Sala's

Angelo Sala was born on July 8, 1887 in the small Italian village of Castelletto, approximately 25 miles west of Milan. He emigrated to the United States in September of 1904 and, before year's end, set out by train for Minnesota. When his train was forced to stall in St. Louis by a snowstorm, the 17-year-old Sala, who spoke no English, disembarked at Union Station with immigrant tags around his neck, trying to figure out what to do next.

Sala met a man named Charles Galli at the train station. Galli was a saloon keeper who, by 1907, was living above his saloon at 5100 Daggett. Galli convinced Sala to come to his home on the Hill. Angelo Sala would live on the Hill for the rest of his life.

The 1908 St. Louis City Directory listed Sala's occupation as a laborer. The 1910 census stated he was a saloon keeper, perhaps with a saloon on the St. Louis levee. In 1911, Angelo Sala opened a saloon at 1933 South Kingshighway, less than a half mile east of Charles Galli's. Sala lived above his saloon, first alone and then with Galli's daughter Emma, who he married in 1912.

In time, Angelo Sala's saloon morphed into a restaurant known as Sala's Cafe. It was located on the northwest corner of Kingshighway and Daggett, just north of the Missouri Pacific railroad tracks and crossing gates.
 

Sala's Cafe, 1933 South Kingshighway, 1920s
(click image to enlarge)

As was the practice by many restaurants in the days before air conditioning, Sala's Cafe had a summer garden where customers could eat and drink outdoors. There was often entertainment, some of it unplanned, as reported in the July 2, 1927 St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

A woman wearing only stockings and shoes ran through the summer garden of the Sala Cafe, 1933 South Kingshighway boulevard, at 12:30 o'clock this morning. Police found her shortly after in a lot at Hereford street and Kingshighway.

The woman, wrapped in a table cloth procured by the police at the cafe, was taken to the Mounteo District Station, where she said she had earlier in the evening met four men in a downtown cafe, had a few drinks with them, took a ride with them in their automobile, and when she repulsed their advances, was stripped of her clothing and put out of the car.

She said she was Mrs. George Stergin of Chicago, visiting here with her husband and staying at the St. Regis Hotel, 422 North Broadway. Stergin told police his wife left the hotel shortly after 9 p. m., saying she was going to visit some friends in Edwardsville, Ill. This morning police found the woman's torn dress and torn underclothing on Daggett avenue, not far from the lot in which she was discovered.

Angelo Sala, 1921 St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Jul 2, 1927

Angelo and Emma Sala had seven children; Theresa was born in 1913, Angelo Jr. in 1917, Mary in 1918, Charles in 1919, Louis in 1921, Fermo in 1923 and Josephine in 1926. They all lived above the restaurant and helped out downstairs when they were old enough.

The restaurant had two large rooms, one of them used for private events and parties. Angelo Sala claimed he started curb service in St. Louis. He would take food and drink to women, who were barred from the saloon, as they waited outside in their horse-drawn buggies. It became a regular feature for a time.

SALA'S CAFE FOR TASTY ITALIAN DISHES

Said one epicure to another. 'Whither for dinner?" Said the second: "To Sala's Cafe, of course." Now why?

Because Sala's Cafe and Garden serve those tasty, full-flavored Italian dishes that satisfy the inner man; and when the cool of the evening has provoked the appetite, what could be more natural than to stop at Sala's for a bite, or several bites, indeed?

Their private dining room is just the place for afternoon bridges or evening parties. The thing to do is: to step out of the machine at Sala's, 1933 S. Kingshighway; or, if reservations be desired, to call up GRand 6063.

The Modern View, Sept 22, 1932

The Modern View, Nov 24, 1932

On July 26, 1936, the following notice appeared in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

A report and order issued by the State Public Service Commission today by Chairman Sam O. Hargus grants joint application of the Highway Department, the City of St. Louis and the Missouri Pacific Railroad Company for authority to construct an overhead crossing over the main-line tracks and right of way of the Missouri Pacific for Kingshighway boulevard.

The railroad crossing, just south of Sala's Cafe, was known as one of the most dangerous in the city. Its elimination was part of the city's safety campaign to remove all grade crossings.
 

Missouri Pacific South Kingshighway crossing, 1920s
(click image to enlarge)

The viaduct, which ran between Southwest and Shaw, was completed in August of 1937. It was formally opened to traffic on the afternoon of August 14 in ceremonies led by Mayor Bernard Dickmann.

About 1000 persons gathered at the south end of the viaduct and cheered as Dickmann cut a white ribbon to signify the official opening of the concrete bridge. An automobile parade moved slowly up the incline, and the spectators walked up along the side of the six-lane roadway. When the procession had passed, the street, blocked for a year during construction of the viaduct, was opened to traffic.
 

Opening of Kingshighway viaduct over Missouri Pacific Railroad crossing
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Aug 15, 1937

Days after the new viaduct had opened, Angelo Sala filed suit against the City of St. Louis for $90,000, charging the new Kingshighway bridge had ruined his business. He claimed that the new viaduct had cut off normal access to his cafe.

The grade of Kingshighway was now 25 feet higher than it formerly was, forcing customers to use a narrow, one-way lane on the side of the new structure. Northbound traffic on Kingshighway now had to pass right by the cafe, above its front door. To get to the restaurant, it was necessary to make a left turn into the narrow side lane.

Sala also pointed out that before construction of the viaduct, the cafe had a big parking space on Kingshighway for the convenience of his customers. Now there was no room for parking.

On December 15, 1938, a verdict for $45,000 damages was returned by a jury in favor of Angelo Sala. All the publicity actually helped business, as customers had no problem finding the restaurant or parking. Sala rebranded his restaurant: Sala's / Under the Viaduct.
 

Sala's Cafe with new Kingshighway viaduct overhead
St. Louis Star-Times, Aug 18, 1937

Sala's survived the Depression, Prohibition and the war years. The restaurant was busy during World War II, when at times it operated 23 hours a day, serving round-the-clock shifts of workers at nearby businesses converted to war plants.

All seven Sala children worked at the restaurant. Mary and Charlie lived with their spouses; the other five never married and continued to live upstairs with their parents.

Downstairs was the clatter of heavy plates and the crashing of dumped silverware. A small American flag fluttered in the artificial breeze of an air duct above the bar. A small sign sat atop a pay telephone: "Piano rolls can be played after 7:30 p.m. Hand playing anytime."

Sala's was know for its sandwiches, steaks and pastas. Its menu included Mongol soup, a blend of bean and split pea, homemade ravioli and ice cream, and 16-ounce mugs of beer. It also offered one of the best St. Louis sandwiches ever – the Sala Special.

That memorable Special was a triple-decker sandwich that started with 3 pieces of white toast. Here’s how you can recreate it: On the bottom slice of toast place a generous portion of perfectly lean, tender roast beef with just enough natural gravy on top to keep it moist. Slather the upper crust of the middle piece of toast with mayonnaise, cover it with chopped lettuce then top that with lean baked ham. Add more mayonnaise to the bottom of the top slice of toast, cut the concoction diagonally and serve with dill pickle slices. Pre-packaged beef or deli ham won’t do . . . don’t even bother. By the way Sala’s would marinade their whole hams with a mustard sauce and then refrigerate them for 2-3 days before using. They also used a delicate Sauerbraten type sauce in which to marinade their large beef roasts for 3-4 days before serving.

Ron (Johnny Rabbitt) Elz, Inside St. Louis, 2010

1961 Sala's Menu
(click image to enlarge)

In the October 27, 1976 St. Louis Post-Dispatch it was announced that Sala's would be closing on October 29. There were multiple reasons for the closure.

Theresa Sala, the oldest of the seven Sala children, said, "Just say economics." Angelo Sala Jr. said it was the loss of nearby industries. Louis Sala said it was the westward move to the county.

Eighty-nine year old Angelo Sala Sr. had his own thoughts.

We made some money, we lost some money. The pile is lower, much lower. Last winter, we spent $6000 to fix the place up. You do what you have to do, you can't buck it. You wait for it to pass, but it didn't pass.

I gave it to them (his children) 20 years ago, and it's been losing money the last six years. This was a good place.

I sold plate lunches and a glass of beer for 15 cents. But the costs now are unbelievable.

Louis Sala added, "It's the night business, it's gone, gone out west. And anybody can cook a steak; it doesn't take brains to cook a steak."
 

Charles, Angelo Jr., Josephine, Louis and Fermo Sala, Mary Sala Hanneke, Theresa Sala
St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Oct 27, 1976

Angelo Sala, Sr. died on November 30, 1977 at the age of 90. Emma Sala died on Septmeber 13, 1986.

The Sala estate sold the building at 1933 South Kingshigway in 2000. In 2001, it became Space, a restaurant owned by Lee Redel and John Rice, and it's currently occupied by Oliva, a cafe and event venue – doing business under the viaduct.
 

1933 South Kingshigway – Under the Viaduct, 2007

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