Herbie’s executive chef Chris Vomund (pictured at right, above) is leaving the Clayton restaurant to take a job as a food service representative for Sysco, a national distributor of food service products. His last day will be this Friday, March 24.
“Sysco will be a good fit for me. I’m happy to share the skills in inventory and purchasing control that I’ve picked up over the years,” he says. “Plus, I’m already familiar with half of their products, and one of my first clients is a big one: Herbie’s.”
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When Vomund made the decision to leave in January, he gave owner Aaron Teitelbaum a two-month notice, plenty of time to hire and train a replacement. Patrick Shaughnessy (pictured at left, above), who spent 11 years at the Saint Louis Club and with Teitelbaum at Monarch, was named Herbies’ executive chef last week.
Vomund’s final menu debuts today and begins a transition to “fewer down-home items and more classics,” says Teitelbaum, a direction that he feels is more in sync with the clientele at Herbie’s. When Shaughnessy’s first menu is introduced in late spring, it will be “even more rooted in French technique,” adds Teitelbaum.
Asked about his decision to leave, Vomund says, “At one time or other, everybody in this industry feels like taking a break. Although I loved working at Herbie’s for the past two and a half years, my time was now.”
After his first executive chef stint at the former Nest in Frontenac, Vomund (pictured at right) joined the Herbie’s team in early 2015, well before the restaurant’s move to Clayton late last year. He was hired as chef de cuisine before being promoted to executive chef for both Herbie’s and Kingside Diner (also owned by Teitelbaum).
Chefs and managers leave the restaurant business for various reasons, though it’s oftentimes for quality-of-life issues, due to the long hours. “Having kids was never going to happen in my present situation,” Vomund admits. “I’m looking forward to some quiet nights at home with my wife.”
Then he cracked the door back open: “I would also like to explore other parts of food service to keep myself sharp. I want to learn how to distill spirits and may even stage at a restaurant once a week. I’ve already told Aaron, ‘If you ever need an extra set of hands, let me know.’”
