Colby Garrelts on the James Beard nomination and his restaurant’s fifth anniversary

I wasn’t able to talk to Colby Garrelts on Monday because his restaurant Bluestem was closed, but I did get a hold of him yesterday. He sounded winded, which is to be expected from a man trying to prep a large dinner while fielding dozens of congratulation calls. “It’s a little stressful but it’s awesome,” he said, referring to the fact that he’d been named a James Beard finalist for the third time. He and his wife and co-owner, Megan, “know what to expect from New York, where to stay, where to eat,” he said. “We try to see various sights but a lot of it is events, functions. It’s work also.”

Even though it’s Garrelts’ third nomination, he’s by no means the shoe-in for Best Chef: Midwest. “I’m not the only one who’s been on this road before. Of the five finalists, four have been nominated three times. So, for one of us, it’s going to be third time’s the charm. It’s very rare to win your first time nominated… I don’t get nervous about winning. I was more nervous about being nominated. That’s the important part, to keep being nominated.”

Does being a finalist mean more customers in seats? “It’s funny. We get a big bump from out-of-town guests. But on the Saturday after we were announced as a semi-finalists, I’d say the room, on a scale of one to 10 for a typical Saturday, was a six. People here don’t care. I’m not even afraid to say that anymore.”

Garrelts doesn’t mean no one in Kansas City cares.