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Speaker Series: Restorative to Restaurant: the Evolution of the Chef

The Field House Museum welcomes chef, food writer, and critic Holly Fann on Sunday, May 15, at 1:00 pm. Holly will be presenting a look at how the role of chef has changed from the early 19th century restaurants to the kitchens Holly herself has prepared food in. She will compare the tasks, skills, and types of food a chef in the 1800s would be asked to execute, examining how it has influenced and led to adaptations used by the modern chef.  

This presentation will be in-person only. Reservations must be made in advance through Eventbrite, by calling the Museum at 314-421-4689, or emailing info@fieldhousemuseum.org. Parking passes will be required for those wishing to attend and will be issued after registration. 

About the Speaker:

Holly Fann was raised surrounded by art. Her parents are active collectors, and her father, a docent at the St Louis Art Museum, shared his love of art history with her. Although she grew up just a block away from the majestic University City Lions of the Delmar Loop, she received her education in Webster Groves. A desire to become a food writer led Holly to the Creative Writing program at The University of Missouri – Columbia. She then attended The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY, where she was trained in classic French culinary fundamentals and worked (and ate) at every New York City restaurant she could for over a decade.

Holly transitioned to the role of chef educator and penned her first food article for The Riverfront Times. Eventually, she hung up her apron to write full-time for the RFT, followed by Sauce magazine and GastronomicSTL. In 2016 she became a food writer and dining critic for St. Louis Magazine. Holly is regularly published by Eater, Plate, and Thrillist and can be heard talking all things food during her weekly KTRS dining segment. Recently, she was thrilled to jury the “Food For Thought” national art show and is pursuing sommelier certification through a Veraison Project scholarship. “I’m so fortunate that I get to spend my life learning and writing about restaurants crafting delicious food, and more importantly, sharing the stories of the people whose work at those restaurants have provided us with some of our best dining experiences and memories.”