ST. LOUIS — The Clover and the Bee and O and O pizza really make the perfect combo, but have you ever wondered, who is behind the magic?
“Late teens, early 20s, not knowing where your career is going to go, so I was nervous back then, but I think young me would look at me and say wow you did it, you made it work, you did what needed to be done,” says Risk.
Introducing Chef Michael Risk!
Risk is the Executive Chef at both O + O Pizza and the Clover and the Bee. However, before there was their iconic cheesesteak and lobster rigatoni, there was one 19 year old, with a dream.
“It is where I got my base, Steve and Jamie were amazing guys, they showed me so much.”
Shortly after graduating high school, Risk worked at Trattoria Marcella. For him, the iconic, family owned, STL staple was his school.
“So, that was my school, and that is where I was going to learn it.”
It did not take long for his name to take off! The chef was brought in to work at the Lou's latest restaurant, Olive and Oak’s grand opening.
“I kind of came on as if it was going to be a part time, then, it just completely changed my life.”
Not only was his eye for taste a stand out, Risk met his now wife, Jessica, too.
“Everything we were doing that year was just real magic.”
In 2017, Risk was asked to be the executive chef of Olive and Oak’s sister restaurant, the Clover and the Bee. Customers can find breakfast sandwiches, shaved brussel sprouts salad, cold smoked salmon, and of course, their famous cheese steak. But, it did not take long for this brunch spot to expand.
In 2020, after Olive and Oak moved locations, O + O Pizza came to life! The Italian, dinnertime menu offers a mix of Neapolitan and New Haven style pizzas as well as an array of handmade noodles. What started as cooking with his family’s garden or learning the Lebanese dishes at St. Raymond's Wednesday lunches, cooking has become a passion for Risk.
“There is a lot of peace that comes with cooking, it seems like a wild business with noise and distraction but there is a lot of peace. When I can make pasta for an hour or two hours, it is the best two hours of my day.”
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