New Year's Eve will be Chef Kevin Willmann's swan song at Erato on Main in Edwardsville. He's taken possession of the former KoKo space at 3257 Ivanhoe and plans to open a "small plates but prix fixe-centric" restaurant, debuting most likely in early Spring. The new place will be named Farmhaus, a fictitious word that pays tribute to his German grandmother, not to German cuisine.
Erato was the reason many St. Louisans gladly made the 45 minute trek to Edwardsville...and I believe every foodie, food writer and food critic in the area would agree (SLM named it to our 2008 A-List). But still, it'll be nice having him a bit closer to home. The ink on the lease is fresh and details are sketchy, but he does plan to take his approach "a step or two further," and make the new endeavor "as locally-driven as I possibly can."
Although I love road trips, let me be the first to welcome you to St. Louis. Happy New Year to you...and to us. -- George Mahe
