Terrance Brennan

TerranceBrennanPicture

Terrance Brennan is the Chef-Proprietor of the restaurants of The Artisanal Group, including Picholine and Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro & Wine Bar and Bar Artisanal.

Early life and career

The son of Annandale, Virginia restaurateurs, Brennan began cooking at the age of 13 and rose steadily through the ranks of America's most renowned and imaginative chefs. Following positions at several Washington, D.C. restaurants and hotels, Brennan served as a saucier at Le Cirque under Alain Sailhac and worked in many of Europe's greatest kitchens including Taillevent, Le Tour d'Argent, Moulin de Mougin, Gualtiero Marchesi, Les Crayeres and La Gavroche. Brennan's signature culinary style took form while working under Chef Roger Vergé at Le Moulin de Mougins in the south of France. Inspired by the region's "cuisine of the sun," Brennan returned to New York City and refined his art as Chef at Annabelle's, the Hotel Westbury's Polo restaurant, and Prix Fixe. In 1993, Brennan opened his first restaurant, Picholine, which he named after the petite green olives indigenous to the Mediterranean coast. The restaurant quickly earned three stars from The New York Times, and four stars from New York Magazine, and received the Zagat Survey's Highest Overall Ratings distinction from 1997 - to the present, and is a perennial award winner for its 600-plus wine selections. The restaurant received a James Beard Foundation nomination for the country's Outstanding Restaurant in 2007, and was awarded two stars in the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 editions of Michelin Guide New York City.[1]

Picholine

Taking its name from the small, tender green olive harvested in the Mediterranean, Picholine opened its doors at 35 West 64th Street in October 1993. "It instantly became one of the best restaurants around Lincoln Center," according to The New York Times, which gave Picholine a prestigious three-star rating.

The inspired menu features French-Mediterranean dishes which are original interpretations of classic flavors from France, Spain and Italy. Your dining experience will include everything from delectable "preludes" such as Sea Urchin Panna Cotta with Chilled Ocean Consommé and Caviar to signature entrées like Diver Sea Scallops with Cauliflower Silk and Blood Orange Grenobloise…sumptuous desserts such as Passion Fruit "Cannoli" with Coconut Tapioca, as well. In addition, Picholine's renowned cheese cart displays more than 60 of the world's finest artisanal cheeses.

Terrance's 2006 redesign of Picholine transformed the restaurant with a sleek design that mirrors the modern sensibilities of his Mediterranean cuisine. In addition to 84 seats in the main dining rooms, L'Olivier, the restaurant's spacious private dining room, can accommodate an additional 22 guests. Picholine's intimate Wine Room seats up to 8 guests. Tucked in a corner of the 2,500 bottle-lined Wine Room is the famous Cheese Cave.

The restaurant received a James Beard Foundation nomination for the country's Outstanding Restaurant in 2007, and was awarded two stars in the 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011 editions of Michelin Guide New York City.[2]

Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro & Wine Bar

The driving force behind the creation of Artisanal Fromagerie, Bistro and Wine Bar was Chef-Proprietor Terrance Brennan’s passion for artisanal cheeses. In the back of the dining room is the cheese cave – a temperature and humidity controlled room – where a number of the world’s finest artisanally-made cheeses are aged to optimum ripeness and peak flavor. This is truly a hot spot for the ultimate cheese lover.

Artisanal is also a classic French Bistro. Here you’ll find a playful twist on classic bistro dishes. For instance, Terrance’s take on traditional Osso Bucco features monkfish instead of veal. Traditionally prepared with Beef, Terrance’s Duck Bourguignon is intriguingly made a La Grand-Mère with Chestnut Pappardelle. Selecting only premium ingredients, Terrance’s commitment to the use of artisanal, sustainable and organic products is evident in the quality of each dish.

After its March 2001 opening, Gourmet magazine wrote, “as cheese-intensive as Artisanal is, as profoundly as it caters to the basest of lactic desires, the restaurant may already be one of the best bistros in New York, remarkable even without the cheese.” Awarded Best Brasserie Cuisine in the 2002 Zagat Survey, Artisanal continues to delight customers and critics alike.[3]

TV appearances

A frequent guest on the "Today" show,[4] Brennan has also appeared on PBS, Martha Stewart Living Television, "CBS Morning News," "The Early Show" and "Live with Regis and Kelly."

References

  1. ↑ http://www.terrancebrennan.com/About.php
  2. ↑ http://picholinenyc.com
  3. ↑ http://www.artisanalbistro.com
  4. ↑ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHvxPVQmOxk