Steven and Kathy Becker are busier than ever. Their new wine bar, Vino Nadoz, opened last week and they continue to keep with up the daily demands of operating two Nadoz Cafe locations, as well as off-site and on-premise catering at The Coronado Ballroom in Midtown through their catering business, Steven Becker Fine Dining. To help steer the ship, the Beckers have hired Trent Thrun as executive chef of SBFD.
Thrun, who assumed the position today, worked most recently as a banquet chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Ga. Thrun is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., and has 21 years of experience in the industry.
First on Thrun’s agenda: “Assess the overall operation on what is needed for banquets, assist with Nadoz [Café] and Vino Nadoz, and move forward with new recipes.” In addition, Thrun is excited to familiarize himself with St. Louis and especially meet and work with local purveyors. “We worked with local farms in Georgia very closely,” he noted. “Farm-to-fork is very important; it’s a way to showcase the community on your menu and give a better experience to your customers.”
Kathy Schmidt had stepped into the executive chef role for Steven Becker Fine Dining, but she will now focus solely on running operations at Vino Nadoz. “Her skills are with a la carte so the wine bar fits her better,” explained Kathy Becker.
This article appears in April 2011.