Photo by Jay Paul
Cool. It’s the first word that comes to mind when thinking of the vivacious, blonde-haired, all-smiles Jaclyn Beasley, the latest addition to the Rueger Restaurant Group family as general manager and beverage director at Brunch. The 31-year-old from D.C. almost won “Chopped,” cooked at the James Beard House, rides motorcycles (the louder the better), and brought ingenuity and flair to the front and back of house before relocating to Richmond with her wife, Laurin, and their hairless cat, Finn.
Richmond magazine: I’ll be honest, I googled your name and discovered the “Chopped” appearance. What’s the deal?
Jaclyn Beasley: I actually had multiple guests the other day say, “Are you the woman on ‘Chopped?’ ” I made it to the final round. I swear to God, I finished cooking and was like, “I got this, he undercooked his dessert.” The judges said, ‘You know, it’s undercooked, but we like it.’
RM: What’s the biggest difference between living in Richmond and Washington, D.C.?
Beasley: D.C. has so much to offer in a tiny postage stamp amount of space. You can make a day of D.C.; you can’t make a day of Richmond. You have to make a long weekend.
RM: How did your industry journey begin?
Beasley: I was with [D.C. restaurant] Founding Farmers and was commuting there and living here [to attend VCU]. Towards the second year, I said, “I want to bartend.” I knew all the recipes, did my homework and bartended for a year. They opened their new location in Montgomery County and wanted me to be a manager, but I went through kitchen training and started as junior sous chef.
RM: How old were you at this point?
Beasley: I was 24 and put my head down. I worked with a chef, she was old-school and hard — yelling at you and you'd feel spit hitting your neck, and she beat my ass. She said, “Jump,” I said “How high?” and that was that.
RM: After working at Founding Farmers for eight years, what was your next step?
Beasley: I worked for a spot in Georgetown, Via Umbria … alongside Johanna Hellrigl, who I did the James Beard dinner with. I got to realize my potential and capacity. I learned more in six months than I had my whole lifetime as a chef.
RM: What did you study at VCU?
Beasley: Communication arts with an emphasis on medical illustration.
RM: Do you still ride motorcycles?
Beasley: Yes! I’ve always ridden motorcycles, since I was 18. … I just love it. It’s very, very freeing. I’m part of a group … of about 40 women riders, and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve done as an adult. We take a few long trips a year. I’ve never met a more supportive group of women.
