Rural Roots And Simple Ingredients: A Minnesota Chef's Story

Minnesota native Chef Karyn Tomlinson draws inspiration from her rural upbringing and deep respect for locally sourced ingredients. Her Saint Paul restaurant Myriel, named after the beloved Les Misérables character Bishop Myriel, combines hospitality with a commitment to sustainability and community. Named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2024, Chef Tomlinson continues to focus on supporting local farmers and a menu that evolves with each season.

Where did you grow up, and what was your early life like?

I was born in Minnesota. I grew up in the suburbs but spent a lot of time visiting my grandparents in a small farming community.

Who were the people you looked up to as role models during your childhood?

I can’t think of a specific role model, but as an only child I spent a lot of time with adults who I respected. I was able to see how different people valued their time and lived with purpose.

What were some of the biggest obstacles you faced when you began your career?

I started my career in cooking a little later in life than many other people in the industry. For a long time I struggled with a sense of inadequacy or imposter syndrome. This notion was also reinforced when it took me a while to get a foothold in the kitchen at a time when there were much fewer women in the back of house.

How did the idea for your restaurant Myriel come to life?

When I first started cooking, I read Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables. I was deeply captivated by the descriptions of the Bishop Myriel—his lifestyle of humble hospitality, his generosity, and the way he used even a simple meal to show someone life-changing kindness. It has continued to be an inspiration for me as I’ve built a career in food.  Right before Covid I started to think seriously about opening my own restaurant. And I knew I wanted to work with Minnesota ingredients from small farms and evoke Bishop Myriel’s style of people-centric hospitality.

Are there any signature dishes or personal favorites you’ve created for the menu?

Pie has been on since day one, and it is both an homage to my grandmother who taught me so much, and my favorite expression of love through food. Along the way, our menu has changed so much it is impossible to pick favorite things. I get most excited when we highlight an ingredient, many times a simple one that is often overlooked, and it makes someone gain a new appreciation for it. Those “aha” moments are incredibly gratifying.

Have you brought some Myriel dishes back because of the feedback from diners?

Yes! We just put on creamed cabbage on for a second run, Parisian gnocchi (thanks to one young man in the neighborhood), and I’m told we absolutely must bring back our pain perdu dessert after we retire it for warm weather season. But mostly we keep innovating.

What inspired you to incorporate whole animal butchery into the concept at Myriel?

I learned a lot about the efficiency of butchering whole animals when I was the chef at Corner Table. I saw how one animal can go such a long way if you simply strategize, and I was drawn to the idea of using everything in proportion…especially such a valuable resource that takes so much to produce. It also feels more respectful towards the animals that way. During Covid, my friendships with local farmers grew, so it just was natural to buy animals directly from them when we opened Myriel.

How do you go about sourcing the ingredients for your dishes?

We are in constant dialogue with farmers throughout the year to plan for our ingredients. We are privileged to work with many farmers who grow vegetables, fruits, herbs, grains, dairy and the rest. We love cooking with ingredients that come from people we know. Once a week I drive out to the smaller farms we work with to pick things up and do some foraging.

You were named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in 2024. What do you think someone would learn about you through your culinary creations?

They would see nothing that is meant to impress, and the technique is only there to serve a greater purpose. They would see a deep regard for the resources around us and all within a context of human connection. These things are all important values to me and to my team.

You posted your first “Karyn’s Quarantine Kitchen” video on Instagram in March 2020. What inspired you to start that project?

I started my Quarantine Kitchen series when we all had to limit trips to the grocery store (and those of us in restaurants couldn’t work). I wanted to share tips for getting creative with common pantry items and help people create fun meals at home when we all found ourselves cooking more. I collaborated with a friend in the wine industry who suggested wine pairings (available through local retail) with the meals to help foster special in-home dining experiences.

Do you still find value in social media today?

Social media has been a great tool for me personally when I was first getting established, and for my business as a basic brand/communication platform. I have found it harder though to spend much time making creative original content like I once did (for free!), because there is only space for so much creative work. This past year I have needed to focus on my business and other meaningful projects.

What is your favorite kitchen tool? 

A handful of things come to mind: a small whisk, an offset spatula, and basic kitchen tweezers.

Finally, what exciting plans or projects do you have coming up?

I’m just now starting to work on a cookbook which is very exciting, and I have been for some time working on a show that focuses on the intersection of farming and cooking—the insider’s scoop that I get to see all the time. There are a few other things I’m thinking about, but I am still mainly at my restaurant and am grateful for that.