The little stretch of Tower Grove Avenue between Vandeventer and I-44 continues to be an incubator for interesting food spots. Joining its distinguished neighbors is Union Loafers, a bakery-cum-eatery. To be specific, it's a bread bakery, the day's wares on display at the north end of the room and samples out for trying.
But we're here to eat now, thank you. They're only open for lunch, with a menu as curated as a good wine list, not long, but painstakingly chosen. The interior with its long, L-shaped counter behind the tables, is almost Scandinavian in its simplicity and use of light. Weekdays, one sees some casual business lunches among the customers; a Sunday lunch visit brought out a completely mixed crowd in terms of ages and genders, many of whom seemed to be regulars.
Newcomers are particularly advised to check both sides of the menu, so as not to miss the section labeled Snacks. Snacks is a good word – they're a little too generous to be an appetizer unless they're shared. The pretzel is large and soft and warm, obviously freshly baked, chewy rather than crisp, and tasty enough that the accompanying coarse mustard is pretty much unnecessary. A pal had tipped me off to the cheesy bread and I really did mean to try it – foccacia-ish with cheese and crispy crumb topping – but I got a look at the pizza rossa and succumbed to it. Very much like the daytime pizza bakeries in Rome sell and popular there as a morning snack, thick squares are topped with tomato and drizzled with chili oil. Eminently craveable, the two good-sized squares in a serving are more satisfying than a lot of pizzas I've had.
Soups, salads and sandwiches form the bulk of the offerings. At the head of class is the kale and garbanzo soup. A little bit of kale goes a long way for many of us, to be sure. But this soup is an easy one to love. Beyond the vegetables in its name are carrots and potatoes, the whole cooked to a creaminess that's wondrous. Even the small pieces of kale – which will retain a little resistance even when cooked for hours – fit right in, changing the texture just enough. It's topped with a dribble of olive oil and a generous grind of high-grade black pepper. That pepper seems to be the key to holding the flavors together, and the result is spicy, well-rounded and altogether satisfying. It's a fine example of what can be done without needing animal products, dairy or egg – this babe is totally vegan. It comes with a chunk of the good house bread.
What the menu terms an endive salad also contains frisee and radicchio, along with beets, candied pecans and blue cheese. The vinaigrette uses champagne vinegar, and maybe just a wee bit of sugar to balance the slight bitterness of the endive and the result is more than satisfying in this lightly-dressed and very handsome dish. From the sandwich list comes the braised beef on ciabatta, essentially a pot roast sandwich with gruyere cheese, an onion jam and a very light hit of pickled peppers. It's the single warm sandwich on the menu, rich and sparkling with flavor beyond the beef. It's the sort of sandwich that half-way through the first half, one thinks, "I'll take the other half home and have it tomorrow," but somehow the second half manages to be consumed with scarcely any hesitation.
The coffee is from Blueprint, and it's excellent, strong and fine, a variety from Colombia, although be prepared for the cost, $4.50 for a bottomless cup. This isn't McDonald's, but you knew that already. Delightful service from knowlegeable folks, relaxed-seeming but on their game. And do grab some bread to take home with you.
Union Loafers
1629 Tower Grove Ave.
314-833-6111
Lunch Tues.-Sun.
Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Good
Smoking: No
Entrees: $8-$15