CHAPMAN’S EAT MARKET Writen by Amelia Jeffers / Photography by James Henthorn
For serious foodies, the arrival of Chef BJ Lieberman to the Columbus restaurant scene is the equivalent of signing Joe Burrow to the Buckeyes...with the hope that we don’t lose him to a city who recognizes his talents before we do. With a pedigree that basically reads right out of a Michelin Guide, Lieberman and friends have descended on the capital city during what has undoubtedly been the single most challenging year to run a fine dining establishment, much less open one. Nonetheless, with a penchant for timing and risk management, Lieberman opened the doors to his first solo effort, Chapman’s Eat Market in late summer. Note: Lieberman will likely take exception to the use of “his” and “solo.” Unassuming and affable, Lieberman definitely leads with the team and lists his staff and their accomplishments like a proud father. His Chef de Cuisine, Wes Grubbs, was Lieberman’s boss at Husk in Charleston, South Carolina, where General Manager Pam Berry was the GM at Minero. Sous Chef, Justin Singer (described as “insanely talented”) was interviewed by 66 slmag.net
Lieberman to be his replacement at Little Pearl in Washington, DC, where Nicholas Say was a Line Cook. To understand the significance of recruiting this cadre of restaurant talent to central Ohio, you really need to understand what they left behind. Husk is the unabashedly southern kitchen that was named “Best New Restaurant in America” by Bon Appétit magazine in 2011 when it was launched by Executive Chef Sean Brock, who was awarded the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef, Southeast” title in 2010. Brock got his start at McCrady’s, the restaurant that is said to have put Charleston on the culinary map. Little Pearl is the trifecta of Michelin Guide stars (after Rose’s Luxury and Pineapple & Pearls) for Chef Aaron Silverman, who had worked at McCrady’s with Brock before launching his own establishments in DC — where he was crowned “Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic” by the James Beard Foundation. Silverman’s first of the three, Rose’s Luxury, was named the 2014 “Best New Restaurant in America” by Bon Appétit magazine. Dizzying, right? And here’s the kicker: BJ Lieberman was on the starting line of every one.
