Major changes are afoot at one of St. Louis’ hottest restaurants: Chef Matthew Daughaday has left Idol Wolf at 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis.
According to both Daughaday and 21c, the departure was amicable, and the restaurant remains committed to delivering the same high-quality food and beverage it has since it opened in 2023.
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“We extend our sincere gratitude to Chef Matt Daughaday for his invaluable contributions to Idol Wolf,” a representative for 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis said in a statement. “His innovative vision and passion for seasonal ingredients helped introduce 21c’s mission to St. Louis and create an exceptional dining experience for our guests. His dedication to supporting local causes and businesses further underscored his commitment to the St. Louis community. We respect his decision to prioritize family and we wish Chef Daughaday all the best in his future endeavors.”
Idol Wolf opened in summer 2023 as a buzzy hotspot with the mission of being a culinary anchor point for the up-and-coming Downtown West/Midtown food scene. As opening chef, Daughaday (formerly of Gerard Craft’s Taste and his own restaurant, Reeds American Table) helped the hotel execute this vision by standing up Idol Wolf as a must-visit dining destination; the restaurant was well-received for its take on traditional Spanish cuisine and beverages, which paired beautifully with the hotel’s stunning surroundings and artwork.
Reached for comment, 21c Museum Hotel St. Louis’ director of food and beverage, Will Rogers, echoed the statement’s cordial tone and emphasized that diners can expect the same delicious Spanish fare and great service that they have come to expect over the past year and a half.
“Matt felt that he was leaving us in a really good place, so now was an OK time to step away,” says Rogers. “We have a task force chef in place at the moment, and we are interviewing for our next chef, but we have an awesome team so they are doing their thing. The team is in great shape.”
Looking ahead, Rogers says he and the food and beverage team are looking forward to a great year ahead. He notes that Idol Wolf’s brunch has been well-received, and he’s eager to do more chef dinners when a new person assumes the role. In the meantime, he says the St. Louis dining community can count on the restaurant to remain unchanged in its offerings and overall concept.
“The brand is intact, the concept is intact, the quality is intact, the team is intact,” says Rogers. “We are just going to look for somebody to come in and take the helm.”
