Paul Berglund

At University of Michigan, Paul Berglund built the academic foundation that later carried into the line. The defining stretch came at The Bachelor Farmer in Minneapolis, MN (2011–2017), where he served as executive chef and worked with organic products whenever possible. Rooftop herbs and vegetables fed that kitchen’s rhythm, keeping the cooking tied to what was growing above it and to the practical discipline below. Berglund has described the choice plainly: it might have been the park ranger route instead of the cook’s line.

At Myrth in Ada, Michigan, the work centers on pizza and pasta, two formats that demand control as much as familiarity. As chef-owner, Paul Berglund carries both the operational side of the restaurant and the point of view behind it, with the food landing in a register that is measured rather than decorative. Those dishes suit the way he works: direct, practiced, and attentive to detail. In Berglund’s hands, familiar forms become a way to show discipline without overstatement.

Paul's honors include James Beard Award, Best Chef: Midwest (2016).