Life can take us down unexpected paths, and no one understands this better than Rob Connoley. He has a Ph.D. in the social psychology of sport and exercise from Purdue University and spent years working for worthy causes at various nonprofits. He also is a James Beard Award semifinalist whose food has been featured in The New York Times, Saveur Magazine and other national publications. The St. Louis native had no restaurant experience when he decided to switch careers nearly 10 years ago to open The Curious Kumquat in Silver City, New Mexico. “I hadn’t even been a dishwasher as a kid,” he says. Now, the acclaimed chef has returned home and is working on opening his highly anticipated restaurant, Bulrush. For now, we have Squatter’s Cafe, a breakfast and lunch spot that just opened last November in Grand Center.
As a kid, Connoley spent a lot of time running. His favorite place was the Columbia Bottoms Conservation Area. “I’d just run for hours,” he recalls. “I loved the proximity to nature while still being in the city.” He maintained that drive and ceaseless energy throughout his life, which ultimately gave him the courage to make a major career change around the time he turned 40. His position running a drug addiction treatment center was wrapping up in New Mexico, and Connoley had an epiphany of sorts. “I was watching my friends start to retire after long careers, and they were feeling lost and not as excited about life,” he says. He wanted to remain passionate about his work, so he embraced his love for cooking and opened a restaurant. “I’ll probably die on the kitchen floor because I enjoy it that much,” he jokes.
Connoley’s vision for The Curious Kumquat was to have a completely local menu, but a hothouse tomato from a local farmer led to another revelation. “When I bit into it, it was flavorless and mealy,” he recalls. “It was a big moment.
I realized then that just because something can be grown locally, doesn’t mean it should be.” Instead of abandoning his ‘localvore’ vision, Connoley was pushed to learn more about ingredients that could be naturally foraged from the region. “The local Apache culture in New Mexico wasn’t migratory; they survived off the land all year,” he explains. “I spoke to local experts who taught me how they did it. I brought a culinary perspective and worked on how I could make those ingredients delicious.”
That underwhelming tomato had a world of impact on Connoley, who is known for his foraged and farm-to-table approach to food. “I’m very conscious of where food comes from, and it’s important that it be properly sourced,” he says. He even published a cookbook on the subject, Acorns & Cattails: A Modern Foraging Cookbook of Forest, Farm & Field, and says it’s easy for anyone to get involved. St. Louisans with an interest can turn to resources like the Missouri Wild Edibles Facebook page and the Missouri Mycological Society. “There is a lot of knowledge out there, and it’s really easy to access,” he says.
Connoley returned to St. Louis a year and a half ago to open Bulrush, a restaurant focused on foraged ingredients, but he isn’t satisfied just working on one concept alone. To keep his skills sharp and his mind engaged, he opened Squatter’s Cafe last November. The name refers to the kitchenless state he and his sous chef, Justin Bell, have been in while doing pop-ups and other promotions for Bulrush. “We brainstormed a lot of names, and they all had to do with taking over a space, transition or homelessness,” he says. “Having an established kitchen is not something I’m used to, and I think there’s a lot of creativity in that lifestyle.” The restaurant’s logo references traditional hobo signs, mixing the international squatters’ symbol with an egg.
Even with Squatter’s Cafe, Bulrush is still a priority for Connoley. He and Bell are returning to monthly pop-ups, including an all-black Ides of March dinner. While the restaurant’s concept is still developing, Connoley says guests can expect a foraged tasting menu. The unusual ingredients, however, shouldn’t scare potential patrons away. “I’m a Midwestern boy, and I don’t do goofy, odd stuff,” he jokes. “It’ll be food you are familiar with made with ingredients you aren’t.”
1 lb sliced bacon
1 c jalapeños, chopped and seeded
2 c chopped onion
3 garlic cloves
¾ c espresso or strong coffee
½ c apple cider vinegar
½ c packed brown sugar
¼ c maple syrup
¼ c agave nectar
» In a Dutch oven or deep cast-iron skillet, cook the bacon until lightly brown, tossing regularly to brown both sides.
» Add the jalapeños, onions and garlic, and stir. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook at least two hours uncovered, stopping when the liquid thickens slightly.
» Allow to cool slightly, then transfer the jam to a food processor and pulse into a coarse marmalade texture.
» Taste for quality control purposes. Take a second spoonful in case you made a mistake with the first quality check. And finally, take a third spoonful just to stick it to the man!
» Let the remaining jam cool to room temperature. Store in a jar, refrigerated, for two weeks.
Photos by Bill Barrett