Photograph by Kevin A. Roberts
A hypothetical hotel has 338 rooms, more than 60,000 square feet of private event space (including a thousand-seat banquet room, the largest such room in the city), a five-screen movie theater, and an 80-year history. Were this hotel to lose its executive chef, the ideal course of action would be to find someone with equal or better credentials, say a chef who’s influenced several AAA Five Diamond and Forbes Travel Guide four-star–rated resorts. The hotel is, in fact, The Chase Park Plaza in St. Louis, and its new executive chef is Kyle Lipetzky, who fit the bill, hand in rubber glove.
You’re new to St. Louis. Any prior exposure in the Midwest?
I was born in North Dakota—which is kind of in the Midwest—but lived in San Diego until I was 18. I was washing dishes at a golf club when the chef took me under his wing and taught me garde manger. I now use predominantly fresh products, as that’s all he ever used.
But you all were in San Diego.
But then I moved to Phoenix, to The Camelback Inn, an acclaimed resort, where there was a fresh-only focus as well, and then to The Phoenician, a bigger Five-Star/Five-Diamond property.
You only worked at first-rate properties. What did you learn that is applicable here?
The entire culture of 5-star properties is elevated. The bar is set high and everyone there knows high is the norm.
How does a hotel obtain these star ratings?
It’s a blind shop with stringent standards, and a lot of the criteria is service-based.
Could The Chase ever get to that level?
Absolutely. It’s all about presenting—and then adhering to—a certain culture. Be specific. Be meticulous. Be the best. Teach by example. You don’t necessarily go after that five-star status specifically, you just strive to be the best you can be, and those kinds of awards hopefully catch up to you.
How long were you in Phoenix before you came to St. Louis?
Fifteen years. I did a short stint in Palm Springs but couldn’t get back to Phoenix quick enough—in July, it was about 110 degrees with about 100 percent humidity.
Uh oh. Did anybody clue you in about St. Louis?
So far, so good. It can’t be as bad as Springs.
One city for 15 years is unusual for a chef. What drew you here?
The Chase has fine dining and casual dining plus does a ton of banquets, which almost perfectly matches what I did in Arizona. At The Phoenician, I oversaw five restaurants plus banquets; the situation here is similar, but on a smaller scale.
You’ve been here six weeks. What’s been the first order of business?
New menus will be introduced in July, for both Cafe Eau and Eau Bistro, integrating as much fresh product and sustainability as possible.
Is it feasible to also integrate that banquets, when in most cases you will not get the job unless your prices are cheaper?
It becomes a challenge there...and a supply issue. There is only so much fresh and organic available, at any price. But that’s my style of cooking, the style I grew up with.
Back in North Dakota?
My grandparents still own a 2,000-acre farm there, and I go back as often as I can. The front yard was a half-acre garden. I never really got away from farm fresh. That’s where I’m comfortable.
Culinary schools are under scrutiny. You went to one. What’s your take on that?
They are popularizing the industry but causing an oversupply of chef labor. They need to be more stringent on the front end. Better screening will perhaps produce better graduates. But culinary schools do teach the foundations of cooking deeper and better than if you tried to pick that up otherwise.
Is there still an admittance protocol.
Fifteen years ago, you needed to get three letters of recommendation, write a letter yourself, and be working in the industry. I think a lot of that has gone by the wayside.
So when you graduate from culinary school, have you earned the title of chef?
To me, you’ve earned the title of culinary school graduate. It takes years before you can call yourself a chef.
How long before you called yourself one?
After a solid 10 years of working under a variety of established chefs, after I’d stopped copying recipes and developed a style and recipes of my own. But there’s no set time or formula. In my opinion, there are a lot of cooks out there calling themselves chefs.
What drew you to hotels?
It was the sheer diversity that hooked me, many ethnic cuisines represented under one roof. Had I worked at say, a New American restaurant, that’s all I would know.
And you recruited some like-minded people.
Jason Paterno, who worked with me at The Phoenician, is the new Chef de Cuisine. And Mark Brewster came aboard from The Four Seasons to oversee Bistro Eau. A considerable investment has been made here.
Are there plans to redo or reconfigure any of the Chase’s restaurants?
The Marquee Cafe, used for breakfast, was duplicitous. As soon as I know exactly what the guests want, we’ll move that restaurant in that direction. Refreshing and revitalizing is always a positive thing. I look forward to being able to offer several different experiences.
You’ve already rewritten the breakfast menu. What’s different?
Things like blueberry pancakes topped with blueberry compote and lemon ricotta. And my take on Huevos Rancheros, with slow-roasted pork and queso fresco. We now use farm fresh eggs, wild mushrooms, that kind of thing...
What’s your feeling on small vs. large menus?
Generally, I think, the higher the level of dining, the smaller the menu should be. Big menus work fine in more casual, bar and grill situations.
Are you a big "specials" guy? Some restaurants’ menus are mainly specials.
No, specials should be truly special—not opportunities to clear out the walk-in—so I may not run them every day. If we get a good seasonal item, or something that’s rare or unusual, those become the specials.
Do you have a culinary leaning?
My favorite restaurant at The Phoenician was Il Terrazzo, where the influence was Southern Italian. Plus, my wife’s from Sicily.
Are you using any of her family’s recipes?
Their tomato sauce is the same one I make here. I use grated carrot for sweetness: the carrots melt, but the rich, vibrant color stays. And I use La Valle tomatoes, a San Marzano tomato from Campania.
Do you have a favorite dish?
For me, Atlantic black bass hits on all levels: unlike Chilean bass, it’s relatively sustainable; it retains its moisture; and the skin crisps up nicely, cooked in a little good extra virgin olive oil.
Why is using good extra virgin olive oil so important?
The taste—the floralness and the grassiness of good oils—is better and it varies from region to region.
What do you eat when you go out?
My wife and I eat pasta all the time—fresh or dried, we like them both. At home, our go-to dish is cheese ravioli that we make, served with a little of Grandma’s tomato sauce or bolognese and a little fresh basil. That became a traditional Italian dish because it’s just so darned good.
What’s something no one knows about you?
I’m a big collector of Pez dispensers, I probably have 2,000 of them, displayed in four custom cases that I built, wall space that my wife would love to dedicate to something else. It all went downhill after we had used candies as toppers on our wedding cake.
Do you still eat the candy?
Nah, I give that to my three daughters.
Do they still make the dispensers?
About a hundred new ones per year.
So did you move your family into The Chase?
No, but we could have. I couldn’t believe the condos here, the size of the health club, how nice the pool is, the executive apartments, which is where I understand Tony La Russa stayed. The place is impressive.
