With the government in shutdown and the markets puzzled, Balaban’s® new Executive Chef D. Scott Phillips promises more comfort foods and an array of autumn vegetables for Fall 2013.
“At Balaban’s® we’ll concentrate on gamey versions of warm and nourishing foods, such as rabbit pot pie and quail,” he said.
For the quail, Phillips envisions twin birds stuffed with a Cajun flair. “We put a lot of time and effort in to get flavor from every aspect of a dish. This year we’re bringing Louisiana style techniques to mid-America in the Balaban’s® French tradition.”
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Spaghetti, zephyr and other quality local squashes loom large in Phillips’ plans. “Almost 40 varieties of squash exist in the U.S., and I want to use all of them, perhaps paired with tomatoes which have been slow to ripen this year and lots of carrots.
“It’s all about the vegetables and staying healthy in uncertain times.”
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Root vegetables, often petite ones—from purple, rose, peanut, Adirondack and fingerling potatoes to parsnips whipped into puree with Yukon Gold potatoes and lots of cabbage, slow cooked in cabbage rolls, dolma style with ground pork stuffing—make Phillips itch to get back to the kitchen.
Committed to earthy, nuttier flavors, Phillips toasts his flours for a better, smoother consistency and trends toward brown and red rues for sauces and soups.
He talked about adding a pot pie and fried chicken to the Balaban’s® brunch. Since Mother’s Day, Balaban’s® has opened from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for Sunday brunch.
“I also plan to re-introduce one of Balaban’s® signature dishes, the Pasta Ligurian with shrimp, while continuing our sourced day boat fish.
“Every night we feature two fresh fish specials. Those end up being whatever the market brings to us. Halibut and scallops prove real crowd pleasers.”
Phillips credits Balaban’s® “awesome network,” as he terms it, of specialized vendors. “We’re using local purveyors but not only locals. We have specialists in all different areas, two game companies, three day boat fish sources as well as local. I go wherever we can get the best,” Phillips said.
Phillips joined Balaban’s® in late 2012 as banquet and catering chef and moved up to executive chef this summer.
At the time he was hired, the owners’ plan provided for Phillips to lead Balaban’s® into the catering and event market and to build revenues in their new private event space. As executive chef, Phillips continues to oversee those thrusts.
In the new space, Balaban’s® created an intimate Wine Room, seating eight, which houses the older, library wines from the original award winning Café Balaban® cellar and a room seating 80 for dinner, 100 for cocktails, with state of the art audio video fittings.
Phillips, a 1994 graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Providence, RI, worked as executive chef and kitchen manager of Provisions Gourmet Market in Creve Coeur for eight years before joining Balaban’s®.
His resume includes substantial stints at Food Service Consultants and their subsidiary, Specialized Catering, both involved in preparing meals for large offices and schools in St. Louis.
Again this year, Balaban’s® nailed a best of award of excellence from Wine Spectator magazine and boasts a best restaurants award from St. Louis Magazine.
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