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Orzo Kitchen and Wine Bar, 416 West Main St., Charlottesville, VA
Chef Bryan has recently relocated to Charlottesville, VA. He is devoting his free time and energy to promote a better understanding of sustainable seafood. Bryan is currently writing a series of Sustainable Seafood 101 articles for CHEFnews.
His long-term goal is to open a casual sustainable seafood restaurant that will be a platform to bring attention to environmental issues specifically related to seafood.
Previously in Portland, OR, Bryan was the Chef de Cuisine at Lucy’s Table and then the Executive Chef at volunteer-run Albertina's restaurant where he assisted in transitioning the restaurant to a cafe style lunch service featuring new American cuisine.
He is an avid fly fisherman and salmon conservationist. He has a strong interest in how eating habits affect humans, the environment, the food supply chain, and general nutrition.
Bryan has a Culinary Arts diploma from Western Culinary Institute in Portland OR, and has completed course work in Nutrition. He has worked at Portland restaurants such as Fenouil and The Original. He has also worked under James Beard Award winning Chef Vitaly Paley at Paley’s Place and James Beard Rising Star award winning Chef Gabriel Rucker at Little Bird Bistro. His travels to Paris, Morocco, and the Andalucian region in Spain have heavily influenced his take on Northwest Regional Cuisine.
He believes in using the best possible ingredients with the best possible techniques.
“By paying exact attention to details and using first-rate execution, a seemly simple preparation results in a fresh and flavorful final product,” says Bryan.
Chef's Green News
Bryan emphasizes being environmentally responsible in sourcing food products. He works hard to make thoughtful and educated decisions about the products used. For example, he uses domesticated hearts of palm. The plant can regenerate and live after harvest, and thus is a responsible food choice.
 Bryan believes that serving and consuming seafood is a privilege.
“One of my core values is to respect seafood of fresh and salt water origin. When it comes to WILD salmon, I only serve the truly wild Bristol Bay sockeye salmon or salmon harvested by Native Americans who use traditional fishing methods such as dip net or gill net. To me this is another example of a “responsible” choice."
He is a proud supporter of conservation organizations including Trout Unlimited, Salmon-Safe and The Wild Salmon Center. Bryan goes the extra mile to support the long-term health of salmon by using products that are Salmon-Safe certified. Some examples of salmon-safe products are wine from Sokol Blosser Winery and eggs from Wilcox Farms.
Bryan sources local artisan beef from ranchers who raise beef without hormones and in a stress free environment. By sourcing from local ranchers who support this ideology, he is able to use non-primal cuts like the Bavette (skirt steak) that would otherwise become ground beef. His pork products come from the first sustainable hog operation in the US to earn Food Alliance Certification which occurred in 2007.
Food Sources Mentioned: Pat-n-Tam’s Beef, Carman Ranch, Pure Country Pork, Sokol Blosser Winery, Wilcox Farms
Organizations Chef Bryan Supports:
Trout Unlimited works for conservation, protection and restoration of North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds ensuring that future generations can enjoy fish in clean waters.
Salmon-Safe works to restore and preserve agricultural and urban watersheds to allow Pacific salmon to thrive and spawn in West Coast watersheds.
Wild Salmon Center’s mission is to identify, understand and protect the best wild salmon ecosystems of the Pacific Rim.
Chef's Recipes
Blackened Catfish Po'boy
Blue Crab Dip
Deconstructed Salad Nicoise
Hangtown Fry - Chef Method
Hangtown Fry - Home Cook Recipe
Seared Sockeye Salmon with Corn Risotto
Shrimp & Polenta "Grits" with Caramelized Brussels Sprouts
Smoked Trout & Goat Cheese Ravioli with Tuffle Brown Butter Sauce
Tequila Steamed Clams
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