Life magazine listed chef/proprietor Larry Forgione of An American Place as No. 41 on its 1996 list of the “50 Most Influential Baby Boomers” and called him the Godfather of American Cuisine. He was the only restaurateur named. Why? Well, he was one of the first chefs who believed in the American bounty and championed the use of locally grown products.
In fact, according to Life, Forgione is “the man who coined the term ‘free-range chicken,’ the ultimate boomer food concept,” thereby “transforming American cooking.” He began his career in the early ’80s as a chef at Brooklyn’s River Café before striking out on his own at the original An American Place in New York.
Why did you come to St. Louis?
The people and the management team of the Renaissance Grand Hotel who own the building asked me to come look at the space, and I fell in love with the two-story vaulted ceilings, the historical aspect and the availability of locally grown products. Once I confirmed what I had researched online, it clinched the deal. Ninety-nine-point-five percent of everything in our kitchen comes from the [United States], with about 65 to 70 percent from local St. Louis-area growers and breeders. St. Louis is truly the crossroads of American cuisine.
What’s the best way to describe what you are doing at An American Place?
I like to think that we are cooking in touch with the American heart. We strive to maintain one foot in the past of American culinary experience, one foot arching toward the future and striking a balance here in the present. I believe that American cuisine goes hand in hand with local ingredients and the local harvest.
How often do you change the menu?
Since we print our menus on site, we can change it as often as we please. If we go to the markets and they have paddlefish, we’ll offer paddlefish. Or largemouth bass. Or crawfish. We try to incorporate as many local products as possible, but a lot of seafood, like lobster, just isn’t a natural product for the area, so we do have to import them. We proudly list all our organic suppliers on our menu and you’ll note that almost all of them are from Missouri and Illinois.
What has surprised you the most about St. Louis diners?
I was cautioned that St. Louisans are/were a conservative bunch. That’s not true at all in regards to their dining experiences. They are incredibly adventurous in their willingness to try new things or new versions of an old favorite. They enjoy a multiple-course dinner as opposed to the meat-potato-vegetable plate, and they are incredibly, incredibly appreciative of what we place before them.
You mentioned one foot in the past. What do you mean by that?
Well, we like to take dishes that have their roots in the area. Like the slinger. I took that idea up to New York recently and put a different twist on it. I used barbecued duck, duck chili and a quail egg. It went over well. They thought it was fun and different.
What ingredient have you discovered in St. Louis?
It’s an apple called the Arkansas Blacktwig. I had never heard of it before. It is probably the world’s most perfect apple. It’s the most firm, crisp apple I’ve ever tasted. It’s what “real” apples should
taste like.
What drives your menu in the late fall and winter when there isn’t a harvest?
We delicately preserve certain items like strawberries, apples, cherries, etc. We’ve already put up over 100 pounds of strawberries for the winter. Also, we switch to more game instead of seafood. I was surprised to learn that last fall and winter we served much more elk and buffalo than steak. Elk and buffalo are big here.
What was your biggest flop?
Nothing comes to mind right off. Since we have the ability to redo our menus in the back, if something doesn’t sell or go over very well, we’re not stuck.
What advice would you give an aspiring chef?
1. Work in the industry before you make a career commitment to it. A passion for cooking at home sometimes does not translate into a passion for the restaurant industry. Make a job commitment before you decide it’s your life’s work.
2. Go to school after you’ve worked around for awhile. It’s a decision that’s made after you gain experience.
What’s your secret to success?
I like to think that it is the sense of honesty and reality that I bring to the food. I’m not trendy. I stay focused on the same message that I have been presenting for the last 30 years: I believe in the soul of – and the sole use of – the American product.
This article appears in Aug 1-31, 2005.
