The calloused hands of Joe Lonero and his son Mike have touched just about every new project in Ferguson: lofts, restaurants, bakeries, shops.

Together, they are on a mission to change every wrong impression you have about their hometown.

The duo's latest project is Cork, a nonsmoking wine bar featuring 100 types of wine, craft beers and gourmet dishes including ravioli hand-stuffed with cremini mushrooms, arugula and truffle oil. It's the last place you'd expect to see the chain-smoking Loneros.

"I'm not into the big fancy stuff," Mike Lonero admits. "We built this out knowing we are not the type of guys we're going after. We live off fast-food. We grab a bite at QuikTrip, and then it's back to the hardware store. I'm just here to create a good atmosphere and because someone told me I couldn't. Tell me I can't do something, and I'll prove you wrong."

The Loneros know what you think about Ferguson — that it's a crime-ridden dump. And not long ago, you may have been right. White flight followed by the expansion of Lambert-St. Louis International Airport led to two destabilizing exoduses from the city.

Or maybe you think of Ferguson, with its old-fashioned street lamps and train station, as a cutesy Victorian village. That impression isn't quite accurate, either.

"In with the new, out with the old, people," Mike Lonero says. "We're trying to develop a town for young professionals. I don't want a quilt shop."

Ferguson hosts one of the region's top farmers markets; Mueller Farm, the oldest organic farm in the state; Victorian mansions; sprawling midcentury ranch homes; a new outdoor plaza for concerts and events; and Faraci Pizza, one of the best pizza joints in the region.

Still, no one confuses Ferguson with the Delmar Loop. There are no hip boutiques, record stores or music clubs on South Florissant Road, its main drag. But the neighborhoods share one thing: a guy with money, guts and faith. Blueberry Hill owner Joe Edwards, of course, is the driving force behind the Loop's turnaround. Joe Lonero, 50, is Edwards' blunt-spoken, politically incorrect twin.

"If we have something in common, it's that we both do our own thing," Lonero says. "You can't wait for a planning and zoning commission to make things happen."

Lonero is from Ohio but attended McCluer North High School, where he met his wife, Sue.

"I knocked her up in 11th grade," he says. "My family left town. I'm 17 years old. So what do you do? You get a place and you start. I opened a body shop and took it from there."

Baby Jason, who now runs one of Lonero's two body shops, slept in a dresser drawer ("He fit fine," assures Joe). Mike was born a few years later. Soon, Lonero got involved in community projects, first raising money for a park. Then he started buying derelict buildings because he couldn't stand to watch them crumble. His first project was the Corner Coffee Shop.

"It was a rathole," Lonero says. "At the time, there weren't all these Starbucks. So we're serving cappuccino and espressos. We didn't know what we were doing, and they didn't know what the hell they were drinking.

"The neighborhood was just there to support it. That's the sort of town we are."


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CORK • 423 South Florissant Road

Open a wine bar during the worst recession since the Great Depression? Why not, asks Mike Lonero, owner of Cork.

"You're new — people want to try you," he says. "By the time the newness wears off, hopefully the economy will be back and we'll be ready to rock and roll. And this place is pretty cheap. A couple could easily walk out of here for about $20. I'm not trying to get rich here."

The light-filled shotgun bar features art from local artists and menus made with recycled cork. The food, all made in-house, features the standard items — wings, sliders, pizza — but with a twist.

"Nothing is typical," Lonero says. "The popcorn has truffle oil, the wings have a spicy beer glaze, the pizza has caramelized apples and Maytag blue cheese."

Lonero purchases much of his produce from Mueller Farm, an organic farm in Ferguson, and from the city's new community gardens. Recently, Ferguson demolished condemned homes to make way for two resident-farmed gardens. Lonero will buy a number of plots at each garden for eggplant, basil, tomatoes and other vegetables. All of Cork's food waste will return to the gardens for composting.

"It's the best thing I've ever heard of," says Lonero, who also operates Vincenzo's Italian restaurant. "As a restaurant owner, you want to get your hands on as much local produce as you can."

COSE DOLCI BAKERY • 100 South Florissant Road

Standing outside a bakery in Vienna, Beth Thompson had an epiphany: A beautiful cake is a work of art. Until that moment, baking simply was a hobby, a way to unwind.

"But looking at all of those beautiful pastries and the work that went into the presentation, I saw baking in a new way," she says. "That's what I try to do, create something that looks beautiful and tastes delicious."

Thompson opened Cose Dolci bakery three years ago after selling her breads and signature scones at the Ferguson Farmers Market. A group of local investors, headed by developer Joe Lonero, helped build out an empty storefront. Lonero even found her a used commercial oven.

"Everyone always says, 'If you open up a bakery, would you consider Ferguson?'" Thompson says. "The community gave me a lot of assistance. Without them I wouldn't be able to open here. I grew up in North County, so I know (a high-end bakery) is a tough sell. But the special orders keep us busy."

Thompson's small shop features two glass cases filled with pecan bars, red velvet cakes, cupcakes topped with vanilla buttercream, biscotti and intricately iced cookies. Thompson's education in art and photography at Webster University may have sharpened her decorating skills, but it was her grandmother who taught her baking's basics.

"Most of my recipes are family recipes," Thompson says. "I started baking as a little girl. I love the baking process — mixing the flour and the sugar. It's so simple, but so creative."

RAY HILL'S BREWHOUSE • 418 South Florissant Road

In the corner of St. Louis' newest microbrewery sits the modest home brew kit that started it all. Seven years ago, self-professed computer geek Ray Hill used that kit to brew his first batch of Ray Hill's American Pilsner. That beer attracted the attention of Anheuser-Busch, accolades from beer critics and an invitation from Ferguson business leaders to open a shop in an old liquor store.

"I started in my kitchen," Hill says. "Like any other hobby, I just kept on buying bigger and better equipment. I was able to develop a pilsner that had the full body of an American craft beer, and nobody was doing that at the time. I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to start my own beer company with that.’ ”

Today, Hill’s beer is available at select grocery stores and, starting in January, at the new Ray Hill’s BrewHouse. The two-story restaurant will serve house-smoked meats and several varieties of Hill’s hand-crafted beers, including a pecan ale, his St. Louis IPA, a toasted coconut porter and other unusual brews.

“I don’t do the traditional pilsners and porters,” he says. “I want to make beer you can’t try anywhere else.”

A Berkeley High School grad, Hill worked as a computer specialist for the federal government when A-B offered to brew and distribute his beer. When InBev entered the picture, Hill walked away from the deal and took an offer to open a business in his hometown. He envisions hosting beer festivals in a plaza set to open across the street.

“There isn’t another brewery near us,” Hill says. “It was really rough around here 10 years ago, but it’s like there is a whole new atmosphere. People are hungry for this.”