Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Rob Connoley of Squatter's Cafe
Drop into Grand Center for breakfast at Squatter’s Café any morning—and expect a line. Some diners are there for the sweet potato hash with pork confit or biscuits and gravy with candied bacon. Others come for the jars of yogurt with smooth surprises such as bacon jam and sweet tomato sauce. Still others buy boxes of his handmade artisanal chocolates. Focused on locally sourced seasonal fare, Connoley has quickly made this fun, relaxing place a draw, and now he’s planning to bring the same spirit toBulrush, a new eatery where foraged ingredients are a constantly changing centerpiece. Few restaurants offer more innovative approaches to dining, from supper classes where your meal is accompanied by lessons on minimizing waste to multicourse “speed dining.” Connoley’s determined to change attitudes—and delight palates. 3524 Washington.
Owning a farm, Winslow's Home is in a unique position, says executive chef Cassy Vires. Working with farmers on the rural Augusta property, Vires can call in a request for a particular herb or vegetable. Beyond growing produce, the farm raises livestock, including cattle and goats. Though Vires cites many of the reasons that chefs typically value local sourcing—the environment, the flavorful ingredients, the chance to support local businesses—still more important to her is ethics: “Local doesn’t mean much if the sourcing isn’t ethical.” 7213 Delmar.
Photos by Kevin A. Roberts
Left to right: Cassy Vires of Winslow's Home, Scott Davis of Cafe Osage, Dave Bailey of Bailey's Restaurants, David Kirkland of Turn, and Rex Hale of Bakers & Hale
Before becoming Café Osage’s executive chef, Scott Davis made a practice of working closely with farmers. Like many chefs, he’d tell a farmer what he wanted while planning his menu. These days, though, with onsite gardens at Café Osage and the bounty of Bowood Farms in Clarksville, the situation is reversed. “Whatever’s ready is what I get,” he says. If massive amounts of vegetables ripen at the same time, he finds a way to work them into dishes so he can continue “to showcase the summer harvest in the wintertime.” That means chickpea toast spread with roasted eggplant and pesto, topped with heirloom tomatoes, squash, and freshly grown herbs, for now; then expect stewed chard from the hoop house and something pickled or preserved for that cold January day. 4605 Olive.
To illustrate the philosophy behind sourcing locally, restaurateur Dave Bailey uses the example of buying a whole animal: One pig might supply burgers at Baileys’ Range, sausage at Bridge, pepperoni at Hugo’s Pizzeria, ham at Rooster, and pulled pork at several restaurants,including L’Acadiane. Working with a local purveyor “helps the flavor of the end product,” he says, and allows chefs to be more creative. Bailey, who also oversees Baileys’ Chocolate Bar and Small Batch, focuses as much on his team as he does on the food. A recent survey, for example, revealed that 60 percent of his employees live in South City. In other words, the city benefits from both his workforce and his restaurants.
“I make my dinner menu based on what’s growing on the roof,” chef/owner David Kirkland explains of sourcing ingredients from Sally’s Rooftop Garden & Terrace, atop the .ZACK building in Grand Center. Considering vegetables first is a shift for Kirkland, who doesn’t like the term “vegetable-forward” but admits that’s how he now thinks. If zucchini is growing on the roof, for instance, he’ll make noodles of it and serve them under salmon. Before opening Turn, Kirkland says, he was “reactionary to seasons,” describing how he’d default to certain proteins. Now he plans for seasons, thanks to the bounty above him. 3224 Locust.
“Definitely worth the trip” is how diners from across the metro region have summed up Kelsi Walden-Baker and Rex Hale’s new “seed-to-table” restaurant on 6 acres in Godfrey, Ill. Two different menus and three dining areas guarantee different tastes and experiences, from tacos and burgers to a Zephyr squash “steak.” Don’t miss the house cocktails, featuring regional spirits and garden garnishes. 7120 Montclaire, Godfrey, Illinois.
