|
 |
Chef Anthony
Devoti
|
By
Linda Jarrett
Long forgotten in terms of places to live and places to eat,
the eastern end of Manchester Road, right in the middle of the
Forest Park Southeast neighborhood, is now the new “happening”
place to dwell and dine.
The neighborhood, bounded on the south by Interstate 44, on
the north by Highway 40, on the west by Kingshighway and on
the east by Vandeventer, rose to life in the 1850’s as one of
the City’s first subdivisions. Apartments, small family dwellings
and small retail populated the streets and it thrived until
the 1960s when its decline started. In recent years, a drive
along Manchester Road through “Adam’s Grove,” as it was called,
showed nothing but littered streets and empty storefronts.
No more. Resurgence is in the air and a prime example is FIVE,
a small, but elegant restaurant at 4317 Manchester Road.
Five is Chesterfield native Chef Anthony Devoti’s first foray
into the world of restaurant ownership, and his experience is
bringing customers back for more of his creations.
Coming from a family that was heavily involved in cooking (his
grandparents owned restaurants and delis around the City), Devoti
began working in restaurants when he was a teenager.
He started his career in Culinary Arts and Chef Training at
St. Louis Community College-Forest Park.
“It was a good school with good teachers and chefs,” he says.
“A good place to test the waters.”
The waters were fine, and he moved on to graduate from the French
Culinary Institute in New York.
Devoti traveled through Europe, where he immersed himself in
their culinary culture and further expanded his talents. Once
back in the States, he moved to San Francisco where he worked
in the well-known Zuni Café.
He then moved back to St. Louis and further honed his talents
at Bistro Eau at the Chase and Zuzu’s Petals.
Devoti says his opening Five happened by chance. “I moved here
from San Francisco last year for the sole reason of opening
a restaurant.
“I knew nothing about this neighborhood,” he says, “but the
neighborhood has been very receptive to development. And with
Manchester Road, the largest road between two major interstates,
it’s necessary to clean this area up and put it back together.”
Devoti gave kudos to developers Amrit and Amy Gill of Restoration
St. Louis for the revitalization of the neighborhood. “They
are really trying to put this neighborhood back together, and
we have a great mix moving in now with Wash U students, and
people in their 20s and 30s looking for a good fixer-up house
for a good price.”
Just the act of walking into Five promises the diner an exciting
experience. Devoti opted for a small European bistro look. The
mirrored bar adds to the uncluttered, relaxed air of the establishment.
A few high top tables sit in the front, while in the rear; white
tablecloths cover tables for four. The restaurant sits between
55 and 60 patrons, making it a comfortable place to dine and
talk.
Just as the décor is minimalist, so is the menu.
“My training is French and Italian, so the menu is definitely
European,” Devoti says. “Especially the Western Europe area.
We have a small menu, and we focus on doing 15 items perfectly
as opposed to doing 30 in a mediocre fashion. We change our
menu completely every week and make minor changes every day.”
Many of Five’s customers return on a regular basis, and Devoti
believes it’s because of the varied menu. “We give them an opportunity
to have something different, or cooked in a different style.
A lot of work goes into our food and it shows.”
The majority of Five’s food, including vegetables, beef, poultry
and lamb, comes from local farms. “In the winter we use a lot
of root vegetables, but in three weeks, we will be completely
sustainable within 100 miles of St. Louis. You can go almost
to the middle of November using all local products. Our beef
is grass-fed and we do all our own butchering.
“We have farmers growing for us and we deal directly with them,”
he says. “Sometimes we go to Tower Grove Market when it opens.
“Asparagus will be front and center on the menu in a few weeks,”
he says. “And we have beautiful greens with smaller root vegetables
like radishes, baby beets and carrots”
The abundance of local produce is one reason why Devoti changes
his menu so often—many of his dishes depend on what he finds
at the market that day!
He was hard pressed to pick a menu favorite, finally saying
that chicken ranks high among customers. The current Five offering
is Coc au Vin with Benne’s Farm half chicken braised in white
wine with celeriac potato puree. Entrees start at $16 up to
$25.
Five also features a three-course business lunch, such as a
soup or salad, sandwich and dessert tasting for $12.
The wines offered range from Europe and Australia to perennial
California favorites ranging from $7 to $10 for a glass, and
$20 to $54 for a bottle with reserves higher.
Devoti wants to familiarize his patrons with the European style
of dining. “American diners are always in a hurry,” he says,
emphasizing that at Five, dining becomes a relaxing, intimate
experience where food is to be savored.
The name of the restaurant Five, is homage to the five senses,
which will become all too apparent once one has experienced
this unique restaurant.
|
TalkingPOINTS
|
Five
4317 Manchester, St. Louis, MO 63110
(314) 535-5553
www.fiveinthegrove.com
Lunch:
Monday – Friday: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Dinner:
Tuesday – Thursday: 5:30 to 9 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 5:30 to 10 p.m.
Bar:
Tuesday – Saturday at 5 p.m.
for Happy Hour until 7p.m. |
|
|
|
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
