Photography by Kevin A. Roberts
With a name that begins with an initial, we assumed he was someone’s attorney. But the only garnishment that concerns D. Scott Phillips is the one on the plates at the venerable Balaban’s (1772 Clarkson, 636-449-6700, balabanswine.com), now located in Chesterfield after nearly 40 years in the Central West End. After an eight-year run as executive chef at the now-shuttered Provisions Gourmet Market, Phillips is one of a growing number of St. Louis’ highly skilled but unsung culinarians. Go ahead and put that on the record—the evidence is herein.
Let's get this out of the way early: What's with the "D. Scott"?
My mother loved my first name, Daniel, but hated the name Danny. So to avoid any issues, she always called me Scott. And if anybody would dare call me Scotty...well, she most certainly would correct them.
What do people at Balaban's call you?
Scott. Or chef, since there is another Scott here. So I guess using D. Scott would make sense.
But you weren't hired as the executive chef.
I was hired to be the event, banquet, and catering chef, as that's what I'd done for eight years prior as the executive chef at Provisions. I kind of rolled into the lead position here.
Did you want the executive-chef job?
It was not what I had come here for, but now I truly enjoy what I do.
When you took over as executive chef, what was the first thing that you changed?
Structure. I had to build a team. Some people were hired, and others left. This crew—all of them—really enjoy what they do, and that's what I was looking for. The people you can keep involved and happy are the people you want. All of them have a lot of say in what we do. Skill was secondary. We can teach skill.
Did you immediately change up the menu?
Steve [McIntyre, Balaban's co owner,] was anxious to return some classic menu items to their former glory. Every time a different chef touches an existing item, it can change, and some of them had meandered. The smoked tomato soup, for example, is now as good as it ever was—maybe better.
Balaban's recently dropped "Wine Cellar & Tapas Bar" from its name. How does that impact the kitchen?
It opens the box. The word tapas has a stigma; it's limiting. It limits a chef's thinking. It did mine. Taking it away is a good thing.
Do you ever get requests for things you never knew existed on Balaban's menu?
We get those calls all the time. And some of the items are really dated.
Like beef Wellington.
It is dated, but people really like it. And remember there's a generation that's never even heard of it, so it's not a bad idea to do those kinds of things.[Smiling.]Hey, maybe we'll start a revival.
How many of Balaban's signature items are on the menu now?
From a long and seasonal list, about half a dozen at any one time.
The morel pasta is arguably the most famous of all the menu items, correct?
And you know, that recipe's not written down anywhere. All I will tell you is that there's only a handful of ingredients, but the sauce takes a very long time to make.
What's one thing people may not know about the new Balaban's?
Since it's part restaurant, wine store, and now event space, corkage is only $8 for anything purchased here. And if you like the wine, you pay a retail price to take more home.
Steve knows quite a bit about food and wine. Does he look over your shoulder?
No, he's never once questioned what I do. Steve focuses on the wine; I focus on the food. We collaborate excellently. He and I really enjoy working on the monthly wine dinners together.
So there's an eight-person wine room and a larger event room that can be partitioned off. Was this a "build it, and they will come" scenario, or was the room built in response to demand?
The latter. Steve knew if he did it right—and he did—it would be successful. It was the amount of off-premise catering, though, that surprised us all—elaborate parties in a private home right down to a few boxed lunches up the street.
How many guests does the new event room accommodate?
The average number attending the wine dinners is 40, but the room will hold twice that many. We designed the space with a production kitchen, so the protein for those guests can be cooked to order.
That does set Balaban’s apart.
Most private event spaces don't have that luxury. That's why I'm so proud of those wine dinners and why people return. I even get requests for items that I did at Provisions.
Do you accommodate them?
Absolutely. I'm probably the only one who can accommodate them.
What's new in the event business? Has anything changed?
Office parties and pharmaceutical dinners—both things that rise and fall with the economy—are keeping us busy. The word apparently is getting out on how good the food is; last week, a pharm dinner went 100 percent over the number reserved. Doctors don't want to go to those things, but they showed up because they heard the food was good.
Is there a secret to providing better off-site catering?
Knowing what foods will travel and hold exceptionally well and what items must prepared to order. If something doesn't travel well, we steer the client toward something else. And the host looks good because we've had that discussion.
When a person decides to host an event, many times they don't even think of a restaurant.
It's true. [He laughs.] That word needs to get out. We do good work.
How does the smaller wine room work?
Steve and I sit down with the host to plan the menu and the wine for between two to eight guests. There's a minimum charge but that's not hard to achieve, especially with the selection of older, vintage wines we keep in there.
Any surprises when planning event dinners?
I'm amazed at how much game gets requested—so much so, we've now incorporated some game into our winter restaurant menu. Last time we sold venison tenderloin, we sold out quickly. The market is there.
Why don't we see things like pheasant on local menus?
It may be more of a demand thing. It's not as common and therefore may be a harder sell. And it's expensive, especially when you get some in, hope it sells, and it doesn't. A wine dinner is the perfect venue for that kind of thing because everyone's opted in beforehand.
Have you ever had any bizarre requests from a banquet client or guest?
At a medieval-themed wedding, I was asked to dress in period costume, but I had to refuse. Working offsite is hard enough, but this was Forest Park in the middle of July.
Are your plates presentation-driven?
It is important to get small things, like the garnish, placed correctly—and for the plate to be beautiful—but taste is still paramount.
So you're not into deconstructed composition?
It's beautiful, but I don't get it. I want dishes to taste like I designed them to taste. When you deconstruct, that all goes out the window.
How has the popularity of beer impacted a wine-focused place like Balaban's?
We're now doing beer dinners and beer-based events. But will we be removing wine racks to sell more beer, I suspect the answer is probably not. We're a "great wines, great foods" place and we do have beer available.
Back in the day, Balaban's was—dare I say—unique. How has it evolved in 40-plus years?
It made a mark, and in its evolution continues to do so. It's worth the trip. I know I've never been more proud of such a complete package. It's fun. I like it. A lot. I even put a smiley face on a dessert the other night.
Speaking of artwork, I see you have a lot of tattoos. Are you offended when people ask you to explain them?
It would be foolish to assume that people wouldn't ask about them. I've never met anyone who wanted to keep those stories a secret.
Do they all relate to food?
[He pulls up one pant leg.] Some do, but his one is a fire-breathing peacock fighting a king cobra. It has nothing to do with food. It's just pretty. They're all just time stamps—a reminder of how old I was when I had them done.
