Before "farm-to-table" became a movement, before shareable small plates appeared on menus across the country and before Napa Valley became as well known for its food as its wine, Cindy Pawlcyn '77 was already helping shape the future of American dining. Over a career spanning more than four decades, the James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and cookbook author has helped redefine American dining through innovation, leadership and an unwavering commitment to hospitality. Her impact extends far beyond the iconic Mustards Grill, the Napa Valley restaurant she opened at 28 years old and continues to lead today. It lives on in the chefs and hospitality professionals she has developed and the generations of guests who have made her restaurants part of their family traditions.
For Pawlcyn, however, success has never been measured by awards or accolades. "I've made people happy," she said. "I've made customers happy. I've made purveyors happy. I've made my staff happy. I've given them the wherewithal to have their houses, have their lives and have their children. That's what I'm most proud of."
That people-first philosophy has guided her career from the very beginning. Growing up in Minneapolis, Pawlcyn knew she wanted to become a chef long before it was common for women to pursue careers in professional kitchens. While attending UW-Stout Polytechnic, she immersed herself in hands-on learning, leading one of the university's renowned Haute Cuisine dinners while building the practical business knowledge that would later prove just as valuable as her culinary skills. Although accounting and hospitality law weren't her favorite classes, they became essential when it came time to understand financial statements, navigate legal issues and confidently run a business.
After graduating, Pawlcyn studied cooking in Paris at Le Cordon Bleu and La Varenne before joining the Chicago-based restaurant company Lettuce Entertain You, where she learned how strong operational systems create space for creativity. There she met her future business partners who eventually invited her to California, setting in motion a career that would help transform Napa Valley into one of the country's premier culinary destinations.
Opening Mustards Grill at just 28 years old was the realization of a goal that Pawlcyn had been working towards for years. Mustards Grill featured its own garden when it opened in 1983, reflecting a commitment to seasonal, locally grown ingredients years before farm-to-table entered the culinary mainstream. At Fog City Diner in San Francisco, Pawlcyn introduced shareable small plates long before the concept became common in American restaurants. Rather than chasing what was popular, she built restaurants around the experiences she enjoyed herself.
"I always tried to base my restaurants on what I loved," she said. “As a chef, I love trying food!”
Having worked for chefs who led through intimidation, Pawlcyn intentionally built kitchens where respect, collaboration and leading by example came first. She made a point of investing in her employees as people, taking an interest in their families and creating an environment where they wanted to stay. In an industry known for high turnover, some have worked alongside her for more than 35 years, while others spent decades in her restaurants before pursuing careers in other professions.
Her philosophy extends beyond the kitchen staff to the farmers, fishermen and suppliers who help make every meal possible. Pawlcyn has always viewed partnerships with farmers, fishermen and suppliers as essential to the restaurant's success. Many of those relationships have lasted decades. Those relationships have also helped Mustards Grill weather more than four decades of change, from economic downturns and shifting consumer tastes to wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic. Through every challenge, Pawlcyn has remained committed to listening, adapting and never becoming complacent.
"The most important thing you can do is stay on the balls of your feet," she said. "Not get so confident that you know everything."
Now, families who first visited Mustards Grill decades ago are bringing their own children and grandchildren through its doors, creating new memories around the same tables. Pawlcyn herself recalls watching one of her granddaughters devour a plate of Mustards Grill's famous Mongolian pork ribs, sauce covering her face as she eagerly reached for another bite. Pawlcyn was reminded of why she opened the restaurant in the first place: great food brings people together and creates memories that outlast the meal. For Pawlcyn, that was always the goal. "I want customers to be happy. I want them to be full. I want them to come back again," she said.
Looking back, Pawlcyn credits UW-Stout Polytechnic with providing not only the technical skills needed to succeed in hospitality but the practical foundation to adapt throughout her career and continue learning long after graduation.
When asked what makes her StoutProud, her answer reflects the same mindset that has shaped her life's work. "It gave me the backbone that I needed," she said. "I got as much out of my education as I could."
From pioneering culinary concepts that influenced restaurants across the country to mentoring hospitality professionals and creating places where people gather for generations, Pawlcyn's legacy isn't defined by a restaurant or award but by the lasting impact she's had on an industry built around bringing people together. It's a philosophy that has influenced an industry and reflects the practical, people-first foundation she built at UW-Stout Polytechnic.
