wind Down’s are sauteed with a little twist. Shed tops them with crushed pistachios “and people love it.”
“It doesn’t feel like work, I enjoy rocking these dishes out,” said Shed.
He says good food doesn’t have to be pricey, and he purposely keeps his prices affordable so that families can enjoy his food and kick back and have a good time.
“I brand my restaurant as affordable, and I will stick with that,” he said.
Shed says diners often request Rum Punch, which is inspired from his time in New York and has quite a kick.
“Wine Down Cafe is a place where people can gather, hang out, have a glass or bottle of wine, enjoy some good small plates and just chill,” he said.
He said he hopes to franchise his enterprise in the future, and he’s considering areas in North County and Chesterfield for new locations.
Ashley Winters is The St. Louis American Report for America reporter.
