Owner/executive chef Steve Scherrer refuses to take all the credit for the success of his Maplewood restaurant, Arthur Clay’s. “I admit that I work hard,” he said, “but behind every successful chef there are at least two people. First, if you’re lucky enough to have a Kerri, my wife, and second, a great sous chef like Nathan Queen. I’m lucky enough to have both – AND a kitchen and wait staff who are phenomenal.”
Thursday is one of the busiest days for Scherrer and the staff. “It’s prep day for the weekend. We’re back there doing what we need to and having a lot of fun. But I gotta have my music blaring on the stereo. I like rap – classic rap since I don’t like what’s being put out these days. Yeah, I’m a 30-year-old businessman who likes to rap while he’s working.”
What’s the best way to describe what you are doing at Arthur Clay’s? Well, we’re not trying to change the face of the culinary industry, but we are trying to take simple foods and jazz them up. We don’t want to be a “destination dining” restaurant either. We’re fine dining with a fun attitude. We want people to come often because they know that there will be something different on the menu almost every day.
You change the menu every day? At least every other day. Kinda depends on what we have available. Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays are usually total turnaround days because we use our entire [stock of raw ingredients] the night before. We don’t have a walk-in cooler. A small inventory forces us to craft what we have without masking the true flavors of the foods. I’m told that my moods can be read by the day’s menu.
How so? The wait staff goes to school every afternoon at 4:30. I tell them what we are offering that night. They know that if I’m repeating the same types of ingredients or sauces that I’m tired and cranky and to leave me alone. If it’s something new or different, then my juices are flowing and I’m excited.
Then how do you maintain your creativity on such a tough schedule? I have a lot of sleepless nights, but I have load of energy and I think I’m a bit ADD in that I don’t like a lot of repetition. When I’m burned out on some days – and don’t let anyone tell you this isn’t a physically and mentally demanding career– Kerri, Nathan and the kitchen staff help put the menu together. That’s one of the reasons they are so important to me.
How did you get involved in the culinary profession? By necessity mostly. I grew up in Wentzville, and when I wanted to earn some money, the only place to work was Stefanina’s Pizzeria. So I became a delivery guy. I quickly, quickly learned that I was drawn to cooking. The owner was a wild man who got excited about cooking. I knew I wanted that in my life. He became my mentor. I went on to Mizzou on a baseball scholarship and studied in the restaurant and hospitality program and then went on to Johnson & Wales University in Providence. Kerri and I met there – Kerri is a pastry chef. After Providence, we went to Scottsdale, Ariz. Then we came back to St. Louis. We worked at Ganache for about three years, where I obtained my most important business experience. Then we opened a hotel in Destin, Fla., then it was off to Atlanta. By this time I was tired of getting yelled at in French and knew, just knew, that it was time to come home and start a place.
What’s your favorite food to cook? I’m pretty anal about my seafood. We have at least one fish item on the menu every day and our seafood-to-meat ratio is about 80-20. I like to get elaborate with the fish and am more comfortable with it than the other meats. And I’m silly about truffles when they are in season. They’re so versatile.
What one thing won’t we find in your kitchen? Catfish. They’re gross. I know what their diet is, and I don’t want to eat that. Those whiskers just aren’t right!
What was your biggest flop? Since we change the menu a lot, I have a whole list, but the worst thing was the tripe ravioli with a Parmesan-encrusted halibut. Oops!
What advice would you give an aspiring chef? 1. There are really no geniuses in the kitchen. It takes a whole team.
2. It’s lots and lots and lots of hard work. Be prepared to commit to something that will rule you, and be willing to take your work home with you.
3. Work for successful people. Learn the ropes and the tricks of the trade. Only then can you start creating your style and passions.
Your secret to success? Kerri, hard work, Nathan, hard work, great employees, hard work, the things I learned from my parents, hard work, what I learned from everyone else I’ve ever met and hard work.
This article appears in Jul 1-31, 2005.