Herbie’s adds veteran executive chef and updates atmosphere

The venerable Clayton restaurant continues to evolve with a balance of old and new.

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Venerable Clayton restaurant Herbie's recently brightened its décor and added well-known executive chef Kyle Patterson, who's worked at a number of acclaimed St. Louis restaurants. Up next: changes to the menu and beverage program.

Owner Aaron Teitelbaum says the updates highlight a new era in his journey as proprietor of The 5 Senses restaurant group, which encompasses 230 employees at Herbie’s and Kingside Diner. Here’s what to know before you go.

The Atmosphere

After seven years at its current location, Herbie’s was due for its first renovation, Teitelbaum says. The original buildout happened when the restaurant moved from the Central West End on a shoestring; this time, the restaurant had the luxury of all-new furnishings, art, décor, and lighting fixtures. The previous fixtures dated back to the era of Herbie’s predecessor in the CWE space, the legendary Balaban’s—and were so beloved that Teitelbaum was careful to preserve them for posterity.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The bar at Herbie's

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

It's one example of the risks and rewards of changing an institution such as Herbie’s, where regulars know every nuance. An off-white granite bar has replaced the dark wood original, the main dining room is now filled with natural light, thanks to the addition of a large window. Teitelbaum is excited about how the space turned out, including the butter-yellow banquette along the wall in the main dining room, which matches accent colors in the early 20th century French posters throughout the restaurant.

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The dining room at Herbie's

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Photography by Kevin A. Roberts

The Menu

St. Louis food aficionados may remember Patterson from his decades-long career at such acclaimed restaurants as Boundary, Bakers & Hale, Eleven Eleven Mississippi, and Lucas Park Grille. He was even at Balaban’s as executive sous chef with Dave Timney in the late 1990s—and that’s where he got the inspiration for the Ligurian shrimp (with linguine, sundried tomatoes, feta, walnuts, and herbs), which is now on Herbie’s menu.

“Kyle brings a welcome knowledge of dishes St. Louisans know and love,” Teitelbaum says. “I love the food that he cooks and the way he cooks.”

Teitelbaum credits previous chef Bill Cawthon for laying solid groundwork and being part of Patteron’s transition. “Bill did a great job helping us figure out who we are at Herbie’s,” Teitelbaum says. “And now that we know who we are, we can have have fun. Kyle brings a demeanor, style, and experiences that build people up. He’s a mentor who runs a teaching kitchen.”

Patterson says his culinary approach echoes all the way back to his early days as a political organizer for environmental groups. “I bring a worldview that’s holistic,” he says. “It’s the responsibility of the chef to make sure people eat things that are good for them—but I also want to feel that I’m doing more than cooking. Aaron has my back on that.”

Patterson is gradually introducing menu items from his extensive repertoire—and some might be familiar, such as the Caribbean jerk chicken, which was a popular dish at the Smokin’ Monkey food truck that Patterson ran with his wife during his time at Lucas Park Grille. It comes with twice-fried rice (a mix of both basmati and whole-grain purple rice from China), tostones, collard greens with bacon, and a dollop of house-made pineapple jam.

“I like things to taste like what they are,” Patterson says. Thus, the steak flavor of the grass-fed ribeye special is front and center, with a supporting cast of chanterelle mushrooms, fingerling potatoes, and broccolini. And one of Teitelbaum’s favorite dishes, the escargot, uses puff pastry on top to seal in the garlicky, buttery goodness as it broils.

Along with longtime classic menu items—for instance, Herbie’s burger, bistro steak with truffle fries, and filet mignon with garlic mashed potatoes—are more experimental dishes, such as scallops with sweet corn risotto and blood orange beurre blanc. (One of its key ingredients is a corn broth that’s puréed and strained to intensify the flavor.)

Patterson plans to add more new items in the coming weeks. Likewise, the beverage program will add new cocktails in close coordination with the kitchen. One that’s currently in the beta stage is a clear margarita with custom-sourced crystalino aged tequila (charcoal-filtered to remove the signature golden color), plus house-made clarified lime juice. It looks like a martini but still packs all the flavors and aromas of a traditional margarita.

Another upcoming cocktail is an Old Fashioned that uses “fat-washed” Buffalo Trace bourbon infused with bacon and pancetta plus unrefined sugars and walnut bitters. Even if it and other new drinks prove popular, however, they will never replace the menu space occupied by the espresso martini. Each week, the bar staff makes a case of its key ingredient, house-infused vanilla vodka, to keep up with demand.

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