On Tuesday evening at The Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co., owner Kevin Nashan organized an impromptu surprise party for his friend Gerard Craft. It was a restaurant friends-and-family salute to the chef who recently brought home the 2015 James Beard Award for “Best Chef: Midwest,” the first time a St. Louis chef has been so honored.
There was a lot of handshaking, hugging, and pats on the back. There were salty jokes and war stories. There was no tweeting, Instagramming, or social-media distractions from a gathering of folks who live and breathe social media. There weren’t even any pictures, except for the one above—and it may not have happened if not for Craft’s wife, Suzie.
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It was a proud moment to see so many of the people responsible for elevating the local dining scene assembled to commemorate the chef whose award provided its biggest boost of all.
