Kevin Willmann, chef and owner of a new restaurant in south St. Louis, has found himself on magazine鈥檚 list of , according to the .
Willmann opened his restaurant, , in March 2010. Word quickly spread about his unique small-plate dishes, which use largely local ingredients alongside fresh seafood from the Gulf Coast.
Willmann got his taste for local ingredients after being born into a farming family in Greenville, Illinois. On the restaurant鈥檚 Willmann boasts that he鈥檚 self-taught. He says he picked up a special interest in seafood after becoming an avid fisherman as a boy in Florida.
After moving back to St. Louis six years ago, Willmann worked at several local restaurants including , and before opening Farmhaus.
The raved that Farmhaus was the anticipated restaurant opening of 2010.
Since then, Willmann has gotten his fair share of attention. He was a semifinalist nomination for a Award in the Best Chef: Midwest category and was nominated for region according to .
Willmann is only the second St. Louis-area chef to be named to the list by the magazine. Gerard Craft of Niche was listed in 2008.
The official announcement of the chefs who made it on this year鈥檚 best chef list will be made this evening in New York.
