ST. LOUIS — Rob Connoley has closed his acclaimed Grand Center restaurant Bulrush, saying he can no longer operate in a state that is “actively working to harm†the LGBTQ community.
Connoley was a finalist earlier this month at the prestigious James Beard Awards, and Bulrush had drawn nationwide raves for its Ozark cuisine since opening in 2019.
Connoley, who is gay, cited Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey’s actions toward transgender people, including attempts to seek their medical records.
“I’ve done LGBT advocacy for a long time, 30-plus years, and I’ve never seen something like this,†Connoley said. “Normally, it’s legislative, and there’s work you can do with your representatives and constituents. But here, it’s one person doing hate politics.â€
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Bailey’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.
Bailey last year launched an investigation of Washington University’s Transgender Center in ºüÀêÊÓƵ. He has since broadened the probe to other gender-affirming-care providers, such as Planned Parenthood, as well as therapists and social workers who work with minors seeking gender-affirming care.
Connoley, a ºüÀêÊÓƵ native and self-taught chef, returned to the area in 2016 from Silver City, New Mexico, where he had run his first restaurant to national notice.
Bulrush featured modern interpretations of historical Ozark cuisine, focusing on local ingredients and aiming for zero waste. Connoley also directed research into the indigenous and enslaved persons who had lived in the Ozarks. Connoley termed Bulrush’s community-minded business model “reparative restauranting.â€
Both chef and restaurant have won local and national acclaim. Bulrush was ranked No. 1 in the 2024 edition of the Post-Dispatch’s annual STL 100. Connoley is a three-time semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s “Best Chef: Midwest†award. This year, he was one of five finalists for the honor.
Bulrush’s final service was Sunday. The restaurant invited many of its frequent regulars, including two couples that had each dined there more than 30 times over the past five years.
Connoley said Bulrush was “a successful business†at the time of its closure.
“We’re at capacity every night,†he said. “We’ve paid off all of our investors (and) all of our people who provide stuff to us. We paid off our lease. Everything’s paid off.â€
Connoley said he began thinking about closing Bulrush one year ago. He traveled to London to teach Ozark cooking for National Geographic, in partnership with the Missouri Department of Tourism.
“And even at that time, I’m like, ‘This feels really weird, promoting a state that’s actively trying to oppress me,’†he said.
Connoley intends to move out of Missouri but declined to discuss his future plans.
“All I know is I can make sure that this city and this state and this region knows that one of the best restaurants in the region isn’t going to do business here anymore because it’s not a place that is safe for LGBT families,†Connoley said.
Connoley argued that it’s time to elect leaders who represent the entire state, rather than those with “extremist†policies. He believes his own experience in the Ozarks bears this out.
Before he moved back to ºüÀêÊÓƵ, he read a Vice article titled “You probably don’t know about Ozark cuisine because of the KKK.â€
But that has not been Connoley’s experience.
“The people down there (in the Ozarks) have always been so hospitable and so welcoming,†he said. “And I’ve always been myself, so it’s not like they don’t know (who I am).
“So the attorney general is not lined up with the majority of the people. He’s lined up with the people who get him on Fox News and get (him) elected.â€
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