Luke Mersfelder
Bywater | Warren, RI
SEPTEMBER 2023
Born and raised in upstate New York, Luke Mersfelder was exposed to cooking by his mother, who lovingly prepared every meal for him. After his first year of college, Mersfelder felt lost. He recalled having a cousin who was enrolled at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island, so he applied and his passion for cooking was ignited. After staging at Rising Stars alum David Reynoso's Al Forno, he took a job at a country club in Syracuse, New York, but quickly learned he preferred the creativity found at independently owned restaurants. He moved back to Rhode Island, working in various kitchens across the city including Local 121 and Persimmon, eventually landing at Rising Star alum Ben Sukle’s chef’s counter, Birch. After some time, Mersfelder was ready for a new adventure. He and his partner (fellow 2023 Rising Star Britt Simons) picked up and moved to Chicago, where he found work with Rising Stars alum Ryan Pfeiffer at the nationally acclaimed fine dining destination, Blackbird.
Moving to Chicago felt like a breath of fresh air for Mersfelder, who had begun to feel burnt out in Rhode Island. After staging around and focusing on culinary enrichment, he landed a job at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant, Smyth. But, when the pandemic hit, Mersfelder and Simons felt it was time to return to Rhode Island. They moved back to Providence, and Mersfelder was quickly introduced to Bywater, a seafood-focused restaurant in Warren. Now, as chef de cuisine, he’s locked in on the bounty of the Narragansett Bay. His menu features everything from refined crudos that highlight local seafood and long-term ferments for destination diners, to buffalo black bass collars with house-pickled seasonal vegetables for locals who are looking to stop in for a quick bite and a beer.
2023 StarChefs Coastal New England Rising Stars Award Winner
