John Griffiths is leading an evolution at Truffles

"Truffles is not something that failed and we are starting over. It is a restaurant that has a great legacy. Now we’re moving it into a different direction,” explained John Griffiths, executive chef at the Ladue restaurant. Griffiths, who helmed An American Place when it opened in 2004 and has worked as a consultant chef for area restaurants such as Lumen, El Borracho and The Scottish Arms, has launched more than 20 eateries around the country in the last four years alone. We spoke to Griffiths about the evolution taking place in the world of fine dining in general and at Truffles in particular.

Why is there now a focus on Italian fare at Truffles as opposed to some other type of cuisine? [The owners] were open to suggestions. After the first couple of conversations about what could work and the structure of the restaurant that they had here, and the type of menu they wanted – they didn’t know the style, they knew the elements they wanted in there – Italian really seemed to fit. That’s when it hit in my mind that this could be a place where I could do some interesting things. Italian has been in the back of my mind for a long time.

What will distinguish the food at Truffles from other Italian restaurants in town? It’s not first and foremost an Italian restaurant. You read the menu and certainly you can understand the Italian influence. But it’s not written in Italian. We’re not using tomatoes thoroughly year-round. We’re not focusing on those things you would see in the average Midwestern Italian restaurant. We’re focusing on seasonal, regional foods that we can cook in a manner that is unique here and we put those through a modern Italian influence.

Tell me more about what you mean by “modern Italian influence.” Ingredients drive the preparation. We’re not strictly saying that we are southern Italian or northern Italian. In the wintertime, this region mimics a lot of northern Italy – the available ingredients and the styles of cooking; in the summertime, you see the vegetables at the farmers’ market and those really lend themselves more to central and southern Italy. Right now, we focus on Tuscany and Liguria and Lombardy because that’s what works for the weather we have and the ingredients that we have available.

You have said that one goal is to attract a younger crowd to Truffles. What changes are being made that will bring in that type of patron while retailing established clientele, many of whom are older? We didn’t change the menu overnight. You don’t want to dissuade current customers until you’ve gained their confidence. We’ve made decisions over the last few months about the menu items that have come on and off – and in what order to remove and replace them – to make sure there were always selections that fit with a certain taste and variety. I think that process has warmed a lot of the clientele to what we’re doing. … I think that the crowd here is open to change and excited about what we are doing.

What changes are you making to the physical space? We are bringing a large percentage of the wine cellar into the dining room. We’re adding an aging room for salumi that you can view. There will be a large service table in the dining room where we’ll be doing some tableside preparations. All those great country Italian restaurants have that table where everything is happening; it brings the focus into the center of the dining room and brings everyone into it. I think that will help to elevate the atmosphere and energy level.

Modernizing the dining room, bringing some of the service elements into the dining room, the exposure of the wine in the dining room will make it more enjoyable and lively. Still a bit of prestige without pretence. You know you are going to have a great meal, but you aren’t walking into it going, “Am I going to have to wear a suit and tie?”

So is Truffles no longer a fine-dining place? I think that the definition of fine dining is hugely in flux. I don’t think you can define it by the type of tablecloth or setting of the table. I think every operation develops what is important for its clientele and the clientele it is seeking. As long as you are providing a very high level of ingredients, service and quality on the table, then you can be fine dining. I’ve had great meals where you sit down and you get a dish towel and a fork and half the time you are eating with your hand, and I would consider the quality that was being served to me fine dining. To me, “casual fine dining” almost conveys carelessness. We are focusing on cooking really great food in a seasonal manner that’s got modern elements to it but still holds tradition. And people can judge for themselves if it’s fine dining.

For the second half of this interview, click here.