Favorite chef: Brian Hale takes to the stage at Monarch

There are three things that Brain Hale needs to excel: a creative environment, a steady paycheck and a stage. “And I’ve found those things. I am so blessed, honored and grateful to be part of this organization. If I didn’t have a family to support, I would do this for free,” said Monarch Restaurant & Wine Bar’s executive chef. When he was younger, Hale’s passions in life were cooking, painting and music. “I don’t paint well enough to be a major influence in the art world, I don’t sing well enough to become a rock star, so that left one thing.” How did you know that cooking was the “thing?” I have been mesmerized by food my entire life. I distinctly remember when I was 11 years old, at Thanksgiving and Christmas, all my cousins and kids my age were out playing, but I was in the kitchen with all the moms, watching what they were doing. I didn’t really get it until I went to Mizzou and got a degree. Then I moved to Europe and studied food in Milan. That’s when I knew it was my life’s passion. How does being a chef provide you with a stage? Most people think of chefs as back-of-the-house people. My role is a tad different. Part of my job description is to get out and walk the floor and talk with our guests. Since I’m an adrenaline junkie, talking with the people who come here gives me an incredible high. And then there’s Wine Down Wednesdays, which gives me a whole new high. I do live cooking demos and match wines with foods, usually three or four an evening. It’s sort of like a classroom but a whole lot more fun because I can interact with the crowd and get them involved. If you’re busy performing and chatting, how do you know what’s going on in the kitchen? I see it on each plate that is served. I can chat and look at the same time. I talk to the guests about how they feel about what’s on their plates. Most important, I have a staff whose level of performance is so excellent that they allow me … to be in the public eye. They know the level of excellence I expect and provide it each and every night. They do all the work and I get all the credit. Where to you get new ideas for the menu? Everywhere. Magazines. Cookbooks. Chef chat rooms on the Internet. My wife. The staff. Our guests. Our purveyors. I ask people what they like. I get all the books out, put on some music, walk around the house, talk with my family and to myself. One day I asked my 3-year-old what she liked. Her reply was macaroni and cheese. So I took that and created lobster macaroni and cheese. Ideas can be hatched from the simplest of places. What has been the biggest risk you’ve taken as a chef? Leaving SqWires. That was so hard to do, and I wasn’t sure what would happen. However, my work at Monarch is my biggest reward professionally. We just celebrated our third anniversary. We made a lot of mistakes in the first six to eight months we were open, but we hung in there and worked through it. Today, I feel Monarch provides fabulous food in a sophisticated, elegant atmosphere without a stuffy attitude. What was your biggest flop? I was at Harry’s. I rubbed a duck breast with paprika, garnished it with tri-colored tortilla chips and served it over refried beans. Duck over refried beans – don’t try that at home. Where does Monarch fit into the St. Louis restaurant scene? Kinda New York meets L.A. At first, we filled the niche of eclectic gourmet food and service coupled with an approachable attitude. We are a meeting space and a destination restaurant. We have seven different areas where guests can gather. And over the years, the wine bar area has evolved as a place to hang and a place to see and be seen. We also have a boutique atmosphere in relationship with our wines. We specialize in having wines that no one else has. We buy wines from wineries that may only make 600 to 700 cases a year. We work very hard to make sure that the right wine is paired with the right food. What’s an ingredient we won’t find in your kitchen? Anything premade or prepackaged. There’s no soup in a can or wine in a box. We either make it from scratch or have it brought in. Serendipity provides our ice creams and gelatos. Breadsmith supplies two of the three breads that we offer. We’re a scratch kitchen except for those items. You are the executive chef, you have a hand in desserts and you pair wines. How do you juggle all three roles? I love to be busy. I absolutely love it. I work about 70 hours a week. It’s fun to be busy. What’s the key to your success? Patience. I mold those around me and sometimes that takes patience. Others don’t move as fast as I do, so I have remember to be patient, to lift them up and stand behind them. And, like any other profession, you must be dedicated and passionate about it. Without those three things, I’d fall on my face.