By Riverfront Times
Kevin Nashan of Sidney Street Cafe can now add James Beard award-winning chef to his already impressive resume.
“Who thinks this is going to happen to them,” Nashan told the RFT just shortly after the award was presented. “I’m just so humbled. Seriously, I never thought it was going to happen.”
When he took over Sidney Street Cafe in 2003, the restaurant already had a solid reputation amongst St. Louis diners as an upscale meat and potatoes spot. Under Nashan, it has transformed over the years into a bastion of thoughtful, classically anchored modern cuisine, earning it a place amongst the city’s most iconic restaurants.
In 2014, Nashan opened Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co., which has also won raves from critics and diners alike. (The award solely honors his work at Sidney Street.)
The win is not just a win for Nashan, but for the city of St. Louis as well. Nashan’s award represents the second time in three years that a St. Louis chef has earned the honor. Gerard Craft was the city’s first winner when he brought home the award in 2015. Once chefs win a regional category — like Craft, and now Nashan — they are ineligible to compete in that category again.
“I’m just so happy my team was here with me and able to watch as it happened,” Nashan says. “Now I have to call my mom. She’s probably wondering what’s taking me so long.”
About The Author
