woman standing outside restaurant
Karyn Tomlinson outside of her almost ready Myriel.
It's been a long time coming, but Karyn Tomlinson's restaurant is almost open. She's hard at work transforming the former Bar Brigade (Ristorante Luci before that) into Myriel, her first as chef/owner. She took over the space late last summer, and has been slowly working on it and preparing takeout meals in the interim. "I think for anyone who's still in this, it's about conviction, a drive for hospitality," Tomlinson told me. "That's kind of been the backbone of our whole process. Even while doing takeout as we're under construction, and it's totally bare bones in here, so un-glamorous, so challenging, so mentally and emotionally exhausting. But at the same time, we've gotten to know some incredible supportive people in the neighborhood and that's amazing. It all just feels more meaningful now."
restaurant dining room
The dining room behind those incredible patio doors.
Tomlinson, or the Queen of Porc as she should be called for winning the national Cochon 555 competition in 2018 while cheffing at Corner Table, has partnered up with James Brown of Anderson Realty on this project. Brown helped launch Forage Modern Workshop and Hi-Lo Diner, and has done a lot of the renovation work that has been changing the space. There hasn't been a massive overhaul, but it does feel lighter and softer in there, even just by adding cane webbing sconces to the wall and lighter wood tables. They've had the time to be really thoughtful about what they want and don't want.
woman sitting at table
Joy is plotting all the good meals she's going to eat at Myriel.
One of those choices was closing off part of the dining room to create more kitchen space (this was one of the metro's most legendary hard-to-work tiny kitchens.) They scored the French flat-top from the old Grand Cafe space and that needs room. Instead of the back room seating, there's now a wall with a long bench and a bigger table that faces out into the room with views through the new floor-to-ceiling patio doors.
"I still don't even know if I can fully articulate how in the past year, or really between Corner Table closing and now, how my thinking has changed. I'm so thankful for this gap of time and all the hard things, all the challenges, all the existential crises and all of that. I think that you really have to come out of it having more conviction, and that does include the food part, which has crystallized more for me. I think that more than ever I feel it's important to offer really special experiences and it's really solidified for both me and my whole team that giving people special moments of hospitality, whether it's a big tasting menu or they're just popping in for one of their favorite dishes or something, people need to be treated specially and with dignity, and they need to have human touch."
dining room with huge patio doors
They found those gorgeous doors at Bauer Bros salvage.
What does that mean for the foodstuffs? Tomlinson has her porky reputation, but she also brought out her Scandinavian-Grandma chic side with her Uffda pop-up at the Travail Residency. "I'm still really excited to do stuff that reflects what we grow and produce here in Minnesota with ingredients, but then draw on more time-honored European techniques. Like a French Scandinavian sensibility, old peasant French meats new Nordic. That's the best way I can describe it. We're going to try to source from around here and I'm in touch with small farmers who aren't being used by other restaurants, they're doing really cool things."
She's excited to do a tasting menu, which will be a ticketed seating nightly, but still have around 10 á la carte menu items to offer the walk-ins from the neighborhood. Tomlinson envisions the tasting menu to be a really special experience, with the kitchen bringing out courses and telling stories of the food. But even the regular menu will aim to give people something fresh, she noted, "I think in the peasant French and Nordic sensibility realm something I love is that it's very ingredient centered. It's really like: hey look at this carrot salad, have you thought about carrots this way in a while? The goal is food that's just honestly kind of simple, well-sourced, and beautiful. And that's without too many frills or more than there needs to be."
bar at myriel
The bar at Myriel.
They'll be doing dinner only to start, Wednesday through Sunday. Brunch is a thought, and more service days may open up once they get the feel for the neighborhood and the kitchen and the flow of it all. Tomlinson is fine with navigating this in a different way than perhaps, some other chefs. She was recently featured in a documentary screened at the Tribeca Film Festival. Called A Woman's Place, the short film examines the challenges women face in this industry.
"I think creating space for a different style of leadership is what we so need. A leadership that can embrace nurture as a positive quality, and just that alone. In the past, what we've considered strong and weak and good leadership or bad leadership, I think what we've really lost sight of, is what hospitality is and what it can be. Now is a time for new innovation, doing your thing, but doing it by your convictions. Creating gatherings for these little communities around you who are feeling the need for that. Re-making those human connections again through food. You know, I think that it's just kind of liberating."
Myriel is not, as some had assumed (ahem), the name of her Grandmother. Tomlinson's restaurant is named for the bishop character in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. "I broke my wrist when I was working at Meritage and I had no idea what was going to happen to me. I started listening to that book and it just captured me, that part of the story where the Bishop Myriel invites the ex-convict Valjean into his home to have a meal. He hears this guy's story and then he actually sets more fancy silverware on the table. Knowing Valjean was going to steal it, Myriel basically makes him feel more special and that was what began the transformation in this guy's life. I saw it vividly in my mind's eye, this space and inviting people in to what feels like a home. This is actually going to be really close to what I imagined back then."
Myriel is planning to open on July 7th. Reservations will open soon! If you want to keep up to date on all things Myriel, sign up for their newsletter.
470 Cleveland Ave. S., St. Paul
