‘Top Chef’ Alum Marjorie Meek-Bradley Adds Airport Dining to Her Growing Resume

While she waits for construction to wrap up at the new tavern she’s spearheading by Union Market, in-demand chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley is keeping busy by bringing local flavors to VIP passengers at Reagan National Airport.

“I am a busy woman right now,” the Smoked and Stacked founder tells Eater while seated in the newly renovated Delta Sky Club unveiled to members on Wednesday, June 27. Bradley, who is simultaneously ironing out the opening menu for the new St. Anselm currently expected to open this August, plans to upgrade what Delta’s most pampered customers get to snack on while traveling.

“At first I didn’t know if it would be something that would make sense but when I realized they wanted to highlight local Virginia produce and Maryland seafood it seemed like an opportunity to be impactful in the food industry in a different way,” she tells Eater. In the next month or two, Meek-Bradley’s recipes — including Maryland crab cakes with corn and herb aioli — will start appearing on the buffet reserved for Delta Sky Club members. She’ll train staff on the lineup, which will change quarterly.

Tierney Plumb/Eater DC

San Francisco’s Delta lounge offers an Asian-inspired menu by famed Lemongrass chef Mai Pham, while Seattle’s features fare from chef Ethan Stowell. New Delta clubs in Austin and Phoenix are on the horizon.

Meek-Bradley’s top priority, however, remains across the river. She says she’s excited about having New York import St. Anselm join the evolving dining scene in northeast.

“I feel the neighborhood is getting a cool personality,” says the chef, who dined at days-old O-Ku — her future neighbor — for the first time on June 26.

While “100 percent” of the inspiration for St. Anselm’s menu is coming from its original Brooklyn location, Meek-Bradley says she has “lots of freedom” to put her own stamp on the 150-seat restaurant. While she declined to name specific dishes on her to-do list, Meek-Bradley says she plans to integrate local ingredients and hormone-free beef.

“It’s a little crazy and the timing is nuts,” she says of tacking on the DCA job. But in the end, the industrious hospitality pro says she simply couldn’t resist. “Being able to showcase local ingredients in an airport is really cool.”

• The Most Anticipated Restaurants in D.C., Summer 2018 [EDC]
• D.C.’s St. Anselm Will Be Bigger, Meatier, and Boozier Than Brooklyn’s [EDC]
• Top Chef Vet Marjorie Meek-Bradley Designs Meaty Snacks for Rosslyn Beer Garden [EDC]