THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Corky's

THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED Corky's Restaurant Review:

In an old saloon on the fringes of the Dogtown neighborhood and with a fine view of Amtrak's route to Kansas City, this easy-going brainchild of Greg Perez and Pepe Kehm draws everyone from neighborhood folks to the power lunch crowd. In the first room, an ancient art deco-ish bar is topped with martini shakers and dishes up everything from, yes, martinis to Stag Beer. A television is tuned to the sporting event du jour and smokers can dine here. The non-smoking dining room's handsome red walls flatter everyone, and remind the customers that the point of this house is red meat. Steaks of various cuts come with a choice of five rubs (or none) and three flavored butters to gild these lilies. But unlike most steak houses, the first courses and desserts are more than just a polite nod to the diet cops. Even a wedge of iceberg lettuce gets a new turn, and a dish called Crunch and Goo combines St. Louis' favorite, flash-fried spinach with macaroni and cheese that never saw the inside of a box. The lunch crowd chooses from things like a five-spice pork sandwich, a sort of pulled pork barbecue (not wearing the Asian spice combo of the same name) that's quickly griddled to create some crunchy edges and served on or over Texas toast. Adequate wine selections.