STILLWATER, Minn. – Celebrity chef Justin Sutherland was critically injured in a freakish boating accident on the St. Croix River. Washington County deputies reconstructed what happened this way: A gust caught Sutherland’s captain’s cap and blew it away. He grabbed for the cap. At that moment a wave hit the boat and knocked him overboard. The boat’s propeller chopped into Sutherland’s head and left arm. His jaw and other bones were broken. This was about 7:30 p.m. He was hospitalized in critical condition.
Sutherland. His restaurants include Chickpea Hummus Bar, Roseville; Gnome, St. Paul; Gray Duck, St. Paul; Handsome Hog, St. Paul; OBachan Noodles and Chicken, Roseville; Pearl and Thief, Stillwater; Side Chick, Minneapolis; and Woodfired Cantina, St. Paul.
Chef profile
Sutherland spent his St. Paul childhood in the kitchen learning from his mother and grandmother. His favorite television show was “You Can Cook.” For fifth birthday he asked for an easybake oven. He studied at the Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary in Atlanta. Then it was back to Sr. Paul, where he polished his skills fusing French and Southern cooking at Meritage and Brasserie Zentral. His reputation grew in the network television shows “Fast Foodies,” “Iron Chef America“ and “Top Chef.” Last year he launched a Minneapolis streetwear brand, Hybrid Nation, which celebrates diversity.