Chef Karyn Tomlinson shares thoughts about her childhood, creative instincts and authentic culinary experiences.
We often recognize culinary expertise in terms of rich flavours and ingredients. However, have you ever thought how food plays a huge role in fostering bonds and celebrating distinct cultures? Chef Karyn Tomlinson’s journey reflects how cuisine can celebrate cultures in a delightful way.
She is the owner/operator of Myriel, a restaurant in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her culinary expertise has been recognized with features in The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, among others. She recently became the 2025 James Beard Award semi-finalist in the “Best Chef Mid-West” category.
With creativity and warmth at the centre of her life, Chef Karyn’s experiences are a testament to how a well-curated meal and table can both make a difference. She recalled growing up in a hospitable home where her parents and grandparents always had people come over. Loving people and making them feel welcomed was the rhythm that guided her childhood.
An only child, she always had a sense of adventure and was happy to play by herself in the woods, often pretending to be cooking with leaves and berries. She also spoke about her grandmother’s famous pies and how she loved walking into the house filled with their aromas.
While she saw an environment where food was homegrown and hospitality was humble, she wasn’t particularly interested in cooking. As a child, she wanted to work either in international diplomacy or to make movies. With her streak of artistic creativity, she always wanted to do something that had cultural significance.
It was only when she started gardening and cooking that she realized first-hand the connection between growing vegetables, cooking and seeing the magic it brought, by helping people connect around the table. To explore this newfound interest, she went to cooking school in France for the classic culinary experience.
Her journey as a chef started in her late 20s. She reminisces how it was slightly unusual for women like her — that is, with no tattoos — to enter the kitchen scene. It took some time for her to develop her voice. Another chef once advised her to lean into her background story because people will respond to conviction and authenticity.
She abides by this advice to stay authentic and creative. She is captivated by food’s history and its evolution, and by traditions that she grew up with that are a part of that story. She can trace common threads between the things she cares about, weaving them to create nostalgic traditions of her own.
Tomlinson explained how her restaurant’s name was inspired by her favourite character in Victor Hugo’s novel Les Misérables, Bishop Myriel, who in the novel, welcomes the social outcast and former prisoner Jean Valjean into his house just as he is about to have dinner. Rather than dismissing him, Myriel invites Valjean to join him and sets the table with the most elegant silver settings. Valjean’s life begins to change as a result of this kindness. She also wanted her restaurant to celebrate her growing relationship with local farmers.
Reflecting on the factors that make Myriel stand out from the rest, she said, “There is a sense of warmth and nurture both in our style of service and food. There is a respectful excellence that resonates with different cultures on a global level. We have a tasting menu of 13 courses. We are using humble ingredients, skill and time and thought to make food as delicious as possible.”
As for her plans for the future, she shared that some creative projects are in the works and that she has done consulting and creative coaching with restaurants, helping them to use more ingredients from local farms. She is also focusing on optimizing her systems and keeping her staff happy.
“THERE IS A SENSE OF WARMTH AND NURTURE BOTH IN OUR STYLE OF SERVICE AND FOOD. THERE IS A RESPECTFUL EXCELLENCE THAT RESONATES WITH DIFFERENT CULTURES ON A GLOBAL LEVEL.”
She has a strong connection with farmers and the entire agricultural process. She recognizes the power of connecting to where our food comes from. She beautifully noted how eating a carrot grown at one’s own farm is a totally distinct experience compared to taking it out of a bag at a grocery store. More than anything, it is a celebration of people who work tirelessly to grow fresh vegetables while at the mercy of many factors including weather, markets and legislation. And, she added, “We are prone to value food more, waste less and enjoy it when we recognize where it comes from.”
When asked about her dolce vita, she said that she valued how special it was to have connections with people around the table that lead to real conversations and relationships. For her, to partake in and facilitate that for more people is her secret to a sweet life. Amid the noises that surround us, she values the significance of the simple things in life such as feeling a breeze during harvest and whole-heartedly enjoying with others the fruits of your labour.
INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO
www.myrielmn.com
@myrielmn
@katomlinson
