Chef Brian Malarkey
Chef Brian Malarkey is big, strapping country boy with energy to spare and a passion for creating and eating good food.
Raised on a ranch in Bend, Oregon Malarkey says fresh seafood and produce — both in good supply in his native Oregon — influenced his culinary path. Yet, it was his grandmother’s cooking that stirred his passion for satisfying, accessible fare.
It’s no surprise this passion lead Brian Malarkey to enroll in culinary school at Le Cordon Bleu in Portland, Oregon. After graduating in 1994, the young chef began work with renowned Chef Michael Richard at Citrus in Los Angeles. Malarkey rose quickly in the ranks in Chef Richard’s kitchen.
Eventually, as many chefs destined for great things do, Malarkey traveled abroad to Europe… and Northern Africa. There, a new world opened up to him with the discovery of how food defines cultures. Once back on US soil, Malarkey accepted the position of Sous Chef at The Oceanaire’s Seafood Room in Minneapolis, Minnesota, later opening the restaurant’s branch in San Diego, California.
Brian Malarkey came to the public’s consciousness in 2007 when this high-energy chef with model good looks advanced to the finale of Bravo’s Top Chef Miami. Since then, it’s been a fast-paced and wild ride.
Chef Brian Malarkey opened five restaurants in San Diego, including Searsucker, Burlap, Gaberdine, Gingham and Herringbone. With his partner, James Brennan, he hopes to open a total of fifteen restaurants as part of their Fabric of Social Dining venture, which capitalizes on the dinner party experience.
Most recently, he opened a new Searsucker restaurant in Austin, Texas. Only the second restaurant outside of California.
In addition to his career as a restaurateur, Malarkey is also the author of the cookbook, Come Early: Stay, Late, and served as a judge on the ABC cooking competition series, The Taste.
He resides in San Diego, California with his wife, Chantelle.
