Small-town Missouri restaurant opened with just 4 tables, big ambition. It’s closing
The four-table, fine-dining destination Noah’s Cupboard has announced its upcoming closing in Weston.
The final day of service will be March 2.
“The overall goal is to spend more time with our kids,” said chef Nick Martinkovich, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Andrea. “They’re 7 and 15 now, and we’re missing a lot by having to be in the restaurant so much.”
The Martinkoviches aren’t moving out, though. They will convert the 400-square-foot space at 521 Main St. into a market and deli that they expect will open at the end of March.
The new concept will sell what Andrea called “Noah’s Cupboard favorites and classics.”
“We’ve had a lot of customers over the years tell us we should bottle or sell some of the ingredients we put on our dishes,” she said.
The store will sell homemade pasta, focaccia and pierogies, plus products they bottle themselves like fermented sauerkraut, pickled vegetables and some sauces.
There will also be a butcher case selling fresh fish and meat from Green Grass Cattle Co., as well as cheese and lunch meat by the pound. They may sell produce during warmer months too.
The Martinkoviches plan to continue cooking for private events at their space and at-home dinner parties.
“Something I really love at the restaurant is how we get to spend a little more time with the guests at the late seatings at the end of the night,” Martinkovich said. “The at-home dinners are like that the whole time — you get to give people all your attention, as opposed to feeding so many people at once. So, I’m very excited to keep doing a version of that.”
Noah’s Cupboard opened in 2018 in downtown Weston, a town of 2,000 about 30 miles northwest of Kansas City. The restaurant was notable for its tiny size and big culinary ambitions. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night, each item on its locally sourced, farm-to-table menu was made by Martinkovich, cooking alone in a small cubby in the back of the room.
Martinkovich said he expects operating a market will allow them to enjoy Weston from a new perspective.
“Weston has all these festivals and activities happening all the time,” Martinkovich said, “but we’re always running around inside the restaurant getting ready (for dinner service) during them. I think this new way of doing things will let us participate more in the community. We can be open during Applefest and talk to everybody, instead of just watching through the windows.”
