Anthony Devoti: St. Louis Chef Extraordinaire

In the kitchen of a restaurant on the Hill works a chef who puts into practice what many culinary professionals merely talk about doing. Local cooking is in his blood: he grew up and learned his craft in St. Louis, and finally returned to open a restaurant that was as authentically St. Louisan as he is.

Anthony Devoti is the chef-proprietor of Five Bistro on 5100 Daggett Ave, which is self-described as "a new American bistro creating seasonal cuisine with local products." When possible, Devoti sources his ingredients from farms in Missouri and Illinois, and his restaurant prides itself on producing its own charcuterie, condiments, pickles, pasta, bread, and pastries, along with doing the butchering in-house. As a result of Five Bistro's seasonal focus, the menu is constantly in flux, literally being rewritten daily to reflect what's available. But at least on May 4, according to the sample menu from that day, one could enjoy the crispy pig head with sriracha aioli. Locally produced, of course.

The grandson of Italian immigrants who operated a restaurant in the North County, where his father was a short order cook, Chef Devoti has long recognized that "it was in my blood to become a chef." He went through St. Louis Community College's culinary program and went on to graduate from New York's French Culinary Institute, after which time he worked in the kitchens of a variety of venerable establishments. One of those restaurants included the Zuni Café, operated by James Beard Award Winning Chef Judy Rodgers.

Five Bistro has acquired a fine reputation under Devoti, as the chef himself has proved to be one of St. Louis' brightest young culinary talents. Devoti's passion is great local and seasonal food, and he's had great success in spreading that passion across St. Louis and beyond.