Rising Stars 2021: Columbia
As one tumultuous year comes to a close and a new one begins, we’re celebrating those paving the way to a brighter future in our region’s restaurant industry. From the farm to the kitchen to the front of house, these individuals deserve the spotlight not only for their talent, grit and determination but also their ability to lead and inspire during one of the industry’s most trying times.
As they pursue their passions and find their niches, they’re spreading joy with everything from boiled bagels to Vietnamese coffee to edible flowers. They’re also using their newfound platforms to address topics such as sustainability, food heritage and equity within both the industry and our communities.
Despite the uncertainty that the pandemic has caused – and continues to cause – these rising stars exhibit a level of creativity and optimism that makes us hopeful for better – and more delicious – days ahead.
Sarah Medcalf and Amanda Rainey, co-owners, Goldie’s Bagels
Sarah Medcalf and Amanda Rainey are no strangers to Columbia’s food-and-drink scene. They met when they were working at Lakota Coffee Co. and Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream, respectively, but a lot has changed since then. Both have had kids and plenty of other jobs – Rainey, for instance, opened Pizza Tree with her husband, John Gilbreth, in 2014 – but they still wanted to start a business together. Being Jewish, Rainey has strong opinions about bagels, and when she started baking them amid the pandemic, it became clear that the path forward would be paved with boiled bagels. The ultimate goal is to open a family-friendly café, but for now, Goldie’s Bagels is operating out of Pizza Tree, serving fresh bagels made with Seymour (the Pizza Tree sourdough starter), boiled with malt syrup and baked in a pizza oven. Goldie’s comes to life Tuesday through Sunday mornings; you can grab plain, sesame and everything bagels paired with whipped cream cheese every day, but the blueberry bagel and the signature Goldie bagel made with turmeric and black sesame seeds (a tribute to the University of Missouri) are only available on weekends. For Medcalf and Rainey, Goldie’s is not just a business opportunity. “It’s a chance to rewrite what we want the future to look like,” says Rainey. ordergoldies.com (Photo by Keith Borgmeyer)
D’Auntre Prince, chef-owner, Scooter’s Food Joint, and organizer, Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia
Columbia chef D’Auntre Prince is slowly making a name for himself around town, and he’s spreading the love at one of the places that helped make him who he is. At the Boys & Girls Clubs of Columbia – which he attended himself as a kid – he teaches local youth how to prepare and cook a range of meals, from homemade pizza to chicken alfredo to fried rice. But most local diners will recognize Prince as the face behind Scooter’s Food Joint & Catering, which he launched as a food truck in August 2019. Scooter’s doesn’t have a set menu, but Prince flexes his skills with specialties such as Philly cheesesteak egg rolls, wings and beef and chicken samosas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prince has paused his food truck operations while continuing to offer some of his favorite menu items for catering. His work at the Boys & Girls Clubs was also put on hold, but expect him to be back in the classroom when the new school semester ramps up this month. These unforeseen circumstances won’t slow Prince down: This year, he hopes to open a brick-and-mortar location of Scooter’s, focusing on takeout for all taste buds. facebook.com/pages/category/Food---Beverage-Company/Scooters-Food-Joint-Catering-1717480645208107 (Photo by Keith Borgmeyer)
Jheron Nunnelly, owner, Mr. Murphy’s Stuffed Potatoes
It won’t be long before Jheron Nunnelly outgrows his food truck – both literally and figuratively. Mr. Murphy’s Stuffed Potatoes, his 6-by-9-foot trailer, just might be the smallest food truck in Columbia, Missouri, but Nunnelly’s menu of loaded spuds, nachos and salads is big on flavor. Nunnelly started cooking as a teenager and sharpened his skills in the kitchens at Como Smoke and Fire, Jazz A Louisiana Kitchen and Lucky’s Market before launching his own catering company, Food Party. He hit the streets with the Mr. Murphy’s truck in the summer of 2019, but things didn’t kick into full gear until restaurants were forced to close their doors in early 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Nunnelly shifted his focus to Mr. Murphy’s full time, driving the truck to Fulton, Hallsville and other nearby towns. “The hardest transition was having the confidence to do it,” he says. “I’m used to working 60 to 70 hours a week, so putting in the work and the hours was easy, but the hard part was taking that risk, and I’m not going to lie – it was really scary.” But diners continue to line up for his comforting, scratch-made dishes such as the Smokey Pot Roast with smoked pot roast, shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chives and the Spicy Bacon & Bleu with smoked chicken and bacon, blue cheese crumbles, shredded Cheddar, housemade garlic-Buffalo sauce, sour cream and chives, which can be ordered atop a potato, nachos or salad. This spring, Nunnelly and his wife, Kendell, plan to expand Mr. Murphy’s with a larger truck, and down the line, he dreams of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant and brewery. facebook.com/pages/category/Food-Truck/Mr-Murphy-Stuffed-Potatoes-401557040683356 (Photo by Keith Borgmeyer)
Brenna Gunn, pastry chef, Flyover
Like leavened bread, Brenna Gunn’s role in Columbia’s pastry scene has been steadily rising since her 16th birthday when she landed her first job at The Upper Crust Bakery and Cafe. Later, she had a multiyear stint with 44 Stone Public House, and two years ago, she took the reins as pastry chef of Flyover, where her regionally inspired desserts made with a contemporary or international twist are a huge hit. With a soft spot for warm spices and autumnal flavors, Gunn says there’s always room for pie and cobbler on her menu. For other culinary inspiration, she draws on memories – merry moments in the kitchen with family, a favorite childhood treat, the smell of fresh flowers from the market. In the face of the pandemic, Gunn has relied on ingenuity to continue moving forward, working collaboratively with the Flyover team to redefine the restaurant’s dessert menu. She’s started crafting boxed desserts made exclusively for to-go orders, ensuring that they’re just as decadent and delicious as any dessert served in the dining room. For the foreseeable future, Gunn is dedicated to pursuing her passions at Flyover, where she’ll continue to create sweet menus – and memories – for herself and for diners. flyovercomo.com (Photo by Keith Borgmeyer)
As featured on
Across our region, these chefs, bartenders, farmers and more are making names for themselves.
