The St. Louis dining scene saw a major shift this week as two of its most prominent chefs announced plans to leave for Spain. Jesse Mendica and Mikey Risk—the married duo who have led the kitchens at Olive + Oak, O+O Pizza, The Clover and The Bee, and Perennial on Lockwood—will relocate to Madrid in mid-May, creating what could have been a significant leadership gap within the OO Hospitality Group.
Instead, the transition appears to be seamless.
Before informing co-owner Mark Hinkle of their departure, Mendica and Risk had already mapped out a succession plan. “They had contacted two top-tier chefs,” he says, “friends of theirs and ours, to fill their positions. I went from totally bummed out to thrilled in a matter of minutes.”
Bonnie Moore will assume a dual role as culinary director for the group and executive chef at Olive + Oak. A Culinary Institute of America graduate, Moore brings experience from Annie Gunn’s, Idol Wolf, and a decade at the renowned Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. She joins a deeply established kitchen team, including longtime sous chef Joe Biondo and several staff members who have been with the restaurant for more than a decade.
Ashley Shelton, another CIA graduate and three-time James Beard Award semifinalist, will take over as executive chef of O+O Pizza and The Clover and The Bee. Her résumé includes executive chef roles at Pastaria and Sardella, along with extensive experience at Annie Gunn’s. The hires also reflect long-standing professional ties: Moore, Shelton, Mendica, and Hinkle all previously worked together at Annie Gunn’s, lending a sense of serendipitous continuity to the transition.
Mikey Risk: Realization of A Dream
For Risk, the move to Spain has been years in the making. After visiting a decade ago and maintaining close ties—his best friend from grade school lives there—he became increasingly drawn to the country’s food culture, particularly its proximity to San Sebastián, which Risk calls “the culinary mecca of the world.”
He and Mendica leave behind a substantial legacy: multiple restaurants, a wine bar, and an expanded presence that now includes a presence at Energizer Park, where they’ve collaborated with Gioia’s Deli on a popular hot salami-stuffed T-rav. Central to that success, Risk says, was a hands-on approach and a focus on building a strong workplace culture, one that has kept many employees there for nearly a decade.
Their departure, he notes, was handled with intention. Rather than simply stepping away, they worked to ensure continuity by placing experienced chefs in their roles.
In Madrid, the couple plans to take a brief break before launching a new concept, Cheesesteak Bros Madrid, built around “the same cheesesteaks I’ve been doing forever,” Risk says. “That will be the beginning, and we’ll see where it takes us. All I know is that Madrid is loving American food right now.”
Risk believes a cheesesteak joint will be a hit for two reasons: “1. It’s American, and 2. There aren’t any.”
They hope to open in Chamberí, the neighborhood where they’ll live, and potentially collaborate with nearby SLU Madrid on an exchange or work study program.
The move also allows them to return to working side by side, something they haven’t done regularly since their early days at Olive + Oak. “In 2016, Jesse and I met in the kitchen,” he reflects, “and fell in love with each other there, all while making some of the best food we’d ever made. We split up to work the different restaurants, working near each other but not next to each other. We want to cook together again, because we really do that well. It’s a special bond and a really unusual one, but moving to Madrid will allow us to do it.”
Addressing the language barrier, Risk says Mendica speaks Spanish pretty well, while he does not, but the plan is “to spend the mornings in language school—three hours a day, five days a week—and spend the afternoons putting this restaurant together.”
Looking back, Risk says he was happy with himself when he got to Olive + Oak, but the experience and culture made him a far better person, and it was all due to Mendica, as well as co-owners Jenn and Mark Hinkle and Becky and Greg Ortyl, whose young sons Oliver and Oakes both died from congenital heart disease and became the impetus for Olive + Oak.
“What they all built changed my life, all of the employees’ lives,” Risk says.
Jesse Mendica: Leadership By Example
Known for her low-profile approach, Mendica has been a constant presence at Olive + Oak since its opening, preferring to work the line herself rather than focusing solely on executive duties. Her tenure followed a long stint at Annie Gunn’s, reflecting a career defined by longevity and consistency, in contrast to many chefs’ constant movement. “I tend to put down roots and stay put,” she says with a laugh. “That’s the reason I stayed at Annie’s for 15 years and Olive + Oak for the last 10.”
Although she earned three James Beard Award semifinalist nods in the “Best Chef: Midwest” category, Mendica has never actively pursued accolades, preferring to focus on the work itself.
She credits Risk with driving the decision to move to Spain, describing him as both a dreamer and a pragmatist, whose ideas tend to materialize. “Mikey’s proven over and over that he knows what he’s doing,” she says. “His dreams come true. I just love the guy.”
Once Moore emerged as a successor, the possibility of leaving became real for the couple and rewarding for Mendica. “Debating with my best friend Bonnie about what her next step could and should be led to me being able to help provide that clarity. That was beyond redeeming.”
Mendica expresses confidence in both Moore and Shelton, describing the restaurants they’re inheriting as well-built systems. “We like to think we created a Cadillac, and all they have to do is drive it well,” she says. “But we know they’ll put their stamp on it—we want them to.”
Mark Hinkle: Reaction and Reflection
“This was nothing I saw coming,” Hinkle says of Mendica and Risk’s announcement. “I secretly hoped that they would be on the O+O team forever. I’m sad to see them go but happy for their next chapter. They’re doing something that many of us wish we could do but never will do.”
He emphasizes that the group has always prioritized hospitality and team culture over individual chef prominence, a philosophy that Mendica and Risk helped reinforce over the past decade. Moore, he says, aligns naturally with that approach. “When I heard Bonnie was coming back,” he says, “I wished I had somewhere for her to go, and now I do.”
Bonnie Moore: Returning Home
Moore’s career has come full circle. After early roles in Webster Groves and years at Annie Gunn’s, she spent a decade at Blackberry Farm before returning to St. Louis. “I was at CJ Mugg’s, and Jesse was at 2 Nice Guys,” she recalls. “We worked at JP Fields together, became great friends, and then went to Annie Gunn’s, where I stayed for years, working with the Hinkles.
“At one point,” she continues, “Thom [Sehnert, owner of Annie Gunn’s,] gifted me a weekend getaway to Blackberry Farm in Tennessee. I loved it so much that I got a sous chef job there. My husband worked in their brewing division, and we stayed for 10 years.”
A recent stint at Idol Wolf and a short return to Tennessee to help a friend open a restaurant helped reaffirm her commitment to the industry just as the Olive + Oak opportunity arose.
She steps into a stable operation with no immediate need for major changes, she says. Her initial focus will be on observing, supporting the team, and maintaining the culture that has defined the restaurant’s success.
“The restaurant is gorgeous and established,” she says. “It has all the resources that a successful business has, and there are no fires to put out.”
As culinary director, she’ll likely spend more time at Olive + Oak, as it’s the far bigger machine. “Jesse works the line there every day,” she says, “which is why that food is as great as it is. I’m not going to sleep on that aspect. I’m paying attention.”
Moore’s start date was April 14.
Ashley Shelton: A Natural Next Step
Shelton got her start at Annie Gunn’s in high school and after attending the CIA, worked for Niche Food Group, eventually serving as executive chef at both Pastaria and Sardella. She had two children and most recently returned to Annie Gunn’s as chef de cuisine but in a reduced capacity, working 15 hours a week.
“Bonnie, Jesse, Sam [Mitchell, owner of Farmtruk], and I anchored the kitchen crew at Annie’s for a long time,” she reflects. “Jesse and Bonnie were early mentors for me, so this is all very serendipitous.”
Along her journey, she also earned a handful of accolades, including Zagat’s “30 under 30” (2016), Eater‘s “Young Gun” (2016), James Beard Awards’ “Rising Star Chef” semifinalist (2016 and 2017), and James Beard Awards’ “Best Chef: Midwest” semifinalist (2018).
Now, with her youngest child entering kindergarten, Shelton says the time feels right to step back into a larger role. Her extensive background in Italian cuisine, including a year living in Italy, makes it a natural fit.
Shelton says the chefs’ goal is to thoughtfully evolve the restaurants while respecting their foundation. “Our plan is to take these amazing and beloved restaurants and gently put our own stamp on them,” she says. “We’ll let our voices be heard but quietly.”
She’s especially focused on The Clover and The Bee. “Clover is the least known and understood restaurant in the group,” she says. “It needs a solid identity. Establishing that will be a prime goal.”
Shelton will officially join the team June 1, but plans on shadowing Risk and Mendica as much as possible before they leave.
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