By Matthew Halverson
On August 1, Mark Serice was prepping for his wedding and cooking up shrimp gumbo and oysters Rockefeller at a highly regarded Creole restaurant in New Orleans’ French Quarter. A week later, he was honeymooning in Holland. By the end of the month, his kitchen was flooded and his career was in uncertain waters.
Serice’s home was largely spared by Hurricane Katrina, but his new wife left the Crescent City when she found work at Washington University in September. He followed, thinking that they’d be home by Thanksgiving. It wasn’t long before he realized that that wasn’t going to happen, but, later that month, luck finally looked his way: His résumé found its way into the hands of John Cain, general manager of Truffles in Ladue, who just happened to be looking for a new executive chef. Today, four months after leaving New Orleans, Serice has a new—and much drier—kitchen, and he’s introducing Ladue to authentic Creole cuisine.
You come from a serious food town. What were you expecting when you got here?
You kind of think of the Midwest as a beef-and-potatoes area, but I realized when I got up here that St. Louis has a whole lot of ethnic diversity. There’s a lot of good restaurants and quite a bit of competition. It’s much more of a food town than people think.
What ingredients do you need to serve good Creole food?
Predominantly it’s seafood, so you need a good supply of that, and I found a good supplier that works very well with us in finding Gulf-fresh seafood. You have to have filé powder, and okra is very important. You also need tasso, which is a Cajun smoked ham, and I found a good source of that. But most of the other ingredients are pretty easy to come by.
Can you suggest some Creole items for those of us with sensitive stomachs?
[Laughs.] A sensitive stomach would probably be a problem anywhere. I’ve toned it down a little here; there’s some spice in my recipes, but it’s not overwhelming. Our gumbo has a small kick, but it would do just fine for you.
Do you have any favorite restaurants here yet?
I’ve gone to the Scottish Arms a couple times. I usually like to get a scotch or a stout, and they have really good fish and chips. Last time I was there they had a braised lamb shank. It’s a nice pub feel on a cold night.
You seem relatively settled here now. Will you go back to New Orleans?
If someone told me at the beginning of August that I’d be in St. Louis right now, I would have told them they were out of their minds. If opportunities arise elsewhere, I’ll go.
