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an immigrant from Russia, and his wife Dorothy, of German and Norwegian ancestry. Her father founded a potato chip company, and had a deep interest in food. She was born in [[Minneapolis]] and lived in [[Golden Valley, Minnesota]] in her childhood.<ref name = NVR>{{cite news | last =Carl | first =Tim | title =Cindy Pawlcyn's sale to Joel Gott| newspaper =[[Napa Valley Register]] | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =July 10, 2018 | url =https://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/columnists/tim-carl/tim-carl-local-tastes-cindy-pawlcyns-sale-to-joel-gott/article_eb4c8666-1224-52a5-9e57-1c55c745746a.html | accessdate =April 19, 2021 }}</ref>
an immigrant from Russia, and his wife Dorothy, of German and Norwegian ancestry. Her father founded a potato chip company, and had a deep interest in food. She was born in [[Minneapolis]] and lived in [[Golden Valley, Minnesota]] in her childhood.<ref name = NVR>{{cite news | last =Carl | first =Tim | title =Cindy Pawlcyn's sale to Joel Gott| newspaper =[[Napa Valley Register]] | location = | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =July 10, 2018 | url =https://napavalleyregister.com/lifestyles/food-and-cooking/columnists/tim-carl/tim-carl-local-tastes-cindy-pawlcyns-sale-to-joel-gott/article_eb4c8666-1224-52a5-9e57-1c55c745746a.html | accessdate =April 19, 2021 }}</ref>


Pawlcyn began working in a [[Minneapolis]] cooking school at the age of 13 and while in high school she ran her own [[catering]] business. She earned a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the [[University of Wisconsin-Stout]]. She took courses at [[Le Cordon Bleu]] and received formal training at La Varenne in Paris before working at the Pump Room in Chicago. She moved to [[California]] in 1980 to take a job at McArthur Park. Pawlcyn left McArthur Park to be the opening chef at Meadowood in [[St. Helena]] and then joined Bruce LeFavour at Rose et LaFavour.<ref name = NVR/><ref>{{cite news | last =Hu | first =Janny | title =Chef Cindy Pawlcyn savors storied career | newspaper =[[SFGate.com]] | location =[[San Francisco]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =March 9, 2013 | url =https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Chef-Cindy-Pawlcyn-savors-storied-career-4342672.php | accessdate =April 19, 2021 }}</ref>
Pawlcyn began working in a [[Minneapolis]] cooking school at the age of 13 and while in high school she ran her own [[catering]] business. She earned a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the [[University of Wisconsin-Stout]]. She took courses at [[Le Cordon Bleu]] and received formal training at La Varenne in Paris before working at the Pump Room in Chicago. She moved to [[California]] in 1980 to take a job at McArthur Park. Pawlcyn left McArthur Park to be the opening chef at Meadowood in [[St. Helena]] and then joined Bruce LeFavour at Rose et LaFavour.<ref name = NVR/><ref name= SFG>{{cite news | last =Hu | first =Janny | title =Chef Cindy Pawlcyn savors storied career | newspaper =[[SFGate.com]] | location =[[San Francisco]] | pages = | language = | publisher = | date =March 9, 2013 | url =https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/Chef-Cindy-Pawlcyn-savors-storied-career-4342672.php | accessdate =April 19, 2021 }}</ref>




Revision as of 00:47, 20 April 2021

photo of chef Cindy Pawlcyn in 2011
Cindy Pawlcyn in 2011

Cynthia Pawlcyn (born Minneapolis, Minnesota) is an American chef best known for the restaurants she opened in the San Francisco Bay Area and the Napa Valley between 1983 and 2008. Pawlcyn was an early advocate for using local, sustainable meats and produce in her restaurants. In 2009, Pawlcyn appeared in the first season of Bravo’s "Top Chef: Masters."

Life

Pawlcyn is the daughter of Stephen Pawlcyn, an immigrant from Russia, and his wife Dorothy, of German and Norwegian ancestry. Her father founded a potato chip company, and had a deep interest in food. She was born in Minneapolis and lived in Golden Valley, Minnesota in her childhood.[1]

Pawlcyn began working in a Minneapolis cooking school at the age of 13 and while in high school she ran her own catering business. She earned a degree in hotel and restaurant management from the University of Wisconsin-Stout. She took courses at Le Cordon Bleu and received formal training at La Varenne in Paris before working at the Pump Room in Chicago. She moved to California in 1980 to take a job at McArthur Park. Pawlcyn left McArthur Park to be the opening chef at Meadowood in St. Helena and then joined Bruce LeFavour at Rose et LaFavour.[1][2]


In April, 2014, Pawlcyn and her husband John Watanabe were injured in a head-on collision in the Carneros district between Napa and Sonoma. The driver of the other car had crossed the center divide of the highway. A four year old boy in the other car was killed and his mother was injured.[3] Pawlcyn suffered 22 broken bones, was hospitalized for 15 days, and was confined to a wheelchair for months.[4]

Pawlcyn collects cookbooks, but her home and her personal library of more than 4,000 books was destroyed in the 2020 Glass Fire in Napa County. She is beginning to rebuild the collection; people from all over Northern California bring her cookbooks from their own libraries.

Professional history

In the New York Times, food critic Eric Asimov wrote, "Cindy Pawlcyn has a talent for creating popular dining environments that meld satisfying, unchallenging food with just a bit of shtick."[5]

Mustards Grill, Yountville, opened 1983:[6] named for the wild mustard flowers that grow in the wine country every year, Mustards became known for French-trained chef-quality food in a casual setting.

Fog City Diner, San Francisco, opened 1985: when Pawlcyn opened the Fog City Diner in 1985, it became an iconic restaurant because it served critically acclaimed food in a building that looked like an Airstream trailer. Visa filmed an ad about the Fog City Diner.

Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen, St. Helena, opened 2003: the restaurant was called Miramonte when it opened in 2003 but Pawlcyn changed the name to Cindy's Backstreet Kitchen within a year.

Go Fish/Brassica/Cindy Pawlcyn's Wood Grill & Wine Bar, St. Helena, opened 2006: in 2011, the restaurant, committed to sustainability, took sushi off the menu. Shortly thereafter, Cindy and partner Sean Knight announced that they would be transitioning Go Fish to a Mediterranean restaurant called Brassica, opening in September 2011. In 2012 the restaurant transitioned to another new concept and is now called Cindy Pawlcyn's Wood Grill & Wine Bar.

Cindy Pawlcyn also was involved with opening Tra Vigne, Brix, Roti (opened in 1993), Betelnut, Buckeye Roadhouse, and Rio Grill.[7] She currently owns and runs Mustards Grill and Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.

Published works

  • "Fog City Diner Cookbook," 1993, Ten Speed Press
  • "Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook," 2001, Ten Speed Press (Won the James Beard Foundation Award for Best American Cookbook in 2002.)
  • "Big Small Plates," 2006, Ten Speed Press
  • "Appetizers," 2009, Ten Speed Press

Awards and accolades

  • James Beard Foundation Award in 2002 for Best American Cookbook for "Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook."
  • Twice nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef in California.
  • Robert Mondavi Award for Culinary Excellence.
  • Fine Beverage and Food Federation’s Career Achievement Award.

References

  1. ^ a b Carl, Tim (July 10, 2018). "Cindy Pawlcyn's sale to Joel Gott". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  2. ^ Hu, Janny (March 9, 2013). "Chef Cindy Pawlcyn savors storied career". SFGate.com. San Francisco. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  3. ^ Yune, Howard; Todorov, Kerana (April 6, 2014). "Updated: Boy killed, restaurateur Cindy Pawlcyn hurt in Carneros crash: Mother of 4-year-old boy seriously injured in head-on collision". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  4. ^ Sweeny, Cynthia (August 17, 2014). "Pawlcyn continues recovery months after car crash". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  5. ^ Asimov, Eric (November 7, 2004). "In Rarefied Napa, Good Food Without Attitude". New York Times.
  6. ^ Mustards Grill
  7. ^ Chef Cindy Pawlcyn savors storied career
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