Chef Brendan McHale of The Eddy - Biography

A New England native, Brendan McHale grew up with the coastal winds, learning how to fly-fish in the Catskills and developing a penchant for seafood from a young age. His passion as a cook came to him early as well—spending summers working on Block Island and later deciding to attend the culinary arts program at Johnson & Wales University. McHale entered professional kitchen life via New England’s culinary capital: Boston. He worked and trained with some of Beantown’s biggest names—including Frank McClelland at the now-closed Sel de la Terre, and Barbara Lynch, for whom he helmed The Butcher Shop as its chef de cuisine.

McHale traded Patriot-paradise for Yankeetown to accept the executive chef position at Jack’s Luxury Oyster Bar in New York City, a position he held until 2010. He then took a break from the hot line to run Tasting Table’s test kitchen, before teaming up with Jason Soloway, a one-time regular at Jack’s Luxury, to open The Eddy in 2014. The East Village eatery boasts fun bar snacks and small plates, with focus on coastal ingredients that McHale has loved since his fly-fishing days.