Megan Garrelts, Pastry Chef, Restaurant Owner in Kansas City, MO, and Chicago Native   

Being a chef and restaurant owner: it’s all about creating something every day that will likely lift someone’s spirits or satisfy their hunger, eschewing office life, and sitting down after the workday to a delicious, nutritious meal. It sounds very good!  There are also very long days on your feet (the clog and comfy shoe industry have a huge market in culinary folks); making sure the food you buy is both high-quality and fits into your restaurant’s budget;  and, of course, an all-important focus on ambience and customer service.

Megan Garrelts is one person who had seen both the positive and challenging aspects of the restaurant biz mentioned above. She and her husband and fellow chef Colby own two restaurants, both established in 2004: Rye KC, in Leawood, KS, and Bluestem, in Kansas City, MO.  Both restaurants have that sort of “new American + lots of delicious international elements thrown in” fare, ranging from Rye’s brunch menu listing  of down-to-earth doughnuts, to the dinner offering of Heirloom Tomato, Squash and Torchio Pasta, plus an astonishing range of steaks. Bluestem has a slightly more genteel, haute cuisine vibe, with the type of menu layout you might see in any upscale Manhattan restaurant.

Megan and her husband both have top pedigrees: she is a Chicago native who attended the Culinary Institute of America, then worked in restaurants around the country to gain skills and culinary savvy (read below for her smart, “winging it” approach to finding top quality venues so she could learn from the best).  She did just that, and with her expertise in desserts, went on to become a James Beard Semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef.  She has also had recipes published in Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, The Wall Street Journal, and Saveur.

 Her husband is a James Beard Foundation Best Chef (Midwest division) award winner, and together, they are parents, co-workers, and fellow gourmands. They look forward now, with the spectacular success of their two restaurants, to opening two or three more in a few years. For now, Midwest diners can enjoy – scrumptiously – the Garrelts’ two flagship restaurants at their leisure.

When and how did you start cooking?
I started cooking at age 15 at the Metro Grill in my hometown of Naperville, IL. It was part of an independent study I created with my high school home economics teacher.

How long before you realized you were going to be making a living off cooking?
I knew very early. My uncle ran a Mexican restaurant in Dallas, and we would visit him often when I was little. I loved to run around the kitchens he managed.  

How has your background influenced your cooking?
I have a tight-knit family that would cook big dinners like Thanksgiving together. My mom and I would often bake together when I was little, and my pastries are reminders of childhood.  Nostalgia definitely influences my desserts and the ingredients I use.

Is there anyone who’s been a big influence on what you do?
My mother and my children.

What are your favorite ingredients you like to work with?
They are quince, chocolate, nutmeg, pumpkin, nectarines and lemon.

What is your favorite dish to make?
I enjoy baking summer cobblers or festive cakes for celebrations.

How do you ensure quality and control in your kitchen?
Taste it all! It is also crucial to surround yourself with a good team for consistency.

How do you make your food in your restaurant your own?
Our pie dough was a recipe I developed prior to opening, but really everything in our kitchen is passed down. The restaurant atmosphere and team give the restaurant an identity, and the food is an extension of that.

How do you balance creativity and business?
I begin with the business every morning, then get creative once guests arrive. Conversations I have with guests and other chefs fuel this creativity. Honestly, as a creative person you never stop dreaming, and as a business owner you are always on the clock. I enjoy what I do every day, but balance is important. I work to balance my career and my kids daily.  A great team and nanny help as well!

How did you plan out your career?
I focused on completing schooling first. I went to the Culinary Institute of America for baking and pastry right out of high school, then studied a Zagat guide and followed what restaurants sounded amazing.

My passion led me from NYC to Chicago (my hometown), to Vegas and LA, ending in Kansas City where I met my husband Colby. We opened Bluestem in Colby’s home state several months after getting hitched!

What is your most well-used cookbook?
The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern by Claudia Fleming. I love the simplicity of her desserts, and the photographs, flavors and plate compositions are still used often, many years after her book was first published.

Do you have any humbling or humorous anecdotes from your career?
I burned a wedding cake in my early days of owning a business. I was mortified — I will never feel good about that bride and groom. Fortunately, the other desserts I made for them were awesome, but no one ate the cake. I had no time to remake it, and had to trim it to try to make it good, but the cake was too dry.

How do you juggle your personal life on top of being in the demanding food industry?
We are much better at it now than we’ve ever been. Some days we know when it’s time to check out and go home. We also have a large calendar that runs our lives — without it I am nothing. Our kids make life really fun, and some days going to the water park is the best idea!

Do you have a “chef’s kitchen” at home?
No, we never have had one in any home we’ve owned. Our plan for next summer is to finally build a beautiful chef’s kitchen at home as we cook and bake often in our house as a family. We’ll be looking for marble countertops, and a great convection oven…any sponsors out there?  Ha!

Where do you go when you go out to eat?
It depends if we are looking for casual, fancy, kids or no kids. We eat a lot with friends at our home or theirs, and we know all of the chefs in town. Choosing where to go just depends on our mood. Some favorite local spots include Dolce Bakery (cinnamon rolls and amazing scones), Port Fonda (best Mexican food, amazing friends, and our kids love it too), Extra Virgin (our friends Michael and Nancy Smith always get silly with us there, with great small plates and cocktails).

Are there any local places you want to try?
We have been almost everywhere! I really need to get to Ladybird Diner in Lawrence, KS. They have breakfast and pie — two of my favorite things!

What is your favorite city to travel to for amazing food?
Chicago is my home away from home. Every time we go, something is new and worth the trip.

What exotic food do you think everyone needs to try at least once?
Foie gras! My husband’s torchon [a variety of the delicacy] is the best I’ve ever had.

What are the advantages you’ve experienced as a woman in the food industry?
Empowering people. I’m short and strong, and it has helped me navigate the waters of learning business, managing people and engaging guests. I really don’t care to know the difference between the sexes in the kitchen — it’s one big family, and the strong ones survive! I am constantly amazed at how many people want to know us or be a part of what my husband and I have created through our love of food and entertaining.

What advice do you have for women considering a career as a chef or in the food business?
Eat in as many places as you can stand. Research everything from service, to design, to food. Learning the whole picture is so important to success. So many restaurants are incomplete when concepts open or develop, but women can have a wonderful perspective on their environment if they take the time.

Also, my husband does all things I don’t want to do, and I do the things he does not want to do.  Teamwork and open mindedness are everything — then you put your head down, and make it happen.

What is the key to your success, in three words?
Confidence, organization, and risk.

The speed of today’s society is resulting from new technologies. Has this speed impacted the way you operate in the kitchen?
General computer systems help with faster ordering. I think technology and speed has made the greatest impact from social media. With the swipe of your mouse you can share your recipes, ideas and photos with the world; it’s not only an advertisement for what you do, but also a way to collaborate with the world on ideas in food and restaurants.

What’s next for you?
Colby and I are looking to open two or three more restaurants in the future. I would also love to write another cookbook about desserts, when time allows.