And the anticipation for Yellowbelly continues.
Today, the owners of Retreat Gastropub, Travis Howard and Tim Wiggins, announced who would lead the culinary vision for their second restaurant in the Central West End: celebrity chef Richard Blais, a James Beard Award nominee and winner of Top Chef: All-Stars season eight.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
With his culinary consulting company Trail Blais, he will work with Howard and Wiggins to curate Yellowbelly’s seafood-focused menu, hire an executive chef and kitchen team, as well as spend time in the kitchen before and after opening.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Travis and Tim on this exciting project,” Blais said in a press release. “I love their energy and spirit and am excited to be a part of introducing Yellowbelly to St. Louis locals and visitors.”
Trail Blais is acclaimed for the success of its restaurants in Southern California, a region by which Yellowbelly is partly inspired. Travis and Wiggins announced their second concept, which will also have a strong, rum-focused bar program, late last year. Yellowbelly’s opening is planned for late August/early September. It’ll be located on the ground floor of the new luxury apartment complex Citizen Park (4659 Lindell).
Blais has worked at such lauded restaurants as The French Laundry, Daniel, Chez Panisse, and El Bulli. He will help develop Yellowbelly’s menu with such items as ceviche, crudo, and seafood entrees including whole fish. The sea-and-spirits restaurant will also offer “approachable American fare” such as a burger and other small plates.
So how did Howard secure a collaboration with Blais? It started with an email. “I took a shot and reached out via his website for insight on finding new chef talent for Yellowbelly,” he said in a release. “I got a response back almost immediately from Richard himself, and he expressed immediate excitement in our vision for the concept.”
And it seems the excitement’s only grown.
“The food scene in St. Louis is constantly evolving, and the Central West End is a truly exciting, emerging neighborhood,” Blais added in a release. “It immediately spoke to me the first time I visited, and I’m looking forward to expanding my culinary footprint to the Midwest.”
