17 minute read
Short Orders
[SIDE DISH]
Chef Bill Kunz on Longevity in the Restaurant Biz
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Written by CHERYL BAEHR
Looking back, Bill Kunz knew at an early age he was destined for the food business. His grandfather was a chef; so was his uncle. Holidays at his great-grandmother’s house were massive culinary expositions — and completely non-negotiable. On weekends, he’d go with his grandfather to Soulard Farmers’ Market, and every year, right before Thanksgiving, the two would go together to Mama Toscano’s Ravioli to make ravioli. Even his first Mob, washing dishes and scrubbing ȵoors at a bakery on the Hill, seemed to seal his fate.
However, when it came time to make a career decision, Kunz had other plans.
“I graduated from high school and went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, knowing I wasn’t going to be in the restaurant business,” Kunz says. “I wanted to be a professional football player and even played in college, but that didn’t work out. I saw that the University of Nevada, Las Vegas had a hotel and restaurant school and figured, Ȇ:ell hell. , might as well become that.’”
Now chef-owner of Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen (34 South Old Orchard Road, Webster Groves; 314-968-0061), it’s hard to imagine Kuntz choosing another path. His career has spanned roughly three decades and all different types of environments, and he has thrived every step of the Bill Kunz is the chef-owner of Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen. | ANDY PAULISSEN
way. His career began right out of college, when he was convinced to return to St. Louis thanks to an offer from the restaurant group that owns Houlihan’s. He started out at the :est County location and eventually moved to the St. Louis Union Station property. At the time, it was one of the chain’s busiest locations in the country, and when he was asked to go from front-of-house management into the kitchen, he received quite an education.
“I spent eight months there,” Kun] recalls. “:e were a scratch kitchen, and I still have nightmares of working for one of the guys out there. However, I learned a ton from him.”
After roughly five years working for Houlihan’s, Kunz was recruited by the Hyatt hotel operating at Union Station at the time. Hyatt was looking to get into the free-standing restaurant business, and they wanted him to run their restaurant, the Powerhouse. He did that for about a year and then left for Club 5iverport and eventually Hooters. Though he stayed
with the wing company for five years, he admits that it was not the sort of Mob he wanted.
“It sucked,” Kunz admits. “I helped them open :estport, then , became GM of [the] Union Station [location] and then area supervisor. I didn’t like it, and I realize it’s because I didn’t like being taken out of the day-to-day running of a restaurant. That’s what I loved.” Kunz left Hooters for an opportunity with a gaming development that took him to Dubuque, Iowa. There, he was tasked with redeveloping the food and beverage operations for a riverboat casino — an industry that was in its beginnings. The gig took him back to the St. Louis area, where the development group was opening Growler’s Pub, then to Miami for another gaming boat and finally back to *rowler’s. +e enMoyed his time working for the organization, but when a friend approached him with an offer to get into the business in his own right, he realized it was the direction he wanted his career to take.
7heir first restaurant, )rank and
Patty’s, was a humble hamburger and hot-dog spot in Kirkwood. Though they believed in what they were doing, they had larger plans in mind — namely a large restaurant in Lafayette Square they would name Lafayette Town Hall. However, their plans were dashed when Kunz received a phone call that is every business owner’s worst nightmare.
“:e were going to open on a :ednesday in September, and a Friday right before, I got a phone call from one of our construction workers,” Kunz recalls. “He told me, Ȇ7urn on your 79 — the building is on fire.’ 7here was a huge fire in a warehouse nearby, and two of the fiery canisters blew out of the warehouse, landed on our building and burned it to the ground. , thought, ȆSo much for that.’”
Kunz had no choice but to keep moving forward, so he and his partner purchased the building in :ebster *roves that would become Hwy 61 Roadhouse and Kitchen. Immediately, Kunz knew Continued on pg 33
that he wanted the restaurant to have a CaMun inȵection, not simply because he’d always been intrigued by the style of cooking but because it was a way to connect St. Louis to its sister city down the Mississippi River, New Orleans.
He and his partner settled on the name Hwy 61 as a reference to the “Blues Highway” that connects the cities along the Big Muddy, then they traveled down it, picking up memorabilia for the restaurant and ideas for the menu along the way.
The restaurant received instant recognition, including a spot on the Food Network’s Diners, DriveIns and Dives. However, before the show aired, Kunz’s business was almost derailed by something even worse than a fire.
“I had a heart attack on October 4, 2012,” Kunz says. “I was in the recovery room for another surgery when it happened. At the end of it all, I realized that I had to make some changes — that if I was going to stick around I couldn’t weigh 460 pounds. I made the decision to have gastric-bypass surgery and have been doing what I do ever since.”
Now the solo owner of Hwy 61 and a longtime veteran of the restaurant business, Kun] is reȵective when he thinks about where he’s been and where he sees the industry going. He admits it’s a tough business; in his time working around town, he’s seen many great restaurants come and go. However, he feels that having that valuable perspective is what has helped him see a path to success in an increasingly competitive field.
“:ith so many new restaurants opening, we have to do something to distinguish ourselves,” Kunz says. “I hate the word staycation, but maybe we can call us a dining-cation. :e’re definitely trying to provide people with an experience.”
Kunz recently took a break from the kitchen to share his thoughts on the St. Louis restaurant scene, his passion for cycling and the two upcoming concepts that are able to pique the interest of a man who’s seen it all. What is one thing people don’t know about you that you wish they did?
That I’m not as outgoing when I’m not at work.
What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you?
I have to ride my bike. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
The ability to read minds, discover the best possible employees and [learn] what makes them tick. What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that you’ve noticed in St. Louis over the past year?
I think the new food truck park in Affton will be very interesting. What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that you’d like to see?
I’d like to see food critics give some love to the restaurants that have been around a while and not always focus on what’s new.
Who is your St. Louis food crush? Uncle Leo’s Pizza with Zatarain’s CaMun hot sauce.
Who’s the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene?
:ith Schlaȵy >Beer@ purchasing 7railhead >Brewing Co.@, it will be interesting to see if they are going to grow their brewpub business. Which ingredient is most representative of your personality?
Salt and pepper. Low key but very important as a finishing ȵavor enhancer.
If you weren’t working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing?
I’d either learn to repair bikes, do computer graphics or teach at a culinary school.
Name an ingredient never allowed in your restaurant. Swai >fish@. What is your after-work hangout?
After work, the bed. I hangout more before work, and that’s on Grant’s Trail.
What’s your food or beverage guilty pleasure?
Black Mellybeans. What would be your last meal on Earth?
A protein shake after my final bike ride as therapy for my soul, then pizza from Ale Emporium in Indianapolis or Andolini’s [Pizzeria] in Tulsa. n
[FOOD NEWS]
Guerrilla Street Food Closes Tower Grove East, Maryland Heights Stores
Written by LIZ MILLER
One of RFT’s favorite local fast-casual chains recently shared some very sad news. Guerrilla Street Food co-owners Joel Crespo and Brian Hardesty announced in a press release last week that they would be closing their Tower Grove East location at 3559 Arsenal Street as well as the shop at 11658 Dorsett Road in Maryland Heights. Ian Froeb first broke the news for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ahead of the release.
The Dorsett location shuttered first, and the Arsenal spot closed for good on Sunday, February 9. Hardesty and Crespo are also seeking a chef or restaurateur to take over their lease for the space in the Delmar Loop at 6120 Delmar Boulevard. Operations will continue at that location for the foreseeable future.
The Webster Groves store at 43 South Old Orchard Avenue and the window inside 2nd Shift Brewing (1601 Sublette Avenue, 314-669-9013) will remain open for regular business, as will the food truck. Guerrilla Street Food has closed two of its area locations. | KELLY GLUECK
“We will continue to operate Delmar for as long as we can,” Hardesty and Crespo say in the release. “Our hope is that we are able to salvage enough of our operations to continue service beyond February at our counter inside of 2nd Shift Brewing, as well as our newly opened Webster Groves location, and if we are lucky, our food truck will resume operations in the spring.”
The business partners say that their decision to downsize their brick-and-mortar locations is due to “many contributing factors,” but at the end of the day, “it has been our choices as owners that have led us down this path.”
“We are here to take full responsibility for those choices,” the release continues. “We will immediately reorganize, focus and hopefully, save Guerrilla Street Food. We hope that the upcoming effort is not too little, too late.”
Guerrilla Street Food first hit the streets of St. Louis in 2011 as a food truck (and just ahead of the food-truck craze really taking off in town). A lot has changed in the past decade, but the concept’s excellent Filipino-inspired fare has not. When Froeb, who was RFT’s restaurant critic when the food truck opened, first reviewed the truck eight years ago, he described signature menu items such as the Flying Pig with the same praise we’d echo today.
“The ‘Flying Pig’ is Guerrilla’s standout dish: tender slow-roasted pork on a bed of jasmine rice, the meat’s natural flavor subtly spiced and then spiked with chiles, sriracha sauce and calamansi,” Froeb wrote at the time. “And that slow-cooked egg on top, which has a texture like no other egg you’ve ever eaten: White and yolk are thick and supple, like custard. I’d happily eat one of these eggs on its own; deployed in tandem with the pork, it fully justifies the dish’s name.” Just last month, RFT restaurant critic Cheryl Baehr described the impact that Guerrilla Street Food has had on the St. Louis dining scene over the past decade. “It’s hard to remember, but there was a time not all that long ago — 2011 to be precise — that the St. Louis food truck scene was virtually nonexistent,” Baehr wrote. “If you have to point to one truck that set the mobile culinary scene on its course, Guerrilla Street Food would be it. What owners Joel Crespo and Brian Hardesty did for the St. Louis food truck scene was important, but their lasting legacy is their visionary approach to Filipino food. With a respect for tradition, Crespo and Hardesty have pushed the idea of what we think Filipino fare is and can be with a creativity that’s just as sharp as their cooking skills. And what skills they have: One bite of the Flying Pig and you’ll wonder why we all weren’t clamoring for Filipino food in St. Louis sooner.”
The release ends on a note of gratitude for the many customers who have patronized Guerrilla Street Food over the past nine years.
“Whatever happens with the future of our restaurants, it has been an honor and a pleasure to serve you,” the release concludes. “Please accept our most heartfelt thanks for your support throughout these last nine years.” n
Ronnell Banks, Molly’s operational manager, dresses up for opening night at Carnival. | KRISTEN FARRAH
[FIRST LOOK]
Carnival, A Mardi Gras Pop-Up Bar, Opens in Soulard Written by KRISTEN FARRAH
In the hours before its grand opening on January 30, Carnival (808 Geyer Avenue) transformed from a neighborhood bar into a section of New Orleans that somehow got dropped in Missouri.
Operated by Molly’s in Soulard (816 Geyer Avenue, 314-241-6200) owner /uke 5eynolds, Carnival is a Mardi Gras-themed celebration of New Orleans in both decorations and food and drink. The theme is apparent in the handmade beaded chandeliers, bottles and curtains currently outfitting the space, which also hosted a holiday pop-up bar in December. Emma Donohue, restaurant and events manager at 0olly’s, Mokes that she has scars from hours of using a glue gun to craft decor for the pop-up.
A big fan and frequent visitor of New Orleans, Reynolds wanted to stretch out Mardi Gras festivities this year into the threeweek-long celebration known as Carnival around the world. 2f course, he already has a captive audience come Mardi Gras weekend, when Soulard is the spot for the Bud Light Grand Parade and other festivities.
“I’ve owned Molly’s for sixteen years, and I’ve probably been to New Orleans at least once a year for the past ten years — and probably 25 times overall,” Reynolds says.
7he menu at Carnival features St. Louis twists on New Orleans classics. Donohue shared with the Riverfront Times how to make a few of the bar’s eight signature cocktails. The Jester, for example, is one of the signatures and features local ingredients.
“:e wanted to represent Soulard in that one, so we used locally sourced ȵowers from >5iley’s Flowers] and 1220 Artisan Spirits’ 2rigin gin Must to kind of have a local cocktail that was not only us, but the whole neighborhood,” Donohue says.
She thinks The Rex Shareable Goblet will be the drink of choice at Carnival in the next few weeks. 7he cocktail mixes together Captain Morgan, melon liqueur, Malibu rum, Blue Cura©ao, sour mix, pineapple Muice and Sprite. ,t’s garnished with rock candy and purple lollipops and is recommended for two people to share, but Donohue said divvying it
up among three or four patrons might not be a bad idea.
,nstead of including King Cake on its food menu, Carnival features the ȵavors of the dessert in a martini: Purple sugar coats the rim, and a paper crown rests around the stem of the glass.
“King cakes are delicious in the ȵavor realm but not so much in the texture realm, so we decided instead of doing one as a dessert we’re going to do it as a dessert cocktail. And it turned out absolutely fabulous,” Donohue says.
If you’re wanting something a bit more savory, the Oyster Shooter should be your go-to. Made with bloody mary mix and
Absolut vodka, the drink comes with an oyster on the side to, you guessed it, shoot with the cocktail. ,f you are asking yourself, “:hat is New Orleans drinking without New Orleans food?” Reynolds is way ahead of you. Carnival’s Creole-inspired menu includes the classics everyone loves, such as warm and ȵuffy beignets coated in powdered sugar, and other things you never knew you had to try, including alligator cheesecake.
<ep. 7hat is not Must some cutesy name. This savory cheesecake includes real alligator meat sourced from an alligator farm in Louisiana. If that’s too adventurous for your palate, try the fried deviled eggs or CaMun chicken and andouille wontons. And of course, Reynolds says, the menu would not be complete without the chicken-andouille gumbo. Reynolds is looking to expand into crab and crawfish gumbo soon as well. “*umbo is the holy grail of dishes in New Orleans,” he says.
Crawfish are almost in season, and Reynolds hopes he can get enough in soon to start hosting crawfish boils every Saturday at Molly’s.
Carnival is open various days through Fat Tuesday. The pop-up bar is still taking reservations, though Reynolds says the Friday and Saturday slots are filling up quickly. He adds that Molly’s will soon be announcing the addition of Carnival Sunday brunch in addition to Molly’s regular brunch menu; stay tuned for those updates soon. n
Whisk Bakery Plans Expansion on Cherokee Street
Written by LIZ MILLER
Changes are coming to a beloved spot on Cherokee Street.
For months Kaylen Wissinger had been debating how to best expand her bakery Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop (2201 Cherokee Street, 314-932- 5166). The pastry chef says she’s needed a larger kitchen for quite a while — business has been booming, and her current 297-square-foot space with just one cooler and mixer is no longer cutting it. Near the end of 2019, after seven years in her current space, Wissinger started to seek out a new location for the bakery, convinced at the time that she couldn’t expand the shop’s current footprint.
“I was working with a realtor who I loved and was looking around everywhere for a space that was better suited to our needs,” Wissinger says. “When we launched Poptimism last year, everything Whisk owner Kaylen Wissinger hopes to reopen the bakery in late March. | MABEL SUEN
just happened so quickly and it became so chaotic and crazy in the kitchen trying to keep everything straight, from our wholesale accounts, our daily retail baking, all the [ice] pop prep and weddings ... it was just bananas.”
Wissinger says that she looked at a few places, but none of them felt quite right. It wasn’t until Dan Guenther, alderman of the 9th Ward where Whisk is located, suggested that Wissinger expand
its kitchen into the shop’s cafe space that she finally settled on a solution.
“We just decided to go for it,” Wissinger says.
When Whisk reopens after construction concludes this spring, Wissinger says it will no longer offer cafe seating in order to make room for the larger kitchen. Instead, guests can expect a classic bakery counter and case for carry-out purchases. Wissinger says the extra kitchen space is especially key for the two largest growing sectors of the business: Poptimism, her icepop brand, and her ever-evolving list of wholesale clients.
“We’re almost tripling our production and prep space with the expansion,” Wissinger says. “It will allow us to expand our wholesale program and add different items to our retail lineup, which I’m really excited about. We just bought an ice-pop machine from Brazil [for Poptimism], and it will have its own dedicated space and we’ll have lots of prep space around it. Poptimism is going to be everywhere in 2020, that’s my goal.”
Wissinger outlined her plans for Whisk’s expansion in a recent Facebook post, sharing that construction on the revised layout will begin on Monday, February 10. The bakery will be closed during renovations, and Wissinger hopes to reopen Whisk’s doors in late March.
“It’s really bittersweet; I have a lot of emotions these days,” Wissinger says with a laugh. “I know it’s the right decision for us, and I’m really proud of the work the team here has done, because a lot of places don’t even make it past that five-year mark. There’s a demand, and we’re going to meet that demand with flying colors, I hope. It’s exciting but also sad, because I love having a space where people can have a first date, meet up with friends or just come in and sit and do work for a bit.” n
