Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
The Garden on Grand was a stunning space with stunning food to match—for awhile, anyway.
No one had heard much about owner Cevin Lee or chef Kore Wilbert until Wilbert came out of nowhere to win the Stella Artois Chef Battle Royale competition at the 2016 Taste of St. Louis, besting seven of the area's finest chefs. All of the judges had the same reaction: “Who is this guy?”
Wilbert’s victory came just before the restaurant’s grand opening, a shot of adrenaline that ended up being a blessing and a curse. SLM scribe Pat Eby fell in love with the place early, before the crowds stormed the gate. Wilbert’s kitchen staff produced beautiful food, though not always in a timely manner. Lee also discovered that opening for breakfast, lunch, and dinner was a herculean assignment, especially for a rookie restaurateur.
The Garden floundered, and eventually Lee and Wilbert parted ways. Lee’s favorite saying was that it was “a work in progress,” and indeed it was, right up until Lee closed it a week ago today, using the Garden's Facebook as his mouthpiece:
Regretfully, after a little more than a year, The Garden on Grand will be closing its doors after a final dinner service on Saturday, November 24th. We have had an incredible year, filled with ups and downs, and in this season of gratitude, we want to thank you—our customers, staff, friends and family—for your invaluable support throughout the year. We are already working on the next chapter—stay tuned!
When contacted today, Lee was not ready to comment further. Stay tuned.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
