From Bronx Boy to Premier Chef

Brendan Walsh, Chef - Elms Restaurant & Tavern

Who would have guessed that a boy from the Bronx would go on to become one of the nation’s premier chefs? That is exactly what Brendan Walsh of Ridgefield’s Elms Restaurant and Tavern accomplished.

Brendan Walsh graduated at the top of his class from the Culinary Institute of America in 1980. From there, he went on to become the opening chef of both The Water’s Edge and the Gotham Bar and Grill in New York City. Despite this early success, Brendan hungered for new culinary influences and inspiration. This journey led him to France, Italy, and California. Finally, in 1985 at the young age of 26, Brendan returned to Manhattan where he made his culinary mark as the opening chef of Arizona 206.

At Arizona 206, Brendan pioneered new and innovative Southwestern cuisine. For his ingenuity, Brendan has been credited with helping to define the direction of American cooking, thereby paving the way for New American cuisine. Due to his success at Arizona 206, Brendan received a great deal of media attention and industry honors. He was named among Food & Wine’s Top Ten Chefs of 1987. That same year he was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s Who’s Who of Food & Beverage in America. During this time period, Brendan also became Executive Chef at Manhattan’s Contrapunto and Yellowfingers.

In 1990, intrigued by the wealth of local produce and wines, Brendan set out to conquer the Long Island restaurant market. There, he opened three new restaurants (Coyote Grill, North Street Grill, and Paddy McGee’s) in just two years time. Each restaurant earned top ratings from local critics at Newsday, New York Magazine, and The New York Times.

In 1996, Brendan returned to Ridgefield, CT, where he had spent his adolescence, to open the Elms Restaurant and Tavern. Once again Brendan reinvented American Revolutionary dishes by transforming American classics such as chowders, roasts, and puddings, into what he describes as Yankee Cuisine. With a fresh menu that changes daily, Brendan’s new take on traditional cuisine tantalizes the taste buds of his dining patrons, who receive a full experience in the lovingly restored colonial décor of the dining rooms of the tavern, which dates back to the 1760’s.

Although Brendan’s previous ventures were successful in their own right, his success at Elms Restaurant and Tavern has been tremendous, being one of only three restaurants in Connecticut to receive a rating of “Excellent” from The New York Times. The food, ambiance, and service also received rave reviews from other local publications such as The Hartford Courant, Connecticut Magazine, The Stamford Advocate, and The Greenwich Times. Additionally, Elms Restaurant and Tavern was named by Esquire Magazine as One of the Top New Restaurants in America for 1996. Travel & Leisure Magazine named Elms as Inn of the Month for September 1997 and the restaurant received the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence every year from 1998 through 2001.