Missoula News

Crème de la crème in Missoula

515 Chef Paul Myers a Finalist for National Honor

By Dillon Tabish, 3-07-08

Paul Myers at his restaurant 515 in Downtown Missoula. Photos by Emily Haas

Paul Myers, executive chef at 515 on the Hip Strip in Missoula, is a semifinalist for a James Beard Foundation Award, one of the nation’s most prestigious honors for culinary professionals.

Thousands of entries were received but Myers made it into the top 20 for Best Chef Northwest. The top five finalists will be announced March 24 and flown to New York City to be honored at the Lincoln Center.

“I’m really honored to be in the listing,” says Myers, 37, a native of Billings. “I feel like what we’re doing is on point with those guys [in bigger cities], but I didn’t expect to get the nod out here because there’s just not as much exposure in an area like this versus a Portland or Seattle market.”

A year and a half ago, 515 opened at 515 South Higgins to positive reviews, winning the Missoula Independent’s 2007 “Best New Restaurant” and Myers named “Best Chef.” However, good reviews didn’t necessarily equate to more customers.

“We’ve had a bit of a tough go coming into the Missoula restaurant scene,” says Myers, who co-developed the Bridge Pizza on Higgins in the mid-90s.

In Myers’ opinion, the contemporary dining experience that 515 offers is like nothing else in Missoula, which can be misinterpreted as “arrogant” or “pretentious.”

But despite the somewhat slow start, the national honor is keeping Myers and his team of five full-time chefs optimistic and working harder than ever. Myers, for one, gets online every night to look at what other chefs are doing, keeping up with current trends in the industry.

“I want to keep growing in my craft,” Myers says.

515 recently started offering $5.15 Happy Hour cuisine Tuesday through Sunday starting at (surprise, surprise) 5:15 PM. Some of the discounted deals include local beef hamburgers with hand cut French fries, or chocolate mousse and coffee for sweet tooths. On Sundays, a brunch is offered from 10:00 to 2:00 with plenty to choose from including French press coffee and mimosas.

Myers says he gets bored with a menu after a couple months, always eager to try new things. So far 515 has changed its menu four to five times a year.

“When you change a menu it requires effort, and when you do it’s like you’re opening your restaurant all over again,” he says.

During the winter, the upstairs and downstairs sections of the restaurant have one menu, featuring items such as French Cassoulet with pork and garlic sausage and fresh biscuits and gravy. Then, come spring, the restaurant goes back to two menus, which rely heavily on locally grown and organic foods.

“That’s what I’d like to do for my community, is give them something fresh to try out,” Myers says.

Click here to view the current menu.

Like this story? Get more! Sign up for our free newsletters.