Café on the Park to Open September in Maplewood

Sometime in September, Maplewood may have a new spot for a cup of coffee, a local micro-brew beer, a glass of Missouri wine or a dish not likely to be found nearby.

Reggie Davis has leased the ground floor of 7310 Manchester Road to launch Café on the Park. Tim Rohan owns the space, and has moved his interior design shop up to the second floor.

Davis said she’s never gone to cooking school, but finagles her way into well-known kitchens in New York and London, some owned by chef Gordon Ramsay. Her excuse is to see her daughter who works there, and ends up staying for hours, learning what she can.

“It’s more than just a passion for me, because passions are fleeting,” she said. “There’s nothing better than whipping butter while you’re listening to Madama Butterfly.”

She plans on lunch, and dinner on Friday and Saturday to start out.

Seared tuna sandwich with roasted red peppers and black chili mayo, roasted shrimp sandwich, beef sandwiches, chicken and turkey will be on the menu.

“When you get turkey or chicken at Café on the Park, you will get real chicken and real turkey that I’m going to bake myself,” Davis said.

She plans on kid-friendly desserts and others with liquor in them, miniature tarts, all kinds of Pinna Cottas and other pastries.

“I truly love doing this,” she said. When you’re cooking, your mind travels off to a totally different place. When I prepare a dish for someone, I put everything that I have in me on that plate, because it’s something that I truly love doing.”

She said Maplewood city hall has bent over backwards to make her feel at home. “When I first started this journey, Maplewood is where I wanted to be.”