The two sous chefs at Terrace View are left-to-right, Nick Cox and Casey Kohler. Cox attended to L’Ecole Culinaire to study the culinary arts, while Casey studied at St. Louis Community College at Forest Park. And, for all those interested... astrologically, they’re both under the sign of Aquarius.
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Weighing the rib eye as he cuts, Nick Cox preps in the kitchen between the lunch and dinner crowds.
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All of Terrace Views steaks are from local (Missouri or Illinois) farmers. They are grass-fed, organic and no hormones or antibiotics have been used on the cattle. The rib eye is from Raincrow Ranch in Doniphan, Missouri.
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Casey Cox takes a few burgers with cheese off the grill in order to be plated. Salmon is on the grill behind him, and the large pot of duck confit simmers on the stove-top.
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Burgers, under the heat lamps, about to meet with their plate-mate, the fries!
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Mmm… French fries and a burger. The menu item, Liluma’s Grassfed Burger, is served on its house-made bun with horseradish slaw and warm cheddar. You can always order it sans cheese.
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Server Tommy Ng bringing the burgers out to the dining room. The choreography of the kitchen here is always a delicate dance.
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Sous chef Nick Cox burning off the alcohol of the Domaine de Canton with VSOP Cognac (a French liqueur) for the salad dressing of the Terrace View’s 50-Mile salad.
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Cox then adds cinnamon and cloves to the reduction and emulsifies it with extra virgin olive oil.
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This week, in the 50-Mile salad (and it often changes weekly, since all the fresh ingredients come from within 50 miles of St. Louis) is pumpkin, as seen above, fennel, arugula and house made ricotta cheese with freshly grated cinnamon.
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Sous chef Casey Kohler with some of the fresh house made pasta for the Stracci with Butternut squash. Kohler was a sous chef at Wildflower in the Cenral West End for about two-and-a-half years before joining the kitchen of Terrace View.
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The Crossing’s roasted beet salad. Red and gold beets with goat cheese, pine nuts and sherry vinegar.
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Acero’s Gnudi with basil pesto and guanciale. Guanciale -- a central Italian delicacy -- is unsmoked bacon with a stronger flavor, yet more delicate texture, than pancetta.
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A closer peek at Acero’s Gnudi.
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The 50-Mile salad as of October 30. This local, seasonal dish is in a fairly constant rotation as local growers supply the freshest of ingredients to the Terrace View kitchen.
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Ground Lamb Skewers with a mint scented, house-made yogurt sauce.
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The Stracci with Butternut squash features guanciale, Parmesan and sage.
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Lake Superior Walleye is served on wilted greens and arugula with fennel olives, cucumbers, tomatoes and extra virgin olive oil with basil.
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A little closer look at the Lake Superior Walleye.
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This dessert is a Local Apple Sea Salt Puff Pastry with a Bourbon creme.