Chef's Secrets

Jimmy's Cafe, which just celebrated its third anniversary, features Contemporary American Cuisine prepared under the direction of Executive Chef Kathy (Crash) Schmidt. The restaurant is co-owned by Jimmy Kristo, who managed and operated many top St. Louis restaurants before going into business with his partner and best friend, Dennis Roussel. Chicago-born Chef Kathy Schmidt received her formal training alongside many well-known chefs and worked for the CCA (Clubs Corporation of America), which operates private clubs throughout the United States. Kathy credits her mother, and exceptional cook, with inspiring Kathy's own creative culinary flair. To invent the many innovative dishes that are unique to Jimmy's Cafe and the ST. Louis dining scene, Kathy draws on French, Italian, Southwestern and American foods and cooking techniques. Her signature dish at Jimmy's, Java Tenderloin, consists of filet mignon rolled in freshly ground Amaretto coffee, then baked, sliced thin and served atop Garlic Mashed Potatoes with a roasted chipotle pepper sauce that combines a veal stock laced with maple syrup. The dish is accompanied by caramelized onions topped with melted gorgonzola cheese.

Jimmy's Cafe, which recently expanded, now offers a lounge with a fireplace, leather couches and chairs, all in a rich, oak-paneled room that provides an ideal setting for relaxing before or after dinner. A new dining room is available for lunch and on weekends. The new addition can also accommodate private parties. The outdoor patio, now expanded to twice its previous size, will open this spring.