Fall is here, and though the road construction crews may be starting to wind down for the winter, The Grill at The Ritz-Carlton is full “reconstruction” mode. The Ritz has brought in executive chef Anthony Cole from its Naples, Fla., facility to oversee a new menu, new attitude and new synergy at the hotel.
“It’s become more of a team effort,” said Cole. “I manage things and ensure that our patrons only receive the best of the best in food and service.”
When you say “team effort,” exactly what do you mean?
I depend heavily on Jeremy Driver, chef de cuisine. He’s my right hand. Also, our team is highly culturally diversified and experts in their fields. Our executive pastry chef is an expert in his area as are all our kitchen and wait staff. Because we are so diverse we can feed off each other. Everyone has a special dish from their childhood. We encourage everyone to share those experiences (and recipes) with each other. It’s the ol’ “tie that binds” scenario.
So how is that affecting The Grill and The Restaurant? We’re doing a lot of remodeling. Not in the traditional sense of changing the atmosphere, but we have changed some of the little things. For example, we have new Fortessa bone china. Its stark whiteness is complemented with colorful accent pieces, and we are using more local artists. A local glassblower made all our centerpieces. It all enhances the food presentation.
Are you changing the menu? Yes and no. We’re taking the classic American high-end foods and putting a little modern twist on them. We’re offering three or four new ways to present old favorites. Our shrimp cocktail is the same basically, but the shrimp are fresher – flown in daily – and bigger. We call our lobster bisque a lobster cappuccino. Jeremy was instrumental in developing it. We use porcini mushrooms and lobster knuckle meat. The foam topping is a Chantilly cream enhanced with porcini mushroom powder, and we serve it with fennel biscotti.
With the new high-end American restaurants competing for customers, where do The Ritz’s eateries fit? The immediate answer that comes to mind is classic roots with modern flair. We still offer the same high expectation when it comes to the quality of [product], the service and the atmosphere. We want St. Louisans to think of us less as a destination place but more of a place to get a high-quality meal. If our patrons are headed to the theater, we can offer a three-course meal that isn’t as time consuming as a five-course. Also, we’ve eliminated our dress code. Men don’t have to wear a coat and tie anymore. American dress codes have changed, and we are changing with it. We see a lot of families, and we do have a kids’ menu. We want St. Louisans to think of The Grill and The Restaurant as restaurants that merely happen to be located in a hotel rather than as hotel restaurants. We’re a five-star restaurant minus the intimidation factor.
How long have you been in town? My family and I have been here about six months. And yes, the humidity is worse than in Naples. Except for that, the weather is about the same. We bought a house in Chesterfield and have been remodeling the kitchen, making it much bigger.
Have you had a chance to take in St. Louis’ restaurant scene? Well, no. We came here with a 6-week-old daughter. Between the relocation, the new job, a new baby, the remodeling at the house, we haven’t been out much. Having a baby means a new lifestyle. But I hope to start getting out soon.
What’s one thing we won’t find in your restaurant’s kitchen? An inferior product. If it’s not of the highest quality served in the best fashion, we won’t serve it. Every day I view vendor reports where they tell us what’s available, what’s good, what’s better and what’s the best. Jeremy and I discuss these reports at length.
Where do you get new ideas for the menu? Everywhere. From the glassblower who made the centerpieces to art and music. It inspires me to go back to the kitchen. Seasonality also plays a big, big role. We try to keep up on trends, reading books, watching the cable channels that focus on food. We make everything from scratch, including all our stocks.
How did you get involved in the culinary profession? I grew up in West Hartford, Conn. We lived next door to my grandmother, and she had a 30-foot garden. My mother made sure that mealtime was family time. I was often sent out to pick items from the garden. Food was part of my environment.
Your secret to success? I’m doing what I love to do. What more could I ask for?
This article appears in Oct 1-31, 2005.