Brian Malarkey
As an award-winning Executive Chef, Brian Malarkey’s passion for food and entertaining is the driving force behind his pursuits in both the culinary and entertainment industry. This summer marks the highly anticipated opening of Searsucker, his first restaurant concept, serving up a delicious menu of New American Classic cuisine. Brian is also no stranger to the world of television and reality and culinary programming. In 2007, he was cast as a contestant on Bravo’s Emmy-nominated series, “Top Chef 3 Miami,” where he advanced to the finale gaining national recognition for his talents, high-energy and captivating charm. This was the country’s first, but certainly not their last, glimpse into what makes Brian one of the country’s favorite chefs and this summer fans can watch as Brian hosts a TLC special called “Mega Bites.” The challenge: break a World Record by constructing gigantic cuisine all for charity and within 48 hours!
Since his departure from the show Brian has made numerous appearances on a variety of television programs. Currently he hosts a series of weekly episodes on BRAVOTV.com for “Top Chef 6 Las Vegas” called “The Remix” where he puts healthy and fast spins on winning dishes. In the past year he was cast as a special guest on subsequent seasons of “Top Chef,” preparing dinner for the cast of the “Real Housewives of Orange County,” “Top Chef Masters” and will be seen on Animal Planet’s award-winning reality series “Jockeys: Win or Die Trying.” Over the course of 2008 Brian hosted a weekly cooking segment on FOX 6-TV where he was seen preparing dishes with his signature flair.
Brian has been involved in various endorsement opportunities, including a series of Diet Dr. Pepper commercials; a joint-promotion with Wal-Mart, Kingsford® Charcoal, GLAD, KC Masterpiece® and Hidden Valley® Ranch; a sponsorship by Chef Works and Beringer Wines. Brian also developed a menu for Fresh Dining, Southern California's leading purveyor of daily, home-delivered gourmet meals. In the coming months he will emcee the National SushiMasters competition in Los Angeles, be a guest celebrity chef on a Holland America Cruise sponsored by Food & Wine Magazine, demonstrate at the Charleston Food & Wine Festival, headline both San Diego and Martha’s Vineyard Wine & Food Festivals and much more.
Brian is not just a TV personality that cooks. He is a professionally trained, award-winning chef that was surrounded by a family of talented cooks. A native of Bend, Oregon, Brian lived a cowboy lifestyle, growing up on a horse ranch and spending summers on the Oregon coast. He was inspired by the cooking of his grandmother, in her beach house kitchen, where she was often joined by her old friend James Beard. After being seduced all of his life by all the fresh seafood and abundant produce that the Oregon country side has to offer, Brian enrolled in Western Culinary Institute’s Le Cordon Bleu cooking school in Portland.
After graduation, Brian set his sights on California and sought the disciplines of French chef Michael Richard of Citrus in Los Angeles. After holding several positions in Chef Richard’s kitchen, Brian relocated to Minneapolis where he worked at the Loring Café and The Local before being named Sous Chef at The Oceanaire Seafood Room. In 2001, he returned to his beloved Pacific Northwest to open The Oceanaire’s Seattle location as Executive Sous Chef.
In 2004, Brian relocated to southern California to open The Oceanaire in San Diego as Executive Chef and Operating Partner. Since the restaurant’s opening it has received more than 60 industry awards, including Brian’s Gold Medallion for Chef of the Year and Best Seafood-Fine Dining (2006-2009), San Diego’s Best Chef (2009), Zagat Top Ten Restaurants (2007), Wine Spectator Award of Excellence (2005-2008), and the DiRoNA Award of Excellence.
Brian is opening Searsucker, his first restaurant concept in 2010, with San Diego restaurant and nightclub developer, James Brennan owner of nationally acclaimed Stingaree Restaurant and Nightclub. He is working on two cookbooks and writing a weekly blog on BRAVOTV.com and SanDiegoMagazine.com where he dishes about all things culinary. He is available for demos, special events and dinner parties, cooking classes, speaking opportunities, TV appearances, endorsements and more.
Brian currently resides in San Diego with his beautiful wife, Chantelle, their first child Hunter, twins on the way and their dog Stella.
Visit:
