Brendan Walsh

For the American comedian, see Brendon Walsh.

Brendan Walsh (born 1959) is an American chef best known for his endorsement of southwestern cuisine. He was the original chef of Arizona 206 in New York City (from 1985–1988) and won international recognition in the prestigious James Beard “Who’s Who of Cooking in America”.

Early life

Brendan Walsh grew up in the Bronx, New York. He later moved to Ridgefield, Connecticut and attended Ridgefield High School.

Career

Walsh graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. From there, he worked at the prestigious Stars restaurant in San Francisco. He later moved back to New York City as executive chef at Arizona 206. There, his fame grew and he appeared on magazines such as Food & Wine and USA Today. He worked as consulting chef in 1989 to Wet Paint but moved on as chef at the Coyote Grill in Island Park from 1990 to 1991. 1991 to 1993, he was the co-owner and chef of the North Street Grill in Great Neck.

In 1996, he decided to settle down in Ridgefield, Connecticut, opening the praised Elms Restaurant and Tavern (now called Brendan's at the Elms). The Elms Restaurant was featured in the Thanksgiving special of Martha Stewart. New York Magazine, Esquire Magazine, USA Today, Food & Wine, The New York Times, and Martha Stewart Living all published feature articles about the restaurant. It was given an Award of Excellence from The New York Times, The Hartford Courant, Stamford Advocate, Greenwich Time, Crain's Business, Connecticut Magazine, and Brooks Community Newspapers.