Just as an artist has a palette of luminous colors from which to create their unique design, a great chef relies on the proper tools and the best ingredients to create exclusively delectable dishes.
And that, along with a unique, elegant atmosphere in Historic Saint Charles, is exactly what sets Tompkins by The Rack House, apart. Owner John Hamilton uses local farms to bring a from-scratch dining experience with dishes that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palette.
As Chef Matt Hulme explains, “Just as an artist has their fine brushes and a singer has a great microphone, a chef’s basics are great tools and the knowledge of how to use them. That, along with the finest ingredients, are what makes the difference.”
“It’s also the amount of time spent on a dish…the care you take over it,” he adds. “Here at Tompkins, it’s one cook focusing on one task. I tell my team ‘there’s no more important job than the one in front of you.’ It’s all about focus and intent.”
Tompkins features a contemporary American menu but with a touch of class. Brunch includes butter-poached lobster, cultured butter bisquits and local syrup. For Lunch, you may choose house-smoked rainbow trout, a Koji-cured roast beef horseshoe; and for Dinner perhaps butter-basted scallops or peppered venison, with Death by Chocolate for dessert.
Chef Matt has trained under Executive Chef Phillip Day at The Rack House in Cottleville for four years. He says Chef Phillip spent many years researching fine cuisine and learning French-style techniques with some great chefs.
“So, we serve American-style food using French techniques to prepare it. For example, we confit several things, meaning we slow cook in oil on low heat for several hours, which makes for a soft, tender product,” says Chef Matt.
The art of fine cuisine is about turning ordinary ingredients into an extraordinary dish. The culinary artists at Tompkins by The Rack House have certainly proved their ability in that, for all to enjoy.
In addition to its artistic cuisine, John and his team of carpenters have transformed this historic property at 500 S. Main St. into a wonderful mix of old and new. The main dining room and bar area is a mix of original exposed brick and wood that bring a mix of history and contemporary décor together in perfect harmony.
He describes the stone-walled banquet room in the lower level as “a combination of contemporary with a 1920’s Prohibition-like speakeasy.” The room holds up to 100 guests.