Jim Fiala has a gift. He is an alchemist of flavors. He knows how flavors go together, and which flavors go together well.
Jim began his journey into culinary excellence at an early age. His father was a “foodie” before “foodies” even existed. His family would frequently dine out at nice restaurants and when they stayed at home, his mom would cook gourmet meals.
“My mom would try new recipes all the time. She hated cooking, but she was a good cook. If she made a new dish that was really something special, we would tell her to make it again and again and again.” -Jimmy
Jim graduated from Parkway West High School in 1983 and then from Southern Methodist University in Dallas with a degree in Finance. In 1988, he got his first job in the kitchen as a cook on a cruise ship. A year later, he returned to St. Louis where he worked as a caterer. By 1991, he knew he wanted to pursue the culinary arts, so he enrolled in California Culinary Academy. While in California, he took on positions at Stars restaurant, and Hayes Street Grill.
After Jimmy graduated, he moved to Chicago, IL where he worked at Spiaggia for a few years. In 1994, his boss, Paul Bartolotta got in touch with Daniel Boulud, the owner of Daniel in NYC. A few months later, Jim was moving to New York to work in a fast-paced high-pressure kitchen. While Jim worked at Daniel, the New York Times gave it a 4-star rating. For awhile after his employment at Daniel, Jimmy worked as a chef in a resort in Puerto Rico.
In 1998, Jim opened The Crossing in Clayton. It was voted the Best New Restaurant of the Year. The Crossing is still at the very top of the fine dining list.
In 2002, Jim opened Liluma in the Central West End. The front and Side Doors are still open.
In 2007, Jim opened Acero in Maplewood.
Click on any of the Restaurants to learn more about them.
“I get a lot of joy out of making people happy… out of letting people taste foods they’ve never tasted before and preparing meals that exceed even high expectations. I love it when someone can say ‘Wow. I never knew a scallop could taste so good.’” -Jimmy
