Chef Bryan Flaxbeard, whose last name has earned him the affectionate sobriquet “The Angry Pirate” among friends in the industry, is hardly a raging marauder right now. That’s because Flaxbeard has been handed the top spot at Molly’s in Soulard.
Flaxbeard has been in the business for about 13 years. He spent time in the kitchen at Commander’s Palace in NOLA, working his way up the line from chef de partie to saucier and later serving as sous chef at Commander’s sister restaurant in Sin City. Flaxbeard then worked in kitchens in Alaska before heading to St. Louis two years ago to be near family, during which period he worked as sous chef at Herbie’s Vintage 72 in the Central West End.
Although Flaxbeard noted that he enjoyed his time at Herbie’s, he’s excited for the move. “They [Molly’s owners Luke Reynolds and Sam Berger] are looking for somebody to come in and do good Creole food, and I definitely excel at that. It’s my thing, my style. It’s a good opportunity for me to show the city what you can do with a dark roux.”
Reynolds told Sauce that we can expect the new executive chef to begin steering the Molly’s ship immediately.
All of our coverage of Molly’s in Soulard
This article appears in Nov 1-30, 2010.