Jim Fiala
Encyclopedia
Jim Fiala is a chef
who owns four restaurants in the St. Louis, Missouri
area. His restaurants are The Terrace View in Citygarden
, The Crossing in Clayton, Missouri
, Liluma in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood and Acero
in Maplewood, Missouri
.
Jim Fiala is a St. Louis area native, who grew up in the suburbs Crestwood, Sunset Hills and unincorporated West County. He is a 1983 graduate of Parkway West High School
. He has a degree in Finance from Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, Texas.
Fiala’s parents introduced him to fine dining at an early age. For his 13th birthday he was taken to dinner at St. Louis’ most elite restaurant, Tony’s. When the family traveled to New York or Los Angeles, they always dined at the places that were highly rated in the Michelin guide. [1]
In late 1989, Fiala returned to St. Louis and worked for just over a year preparing food for Catering St. Louis. Fiala enrolled in the California Culinary Academy
in San Francisco at the beginning of 1991. During his time in the Bay Area he worked for chef Jeremiah Trotter
at Stars restaurant and for chef Patricia Unterman at Hayes Street Grill.
In 1994, Paul Bartolotta of Spiaggia called Daniel Boulud
, owner of Restaurant Daniel in New York City, and asked if he needed staff. Boulud said yes and asked “Can he handle the pressure?” Bartolotta assured him that Fiala was ready for the move to the Big Apple. Fiala’s kitchen jobs in New York included “entrimitier” (vegetable cook) and “poussioniere” (fish cook). He also, for a time, made all the restaurant’s pasta. During his tenure there, Restaurant Daniel earned its New York Times four star rating. [4]
Following his time in New York City, Jim Fiala was recruited to cook at the Horned Dorsett Primavera resort in Puerto Rico.
R.W. Apple Jr. wrote about The Crossing in the New York Times: “Two chefs from Daniel in New York have set St. Louis on its conservative ear with this stylish bilevel establishment. A piece of poached skate that all but melted into a pile of mashed potatoes, formed the centerpiece of a satisfying meal that began with roasted beets and goat cheese and ended with perfectly simple, simply perfect vanilla ice cream.” [6]
Patricia Corrigan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
named The Crossing 1998’s Best New Restaurant and called The Crossing’s Beef Tenderloin the year’s best Beef Entrée. [7]
Joe Bonwich of the Riverfront Times
said of The Crossing: “The result is a truly unique and innovative style for St. Louis and we should all be hopeful that Fiala’s youthful wanderlust has worn off and that he’s come back to stay.” He added: “This place certainly aspires to a national reputation.” [8]
John Garganigo of the Ladue News wrote: “In a short period of three months it (The Crossing) has become the darling of local movers and shakers.” [9]
As The Crossing grew into its position as an upscale, more formal, fine dining destination, Fiala and his partner sought to establish a more casual version of The Crossing.
restaurant
in Central West End
, St. Louis
, Missouri
. Liluma is owned by chef Jim Fiala, who also owns The Crossing in Clayton
and Acero
in Maplewood
.
Liluma features American bistro cuisine, with Italian
and French
influences. The restaurant is less expensive than The Crossing and has food that is more informal.
Liluma has received the Wine Spectator
Award of Excellence a number of times.
The restaurant has been criticized for its inadequate design that causes a "constant traffic jam" between waiting patrons and servers who bring food to nearby tables. The critic who disliked Liluma's layout did like its food, commenting "there's lots of good flavor contrast going on here."
Liluma was founded in October 2002 by Jim Fiala and Cary McDowell. The restaurant's name comes from the first three syllables of children's names (two from Jim Fiala's children and one from former co-owner Cary McDowell's).
On October 16, 2002, Liluma was opened at the corner of Euclid and Maryland in St. Louis’ Central West End. Liluma was an instant hit, a place where a person could enjoy fine dining as well as a gourmet hamburger. The menu prices made Liluma accessible to a wide audience.
One early review of Liluma by Rose Martelli in the Riverfront Times said “the pastas are cooked to perfection.” “The pan-roasted tilapia, served over a bed of lemon-tinged spinach is simple, light and unassailable.” “The duck confit tastes…mouth-watering.” [10]
Jim Fiala’s newest restaurant is Acero in suburban Maplewood, Missouri
. Acero’s opening on March 2, 2007, was followed by many positive reviews. In a city famous for Italian restaurants, Acero stands out. Acero is distinctive because it features the regional cuisine of Tuscany
and Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy. Acero is Italian for maple and is pronounced “uh-CHER-o.”
Acero was featured in the annual Restaurant issue of Bon Appetit
magazine. “The Best Italian Food in America” were the words on the cover of the issue (September, 2008.) [11] Inside the magazine was a feature that included recipes from twelve different restaurants in the U.S. Acero’s contribution was its cauliflower ravioli with guanciale. Acero was the only St. Louis restaurant included. [12]
Fiala’s concept for Acero is “artisan.” He says “I want Acero to be recognized as an ‘artisan’ restaurant, a place that embraces the Italian artisans, the guys who…have elevated our palates and now our expectations.” [13]
The Terrace View, as the name implies, offers views of Citygarden from each seat, inside and outside. The Terrace View features floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides, allowing diners to enjoy the beauty of the city's new Citygarden.
Jim Fiala visited Italy in February, 2009. While dining at a restaurant in the state of Abruzzo
, Jim met a man named Luigi Cataldi Madonna. Jim says that Luigi summarized Jim's own cooking philosophy in these few words: "Find the complexity in the simple."
Jim Fiala is married and has three children.
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
who owns four restaurants in the St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
area. His restaurants are The Terrace View in Citygarden
Citygarden
Citygarden is an urban park and sculpture garden in St. Louis, Missouri owned by the City of St. Louis but maintained by the Gateway Foundation. It is located between Eighth, Tenth, Market, and Chestnut streets, in the city's "Gateway Mall" area. Before being converted to a garden and park, the...
, The Crossing in Clayton, Missouri
Clayton, Missouri
Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...
, Liluma in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood and Acero
Acero
Acero is an Italian restaurant located in Maplewood, Missouri at 7266 Manchester Road, in suburban St. Louis. It is owned by chef Jim Fiala and the Executive Chef is Adam Karl Gnau. James Fiala also owns The Crossing in Clayton, Missouri and Liluma in St...
in Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County. The population was 8,046 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Maplewood is located at ....
.
Jim Fiala is a St. Louis area native, who grew up in the suburbs Crestwood, Sunset Hills and unincorporated West County. He is a 1983 graduate of Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School
Parkway West High School is a fully accredited public high school, serving students in grades 9-12 of the Parkway School District, located in Ballwin, Missouri. Parkway West is one of four high schools in the Parkway School District. The school mascot is the Longhorn and the school colors are...
. He has a degree in Finance from Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas, Texas.
Fiala’s parents introduced him to fine dining at an early age. For his 13th birthday he was taken to dinner at St. Louis’ most elite restaurant, Tony’s. When the family traveled to New York or Los Angeles, they always dined at the places that were highly rated in the Michelin guide. [1]
Early Training
Upon graduation from S.M.U., Fiala worked briefly in the Dallas area for an agency that promoted professional wrestling in Texas. In early 1988, he joined Clipper Cruise Lines as a deckhand. When an opening occurred in the kitchen, he took the job and began his career in cooking. He says “I got stuck in the galley for seven weeks and fell in love with cooking.” [2]In late 1989, Fiala returned to St. Louis and worked for just over a year preparing food for Catering St. Louis. Fiala enrolled in the California Culinary Academy
California Culinary Academy
The California Culinary Academy is an affiliate of Le Cordon Bleu, and is located in San Francisco, California. Founded in 1977, the academy has trained more than 15,000 people for restaurant careers through its 30-week baking and pastry chef program and 16-month culinary arts degree program...
in San Francisco at the beginning of 1991. During his time in the Bay Area he worked for chef Jeremiah Trotter
Jeremiah Trotter
Jeremiah Trotter is an American football linebacker who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Stephen F...
at Stars restaurant and for chef Patricia Unterman at Hayes Street Grill.
Chicago and New York
Upon graduation from California Culinary Academy in November, 1992, Jim Fiala returned to the Midwest and accepted a job offer from Chicago’s Spiaggia restaurant in the Gold Coast area. He started at $6.50/hour and performed every aspect of kitchen work. [3]In 1994, Paul Bartolotta of Spiaggia called Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud
Daniel Boulud is a French chef and restaurateur with restaurants in New York City, Palm Beach, Miami, Montreal, Beijing, and Singapore...
, owner of Restaurant Daniel in New York City, and asked if he needed staff. Boulud said yes and asked “Can he handle the pressure?” Bartolotta assured him that Fiala was ready for the move to the Big Apple. Fiala’s kitchen jobs in New York included “entrimitier” (vegetable cook) and “poussioniere” (fish cook). He also, for a time, made all the restaurant’s pasta. During his tenure there, Restaurant Daniel earned its New York Times four star rating. [4]
Following his time in New York City, Jim Fiala was recruited to cook at the Horned Dorsett Primavera resort in Puerto Rico.
Return to St. Louis
In late 1997, Fiala came back to St. Louis. On April 15, 1998, with then business partner Cary McDowell, Fiala opened The Crossing (7823 Forsyth Boulevard) in Clayton. The name of the restaurant represented a “crossing” of Italian and French influences. The restaurant received several positive reviews early on and has enjoyed strong popularity as a leader of the “new breed” of fine dining establishments in metro St. Louis. [5]R.W. Apple Jr. wrote about The Crossing in the New York Times: “Two chefs from Daniel in New York have set St. Louis on its conservative ear with this stylish bilevel establishment. A piece of poached skate that all but melted into a pile of mashed potatoes, formed the centerpiece of a satisfying meal that began with roasted beets and goat cheese and ended with perfectly simple, simply perfect vanilla ice cream.” [6]
Patricia Corrigan of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch is the major city-wide newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri. Although written to serve Greater St. Louis, the Post-Dispatch is one of the largest newspapers in the Midwestern United States, and is available and read as far west as Kansas City, Missouri, as far south as...
named The Crossing 1998’s Best New Restaurant and called The Crossing’s Beef Tenderloin the year’s best Beef Entrée. [7]
Joe Bonwich of the Riverfront Times
Riverfront Times
The Riverfront Times is a weekly newspaper in St. Louis, Missouri that consists of local politics, music, arts and dining news in the print edition and daily updates to blogs and photo galleries on its website...
said of The Crossing: “The result is a truly unique and innovative style for St. Louis and we should all be hopeful that Fiala’s youthful wanderlust has worn off and that he’s come back to stay.” He added: “This place certainly aspires to a national reputation.” [8]
John Garganigo of the Ladue News wrote: “In a short period of three months it (The Crossing) has become the darling of local movers and shakers.” [9]
As The Crossing grew into its position as an upscale, more formal, fine dining destination, Fiala and his partner sought to establish a more casual version of The Crossing.
Liluma and Acero
Co-founded by Jim Fiala, Liluma is a bistroBistro
A bistro, sometimes spelled bistrot, is, in its original Parisian incarnation, a small restaurant serving moderately priced simple meals in a modest setting. Bistros are defined mostly by the foods they serve. Home cooking with robust earthy dishes, and slow-cooked foods like cassoulet are typical...
restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
in Central West End
Central West End, St. Louis
The Central West End is an affluent neighborhood in St. Louis, Missouri, stretching from Midtown's western edge to Union Boulevard and bordering on Forest Park with its outstanding array of free cultural institutions. It includes the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis on Lindell Boulevard at...
, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
. Liluma is owned by chef Jim Fiala, who also owns The Crossing in Clayton
Clayton, Missouri
Clayton is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis and the county seat of St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 15,939 at the 2010 census. The city was organized in 1877 and is named after Ralph Clayton, who donated the land for the courthouse.-Geography:...
and Acero
Acero
Acero is an Italian restaurant located in Maplewood, Missouri at 7266 Manchester Road, in suburban St. Louis. It is owned by chef Jim Fiala and the Executive Chef is Adam Karl Gnau. James Fiala also owns The Crossing in Clayton, Missouri and Liluma in St...
in Maplewood
Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County. The population was 8,046 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Maplewood is located at ....
.
Liluma features American bistro cuisine, with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
influences. The restaurant is less expensive than The Crossing and has food that is more informal.
Liluma has received the Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator
Wine Spectator is a lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertainment pieces...
Award of Excellence a number of times.
The restaurant has been criticized for its inadequate design that causes a "constant traffic jam" between waiting patrons and servers who bring food to nearby tables. The critic who disliked Liluma's layout did like its food, commenting "there's lots of good flavor contrast going on here."
Liluma was founded in October 2002 by Jim Fiala and Cary McDowell. The restaurant's name comes from the first three syllables of children's names (two from Jim Fiala's children and one from former co-owner Cary McDowell's).
On October 16, 2002, Liluma was opened at the corner of Euclid and Maryland in St. Louis’ Central West End. Liluma was an instant hit, a place where a person could enjoy fine dining as well as a gourmet hamburger. The menu prices made Liluma accessible to a wide audience.
One early review of Liluma by Rose Martelli in the Riverfront Times said “the pastas are cooked to perfection.” “The pan-roasted tilapia, served over a bed of lemon-tinged spinach is simple, light and unassailable.” “The duck confit tastes…mouth-watering.” [10]
Jim Fiala’s newest restaurant is Acero in suburban Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County. The population was 8,046 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Maplewood is located at ....
. Acero’s opening on March 2, 2007, was followed by many positive reviews. In a city famous for Italian restaurants, Acero stands out. Acero is distinctive because it features the regional cuisine of Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
and Emilia Romagna in Northern Italy. Acero is Italian for maple and is pronounced “uh-CHER-o.”
Acero was featured in the annual Restaurant issue of Bon Appetit
Bon Appétit
Bon Appétit describes itself as "a food and entertaining magazine" and is published monthly. Named after the French phrase for "Enjoy your meal", it was started by M. Frank Jones in Kansas City in 1956...
magazine. “The Best Italian Food in America” were the words on the cover of the issue (September, 2008.) [11] Inside the magazine was a feature that included recipes from twelve different restaurants in the U.S. Acero’s contribution was its cauliflower ravioli with guanciale. Acero was the only St. Louis restaurant included. [12]
Fiala’s concept for Acero is “artisan.” He says “I want Acero to be recognized as an ‘artisan’ restaurant, a place that embraces the Italian artisans, the guys who…have elevated our palates and now our expectations.” [13]
The Terrace View
The Terrace View (which opened August 17th, 2009) is located in downtown St. Louis' new Citygarden. The restaurant, located at 8th and Chestnut, features items grown on farms within a few hours' drive of St. Louis. Also featured are certain signature items from Jim Fiala's other three St. Louis area restaurants.The Terrace View, as the name implies, offers views of Citygarden from each seat, inside and outside. The Terrace View features floor-to-ceiling glass on three sides, allowing diners to enjoy the beauty of the city's new Citygarden.
Personal Philosophy
Jim Fiala is a “hands on” owner who spends time at each of his restaurants daily. His top priority is quality control. His mission: “We work on improving everyday.” He has told his employees that their goal should be to make “every meal a great meal.” [14]Jim Fiala visited Italy in February, 2009. While dining at a restaurant in the state of Abruzzo
Abruzzo
Abruzzo is a region in Italy, its western border lying less than due east of Rome. Abruzzo borders the region of Marche to the north, Lazio to the west and south-west, Molise to the south-east, and the Adriatic Sea to the east...
, Jim met a man named Luigi Cataldi Madonna. Jim says that Luigi summarized Jim's own cooking philosophy in these few words: "Find the complexity in the simple."
Jim Fiala is married and has three children.