Kevin Willmann

Farmhaus Hosting Shane Wine Cellars Dinner on May 8

Seats remain for the first wine dinner at Kevin Willmann's acclaimed Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800) next Wednesday, May 8. The dinner will pair four courses with wines from Shane Wine Cellars. Shane owner and winemaker Shane Finley will attend the event. In an e-mail to Gut Check, Far ... More >>

Andrew Jennrich of Farmhaus Sees St. Louis on the Precipice of National Recognition

This is part one of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Andrew Jennrich of Farmhaus. Part two, a Q&A, will be available Thursday. Part three, a recipe from Jennrich, will be published on Friday. For many years, the migration went like this: Talented young St. Louis cooks, eager to make their bones ... More >>

New Favorites, Old Friends: An Updated Guide to Restaurants in Lindenwood Park

St. Louis' neighborhoods are gems in their own right: full of history, great people and, as far as Gut Check is concerned, fantastic food. Each week we'll take you into a specific neighborhood and point you in the direction of the best places to grab some bites.

Eric Heath Destroys a Giant Vase and Bans Death Metal in His Kitchen: A Q&A with the Cleveland-Heath Chef

This is part two of Gut Check's Chef's Choice profile of Eric Heath of Cleveland-Heath. Read part one, a profile of Heath, here. Part three, a recipe from Heath, will be available on Friday. For years Eric Heath and Jenny Cleveland planned to open a restaurant together. But when they found the pe ... More >>

James Beard Foundation Announces Award Semifinalists: Gerard Craft, Kevin Nashan in Running for "Best Chef: Midwest" [Updated]

The James Beard Foundation this morning announced the semifinalists for its annual Restaurant and Chef Awards (link PDF). This year, two St. Louis chefs made the cut of twenty in the "Best Chef: Midwest" category: Gerard Craft of Niche (7734 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-773-7755) and Kevin Nashan ... More >>

Tasting Menus in St. Louis Might Stretch Your Budget, But They Won't Beach a Whale

Our friends at Eater are celebrating "Whale Week," a tribute to high-spending diners -- or whales, as they're known in industry-speak. As part of the festivities, Eater ranked the fourteen most expensive tasting menus in America. The cheapest ("cheapest") tasting menu on the list is at Daniel in New ... More >>

Tidbits: Farmhaus Expands Hours, Eater Salutes Blood & Sand

- A dinner reservation at Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800) is one of the toughest to obtain in St. Louis. That's no surprise. Not only is Kevin Willmann's restaurant one of our town's very best, it's also a) very small and b) open for dinner only Wednesday through Saturday. Farmhaus can ... More >>

James Beard Foundation Opens 2013 Awards Nominations

The James Beard Foundation has opened the nominations for its 2013 awards. Through December 31, anyone -- me, you, even your dog (if he has his own email address) -- can nominate up to two candidates in each category. The main category for which St. Louis restaurants are eligible is "Best Chef: Mid ... More >>

Best of St. Louis 2012 Preview: Five Years of Best New Restaurants

In a matter of days -- hours, even! -- the Riverfront Times Best of St. Louis 2012 issue ("Creature Comforts" is the theme, and just you wait till you see this!) will hit the Internet and newsstands. Among the many food- and restaurant-related categories, one of the most eagerly anticipated is alwa ... More >>

Put $31 on Redfish: Carnivores can't lose at Kelly English Steakhouse in Harrah's casino, but seafood guarantees a bigger pot

Eat Me in St. Louis: Ten Splurge Restaurants for March Madness Visitors

Hello, fans of North Carolina, North Carolina State, Kansas and Ohio, and welcome to St. Louis for the -- deep breath -- 2012 NCAA Division One Men's Basketball Championship Midwest Regionals! You've come all the way to St. Louis to watch your beloved team fight for a berth in the Final Four. Why n ... More >>

Gerard Craft Nominated for James Beard Foundation "Best Chef: Midwest" Award [Updated]

Gerard Craft of Niche (1831 Sidney Street; 314-773-7755) is one of five finalists for the 2012 James Beard Foundation Awards in the category "Best Chef: Midwest." This is the third time that Craft has been a finalist for the award, following nominations in 2009 and 2010. Craft was in a meeting when ... More >>

Josh Galliano, Cassy Vires Nominated for Food & Wine "The People's Best New Chef" Honor

Once again, Food & Wine wants you, person who likes food and restaurants and voting for things online, to choose "The People's Best New Chef." A total of 100 chefs nationwide have been nominated for the honor, which coincides with the magazine's annual (undemocratic) selection of the ten "Best New C ... More >>

Salt, Four St. Louis Chefs Among James Beard Semifinalists

The James Beard Foundation today announced the semifinalists for its annual awards honoring restaurants and chefs (link PDF). St. Louis scored four chefs in the category "Best Chef: Midwest" and -- a first, to the best of my knowledge -- a restaurant in the "Best New Restaurant" category, which incl ... More >>

Eighty-Six the Pork "Wings": Market Grill gets a menu makeover and a sharp new chef

Farmhaus Crashes Cards Celebratory Clubhouse

Via TwitterEric Scholle of Farmhaus with World Series MVP David Freese​The cook from Farmhaus hadn't expected to make it into the clubhouse of the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals last night, let alone come face to face with hometown hero and series MVP David Freese. So when he asked Free ... More >>

Swedish Fish Vodka, Farmhaus

Alicia Lohmar​First, a quick retraction. We wrote in this very column, just a little over a year ago, "...don't sully the time-honored occupation of respectable drinking by concocting all sorts of foolishness that ends in '-tini' and isn't 'gin martini' or that contains the words 'nipple' or 'bomb ... More >>

Food & Wine on St. Louis' Craft-Beer Boom

Inside Urban Chestnut Brewing Company, part of the St. Louis craft-beer boom​Of the national food publications, few -- maybe none -- have paid St. Louis as much attention as Food & Wine. Already this year, the magazine tabbed Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus as one of its "Best New Chefs" -- the sec ... More >>

Farmhaus' Trip to Aspen's Food and Wine Classic, in Tweets

Food & WineBest New Chefs, 2011​Last week Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800 or www.farmhausrestaurant.com) owner/chef Kevin Willmann and manager Eric Scholle took their crew to the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, where Willmann was selected as one of 2011's Best New Chefs by Food & Wine m ... More >>

Food & Wine Publishes Best New Chefs Issue

​Well, look who that is, smiling in the center of the top row on the cover of the July issue of Food & Wine: Kevin Willmann, owner and chef of Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800). As we learned in April, Willmann is one of eleven Food & Wine Best New Chefs for 2011.The issue highl ... More >>

Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus Officially a Food & Wine Best New Chef

Screenshot: www.foodandwine.comThe Best New Chef 2011 profile of Farmhaus owner/chef Kevin Willmann​Gut Check first speculated Monday night that Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800) was the "bearded chef" referenced by Food & Wine magazine's Dana Cowen as she tweeted ... More >>

Food & Wine Magazine Best New Chef? Gut Check Bets the Farmhouse It's Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus! [Updated]

Update (Tuesday, April 5, 11:40 a.m.): Gut Check just spoke ever so briefly with a very, very busy Kevin Willmann, who confirms that he's in New York City for today's unveiling of Food & Wine magazine's Best New Chefs 2011.Willmann is the second area chef to win the award, following Gerard Craft ... More >>

St. Louis Chefs Shut Out of James Beard Award Finalists, Feast Magazine Nominated

​The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists for its 2011 awards this afternoon. St. Louis boasted three semifinalists in the category of "Best Chef: Midwest" -- Gerard Craft of Niche, Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Café and Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus -- but none of the three were named fin ... More >>

St. Louis Chefs Fall Short in Food & Wine Vote

Screenshot: www.foodandwine.com​As seemed likely since early last week, all three St. Louis chefs competing to be named the "People's Best New Chef" by Food & Wine magazine fell short of being named a finalist for the Midwest region when voting closed yesterday.Lee Richardson of Ashley's at th ... More >>

Last Call for "People's Best New Chef" Voting

Screenshot: www.foodandwine.com​Voting ends tomorrow for Food & Wine magazine's "The People's Best New Chef" competition. Our three St. Louis competitors -- Anthony Devoti of Five Bistro, Josh Galliano of Monarch and Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus -- need your help to pull off a last-minute miracl ... More >>

"The People's Best New Chef" Voting Update

Screenshot: www.foodandwine.com​You have until Monday, March 1, to cast your vote in Food & Wine magazine's "The People's Best New Chef" competition -- and St. Louis' three competitors need your vote! As of 11 a.m. this morning, each of the three St. Louis chefs -- Anthony Devoti of Five Bistr ... More >>

Three St. Louis Chefs and a Sommelier Are James Beard Award Semifinalists [Updated]

​The James Beard Foundation this morning announced the semifinalists for its annual awards (link PDF). Gerard Craft of Niche, Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Café and Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus are among the semifinalists in the category "Best Chef: Midwest."In addition, Glenn Bardgett, the wi ... More >>

Food & Wine Nominates Three St. Louis Chefs as "The People's Best" [Updated]

Screenshot: www.foodandwine.com​Do you think St. Louis' best chefs deserve more national attention? Well, the power to bring them that acclaim is now in your hands.Anthony Devoti of Five Bistro, Josh Galliano of Monarch and Kevin Willmann of Farmhaus are among the 100 chefs nationwide vying to be ... More >>

Remembrance of Wings (and Curries and Briskets) Past: The Best Dishes of 2010

#1: Poached Escolar at Farmhaus

Jennifer SilverbergKevin Willmann, owner and chef of Farmhaus, and his fiancee and front-of-house manager, Jessica Hanzlick: Willmann's poached escolar was the best dish at the year's best restaurant.​Since adolescence, chef and owner Kevin Willmann has been an avid fisherman, and his abiding love ... More >>

Farmhaus Introduces Taco Tuesday

Jennifer SilverbergFarmhaus now serves tacos!​Gut Check loves tacos. Gut Check loves Farmhaus. We named the restaurant, owned by chef Kevin Willmann, "Best New Restaurant" of 2010. So it was with some excitement that we learned that, beginning today, the restaurant's $10 "Blue Plate Special" every ... More >>

Sidney Street Café Hosts "Operation Charcuterie!" Dinner to Benefit Operation Food Search

​Sidney Street Café (2000 Sidney Street, 314-771-5777) will host "Operation Charcuterie!", a six-course dinner to benefit Operation Food Search, on Tuesday, September 28. This dinner is the culmination of an event organized by Kevin Nashan, owner and executive chef of Sidney Street Café, to incr ... More >>

Kevin Willmann's Farmhaus is the best restaurant to open this year — and then some

Review Slideshow: Farmhaus

Jennifer SilverbergBlackened mahi mahi with spoonbread and Best Stop andouille​Welcome to the best new restaurant of 2010 (so far). My review of Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800) is now available online. To see the restaurant, chef Kevin Willmann and his crew and the food, check out Jen ... More >>

No, Really, Escolar is the Shit(s)

Image viaEscolar: Goes well with grilled asparagus, a four-pack of Charmin and a stack of magazines.​In this week's review of Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800), I praise chef Kevin Willmann's poached Hawaiian escolar.However, I do issue a parenthetical caution about escolar, in general: ... More >>

Review Preview: Farmhaus

Jennifer SilverbergKevin Willmann (seated, center, on bar) with the front and back of house crews at Farmhaus.​This week I visit Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Avenue; 314-647-3800), the new restaurant from chef Kevin Willmann, formerly of Erato on Main in Edwardsville, Illinois. Follow me after the jump ... More >>

Poached Escolar with Grilled Blue Prawns and Asparagus at Farmhaus

Ian Froeb​Welcome to Try This Now, a new feature in which Gut Check writers recommend new dishes, drinks and more that you need to try right now.And when I say right now, I mean right now or at least very soon: Owner and chef Kevin Willmann changes the menu often at Farmhaus (3257 Ivanhoe Street; ... More >>

Restaurant Roll Call: March 2010 Openings and Closings

Ian FroebFarmhaus opened in Lindenwood Park this month.​March was a month for much-anticipated openings -- on both ends of the spectrum: Dunkin' Donuts returned to St. Louis, and Kevin Willmann, formerly of Edwardsville's Erato on Main, debuted Farmhaus.As for closings, it was, thankfully, a quiet ... More >>

St. Louis Food Blog Digest: 1.2 - 1.8

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs.Off the Menu: Joe broke news about the closing of the CWE Companion cafe, David Bailey's upcoming venture, and upcoming openings of Babbo and Olive Street Smokehouse.STL Bites: Bill had a posting frenzy with info about his favorite dried pasta ... More >>

2009 in Review: December

​OK, there's really not much point reliving a month that, as of this writing, is still occurring. Especially since we've spent half of this month reviewing the rest of the year -- and the decade. So I'll spare you the full-on <cronkite>That was December 2009</cronkite> treatment.But th ... More >>

FoodWire: Restaurant Tidbits from Kevin Willmann, Grand Center

My Christmas gift to you, dear readers? (Besides, of course, the unending cavalcade of joy that is the Year-End Bonanza.) Restaurant news! Yes, our friends around town have reported several tidbits in recent days.George Mahe scores the big scoop at Feast: RFT Best Local Chef 2008 Kevin Willmann is l ... More >>

Gut Check: Dorm Room dinnertime!

Marc Baltes Storms the "Dorm Room" at 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar

Hedwig von Ebbel, Wikimedia Commons​As I waddled back to my car last night after the latest Dorm Room dinner at Lafayette Square's 33 Wine Shop & Tasting Bar, the evening air thick with woodsmoke from the grill where Marc Baltes was braising pork shoulder for the next seating, I wondered which ... More >>

Summertime St. Louis: Food Drive. Our restaurant critic's advice on where to go for some great out-of-town chow.

St. Louis Food Blog Digest: 2.21-2.27

Gut Check dishes on our favorite St. Louis food blogs.STL Bites: Earlier this week Gut Check's Brooke Foster bemoaned a new policy asking solo coffeeshop patrons to sit only at two-top tables. Bill argues the other side.Sauce: Sauce posts a picture of a mama and baby pig to illustrate a story on K ... More >>

Grill Marks: Ian turns to the West End Grill to pull us all out of the restaurant-scene doldrums

Little Wonder

Chef Kevin Willmann makes impressively more with less at Erato.

Review Preview: Erato

A new day has dawned at Lucas Park Grille -- and it starts with a $40 wagyu steak.

The Wash. Ave. hot spot is now matching style with substance.

Lofty Aspirations

Lucas Park Grille might be downtown's hottest new spot -- but not because of the food