The James Beard Foundation has announced the semifinalists for the 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards. Six local chefs and one restaurant made the list of nominees.
Among the 20 semifinalists for the “Best Chef: Midwest” category are Rob Connoley of Bulrush, Craig Rivard of Little Fox, Evy Swoboda of Brasserie, and Ben Welch of Botanica.
Find the best food in St. Louis
Subscribe to the St. Louis Dining In and Dining Out newsletters to stay up-to-date on the local restaurant and culinary scene.
Rivard and his wife, Mowgli, opened the critically acclaimed Little Fox in Fox Park in 2019. SLM dining critic Dave Lowry reviewed the restaurant in the April 2020 issue, just as the restaurant temporarily closed at the onset of the pandemic. After it fully reopened—and was subsequently named to The New York Times‘ The Restaurant List for 2021—SLM revisited the review.
Swoboda returned to Niche Food Group last year, taking on the role of executive chef at Brasserie. (She had worked as chef de cuisine at Pastaria before leaving to open The Last Kitchen at The Last Hotel in 2019). Of her role at Brasserie, Swoboda told SLM that she “was nervous to step into this established restaurant in the middle of a pandemic, but I couldn’t be more grateful for my team. We’ve managed to create a little ‘French getaway’ in the Central West End and keep this place more alive than ever. My name represents my team, as they are the backbone of Brasserie, and I am very thankful and excited for the nomination.”
Welch first made a name for himself at Big Baby Q and Smokehouse, a tiny storefront in Maryland Heights that he operated with his father before moving on to run the kitchen at The Midwestern Meat & Drink. Last year, he became executive chef at Ryan and Lindsay Sherring’s Six Mile Bridge Brewery and then assumed the same role at Botanica in Wildwood, which is also owned by the Sherrings. Welch left Botanica in January 2022 (as reported by Ian Froeb of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) to work on a cookbook and scout locations for Lucy Quinn, a restaurant concept that he’s had in his mind since 2018. Ryan Sherring told SLM, “We’re very proud of Ben. He’s a seriously talented chef, and he’s done a great job getting Botanica where we are today.”
The only prior James Beard semifinalist is Connoley, who was nominated in the “Best Chef: Southwest” category in 2014 for Curious Kumquat, his foraging-forward restaurant located in Silver City, New Mexico. A Bridgeton native, Connoley returned to the area in 2016. Bulrush opened in April 2019.
In the Outstanding Pastry Chef category, longtime Brasserie chef Elise Mensing was named to the list of 20 semifinalists. Still recovering from “a state of disbelief,” she tells SLM, “It’s a huge honor to be recognized on a national level like this, but honestly what gives me the greatest sense of joy and gratitude is the warm and genuine offers of congratulations from coworkers, friends, and family.
“I’ve been doing this job for a while,” she continues, “and there have been lots of difficult moments. But my desire to perform well and be creative never really faltered, due in large part to the support and faith offered by all of these people. I’m very proud of our restaurant, this company, and St. Louis.”
Ben Grupe received an Emerging Chef nomination for Tempus, which opened fully in late 2021, after having been open a full year for takeout service only. Grupe was nominated in 2018 for “Best Chef: Midwest” in 2018, when he was executive chef at Elaia. As Grupe shared in an earlier conversation with SLM, he was captain of the US Culinary Olympic team in 2016 and competed in the American Mentor BKB selection for the prestigious Bocuse d’Or.
Vicia, owned by Michael and Tara Gallina, received two nominations, for Outstanding Wine Program and Outstanding Bar Program. In 2018, Vicia was a nominee for Best New Restaurant, another national category. Michael was also a semifinalist for Best Chef: Midwest in 2019 and 2020. This afternoon, Tara praised beverage director Kara Flaherty and bar manager Phil Ingram “on the much-deserved national recognition for creating one of the most exciting beverage programs in the country. We are incredibly proud of our team and love seeing them shine.”
It’s been an exciting week for the Gallinas. Yesterday, they announced the formation of a new hospitality group, new chefs, and more restaurants on the way.
The Beard Awards, known colloquially as the “culinary Oscars,” are returning this year after a pandemic-induced hiatus. The 2020 awards were canceled before any winners were announced, and the 2021 awards were canceled outright.
This year, the finalists will be announced March 16, and the awards ceremony will be held June 13 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
