× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts Panko breaded chicken nugget with Strawberry Cough (sweet & sour) sauce

Over the years, several restaurants in town have catered to, ahem, late-night food (most notably the former Crave), just none that have been so bold and brash about it—until now. It’s all part of a master plan, says owner Derek Schulze, who plans to open Fried, his paean to the munchies, on April 12.

Schulze, an admitted cannabis partaker, wanted to create an experience that identifies with the new pot culture. “It’s not the '70s anymore,” he says. “Cannabis is something people no longer have to feel ashamed about. People in retirement homes are now taking van trips to dispensaries. Times have changed, even in rural America.”

The entrepreneurial Schulze is thinking big. He plans to use Fried to create a pot brand of sorts, from edible products (frozen foods, sauces, spice rubs, homemade CBD-flavored chips) to genetics (papers, pipes, bongs), and wearables. “All of it,” Schulze says, hoping to encompass the whole industry. “There’s something to be said about an all-encompassing brand,” he adds. “When people think of cool, sleek technology, they think Apple. I want to be that brand for marijuana. When people talk about weed, I want them to envision our logo and think, Fried.”

The logo, by the way, is a subtle, geometric leaf with five leaflets. “Some people get the [pot] reference; other people have no clue,” Schulze says. “People have been poking their head in to ask if we’re a dispensary—which we’re not, of course—but we’re anticipating doing just that in another location when the time comes. I hope to be able to market our own strains and ancillaries, mirroring them off the food and drinks that we serve.”

Schulze half-seriously refers to Fried as a stoner palace: Open the door and walk into the metaphorical mind of a stoner, he says, beginning with the Stoner Hall of Fame, including posters of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Dr. Dre, Cheech and Chong, and such movies as Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. A yet-to-be installed TV will loop stoner movies and stoner music videos.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Schulze’s overarching idea was to create a cannabis-themed restaurant that revolves around what a dispensary-themed restaurant would look and feel like. First, you choose a nugget, select a strain (Fried speak for sauce), and then choose how you want to consume it.

“Maybe you want to pack it—into a bowl with mac and cheese or french fries—or roll it up, into a burrito,” Schulze says.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The nuggets come in four varieties: chicken, cauliflower, catfish, and vegan chicken. They're served with one strain and priced thematically: $5 for a five-piece nickel bag, $10 for a 12-piece dime bag, and so on. (We didn’t ask if kilo pricing was available.) The cauliflower nuggets, fried in tempura batter, are like savory stoner candy.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts White meat chicken nuggets atop mac and cheese, drizzled with Stoned Out (St. Louis Style sweet BBQ) sauce

The sauces are named after marijuana strains: Orange Kush, Spicy OG, Strawberry Cough, etc. The six strains are homemade and have an optional CBD-oil add-in. Although the White Widow (black garlic ranch) was very good, our favorite was the Spicy OG, a cross-strain of Buffalo and remoulade.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts Cornmeal catfish nuggets po'boy, with tartar and vinegar coleslaw, served on a hollowed out hoagie bun

There are several pre-rolls (sandwiches) served on hoagies, pretzel buns, or banh mi-style breads. Fried is one of the few places that hollows out some of the excess bread (so the proportion of gluten to goodies is just right), which perhaps unintentionally leaves room for sides. That selection includes fries, pickles, mac 'n' cheese, berries, a small salad, and a side du jour. Keeping in trend, menu items are served on shiny aluminum sheet pans topped with parchment paper.

× Expand Photography by Kevin A. Roberts Panko-breaded chicken nugget and crispy, thrice-fried fries

About those fries. They’re some of the best in town (and we weren’t high when we tasted them, we swear). After blanching in acidulated water (which, ironically, dries them out), they’re triple-fried in oils of different temperatures, saving the hottest for last. The result is a crunchy product that remains so when just warm—or even when forgotten about and eaten later at room temperature.

Sunday brunch begins April 28. The brunch menu will include French toast sticks, fried biscuit donuts, chicken and buttermilk waffles, fried pancakes and sausage pre-roll, chicken or catfish biscuit, red eyes waffle (red velvet, white chocolate drizzle, CBD whipped cream), and hash (natch).

While still in the ramping-up stage, beverages run the gamut from Excel fountain sodas to half a dozen cocktails infused (or not) with CBD oils. Alcohol-free mocktail versions are available as well.

Desserts are deep-fried (surprised?) carnival fare, including cookies, Oreos, and Twinkies. Served on sticks, the affordable indulgence is the ideal companion for wandering the streets.

Predictably, Fried will serve late into the night to address immediate needs when the crave alarm sounds. There are 30 seats inside, but Schluze anticipates that two-thirds of Fried’s business will be take-out or (eventually) delivery.

Schulze himself is an interesting character. In college, religious studies prompted a pursuit of Eastern thought. He eventually became a Hindu monk (“much to my parents’ dismay," he says) and left college to live in a monastery, which is where he learned to cook. Every Sunday, the monastery cooked a celebratory Hindu feast for 1,000 people that featured Northern Indian food.

Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

Realizing that group life was too challenging for an entrepreneurial person, he reenrolled in school in Chicago and began day trading cryptocurrency—Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin—"hitting the market at the right time and making some money," he says.

A relative encouraged him to move to St. Louis, where he fell in love with Washington Avenue, especially the section in Downtown West between Tucker and 18th. His first restaurant, Red Oak Eats & Treats, morphed into Red Oak Biscuits, which he relocated to 2926 Cherokee Street last November. The Red Oak space will become Fried.

A few months ago, Schulze said he planned to open two more restaurants (Homestead and Beef Bar) and an event space (Gather), all of it along Washington Avenue. The restaurants are in varying stages of development, and Gather became Element Events, which currently boasts a trio of event spaces, two of them over 16,000 square feet: The Woodland (at 711 N. 13th, formerly the DEN), The Pearl (at 1520 Washington, formerly the ELY), and The Skylight (at 1325 Washington, across the street from Fried).

“We’ve hit three primal elements—all we need now is a fire-themed space,” Schulze quips.

As fast as he thinks and moves, by the time you read this, he’ll likely have found one.

The next public event on Element’s calendar is Fried Fest, a day/night affair on 4/20 at The Woodlands, which Schulze says will be “a totally immersive festival for the senses,” which starts with CBD jello shots at the door. Details are below (they had us at "puppy cuddle room"). Tickets (limited to 150 guests) are available through Eventbrite.