D E PA R T M E N T S C H E F ' S TA B L E
BLOOMSBURY BISTRO NEW OWNERS STEPHEN AND ANNA STUART KOSTER ENRICH WHAT IS ALREADY WORKING AT THIS BELOVED RALEIGH RESTAURANT BY ELLIOT ACOSTA ǀ PHOTOS BY EM BATEMAN
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t was March 1995 when John Toler opened a quant bistro tucked in the corner of Raleigh’s Five Points neighborhood. That restaurant, which he named Bloomsbury Bistro, became a prelude to the kind of chef-driven, ingredient-focused, crafted cuisine the City of Oaks has built its current culinary reputation on. During nearly three decades of operation, Bloomsbury Bistro has been able to sustain community support and critical acclaim. It was this renowned reputation that attracted Stephen Koster’s attention to the Five Points establishment a decade ago. In the age before social media or Yelp, Koster learned about Bloomsbury Bistro the old-fashioned way—a friend had recommended the restaurant to him. Charmed by its quality food and lack of pretentiousness, Bloomsbury Bistro became a special place for Koster. He struck up a friendship with Toler over the years, and would later hold his engagement party to his wife, Anne Stuart, there. Koster would even approach Toler about opening a restaurant together. Instead, fate had different plans, as the two were brought together when Toler decided to step away from the restaurant business and began looking for someone to take over Bloomsbury Bistro. That person turned out to be Koster.
INCUBATING TALENT
Koster’s first restaurant stint took place at a former Hillsborough Street Italian joint called Amici’s, which was conveniently located next to North Carolina State University, Koster’s alma mater. But he truly earned his stripes at the iconic 42nd Street Oyster Bar, where he performed any and all jobs. Through conversations with the restaurant’s staff, Koster saw an opportunity to make the jump to management, and took the leap. This experience ignited a passion within him to run his own restaurant—a passion that stayed with him until August 2019, when he saw his chance to pursue the Bloomsbury Bistro ownership opportunity. Although Koster appreciates the varied experiences he gleaned from his past restaurant posts, childhood memories of cooking with his mother serve as the core of his culinary training—and have helped build Bloomsbury Bistro’s menu. Koster also leans heavily on the restaurant’s Southern roots. But he doesn’t stop at Carolina cuisine, taking inspiration as far south as Creole cooking. While Koster stays actively involved in developing Bloomsbury Bistro’s menu with a culinary team that includes longtime employee Chef De Cuisine Brian Farwing, he tries to avoid the title of chef for himself. The way he sees it, the culinary process’ end result is not completed by a single entity—he believes what comes out on each plate constitutes a team effort. Dishes like the Banana Cream Tart epitomizes this collaboration since Koster, Farwing and Pastry Chef Jeff Robinson all had their hands in its creation. Koster hopes this kind of teamwork and sharing among talented individuals leads to Bloomsbury Bistro’s kitchen becoming an incubator of culinary talent.
MAKING A MARK
“It’s super intimidating,” Koster admits, when asked how it feels to take over a restaurant with Bloomsbury Bistro’s level of prestige. Toler’s full endorsement, however, has paved the way for Koster to see 80 | midtownmag.com
