3 Mid-Missouri Chefs to Know in 2017
- Updated
Meet the rising star chefs in mid-Missouri who are doing extraordinary work at every station in the kitchen, from executive chefs who are poised to make lasting impacts on their local dining scene to the line cooks who will soon be doing the same.
Nate Molnar, Audubon's by Chaumette
- Liz Miller
- Updated
A year ago, Hank and Jackie Johnson, owners of Chaumette Vineyards & Winery in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, announced the purchase of Audubon’s of Ste. Genevieve, a popular local restaurant about 40 minutes from the winery. Rob Beasley, executive chef at the winery’s Grapevine Grill, retooled the menu for the newly reopened Audubon’s, preserving the restaurant’s beloved German fare while adding Cajun influences from his native Louisiana. In September, chef de cuisine Nate Molnar joined Audubon’s, and in late August, he took over daily operations at the restaurant. Born in nearby Chester, Illinois, Molnar has been working in the culinary industry for 15 years, including notable stints as sous chef at Wally’s Originals in Chester, where he learned how to make from-scratch pastas, and sous chef at Opera House Bistro in Redbud, Illinois, where he helped hone the restaurant’s New American cuisine. At Audubon’s, he’s maintained the Cajun-inspired flavor of Beasley’s menu in dishes like crawfish thermidor, with crawfish cooked in lobster sauce served in a hollowed out tomato with smoked tomato coulis. He's also focused on developing seasonally driven dishes that nod to the restaurant’s German influences, including recent specials like grilled pork tenderloin with a cherry-black pepper sauce, spätzle and braised fennel. Molnar has added his own signature touch to the rotating specials, as well, like a pulled pork poutine appetizer with crispy housemade french fries, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda and a Dijon-cream sauce. (Photo by Danielle Rayoum)
Audubon’s by Chaumette, 9 N. Main St., Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, 573.883.2479, audubonstegen.info
Nate Molnar's Grilled Pork Tenderloin
- Danielle Rayoum
Nate Molnar's signature dish at Audubon's by Chaumette: grilled pork tenderloin with a cherry-black pepper sauce, spätzle and braised fennel.
Jamie Davis, Cafe Berlin
- Valeria Turturro Klamm
- Updated
Although Jamie Davis, chef and kitchen manager at Cafe Berlin in Columbia, Missouri, most recently spent time in Spain and Switzerland, his culinary roots were formed closer to home. He's worked at local institutions Uprise Bakery, Sycamore and The Wine Cellar & Bistro, as well as renowned St. Louis fine-dining restaurant Sidney Street Cafe. While working with chef-owner Kevin Nashan at Sidney Street, Davis says he first saw his ideas come to life on a menu and gained the confidence to run with what inspires him in the kitchen.
At Cafe Berlin, Davis is freshening up the menu while drawing inspiration from Missouri farmers – including sourcing local eggs, chicken, beef, pork and produce – and showcasing flavors using simple yet classic cooking techniques. Preparing one ingredient multiple ways in one dish, for instance, is an approach he learned while cooking at Sidney Street.
When he made the move from St. Louis back to Columbia, Davis sought a creative outlet and developed his pop-up restaurant, BirdHouse Fried Chicken, serving fried chicken sandwiches with collard greens, potato salad and peach cobbler. He makes most of the ingredients himself, from pickles and sauces to buns and biscuits, and has also experimented with from-scratch drinks like watermelon-basil soda and celery soda. The series caught on, and now Davis is considering how to adapt it into Cafe Berlin’s lineup – perhaps as a dinner menu during the restaurant’s frequent small concerts and events. Long-term, Davis hopes to find time to create a cooking program for area kids and families apart from his work at the restaurant. (Photo by Aaron Ottis)
Café Berlin, 220 North 10th St., Columbia, Missouri, 573.441.0400, cafeberlincomo.com
Jamie Davis' Corned Beef Hash
- Aaron Ottis
Jamie Davis' signature dish at Cafe Berlin: corned beef hash with brisket brined and rubbed with mustard, cinnamon, coriander and freshly ground black pepper, and roasted until tender.
Anastasia Adelman, The Silly Goose
- Sarah Kloepple
- Updated
Long before Anastasia Adelman and her mother opened The Silly Goose in Augusta, Missouri, she was learning to cook in her grandmother’s kitchen. After her parents, both in the military, were deployed during the Gulf War, Adelman stayed with her grandmother for more than a year, using fresh ingredients to whip up classic Southern fare like grits and chicken and waffles. She went on to study culinary arts in St. Louis and gained experience at beloved local spots like Pint Size Bakery in the city’s Lindenwood Park neighborhood. This past December marked the two-year anniversary of The Silly Goose’s opening. The small, family-focused serves high-quality dishes very near the area’s many wineries. At The Silly Goose, you’ll find traditional Southern dishes such as okra and corn fritters, country fried steak and fried green tomatoes. From December to March, the restaurant hosts theme nights on Fridays and Saturdays, featuring menus inspired by different countries, from Morocco to Italy. The Silly Goose team will also soon open a neighboring bakery offering bagels, donuts, scones, pies, tarts and coffee and hot chocolate. Adelman says The Silly Goose will soon expand its catering business and the family will turn a nearby building into a smokehouse and distillery. (Photo by Natalie Hinds)
Silly Goose, 5501 Locust St., Augusta, Missouri, 636.482.4667, sillygoosemo.com
Anastasia Adelman's Fried Chicken and Waffles
- Natalie Hinds
Anastasia Adelman's signature dish at The Silly Goose: fried chicken and waffles with bourbon-vanilla syrup and sorghum butter.
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Nate Molnar, Audubon's by Chaumette
- Liz Miller
A year ago, Hank and Jackie Johnson, owners of Chaumette Vineyards & Winery in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, announced the purchase of Audubon’s of Ste. Genevieve, a popular local restaurant about 40 minutes from the winery. Rob Beasley, executive chef at the winery’s Grapevine Grill, retooled the menu for the newly reopened Audubon’s, preserving the restaurant’s beloved German fare while adding Cajun influences from his native Louisiana. In September, chef de cuisine Nate Molnar joined Audubon’s, and in late August, he took over daily operations at the restaurant. Born in nearby Chester, Illinois, Molnar has been working in the culinary industry for 15 years, including notable stints as sous chef at Wally’s Originals in Chester, where he learned how to make from-scratch pastas, and sous chef at Opera House Bistro in Redbud, Illinois, where he helped hone the restaurant’s New American cuisine. At Audubon’s, he’s maintained the Cajun-inspired flavor of Beasley’s menu in dishes like crawfish thermidor, with crawfish cooked in lobster sauce served in a hollowed out tomato with smoked tomato coulis. He's also focused on developing seasonally driven dishes that nod to the restaurant’s German influences, including recent specials like grilled pork tenderloin with a cherry-black pepper sauce, spätzle and braised fennel. Molnar has added his own signature touch to the rotating specials, as well, like a pulled pork poutine appetizer with crispy housemade french fries, caramelized onions, roasted red peppers, smoked Gouda and a Dijon-cream sauce. (Photo by Danielle Rayoum)
Audubon’s by Chaumette, 9 N. Main St., Ste. Genevieve, Missouri, 573.883.2479, audubonstegen.info
Jamie Davis, Cafe Berlin
- Valeria Turturro Klamm
Although Jamie Davis, chef and kitchen manager at Cafe Berlin in Columbia, Missouri, most recently spent time in Spain and Switzerland, his culinary roots were formed closer to home. He's worked at local institutions Uprise Bakery, Sycamore and The Wine Cellar & Bistro, as well as renowned St. Louis fine-dining restaurant Sidney Street Cafe. While working with chef-owner Kevin Nashan at Sidney Street, Davis says he first saw his ideas come to life on a menu and gained the confidence to run with what inspires him in the kitchen.
At Cafe Berlin, Davis is freshening up the menu while drawing inspiration from Missouri farmers – including sourcing local eggs, chicken, beef, pork and produce – and showcasing flavors using simple yet classic cooking techniques. Preparing one ingredient multiple ways in one dish, for instance, is an approach he learned while cooking at Sidney Street.
When he made the move from St. Louis back to Columbia, Davis sought a creative outlet and developed his pop-up restaurant, BirdHouse Fried Chicken, serving fried chicken sandwiches with collard greens, potato salad and peach cobbler. He makes most of the ingredients himself, from pickles and sauces to buns and biscuits, and has also experimented with from-scratch drinks like watermelon-basil soda and celery soda. The series caught on, and now Davis is considering how to adapt it into Cafe Berlin’s lineup – perhaps as a dinner menu during the restaurant’s frequent small concerts and events. Long-term, Davis hopes to find time to create a cooking program for area kids and families apart from his work at the restaurant. (Photo by Aaron Ottis)
Café Berlin, 220 North 10th St., Columbia, Missouri, 573.441.0400, cafeberlincomo.com
Anastasia Adelman, The Silly Goose
- Sarah Kloepple
Long before Anastasia Adelman and her mother opened The Silly Goose in Augusta, Missouri, she was learning to cook in her grandmother’s kitchen. After her parents, both in the military, were deployed during the Gulf War, Adelman stayed with her grandmother for more than a year, using fresh ingredients to whip up classic Southern fare like grits and chicken and waffles. She went on to study culinary arts in St. Louis and gained experience at beloved local spots like Pint Size Bakery in the city’s Lindenwood Park neighborhood. This past December marked the two-year anniversary of The Silly Goose’s opening. The small, family-focused serves high-quality dishes very near the area’s many wineries. At The Silly Goose, you’ll find traditional Southern dishes such as okra and corn fritters, country fried steak and fried green tomatoes. From December to March, the restaurant hosts theme nights on Fridays and Saturdays, featuring menus inspired by different countries, from Morocco to Italy. The Silly Goose team will also soon open a neighboring bakery offering bagels, donuts, scones, pies, tarts and coffee and hot chocolate. Adelman says The Silly Goose will soon expand its catering business and the family will turn a nearby building into a smokehouse and distillery. (Photo by Natalie Hinds)
Silly Goose, 5501 Locust St., Augusta, Missouri, 636.482.4667, sillygoosemo.com
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