Today we’d like to introduce you to Karyn Tomlinson.
Hi Karyn, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t grow up aspiring to be a chef and own a restaurant, but I did see the powerful connection between growing food and sharing with others. My grandparents lived in a small farming community, and that is where I learned about hospitality as a lifestyle. It wasn’t until I had graduated from college and started gardening that I was compelled to cook for others, and when I did, I was hooked. I was so curious about the whole process, but I didn’t have any formal training. So I went off to Paris and studied under classic French chefs at Le Cordon Bleu to fix that. Still unsure of what I wanted to do, I returned to the US and explored different parts of the food world. I landed my first restaurant job in a small French restaurant, and that’s where I fell in love with the challenges and rhythm of the restaurant world. After a few years there I took a position as a pastry chef in a hot new restaurant in downtown Minneapolis. From there I went to work for a winter at an elite restaurant, Fäviken, in northern Sweden and on returning to Minnesota, took a position as a Chef de Cuisine in a small restaurant with close connections to farms. While I was there I won a national whole-animal butchery competition and that opened many doors for me. By the time Covid began, I was thinking about opening my own restaurant.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have been many challenges along the way. Since I started pursuing this career later than many others had, I struggled with sense of imposter syndrome. At the time I started, there were also fewer women in kitchens. It took me a while to find acceptance in the field and to also establish my own voice.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://myrielmn.com
- Instagram: @myrielmn @katomlinson
