Star-like Bloom

by Angela Moonan

Chef Barry Honan continues to evolve his vision and his artful creations through food.

Turkey and stuffing never made it to the Thanksgiving table in the Maglio-Honan house. Elizabeth Maglio wouldn’t hear of it. She never served yams and cranberry sauce either. Instead, she prepared the recipes her mother and grandmother had taught her. It set the stage for an Italian production every holiday season. Following tradition meant big family gatherings every week, but on holidays, well, it elevated to a whole other level. Elizabeth would call young Barry into the kitchen for prep. Barry would stir his mother’s tomato sauce and roll the meatballs. New Jersey may be a thousand miles away and many Michelin stars ago, but he can close his eyes today and smell that distinct aroma of his mother’s kitchen. It’s Chef Barry Honan’s earliest and cherished memories. It’s where he first began to wonder if there might be something to this cooking thing.

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the unfolding, slow growth, often as a result of challenges

Barry’s family moved around a lot when he was young. He couldn’t have known at the time that it would build within him a resilience for the journey to come. “My first paid job was in a breakfast diner. At 16 or 17, I was going to school and washing dishes part-time. Then I was invited to join them in their kitchen. Filling plates with eggs and bacon, the great American breakfast faire, was fun. I was good at it. That was a great job because it helped me see I could get paid for doing something I enjoyed. It made me want to know more.”

Techniques and steps to creating certain dishes were being instilled in the young chef. The older Barry got the more passionate he became about the artistic side of food. By his mid-twenties it was clear to him that food was art, and that creating masterpieces of his own would be a lifelong pursuit. “I draw my inspiration from paintings, my travels, nature, the ocean, meditation, museums, reading books. I always want my dishes to create an experience. Something you’ll take with you, become a part of you. Once I was presenting some of my Japanese cuisine. Each guest received a vial of sand from a Japanese beach. I wasn’t sure at first if it was the right move. I took the risk and it paid off. It added dimension. It was a unique compliment and made the experience complete. People loved it.”

The Art of the Sous Chef

Everyone’s journey has twists and turns. Some moments pass unnoticed. Others become a turning point, a sudden shift. The call came in January 2016. What was an offer of a lifetime for any chef, was an incredibly difficult decision for Barry. “When I got the offer to go to Le Bernardin, I was torn. Le Bernardin is an institution, a legend. But my family and I were here in Saint Augustine. Being with family is part of who I am. Being away from them for weeks at a time would be painful. My partner Lauren said, ‘You have to go Barry. This is going to change everything.’ I knew she was right. I also knew it would be a hard road. The commitment was given and what was, in my mind going to be one year, turned into four.”

Becoming the sous chef for Le Bernardin in New York was a combination of feelings for Barry. He missed his family. “Daily, I would eat my slice of humble pie. After a bit though, immersed in the talent and mentoring around me, I found my tempo. It forever changed how the world viewed me, but more importantly, how I viewed myself. Learning new ways to create, innovative ways to cook, that is always my driving force. Living that life at that level, Michelin, it’s exhilarating, intense. I was living my dream, in pursuit of Mastery.”

Every six weeks or so, Barry would return to Saint Augustine to be with Lauren and his daughter Charlie. “I always feel so alive when I’m in a big city. It’s a larger than life feeling. The undercurrent of

You can hear the smile in Chef’s voice when you ask him about what it meant when he came to the turn in the road leading him to the world famous Le Bernardin.

energy and creativity. The pulse. Everything feels more expansive. At the same time, my family was in Saint Augustine. It was tough. Then another turn in the road. Something happened that changed everyone’s lives forever. When the pandemic struck New York City it was devastating. Things got very scary. It was clear I needed to be with my family. I just was uncertain, like so many, of how that path back home would unfold. I’d invested six years with Genie McNally at The Floridian in Saint Augustine before I went to New York. It was natural for me to reconnect once I returned. “Mastery and perfection are never fully achieved. Beginner’s mind is vital for me as I am always learning, always knowing there’s more than one way to create. Knowledge is power. If you get stuck, convinced there’s one way to craft a sauce or present a plate, you’ve lost the magic that can truly take you to your next creative level.”

Treated Like Royalty at The French Laundry

If you’ve had the blessing of experiencing that feeling of “I’ve arrived,” it’s a sense of pride and humility all in the same moment. It was March 2021, Napa Valley. Barry was about to check off a big one on his bucket list. He took ten minutes to muster up his nerve as he stood at the threshold of the culinary mecca, The French Laundry. “That day changed me. It was another turning point for me. I spent the day foraging in their garden, picking microgreens, pulling carrots. I can smell the herbs, I can feel the soil right now. What an incredible experience. Spending time in their kitchen, invited to experience their pastry program, visit their wine fields… I had a smile on my face the entire time. They proceeded to feed me a twenty-course meal as I sat in Chef Thomas Keller’s office. It was surreal. After the handwritten cheque from Chef Thomas Keller came, paying for my dinner, I was invited to become their sous chef. It still feels like a dream. For a moment that tough choice presented itself once again. This time, I chose family and home, and returned to Saint Augustine more inspired than ever.

Together in The Ancient City

Telling stories through food, creating art, connecting people through and to the Ancient city, elevating the industry, that is what’s next on the menu for Chef Honan. “We’re at an interesting crossroads in the restaurant and hospitality industry. No one is

Chef Barry Honan with Chef Thomas Keller at The French Laundry in Napa Valley

entirely sure of what comes next. When I was last in New York a few weeks ago, the city seemed to be slowly percolating back to life. The prices on meat, seafood, certain specialty items could make it difficult to sustain an elevated dining experience. Yet I see Eleven Madison Park going vegan. People taking risks to try something new, to adapt, to differentiate. All we can ever really do is adapt. Adapt and aspire. Aspire to learn, to create, to venture. And God willing it turns our way.”

Like family and great food, learning, refining, innovating, will always be a part of who Barry is. There’s no singular style that he claims as his own. Versatility allows him to venture and be inspired. His thirst for knowledge coupled with his natural gifts for pleasing the palate, has led him to incredible experiences around the globe. He’s now brought the culmination of his life, work, art, and experiences full circle, back to Saint Augustine.

The ultimate experience where art, style, grace and heart converge is what Chef Honan is orchestrating next. Lotus is his creative obsession and is slowly and elegantly unfolding. Soon, locals and travelers from near and far can experience the innovative flavor fusions and artistry of Lotus. The elegant, refined French cuisine combined with the diverse ingredients of Japan with Chef’s