Local Chef Kitchen to open in Ballwin

Chef Rob Uyemura is adding a restaurant component to his Ballwin CSA at the end of January. Local Chef Kitchen is set to open doors at 15270 Manchester Road, as reported by St. Louis Magazine.

Uyemura (most recently of YaYa’s) has operated his CSA and a farm-to-school lunch program with Chesterfield Montessori School since 2012. The CSA and lunch program will all operate under the Local Chef Kitchen name. “I wanted to find a location that was close to my house, but it’s also nice to be able to bring quality food to Ballwin,” Uyemura said.

Uyemura said Local Chef Kitchen’s fast-casual concept aims to offer quality, healthy meals daily. “I wanted to make this food accessible, but good, for people, like if Chipotle were organic,” he said. Uyemura plans to source local organic produce and proteins when possible, and to supplement his inventory with produce he grows himself.

Local Chef Kitchen will feature a limited breakfast and a lunch counter offering a “meat and three” as well as an entree salad. Focusing on Midwestern cuisine, customers can expect seasonal rotations of vegetables, as well as pork, beef or chicken preparations. Daytime diners can grab one of 30 seats inside Local Chef Kitchen, while the rush hour crowd can pick up prepared dinner options on the way home.

Pastry chef Cheryl Herbert will bake sweet treats like pies, cookies, granola bars and eventually serve house-made ice cream. Uyemura also hopes to offer prix-fixe farm dinners and cooking classes.

Editor's note: This post was updated at 4:15 p.m. Jan. 14 to clarify the use of organic produce at Local Chef Kitchen.