× Expand Photograph by Chris Naffziger

What sounds like a pipe dream for the nation's populace is, in fact, the name of a new restaurant coming to Lafayette Square.

Polite Society will open this summer at 1923 Park, taking the place of Ricardo’s Italian Café, the 26-year-old casual Italian eatery that closed last September.

The owners are two experienced restaurateurs: 20-year veteran Jonathan Schoen, former owner of Savor, multi-unit general manager for the restaurants at The Cheshire, and most recently general manager at Scape; and Brian Schmitz, the former owner of SOL Lounge, Reference, and The Grind Coffeehouse, who recently helped open Lücha in Grand Center.

As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Ian Froeb noted when he researched the project, Polite Society has been in the works for awhile. In 2011, a restaurant called Polite Society was slated to open at 910 Olive, in the former Sage space, but the deal never materialized.

Schmitz confirmed that he and Schoen conceived the idea back in 2010 but had been waiting for the right opportunity in the right neighborhood. Schmitz told SLM that he and his partner had to act quickly when the property became available, as other parties were interested in the three-bay, 3,000-square-foot space.

The Facebook page describes the menu as “contemporary eclectic,” which Schmitz says targets “that sweet spot between ‘gastropub’ and ‘fine dining.’” Besides offering dinner seven nights per week, the restaurant plans to offer a prix-fixe business lunch Monday through Friday, plus brunch on Saturday and Sunday.

The partners say that a primary focus of the restaurant will be “reasoned service to the appetites of the immediate community.” (The term “reasoned service” was new to us, by the way, and we like it—think of it as “neighborhood-focused hospitality.”) Both partners worked for Mengesha Johannes at Bar Italia, and both consider him a mentor. "He was always on the front lines," Schmitz remembers, "and it made a difference."

Holding true to their mantra that guests must be accommodated no matter the hour, a rotating assortment of artisanal cheese and salumi plates—plus flatbreads, dips, spreads, braised meats, and seasonal vegetables—will be available during off-periods.

The duo has a refreshing outlook on both the space and the restaurant business: "While we could cram more seats into the space," Schmitz says, "it will be more comfortable if we don't." He believes 65 seats, plus a few more in the bar, will be about right.

And considering their intent is to be a beacon in Lafayette Square, the duo plans to keep the bar open until 1 a.m. and midnight on Sundays. Following in the footsteps of other new restaurants, Polite Society will offer a "small but masterfully curated assortment of boutique wines, whiskeys, craft beers, and signature cocktails."

Both partners will be hands-on, and both will be actively involved in the business. Schmitz says Polite Society will be “responsible, responsive, and scalable,” meaning the partners plan to perform any job in the house.

So if you’re seated at a table and the server introduces himself as the owner, he might not be kidding.

Polite Society

1923 Park

politesocietystl.com

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Coming summer 2016