Jimmy Hippchen has left his position as executive chef at The Crow’s Nest in Maplewood. Hippchen’s new perch is across the river at Cleveland-Heath in Edwardsville, Ill., where he is working as a line cook.
“He’s got a great resume,” said chef-owner Jenny Cleveland of her newest employee, noting that Hippchen’s employment history is less important to her than the fact that he is “a hard worker with a great attitude. He seems to have a willingness to want to learn, which is fantastic.”
Mike McLaughlin, owner of The Crow’s Nest, told The Scoop that he expects the same smart pub fare that wowed Sauce contributor Matt Berkley in his review of The Crow’s Nest to continue coming from the kitchen. “We’re going in the same direction,” said McLaughlin. “Nothing is really going to change.” Currently overseeing the back of the house at The Crow’s Nest as a chef-consultant is Justin Shire. McLaughlin noted that he and Shire, who owns Labeebee’s Mid-East Cafe, have worked together before on various projects and events.
— Photo by Jonathan Gayman
This article appears in August 2012.