Experts say that surrounding yourself with experts is a cornerstone of success. Accomplished chefs such as Matt Daughaday subscribe to this wisdom.
At Reeds American Table, Daughaday has assembled six specialists: “a food dork, wine dork, beer, pastry, coffee, and a numbers dork,” as he puts it. A certified cicerone guides beer decisions; advanced sommelier Andrey Ivanov (arguably the city’s foremost sommelier) suggests wines from an “experiential” wine list; pastry chef Summer Wright turns her sweet dreams into masterpieces… You get the picture.
Basic offerings include a $18 roasted chicken (reminiscent of his last restaurant, Taste) and pork steak, as well as more esoteric options like lamb sugo with cresta rigati (a semi-circular, frilled pasta that's been called "the groovy moon"). The menu promises to remain somewhat static, unlike its predecessor in the same space, Home Wine Kitchen, whose menu changed every week.
Daughaday moved the primary dining area upstairs to convert the main floor into a less cluttered, more casual bar, replete with paintings by the chef’s tattoo artist. And when lunch service begins, look for a small roster of favorites, all priced identically and assembled in a flash. Another expert idea. 7322 Manchester, 314-899-9821, reedsamericantable.com.
